Space videos from North Brunswick eighth-graders recognized by Lockheed Martin
The video of a complex Mars Base Camp Habitation Module produced by a trio of eighth-grade girls at North Brunswick’s Linwood Middle School officially became the winning submission in Lockheed Martin’s “2017 Generation Beyond Video Challenge,” for the Northeast Region.
As regional winners, Krisha Ahuja, Isha Padhye and Vaishnavi Anand (“Team K.I.V.”) received a certificate of achievement and letter signed by Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Officer, Marillyn Hewson, said Jeannine Lanphear, Supervisor of Math and Science Grades 6-8, North Brunswick Township Public Schools.
A separate team of boys — three of the girls’ classmates — earlier won $5,000 in the same competition, earning second place, nationwide, for designing their own version of a Mars Base Camp Habitation Module that NASA’s Orion deep spacecraft capsule will dock with once in orbit.
Lockheed's engineers recognized the winning teams at the 8th grade assembly on June 13, at the middle school. Some students had the opportunity to eat lunch with Lockheed Engineers prior to the assembly.
Acknowledging the teachers instrumental in coordinating and developing Linwood’s STEAM program (launched eight years ago) and accelerated science option with Physics as the core eighth-grade science class she introduced, Lanphear, said: “The addition of the high school algebra-based physics level of sophistication of the topics of universal gravitation, uniform circular motion and kinematics really informed the students' learning and catapulted their projects to the top of the Lockheed competition this year.”
The ‘Habs’ included multiple elements like propulsion and power generation systems, exploratory vehicles, the Habitation Module, crew quarters, and a laboratory, as well as the systems and living spaces that a crew needs for a long mission, according to the Student Video Challenge Overview.
Linwood also conducted a math student-parent event Wednesday evening to honor the girls, along with other winners of Math/Science contests (grades 6 to 8), and student-learning presentations for math.
- Dave Schatz
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Saint Joseph High and John P. Stevens High Schoools
Two Middlesex County High Schools recently won the 2018-19 “U Got Brains Champion Schools Program,” a “Jersey Drives” initiative presented by The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey. The statewide nonprofit offered cash stipends and technical support to supplement individual school campaigns, while school advisors received professional development hours.
Metuchen’s Saint Joseph High School, and Edison’s John P. Stevens High School, the champions, addressed teen driving safety — choosing topics and tools to widely deliver their messages, while adhering to specific entry guidelines including mid-term and final campaign updates.
John P. Stevens, a first-year Champion School, chose “to make a difference in their school and community by keeping Awareness about Distractive Driving front and center,” Jersey Drives said in a news release.
Their “Better Left Unread than Dead” campaign included professional speakers, a public awareness poster project, and a survey to collect data about students’ driving habits. The campaign, which highlighted driving safety during prom season, featured hand-delivered letters by sophomores, to their adopted seniors, among social media reminders.
Saint Joseph High School, “a seventh-year school and first-time grand prize winner,” produced “The Final Ride,” an 18-minute video documenting scenes from their campaign’s program, that took place over the course of a routine school day. The simulations culminated with a mock crash scene on school grounds, with township officials responding as if it were a true emergency.
The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club at Saint Joseph modeled its presentation after the “Every 11 Minutes” program, which depicts lives lost through impaired driving and quantifies the number of students who fall victim to deadly crashes.
A third winner, Buena Regional High School in Atlantic County, was a fifth-year Champion School” for its “Shift into Focus” project, which built upon previous campaigns, adding new ways to reach elementary school students, in particular. Buena Regional educated young drivers on the importance of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, staying focused behind the wheel and as a passenger/pedestrian, through community-based activities. More information is available at www.jerseydrives.com.
- Dave Schatz.
Assumption Catholic School
May 17, marked a historical event at Assumption Catholic School in Perth Amboy. The first inductees to the National Junior Honor Society took their oaths in front of their parents, teachers, and friends.
Established in 1929, the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is one of the nation's premier organizations established to recognize outstanding middle school students. The society serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship. Honorees from Grade 8 include: Tanya Androshchuk, Mackenzie Fizer, Cinthia Gomez, Dylanise Cambero, Katherine Pryscz, Anaissa Ruiz; Grade 7 are: Nathaniel Perez, Aniyah Munoz-Smith; and Grade 6 are: Emily Stisi, Caelab Chendorain.
The ceremony was held at the Assumption Church where the students' pins were blessed and Lissette Shumny, the principal, presented each student with their certificates. She also thanked Mrs. Pickering for being the chapter mentor and thanked the committee who worked so diligently during the selection process.
Belmont University
The following Central Jersey residents at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, traveled the world for Maymester, summer study abroad: Denali Dunuwila of Princeton and Reece Young of South Plainfield.
Berkeley College
Graduates of the Berkeley College School of Health Studies Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Practical Nurse (PN) programs were honored during a pinning ceremony held on May 4, in Woodland Park. The following BSN graduates from Middlesex/Union County, were recognized and received nursing pins: Francisca Konwai of Fords, bachelor's degree in nursing; Kevin Trellis of Parlin, bachelor's degree in nursing; Gina Senatus of Roselle, bachelor's degree in nursing; Latoya Spears of Kenilworth, bachelor's degree in nursing; Nicole Sullivan of Union, practical nurse.
Bucknell University
The following Central Jersey residents at Bucknell Universit in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, were named to the spring dean's list: PJ Barr of North Brunswick, Julie Byrne of Cranford, Kristen Davis, Gabriella Gomes of Dunellen, Krysta Holman of Princeton, Sophie Kong of Dayton, Christopher Simone of Old Bridge, Jake White of Princeton, Christine Wnek of Woodbridge. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.
Campbellsville University
The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Campbellsville University, in Campbellsville, Kentucky, on May 12:
Anil Yannam of Edison, master's degree in information technology management
Ashfaq Mohammed of Plainsboro, master' s degree in information technology management
Avinash Gottiparthi of Parlin, master's degree in information technology management
Gowthami Guntupalli of Edison, master's degree in information technology management
Kamalnadh Nimmagadda of Plainsboro, master's degree in information technology management
Pavan Gone of Edison, master's degree in information technology management
Priyank Goyal of Avenel, master's degree in information technology management
Rachana Neesu of Edison, professional master's degree in business administration
Ranadheer Gandrakota of Edison, master's degree in information technology management
Remya Ambika of Iselin, master's degree in information technology management
Sharole Manjrekar of Edison, professional master's degree in business administration
Vinay Gali of Edison, master's degree in information technology management.
Franklin Woman's Club
The Franklin Woman’s Club (FWC) recently announced this year’s scholarship winners: Gabriella Consiglio, Anjana Nair, Karinna Rao, Sierra Schiff, Maitri Shah, Summer Thompson and Madison Whiting. These recipients were selected based on their scholastic achievement, community service, school activity participation and displays of leadership along with letters of recommendation. Students were honored at the annual Franklin Woman’s Club dinner on May 15, conducted at The Venue 518 in Bound Brook.
Funds for college scholarships were raised through the Franklin Woman Club’s annual Tricky Tray fundraiser. Each of the honorees, all high school seniors from Franklin Township, will receive a one-time award of $1,000. The club will also donate funds toward a scholarship for an Elijah’s Promise Culinary School student.
The Franklin Woman’s Club has been offering scholarships for over 25 years. This year, the club dedicated their scholarship awards to the memory of Kim Thorne, who served as the FWC Co-President for the 2017-2018 club year.
The following Franklin Woman’s Club members reviewed all applications and selected recipients as part of their Scholarship Committee responsibilities: Tracy Muse (Education Chair), Phyllis Beals, Lisa Casazza, Sharon Coney, Nancy Gale, Sherice McQueen, Joanne Murset and Sheila Snell.
The FWC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian service organization, is committed to improving the community through volunteerism. In addition to community initiatives, the club also features frequent social and educational events for enrichment. To learn more about the club, become a member or check out upcoming fundraising events such as the Paint & Sip Night scheduled for Friday June 15, at Wine and Dreams, Somerset and the Wine Tasting at Old York Cellars (Sunday Oct. 7), visit www.franklinwomansclub.com, email inquiries to: franklinwomansclub@gmail.com or call 732-844-9002. To follow the club’s activities on Facebook visit: http://www.facebook.com/.franklinwomansclub.
Franklin Woman’s Club meetings are conducted at Franklin High School, 500 Elizabeth Ave., Somerset, on the second Tuesday of the month 7 p.m. September through May, with some off-site meetings.
Gettysburg College
The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on May 20: Jessica Casale of Cranford, Robert Frey of East Brunswick, Anna Hollander, Sarah Lattime of Princeton, Andrew Stetson of Old Bridge, Ivy Helena Torres of South River, Robert Weisensee of Clark.
Greater Middlesex County Golf
The East Brunswick High School Golf Team won first place at the Greater Middlesex County (GMC) High School Golf finals conducted at Middlesex County’s Tamarack Golf Course in East Brunswick. Golfers were Steve Kim, Eagan McDermott, Justin Yu, Brandon Wei and Arav Patel and coach was Bo Henning.
In addition, the GMC Committee officers presented a plaque to Carol Byrnes and created a scholarship award in memory of her husband, Jeff, the former manager of Tamarack Golf Course, for his dedication to and support of high school golf programs.
Hudson Valley Community College
Aliyyah Johnson of Perth Amboy was named to the spring president's list at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 and 4.0.
Joint Hometown News Service
Danielle Aich has received an Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship to attend the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, physical fitness, specific performance or accomplishments, and leadership abilities, as well as personal interviews.
The scholarship entitlements include tuition and fees, an annual allowance of $600 for textbooks and a monthly stipend for up to 10 months of each school year that the cadet completes at the host college or university.
Upon graduation from the host college and completion of the ROTC program, the cadet receives a bachelor's degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. She also incurs a military service obligation of four years (10 years for pilots) of active-duty enlistment. Aich is a member of the Class of 2018 at Sayreville War Memorial High School, Sayreville.
Lebanon Valley College
Samantha Nicolaro of East Brunswick received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, on May 12.
Linden Public Schools
Linden Public Schools have been chosen by the state Department of Education as a model district for teaching English as a Second Language for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years.
Linden has been an ESL model district for the past decade, and this designation affirms the work of the district’s faculty and staff, said Superintendent Danny A. Robertozzi.
“We are thrilled that Linden has once again been named a model district for ESL,” he said. “The work our teachers do with our students – as well as their families – gives them the essential tools they need to grow and thrive.”
About 1,400 students of all grade levels in Linden — about 21 percent of students — speak a primary language at home other than English, chief among them being Spanish, Polish and Haitian Creole, as well as more than 30 others.
Kevin LaMastra, the district supervisor of world languages/bilingual/ESL, said the state gave the district a rigorous examination when it applied to continue as a model district, looking for how students are screened, how families are included, how ESL students are integrated into school culture, classroom teaching methods, and success of students after they leave the ESL program.
“They look at every aspect of what we’re doing in the district,” he said. “Those are formidable obstacles for any district, and the state is looking for good examples of districts that are able to meet the needs of students and families in that situation.
LaMastra said the state was particularly interested in seeing long-term growth and innovation.
“To be a model district, you can’t continue to do the same things because the needs of the students and families are always changing,” he said.
He pointed to Spanish classes that the district is offering to staff members as a key innovation “to help teachers to gain expertise and strategies that will help them make science, math, social studies comprehensible to students who are not yet proficient in English.”
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Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools
After years of classes and on-the-job training, 49 electricians and plumbers have graduated from the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools Apprentice Program.
The ceremony, conducted May 16 in the auditorium on the MCVTS East Brunswick Campus, was the culmination of an intensive educational program involving between 600 and 900 hours of classroom instruction and between 8,000 and 10,000 hours of on-the-job training over four years for plumbers and five years for electricians.
Apprenticeship programs combine full-time supervised and structured on-the-job training with part‑time related theoretical instruction. Apprentices who successfully complete the program receive national and state credentials.
Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (D-Middlesex) received the Alfred Hudanish Leadership Award for longstanding commitment to career and technical education and apprenticeship.
Among the dignitaries attending were MCVTS Board of Education member Keith Jones II, School Business Administrator Karl Knehr and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Bicsko.
The graduates included 15 electricians sponsored by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 456 in North Brunswick.
Five graduates were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, all members of IBEW Local 456: Christopher Caccio of Monroe, Frank Cipot of New Brunswick, Leonard DiGiacomo of Freehold, Louis Dowling of Woodbridge, and Dillon Gallagher of Monroe.
Dawn M. Lystad, MCVTS director of adult education and Middlesex County apprenticeship coordinator, introduced class representative Leonard DiGiacomo, who was chosen for academic performance and leadership. DiGiacomo and plumbing apprentice Vincent Prybeck Jr. of Fords received certificates for perfect attendance.
Local 456 President Michael G. McLaughlin presented the Edward Fofrich Memorial Award to Christopher Caccio. It recognizes IBEW apprentices who practice the principles of labor unions by helping classmates in school and co-workers on the job.
More information on the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools is available at www.mcvts.net.
Muhlenberg College
Angelica Bakhos of Monmouth Junction received the Woman's Auxiliary of Muhlenberg College Pretheological Scholarship.
Muskingum University
Surya Patel of Edison was named tho the spring dean's list at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.
Nazareth College
Mark Lysiak of East Brunswick was named to the spring dean's list at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.
Pennsylvania College of Technology
The following Central Jersey residents at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania received their degrees: Peter B. Hopke of Metuchen, bachelor's degree in construction management, dean's list; Eric J. Weber of Sayreville, certificate in plumbing. In addition, Arthur M. Wright IV of Woodbridge was named to the spring dean's list.
Rider University
Briann Downes of Sayreville was inducted into the New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association honor society at the New Jersey State House. She is among the top 1 percent business students in her respective college.
St. Helena School
The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)
The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) announced the names of three New Jersey high school biology scholars who will compete in the 16th Annual USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) National Finals.
Atharv Oak, West Windsor Plainsboro High School- South, Princeton Junction; Jason Yang, West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro Township; and Lucy Zou, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick are among 20 finalists who will meet June 23 to July 5 at UC San Diego for 10 days of biology instruction inclusive of laboratory training and conceptual understanding followed by two days of testing.
Ultimately, four students will be competitively chosen to represent the USA at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) from July 15-22 in Tehran, Iran.
“The mission of the USABO is to encourage excellence in biology education throughout the United States and to challenge students and their teachers to reach the gold standard in biology,” said Joann DiGennaro, President of CEE. “These students are some of the highest achieving biology students from this country,” she added.
Nearly 10,000 talented students from across the country registered for the USABO. Nearly 700 were selected as semi-finalists. The 20 finalists were selected following completion of a three-part, 2-hour exam in April.
The USABO is jointly sponsored by CEE and UC San Diego for the first time ever. Program officials from CEE and UC San Diego are making final arrangements in preparation for the final stage of the premier national biology competition for U.S. high school students.
The Wardlaw+Hartridge School
ALSO: On Saturday May 12, the Middle School Robotics Club and Upper School Robotics Team from The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison participated in the Botball Tournament in Rahway. Although this is the sixth year that the middle school competed, it was the first year for Upper School. During the year, teams built autonomous robots using Lego components and metal parts. New team members learned how to code in C language, while returning members took their code to a higher level with variables, functions and Boolean logic.
“The tournament was a lot of fun! I feel that every year that I participate in the robotics journey, I grow as a captain, a leader, and a programmer. A lot of valuable lessons were learned, like time management, communication, and ways to solve problems," Shiv Tickoo of Scotch Plains said.
In the run up to the tournament teams collaborated on documentation detailing their project plan, mechanical design, code analysis and lessons learned. Both teams earned perfect scores on these documents. During the tournament teams contended in seeding rounds then double elimination challenges against 23 teams.
“The competition is really enjoyable and a great bonding experience. This year, we did really well, scoring over 20 points each round,” Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield said.
After a long day of head-to-head challenges, the team’s dedication and cooperation paid off. The W+H Middle School team placed eighth and the Upper School team placed 12th.
Middle School team members: Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield and Shiv Tickoo of Scotch Plains (captains), Robin Zhong of Edison, Nate Valcourt of South Plainfield, Feisal Kiiru of Edison, Naischa Puri of Edison, David Flateau-Jones of Scotch Plains, Andrew Kojima of Woodbridge, Charlie Silver of Rahway, Naomi Valcourt of South Plainfield, Joanne Ding of Iselin and Kayla Martel of Winfield Park.
Upper School team members: Mark Zhang of Edison and John Papetti III of Elizabeth (captains), Steven Li, Mike He and George Zhong of Edison, Rihan Sajid of Carteret, Alex Caiola of Westfield and Armaan Kapoor of Millburn.
University of Evansville
Steven Rubel of Princeton was named to the spring dean's list at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana.
University of Kansas
Joseph D. St Amand of Cranford received a doctor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas on May 13.
University of Scranton
Cristina Cacoilo of Edison was among exercise science majors who led demonstrations of hands-on demonstrations of sophisticated biomechanical measurement equipment for high school students from Wyoming Valley West as part of National Biomechanics Day at The University of Scranton.
Wesleyan University
The following Central Jersey residents at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, were honored with academic scholarships, fellowships, prizes: Prabhsimran Singh of Carteret, awarded the Plukas Teaching Apprentice Award for excellent service to the Department of Economics as a teaching apprentice; Amelie Clemot of Princeton, awarded the Skirm Prize, which is given to a government major to recognize the best research or writing project done during junior year; Isaac Yassky of Princeton, awarded the Plukas Teaching Apprentice Award for excellent service to the Department of Economics as a teaching apprentice.
Wilkes University
The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Wilkes University on May 19: Dustin Adams of Highland, master's degree in education; Daniel O'Steen of Keyport, bachelor's degree in accounting; Laura Richards of Rahway, master's degree in education; Jennifer Varick of Spotswood, bachelor's degree in nursing.
York College of Pennsylvania
The following Central Jersey at York College of Pennsylvania received their degrees on May 12:Ric hard Toth of Monroe Township, bachelor's degree in graphic design; Hayley Davino of Monroe Township, bachelor's degree in hospitality management, summa cum laude, and dean's list; Molly Keaveney of Monroe, bachelor's degree in sociology; Steven Livingstone of Milltown, bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude.
ALSO: The following were named to the spring dean's list: Rayce Chrystal of Old Bridge, Kelly Hartigan of Sayreville, Stephen Kwong of Dayton, Rose Petrick of Perth Amboy, Alyssa Rodriguez of Sayreville, Jordan Vazquez of Port Reading. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.
Student and School news appears Fridays. Email: hntmetro@mycentraljersey.com