The Verona High School chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society, held its induction ceremony on Monday, June 9. The inductees included 27 members of the VHS class of 2015:

Yaryna H. Borsuk

Niklas Bostrom

Mira Braneck

Madeline G. Burke

Caroline Chivily

Patrick R. Cummings

Paige Ferrell

Christopher Feury

Amanda Flores

Michaela Fogarty

Emilia Frizzi

Lia Golick

Morgan Janes

Taylor Lavery

What is this?

Ryan Lee

Cole Paige McConnachie

William Mulderry

Kiera Murphy

Jessica Nagy

Nicola Perzichilli

Michelle Mauriello Robson

Krojana Selimi

Danielle Silvia

Julia Tole

Ella Yarmo-Gray

Annamaria Vasmatzidis

Alysia Vega

Rui Dionisio has been picked to be the new superintendent of Verona’s public schools

Dionisio has lived in Verona since 2008 and is currently the principal of Cranford High School. He has a background in math and science education, which the BOE is working to expand. He was graduated from Montclair State University in 1999 with a bachelors of science in biology and chemistry, and got his masters in educational administration and supervision from MSU in 2006. Dionisio recently completed work on his Ed.D. in educational leadership at Seton Hall University.

The BOE will put a resolution about the new hire on the agenda on Tuesday, June 17, but Dionisio has a 60-day notice clause in his current contract with Cranford and so may not be able to start until later this summer. With current Superintendent Steve Forte leaving for his new job in Denville on July 1, Verona’s director of curriculum, Charlie Miller, will serve as interim superintendent.

What is this?

For more details on Dionisio, see our June 9 story.

Charles Miller, Verona’s director of curriculum.

The PARCC, a test developed through the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, will be given in Verona next March. In looking at what would be needed to prepare students for that testing, which will be given at VHS and all other schools, the district determined that time needed to review for and administer the midterms at VHS amounted to 10 teaching days. And that, says Charlie Miller, Verona’s director of curriculum, didn’t square well with Verona’s goal of maximizing instructional time.

“Every time you add a test, it takes away teaching time,” he says.

So the Verona Board of Education voted at its June 10 meeting to end midterms at VHS. Here’s what’s going to happen instead. There will be more weight given to marking period grades at VHS and the high school is going to make changes to unit tests that will result in fewer, but more in-depth questions designed to show that students not only can recall what they’ve learned but apply it. “We want to strengthen unit tests to make them more meaningful,” Miller says.

What is this?

That approach seems to square with the testing philosophy of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which has set national standards for math and literacy and is driving implementation of the so-called PARCC test. That test will be taken on computers, not paper, by students as young as kindergarten. It is set to start in the 2014-2015 school year, although there are bills now before the New Jersey state legislature to slow or block the new test. As of now, there are no changes being made to other tests at either H.B. Whitehorne Middle School or Verona’s four elementary schools because of the PARCC, which replaces the NJ ASK in those schools.

Verona is not the only district to reevaluate testing. Bernards Township ended midterms two years ago, while Wayne just decided to away with both midterm and final exams, as did the high school in Danbury. Conn.

The Board of Education term of Steve Spardel (left) expires this November.

Last November, the BOE picked former member Steve Spardel to fill the unexpired term of Dawn DuBois, who had left the Board in September. But there was only one year left on that term, and it is coming to an end this fall. It is not yet known whether Spardel, who had previously served 7 1/2 years on BOE, will run for re-election. A full term on the BOE is three years.

To be a candidate, you must get a candidate’s kit from the New Jersey School Boards Association, which you can download here. The NJSBA site has details on the rights and responsibilities of a school board member, and on campaign regulations.

What is this?

Your nominating petition must be filed with the Essex County Clerk no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, July 28. The County Clerk is located in the Hall of Records at 465 Martin Luther King Boulevard, room 246, in Newark. The election is November 4.

By September 1, 2016, Verona’s public schools will have doors that can do background checks, energy-efficient LED lighting, new sidewalks and paving, and a revitalized outdoor space for sports and activities. Before then, we’ve got a lot of work to do.

Just how much work was outlined Tuesday night, at the final Verona Board of Education meeting for Superintendent Steve Forte, who spearheaded the referendum that will fund all this work. (Forte becomes the superintendent in Denville on July 1.) Paul McDevitt, the schools’ facilities director, said that work was well underway on all seven aspects of the referendum. And he dispelled one of the rumors about the project that has been circulated by its opponents: That 100 trees would be cut down between the upper and lower fields at Verona High School as part of the remediation of those fields.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which had to weigh in on the work because of the contaminated infill on the upper field, has determined that Verona does not have to build a full retaining wall along its eastern side. Had Verona had to do so, many of the trees between the two fields would have had to be cut down. Ironically, most of the trees now in the woods are Norway maples, a tree that has been branded as an invasive nuisance by the NJDEP.

Facilities director Paul McDevitt

McDevitt said that construction documents for the field work would be ready this August and that the work would go out to bid in January, with the project to be completed by August 2015. The new lower field will have aluminum bleachers along the east side with seating for 1,200, somewhat more than the bleachers that have been rented for the past two football seasons. The semi-circle of cement bleachers behind home plate would be refurbished and a line of picnic tables added up top, though not as many as had been scoped out in the concept plan because more trees are now being retained. (BOE member Joe Bellino asked at the June 10 meeting for trees to be added along Sampson Drive, Grove Avenue and Franklin Avenue, which is also not shown on the concept plan.)

There will be eight light poles installed around the field, which will make it possible to hold night football games but not night baseball because that sport needs additional lighting. The field turf would be permanently marked for football, baseball and lacrosse, but other striping can be added as needed. Forte said after the June 10 meeting that the field will also have portable bleachers that could add up to 400 seats on the visitors side of the football field, and that the plan does not now call for a field house or permanent bathrooms on the lower field. A paved path would lead from the fields to the back of VHS, where bathrooms are available.

Perhaps the most futuristic aspect of the referendum work will be the security systems coming to all schools. When completed, visitors will scan their driver’s license through a reader, which will send information to several databases for a background check. If that is satisfactory, the visitor will be admitted to a secured vestibule, where staff will gather more information about the purpose of the visit before letting the person fully into the building. The electronics needed for the security systems will begin to be installed this summer, but because vestibules and admitting areas need to be built at every school except Laning, the security systems may not be fully operational until the start of the 2015-2016 school year. The security upgrades will also include cameras and motion sensors, which will control hallway lighting as well. McDevitt said that school staff have seen demonstrations of some of the equipment already, which he thought had allayed apprehension about it.

What is this?

In other projects, general building repairs to ceilings, paving and masonry could begin in August, and McDevitt said the upgrades to the kitchens at VHS and H.B. Whitehorne would go out to bid in January. The architects for the 1,500 square foot expansion of the music room are refining their design and construction should begin in spring 2015.

Equipment for most of the tech upgrades, which include WiFi in all buildings and a new phone system at VHS, has been ordered and should be completed by the end of 2014. Cindy Costanza, the district’s technology manager, said she expects that only the installation of the backup generator will extend into next year.

The new mechanical systems to be installed at VHS to replace the school’s 58-year-old boiler have the longest timeline. The referendum will replace all equipment put in before 2007 with energy-efficient heating and lighting, and all lights across the district will be converted to LED, which could cut Verona’s energy bill by up to 70%. McDevitt said that all pipes now in VHS will be tested: If they are in good condition, they could be retained and create some savings. If they need to be replaced, the work will stay on budget but be more intrusive. That could mean that 2015 summer programs at VHS would have to be moved to a different location. All mechanical work will be complete by Sept. 1, 2016.

McDevitt’s full presentation should be available later today on the Referendum Information page of the school Web site.

Thirty juniors and five seniors were inducted into the National Honor Society in a ceremony at Verona High School on Wednesday, June 4.

Students are chosen for the National Honor Society based character, scholarship, leadership and service. The inductees from the classes of 2014 and 2015 are below, followed by the name of the teacher or coach who sponsored their induction. The information on senior inductees also includes the college they have chosen to attend.

Juniors

Julia Ashley: Gene Leporati, track & field coach

Yaryna Borsuk: Robert Maher, history

Niklas Bostrom: Jon-Eric Burgess, science

Mira Braneck: Marie Meyer, language arts

Jacquelyn Brozyna: Richard Wertz, math/comp sci

Madeline Burke: Janan Wehbeh, science

Caroline Chivily: Janan Wehbeh, science

Patrick Cummings: Richard Wertz, math/comp sci

Paige Ferrell: Thomas White, language arts

Christopher Feury: Christopher Tamburro, history

Amanda Flores: Ja-Pai “Betty” Hou, world language

Michaela Fogarty: Pamela Burke, business & technology

Emilia Frizzi: Ja-Pai “Betty” Hou, world language

Lia Golick: Helene McKelvey-McLaughlin, graphic design

Rachel Gumbrecht: Eugenie Mordkovich, world language

Morgan Janes: Richard Wertz, math/comp sci

Taylor Lavery: Thomas White, language arts

Cole McConnachie: Frances Young, language arts

What is this?

Kiera N. Murphy: Marie Meyer, language arts

Jessica Nagy: Janan Wehbeh, science

Nicola Perzichilli: Alyssa Calabrese, phys ed/health

Michele Mauriello Robson: Jessica Calvo, world language

Elizabeth Rysavy: Juliana Conlon, senior NHS member

Krojana Selimi: Christopher Tamburro, history

Danielle Silvia: Eugenie Mordkovich, world language

Julia Tole: Thomas White, language arts

Annamaria Vasmatzidis: Christopher Tamburro, history

Alysia Vega: Christopher Tamburro, history

Joseph Volpe: Danielle Mutovic, mathematics

Ella Yarmo-Gray: Marie Meyer, language arts

Seniors

Matthew Rubins: Thomas White, language arts; University of Connecticut

Pinar Oguz: Jon-Eric Burgess, science; Arcadia University

Jordan Seubert: Jon-Eric Burgess, science; Arcadia University

Daniel Smillie: Robert Maher, history; Johns Hopkins University

Steven Wynen: Robert Maher, history; George Washington University

The 152 members of the Verona High School class of 2014 gathered together one last time last night, for the 114th VHS commencement, held at Caldwell College. Natalie Wertz earned the distinction of class valedictorian, while Dan Li was salutatorian.

The class of 2014 has been a particularly high achieving class, with almost half of its members receiving honors or high honors. Fifteen students graduated with honors, while 55 achieved VHS’ top distinction, high honors. They have been accepted into more than 240 different colleges across the United States, from Adelphi University to York College of Pennsylvania, and their  college decisionsincluded almost all of America’s highest-ranked colleges and universities. Many of the graduates this year chose to display their next education destination on their cars outside and the mortarboards on the tops of their heads.

It was also the last VHS gathering for two key presences at the high school: Molly Emiliani–”Mrs. E” to everyone at VHS–retired from the attendance office, while RoseAnn Prendergast–”Mrs. P” retired from the biology department. Their simultaneous retirement was perhaps fate, since Mrs. P did her student teaching at VHS when Mrs. E was a student there more than 40 years ago. There had been tributes to both on the Web site of the Verona High School newspaper The Fairviewer: Mrs. Prendergast Says Goodbye and Mrs. Emiliani Signs Out.

What is this?

Laning Avenue School fourth graders donated “The Magic of Reading” painted by artist and illustrator Medha Atre-Kulkarni of East Brunswick as their Fourth Grade Legacy Gift. After a brief presentation created by the fourth graders, the students had a chance to meet and ask questions of Atre-Kulkarni. Her 5′ by 9′ painting was permanently installed in the Laning Media Center for all to enjoy.

Photo copyright Eileen Petrino. Used by permission.

H.B. Whitehorne’s Tommy Monroe, a fifth grader in Coreen Onnembo’s Communication class, earned second place in the Essex County Education Association’s Pride in Education essay writing contest.

Monroe’s essay was about a person that inspired him most in his education. He chose Karen Castaldo, his third-grade teacher from Forest Avenue Elementary School.

The awards ceremony was held at the Livingston Mall on Wednesday evening, May 21, where Monroe read his essay to the 100 parents and friends that attended. He was awarded with a $75 gift card from the ECEA committee.

What is this?

His parents and brother, as well as Ms. Onnembo and Mrs. Castaldo (pictured above flanking their student) were proud to have the opportunity to join him at the event.

The following colleges and universities have sent announcements about Verona students:

Clarkson University: Michael Patrick King, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester at Clarkson University. Dean’s List students must achieve a minimum 3.25 grade-point average and also carry at least 14 credit hours.

Clemson University: Mette Marie Kolind, whose major is Communication Studies, has been named to the Dean’s List at Clemson University for the spring 2014 semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student achieved a grade-point average between 3.50 and 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.

Greensboro College: Melanie Alayne Smith has been named to Greensboro College’s Dean’s List for the Spring 2014 semester. To qualify, a student must have a 3.5 grade-point average or better while having taken at least half of his/her course credit hours at Greensboro College’s main campus.

Hofstra University: William Schenkel of Verona, a senior majoring in Global Studies, has excelled during the Spring 2014 semester, earning a spot on the Dean’s List. 

What is this?

James Madison University: Joseph Vincent Calandra has been named to the dean’s list at James Madison University for the spring 2014 semester. Students who earn dean’s list honors must carry at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a GPA of between 3.5 and 3.899. Calandra is a freshman whose major is Finance – BBA.

Messiah College: Michael Hardenberg, a junior majoring in music, and Julia Temple, a senior majoring in education dual certification (preK-4 and special education), were named to the dean’s list for the 2014 spring semester at Messiah College. Dean’s list is earned by receiving a 3.6 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Jenna O’Connell, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering, was named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the Spring 2014 semester. A total of 1,380 undergraduate students achieved the criteria required for WPI’s Spring 2014 Dean’s List. The criteria for the WPI Dean’s List differ from that of most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average (GPA). Instead, WPI defines the Dean’s List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, Principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School is proud to announce the names of the fifth grade students who earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of the 2013-2014 school year. These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades:

Diana Aleynikov, Peter Alfano, Britney Allteni, Maya Altman, Iviana Anderson, Dylan Bakst, Matthew Barnett, Ben Batson, Antonio Belotta, Killian Blitz, Grace Boutcher, Gabriel Breitenbach, Matthew Brown,

Peter Caputo, Christian Castner, Byron Chu, Elyse Chu, Sarah Cole, Hannah Davey, Jessica DeVito, Aidan Dyer, Angel Fauerbach, Faith Fauerbach, Dylan Ferrara, Isabella Freda, RioMarie Gagnon, Olivia Gasin, Mete Gumusayak,

Ryan Hajtovik, Peter Hoogterp, Claire Jackson, Sophia Josephson, Maggie Kenny, Geena Klinger, Woody Klose, Colvin Kramer, Michael Lipesky, Jessica Loudon, Gabriel Lugo,

Giancarlo Maladorno, Cole Martin, Michael Matarazzo, Abigail McAneney, Malya McHugh, Andrew Meyer, Jeffrey Monacelli, Thomas Monroe, Caitlin Moore, Megan Moran, Dylan Munjack,

What is this?

Benjamin Niesmertelny, Kelly Nulty, William O’Donnell, Kayla Oh, Sarah Perez, Andrew Priscoe, Thomas Radigan, Jack Raff, Frank Riggio, Alexander Rodner, Natalie Romanyshyn, Madison Ruggiero,

Eugene Sarbaev, Buster Shick, Matthew Siegel, Evan Silvia, Jordan Stafford, Nicole Thompson, Lia Tortoriello, Arthea Valderrama, Olivia Vasalani, Graham Weber, Catherine Welsh, Daniel 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.

Ms. Yvette McNeal, Principal of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School is proud to announce the names of those fifth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2013-2014. These students have qualified for the high honors award by receiving an A grade in every school subject.

Ronald Arias, Anna Barile, Jaelyn Barkley, Ethan Beninghof, Kristen Brown, Zachary Bucher, Julia Caprari, Nia Chesney, Aaron Clarion, Cailan Compierchio, Matthew Day, Jacqueline DeVivo,

Lia Gardner, Katherine Hensal, Paige Hensal, Katherine Hipp, Andrew Hunt, Isabella Hussar, Kara Johansen, Jack Lambert, Luke Lambert, Robert Leland, Kyle McCaffrey, Grace McKeown, Melanie Naeris, Madison Nigro,

Bridget O’Donnell, Nikhil Parekh, Emma Ramsthaler, Emma Rice, Kathryn Romanyshyn, Grace Russo, Renee Schuldiner, Taylor Spinelli, Trevor Spinelli, Karina Squilanti, Savannah Szamborski,

What is this?

William Toomsoo, Veronica Valera, Sophia Villani, Mary Wallace, Drew Weisser, Talia Williams, Griffin Willner, Emily Wynne, Alison Zanders, Quinn Zebrowski

The names of some students who qualified for the High 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 2013-2014.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grade during the first marking period for the 2013-2014 school year:

Brooke Anquillare, Elijah Baker, Ashley Baumgard, Madeline Bello, Xavier Beltran, Erika Boone, Stephanie Boyle,

Nikolai Bujnowski, Arianna Canal, Andrew Castillo, Joseph Ciccolini, Simone Conforti, Gemma Conlon, Renata Curcio,

Alyssa Deo, Richard DiGeronimo, Kiernan Dunphy, Kiera Egan, Monica Egnezzo, Andrew Emanuilidis, Alexa Friedman, Alena Gabbe, Luke Gaccione, Will Gaccione, Kylee Gallagher, Caroline Gault, Maggie Gorman, Julia Grise, Chelsea Gruskin,

Emily Hack, Maxine Haralambiev, Olivia Hasel, Vincent Hogan, Nicole Imbriano, Derek Jocelyn, Antoinietta Johnson, Griffin Jordan, Nicolas Kozachuk, Christopher Lakin, Shane Lawless, Sloan Lawless, John Lermi, Margaret Lonsinger, Tess Lucanie, Steven Luehs, Tristan Lugo,

What is this?

Steven Macawili, Nina Machnowski, Harry Mastrogiannis, Caitlin McKeown, Matthew McNally, Morgan Michelson, Jasmine Mickens, Elizabeth Molloy, Gabriella Montagna, Thomas Mulligan, Aidan Murphy,

Kathleen Nagy, Nicholas Napoli, David Navarro, Gillian O’Donnell, Liam Patel, Belinda Pecci, Zachary Peronilla, Alyssa Raimondi, Caitlin Remler, Jack Rysavy,

Jacqueline Serino, Rachel Seubert, Sara Sexton, Jhil Sharma, Abigail Shorter, Rebecca Siclari, Michael Sluck, Robert Sposato, Jeremiah Strippoli, Catherine Swanstrom, Arianna Tietjen, Andrew Tracy, Ethan Triggiano, Olivia Vogel, Jordan Warner, Kelly Waterman, Emily Weisser, Henry Wertz, Patrick Yeates

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 2013-2014.

These students have qualified for the high honors award by receiving an A grade in every school subject:

Abigail Bermeo, Brianna Camp, Alexander Cheung, Jenna Da Rin, Colleen Dennis, Christian Dionisio, Carolyn Feeley, Eva Fiore, Ethan Forrest, Clara Frizzi, Amanda Galarowicz,

Maximilian Handler, Patrick Hogan, Julia Holland, Rebecca Katsios, Anna Konrad-Parisi, Chloe Mathewson, Alessandra Newman, Emily Osborne,

What is this?

Leah Pandian, Erin Petrino, Jessica Sidrak, Eric Song, Rebecca Wenzel-Rideout, Jenika Ying, Alexander Zebrowski

The names of some students who qualified for the High 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 seventh grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2013-2014.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades during the first marking period for the 2013-2014 school year:

Matthew Aldiero, Emily Marie Andersen, Kathleen Ashley, Zachary Balogh, Angelo Benfante, Lauren Brown, Brandon Cariani, Brooke Cooney, Hunter Coppola,

Lily Dastis, Jessica Derderian, Julia DiGeronimo, Dean DiPaolo, Ariana Dyer, Margaret Evans, Maya Fortgang, Sophia Francullo, Eric Frey, Maria Gabriele, Gina Gagliano, Nicholas Giuliano,

Brian Hipp, Reilly Hughes, Kyle Jacobsen, Harrison Keating, Ashley Kenneally, Erin Kiernan, Justin Kobernick, Julia Kosko, Chloe Lamb, Dallas Lamb, Francis Lavery, Molly Ligon,

Julia Mackey, Ally May Madigan, Michael Maglione, Nicolette Marino, Melanie Matarazzo, Victoria McHugh, Ryan McKeown, Matthew Monroe, Holly Montick, Jake Morisseau,

What is this?

Cecilia Pandiscia, Robert Parent, Gabriel Quagliata, Caitlin Richinelli, Lourdes Ricks, Nicholas Riggio, Christopher Robinson,

Nardin Salib, Eliana Salierno, Connor Seawright, Rebecca Seubert, Thomas Sharkey, William Sheehan, James Short, Alan Stoloff, Charles Torikian, Joseph Trapani, Hector Vega, Nicole Volpe

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 seventh grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2013-2014. These students have qualified for the high honors award by receiving an A grade in every school subject.

Daniel Ambrosio, Elizabeth Barile, Liliana Benanchietti, Isabelle Buneo, Julia Burke, Sarah Carlucci, Maria Celentano, Gracie Cleaver, Matthew Dollaway, Anthony Farro, Megan Forrest, 

Kayla Golebieski, Elizabeth Hensal, Jarrod Keating, Gillian Lamb, Christina Liggio, Maeve McGinley, David Motley, Allison Naeris, Mercy Neal, Abigail Nochimson,

Colby Ruggiero, Dhaval Sharma, Marnie Shick, Jessica Spinelli, Lara Tole, Nora Walsh, Colleen Whelan,

What is this?

Emma Yee, Elyssia Yung

The names of some students who qualified for the High 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 2013-2014.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades during the first marking period for the 2013-2014 school year:

Margaret Ashley, Hannah Boyle, Daniel Burkhart, Samuel Chambers, Francesca Cortese, Cecilia Courter, Tyler Czupak,

Michael Daggett, Sean DeCandia, Carly Denora, Matthew DiDia, Marwa Elessawy,

Christine Feeley, David Festa, Adrianna Fierro, Olivia Fiore, Gavin Freeman, Cameron Fuentez, Frank Gabriele, Sierra Gagnon, Dylan Gallagher, Grace Gault, Lauren Gruskin, Alexandra Holland, Evan Huaman,

Tyler Jackson, Michael Johnson, Isabella Josephson, Caitlin Klose, Celina Koellhofer, Lucas Konrad-Parisi, Margarita Kousoulou, Isabel Latorre, Charles Lavery, Carli Lavoie, Daniel Lucinese,

Jaclyn Marrese, Sara Marriott, Madisyn Matthews, Andrew McPhail, Ian Metzger, Justin Munjack, Ashley Nigro, Gwynneth O’Donnell, Clare O’Farrell,

What is this?

Kitty Pagano, Karishma Parekh, Maguire Pecci, Julian Pena, Samuel Pensiero, Garrett Percevault, Rachel Posner, Celia Poueymirou, Amber Reed, Dylan Ruggiero,

Christopher Sabo, Daniel Sandoval, Kevin Scanlon, David Schuldiner, Cole Smith, Victoria Socci, Dario Spina, Julianna Spina, Kate Stanisci, Jenna Staranka, Julianna Tuorto, Salvatore Vassallo, Alexa Vivona, Mark Walsh, Rachael Weir, Isabella Williams, Michael Willner, 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 2013-2014. These students have qualified for the high honors award by receiving an A grade in every school subject:

Julia Cambreleng, Matthew Dillane, George Du Laney, Brian Feury, Lucas Hamson, Adam Kazanfer, Lauren Kiwior, Emma Kubacki, Matthew Nagy, Henry Noren, Dean Ramsthaler, Amy Renzulli, Anna Rosinski,

Evan Saleh, Jordan Shaffer, Andrew Siegelin, Jason Siegelin, Kyle A Smith, Isabel Stocker, Olivia Symczak, Elliot Urgent, Colin Vega, Brendan Wallace, Lauren Zanders, Annabelle Zebrowski,

What is this?

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

Verona resident Dr. John Jacobs has been named the 2014 recipient of the Montclair Kimberley Academy Founders’ Cup for Teaching Excellence.

This is the 22nd year that the award has been presented by the school’s Alumni Association and it is based on recommendations received from parents, alumni, students and colleagues. Jacobs, who has taught at MKA for four years, is also the 11th grade dean and middle school soccer coach.

In naming Jacobs, outgoing Alumni Council President Rich Stanton ’87 said, “This recipient embodies the very best qualities of MKA’s teaching excellence. He is a teacher who always pushes students to do the best work possible and gives students an example to look up to. His unparalleled enthusiasm for, and expertise in, his subject is infectious and he consistently goes above and beyond – in getting to know his students, in giving extra help when needed and in showing care, concern and kindness to all.”

What is this?

This was the second accolade for Jacobs this year, as the 2014 Yearbook was also dedicated to him.

You might not want to book your vacation for next year’s spring break just yet: This week’s Board of Education raised the prospect that it could be different from the dates now on the calendar.

The BOE held a brief, unscheduled meeting on Tuesday, largely to deal with new contracts for the 2014-2015 school year. But Joe Bellino, who heads the BOE’s Referendum Committee, said that the project’s architects have raised the possibility that the asbestos abatement at Verona High School planned for spring break will take longer than expected and that next year’s school calendar may be “adjusted”. The current calendar for the 2014-2015 school year calls for spring break to run from Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24, 2015.

Almost all buildings built before 1970 have some form of asbestos in them, mostly as wrapping for heating pipes or in floor tiles. VHS, which opened in 1956, has both. The school’s heating system is being replaced under the referendum and all existing heating pipe coverings removed, which means that we’ve got to have a plan for dealing with the asbestos in them. No students or staff will be allowed in VHS while the work is being done and newer parts of the building without any asbestos may be sealed off with plastic curtains. Asbestos abatement work is monitored by the state and in-door air quality will be tested by environmental professionals before anyone is allowed back into the building.

Bellino said today that it would be more cost effective to get all of the abatement done at one time, which is why the architects are trying to determine whether the five work days over spring break will be enough. He said the BOE could elect to move spring break up to coincide with Good Friday and Easter, which is the first weekend of April. Bellino indicated that a decision should be made after the next project review meeting on July 21.

What is this?

You can watch the short meeting below: