Thomas Edison EnergySmart robotics teams members advance in state competitions – MyCentralJersey.com

Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School’s VEX IQ Team participated in the Rosa International Middle School VIQC Event in Cherry Hill on Saturday, Jan. 5. TEECS’ E-Smart Team Gagan Voonna and Levent Yildiz came in first place overall.

The E-Smart team from the Franklin-based school received three Awards: Design award, Teamwork award, and Excellence award.

Receiving the Teamwork Champion Award (VIQC) qualifies E-Smart for the 2019 CREATE U.S. Open National Robotics Championship – VEX IQ – Elementary School Division, which will be conducted on April 1 at Mid-America Center, One Arena Way in Iowa. 

In addition, on the same day, Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School’s FTC High School Robotics team competed in the N.J. Qualifier conducted at the Liberty Science Center. TEECS’ team won three awards: Motivate Award, Winning Alliance Award and Inspire Award. This win advances TEECS’ team to the state championships to be conducted in March.

ALSO: Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School’s High School speech and debate team participated in the Hunterdon Central Winter Invitational State Tournament. The team of Yusra Amir, Sudip Suresh, Sarang Patki, Moez Qamar and Akshat Parthiban was among the more than 300 participants from various high schools in New Jersey. Akshat Parthiban won third place in the Congressional Debate.

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

Applebee’s teacher essay contest

The second annual Above and “BEE”yond Teacher Essay Contest, sponsored by Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, will recognize top teachers — as nominated by their students — by awarding them with a sponsorship check and end-of-year class party.

The contest is being offered at Applebee’s restaurants in New Jersey owned and operated by local franchisee, Doherty Enterprises.

Specifically, Applebee’s will award six teachers from 13 counties* with a $500 sponsorship check to use towards their classroom for the 2019-2020 school year, along with an end-of-year party for their current class. To nominate a teacher, students must submit an essay in-person at their local Applebee’s explaining why their teacher deserves to be “Teacher of the Year.” Students who enter an essay will receive a free ice cream certificate** to Applebee’s. Contest submissions are being accepted at participating Applebee’s restaurants now through March 3 and winners will be announced on Monday, April 8.

“We are thrilled to be holding our second annual Above and BEEyond Teacher Essay Contest at our New Jersey restaurants,” said Kevin Coughlin, director of operations, Applebee’s New Jersey in a news release. “Our restaurants are committed to giving back to the local community, especially schools within the communities we serve. The overwhelming support from last year’s campaign reminded us what an integral role teachers play in building a better community.”

One winner will be selected from each set of counties, grouped together by the following geographic areas: Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon; Bergen, Passaic and Essex; Hudson and Union; Morris, Sussexand Warren; Monmouth; and Ocean.

For more information, visit http://www.dohertyinc.com/community-connection.

Curry College

Christine Ezeigwe of Princeton was named to the fall dean’s list at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.30.

Dean College

The following Central Jersey residents at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts, were named to the fall dean’s list: Alexandra Roden of Princeton. 

Eagle Scout, Troop 234

Shane Anthony Holub of Olive Branch, Mississippi, formerly of Woodbridge was recently awarded his Eagle Scout badge. 

Graceland University

Ruth Balut of Old Bridge received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.

Grove City College

Timothy Rabideau of Edison was named to the fall dean’s list at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.40 to 3.59.

Hamilton College

The following Central Jersey residents at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, were named to the fall dean’s list: Annaliese Mugele of Linden, Alexandra Hendry, Ashley Thayaparan of Plainsboro and Aaron Coleman of Rahway. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Lehigh University

The following Central Jersey residents at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania were named to the fall dean’s list: Anna-Olivia Anderson of Princeton, Russell Caratenuto of East Brunswick, Marley Cohen of Monmouth Junction, Jack Goodman of Kendall Park, Matthew Herwig of Princeton, Chloe Koehler of Princeton, Andrew Lavender, Alexandra Machlis of Monmouth Junction, Michael Maguire of Franklin Park, Rose Marini of Old Bridge, Anil Morisetti of Monmouth Junction, Conrad Ozarek of Clark, EmilySegal of Princeton, Shivani Shah of Plainsboro, and Boshen Zhang of Princeton. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.6.

Lincoln Memorial University

Mary Kate Kersting of Sayreville was named to the fall dean’s list at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Lincoln University of Missouri

Henry Ogala of Somerset was named to the fall dean’s list at Lincoln University of Missouri. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.0.

Mother Seton Regional High School

When a family makes the decision to send their son or daughter to a college preparatory Catholic high school, they do so because there is an expectation that learning will take place in a positive and disciplined environment.

Some students can become overwhelmed, especially if they have difficulty with organizational skills, taking standardized tests or are struggling with academics.

To assist these students, Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark has implemented a cutting-edge program designed to help students maximize their high school experience. The Success Through Academic Readiness program or S.T.A.R.is now in its second year. According to a school news release, the program has been acclaimed by parents, students and teachers as a much-needed support program that improves self-esteem and confidence in high school students.

JoAnn Zwiebel is the coordinator of the S.T.A.R program and works with the students, in addition to athletes and honors students who need her assistance.

“My job is to help all students see that they can be successful,” she said. “Our program is unique because time is built in to the student’s daily schedule for assistance, much like of clubs and activities are also built into the schedule at Mother Seton. This affords the girls extra support to discuss subject matter content about which they may need more clarification.”

Zwiebel supports English, history and sciences. Another support teacher, Lisa Hernandez, supports students individually and in mathematics classes.

“We often forget that success in learning is not just about absorbing facts and formulas”, said Corinne Wnek, the director of guidance who proposed the S.T.A.R program two years ago. “For academic success to happen, students also need to be aware of the unwritten criteria that goes along with successful learning, namely time management, good note taking, study skills and learning how to approach a testing situation without anxiety.”

Student Jasmahik Mander said, “It is nice to have another teacher in and out of my Chemistry and English classes so when we break into our small learning groups, I benefit from Miss Zwiebel being right there explaining material to all of us in a different way for us to understand.”

Brittany Fields, a sophomore, added, “It takes a weight off of our shoulders to receive extra assistance from Miss Zwiebel when we need it. I also feel more confident now when I take tests.”

For more information on Mother Seton Regional’s S.T.A.R program call 732-382-1952 ext. 147 or visit the http://www.motherseton.org under the Guidance links.

New Jersey Brain Bee Competiton 

New Jersey high school students have an opportunity to prove their brain power by competing in the 2019 Central New Jersey Regional Brain Bee. 

Modeled after a traditional spelling bee, the Brain Bee is a live question-and-answer competition in which students are quizzed about the human brain and central nervous system. There is no cost to participate. The contest is open to all public and private New Jersey high school students in grades 9 through 12, and will be conducted on Saturday, Feb. 9,  at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway. Check-in for registered participants begins at 9:30 a.m.; the competition begins at 10:30 a.m.

To become a contestant in the Central New Jersey Regional Brain Bee, visit http://rwjms.rutgers.edu/BrainBee.html for registration information, competition rules and event details. Space is limited, therefore advance registration is required. Attendance at the competition is limited to participants and their guests. No one will be admitted once competition begins.

All competition questions are derived from the book Brain Facts, published by the Society for Neuroscience, which can be downloaded for free from the Society for Neuroscience Brain Bee website: http://www.brainfacts.org/the-brain-facts-book. Questions about the event at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School can be directed to Dr. Michael Matise at matisemp@rwjms.rutgers.edu or Joan Mordes at mordesja@rwjms.rutgers.edu or call 732-235-5390.

The Central New Jersey Brain Bee contest is one of many scheduled in the United States and throughout the world leading up to the International Brain Bee. The regional contest is organized and judged by local members of the Society for Neuroscience, an international organization of scientists and physicians dedicated to advancing understanding of the brain and the nervous system. The contest aims to motivate young people to learn about the brain, capture their imagination and inspire them to pursue careers in brain-related fields.

The top three finishers will receive cash prizes and the first place winner will receive an expense-paid trip for two to compete in the USA Brain Bee Championship April 12-14, on the campus of Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 

The 2019 Central Jersey Regional Brain Bee is hosted by the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Next Gen Personal Finance

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), a non-profit committed to ensuring that all students leave high school with the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex financial world, has announced that  two students from New Jersey have received an Honorable Mention Award in the second annual PAYBACK Challenge.

The students are Matthew Zyra from Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen and Natalie Cisneros from McNair Academic High School of Jersey City.

More than 800 students from all across the United States submitted essays earlier last fall. After playing the award-winning college finance game, PAYBACK , students wrote a 250-word essay answering one of these questions:

•  How has the PAYBACK game changed your perspective on the real-life decisions you will make when paying for college?
•  What steps can you take NOW in order to complete college with as little debt as possible?

Teachers nominated the best student essay from their classes. NGPF staff then reviewed the submitted essays, judging them based on the following criteria:

•  Provides a complete and clear answer to the question
•  Indicates an understanding of key concepts learned by playing the game PAYBACK
•  Articulates thoughts in a creative manner.     

Each of the Honorable mention winners will receive a $500 award from NGPF to used for educational purposes.

Pennsylvania College of Technology

The following Central Jersey residents at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, were named to the fall dean’s list: Kyle Daniels of Iselin, George J. Santiago of Middlesex and Arthur M. Wright IV of Woodbridge. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5. 

St. Bartholomew School

St. Bartholomew School in East Brunswick invites residents to experience a personal guided tour during the school’s open house event on Jan. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

According to a news release, St. Bartholomew focuses on nurturing the whole child in a family friendly environment protected by electronic surveillance. The school offers full time Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and Kindergarten to Grade 8 with a comprehensive curriculum based on best practice that includes advanced technology, art, music, physical education, and Spanish. 

Students may participate in National Junior Honor Society and a Student Leadership Development/Mentoring Program. Before and After School Care for all students with Free Before Care from 6:45 a.m. for K-8 is offered. 

Extracurricular activities include Drama, Band and Chorus, Latin, Newspaper, Yearbook, STEM Programs, Challenge Island, Bricks 4 Kids, Mad Science, Homework, Chess, Video, and Sewing Clubs, Cross Country, Spring Track, Basketball, student led clubs, and more.  The birthday cutoff for enrollment is Oct. 31. There is a full-time nurse and guidance counselor. St. Bartholomew School is AdvancED Accredited with Wi-Fi throughout the facility, Google Classroom, i-Ready, IXL Technology, Discovery Education, Digital Whiteboards, Advanced Technology Resource Center, Digital Microscope, laptops and iPads.  

There is no registration fee from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4.

St. Bartholomew School is at 470 Ryders Lane in East Brunswick. Call 732-254-7105 or visit school.stbartseb.com.

St. Francis Cathedral School

Student /Partner Alliance

January is National Mentoring Month, and this year Student/Partner Alliance is celebrating mentors on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Christ Church in Summit.

Michele Neves, principal of Immaculate Conception in Montclair, will speak about urban education and the challenges of students living in poverty. Some mentors will speak about their experiences and the rewards of mentoring students from nearby urban areas. 

Research from mentor.org shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to strive and thrive, to attend and engage in school, and to reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people are: 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college; 81 percent more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities; 78 perent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities; and more than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor.  

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, the national organization working to expand the quality and quantity of youth mentoring relationships nationwide.

To learn more about the role mentoring plays in the community and to find volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.studentpartneralliance.org.  Or contact akent@studentpartneralliance.org.

The Central Jersey Pop Warner All American Little Scholars Banquet

The Central Jersey Pop Warner All American  Little Scholars Banquet was conducted on Sunday, Jan. 13, at North Brunswick High School.

More than 300 people were in attendance. All American Little Scholars must have a GPA of 96 percent and above. In all, 192 fifth- through eighth-grade participants accomplished this in the 2018 season. Fourteen Scholastic awards were handed out. Central Jersey Pop Warner since 2000 has presented more than $75,000 in scholarships to its participants. To find out more about Central Jersey Pop Warner Cheer / Football/ Scholastics contact Jim Simmons at centraljerseypw@aol.com.  

UNICO

UNICO National Membership & Retention Director Anthony Bengivenga and Plainfields’ Chapter President Bob Bengivenga distributed the UNICO Italian Heritage Calendar to the South Plainfield High School’s Italian classes recently. 

During the event, they also spoke of co-sponsoring again a student exchange involving a few Italian Language high school students from South Plainfield with a few students of the Betty Ambiveri Scuola Superiore (High School) in Presezzo (Bergamo) Italy. The SPHS Italian language teacher Stephanie White is enthusiastic about this great opportunity. The Gian Maria Alberto Foundation in Bergamo, Italy, will be the sponsor on the Italian side for the Betty Ambiveri school. 

Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders school programs

The award of grants for elementary and middle schools in 15 school districts through the new Union County STEM Scholars grant program have been announced by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The program launched this year under Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados’ “Moving Union County Forward” Plant-A-Seed initiative with the goal of enabling local school districts to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for younger students. 

“This year we set forth a series of “Moving Union County Forward” initiatives working together with the school districts across Union County, to help our residents excel in educational and career goals,” Granados in a news release. “The new STEM Scholars program helps open up more opportunities for elementary and middle school students to practice foundational STEM skills like teamwork and leadership, and prepare them to take on the challenging curriculum of high school STEM topics

“Providing STEM lessons in an inclusive and supportive environment helps younger students develop self-confidence, curiosity and innovative thinking,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “The next generation of STEM leaders is growing up before our eyes, and we want to ensure that every child has an opportunity to explore STEM topics in their schools and communities.”

The inspiration for the grant program comes from Hudak’s mother, Susan L. Hudak, who was a member of the educational community of Union County for many years, as a member of the Linden Board of Education and as a volunteer. Her work included the establishment of a Monthly Friday Family Science Night, a program that ran for 25 years at School No. 6 in Linden for students and their families.

The STEM Scholars program awarded grants totaling $26,628.05 in the following areas of concentration: Project-Based Learning in classes: Afterschool STEM projects; and Out-of-School STEM experiences out of the classroom. Awardees include: 

• Berkeley Heights: William Woodruff Elementary School, Project Based Learning, $482.41; William Woodruff Elementary School, Project Based Learning,  $2,500.
• Clark: Frank K. Hehnly School, Project Based Learning, $494.98
• Cranford: Hillside Avenue School, Project Based Learning, $520; Walnut Avenue School, Project Based Learning, $520; Livingston Avenue School, Project Based Learning, $520; Orange Avenue School, Project Based Learning, $520; Brookside Place School, Project Based Learning, $500
• Kenilworth: Saint Theresa School, Project Based Learning,  $500
• Linden: School #8, Afterschool STEM,  $500.50;School #2, Afterschool STEM, $500; School #5, Afterschool STEM, $500; School #9, Afterschool STEM, $500; School #1, Out of school STEM, $500; School #6, Afterschool STEM, $500; Highland Avenue School #10, Afterschool STEM, $500; School #4, Afterschool STEM, $500
• Mountainside: Deerfield School, Project Based Learning, $1,000
• New Providence: Salt Brook Elementary School, Afterschool STEM, $480
• New Providence Morris-Union Jointure Commission, Project Based Learning, $500
• Plainfield: Plainfield Acamdemy of Arts and Advance Studies, Project Based Learning, $500
• Rahway: Franklin & Madison Elementary Schools:,Project Based Learning, $1,199
• Roselle: Washington Elementary School, Project Based Learning, $500
• Scotch Plains: Park Middle School, Afterschool STEM, $800; Park Middle School, Project Based Learning, $500; Terrill Middle School, Project Based Learning,   $500.

ALSO: The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has announced the recipients of the new UC Night at the Theater grant. As part of Granados’ “Moving UNION COUNTY Forward” initiatives, the program aims to help cover the costs of high school theater productions and provide arts enrichment for the community at large.

“It is our hope that these grants will assist our schools in expanding and enhancing these enriching opportunities for students, while engaging more residents in the performing arts as well,” Granados said in a news release.

More than $26,000 in grants were awarded to help cover the costs of high school theater productions slated for the spring or fall of 2019. The UC Night at the Theater program is funded through Moving Union County forward in conjunction with the Union County Open Space, Historic Preservation and Kids Recreation Trust Fund. Honorees include:

• Elizabeth: Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, $1,750; Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, $1 ,750
• Hillside: Hillside Public High Schools, $1,750; Hillside Benedictine Academy, $1,750
• Kenilworth David Brearley High School, $1,750
• Linden High School, $1,750
• New Providence High School, $1,750
• Plainfield Academy for the Arts & Advanced Studies, $1,750
• Rahway High School,$1,750
• Roselle Abraham Clark High School, $1,750
• Scotch Plains Academy of Performing Arts,$1,750
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, $1,750
• Summit High School, $ 1,750
• Springfield Jonathan Dayton High School, $1,750
• Westfield High School, $1,750.

The Wardlaw+Hartridge School

Ryan Petela of Clark, a senior at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison, joined an elite club of W+H athletes earlier this month when he scored his 1,000th point as a Ram in a boys’ basketball game versus Dunellen in Laidlaw Gym.

The senior guard led the Rams with 19 points, including a free throw with 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter that produced his 1,000th career point. Petela is the 10th male and 14th player overall in the school’s history to reach the grand milestone.

“Scoring 1,000 points in high school has been a dream of mine since I started playing basketball, and to have it happen is one of the coolest feelings in the world,” Petela said. “When that ball went through the net and my parents came out onto the court, the biggest feelings of accomplishment and happiness came over me. After countless hours of hard work with my dad in the offseason and battling every day at practice and in games with my teammates, to have it all work out and see the work pay off means so much to me.”

Petela joins W+H hoop stars Brian Roach, Class of 1980, Janissa Delzo, Class of 2012, Arthur Blake, Class of 1974, Sarah Williamson, Class of 1998, Kevin Wyatt, Class of 1982, Justen Davis, Class of 2013, Ken Kaye, Class of 1995, Corey Boland, Class of 2008, Michael Campbell, Class of 1994, Valerie Pate, Class 1992, Taylor Gerhart, Class of 2014, Rob Rizzo, Class of 1989, and Chuck Mayers. Class of 1974 in the 1,000-Point Club.

“Wardlaw+Hartridge has an extremely rich history and the amazing reputation our school has around the state is something I am fortunate to be a part of,” Petela said. “To have my name in the record books and have my own little piece of W+H history is something I will forever be proud of and it is a memory I will never forget. To have my name alongside other fantastic Rams who have made their mark in W+H history is truly an honor and I am lucky to be included with such an extraordinary group of people.”

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

 

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