Mount Saint Dominic Academy held its 117th annual commencement on Sunday, June 2, and among the graduates were seven Verona residents.

From Verona, Jessica Schnurr will be attending Loyola University Maryland, Arianne Mae Marquez will be attending Seton Hall University, Samantha Bahr will be attending George Washington University, Marguerite Ruzich will be attending New York University, Elise Kaslander will be attending Pennsylvania State University, Sara Balassone will be attending Towson University and Lillian Posner will be attending Oberlin College.

There were also six graduates from Cedar Grove. Margaret Coleman, the valedictorian, will be attending Villanova University. Carly Daniels will be attending Fairfield University, Jillian Giamo will be attending Pratt Institute, Kerrianne Masucci will be attending Philadelphia University, Hayley Pettengill and Taylor Paxson will be attending Eastwick College.

Coleman, a member of the National Honor Society who received First Honors for every marking period throughout her high school career, gave the valedictory address. At the ceremony Coleman addressed her fellow graduates, faculty, staff, parents and guests: “Somewhere along the way, we transitioned from timid fourteen year old girls who barely knew ourselves to sixty-four of the most unique, brilliant and empowered young women.” She continued in the farewell, “Each and every one of us has the ability, knowledge, and the potential to dream beyond all reason, beyond all doubt and accomplish things beyond our wildest imaginations. Never let the magnitude of the world around you keep you from recognizing the greatness within. Appreciate the world for all it has to offer, but never forget to look inward and appreciate all that you have to offer the world.”

The graduating class of 64 students has been accepted at 142 schools and was awarded over $10.3 million in scholarships and grants.

Graduates (l-r): Lily Posner, Margaret Coleman, Kerrianne Masucci, Ariane Marquez, Hayley Pettengill, Sara Balassone, Taylor Paxson, Sam Bahr, Jessica Schurr, Carly Daniels, Jillian Giamo, Elise Kaslander and Maggie Ruzich.

On Sunday, June 2, the Class of 2013 graduated at the 119th Kent Place School commencement. Among the 67 members of the Class of 2013 was Verona resident Madeline Pensiero.

Pensiero will be attending Washington University in St. Louis.

Dan Motley is the very proud father of John Motley, Verona High School Class of 2013. Dan took many, many photos last Friday at graduation, and we are pleased to share some of them with you. You can view and download others here.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School is proud to announce the names of those students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2012-2013.

These students have qualified for the high honors award by attaining all As during the fourth marking period:

Brooke Anquillare, Ashley Baumgard, Mikayla Bush, Andrew Castillo, Christian Dionisio, Kiera Egan, Carolyn Feeley, Eva Fiore, Ethan Forrest, Clara Frizzi

Julia Grise, Maximilian Handler, Maxine Haralambiev, Vincent Hogan, Julia Holland, Nicole Imbriano, Rebecca Katsios, Anna Konrad-Parisi, Tess Lucanie, Tristan Lugo, 

Steven Macawili, Chloe Mathewson, Alessandra Newman, Emily Osborne, Erin Petrino, Nickolos Pilauri, Jessica Sidrak, Michael Sluck, Eric Song, Ethan Triggiano, Emily Weisser, Rebecca Wenzel-Rideout, Jenika Ying

These fifth students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all As and Bs during the fourth marking period.

Elijah Baker, Madeline Bello, Xavier Beltran, Abigail Bermeo, Ava Biasco, Stephanie Boyle, Nikolai Bujnowski, Brianna Camp, Julia Capriglione, Sean Carney, Alexander Cheung, Joseph Ciccolini, Simone Conforti, Renata Curcio,

Jenna Da Rin, Colleen Dennis, Alyssa Deo, Jayson Despecci, Kiernan Dunphy, Monica Egnezzo, Andrew Emanuilidis, Sofia Fiorita, Owen Fogarty, Wyatt Fortgang, Austin Frank, Skyler Freedman,

Luke Gaccione, Will Gaccione, Amanda Galarowicz, Kylee Gallagher, Maggie Gorman, Chelsea Gruskin, Jacob Harding, Cassidy Herko, Patrick Hogan, Thomas Hudson, Antoinietta Johnson, Griffin Jordan, Nicolas Kozachuk,

Sloan Lawless, John Lermi, Margaret Lonsinger, Steven Luehs, Nina Machnowski, Kyle Malanga, Harry Mastrogiannis, Caitlin McKeown, Matthew McNally, Morgan Michelson, Aidan Murphy, Gillian O’Donnell, Leah Pandian, Belinda Pecci, Emily Pecora, Mia Pego, Zachary Peronilla, Caitlin Remler, Adam Renna, Jack Rysavy,

Jacqueline Serino, Rachel Seubert, Sara Sexton, Abigail Shorter, Jeremiah Strippoli, Catherine Swanstrom, Grace Trupia, Francesca Valle, Olivia Vogel, David Wallace, Kelly Waterman, Henry Wertz, Carolyn Wynd, Patrick Yeates, Samuel Zamloot, Alexander Zebrowski

The names of some students who qualified for the honor roll do not appear on this list because their parents have elected not to release personal information to the media.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, is proud to announce the names of those sixth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2012-2013.

These students have qualified for the high honors award by attaining all As during the fourth marking period:

Daniel Ambrosio, Emily Marie Andersen, Elizabeth Barile, Liliana Benanchietti, Isabelle Buneo, Julia Burke, Sarah Carlucci, Gracie Cleaver,

Kelly Esposito, Margaret Evans, Megan Forrest, Kayla Golebieski, Elizabeth Hensal, Jarrod Keating, Gillian Lamb,

Julia Mackey, Maeve McGinley, Ryan McKeown, Mercy Neal, Gabriel Quagliata, Colby Ruggiero, Rebecca Seubert, Marnie Shick, Jessica Spinelli, Nora Walsh

These sixth students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all As and Bs during the fourth marking period.

Matthew Aldiero, Kathleen Ashley, Angelo Benfante, Lauren Brown, Augustin Caprari, Brandon Cariani, Brooke Cooney, Emily Coppola, Hunter Coppola, Jessica Derderian, Julia DiGeronimo, Dean DiPaolo, Matthew Dollaway, Iman Elshazly, Irene Eremita, Victoria Eriksson, Brendan Erwin,

Anthony Farro, Aidan Fitzsimons, Maya Fortgang, Sophia Francullo, Eric Frey, Gabriele, Maria Gagliano, Gina Gangl, Brianna Nicholas Giuliano, Emile Goulard, Demitra Grillias, Patrick Haughney, Brian Hipp, Reilly Hughes,

Kyle Jacobsen, Harrison Keating, Ashley Kenneally, Erin Kiernan, Sophia Klim, Justin Kobernick, Julia Kosko, Chloe Lamb, Dallas Lamb, Christina Liggio, Molly Ligon,

Ally May Madigan, Michael Maglione, Madison Marano, Nicolette Marino, Melanie Matarazzo, Victoria McHugh, Matthew Monroe, Holly Montick, Jake Morisseau, David Motley, Allison Naeris, Abigail Nochimson, Vinay Parekh, Robert Parent, Dante Puerari,

Lourdes Ricks, Nicholas Riggio, Brianna Rigney, Christopher Robinson, Connor Seawright, Thomas Sharkey, Dhaval Sharma, William Sheehan, James Short, Alan Stoloff,

Lara Tole, Joseph Trapani, Hector Vega, Nicole Volpe, Brooke Wagner, Rui qi Wang, Jacob Weber, Adam Weiss, Colleen Whelan, Nicolette Wynn, Emma Yee, Matthew Zhang

The names of some students who qualified for the honor roll do not appear on this list because their parents have elected not to release personal information to the media.

Laning’s new principal, Julie DiGiacomo

The Verona Board of Education approved her hiring Monday night. Cresskill is a smaller district than Verona, but it falls within our state schools peer group and the Verona BOE frequently uses its statistics on academic achievement in comparisons with Verona.

DiGiacomo succeeds Frank Albano, who had been the principal of Laning since 2000. Her hiring also comes with departure of an even longer serving Laning educator, first grade teacher Marilyn Varallo. No replacement for Varallo has been chosen yet.

According to the Cresskill Board of Education’s Web site, DiGiacomo came to that district only last year. Before that, she had worked for the Tenafly Public School District from 2006 to 2011 in a variety of curriculum development rolls, and from 2009 to 2011, as a K-8 literacy coach swell.

She got her start in teaching in Livingston, where she taught elementary school from 1992 to 2009. According to her Cresskill biography, DiGiacomo has two masters degrees, one in reading and the other in administration.

“I am really excited about joining the Verona School District as an elementary principal,” says DiGiacomo, “and am eager to meet the Laning family.”

A giclee of “H-Hour-June 6, 1944”, by Ugo Giannini donated to Caldwell College’s Jennings library by his wife Maxine Giannini.

That line from a book of his World War II letters and remembrances, Drawing D-Day, neatly sums up the work of the late Ugo Giannini, a gifted artist, writer and former Caldwell College art professor. His widow, Maxine, recently donated reproductions of two of his drawings and a copy of the book to the college’s Jenning’s library. (Giannini’s son and grandson live in Verona; MyVeronaNJ wrote about a 2010 gallery show of his work).

“His writing is just beautiful and it reflected his teaching, which was very philosophical,” said Sister Gerardine Mueller, O.P., professional artist and professor emerita, who began the college art department. “He was like a father figure to the students.” Ugo taught at the college for over 25 years.

Maxine Giannini, a resident of West Orange, N.J., found a treasure trove of her late husband’s art in his studio after his death in 1993 at age 74. Ugo Giannini, a Newark native, was among the first American troops to land on Omaha Beach in the D-Day invasion of June 1944. Some of his battlefield sketches were done on the spot.

The giclees that were donated to Caldwell College are called “H-Hour-June 6, 1944” and “The Requiem St. Lo, Normandy, France-July 18, 1944.”

A giclee of “The Requiem St. Lo, Normandy, France-July 18, 1944,” by Ugo Giannini

“H-Hour” shows a red arrow representing the Allied invading force. The Xs indicate the obstacles placed by the Nazis to prevent boats from landing. The green dot represents the sector in which the 116th U.S. Regiment was to land. This was one of Giannini’s last works.

St. Lo, a vital communications center in France, had to be taken by the Allies. On July 18, 1944, a special group of motorized units from the 29th Division occupied St. Lo after fierce house-to-house fighting .The 29th Division had formed the cutting edge from the beaches of Normandy to St. Lo. In 1991, 47 years after the battle, Giannini created “The Requiem for St. Lo.” The yin and yang symbolize the 29th Division, and the crosses represent suffering and death. The gravestones scattered almost randomly across the picture’s plan unite to create a haunting composition.

Sister Gerardine Mueller, O.P, professor emeriti at Caldwell College, and Nancy J. Becker, Ed.D., executive director of the college’s Jennings Library, flank Maxine Giannini of West Orange, N.J., who donated two drawings by her husband and a book of his writings on his World War II experiences to the college.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, is proud to announce the names of those seventh grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2012-2013.

These students have qualified for the high honors award by attaining all As during the fourth marking period:

Margaret Ashley, Daniel Ben-Israel, Hannah Boyle, Jewel Chu, Matthew Dillane, George Du Laney, Christine Feeley, David Festa, Brian Feury, Grace Gault,

Lucas Hamson, Alexandra Holland, Lauren Kiwior, Caitlin Klose, Margarita Kousoulou, Emma Kubacki, Isabel Latorre, Robert Lynch, Matthew Nagy, Henry Noren,

Gwynneth O’Donnell, Kitty Pagano, Samuel Pensiero, Dean Ramsthaler, Jordan Shaffer, Andrew Siegelin, Jason Siegelin, Cole Smith, Dario Spina, Julianna Spina, Isabel Stocker, Olivia Symczak,

Julianna Tuorto, Colin Vega, Brendan Wallace, Isabella Williams, Michael Willner, Darian Yakhnis, Lauren Zanders, Annabelle Zebrowski,

These seventh grade students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all As and Bs during the fourth marking period.

Brenna Alfano, Max Batson, Daniel Burkhart, Julia Cambreleng, Samuel Chambers, Robert Coppola, Francesca Cortese, Cecilia Courter, Sean DeCandia, Carly Denora,

Marwa Elessawy, Adrianna Fierro, Olivia Fiore, Brendan Fleming, Frank Gabriele, John Gabriele, Sierra Gagnon, Lauren Gruskin, Evan Huaman, Tyler Jackson, Isabella Josephson,

Lucas Konrad-Parisi, Charles Lavery, Carli Lavoie, Shannon Lawless, Giulia Licitra, Daniel Lucinese, Jaclyn Marrese, Sara Marriott, Madisyn Matthews, Alexander McLaughlin, Ian Metzger, Justin Munjack,

Alexander Ng, Ashley Nigro, Clare O’Farrell, Karishma Parekh, Maguire Pecci, Julian Pena, Garrett Percevault, Michael Petillo, Zoie Petronzo, Rachel Posner, Celia Poueymirou, Brendan Powell, Steven Priscoe, Constantino Quagliata,

Amber Reed, Amy Renzulli, Julia Rigney, Anna Rosinski, Evan Saleh, Daniel Sandoval, Kevin Scanlon, Olivia Schechter, David Schuldiner, Anna Serra, Michael Shamouil, Artur Shum, Shane Siegel, Emily Sime, Kyle A Smith, Victoria Socci, Jenna Staranka, Hope Sweeney,

Elliot Urgent, Salvatore Vassallo, Mark Walsh, Carly Waterman, Rachael Weir, Cianna Winkler, Olivia Wynn, Joseph Zecchino, Alexander Ziolkowski, Ian Ziolkowski

The names of some students who qualified for the honor roll do not appear on this list because their parents have elected not to release personal information to the media.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, is proud to announce the names of those eighth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2012-2013.

These students have qualified for the high honors award by attaining all As during the fourth marking period:

Danielle Andolino, Carla Bello, Austin Camp, Kaitlyn Deo, Quinn Dunnigan, Katherine Fernandez, Giuliana Frizzi, Andrew Gagliostro, Jonathan Houthuysen,

Daniel Liggio, Maggie Maranz, Alana Murphy, Paige Nagy, Kelly Petrino, Taylor Reed,

Anna Shea, Sara Short, Nicholas Siclari, Connor Silvia, Danielle Smith, Eric Stoloff, Connor Sullivan, Anna Wallace, Lauren Weiner, Veronica Wertz,

These eighth grade students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all As and Bs during the fourth marking period:

Brendon Adrian, Christopher Aldiero, Stephanie Aloia, Ava Anderson, Jake Anquillare, Yasmin Awad, Stephen Bass, Samantha Beltram, David Biron, Sean Burke,

Kyle Carlee, Sierra Colon, Bridget Cumming, William Czupak, Richard Denton, Alexis Duhaney, Nicholas Fierro, Darilyn Fine, Daniel Frey,

Dominick Gamarro, Margaret Ganton, Matthew Gautieri, Reagan Gresham, Kathleen Guerin, Amber Harrington, Brooke Harrington, Caleigh Holton, Caitlyn Kenneally, Kevin Kistner, Wade Kistner, Tycjana Konopka, John Kosko,

Nicholas Lanese, Quinn Lawless, Daniel Ligon, Olivia Lucanie, Celine Matta, Carl Maulfair, Kelsey McKeen, Daniel Messineo, Austin Molan, Kelsey Oh, Cathleen Paluszek, Christopher Patti, Alexa Perzichilli,

Benjamin Robinson, Todd Roshong, Sean Ryan, Alena Seepaul, Christian Serino, Rachelle Smith, Douglas Spardel, Michael Stanisci, Holly Studwell, Camille Theobald, Bella Vassallo, Tyler Visentin, Sarah Wynd, Nicholas Zamloot,

The names of some students who qualified for the honor roll do not appear on this list because their parents have elected not to release personal information to the media.

Ben Jung

In recent years, Verona High School has been pushing more students to take Advanced Placement courses and the exams that go with those classes. Enrollment has skyrocketed and so has the number of students scoring a three or better on the tests. The classes are often touted as a way for VHS students to earn college credit in high school, but for many students and their parents, there are lingering doubts about the benefits of AP classes. The Jung family is not among the doubters.

Thanks to his performance in AP classes, Benjamin Jung, the co-salutatorian of the Class of 2013, will be skipping a full year of college. And not at just any school: This August, Jung will begin studies at McGill University, ranked 18th in the world among institutions of higher learning. After three years as an undergraduate, Jung will be on the fast track to his goal of attending medical school and his parents will have saved one full year of tuition.

So how did he do it? Jung started with honors classes in freshman year (overruling a recommendation from his teachers at H.B. Whitehorne that he begin “on-level”) and took his first AP class in his sophomore year. In all, he took AP U.S. History I, Computer Science, Biology, U.S. History 2, Language and Composition, Calculus AB, Physics C Mechanics, Chemistry, Literature and U.S. Government. “I wanted to take AP European History, but my schedule did not permit it,” Jung says. He got a five on all of the AP tests but three and when all the AP test results are tallied this month, Jung expects to have 26 credits under his belt. Jung joked, during his graduation address, that he was probably best known at VHS for studying or for being asleep on a stack of books “learning by osmosis.”

Jung bolstered his college application by attending a med school summer camp at Brown University and joining the Verona Rescue Squad. He started by getting so-called first responder certification at 16 and took the 200-hour emergency medical technician class during senior year. “It was a large commitment, especially on top of school,” he concedes.

Though located in French-speaking Quebec, McGill’s primary language is English.

In Montreal, where McGill is located, students typically do five years of high school and just three years of college. Jung’s AP credits earned him the equivalent of that fifth year, but even so, acceptance wasn’t a lock: Though 21% of McGill’s roughly 38,700 undergraduate and graduate students are from countries outside Canada, only a fraction of that are Americans. McGill officials say that 3,398 American students applied for the fall 2013 start, but only 1,620 were admitted and only 395 have confirmed their registration. (You can read McGill’s application guidelines for U.S. students here.)

To be sure, not every AP class will be accepted by every college. Students generally need a four or a five on the AP exam, and they might not get any credit for AP classes that are in their intended major. Yale University gives only one or two credits each for a limited number of AP exams; Harvard gives none. College policies are so diverse that The College Board, which administers the tests, has devoted a section of its Web site to an AP credit search. (You can read VHS’ guide to AP classes here.)

Jung is as surprised as anyone about the result of all his studying. “I liked the concept of AP courses, but I wasn’t sure what it meant,” he says. “I never imagined that I would be able to skip a year of college.”

Photo of Ben Jung by Tom Jung. Photo of McGill in winter by Jazmin Million via Flickr.

You can read about the post-VHS plans of more students here.

Libby Skinner, the director of special services for Verona’s public schools, has let us know that because some of the families that had been in the public preschool have moved, there are some openings for the fall.

Verona residents whose children turn three years of age or four years of age by September 30, are invited to apply for admission to the Verona Preschool Program. Limited space is available in both the three year old and four year old classes.

The Verona Preschool Program has been in existence for over 30 years. Located in the Laning Avenue School, 18 Lanning Road, the program is in operation five days a week and follows the Verona Public Schools calendar.  Three year old classes meet from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and four year old classes meet from 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  The preschool classes are taught by State certified teachers. The curriculum is aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards and the HighScope Preschool Curriculum.

Applications are available on the Verona Public Schools web site.  Completed applications should be returned to the Office of Special Services, Verona Public Schools, 121 Fairview Ave., Verona, NJ 07044, as soon as possible. For additional information please contact Skinner at 973-571-2029 ext. 7512 or  <a href=”mailto:lskinner@veronaschools.org”> by e-mail</a>.

Lawrence J. Bovich Jr., 21 years old, was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy on May 24, the same day he graduated from College of the Holy Cross as a political science major.

Ensign Bovich has been selected as a student naval aviator and will report to Pensacola, Florida this month to begin training. While a midshipman at the Holy Cross Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Unit, he trained aboard the USS Ross (DDG-71) as a boatswain apprentice, and then joined the aviation community with initial flight training from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 58 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Until Flight School, Bovich is serving temporary duty at Naval Base Newport as a sailing instructor. He will incur an eight-year service requirement after his winging in Pensacola.

Picture supplied by Holy Cross NROTC.

When I tell people I’m taking a gap year in Ecuador instead of going straight to college, there are two types of responses I receive. Some people bombard me with questions; others give me a blank stare, not sure what taking a gap year really means. People often ask, “Why don’t you want to go straight to college?” “What about basketball?” “Isn’t it dangerous?” I’m sure some people also think of the stereotype that a gap year is just an expensive trip for the ultra-wealthy. And then there’s my dad, who wonders how I’m going to survive in a country with bugs everywhere, since I scream when I see a minuscule ant.

While some of those are valid points, I would like to set the record straight for myself, and the many other students who plan to take gap years. While there are an infinite number of things you can do on a gap year, I will be traveling to Ecuador with a program called Global Citizen Year, where I will be living with a host family for about eight months. Through Global Citizen Year (GCY), I will be placed in an internship where I will work in the community and improve my global understanding and Spanish skills. The possibilities for an internship range from teaching kindergarteners to working on a potato farm.

Coming from an affluent suburb where the hardships range from no free Wifi to missing an episode of Mad Men, I am looking forward to opening my eyes to a new type of hardship.

If you are still not persuaded that this is a good idea, allow me to address the question, “Why wouldn’t you want to go straight to college?”

Anyone who knows me knows that I have been counting down the days to college freedom for a long time. However, by taking a gap year I hope to gain a better insight into myself and will be more focused during the next four expensive years in college. Plus, I don’t think Indiana University, which I plan to attend, is going anywhere in the next twelve months.

“What about basketball?”

Although basketball was my life for…all my life, I am ready to slowly detach myself from the commitment of the sport. Although I do hope to share some of my experience and enjoyment of athletics with my host family in Ecuador.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

When I think of dangerous things, Ecuador doesn’t pop up on my radar. Yes, I will be in a foreign country, with a foreign language, and foreigners, but that doesn’t scare me. In fact, it excites me. Bad things can surely happen in Ecuador, but they can also happen here, or anywhere. And they usually don’t.

As for the gap year stereotype, I understand where it comes from. According to Urban Dictionary, a gap year is one which “posh kids spend traveling the world using daddy’s money after leaving their expensive private schools.” And while there are some posh kids out there, there are also public school kids like me. Global Citizen Year is helping to change the gap year stereotype by offering financial aid to over 80 percent of their Fellows, me included. Over one-third receive full scholarships.

Global Citizen Year is a non-profit organization which aims to create a new generation of global awareness and leadership. Funding for its scholarships comes from the GCY participants themselves. GCY requires each participant to raise at least $2,500 toward the scholarship fund. The organization wants to “ensure that this experience remains accessible to the best applicants… no matter what their background.”

So if you were someone who thought like Urban Dictionary, or even if you didn’t, please support my fundraising efforts: Contributions can be made in my name through the website. For more information on my fundraiser, An Ecuadorian Fiesta, on July 27, please call 973-830-9211.

Help lessen the amount of blank stares by becoming a part of something bigger.

Garner eating a traditional South Korean dessert called Pabingsu

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship places a recipient in a classroom abroad to provide assistance to teachers of English to non-native English-speakers. The assistants help teach the English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for U.S. culture.

At Clemson, Garner was a member of the Calhoun Honors College and Japanese Language and Culture Club, and has toured Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Egypt. Following her Fulbright year, Garner plans to earn a master’s in international comparative education and pursue a career in education reform.

“In many ways winning a Fulbright Grant is akin to a national championship in sports,” said Stephen Wainscott, Clemson’s representative to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. “Clemson students are competing against the best and the brightest college students in the country, and the ratio of applications submitted to the number of grants awarded is often greater than 10-to-1.”

Fulbright applicants must have superior academic credentials, solid knowledge of the prospective host country, proficiency in the language of the host country and a commitment to furthering mutual understanding and goodwill. Since 2008, 10 Clemson students have received Fulbright grants for study, research or English-language teaching in eight different countries.

Laura Williams, who graduated with high honors, was an active member of the VHS music program. She also ran track.

You’ve probably read by now about students who go to a low-cost community college and then transfer to four-year school to finish their degree. According to a 2012 report by The College Board, enrollment at two-year schools jumped 45% between 1990 and 2010. Tuition and fees at the average two-year school total $3,131 per year, compared with $29,056 at the average private four-year school, or $39,518 once you add in room and board.

Williams, the Student Council president of the Class of 2013, is starting her college education at County College of Morris. But her two years there will cost nothing because Williams qualified for a little known state program called NJ STARS.

The program, which Williams and her parents uncovered on their own, is open to students who graduate in the top 15% of their high school class. NJ STARS students must take between 12 and 18 credits per semester, and they can be eligible for up to five semesters of studies. Students must attend the community college in their home county–unless that college does not offer classes in the student’s desired major. NJ STARS covers the tuition in full, but students must pay any fees on their own.

In going this route, Williams first had to overcome the stereotype that only students with bad grades or study habits go to community colleges. Randolph-based CCM has a broader range of courses than Essex County College (including the option to study abroad) and the highest graduation rate of New Jersey’s 19 community colleges. While she was accepted at both Rutgers and Hofstra, the appeal of graduating without a mountain of debt was just too strong.

“Think about yourself and the situation your family is in,” says Williams to VHS underclassmen. “Then find a way to have the financial freedom to do what you want after graduation.”

Williams’ plan affords her a lot of freedom: As she attends CCM, she can continue to be a tutor of English as a second language because her adviser there is involved in ESL. Living at home, she’ll be able to raise another puppy for the Seeing Eye. Williams may be able to continue that commitment if she transfers to Rutgers in two years because it is involved with the Seeing Eye as well.

NJ STARS used to be an even better deal than it now is. Before changes enacted this past fall, students who went on to a four-year college were eligible for a $7,000 annual NJ STARS II scholarship; now it is just $2,500 per year. But NJ STARS II is now available at both private and public New Jersey colleges and Seton Hall has said that it will match the $2,500 state scholarship. Williams has received $3,000 in other scholarships already and is working on qualifying for more.

“Don’t get pulled into school bias and free t-shirts”, she tells those now looking at colleges. “Make your own decision. You are investing in yourself.”

Track photo copyright Fred Goode. Used by permission.

The steps at HBW won’t need to be part of the referendum: They were fixed in June.

The Board of Education is considering applying for one of two different state aid programs that could cut the cost of its planned school rehab referendum to Verona taxpayers.

One of the programs is a so-called ROD grant. Administered by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA), it doles out construction aid to “regular operating districts”, i.e. school systems just like Verona. The ROD grant is an upfront award of 40% of the eligible cost of the project.

To get one, a district has to prove “critical” need, and only certain aspects of a construction project are covered: Replacing the antiquated boiler at Verona High School might qualify, as might the drainage issue that has led to problems underneath the track behind H.B. Whitehorne Middle School. Security and communication systems are also Level 1 priorities for ROD grants, and a security system is on Verona’s wish list. And the older the building, the better its chances for ROD funding: All of Verona’s school buildings except VHS have their origins in the Depression.

Now for the bad news: The ROD program explicitly rules out upgrades to athletic fields. The BOE said in May that it will cost at least $1.9 million to repair Sellitto Field, the upper field at VHS, which has developed holes. Some were the remnants of an orphanage that occupied the property a century ago, others are the result of degrading building rubble that was used to fill the field when it was expanded in the 1970s. Perhaps unfortunately for Verona, that rubble was found to not be toxic: Hazardous material abatement is covered by ROD grants.

But the BOE is also considering debt-service aid from the state. It would likely cover more of the project, but the payback is stretched over the life of the referendum bond. Another key issue: The ROD grant is awarded upfront, immediately reducing the amount of the referendum, while the debt-service aid would depend on the health of state finances every year. New Jersey has a long track record of not fully funding debt-service aid for schools.

If the BOE is going to go with a ROD grant, it is going to have to act fast. The application must be submitted to the state by noon on September 4. That could be dicey since Verona has not yet gotten an engineering estimate from EI Associates.

The Cedar Knolls firm is costing out four specific areas of work: the upper and lower fields at VHS, technology, security and buildings. You will hear, in the video below from the BOE’s July 30 meeting, BOE member Joseph Bellino talks about $12 million and $14 million, numbers that are higher than the $9.1 million price tag that the BOE has used before. BOE President John Quattrocchi noted after the meeting that the board has not yet determined the total for the engineering, and that Bellino used his figures purely as an example. The BOE has also not determined what the term of the referendum bond would be.

Superintendent Steven A. Forte has a meeting with EI Associates next week. The BOE anticipates having an outline of the referendum by August 10 and to decide which funding approach to take at its next meeting, which is Tuesday, August 27.

In other news, BOE member Glenn Elliott said that the Board had gotten a quote of $580,000 to overhaul the track behind H.B. Whitehorne Middle School. Elliott said the estimate, which came from Kinsey Associates, was “much higher than expected” and indicated that the BOE would be seeking other input. Flemington-based Kinsey is the firm that also did the planning and construction estimate for the two multi-purpose fields that Verona will be building on the Hilltop. The HBW track, which Verona built a little more than a decade ago with Montclair Kimberley Academy, needs a new drainage system and resurfacing.

Dr. Nicole Santora, the curriculum supervisor for math and science who was brought to Verona by former Superintendent Charles Sampson, has left Verona to join Sampson at the Freehold Regional High School District.

The Board of Education announced Santora’s resignation at its July 30 meeting. Her hiring in Freehold had been approved at that district’s July 22 meeting. She will be the administrative supervisor for curriculum and instruction and her salary in Freehold will be $105,500. Had she stayed in Verona, her salary for the 2013-2014 school year would have been $102,747.

Santora is the third of Sampson’s curriculum hires to leave Verona. Patrick Higgins, the former supervisor for the humanities, left for Caldwell in 2011 after just one year in Verona. Elizabeth C. Jewett, who served as director of instructional studies, left at the end of the school year to become the new superintendent of Watchung Regional Hills. Sampson left Verona in February 2011 to become Freehold’s superintendent.

The BOE has not yet announced a replacement for Santora. In June, the board approved the hiring of Charles Miller, the former principal of Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, as our new director of curriculum.

Santora’s departure is one of several approved by the BOE in recent months. There were six retirements, including Elaine DeVita and Joan Serpico, both special education teachers; Marilyn Varallo, a first grade teacher at Laning for nearly five decades; Laning Principal Frank Albano; Keving Jennings, a second grade teachers at Forest; and Elizabeth Mastrosimone, English teacher at H.B. Whitehorne. There have also been three other resignations tendered: Jessica DelVecchio, a social studies teacher at Verona High School; Claudia Milojevic, a special ed teacher at VHS; and Andrea Granneman, a 6th grade teacher at HBW. And Forest will be without Elizabeth Buzaid: The fourth grade teacher is taking a leave of absence for the 2013-2014 school year.

Today, Friday August 9, is the last day to donate school supplies to the Junior Woman’s Club’s effort to help needy families in Verona.

The Verona Juniors have set up “Packs With Purpose” collection boxes at the Community Center and at Walgreens in Verona. For a list of supplies or to make a tax-deductible monetary donation, please see the Junior’s Web site.

Charlie Miller, the new director of curriculum and instruction for Verona’s public schools, has released the results of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) given to Verona High School juniors this past March.

Verona has been focused on lowering its partially proficient scores on the HSPA and narrowing the gap between Verona and the districts that are in our same District Factor Group (DFG I) such as New Providence, Caldwell, Berkeley Heights, Cedar Grove, and Glen Ridge. DFG is a state grouping of schools according to socio-economic factors.

The results show that Verona’s partially proficient score in mathematics decreased to 8.4% for our district, a five-year low, and Verona eliminated the gap between VHS and our DFG I peer average. Additionally, Verona raised its Mathematics Advanced Proficient (%AP) score to its highest level of 39.6% over the past five years and have narrowed the gap between Verona and our DFG I peers to 8.9%. VHS’s Mathematics %AP score of 39.6% is a 12% increase since 2009.

Verona’s Language Arts Literacy partially proficient score of 1.9% is, for the second year in a row, below our DFG peer average. Over the past five years, Verona has lowered this score approximately 8% compared to the DFG I average of 3%. The Advanced Proficient (%AP) score of 38.7% is our highest result in five years and doubles our %AP result from 2009. Moreover, the LAL %AP continues to close the gap against the DFG %AP average. Verona High School has increased 29% while the DFG I only increased 20% from 2009 to 2013.

This past year’s yearbook at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, the 2013 Silhouette, has been recognized as one of the best in the country by its publisher, Walsworth Yearbooks. It was selected to be inducted into their Gallery of Excellence where it will be used by the company as an example of an exemplary yearbook to be shown off to other schools as well as at conferences, conventions and other events.

“Only a few yearbooks receive this award every year, and the staff and I are super excited that we did,” says Amy Heckel, one of the faculty advisers.

The yearbook’s co-editors-in-chief were Anna Shea (on the left above) and Rachelle Smith. The theme of the yearbook was “Not So Serious” and it included the funny side of life at the middle school.

And if families want to get a jump on the 2013-2014 yearbook, it can be ordered for $40 online only at yearbookforever.com through September 5. Prices increase to $55 online the first day of school.