Student News: Bernards middle-schoolers give back to community

• William Annin Middle School students made a birdhouse for Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity families as part of a "Day of Giving" project
• Tibet Women's soccer presentation held at Readington Middle School
• Westfield High School students selected for Region Band & Orchestra
• MCVTS expanding training program with carpenters union

William Annin Middle School (WAMS) eighth-graders from Bernards recently hosted a “Day of Giving” to introduce the many needs of the community and highlight ways students can become involved.

“Students are required to complete several community service hours throughout high school, and the ‘Day of Giving’ program served to open their eyes to local organizations and prepare them for volunteering opportunities,”  Vice-Principal Adam Torrisi said in a news release.

During the “Day of Giving” program, students participated in various informational presentations by local non-profits, including Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH). Students Nikhita Antil, Audrika Chattaraj, Emma Krikston, Abbie McCrea and Lauren Richardson answered RVHFH’s call for service with the construction of birdhouses for the homes the local Habitat affiliate builds in Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

“I had never done charity work before, and I thought doing this would be a great way for me to make something myself while helping other people,” Krikston said.

“We are extremely proud of our students for their willingness to think beyond themselves by putting others first.  It was a positive experience for them,” said Melanie Turtur, a William Annin teacher that helped coordinate the program.

“For many of our new homeowners, this will be the first time they have a safe place for their children to play outside and to learn about and enjoy nature. These birdhouses will help beautify the land they worked so hard for and help make their house a home,” said Jan Holmstrup, executive director of RVHFH.

For more information on how to get involved with Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity, which services Somerset and Hunterdon counties, go to www.rvhabitat.org or call 908-704-0016.

READ: The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond

READ: Education news from around the region

COLLEGE CONNECTION: Advice from local expert columnist

Castleton University

Susan Pipolo of South Plainfield was named to the fall dean's list at Castleton University in Castleton, Vermont. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Curry College

The following Central Jersey residents at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, were named to the fall dean's list: Christine Ezeigwe of Princeton, Edmund Foley of Basking Ridge, Katherine Sheridan of Hillsborough. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.30.

Denison University

The following Central Jersey residents at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, were named to the fall dean's list: Kevin Walker of Skillman, Sofia Beneroff of Westfield, Caleigh Dwyer of Princeton. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7.

Hunterdon middle schoolers compete in YMCA Model UN program

Thirty-six seventh- and eighth-grade students (13 from JP Case in the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District, 22 from Readington Middle School (RMS) and one from South Hunterdon) participated with 90 of their peers from New Jersey and New York in the 6th Annual YMCA Model United Nations 2 Conference conducted from Jan. 13 to 15 at Hershey Lodge and Conference Center.

This middle school-only conference gives students the chance to represent a country, discussing topics as varied as cyber surveillance, healthy diet and wealth inequality. They then moved to a simulation of the International Criminal Court, trying historical figures and then reimagining history in the fall of the Soviet Union.

During meetings at their schools, students spent October, November and December learning about their countries and their views on the topics, practicing parliamentary procedure and learning to debate.

While making up roughly one-third of attendees, Hunterdon students secured nearly half of the awards at this year’s conference.

Jacqueline Memoly from RMS and Sierra Probst and Hannah Stillwell from JP Case were recognized for Outstanding Country Research Questionnaires (papers that students complete about their country and topics before the conference).

Hunterdon students won two of the four awards for Participation in the Press Program, which prepares newsletters and videos during the weekend. The winners were Silvana LaVecchia as Outstanding First Year Delegate and Joey Farrell  as Outstanding Delegate. Both students are from RMS.

Three of the four Outstanding First Year Delegate awards for the overall conference went to Hunterdon students – Philip Arkoulakis, Jane Boni and Bradyn Quintard from RMS.

Two of the four Outstanding Delegates were Hunterdon’s Silvana LaVecchia and Morgan Owen, both from RMS.

Finally, one of the three Outstanding Country awards went to RMS’s Will Allain and Jane Boni for representing Yemen, while one of the two Premier County awards went to RMS students Joey Farrell and Bradyn Quintard for representing Sweden.

Parents or schools interested in starting Model UN clubs should contact Len Yacullo at the Hunterdon County YMCA  at lyacullo@hcymca.org or 908-483-4930.

Iowa State University

The following Central Jersey residents at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, were named to the fall dean's list. Yihe Zhang of Bell Mead, Miranda Elizabeth Dietze of Flemington, Kerine Webster of Piscataway. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.50.

Lebanon Township: Woodglen School

This year's Woodglen Spelling Bee was won by fifth-grader Cassie Avallone who outlasted her seventh-grade brother Matt Avallone who finished second. Cassie will represent Woodglen School in the regional bee which begins on Feb. 23 at Northhampton Community College. Some of the words spelled correctly in the final rounds included eucalyptus, pugnacious, moiety, prestidigitation, constabulary, and interminableness. In third place was seventh-grader Logan Barkman. The spelling bee is run by James Peralta, enrichment teacher.

Mercer County Community College and Thomas Edison State Univesity

Mercer County Community College and Thomas Edison State University have created a dual enrollment nursing program that enables students to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) degree in four years.

The program will allow graduates of Mercer’s Nursing Education Program to transfer and apply up to 90 credits to the online RN-BSN program at Thomas Edison State University, according to a news release. The institution’s formalized the partnership at a Jan. 17 signing ceremony at Glen Cairn Hall at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton.

“This partnership provides students the opportunity to earn a BSN degree in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” said Dr. Filomela Marshall, dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing at Thomas Edison State University, in a news release. “Our collaboration provides a seamless pathway into our RN-BSN program for students in Mercer’s nursing program.”

The program aims to provide a pipeline of baccalaureate-prepared nurses to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in Trenton, Mercer County and throughout Central Jersey.

“By offering more choices and enabling students to study close to home, more students will complete their education and we create more opportunities for students from a variety of backgrounds and learning styles while allowing them to continue to meet family and work obligations,” said Dr. Jianping Wang, president of Mercer County Community College.

Eligible students enrolled in the dual enrollment program will be granted provisional acceptance to the RN-BSN program at Thomas Edison State University and full acceptance once they complete the associate in science degree from Mercer and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

As they complete the BSN degree, students will be prepared to further advance their education and pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and eventually a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Miami University

Spencer Reynolds of Hillsborough at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio was named to the fall president's list. Also, the following students were named to the dean's list. Katharine Hackett, Margo Testa of Skillman, Lauren Oates of Westfield.

Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School

The Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District is expanding its partnership with the Carpenters Union to offer training to high school juniors and seniors and a path to entry into an apprenticeship program upon graduation.

“It’s a very big, comprehensive partnership,” said Sean McDonald, MCVTS director of career and technical education, in a news release. “This gives our students a very good opportunity to get into a great career.”

The program, through the New Jersey Carpenters Apprentice Training and Education Fund with the support of a federal grant administered by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, will grow in its second year from 21 students from the MCVTS East Brunswick and Piscataway campuses to 25 to 30 students this year from those two campuses and the Perth Amboy Campus.

Three 2016 MCVTS graduates were accepted into the Carpenters Union apprentice program.

The students are bused once a week from their campuses to the Carpenters Union training center in Kenilworth, spending a full day receiving instruction and shadowing apprentices in training. The students rotate through a number of areas of instruction, including framing, building concrete forms, installing dropped ceilings, flooring and steel studs, millwright and cabinet-making skills, workplace safety regulations, and tool use.

“We always look forward to partnering with vocational and technical schools,” said Ridgeley Hutchinson, executive director of the carpenters training fund. “We know these students have already moved toward a decision to enter the trade. We’re getting them at a great time of life for them and for us. We’re able to mold them into the type of craftsperson we want them to be.”

“This is a great opportunity for our students to gain experience at the carpenters training center prior to graduation,” said MCVTS Superintendent of Schools Brian J. Loughlin. “It’s the type of partnership with labor, industry and academia that we’re always pursuing.”

McDonald pointed out that the union is in the process of consolidating its Kenilworth and South Jersey training centers at a new facility in Raritan Center in Edison.

“We’re excited that it’s going to get a whole lot closer and more accessible,” he said.

The district has aligned its carpentry, building trades, building maintenance, and theater arts technology curriculums with the Carpenters Union curriculum, McDonald added.

The Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, the first full-time county vocational school district in the nation, has seven schools on five campuses, in East Brunswick, Edison, Piscataway, Perth Amboy and Woodbridge. More information is available at www.mcvts.net.

New Jersey Big Data Alliance

Nine of the state’s top universities have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to formally establish the New Jersey Big Data Alliance (NJBDA).Members of the NJBDA are Rutgers University, Montclair State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Kean University, Rowan University, St. Peter’s University, Stockton University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the newest members of the Alliance, The College of New Jersey and New Jersey Research and Education Network (NJEDge.Net), a non-profit technology network of academic and research institutions in New Jersey.

According to a news release, the formation of the NJBDA was a grassroots effort by these universities and NJEDge.Net to pool resources and expertise in order to build capabilities in advanced computing and big data for New Jersey.

Advanced cyberinfrastructure is the hardware, software, networks and human expertise used to store, manage, transport and analyze massive quantities of digital information, known as “big data.”  “Big data” refers to the massive volume of structured and unstructured data produced by the proliferation of data sources such as smartphones, wearable technology, sensors and other forms of digital devices.  Advanced computing is used in every discipline and industry sector, and has become an essential resource for innovation and growth.

According to the news release, the NJBDA brings together the diverse advanced cyberinfrastructure resources and talent housed at the state’s universities and colleges and NJEDge.net to identify areas of synergy, develop joint educational and research programs, provide advanced computation resources to industry, build an effective alliance that will increase the competitiveness of New Jersey’s institutions of higher education and industry, and drive economic development in the state.

“The signing of the MOA by nine of the state’s top universities and NJEDge.Net is key to making New Jersey a leader in advanced computing and big data analytics,” explained Dr. Margaret Brennan-Tonetta, Rutgers Associate Vice President for Economic Development and a founder of the NJBDA. “The fact that the Alliance members pro-actively created this organization to increase access to advanced cyberinfrastructure technologies and big data expertise by academia, industry and government demonstrates the commitment that we have to establish New Jersey as a leader in this field.”

The NJBDA received official state designation with the passage of the “Big Data Bill” (A2218/S582) in 2014, spearheaded by Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-17). The bill designated the New Jersey Big Data Alliance as the “State’s Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Consortium.”  A second Assembly Bill, A2075, names the NJBDA, the State Office of Information Technology, and Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute, as partners to develop a state cyberinfrastructure plan. The bill calls for an assessment of the State's cyberinfrastructure and the creation of a roadmap and strategies for implementing advanced cyberinfrastructure improvements throughout the State. This bill is currently in committee.

The NJBDA is planning its fourth annual symposium at the New Jersey Institute of Technology for March 16t. This year’s theme is “Big Data Connects.” The alliance is also working on an industry affiliate program to engage business partners.

embership in the NJBDA is open to higher education institutions, industry, government, and non-profits. Detailed information on the NJBDA can be found at njbigdata.org, or contact Kristin Lepping, klepping@rutgers.edu or 848-445-5140.

North Plainfield Middle School

North Plainfield Middle School will pPresents “A Conversation with Theodora Lacey; Educator and Civil Rights Activist” on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Lacey is a retired educator and civil rights pioneer. In the early 1960’s Lacey was instrumental in spearheading the integration of Teaneck Public Schools. As a result, this New Jersey school district became the first school district in the nation to integrate without a court order in 1964.

Lacey has described her fight for equal opportunities as part of her “DNA.” While growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, Lacey’s father was part of a committee to help recruit a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be a new pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Her mother was a childhood friend of Rosa Parks.

During her presentation, she will share her story and journey with students from North Plainfield MIddle School and High School. Her visit is part of a Civil Rights unit the students are studying, according to Dr. Lennox Small, the middle school principal.

Plainfield School: Frederic W. Cook School

Students at Frederic W. Cook K-5 Center were inducted into the National Elementary Honor Society during a ceremony conducted on Jan. 27 at the school, and attended by city officials, the Plainfield Board of Education, and Superintendent of Schools Anna Belin-Pyles.

The students were selected after meeting the requirements set by the National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) which includes Scholarship, Responsibility, Leadership, and Service. Some 26 students took the oath to abide by the society standards, according to a district news release.

Honoring the students were Keynote Speaker Superior Court Justice the honorable Martha T. Royster and Rick Smiley, City of Plainfield administrator.

Before taking their oath, Dr. Caryn Cooper, principal at the school, said to the students, “My expectation is that you continue on this progressive route and that you share your gifts with others; and continue to live up to the rigorous standards outlined by the National Elementary Honors Society.”

Many of the students served as hosts of the ceremony including Danielle Greene, as Mistress of Ceremonies, and Madison Toussaint, Gabriel Handlin, Jaren Wheeler and Julissa Martinez as student speakers.

The National Elementary Honor Society is modeled after its parent organization, the National Honor Society, to honor and recognize the highest achieving students in grades 4-6.  In Plainfield students from various elementary schools including Cedarbrook Center K-8, and the Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies and Plainfield High School have members of the National Honor Society.  

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart

On Jan. 16, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart hosted an MLK Day of Service sponsored by the Princeton Academy Parents Association in the McPherson Athletic and Convocation Center on its Princeton campus. Families from Stuart Country Day School, Princeton Academy’s sister school, were invited to partner with them in turning a day off into a day on.

More than 200 students, parents and friends gathered to participate in service projects to help local and national organizations: 250 chew toys for puppies were made for SAVE Animal Rescue in Skillman; 1,000 utensils were packaged for TASK: Trenton Area Soup Kitchen; 60 activity bags were stuffed for children in need for The Bag Project; 150 placemats were decorated for Loaves & Fishes; 90 prayer cards were written for residents and families at the Princeton Care Center; a gratitude poster was filled with colorful messages for the Princeton Police Department and dozens of letters were written to the men and women serving our country for Operation Gratitude.

“The number of families that expressed their joyfulness in helping others today, as well as their happiness that Princeton Academy hosted such an important event, was inspiring,” said Tia Bennett, MLK Day of Service co-chair, in a news release.

At Princeton Academy, service is a cornerstone of the school’s mission and integral to its Sacred Heart Goals, which highlight social awareness that impels to action and community-building, according to the news release. 

Readington Township: Holland Brook School

Holland Brook School’s annual spelling bee was conducted on Jan. 17. After correctly spelling “marionette”, Christopher Serrao was declared the school’s 2017 champion. Kayla Sutphen was named runner-up.

To begin the bee, each fifth-grade class participated in a written spelling test. The top speller from each class then competed in an oral spell-off conducted by Enrichment Teacher Alison Stewart.  As school champion, Christopher is now eligible to enter the regional spelling bee competition, which begins with a preliminary written round on Feb. 23 at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Qualifiers from that written round will be eligible to participate in the regional finals in March.

Christopher seems to be following in his older sister’s footsteps. Danielle Serrao was Holland Brook’s spelling bee champion in 2013 and went on to win Readington Middle School’s spelling bees for the following three years.  After winning the 2016 regional round at Northampton, Danielle advanced to the national final last May.

Readington Township: Readington Middle School

Cassie Childers, executive director of Tibet Women’s Soccer, visited Readington Middle School on Dec.9 to share the team’s story with the school’s seventh-graders. The New Jersey native shared the history of Tibet, facts about the Dalai Lama, and the formation of Tibet Women’s Soccer.

During college, Childers participated in the Semester at Sea program where she was introduced to various cultures around the world. Upon graduation, she relocated to Thailand, where she taught English before returning to the United States to teach elementary school, then high school history. During her summer break in 2010, she traveled back to Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama and a community of Tibetan refugees, while the World Cup was being held; she realized that no women were paying attention to the event, and further that no women were featured in a photo exhibit of the Tibetan Sports Association. It was then that Childers, a lifelong soccer player herself, had the idea to introduce soccer to Tibet’s female population.

After leaving her name and email address with the Tibet National Sports Association, including the message, “I think Tibetan women need to play soccer. If you want help, contact me,” Childers received an invitation to start the girls’ soccer program. To date, more than 3,000 Tibetan women have become involved with Tibet Women’s Soccer.

The Tibetan women’s soccer team will be traveling to Texas in early April to attend the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup. While in Dallas, they will be training with local teams, as well as visiting local schools and area attractions. As a follow-up to Childers’ visit to Readington Middle School, the students will conduct a change collection fundraiser during lunch periods for a week in March to help support the team’s trip to the Dallas Cup.

The program at Readington Middle School was funded by a grant from the Readington Home School Association.

Rutgers University 

College Choice, a leading authority in college and university rankings and resources, has published a ranking of the 50 Best Bachelors in Engineering Degrees for 2017. Rutgers Univesity in Piscataway appears on the list: http://www.collegechoice.net/rankings/best-engineering-degrees/

There are many educational institutions of high quality that are offering bachelors degrees in engineering, and College Choice’s ranking seeks to parse out what separates the very best.

“Because we know that a degree is an investment of sorts, we have factored into our rankings the cost of getting an engineering degree and the salary prospects for graduates of the various schools,” Christian Amondson, Managing Editor of College Choice, said of the ranking. “And because research is such an integral part of engineering, and because schools with graduate programs tend to have more research center, labs, and institutes, we’ve limited our top fifty list to those schools with graduate programs.”

College Choice developed its list by looking at academic quality along with return on investment — the differential between tuition costs and average early career earnings.

The ranking for the 50 Best Bachelors in Engineering Degrees for 2017 finds the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the top spot. Purdue University is in second, and Georgia Institute of Technology rounds out the top three.

The entire ranking, listed in alphabetical order, is as follows: Arizona State University—Tempe; Auburn University; California Institute of echnology; Carnegie Mellon University; Clemson University; Colorado School of Mines; Columbia University; Cornell University; Duke University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Harvard University; Iowa State University; Johns Hopkins University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Michigan State University; North Carolina State University—Raleigh; Northwestern University; Ohio State University—Columbus; Pennsylvania State University—University Park; Princeton University; Purdue University--West Lafayette; Rice University; Rutgers University—New Brunswick; Stanford University; Texas A&M University—College Station; University of Arizona; University of California--Berkeley;University of California—Davis; University of California—Irvine; University of California—Los Angeles; University of California—San Diego;University of California—Santa Barbara; University of Colorado—Boulder; University of Delaware; University of Florida; University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign; University of Maryland—College Park; University of Michigan--Ann Arbor; University of Minnesota—Twin Cities; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of Southern California; University of Texas--Austin; University of Utah; University of Virginia; University of Washington; University of Wisconsin—Madison; Vanderbilt University; Virginia Tech; Yale University.

College Choice is an independent online publication dedicated to helping students and their families find the right college. The site publishes rankings and reviews that make finding the best colleges for different interests easier and more fun, as well as resources to help students get into, pay for, and thrive at the college of their choice. 

ALSO: Some of the nation’s top experts in online education and hybrid learning will share innovations and best practices at the Rutgers Online Learning Conference (RUOnlineCon) being conducted on March 13 at the Hilton Doubletree in Somerset, Registration is available at http://ruonlinecon.rutgers.edu.

According to a news release, the conference will explore available and emerging technologies, use of learning management systems, ancillary software and sites, new instructional methods, assessments, audio/video elements, and faculty training and resources.

Michele Norin, Rutgers senior vice president and chief information officer (CIO), is a keynote speaker. She works closely with the chancellors and senior vice presidents to lead the implementation of the university’s five-year plan to redesign business processes, deploy new information technology infrastructure, and centralize administrative and academic IT services. Norin was one of seven university officials to earn Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders Award for 2015.

Mindy Hintze, director of product engagement at Instructure, is also a keynote speaker. Instructure is a technology company committed to improving education. Hintze is passionate about empowering students and teachers with educational technology and helping them develop 21st Century Skills.

Rutgers Online Learning Conference also features 35 speakers, 30 plus breakout sessions with colleges throughout the mid-Atlantic region, and a lineup of sponsors and exhibitors demonstrating instructional technologies.

Now in its eighth year, Rutgers Online Learning Conference has expanded from a statewide event to include attendees throughout the mid-Atlantic region, from New York to West Virginia. It is meant for faculty and others from higher education institutions who are active in online and hybrid learning environments, including instructional designers, educational technology specialists, department and program chairs, curriculum managers and online program administrators.

New Jersey Research and Education Network, a nonprofit technology consortium of academic and research institutions, is a presenter of the conference.

Rutgers Online Learning Conference is managed by the Rutgers Center for Online and Hybrid Learning and Instructional Technologies (COHLIT), which supports academic units universitywide in creating and delivering hybrid and online credit and noncredit courses.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

Eighth-graders enjoyed the opportunity to work together in teams and argue pros and cons of three different topics during formal debates on Jan. 20 in the Center for Global Learning at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison.

The students used research, writing, collaboration and public speaking skills to deliver strong arguments on topics including homework, school hours and the legality of eminent domain.

The following students earned honorable mention for their performance in the debates: Caroline Kolmodin of Mountainside, Emma Jacobson of Metuchen, Olivia Brown of South Plainfield, Jason Kisare of Bridgewater, Leila Hernandez-Webster of Edison, Cami Martinez of Scotch Plains, Mikayla Cole of Plainfield, Bill Zheng of Metuchen, Tarun Ravilla of Edison and Noah Apter of Springfield.

ALSO: Greg Casagrande of Jersey City, CEO of MicroDreams, 1981 alumnus and Board of Trustees member at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School, made his annual presentation about microfinance to the eighth graders on Jan. 23 in the Oakwood Room.

Casagrande discussed his background in finance and how important ongoing education is in the business world. He explained why he left a corporate career to begin The South Pacific Development Foundation and the non-profit organization MicroDreams. He  also spoke about why he chose to concentrate on Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

He added that his foundation empowers women in the villages to begin their own businesses. The women are given business training and guidance and small loans to begin their businesses. They form small groups that support and encourage each other and these groups also guarantee the repayment of all loans in the group.

The eighth-graders will be broken up into groups to form their own businesses. They will develop business plans in hopes of doubling the money given to them by the Middle School Student Council. The money they raise will go to MicroDreams to help empower more women in the South Pacific to start their own businesses.

ALSO: Upper School students from the Spoken Word Club organized and staged the first Open Mic Night on Jan. 20 in the AP Room. The evening featured performances including poetry, music and spoken word. Performers included Jaden Dugenio of Branchburg, Learta Bajqinovci of Roselle Park, Aaliah Burney of Sewaren, Candace Eason of Linden, Kallie Schildge of Westfield, Sidney Daniel of Plainfield, Andrea Tobar of South Plainfield, Zishan Sajid of Carteret and Jordan Rose of Watchung. 

Universal Technical Institute

Milton Teixeira of Manville graduated from the Exton, Pennsylvania-based Universal Technical Institute automotive technology with TPAT program with a 4.0 GPA ans 10 percent attendance. He received three “Student of the Course” awards (earning the highest grade of the course), nine directors list awards and was nominated into Alpha Beta Kappa honor society. Following graduation, he will continue his education in the BMW training program.  

University of Hartford

The following Central Jersey residents at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut, were named to the fall dean's list: Malcolm Virgil of Fanwood, John Ray of Warren, Matthew Haggar of Mountainside, Rachel Goldman of Bedminster, Eric Cerqueira of Berkeley Heights, Sydnee Leopardi and Mudiwa Mupfumira of Princeton, Alexa Joachim of Bridgewater, Taylor Noll of Clinton, Kelly Blochlinger of Green Brook, Nia Washington of Flemington, Cristen Bailey of Franklin Park, Michael Benson of Martinsville, Stacy Muema and Troy Solt of Hillsborough, Sara Kohut and Sarah Latini of Somerset, Debbie Vergara of Branchburg, James Coleman of Whitehouse Station.

University of Vermont

The following Central Jersey residents at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, were named to the fall dean's list: Nora Aronds of Westfield, Louis Augeri of Princeton, Amanda Cornetta of Whitehouse Station, Alexa Dahler of Clinton, Vidharshi Dharmasena of Skillman, Jacqueline Diaz of Bridgewater, Sara Fetter and Katherine Fischer of Westfield, Paige Greenfield of Annandale, Joseph Guidi of Scotch Plains, Sandra Halbing of Basking Ridge, Ani Hsu Obrock of Scotch Plains, Joyce Huang of Belle Mead, Jonathan Kelly of Westfield, Melissa Lapara of New Providence, Erika Lewy of Flemington, Morgan McCord of Glen Gardner, Rachel Phillips of Asbury, Hailey Reilly of Westfield, Annie Resnikoff of Westfield, Emma Rosen of Princeton, Reba Salton of Skillman, Nathan Schwab of Hillsborough, Richard Stine of Flemington, Allyson Tazbin of Westfield, Kathryn Tischenko of Berkeley Heights, McKenna Todd of Flemington, Austin Wilkes of Basking Ridge. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.0.

Wagner College

The following Central Jersey residents at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, were named to the fall dean's list. Megan E. Haase of Dunellen, Elizabeth R. Patton of Hillsborough. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7.

Watchung: Bayberry School 

Westfield High School

Seven Westfield High School Band students were accepted to the 2017 New Jersey Music Education Association Region Band or Orchestra. Three of the seven students placed first overall in their instrument: Dale Beyert - Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, Trumpet; Michael Hauge - Wind Ensemble, Eb & Bb Clarinet; and Brooke Walden - Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, Piccolo & Flute.

In addition, Austin Chen performed on trumpet with the Symphonic Band; Matthew Schiff - Wind Ensemble, Alto & Bass Clarinet; Sara Shen - Symphonic Band, Flute; and Daniel Shenker - Symphonic Band, Alto Saxophone. The performances took place on Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 at Montgomery High School.

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