Student news: Edison High School bowling program on a roll with grant

• The school received the funds from the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program
• John P. Stevens High School Band Jazz Festival is music success for school
• Voorhees students in Old Bridge win Read to Succeed contest
• Trinity Day School 2016 summer programs offered in Cranford

Edison High School's bowling program is the recipient of $1,000 from the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program. Edison High is one of 86 public high schools in 34 states to receive a total of $102,500.

Bowling Coach Tracie Smith heard about the grant at an Edison Township Education Association Meeting and immediately applied for the grant, in an effort to help her students and the bowling program succeed and flourish.

Smith was presented with her surprise grant at a faculty meeting, by California Casualty’s Senior Field Marketing Manager, Alina Fayerman who was accompanies by Charles Ross, -rincipal of Edison HS and Jeff Bowden, Local President of Edison Township Education Association.

Edison High’s sister school, JP Stevens received a Thomas R. Brown grant for another program on May 23.

The grant is named after California Casualty Chairman Emeritus Thomas R. Brown, who is a champion of helping more student-athletes learn valuable lessons of teamwork and confidence.

Since its creation five years ago, more than $500,000 has been awarded to more than 400 athletic programs across the nation.

“Sports play an important role in schools across the country,” said Doug Goldberg, senior vice president. “California Casualty has supported educators for 65 years and we are honored to give back so more student-athletes can compete and succeed.”

For 2016/2017, the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grants  program has been expanded to include public middle schools. Applications are now being taken at www.calcasathleticsgrant.com. The deadline for consideration is Jan.15, 2017.

READ, LOOK  and WATCH: Our coverage of the Class of 2016 graduations

READ: More student and school news from around Central Jersey

Berkeley College

As Berkeley College continues celebrating 85 years focused on student success, its third system-wide president, Michael J. Smith, was inaugurated to the office on May 13 at the campus in Woodland Park. Nearly 1,000 family and friends, colleagues, faculty, staff, business and elected officials gathered under a large tent set upon the grounds for the occasion.

President Smith acknowledged Bruce Springsteen in his remarks, stating that while he, too, learned from the music and records he listened to, his learning came from the schools he attended and the teachers he had.

Smith began his tenure as President in June 2015 and set out to tour all Berkeley College campuses in New Jersey and New York and the offices of Berkeley College Online® on his first day. He also committed to and completed attending 52 classes in 52 weeks to experience the Berkeley College student perspective firsthand.

“I learned so much from my 52 classes that even after being with Berkeley College for 20 years, I learned more about us and our students and our teachers than any other humanly imaginable way,” Smith said. “I consider myself very fortunate to have had this opportunity to learn in this manner.”

The ceremony featured a procession of trustees, faculty, administrators and students, as well as delegates representing institutions and agencies. Music was provided by a faculty ensemble, The Liberal Artists. Kevin L. Luing, Board Chairman, presented the mace, medallion and seal, insignia of the Office of the President.

“Berkeley College is fortunate to have a leader who is so intimately familiar with the organization and dedicated to its students,” said Gregg Edwards, Deputy Secretary, New Jersey Department of Higher Education, acknowledging Smith’s nearly 20 years with the college.

On behalf of the student body, Rebecca Aguilera presented a video titled “Berkeley Strong” about the impact of a college degree, with words of advice for the president.

ALSO: The following Central Jersey residents at Berkeley College were named to the president's list and dean's list for thw winter 2016 quarter: AbrahamAppiah, Alexis Chyz, Crystal Weiss of Somerset (president); Silva Andrews, Alice Diaz, Lois Lezuabah of Somerset (dean). Students must achieve a grade-point average of 4.00-3.50.

Bloomsburg University

The following Central Jersey residents at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania were named to the spring dean's list: Elijah Lee  Anseaume of Plainsboro, Jenna  Angela Diefenbacher, Brianne  Eileen Pizzigoni, Stephanie Nicole Ulrichny of Middlesex, Shannon Ringler of Metuchen, Allison Frances Sullivan of Monroe Township. Students must achieve a grade- point average of 3.5.

Champlain College

Tyler Wood of East Brunswick was inducted into Champlain College chapter of national society of leadership and success at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.

Coastal Carolina University

The following Central Jersey residents at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina received their degrees: Matthew Bouthillette of South Amboy, bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing, cum laude; Joseph Dessino of Middlesex, bachelor's degree in recreation and sport management, cum laude; Jacob Donohue of Cranbury, bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing; Catherine Palomba of South River, bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science; John Quartuccio of Avenel, bachelor's degree in recreation and sport management; Kyle Scheckner of North Brunswick, bachelor's degree in business administration/management.

Dunellen

Alexander Towey of Dunellen graduated magna cum laude from Kean University, making the dean's list every semester . He's pursuing a career in criminal justice.

Emerson College

The following Central Jersey residents from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, received their degrees: Rewa Atre of Cranbury, bachelor's degree in communication disorders; Shekinah-Glory Beepat of Carteret, bachelor's degree in marketing communications; Janissa Delzo of Middlesex, bachelor's degree in journalism; Angelina Morales of East Brunswick, bachelor's degree in acting; Desire Nodarse of Rahway, bache;pr's degree in communication studies; Amy Russo of Somerset, bachelor's degree in directing narrative fiction; Zachary Stetson of East Brunswick, bachelor's degree in film production.

The following students were named to the spring dean's list: Bianca Assaf of Cranford, Elizabeth Hartel of North Brunswick, BeauSalant of East Brunswick.

Georgia College

Vinod Vaid of North Brunswick received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgia College this spring.

Give Something Back Foundation 

More than 170 ninth-graders from high schools in Delaware, New Jersey and Illinois have been awarded full scholarships by the Give Something Back Foundation (GSBF), a nonprofit organization that provides mentors and scholarships to help Pell Grant-eligible kids go to college and graduate in four years debt free.

The scholarship recipients have the choice of attending one of GSBF’s partner colleges in their home state where they will be provided tuition, room and board for four years.

Each student completed the GSBF application process, which included attending a family information meeting, completing a College Cost Estimator as well as an extensive online application, obtaining school and community recommendations, and participating in in-person interviews in order to be eligible for the scholarship.

GSBF was established through the generosity of Bob Carr, founder of Princeton-based Heartland Payment Systems. Carr received a $250 scholarship grant from the Lockport Woman’s Club in Illinois in 1963 when he was accepted as a student at the University of Illinois, and he vowed someday he would “give back” when he was able. His foundation partners with high schools and colleges in Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The program has provided scholarships and mentoring for hundreds of students.

Students must maintain a B average throughout high school, participate in a mentoring program, and attend GSBF-sponsored workshops to continue in the program. As seniors, students must complete the FAFSA and be accepted into one of GSBF’s partner colleges. GSBF is very excited to provide this opportunity and is working to expand its college partnerships and opportunities for students.

GSBF is currently recruiting volunteer mentors for its ninth-graders. If interested visit www.givesomethingbackfoundation.org/mentors. For more information about GSBF visit www.givesomethingbackfoundation.org or email info@givesomethingbackfoundation.org.

John P. Stevens High School 

On April 30, John P. Stevens High School in Edison hosted the New Jersey State Jazz Finals where nine of the top-ranked jazz bands performed.  The John P. Stevens Jazz Ensemble, directed by Andrew DeNicola, placed first overall, winning best saxophone section, trumpet section, and “Best Sight-Reading Band.” The John P. Stevens Lab Jazz Band, directed by John Zazzali, placed fourth overall. Lab Jazz member, Brian Jiang (flugelhorn), was one of four students recognized for Outstanding Soloist. Two jazz ensemble members, Zachary Kibel (flugelhorn) and Varun Das (drums), were identified as honorable-mention soloists.

The John P. Stevens High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Andrew DeNicola, was selected to perform at the Closing Concert of the 18th Annual State Gala Concert, conducted on May 1 at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. The Wind Ensemble was chosen to perform at this event based on their superior performance at the recent CJMEA Concert Band Festival this past March.

Other accolades this season: 48 students from JPSwere selected through audition to the 2016 Central Jersey Region Band, with 28 of those students selected to the 2016 New Jersey All-State Band.  These students represent the highest number from any one school in New Jersey.

In addition, Andrew DeNicola earned the National Federation of State High Schools Association (NFHS) "Outstanding Music Educator Award.” The Music Advisory Committee selected the recipients based on their significant contributions to high school music activities. The awards recognize high school or college band, choral or orchestral directors, supervisors and adjudicators. This year, eight individuals were winners throughout the United States.

Kean University

IKEA of Elizabeth hosted a group architecture and design students from Kean University’s Michael Graves College for the Ultimate Dorm Room Challenge on April 26. The charrette style competition required students to create a functional yet innovative design while also conveying the IKEA aesthetic.

Focusing on an audience of college freshmen, the student designers combined utility and beauty to create the ultimate in small space living. Kean students Mac Peters of Wayne, Jasmine White of Linden, Samantha Brennen of Hopewell Junction, Crystal Humphries of Point Pleasant, and Catherine Venutolo of Port Reading were awarded first place for their Res-YOU design. Res-YOU’s versatile floor plan was designed to maximize space and encourage individuality.

“We designed a space that was customizable to make every student feel at home while they are away at school,” said Brennen.

Thirty students participated in the event. Teams composed of advertising design, graphic design, architecture and interior design students collaborated to create design solutions incorporating storage, work spaces and sleeping areas. In addition to designing a resident hall room, the students were required to create a merchandising and advertising campaign promoting the use of IKEA styling and products. Each team was given four minutes to pitch their concept to a panel of judges including IKEA personnel and Kean faculty and staff. Brennen described winning the charette, her first, as a “huge achievement.”

Linden High School

Linden High School Senior Outfielder Raequan Hodge is one of 25 players selected to represent the Northwest Team for the 2016 Senior All Star Game. The game showcases the best 100 senior baseball players in the state. Hodge is the first Linden Tiger baseball player in more than 10 years to be selected to this game. This year’s game will be held on Tuesday, June 14, at Diamond Nation in Flemington. The game time is set for 7 p.m.

Linden School No. 5

The Pre-K Classes teachers at School No. 5 in Linden took a walking field trip to Linden Firehouse No.3 on May 12. The children learned a wealth of fire safety information, as well as other information about the fire department and the job of the firefighters. The children are learning about the community in their Tools of the Mind curriculum so this trip was a hands-on extension to their classroom learning. The children enjoyed spraying the fire hose, watching the tall ladder go really high in the air, and learned about the fire truck equipment and what it was used for. They also eard a real emergency call come into the department and watched as the ambulance left with sirens and lights, the saw the pole the firefighters go down quickly to leave the firehouse. The fire department gave each child a reflective book bag with a coloring book, tattoo, ruler and pencil.

Middlesex County College

Misericordia University

Katie Santoro of Somerset was inducted into Lambda Nu, the national honor society for the radiologic and imaging sciences, at Misericordia University.

Perth Amboy Catholic School

Sofia Hernandez, a fourth-grade student at Perth Amboy Catholic School, won honorable mention in the 2016 International Aviation Art Contest. Sofia received a certificate and copy of her winning entry from The State of New Jersey Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aeronautics.

Hannah Ceballos, fifth-grade student was a second place-winner in the fifth-grade category of the Respect Life poster contest sponsored by the Diocese of Metuchen. The theme of the art contest was "Every Life is Worth Living."

North Brunswick High School

Five North Brunswick High School DECA students qualified for the upcoming  International Career Development Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, following the state competition conducted in April  in Cherry Hill. Kristian Pearson, Angela Kassouf and Noel Maldonado qualified for the Chapter Activities Project. Sweta Sheth with Nilay Sharma qualified for the State Community Service Project where they raised donations for Operation Shoebox in Hillsborough. In addition, other students earned medals and were finalists in their categories including Danielle Segerholm, Nicole Ilcic, Zainab Khan and Tejasree Seelam.  

Abhishek Chaudhuri has been selected to represent the State of New Jersey as a delegate to the Congress of Future Technology Leaders.

Jasmine Samson has been selected to receive the VSA New Jersey Student Arts Excellence Award in Visual Arts along with receiving the Governor’s Award in Arts Education.

Neal Gaeta for being selected as one of 22 students for the Student Leadership Scholarship throughout the State by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.

Ekta Krishnamoorthy received the President’s Volunteer Service Award under the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

The Middlesex American Legion Auxiliary has selected junior, Cristina Torres, as one of the Girls' State Delegates. All students that were selected are juniors at Middlesex High School who were nominated by the faculty, and then interviewed for final selection by the American Legion Auxiliary committee. Delegates will attend a week-long event in June, where they will participate in activities involving citizenship, government and politics.

The following teachers and students were recognized by Barnes & Noble for their participation in “My Favorite Teacher Contest” -- Teachers: Tom Strouse, Mark Zielinsky, Lucille O'Reilly, Melissa Pineiro, Yessenia Morales, Meg Wright, Joel Chesler, Andrea LaMagra, Tom Strouse, Sarah Miller, Julie Mercier, Catherine McCarthy. Students: Elizabeth Sun, Maya Patel, Puja Patel, Victoria Lopez, Rahul Patel, Sagar Bhavsar, Mosam Naik, Preeya Dave, Victoria Lopez, Aiden Lewis, Maiya Torres, Melanie Fosko, Cynthia Liang.

ALSO: North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) was one of 118 schools across the nation to receive the Support Music Merit Award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), which honors schools that have demonstrated strong support for and commitment to music education.

In addition, the entire North Brunswick Township District has been included as one of the 2016 Best Communities for Music Education Districts.  The NAMM Foundation recognized 476 school districts across the United States as the best among the nation’s 13,515 school districts, recognizing outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who work together to ensure access to music learning for all students as part of the school curriculum.

 North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) is one of 425 school districts in the United States and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 6th Annual AP (Advanced Placement) District Honor Roll.  Reaching these goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP, and for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams.  

NBTHS Painted Words was honored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association with the Silver Medalist Certificate for 2015-2016.

NBTHS POSSibilities Plus Café has been selected as a 2016 National Promising Practices by Character.org

Old Bridge Schools: Raymond E. Voorhees Elementary School

Students in teacher Bernadette Romatowski's and paraprofessional aide Diane DeFeo's Language Arts classes at the Raymond E. Voorhees Elementary School won their second national Read to Succeed contest sponsored by Achieve 3000.

The students were awarded a $30 gift card, which they decided to pay it forward and donate to Autism Speaks.  The students’ first award (received earlier this school year) was donated to the Make A Wish Foundation.

Achieve 3000’s website said the program boasts the world’s most advanced and only patented online model of differentiated instruction..
According to Romatowski, the students loved using the Achieve 3000 program both at school and at home.  They read various articles at their individual reading levels and answered comprehension questions.

"I have learned to take my time and look back in the article to check my answers," said Jason Florencio, a fourth-grader.

Christine Rompos, a fourth-grader, said it helped her “become confident because it broke things down for me so I could think about what I had read.”

"Our students have been reading about many things that are going on in the world,” said Romatowski. “I have seen tremendous growth because they are using reading strategies that they have been learning instead of guessing and hoping to get it right.  The students persevered and supported one another each and every day.  Paying their prizes forward shows us how much character they have and how they want to help others.”

Sacred Heart University

Christopher Kulesza of Metuchen received a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield Connecticut, this spring..

Siemens Competition Math, Science and Technology

The Siemens Competition, established in 1999, is a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, administered by Discovery Education. Each year, the program invites high school students nationwide to submit original research projects in math, science and technology for the opportunity to win college scholarships ranging from $1,000 up to $100,000. Students can compete as individuals or as members of a team.

As with last year, the regional competition rounds will be held on-line in a secure virtual environment. Participants will present their projects via a secure cloud-based technology platform to a panel of judges who will be assembled at regional hosting universities in November.

The regional judging will take place at six leading research universities across the country: California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Notre Dame and The University of Texas at Austin.

Winners of these Regional Finals will be invited to present their research in-person to nationally scientists and mathematicians at the National Finals in Washington, D.C. in December at The George Washington University.

For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org or follow @sfoundation.

South Amboy High School

Junior Patrick Walsh added to his list of running accomplishments this year by capturing the Central Jersey Group I State Title in the 3200m event. This is his second sectional title at this distance.

He followed up his championship performance with a strong second-place finish in the State Group I meet this past Saturday in Egg Harbor. This performance qualifies Patrick for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, which is set to take place at Central Regional HS in Bayville on June 11.

Stockton University

The Ospreys, Stockton University’s NCAA Division III athletic teams, have won numerous conference and regional titles, and they’ve done it without a pep song to cheer them on. That’s about to change.

The university has initiated a public song-writing contest to create a Pep Song no longer than 60 seconds, with fun, easy-to-remember words and an upbeat melody. The song must include a reference to the Ospreys and be applicable to all Stockton sports. Entries are due by July 1.

“Stockton’s sports teams are a great source of pride and having our own Pep Song will be another way for fans to display their Osprey spirit,” said Lynne Kesselman, Stockton’s first lady, who is chairing the university’s Pep Song committee.

Three finalists will receive the opportunity for complimentary consultation and the winner of the contest will be chosen by songwriter and producer Fred Jerkins III. The Pep Song will debut on University Weekend, October 2016, to be played by Stockton’s new Pep Band.

Entries must be submitted in MP3 format and include written lyrics and melody notation.

To Submit:  Download, fill out and sign the contribution agreement, and email the song entry in MP3 format and the signed contribution agreement to pepsong@stockton.edu.For more information, contact the Pep Song committee at pepsong@stockton.edu or visit the http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=69&pageID=589.

Thomas Edison State University

JetBlue has launched JetBlue Scholars, an innovative new program that offers crewmembers an opportunity to earn a fully accredited college degree from the Trenton-based Thomas Edison State University, with JetBlue covering most of the cost.

The program takes an unconventional approach to employer-sponsored education by providing alternative college credit options for crewmembers, going well beyond standard tuition reimbursement and providing college advisement and resources to address the needs of those working full-time.

“Crewmembers asked for help earning degrees and we knew we could take a big step beyond tuition reimbursement,” said Bonny Simi, head of JetBlue Scholars. “We rethought the employer’s role in investing in education. Utilizing the alternative credit model to unbundle the higher education process, we’re eliminating some of the complexity. We hope to inspire other employers to adopt this model which will help dramatically increase the percentage of Americans who have access to post-secondary degrees.”

Thomas Edison State University worked with JetBlue to create alternative credit pathways to several of its degree programs that utilize online courses evaluated by the American Council on Education, select JetBlue training programs and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications evaluated by the university, credit-by-exam programs and open courses.

JetBlue will cover most of the cost of the program for participants. As part of the initial launch, more than 400 JetBlue crewmembers are currently working toward earning their bachelor’s degrees. The program’s first graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place this September with more than 50 crewmembers slated to receive their degrees.

JetBlue Scholars opens periodically for crewmembers to enroll. After registering, crewmembers are assigned a success coach to help them map a pathway to a bachelor’s degree in aviation, liberal studies, information technology or business administration from Thomas Edison State University. They will also work with their success coaches to incorporate their education background, including transcripts from previous course work, copies of professional licenses or certifications held, transcripts from military, law enforcement or fire training and any other experiences or documentation that demonstrates college-level learning. Many crewmembers already hold special licenses or FAA certifications.

“When it comes to mapping my college degree path, my journey has been one of discovery, excitement and pleasure – thanks to the guidance I’ve received from the JetBlue Scholars team,” said Bonnie Merritt, supervisor relations at JetBlue and a JetBlue Scholar. “I love being able to see where I’ve been and what I need to reach my end goal.”

Course work is completed primarily through three innovative learning technology platforms – Sophia.org, StraighterLine.com and Study.com. Courses offered by these providers have been evaluated and recommended for credit by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service and offer a variety of online videos, lectures and other content that provide for flexible schedules and self-directed learning.

JetBlue is also developing new courses internally utilizing open source material from providers such as Saylor.org and OpenStaxCollege.org, which will prepare crewmembers to earn credit through college-level exams provided by the College Board and Thomas Edison State University.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

The following Central Jersey residents were inducted into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic: Initiated from Kean: Megan Bernstein of Sayreville, Shazneka Blue of Linden, Krista Brennan of Rahway, Mark Celis of Parlin, Shaunique Cisson of South Plainfield, Carissa Eagle of Edison, Colleen Ferenchak of Rahway, Matthew Fernandez of Cranford , Michelle Fitzula of Linden, Amanda Frusco of Edison, Hangfeng Gong of Union, Dora Gonzales of Perth Amboy, Nerissa Gonzalez of Piscataway, Christopher Hart of Fords, Heather Huff of Iselin, Anialma Iglesias of Perth Amboy, Laura Jacobs of Colonia, Erica LoBuglio of Sayreville, Laina Magnani of Edison, Rodolfo Manalo of Colonia, Katelyn Massa of South Plainfield, Christina Masucci of Roselle Park, Katherine McCue of Rahway, Kelsey Melendez of Edison, Fallon Melillo of Piscataway, Brian Mirfield of Old Bridge, Renata Moro of Roselle, Nicholas Mwangi of Fords, Mevla Nuredinoski of Carteret, Cara Oliveto of East Brunswick, Catherine Ortiz of Fords, Sarah Pearson of Colonia, Jasmine Pichardo of Roselle Park, Jesus Reyes of Roselle, Thomas Rich-Caverly of Cranford, Jackeline Rivera of South River, Lisa Romane of Piscataway, Fiama Romero of Rahway, Naomi Keith Santos of Port Reading, Jennifer Sarro of Rahway, Vasu Shah of Roselle Park, Maria Sica of North Brunswick, Zinamaria Sinicropi of Clark, Brianne Skriloff of Edison, Yuri Smishkewych of Cranford, Jessica Soriano of Rahway, Alexa Speer of Avenel; Richard Gregory of Piscataway initiated at University of Delaware; Megan Moran of Woodbridge initiated at State University of New York College at Plattsburg; Elena Shupak of Monmouth Junction initiated at The College of New Jersey.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

ALSO: Twenty-four Upper School students at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison were inducted into the World Language Honor Societies at a ceremony in the Oakwood Room on May 17. Jamie Segraves, World Language Department Chair, delivered the welcome, which was followed by the Introduction to the Honor Societies, Candle Ceremony and Honor Society Oaths.

The following students were inducted: Chinese – Suraj Chandran of Edison, Jennifer Guo of Edison, Michael Jesionka of Middlesex, Eduardo Martinez of Scotch Plains, Kevin Nader of Bernardsville, Shaun Martinez of Woodbridge, Gursimran Singh of Monroe and Rishi Yasa of Edison; Latin – Rohan Arvindh of Woodbridge, Audrey Cheng of Colonia, Sana Mansuri of Edison, Kerry McGrath of Carteret, Raj Raval of South Plainfield, Zishan Sajid of Carteret  Ellena Son of Woodbridge, Hannah Yates of Piscataway and Jason Yin of Scotch Plains; Spanish – Aaliah Burney of Sewaren, Ovidio Chavez of Elizabeth, Akash Dalal of Scotch Plains, Abraham Golding of North Plainfield, Shreyas Heragu of Edison, Lauren Kisare of Bridgewater, Mia Reyes of Pisacataway and Brittney Wilson of North Plainfield.

ALSO: On May 14, The Middle School Robotics Club from The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison competed in the Botball New York/New Jersey regional tournament in Rahway. Sixteen teams, including 14 high school and two middle school teams, took part in this event that tested students' resourcefulness, resilience and perseverance. Club advisor Noreen Jafri accompanied team leads Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield, Ashwin Manur of Iselin and teammates Svanik Dani of Edison, Sohum Thakker of Monroe, PranavMuralikrishnan of Piscataway, Shiv Tickoo of Edison and Zain Zaidi of Edison.

The day was packed with exciting moments as the W-H team competed head-to-head in a double elimination event against seasoned high school teams. The young W-H team was undefeated against The Lawrenceville School, Minisink Valley High and Xavier High School, and grabbed a second place in the tournament.

“Botball 2016 was a very interesting experience for me. There were so many ups and downs. It was also very stressful, but it is something that I will never forget,” Shiv Tickoo said. “This was also a great opportunity to bond with my teammates as well as people from other teams. It also gave me some knowledge on coding and some building. It also helped me improve my writing ability. In the end, it felt really good watching our robot accomplish the feats that it was meant to accomplish.”

Trinity Episcopal Day School 2016 Summer programs

Did you know that summer vacation takes an academic toll on students’ skills and knowledge? Statistics show that when students report to school in September, on average they perform one month behind where they were in June. Summer learning programs have the potential to help children improve their academic outcomes.

Trinity Episcopal Day School (TEDS) 205 North Ave., Cranford is offering two programs for summer 2016. The TEDS Enrichment Program, for Grades K-5, is designed to maintain students’ academic skills in Reading, Math, Writing and Comprehension. The TEDS Summer Program, for ages 21/2 to 4 years, includes academics and weekly-themed arts and crafts, games and activities. TEDS Summer Programs run from July 11 to Aug.19. Reservation can be made by the week and TEDS offers extended hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information call 908-276-2881 or visit www.tedscranford.com.

Woodbridge Township School District

Woodbridge Township School District conducted its first district-wide middle school Spelling Bee on May 11. The top 10 spellers from each of the five Woodbridge Township middle schools competed for the grand prize and the title of WTSD’s Spelling Bee Champion. Preliminary rounds took place at the individual middle schools with the final round culminating at the district level.

After a fierce competition, Stephen Daramola, a seventh-grade student from Avenel Middle School was named this year’s Spelling Bee Champion and took home the grand prize, a $200 TD Bank gift card. Second- and third-place winners, Diya Vemuganti and LiamO’Donnell, both eighth-grade students from Iselin Middle School, won $100 and $50 TD Bank gift cards, respectively.

The Rotary Club of Woodbridge-Perth Amboy sponsored the event, donating $500 for prizes.

Union County College

This summer the Office of Continuing Education at Union County College is offering the 2016 College for Teens program sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

This free program is offered for two sessions. Each session is will run for two weeks and will meet from Monday through Thursday. During the session students have the chance to explore and research careers in financial markets, criminal justice or healthcare, while experiencing life on a college campus. Students will learn about relevant career opportunities from prominent guest speakers. Some of the learning opportunities will include hands-on projects. The morning session will run from July 11 to 21, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The afternoon session will run from July 18 to 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.

To apply for the College for Teens program, students must be enrolled in a Union County high school by September 2016 and possess a grade point average of C or better. In addition to the application, students will need to submit a copy of their recent report card along with a recommendation letter from a teacher or guidance counselor.  The completed application package can be faxed to 908-709-7070, emailed to youthprograms@ucc.edu or delivered to the Office of Continuing Education at 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford.

For additional information about the College for Teens Program and the application form, visit http://www.ucc.edu/nonCredit/ForDown.aspx or call 908- 709-7600.

University of Scranton

Jenna Gulics of Perth Amboy was inducted into Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society at the University of Scranton .

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email: hntmetro@mycentraljersey.com