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IN OUR SCHOOLS

Student News: Four Dunellen students honored by Dunellen-Green Brook Rotary Club

Student achiever news from:Colby College, Cornell College, Denison University, Flemington-Raritan Regional School, Iowa State University, Lycoming College, Readington Township Schools

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
  • Rotary Clubs scholarship winners from several Central Jersey towns are announced
  • 8-year old Kingwood student raises donation for Hunterdon County Family Success Center
  • Michael G. Ryan Memorial Award bestowed in Somerville
  • Local artist shares techniques in Westfield classroom

At its annual Scholarship Recognition Luncheon conducted at the Dunellen Hotel on June 9, the Dunellen-Green Brook Rotary Club awarded scholarships to four Dunellen graduating seniors: Alyssa Buccino, Isabella Guzzi, Rachel Herbig and Autum Thompson.

Buccino was this year’s salutatorian, is a National Honor Society member, has participated in numerous clubs and athletic teams, participated in the Rotary’s RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) Conference, and will be attending the College of New Jersey and majoring in civil engineering.

Guzzi is this year’s valedictorian, is a member of the National Honor Society, and is involved in after school clubs and athletic teams. She was a Transition Project Peer Leader and a Safety Ambassador with Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and will be attending Duquesne in the fall.

Left to right: Club member Bill Mundy, Dunellen High School students Alyssa Buccino, Isabella Guzzi, Rachel Herbig and Autum Thompson, Guidance Counsellor Randi Alexrad

Herbig is also a National Honor Society member, a Transition Peer Leader, the Captain of the Cross Country team, and a member of the Biology Club and Math League. She will be attending Rutgers University.

Thompson was vice president of the Student Council, a member of the National Art Honor Society and Drama Crew, a member of the Track and Field, Basketball, and Cross Country teams. She will be attending the Salon Professional Academy for cosmetology in the fall.

Dunellen High School Guidance Counselor Randi Axelrad assisted with the presentations, as did club member and former Dunellen School District Superintendent Gerald Stefanski.

Over the past 43 years, the Dunellen-Green Brook Rotary Club has awarded more than  $270,000 in scholarships to 404 graduating seniors so that they can attend college or technical schools. The club considers education a number one priority and members are pleased that they can help so many deserving young people, according to a club news release.

Rotary membership is by invitation of local clubs. To be considered for membership by the Rotary club, contact Joe Spera at 732-522-6732, or go to www.dunellengreenbrookrotary.org.

READ: Central Jersey student and school news

READ, WATCH and LOOK: Class of 2016 graduation coverage

ADVICE: College preparedness column by Susan Alaimo

Alvernia University

Ryan Paul Wysocki of Piscataway received a master's degree in occupational therapy and a bachelor's degree in health science from the Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania, this spring.

Colby College

The following Central Jersey residents at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, were named to the spring dean's list: William T. Kearney,Daniel S. Kossow of Princeton, Ryan M. Sellar of Hillsborough, Alexander T. Walsh Jr. of Basking Ridge.

Colgate University

The following Central Jersey residents at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, received their degrees this spring:

Rebecca Anderson of Bridgewater, bachelor's degree japanese, magna cum laude
Drew Bader of Bernardsville,bachelor's degree in biochemistry 
Sarah Chandler of Westfield, bachelor's degree in International relations, magna cum laude
Catherine Chen of Califon, bachelor's degree in art &art history 
Jon Christensen of Whitehouse Station, bachelor's degree in neuroscience 
Warren Dennis of Stockton, bachelor's degree in history and astronomy/physics 
Julia Fisher of Westfield, bachelor's degree in biochemistry, magna cum laude
Nicole Halper of Flemington, bachelor's degree in physics 
Jessica Hwang of Flemington, bachelor's degree in art &art history 
Miranda Kornfeld of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in economics, magna cum laude
Connor Murphy of Bridgewater, bachelor's degree in environmental economics 
Christian Newman of Bernardsville, bachelor's degree in International relations 
Julia Queller of Westfield, bachelor's degree in religion, summa cum laude
Madeline Roe of Princeton, bachelor's degree in psychology 
Andrew Romeo of Berkeley Heights, bachelor's degree in political science, magna cum laude
Emily Sisto of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in economics, cum laude
Olivia Zucosky of Princeton, bachelor's degree in art & art history and social science, cum laude.

Cornell College

Benjamin Oakley of Rocky Hill received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa in the spring.

Denison University

Caleigh Dwyer of Princeton was named to the spring dean's listat Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7.

Flemington-Raritan Regional School District

The Flemington-Raritan Regional School district has launched a 1:1 Chromebook Initiative with a video highlighting the program.

View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anh86e89TF8.

During the June 13 board meeting, the district acknowledged and thanked Technology Supervisor Michael Mitchell and J.P. Case Integrated Tech Specialist Jay Borawski  for their work in producing the video. The Board also acknowledged eighth-grader Ellie Fallon for her work in narrating the video, which has been shared with all staff and parents. The Board also thanked student Jandre Erwee for acting in the video.

Pictured from left: Superintendent Dr. Maryrose Caulfield, Educational Technology Supervisor Michael Mitchell, 8th-grader Ellie Fallon, J.P. Case Tech Specialist Jay Borawski and BOE President Anna Fallon.

Mitchell shared a sneak peek of the district’s new 1:1 web page, where all parents can find information about the initiative, the devices used, policies and procedures, tips for Chromebook care, resources and frequently-asked questions.

Georgia Institute of Technology

The following Central Jersey residents at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Gerogia, received their degrees this spring:

Jonathan Cordova of Glen Gardner,  bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
Heena Dani of Middlesex, bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering
Arnav Jindia of Califon, bachelor's degree in computer engineering
Pranay Mishra of Princeton,  master's degree in aerospace engineering
Anthony Nicaretta of Flemington,  bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering
Sunny Patel of Princeton, bachelor's degree in computer engineering
Erica Pramer of Belle Mead, master's degree in digital eedia
Danielle Rosenblatt of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

Hunterdon County Family Success Center

Eight-year old Brooklyn Liskowacki recently heard about the Hunterdon County Family Success Center (FSC) from the Kingwood School Nurse. Although Brooklyn has never visited the FSC, something resonated with her after hearing about what the FSC does for the families it serves.

8-year old Brooklyn Liskowacki coordinated a donation drive for toys and games for homeless children. FSC Family Partner Laurie Willard proudly received the donation ffrom Brooklyn Liskowacki.

Unfortunately, some of these families served by the center are homeless. Brooklyn decided to coordinate a donation drive for these children who currently have no home as part of her Gifted and Talented Project.  She drafted a letter which was distributed to all the classes at Kingwood School. The donations were collected, with the FSC having no knowledge that this was being done until we received a call from Brooklyn to tell center workers that she had bags of toys, games, hats, scarves, and gloves.

"On behalf of all the staff and families at the Family Success Center, we thank you Brooklyn for caring," FSC officials said in a news release. "One person can make a difference."

Iowa State University

Alexandre Dionne of Belle Mead was named to the spring dea's list at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa .Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.50.

Lance  Welcomes Sanjana Rao of Bridgewater to Washington

Congressman Leonard Lance (R-Dist. 7) welcomed Sanjana Rao to the United States Capitol recently for the annual Congressional Art Competition showcase.  Rao, 17, was selected as the winner of the Seventh Congressional District contest for her piece, Thoughts of Coffee on You.  She earned the chance to visit Washington, D.C. and see her work on display in the Capitol alongside the winning selections from across the country.After the special ceremony, Rao said, “Art, for me, is a medium of self-expression.  I’ve always loved problem solving, and art is the best puzzle to solve.  Each art piece is about finding the right composition, the right values, right symmetries, right meaning. Art is something I’m proud of and I’m proud to have my work on display in the United States Capitol.” Rao is a student at Bridgewater Raritan High School and is involved in the Arts Honor Society and is president of the photography club. The Congressional Art Contest began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

Lafayette College

The following Central Jersey residents at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, were honored for academic excellence this spring:

Alyssa Braver of Warren was the recipient of the Louise M. Olmsted Prize in Ethics, awarded to a student, who, in the judgment of the members of the Department of Philosophy, has done outstanding work in theoretical ethics, applied ethics, or a related field.

Olivia Dembiec of Westfield was the recipient of the Eugene P. Chase Phi Beta Kappa Prize, awarded to sophomores who have demonstrated scholarship as a first-year student.

Jason Hill of North Plainfield was the recipient of the Class of 1910 Prize, awarded annually by the Department of History to the senior students who have excelled in the study of history or in an allied field of humanities and who manifests the greatest promise for responsible civic leadership and public service.

Jethro Israel of Plainfield was the recipient of the Africana Studies Scholastic Award, awarded to a students who have demonstrated academic excellence and potential for future leadership in American society.

David McGriff of Flemington was the recipient of the Lafayette College President's Award, awarded annually to the outstanding cadets in terms of overall achievement measured by scholastic excellence, leadership, military performance, and extracurricular involvement.

Mia Spitz of Westfield was the recipient of the Willis Roberts Hunt Biology Prize, awarded annually to the senior biology students felt by the members of the department to be most deserving.

Cassandra Uthgenannt of Ringoes, Hunterdon Central Regional High Schoo, Class of 2016, was the recipient of the Charles Duncan Fraser Prize, awarded annually to the senior student who, in the judgment of the Department of Chemical Engineering, is best qualified for advanced work in materials science and engineering.

Mirielle Vasselli of Princeton, was the recipient of the Frederick Knecht Detwiller Prize, awarded to senior art majors for distinguished work in art and art history.

Carl Vik of Princeton, was the recipient of the James Alexander Petrie Prize in French.

Lycoming College

Jessica Hoff of Lambertville was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Delta honor society at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Michael G. Ryan Memorial Award

The Somerville Middle School Awards Celebration was conducted on June 20. The Michael G. Ryan Memorial Award was given to eighth-graders Anna Tatishvili and Thomas Hayes. They were selected by the 8th Grade Team faculty of Somerville Middle School as two students who best exemplified the characteristics of Michael G. Ryan. They each received a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble donated by faculty and friends in memory of Michael G. Ryan, who was principal of Somerville Middle School from 2002 to 2007.

Left to right:  Michaela Ryan, Lauren Ryan, Thomas Hayes, Anna Tatishvili, received the Michael G. Ryan memorial award.

The award description stated: “The Michael G. Ryan Memorial Award was established in memory of our Principal and friend, Michael G. Ryan, who died on March 26, 2007 after a two year battle with leukemia and lymphoma.”

Michael G. Ryan

“He was a man dedicated to excellence in very aspect of his life:  professionally, personally, and spiritually.  His life was a testament to the value of hard work, ethics, compassion, respect and patriotism.  He was a true example of what it is to be a person of character and integrity.”

“This award is presented to the two 8th graders who exhibit these same qualities of good character; students who are living their lives in the mold of an educator and person like Michael Ryan.”

Michaela Ryan, daughter of Michael G. Ryan, will be a 10th grader in the fall at Somerville High School.

Mount St. Mary's University

The following Central Jersey residents at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, were named to the spring dean's list: Bremen Clark of Bridgewater, Joelle Debrot of New Providence, Natalia Hinton of Plainfield, Brendan Molloy of Cliffwood Beach, Kaitlyn Sweeney of Lebanon, Justin Trinity of Annandale. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.4.

Muskingum University

The following Central Jersey residents at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, received their degrees this spring: Catherine Hoben of Bound Brook, bachelor's degree in health administration; Patrick Hoben of Bound Brook, bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Piscataway Townships Schools

Piscataway Township Schools honored its 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year at an awards ceremony conducted on June 9 at the Administration Building. All teachers who received this award exemplify the criteria put forth by the Governor’s Educator of the Year program, including the following: be a dedicated and skilled teacher leader; inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn; demonstrate strong ability to foster excellence in education; demonstrate leadership in educational activities; have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues.

Piscataway Township Schools honored its 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year at an awards ceremony held on June 9 at the Administration Building. Left to right are: Isabella Metrokotsas: Third Grade Teacher – Knollwood Elementary School; Caitlyn Mehok: School Psychologist/Behaviorist – Randolphville Elementary School; Donna Caldwell: Fifth Grade Teacher – Arbor Intermediate School; Joan Greenwald: Social Studies Teacher – Conackamack Middle School; Megan Froio: Fourth Grade Teacher – ML King Intermediate School; Caren Stephenson: English Teacher – Piscataway High School; Nancy Tortorelli: Science Teacher – T. Schor Middle School; Amy Switkes: Special Education Teacher – Eisenhower Elementary School; Jennifer Aiello: Special Education Teacher – Grandview Elementary School; Annabelle Murray: School Psychologist/Behaviorist – Children’s Corner Preschool. Not pictured: Rose Flanagan:  Art Teacher – Quibbletown Middle School

Teacher honorees were:

Annabelle Murray: School Psychologist/Behaviorist – Children’s Corner Preschool
Amy Switkes: Special Education Teacher – Eisenhower Elementary School
Jennifer Aiello: Special Education Teacher – Grandview Elementary School
Isabella Metrokotsas: Third Grade Teacher – Knollwood Elementary School
Caitlyn Mehok: School Psychologist/Behaviorist – Randolphville Elementary School
Donna Caldwell: Fifth Grade Teacher – Arbor Intermediate School
Megan Froio: Fourth Grade Teacher – ML King Intermediate School
Joan Greenwald: Social Studies Teacher – Conackamack Middle School
Rose Flanagan:  Art Teacher – Quibbletown Middle School
Nancy Tortorelli: Science Teacher – T. Schor Middle School
Caren Stephenson: English Teacher – Piscataway High School.

Princeton Festival's Piano Competition for young artists winners

On June 12, seven young pianists were declared winners in The Princeton Festival’s annual Competition for Young Artists. The Competition began with more than 120 participants competing in six age categories, ages 6 –9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, Four Hands (under 25), and Open (under 25), each playing a selection from a list of assigned pieces. After the preliminary rounds on June 4 and 5, adjudicators Joanne Polk and Mikhal Yanovitsky sent winners of the preliminaries on to the Finals on June 12.

Jacobs Music was again the sponsor for the Young Pianists Competition, which has been a highly anticipated feature of The Princeton Festival since 2008. The winners: Mia Huang, Petrina Steimel, Stephen Joven-Lee, Isabella Florendo, Kyle Huang, Angeline Ma and Linsy Wang.

Readington Middle School

The Winter and Spring Levendis Awards were presented at Readington Middle School on June 15.  The recipients were: Baseball, Ben Iervolino; Basketball, Ben Iervolino, Julia Eville, Mackenzie Lalor and John Mallory; Cheer, Madigan Stevenson; Lacrosse, Lukas Bakerian, Myles Hickey, Madison Johnson and Elizabeth Stevenson; Softball, Kayla Cosentino and Lea Kosinski; Track, Cheyenne Gurak, Lauren Kurtz, Logan Prokopik, William Sauerborn, Christian Smarz, and Sydney Villani; Wrestling, Lukas Bakerian.

The Winter and Spring 2015-16 Levendis Award recipients are pictured above.
Back row (from left) are Logan Prokopik, John Mallory, Myles Hickey,
Lukas Bakerian, Ben Iervolino, Will Sauerborn, and Christian Smarz.
Front row (from left) are Kayla Consentino, Mackenzie Lalor, 
Julia Eville, Elizabeth Stevenson, Madison Johnson, Sydney Villani,
Cheyenne Gurak, Madigan Stevenson, Lea Kosinski, and Laurel Kurtz.

The Levendis Award is named for Andrew Levendis, who was the first Athletic Director when the school opened in 1961. He retired in 1984 after many years of service to the Readington community. The award is presented to two exceptional athletes on each team who demonstrate leadership, sportsmanship, hustle, commitment, spirit, and positive attitude, and who display the most service to the sport.

Readington Middle School

Each year the Life Skills class at Readington Middle School sponsors a hot dog luncheon to thank the staff for supporting their program during the year.  This year the fourth annual luncheon was held on May 19.  In the photo above, staff and students stand ready to serve hot dogs with all the fixins.  Left to right: Marybeth Schwarz, Kahlil Gilliard-Noel, Bailey Fluke,  David deVelder, Thomas Dambach, Melissa Spatz, and Michael DiBella.

Rotary Club of Branchburg Scholarship Winners of 2016

The Rotary Club of Branchburg values education and supports academic achievements. To encourage the advancement of their educational endeavors and to honor the efforts of talented students the Rotary Club of Branchburg awarded nine scholarships to students heading to college in September 2016. The Scholarship Awards ceremony is the culmination of Rotary’s yearly efforts to support education. The event was coordinated by Mike Forrestal and was held on June 8.

Top Row:  Jacqueline Gassler of SCVTS, Nikolas Korzoun of Somerville HS, Michael Giorello of SCVTS, Genevieve Wietecha of Immaculata HS, Julia Brawley of Immaculata
                              Bottom Row: Manuel Ramirez of RVCC, Debbie Vergara of Somerville HS, Solmayra Ruiz of RVCC, Dominique Pisani of Somerville HS, John Pastre Scholarship

This year’s scholarship winners from Immaculatahigh School were: Genevieve Wietecha and Julia Brawley. Raritan Valley Scholarship winners were Manuel Ramirez, and Solmayra Ruiz. SCVTS winners were Jacqueline Gassler and Michael Giorello.  The scholarship winners from Somerville High School were Dominique Pisani, Nikolas Korzoun, and Debbie Vergara. The John Pastre Scholarship winner was Dominique Pisani.

For additional information about the Rotary Club of Branchburg you can contact Julie Ann Juliano at 908-685-8080 or visit www.branchburgrotary.org.

Rotary Plainfield-North Plainfield Scholarship Awards
      

The Rotary Club of Plainfield- North Plainfield recently presented scholarship awards to 23 graduating seniors at North Plainfield High School and at Plainfield High School..

The Rotary club awarded $11,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors at North Plainfield High School, $16,860 to seniors at Plainfield High School, and another $11,000 through the Adele deLeeuw Scholarship Fund.

The local club sponsors its own F. S. Mathewson Rotary Scholarship, awarding a total of $8,000 to students in the two high schools in its service area.

“Eight scholarships were awarded in memory of Matty Mathewson, the first member of our club to serve as District Governor,” said club president Ravenell Williams IV. ”We honor Matty’s memory through our community service activities, including these scholarship awards to assist students as they continue their education.  Candidates for this award must demonstrate a mix of academic achievement; financial need; community service; school service.”

The Rotary club targets the Mathewson Scholarship award to members of the North Plainfield High School Interact Club, the youth service club of Rotary.

“Members of Interact work very hard on many service projects of their own, including highly successful blood drives, community youth activities, food bank support, and many others,” Williams said.

The Mathewson Rotary Scholarships were presented to Brenda Okereke, Molly Appezzato, Marisol Hernandez, and Helen Pazmino Nunez. Brenda Okereke also received the Paul Henry Memorial Scholarship, a late member of the Rotary Club. The award was presented by Paul’s widow, Joan Henry, and their two sons.

The Club also awards scholarships on behalf of the Plainfield Foundation, a community-based non-profit that awards funding to benefit local community groups. This year, the Rotarians awarded $4,000 from the Leo Albert Friese Scholarship Fund to North Plainfield High students Jasmine Chavez and John Hatala. The Friese Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who will pursue a major course of study in science.

At Plainfield High School, the club presented $3,000 in F. S. Mathewson Rotary Scholarship awards to Maryam Muhammad,Sidney Ramirez, and Tammia Rosero.

In addition, the Club awards PHS Alumni Association Scholarships and J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarships to Plainfield High School seniors on behalf of the Plainfield Foundation.  The PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund was established in 1986 when the PHS Alumni Association, prior to disbanding, asked the Plainfield Foundation to award their scholarships. The foundation established the PHS Alumni Scholarship Fund. Candidates demonstrate academic achievement, participation in school activities.

Recipients of the $9,700 in PHS Alumni Scholarship awards were Shonasia O’Connor, Kamar Kellam, Ashley Herrera, Nia Cress, Angela Davis, Annette Fornah, Chyna Forrester, Tania Mota, and Katherine Mendoza.

The J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarship Fund was established as a bequest from Plainfield resident and alumnus of Plainfield High School.  J. Wilbur Tovell (1893-1974) graduated PHS in 1911 and New York University in 1915. His bequest stipulates that scholarship candidates must be male students only, with academic achievement and participation in school activities.

Recipients of the $7,160 in J. Wilbur Tovell Scholarships this year were Erick Luna, John Hawks, Anthony Martinez, Matthew Branch, and Steven Johnson.

Finally, the Rotary Club also administers the Adele DeLeeuw Scholarship Fund. This fund was established in 1988 by a $1 million bequest in the will of the late Plainfield author Adele DeLeeuw.  The Club works with four other Rotary clubs in the area to see that the annual income from the bequest is awarded to students who pursue a course of study in poetry, art, journalism, writing, or engineering.

The DeLeeuw Scholarship awards were presented at a special dinner on June 8 at the Spain Inn. The club presented a $2,000 scholarship to North Plainfield High senior Brenda Okereke. The club also presented repeat scholarships to past graduates and rising sophomore Melody Njoku ($3,000) and to rising seniors Charlotte Brockway of North Plainfield ($2,500) and Mary Ann Anane from Plainfield ($3,000). The other four Rotary clubs awarded an additional $49,500 to students from their communities.

The Rotary Club’s Plainfield Scholarship Committee was chaired by Tom Reedy, assisted by Roberta Smith, Maliek Flynn, Victoria Griswold, Shannon Jeffreys, and Beverly Howard. The North Plainfield Scholarship Committee was chaired by Mary Forbes, assisted by Fred Saide, and Janice Allen.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 95 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit www.rotarypnp.org.

Saint Francis University

The following Central Jersey residents at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, were named to the spring dean's list: Bartholomew Blair, Jacquelin Bryson, Jordan Forehand of Bridgewater, Harshal Patel of Piscataway. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Springfield College

The following Central Jersey residents at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, were named to the spring dean's list: Gina Longo of South Plainfield, Nicholas Buontempo of Westfield, Jaclyn Davis, Megan Robichaud of Ringoes, Morgan Martucci of Flemington.

The  Citadel

The following Central Jersey residents at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, were honored with the gold stars for outstanding academic achievement during the spring semester also placed on the dean's list: Michael Subach of Hillsborough, Robert Waldrop of South Plainfield, Antonio Cuccaro, Christopher Vanacore of Ringoes, Joseph Scerbo of Flemington.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

Seven graduates from the Class of 2016 from The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison were “lifers” – a term used the describe students who have attended the school since Kindergarten or preschool. This year’s group of seven lifers gathered with their parents to celebrate their longevity with a dinner at Hill House, the home of Andrew Webster, Head of School. Tyler Thompson of Plainfield, Ciara Varley of Woodbridge, Lara Albrechcinski of Linden, Sonali Shah of Edison, Lauren Yates of Piscataway, Charlotte Sweeney of Cranford and Salman Mansuri of Edison.

ALSO: The third year was a charm for most of the eager boat builders and sailors in the annual Cardboard Regatta at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison. For this June event,sixth-grade students were divided into teams and built their boats in Laidlaw Gym. Most of the cardboard vessels were seaworthy, while others sunk into the pool in the Raymonds Aquatic Center. Julian Kaniuka of North Plainfield, Nicholas Ji of Edison, Maddy Torres of Edison and Tenajah Eldridge of Plainfield won the Fastest Finish with a time of 22.32 seconds.

University of San Diego

Ashley Genoese of Warren, received bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of San Diego in San Diego, California, this spring. Genoese participated in the university's honors program designed to provide smart, passionate and engaged students with challenges and opportunities to allow them to achieve their intellectual goals.

Also, Daniel Hoy of Basking Ridge, received a bachelor's degree in marketing.

University of the Sciences

The following Central Jersey residents at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia received their degrees this spring:

Kazim Ali of Bridgewater, bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical and healthcare, cum laude; member of the Delta Mu Delta honor society

Daniel Aversa of Bridgewater, master's degree in biomedical writing degree

Kyle Derikito of Piscataway, doctor's degree in pharmacy

Puja Desai of Hillsborough doctor's degree in physical therapy

Priyanka Kelshikar of Hillsborough, doctor's degree with a minor in pharmaceutical and healthcare; she received the Hyman and Ida E. Kellar Award given for outstanding contribution to the life of the university.

Dylan Kerwin of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical and healthcare, cum laude; member of the Sigma Beta Delta honor society and played on the men's basketball team

John Kerwin of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical and healthcare, cum laude; member of the Sigma Beta Delta honor society and played on the men's basketball team

Stefan Kolodij of Somerset, doctor's degree in pharmacy, cum laude; member of the mixed rifle team. 

Janvi Mehta of Princeton, doctor's degree in pharmacy, cum laude

Alexander Micale of Somerset, doctor's degree in pharmacy

Marvin Natividad of Somerset,  bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences degree with a minor in sociology and pharmceutical and healthcare 

Ravi Patel of Piscataway, doctor's degree in pharmacy, cum laude

Aubrey Perrine of Hampton, bachelor's degree in pharmacology and toxicology, cum laude; recipient of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Award in Pharmacology/Toxicology given to the BS graduate in pharmacology and toxicology with the highest grade point average in the final two years of the program

Indranee Shah of Bridgewater,  master's degree in pharmaceutical and healthcare degree 

Dhivya Soundararajan of Princeton, doctor's degree in pharmacy, summa cum laude; she is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Rho Chi honor societies, and received the Merck Awards given by Merck & Co., Inc., to PharmD candidates for academic achievement.

Kerry Tong of Califon, doctor's degree in occupational therapy, summa cum laude; she is a member of the Alpha Chi honor society.

Warren Township Schools

Fourth graders at Central School shared original works of haiku, limericks, acrostic and other forms of poetry on such topics as soccer, giraffes, pancakes and Harry Potter during Central's Poetry Cafe.

"The limerick was the hardest to write," says Library Media Specialist Lindsay Chell, who organized the June 9 event. "But the students really liked the limericks because they were so funny."

Central 4th grader Owen Glass shares poetic verse at a Poetry Café on June 9.

ALSO: Mt. Horeb School principal Scott Cook spent a lot of time in the dunk tank as students tested their arms and their aim at the school’s Field Day on June 7, where fitness and fun was the name of the game. Nearby and the next day, Angelo L. Tomaso School conducted its Field Day with hippity hop races, bean bag tosses, dancing and DJs and much more.

Westfield Public Schools

Eighth-graders in Westfield’s Edison Intermediate School participated in a lesson on June 2 led by local artist Lara Wolf. Invited to two classes by Visual Arts teacher Helen Frees, Wolf demonstrated techniques in still life painting.  She explained the process of viewing the apple, lemon or pear as merely a shape reflecting light and shadow.

Viewing the artist at work are EIS students (l-r) Sophie Wayner, Julia Csorba, Brianna Worms, Amayia Johnson, Connie Liu, Halle Riordan Spencer Feinstein, Will Litchholt, James Greco, Ellie Cestero, Corrine Moore, Claudia Millwater, Rachel Seiden, and Angela Wang. Following the demonstration, the students mixed primary colors of red, blue and yellow and used white at the very end to make a loose, free, and beautiful painting.

ALSO: Eleven Westfield High School students were selected to the New Jersey All State Chorus sponsored by the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA). Having auditioned in April among more than 1,000 students, they will have the opportunity to perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark in November 2016 and in February 2017.

They include: 2016 All-State Mixed Chorus: Alex Cestero, Noah Bram, Max Wasilewski, Catherine Moore, Matt Siroty, Joseph Maldonado and Abby Rothenberg; 2017 All State Treble Chorus: Emma Stern, Olivia McElheny, Nicole Player and Alison Brown.

ALSO: Topping off an exciting year inspired by books, kindergarten children in Joellen Surace’s class at Lincoln School celebrated their favorite author, Mo Willems.

“What a gift to have a favorite author at the beginning of the students journey through life,” Surace said. “The lessons of empathy that this author inspires are a true gift to our children."

Out of this admiration came the student-created “Elephant and Piggie Day” – named for the featured characters in his series of books.

Westfield kindergarten students celebrate favorite author Mo Willems.

After Surace read The Elephants Can’t Dance, the Westfield kindergarten children rotated stations at tables where they engaged in several activities associated with the author’s stories.  With crayons in hand, they created starry nights to correlate with Willems’ Waiting is Not Easy.  They wrote their favorite ice cream flavors on a chart and discovered how ice cream was really made – a connection with the Should I Share My Ice Cream story.  Kindergarten students wrapped up the celebration by writing thank you notes to the author, motivated by his last publication, The Thank You Book, in which Willems thanks readers.  “He inspired us to thank the many people in our lives who have journeyed with us this year,” noted Surace.

Western New England University

The following Central Jersey residents at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, were named to the spring president's list: Karoline Sperber of Bedminister, Haley Melbourn of Raritan. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.80.

Woman's Club of Tewksbury  scholarships

Scholarship Awards were presented to the winning applicants at the Woman's Club of Tewksbury Township President's Luncheon conducted at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club  on June 7.

The Woman's Club of Tewksbury Township Scholarship awards were presented to Tara Marsh of Califon, a student at Voorhees High School, and Jazmin Palmer of Lebanon, a student at The Pingry School.

Marsh, daughter of Tim and Maria Marsh, will attend Fairleigh Dickenson University in Florham Park to pursue a double major in communications and sports administration. She has been a member of the National Honor Society, the Key Club, FCCLA (Family, Career, Community Leaders of America), a Captain of  SHIP (Student High School Integration Program), the Spanish Club and World Language Honor Society. She was a Peer Mentor for Voorhees Freshmen, at Mane Stream, at Common Sense For Animals Shelter and for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Palmer, daughter of Ashleigh and Julie Palmer, will enter the Tisch School at New York University, New York City, to earn a drama degree specializing in musical theater. She has volunteered for America's Grow a Row since sixth grade, teaching less fortunate children the wonders of growing and eating fresh produce. She enlarged on that experience by participating in Pennies4Produce, Farm to Fork and Inner City Youth Days. At Pingry, she was elected a Peer Leader. Her theatrical talents have been showcased with the Pingry Glee Club, the Balladeers, the Improv Club and the Tempo Tantrums.

WCTT Education Committee Member Margret Griggs, WCTT Scholarshsip Winners Tara Morash and Jazmin Palmer, Education Committee Co-Chairs Jean Frankel, Isabel Weinreich

The "Dottie Gaal Memorial Foundation Scholarship" given in honor of the late Dottie Gaal, a long-time and highly esteemed member of the Woman's Club of Tewksbury Township, was awarded to Daniel Shea, son of Joseph Shea and Patricia Patterson  He is a resident of Tewksbury and was a student at Voorhees High School.  He will enroll at Colgate University, pursuing a psychology major in neuroscience. He has been a member of the Boys Varsity Swim Team, the Tennis Team, the Model U.N. Club and the French Club.  He is a National Honor Society Member, a World Language Honor Society Member and President of the French Language Honor Society.

Dotty Gaal Memorial Foundation Scholarship Chair Marcy Metzler, DGMFS Winner Daniel Shea, Patricia Patterson

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