N.J. Astronauts Give West Orange Students Back-To-School Advice

WEST ORANGE, NJ — “Your education is like a space mission.” That’s the metaphor that sibling astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly had for the students at the former Pleasantdale Elementary School in West Orange.

The school, which was recently renamed Kelly Elementary in honor of the former West Orange brothers’ out-of-this-world achievements, received a message from the Kellys to mark the beginning of the scholastic year.

"They always remember us," Principal Joanne Pollara said. “They sincerely care about the students.”

• See related article: West Orange School Calendar 2017-18 (Here Are The Must-Know Dates)

Here’s the inspirational message the spacemen brothers sent to kick off 2017-18:

“Welcome back to school and for those of you new to Kelly Elementary it is great to know that you will be part of the team. Your education is like a space mission. Think of it that way. Set goals and come up with a plan. Plan to pay attention and do your homework. In space, we have to work hard to be successful. But things don't always go as well as we would like during a space mission. And when that happens we ask for help from our crew-members and the mission control center. You should do that too if you start to struggle. Your teachers are there to help you. So ask for help when you need it. We did. And have fun and have a great year... good luck. If you can dream it, you can do it!”

• See related article: West Orange School Renamed After NJ Astronaut Brothers

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Photo: Mark and Scott Kelly

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