At Walgreens in Verona during one of last year’s collections.

Last Fall, due to the overwhelming generosity of the community and their partnership with Abdallah Khetir, Walgreens-Verona store manager, the Verona Juniors were able to fill 28 backpacks. The Juniors worked with Verona’s Health & Social Services Program Coordinator, Connie Pifher, to ensure that the backpacks were distributed to those who need them the most.

The Juniors and Walgreens-Verona hope to match last year’s success and look to the community for support. To help, residents can donate an item or two from the “Wish List,” which can be found at www.veronajuniors.org, or by making a donation online. All donations are tax-deductible. At this point, the Juniors have collected enough crayons, pencils and glue sticks, but are still in need of other supplies, especially backpacks.

What is this?

There is a collection box set up at the Verona Community Center and there will be a school supply drive at Walgreens on July 18, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., if you’d like to purchase items then. The Juniors are also willing to pick up supplies from your house. Please email info@veronajuniors.org for pick-up instructions or if you have any questions.

Gov. Chris Christie backed off slightly yesterday on New Jersey’s plan to implement the PARCC, a new high-stakes standardized test that could take up a full month of Verona school time in the 2014-2015 year.

The governor created a state task force to study the effectiveness of the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) tests and the Common Core standards that led to these tests. Christie will appoint all nine members of the task force. The governor also lowered the weight of the PARCC tests in teacher evaluations to 10% for 2015 from 30%. The weighting will rise to 20% in 2016.

According to NJSpotlight.com, the two steps could end efforts by state legislators to delay the PARCC by two years. Many Verona educators and parents had been hoping for that delay because of the PARCC’s drain on resources here. School calendars have blocked out up to one full month for administering the tests, which must be taken on computers. Verona does not currently have enough computers in any of its schools to give the test to all students at one time. The Verona Board of Education was also so concerned about the time that would be needed to review for the test that it voted in June to no longer have mid-term exams at Verona High School.

Christie’s PARCC commission is charged with looking at all tests administered to K-12 students. According to the executive order, “the Study Commission shall consider and make recommendations on the volume, frequency, and impact of student assessments occurring throughout New Jersey school districts, and on the Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Common Core State Standards.” The wording potentially gives the commission to look at other types of tests, such as midterms and finals. The commission must give the governor an initial report

What is this?

containing its recommendations to the Governor no later than by December 31 and a final report by July 31, 2015.

Lisa Freschi, who has served on Verona’s public school SCAs at the elementary, middle and high school levels, has filed to run in this November’s election for the Board of Education.

There is one seat on the five-member board up for election this fall. Last November, the BOE picked former member Steve Spardel to fill a one-year unexpired term, created when Dawn DuBois stepped down from the Board. Spardel, who had previously served more than seven years on the BOE, is not seeking reelection. Joanna Breitenbach, who was active in getting the March referendum passed, is also running. It is not yet known if there are other candidates: The deadline to file is this afternoon, Monday, July 28, at 4 p.m.

For the last four years, Freschi has been the Board liaison for the Verona High School SCA. With her third child entering college this fall, Freschi decided that she could make a larger commitment to Board service. “I have seen the whole process from the elementary school through the high school,” she says. “I have volunteered on committees at every level, and it is a good time for me to give back.” Freschi has served on the BOE’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee and its Strategic Plan Action Team, as well as on its Substance Abuse Policy Ad Hoc Committee. She was also on the Executive Board of the School Community Association and the Forest Avenue SCA, and is a past president of the H.B. Whitehorne SCA and secretary of the VHS SCA..

“Overall, I think Verona has a solid school district,” Freschi says. “The kids get a well-rounded education. But we have to educate kids to be in the 21st century. The world has been leveled by the Internet: Kids have to be prepared to compete in a much bigger arena than they have in the past.”

What is this?

Freschi notes that, despite her community service, she has never run for public office. Since December 2011, she has been the owner of a franchise unit of Above The Standard Procurement Group, which helps businesses source the materials they need and advises on their supply chains. A 1987 graduate of Montclair State University, Freschi has been involved with the Essex chapter of Toastmasters International and the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners.

The election is Tuesday, November 4. MyVeronaNJ.com will profile all the candidates.

David Bovich, fourth from right, with his parents.

David C. Bovich, a senior at St. Peter’s Prep who resides in Verona, was among four recipients of the Junior League of Montclair-Newark, Inc.’s Community Service Award. The winners each received a $500 scholarship and a certificate. Collectively, they volunteered more than 1,200 hours.

As an Eagle Scout, Bovich raised $2,700 to purchase the necessary materials to construct a food pantry in his high school. He led a team of 13 volunteers in painting the pantry and constructing and installing a new hung ceiling, room lighting, electrical outlets, a sink, a dehumidifier, shelving, a freezer, and sorting tables. He now volunteers in the student run food pantry, and solicits, collects, delivers, sorts, and stocks the food drive donations. For the past three years, David has also volunteered with Interfaith Hospitality Network in Montclair and has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity helping to build and repair homes in the inner city. Other activities include volunteering at Christine’s Soup Kitchen and having fundraised for and participated in the Annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run.

The other recipients were:

Julia Tolmachyov, senior, Glen Ridge High School

Julie is involved with SCEEP, a tutoring and mentoring program for 2nd grade students from Newark. She has also volunteered with the Girls Club of Glen Ridge since 2010, and currently serves on the Executive Board as the Treasurer. Julia has volunteered during the summer months with Succeed 2Gether Volunteer Program, where she tutored underprivileged students in subjects such as math, science and writing skills, and organized games and activities for the students. Other volunteer activities include Human Needs Food Pantry and Glen Ridge High School Peer Tutor program.

What is this?

Gabrielle Nicole Guidry, senior, Montclair High School

Gabrielle is a Girl Scout Ambassador is currently working towards completing the Gold Award, which is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. She earned the Girl Scout Bronze award in 2007, and the Girl Scout Silver award in 2011. During the summer of 2012 Gabrielle served as a People to People Student Ambassador. She traveled to India to represent the United States of America and while there, she earned 50 hours of community service by tutoring children and other activities. She also volunteers with the Montclair Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board and with Apostle’s House. For the last 3 summers, Gabrielle has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.

Kendall Smith, senior, at Glen Ridge High School

Kendall is involved with SCEEP and volunteers weekly tutoring 5th grade students. She has also participated with the North Jersey affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Kendall was instrumental in organizing a town-wide coin drive, creating and selling 400 handmade pink & white rubber band bracelets, soliciting financial donations, acquiring donations of hundreds of prizes for the children’s games, and creating activities, setting up, staffing, and helping to run the entire event. During her Junior year, Kendall volunteered with MESH, Montclair Emergency Services for the Homeless, and currently, as a Senior, she serves as a liaison. Kendall also volunteers with the Girls Club of Glen Ridge and currently serves on the Executive Board as the President.

As a culminating activity to their reading of Jacqueline Davies’ The Lemonade War, Lindsay Benshoof’s summer school class opened their own lemonade stand. Pictured above are Verona residents Ryan Tsang and Nicky Chiccolini with their first customers, Val Lachina and her three-year-old son Domenick. Nicky and Ryan’s Lemonade Stand raised $820 that was donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

Five Verona residents have filed to run for the lone seat in this November’s Board of Education election.

Joanna Breitenbach, Judith DiNapoli, Dominic Ferry, Lisa Freschi, and Michael Perry all submitted filings with the Essex County Clerk’s office by 4 p.m. yesterday.

There is one seat on the five-member board up for election this fall. Last November, the BOE picked former member Steve Spardel to fill a one-year unexpired term, created when Dawn DuBois stepped down from the Board. Spardel, who had previously served more than seven years on the BOE, is not seeking reelection.

Breitenbach, who has two children in Verona public schools, has served on the SCAs at Laning and H.B. Whitehorne and was a vocal proponent of the March 11 referendum. She has also been active in the Junior Woman’s Club of Verona, serving as co-president for 2011-2012, when she was recognized by the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs for her service.

DiNapoli spent 35 years as an educator and administrator in the Verona public school system, and serves on the Verona Rescue Squad. She ran unsuccessfully for the BOE last year. In January, the Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division ruled against DiNapoli in a suit she filed against the district in 2011 after her position as assistant business administrator was eliminated.

Ferry is a 12-year resident of Verona with two children Verona public schools. He applied to the BOE last year to fill DuBois’ unexpired term, but was not selected. He said at that time that, as a public works employee in Nutley, he had gotten more than $2.7 million in grants for that town. He wanted to maintain choices for students interested in the trades, arts, and athletics.

What is this?

Freschi has served on SCAs at the elementary, middle and high school level and on several BOE committees. She is the owner of a Verona-based business that helps businesses source the materials they need and advises on their supply chains.

Perry, a resident of Ann Street, is a graduate of William Paterson University who has been employed at HBO for more than a decade. He is the father of three children, including a son in fifth grade, a daughter in fourth, and another daughter entering kindergarten in 2015. He has been a T-ball coach in the past and served on F.N. Brown’s Fourth Grade Farewell committee

MyVeronaNJ.com will be profiling all of the candidates at length over the coming weeks. The election is Tuesday, November 4.

If you’ve been out for a jog or a basketball game behind H.B. Whitehorne this week, you may have seen some excavating equipment by the parking lot.

The digging was to install a new drainage system behind the middle school, which should help control the runoff that had caused the track to deteriorate in the past. Paul McDevitt, the school district’s director of facilities, tells us that now that the drainage work is done, the Board of Education will have a bid opening next week for the next phase of the work, which is to resurface the track. “I am hopeful that the winning bidder can start quickly to have the project completed by early September,” McDevitt said by email.

The cost of the resurfacing will be split between the Verona Board of Education and Montclair Kimberley Academy only, even though the track is also used by Verona Recreation Department programs and the community at large. The town had indicated support of the project in the past, but after the referendum passed town officials appeared to be backing off that support. In April, BOE President John Quattrocchi expressed frustration at misinformation about the referendum work that he said had been disseminated by Verona Township Engineer Jim Helb.

The track, which was built in 2001 in partnership with MKA, was closed in December 2012 because part of its surface had separated from the underlying material. The BOE was able to make enough repairs to it the following spring so that it could be used again, but those fixes were only temporary.

What is this?

The track work is part of a series of repairs not covered by the referendum that are being done by McDevitt and his staff this summer. Lockers are being replaced and repainted at Verona High School, damaged stairs at HBW are being fixed, and kindergarten and first grade classroom bathrooms are being remodeled, among other projects.

On Saturday, August 23 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Verona’s own Marching Maroon and White will run their annual car wash in the Verona High School driveway.

Verona’s award-winning marching band starts their annual band camp rehearsal schedule on Saturday by raising funds for the band at their annual car wash. Donations will get the public a hand-done car wash by the enthusiastic band members themselves. The suggested donation is $5, but all donations are welcome.

Coffee and bagels will also be available for sale in the morning and The Town Scoope ice cream truck will be on site from noon to 2 p.m.

What is this?

The Verona High School Marching Maroon and White is under the direction of Erik Lynch.

The Eric Mortenson Scholarship Fund Committee proudly announces that the Fall Golf Tournament will again be played at Montclair Golf Club and will be the primary fundraiser for the annual Eric Mortenson Memorial Scholarship that is presented each year at Verona High School. In 2014, $6,300 was awarded to high school seniors.

We are able to offer Verona residents and people who work full time in Verona or graduated from Verona High School a fabulous day of golf at Montclair Golf Club on Tuesday, October 14, and the opportunity to bring up to three guests without the residency requirement. There are limited spots available for this tournament at a fee of $150 per golfer, which includes golf, cart, dinner, beverages and gratuities. Tee and other sponsorships are available starting at $100.

The golf tournament will begin with a shotgun start at noon. Prizes will be awarded at dinner at the Verona Community Center Ballroom immediately following play. There will be good food, prizes, and more!

What is this?

Information and applications may be obtained at the Verona Recreation Department office, 880 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona or by calling 973-715-8700.

The public schools of the Township of Verona will open for the 2014-2015 school year on Thursday, September 4.

School hours are as follows:

Verona High School (Grades 9-12): 7:55 a.m. to 2:33 p.m.

H. B. Whitehorne Middle Schools (Grades 5-8): 8:30 a.m. to 2:52 p.m.

Elementary Schools:

• Kindergarten: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Special Education Elementary Classes: 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
• Grades 1-4: 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 a.m.
• Lunch hour: 11:45 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Pre-School (a.m. groups): 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

What is this?

• Pre-School (p.m. group): 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Pre-K All Day Class: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

School offices will be open to register students for the new term from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. August 28, 29, September 2, and 3, 2014 in each school.

Pupils entering school for the first time must present an official birth certificate and a doctor’s certificate showing required immunizations. Pupils transferring from another school district should present report cards and immunizations records.

Notification of closing Verona schools due to inclement weather or other conditions:

When it becomes necessary to close the Verona Schools because of inclement weather or other emergency conditions, parents will receive a call from our School Messenger System, our website will be updated at www.veronaschools.org, an announcement will be made on the television Good Day New York/Channel 5, and News 12 New Jersey. In addition, arrangements have been made locally to sound the fire horn when schools are closed. There will be three blasts of the fire horn at 7:00 a.m. followed by an additional three blasts at 7:05 a.m. In the event that a delayed opening is necessary, each parent will receive instructions as to time schedules following the commencement of school.

Supervision of the Elementary School lunch program will be provided on the first day of school, Thursday, September 4.

Since Michael Perry moved to Verona eight years ago, he’s spent a lot of time on the sidelines. On the sidelines of his children’s activities, where he generally serves as the unofficial photographer for all the families involved. And on the sidelines of Verona’s public school system, which he says was the chief reason why he and his wife decided to move to town. But after attending a meeting on the schools’ improvement referendum passed earlier this year, Perry decided that it was time to move from the sidelines onto the playing field.

In July, he was one of five candidates who filed to run for the Board of Education this fall, joining Joanna Breitenbach, Judith DiNapoli, Dominic Ferry, and Lisa Freschi. There is one BOE seat up for election, the seat that had been held by Steve Spardel, who had been chosen to fill a one-year unexpired term created when Dawn DuBois stepped down from the Board. Spardel is not seeking reelection.

“The things I learned [at the referendum meeting] were shocking,” Perry says. “That there were several doors in the district that you could kick in, for example. That the heating system at the high school was from the 1950s. That’s no way for a student to learn or a teacher to teach. I was just completely baffled,” he adds. “People must have known about them for years. What else was the money spent on?”

Perry also has concerns about whether Verona’s students are ready for the new standardized test that is coming to the district this year, the PARCC. “It’s taken on a computer, but they haven’t taught them how to type on a computer,” Perry says. “My son comes home with clip art from his computer class. How much clip art do you need?” Perry is the father of three children, including a son in fifth grade, a daughter in fourth, and another daughter entering kindergarten in 2015.

Perry, a resident of Ann Street, has worked at HBO for more than a decade, creating promotional videos for shows like Boardwalk Empire. A graduate of William Paterson University, he credits his career in media to a class he took in high school that taught him the basics of television production. “We had a studio where we had three cameras and everybody in class had a different job. I took the class, loved it and ever since then I wanted to work in television.”

Perry says that one of his goals in running for the Board of Ed is to make sure that today’s students at Verona High School are exposed to a wide variety of careers. “If the kids don’t even know about these other fields,” he says, “they might be missing out on things that could be of interest to them. It’s all about exposing the kids to things,” he notes. “Maybe they’ll find something they love.”

What is this?

Perry is returning to the sidelines to get the word out about his campaign, talking to parents and coaches at his older daughter’s softball games, for example.

“I have a vested interest in the education in Verona for a while”, says the young parent. “Education is why my wife and I moved to Verona. My own family moved around a lot and I attended four different schools. So I said wherever I am when my kids are in school the first day is where I’m staying until high school.”

MyVeronaNJ.com will be profiling all of the BOE candidates over the coming weeks. The election is Tuesday, November 4.

Lamp-post banners: Montclair uses them to sing the praises of local shopping and colleges use them to cheer on their sports teams. Now Verona High School has them to remind its students and the community what the high school is all about.

A series of banners, which now line Sampson Drive from Grove Street to Fairview Avenue, were given to the school by the VHS SCA’s needs assessment committee. The idea was to incorporate the core values from the Verona Public Schools’ 2013-2018 Strategic Plan–collaboration, diligence, initiative, integrity, respect and responsibility–into a project. The committee tossed around several ideas before hitting on the idea of banners, which they felt would have the biggest impact in relation to the limited money the committee had–roughly $4,500.

Vivian DiStaso, the outgoing SCA president, was instrumental in getting the design ready, and the committee, which consisted of DiStaso, SCA members Don Flood, Lisa Freschi and Daphne Smith as well as VHS teacher Dr. Stacy Smith and VHS Principal Glenn Cesa, worked with Paul McDevitt, the school district’s director of facilities, to complete the project for opening day. Verona’s Department of Public Works installed the banners.

What is this?

Banners weren’t the only thing the needs committee accomplished this summer. It also had an audio system installed in the auditorium and put a new refrigerator in the faculty room.

There’s a new, long no parking zone on the Laning sign side of the street.

The Council resolution has made the entire frontage of the school on Lanning Road into a no parking zone. The curb was painted yellow today from the end of the backyard of the house at 70 Elmwood Road all the way down to the driveway of the house at the opposite corner, 33 Otsego. (The southern side of Lanning Road was not affected by the changes. No, we have no idea how the school become Laning Avenue when the street is called Lanning Road.)

What this means is that there will be one or two legal spaces by the Elmwood house and another one or two by the Otsego house. Everything else on the north side is off limits. Police Chief Doug Huber stressed at last night’s Council meeting that drivers won’t be ticketed for stopping briefly to drop off or pick up children. But you’d best forget about pulling in at 2:15 p.m. and waiting for school to end. Or parking right in front of school for Laning’s Back to School night on Wednesday, September 10, or for any of the after-school or weekend activities in Laning’s gym. “If they are parked there for that long, that would be a problem,” Huber said.

What is this?

The other additions to no-parking zones are the bends on Balston Drive, Whitney Terrace and Windemere Road, as well as the section of Bloomfield Avenue east bound that is just before the entrance to the 7-Eleven.

In just one weekend, come learn everything you need to know to outsmart the SAT from the only prep company whose curriculum developers have earned multiple perfect scores (2400) on the test.

With Catalyst’s SAT Bootcamp, you’ll arm yourself with a strategy for every type of question guaranteed to be on the exam, learn how to avoid the most common traps, and discover how to compose a perfect-score essay — no matter what question is asked! The Bootcamp is a momentum-building weekend seminar that gives students not only the insights and confidence they need the day of the test, but also Catalyst’s self-study materials for sustained practice right up to the SAT itself.

The Bootcamp will be held at Verona High School on Saturday, September 27th & Sunday, September 28th. Class runs from 9am-1pm, students attend both days. The cost of the program is $175 which includes all course material. Sign up online at www.catalystprep.com or by calling 1-800-235-0056. The deadline to enroll is Wednesday, September 24th. Don’t delay, class size is limited! A portion of the proceeds benefits the Verona High School SCA!

What is this?

If you jog on the track behind H.B. Whitehorne, you’re going to have to find another place to run for a while.

The track is going to be closed to the public as of Wednesday, September 10 (tomorrow) for about seven days while its new surface is being applied. The HBW infield will also be closed to all school and recreational use, but the outdoor basketball court will be open.

The track, which was built in 2001 in partnership with Montclair Kimberley Academy, was closed from December 2012 until the spring of 2013 because part of its surface had separated from the underlying material. The Board of Education made temporary repairs to last while it negotiated with MKA and Verona’s municipal government on funding the resurfacing. (The town was approached because many recreation programs use the school facilities and many residents get their exercise there.) The BOE installed a new drainage system near the track earlier this summer, which should help control the runoff that may have caused the track to deteriorate.

What is this?

The BOE and MKA will split the cost of the resurfacing. While the town had initially indicated it would support the work, it backed off that support after the referendum passed.

Brendan Semeraro, a student at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, has organized a fundraiser for the Max Cure Foundation, which is working to find cures for pediatric cancers and fund the development of less toxic cancer treatments for children. But instead of asking you to give money, Semeraro is asking for your sneakers.

As part of Max Cure’s “Dunk Your Kicks” program, Semeraro is asking people to leave gently used sneakers and running shoes in a bin at the middle school. “Dunk Your Kicks” collects them and sells them in developing countries to raise money.

According to Max Cure’s Web site, you can donate pairs of any kind of sneaker or tennis shoe including running, training, basketball, high tops, canvas sneakers or any athletic shoe except shoes with cleats. Please do not donate sneakers with holes or tears and make the rubber soles are intact. The biggest demand is for adult shoe sizes (5-11), but all sizes are accepted. Leave the sneakers laced up and tie the pair’s laces together or put rubber bands around the shoes.

What is this?

Semeraro started the collection last Friday, September 12 and the bin will be by the bike rack until Friday, September 26.

NJSpotlight.com, a Web site that reports on politics, education and healthcare issues in New Jersey, is holding a free Webinar on the Common Core tomorrow night, Thursday, September 18.

It will explain what the state standards are and how they are affecting New Jersey’s schools. The language arts and math standards will get their first big test during this school year with the implementation of the so-called PARCC standardized test.

The Webinar will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. and you can register for it here.

What is this?

“Choose a goal for which you are willing to exchange a piece of your life.”
–Author Unknown

A new school year is our new beginning – an opportunity to build upon our previous accomplishments as we press forward toward continued growth. As educators, the time is now. Our teachers have been hard at work developing unit plans, writing curricula, setting up their classrooms, and welcoming new students to a new school year; our custodial and maintenance staff have visibly transformed our schools; and our administration and administrative assistants have provided the support and guidance needed for a smooth opening of a new school year. Now we must see our plans through and keep up the levels of energy and commitment with which we started the year in order to achieve our goals.

It is an honor to serve our community as Superintendent of Schools. I look forward to working alongside an outstanding group of educators and dedicated, caring parents. As a resident of Verona, I continue to be impressed each day by our close-knit community and commitment to our students. I have had an opportunity in my first several weeks to work closely with many of our teachers, administrators, and parents and I look forward to sustaining the camaraderie and teamwork as we move forward together. This is a year to work tirelessly to support all of our students.

What I love most about September is the opportunity to establish our “New Year’s Resolutions.” The beginning of each school year offers each of us a fresh start with an opportunity for a renewed commitment to our professional practice. I believe that we will continue to flourish as we devote our energy to individual goals and we collectively strive to support our district Strategic Plan.

I have been welcomed to Verona during a very exciting time. Our schools are alive and well. Our district is an actively vibrant, student-centered educational community focused on empowering our students to achieve their unique individual potential. We continue to encourage our students and look forward to building upon the success of our schools to make them even better than they are today.

The people of Verona have made me feel right at home and I am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to working with all of you as our “new year’s resolutions” come to fruition and, in that process, strengthen our community.

This year’s seniors were on hand for the AP Scholars ceremony, but they were only one part of the 65 students honored.

Since 2011, when the Verona Board of Education made it a goal to have more VHS students take advanced placement classes, enrollment has skyrocketed. In his presentation last week, Charlie Miller, Verona’s director of curriculum, noted that just 145 AP exams were given in the 2008-2009 school year. In the most recent year, 402 tests were administered. And that expansion has occurred without any dilution of Verona’s results on the tests. The average AP score was 2.82 in 2009, but 3.05 in 2013-2014. What’s more, the percentage of tests on which students score 3 or better has jumped from 58.6% to 69.4%. VHS now offers AP classes in English literature & composition, U.S. history, government & politics, statistics, English language & composition, calculus AB, calculus BC, European history, biology, chemistry, physics C, Spanish, Chinese, physics B, French, music theory, physics C:EM, psychology and computer science.

The latter subject has shown the most dramatic growth of any of the AP programs. Only four AP comp sci tests were given in 2009. By last year, the number of tests had ballooned to 48, making VHS first in participation in AP comp sci in the entire state, even ahead of the many tech magnet schools that have popped up in recent years.

Verona’s educators have pushed AP classes for three key reasons: Top colleges value a more demanding course schedule over higher grades in less demanding classes; students taking more AP classes are accepted to more top colleges; and that, with the average cost of “very competitive” and “highly competitive” colleges equal, more Verona students could strive for acceptances at the latter. Many colleges will give college credit for top scores on AP tests, which could cut the cost of college for some families. A student in the class of 2013 received credit for an entire year’s worth of credits when he was accepted at Canada’s McGill University, putting him on a fast track to med school.

But here’s the big payoff: There were just 12 AP scholars recognized at VHS in 2008-2009. For 2013-2014, there were 65, including six students recognized as National AP Scholars for having scored 4 or higher on eight or more exams. That was triple the number of National AP Scholars for the previous school year.

The following students were recognized as AP scholars for the 2013-2014 school year:

AP Scholars
Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams
Caitlin Barnes*, Maximos Bogdady*, Madelyn Boyle*, Mira Braneck, Luke Catania*, Sarah Conboy*, Patrick Cummings, Ciarra Davison*, Brett Drozdowski, Lara Eremita*, Felicia Eriksson, Olivia Feiger, Paige Ferrell, Ryan Gault*, Lia Golick, Shelley Herman*, Kyle Kazanfer, Spencer Koenig*, Jillian Lanese*, Diana Moczula*, Pinar Oguz*, Jasmine Okafor*, Nikhita Pandian, Noelle Park*, Nicola Perzichilli, Matt Rubins*, Eliza Sniatkowski*, Alysia Vega, Austin Williams*

AP Scholar with Honor
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams
Jacquelyn Brozyna, Madeline Burke, Nicholas Cariani*, Nicholas Celfo*, Maura Cuddihy*, Amanda Flores, William Giuliano*, Katherine Kast*, Kelsey Mitchell*, Kendall Oneill*, Christina Oster*, Colin Pope*, Elizabeth Rysavy, Krojana Selimi, Jane Szybist*, Annamaria Vasmatzidis

AP Scholar with Distinction
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams
Parthenia Bogdady*, Niklas Bostrom, Matthew Carroll*, Caroline Chivily, Phoebe Chu*, Juliana Conlon*, Soufieh Hakimzadeh*, Kelly Hogan*, Morgan Janes, Daniel Li*, Jessica Nagy, Chelsi Napoli*, Daniel Smillie*, Alexandra Smith*, Jillian Sprong*, Christopher Sweeney*, Natalie Wertz*, Marybeth Wynen*,
Steven Wynen*, Ella Yarmo-Gray

National AP Scholar
Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams
Matthew Carroll*, Phoebe Chu*, Daniel Li*, Daniel Smillie*, Christopher Sweeney*, Natalie Wertz*

* denotes a 2014 graduate of Verona High School

Georgia Brown of the Rotary Club of Montclair presents the third grade class of Our Lady of the Lake School with the 21st edition of A Student’s Dictionary. The Rotary club has presented over 10,000 dictionaries across the country. The class was so delighted to receive this gift of knowledge.