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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

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

Brooke Anquillare, Abigail Bermeo, Brianna Camp, Alexander Cheung, Colleen Dennis, Christian Dionisio, Kiera Egan, Monica Egnezzo, Andrew Emanuilidis, Eva Fiore, Ethan Forrest, Clara Frizzi,

Amanda Galarowicz, Maximilian Handler, Maxine Haralambiev, Vincent Hogan, Julia Holland, Rebecca Katsios, Anna Konrad-Parisi, Christopher Lakin, Sloan Lawless, Steven Luehs,

Harry Mastrogiannis, Chloe Mathewson, Alessandra Newman, Gillian O’Donnell, Emily Osborne, Erin Petrino, Rachel Seubert, Rebecca Siclari, Jessica Sidrak, Eric Song, Rebecca Wenzel-Rideout, Jenika Ying

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.

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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades during the first marking period for the 2014-2015 school year.

Nicholas Algieri, Elijah Baker, Ashley Baumgard, Madeline Bello, Xavier Beltran, Erika Boone, Nikolai Bujnowski, Aidan Callari, Arianna Canal, Sean Carney, Andrew Castillo, Alejandro Celi, Simone Conforti, Renata Curcio,

Jenna Da Rin, Alyssa Deo, Jayson Despecci, Margot Deutsch, Richard DiGeronimo, Jack Duggan, Kiernan Dunphy, Carolyn Feeley, Austin Frank, Alexa Friedman,

Alena Gabbe, Will Gaccione, Kylee Gallagher, Caroline Gault, Antonio Giannini, Maggie Gorman, Julia Grise, Chelsea Gruskin, Emily Hack, Patrick Hogan, Nicole Imbriano, Antoinietta Johnson, Griffin Jordan,

Nicolas Kozachuk, Maegan Kuhlmann, John Lermi, Tristan Lugo, Steven Macawili, Nina Machnowski, Matthew McNally, Morgan Michelson, Jasmine Mickens, Gabriella Montagna, Aidan Murphy, Kathleen Nagy, Nicholas Napoli, David Navarro,

Leah Pandian, Jimin Park, Liam Patel, Mia Pego, Nickolos Pilauri, Caitlin Remler, Adam Renna, Jack Rysavy, Jacqueline Serino, Sara Sexton, Jhil Sharma, Abigail Shorter, Isaac Skrivanic, Michael Sluck, Robert Sposato, Jeremiah Strippoli, Catherine Swanstrom,

Andrew Tracy, Ethan Triggiano, Francesca Valle, Olivia Vogel, Jordan Warner, Kelly Waterman, Emily Weisser, Henry Wertz, Carolyn Wynd, Patrick Yeates, 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.

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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

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

Jaelyn Barkley, Gabriel Breitenbach, Julia Caprari, Gianna Ehrhardt, RioMarie Gagnon, Paige Hensal, Andrew Hunt, Kara Johansen, Luke Lambert,

Melanie Naeris, Thomas Radigan, Emma Ramsthaler, Emma Rice, Veronica Valera, Sophia Villani, Mary Wallace, 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.

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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades during the first marking period for the 2014-2015 school year.

Peter Alfano, Britney Allteni, Maya Altman, Iviana Anderson, Ronald Arias, Anna Barile, Matthew Barnett, Antonio Belotta, Ethan Beninghof, Kristen Brown, Zachary Bucher

Christian Castner, Kayla Catalano-Ott, Leonardo Celi, Nia Chesney, Byron Chu, Elyse Chu, Aaron Clarion, Sarah Cole, Cailan Compierchio, Pierce Coppola,

Matthew Day, Jacqueline DeVivo, Emma DiClemente, Derek Diskant, Aidan Dyer, Angel Fauerbach, Dylan Ferrara, Evan Fersh, Isabella Freda, Olivia Garcia, Lia Gardner, Olivia Gasin, Sofia Guide, Mete Gumusayak,

Ryan Hajtovik, Katherine Hensal, Katherine Hipp, Audrey Hoffman, Peter Hoogterp, Claire Jackson, Sophia Josephson, Maggie Kenny, Geena Klinger, Woody Klose, Jack Lambert, Robert Leland, John Lonsinger, Jessica Loudon, Gabriel Lugo,

Breianna Magardino, Declan Maisano, Giancarlo Maladorno, Laila Martes, Michael Matarazzo, Kyle McCaffrey, Grace McKeown, Andrew Meyer, Jeffrey Monacelli, Thomas Monroe, Megan Moran, Dylan Munjack,

Benjamin Niesmertelny, Miles Nippes, Kelly Nulty, Bridget O’Donnell, Nikhil Parekh, Andrew Priscoe, Alexander Rodner, Kathryn Romanyshyn, Lucas Ross, Madison Ruggiero, Grace Russo,

Mariam Sabet, Eugene Sarbaev, Renee Schuldiner, Maria Serra, Buster Shick, Matthew Siegel, Evan Silvia, Taylor Spinelli, Trevor Spinelli, Karina Squilanti, Jordan Stafford, Savannah Szamborski,

Steven Tafuri, Nicole Thompson, William Toomsoo, Lia Tortoriello, Arthea Valderrama, Graham Weber, Drew Weisser, Catherine Welsh, Talia Williams, Griffin Willner, 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.

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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

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

Evan Bannon, Sara Bochicchio, Emily Bosco, Alek Breitenbach, Alyssa Casalino, John Cleaver, Anthony Collucci, Julian Colon, Andrew Della Fera, Sabrina Farro, Julianne French,

Maya Golebieski, Sascha Gutierrez, Katherine Hunt, Giselle Jandoli, Ava Keating, Lauren Kobernick, Nicholas LaBruno, Kayla Martino, Ella Mathewson, Kaitlyn McCaffrey, James McHugh,

Christopher Petrino, Sofia Saj, Sebastian So, Zachary Van Wagner, Allyson Volpe, Annalie Ying, Giovanni Zerbini,

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.

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 first marking period of this school year 2014-2015.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all A and B grades during the first marking period for the 2014-2015 school year.

Milo Attal, Dermot Badman, Zachary Benanchietti, Aidan Bermeo, Joshua Boyle, Michael Caggiano, Abigail Cleary, Cassandra Conklin, Dylan Conway, Tyler Coppola,

Jessica Day, Emma Derderian, Christian Despecci, Luca DiNatale, Scott Duffy, Ashley Duhaney, Stefano Farro, Liliana Freire Pires, Megan Gallagher, William Giarrusso,

Nicolas Handler, James Haveron, Alana Holton, Arian Jasaraj, Meghan Kenneally, Collin Knight, Amelia Koellhofer, Dominick Latino, Dennis Liu, Jacquelyn Loudon,

Ben Mackey, Addison Marriott, Kamdyn Matthews, John McHugh, Ryan McMahon, Sean Mulligan, Gianna Napoli, Eleanor Newman, Joseph Park, Peter Popowich,

Ethan Randall, Lindsey Rawding, Faith Reed, Tanner Reed, Carly Renna, Connor Robinson, Thomas Sabo, Shalena Seepaul, Paul Shaw, Emma Sheehan, David Sidrak, Emily Strlekar,

Sydney Theilmeier, Emma Triggiano, Emily Vallone, Daniel Vecchio, Naizha Wegesa, Emma Zalewski, Paige Zickerman, Tyler Zimany, Christopher Zysk,

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 Avenue School parents are coming together to help one of the crossing guards who works by the school.

The crossing guard, who works at the intersection of Lanning and Elmwood roads, has had a health reversal recently. The parents are organizing a schedule to bring the crossing guard meals, dog care and other things.

If you can cook, the crossing guard is on a restricted diet, which means no fatty or salty foods. The parents are looking for soups, like lentil or chicken noodle, simple salads with red vinegar dressing, and any type of chicken or tuna fish for the main course. The guard can’t have beef, and pasta must be either whole grain or whole wheat pasta.

If you would like to help, please contact Laning parent Nick Frank in his office at 973-707-2469 or by email. Give him an idea of what you would be able to do and when.

In June 2014, H.B. Whitehorne Middle School hosted a Science Fair for the first time in Verona schools’ history. The event was a success and had strong enough participation to be tried again. The next fair will take place on February 26, 2015, and sign-ups are now in process.

The 2014 fair had a total of 18 projects involving 24 students in fifth through eighth grade. Students participating in the fair were required to follow the standards of scientific method by including a hypothesis, the experiment and the conclusions. For judging, students in fifth and sixth grade were in one group and seventh and eighth grades in the second. All projects were judged by Yvette McNeal and Howard Freund, respectively the principal and vice principal of HBW.

Students were judged on how well they followed the procedure of conducting an experiment, their collected data, their research and how closely their conclusions related to their hypotheses. The projects which  stood out the most to the judges were those where the conclusions had implications for other areas of study. The 7th/8th grade winner was Caitlin Klose. In the 5th/6th grade group, Daniel Valentine was the winner with Abigail Bermeo and Emily Weisser in a tie for second place.

But the Science Fair wasn’t just about science. For the students it was about “having an outlet to have fun with science,” said Carolyn Pietrucha, who is a seventh grade science teacher and led the fair. McNeal, who spent about 10 minutes with each project, said it “opened communication and presented an opportunity to speak incredibly in depth with the students about their work.” Considered a success by teachers and students, the science teachers and students are looking forward to this year’s event.

Forest Ave School in Verona was the lucky national winner of Shoparoo’s November sweepstakes. The school was awarded a $1,000 check by the mobile app company.

Pictured: (back row, l-r) Forest SCA President Beth Shust, Principal Jeff Monacelli, Forest SCA VP of Volunteers Lisa Loudon (middle, l-r) Luke Fenton, Ian Zalewski, James Fenton, Julia Loudon, Isabelle Heimerle, Kylie Conklin, Josie Shust, Caitlyn Heimerle (front, l-r) John Loudon and Josh Loudon.

December 18, 2014
To All Verona Families,

Thank you so much for your continued support of the annual Hawkins School Toy Drive at Verona High School. With the help of the other Verona schools, we were able to provide nearly 500 students from grades Pre-K to 4th grade with a toy for this holiday season! In fact there were plenty of extra toys so that the administration over at Hawkins School will be distributing these presents to other underserved schools in the surrounding Newark area. We will also be donating extra toys to the Verona Community Center to help those in need within our own community.

We, as advisors, are amazed every year by the energy that our student body brings to the toy drive within VHS and at Hawkins School. Our senior student leaders did a tremendous job of organizing and sorting the toys leading up to the toy drive at VHS, and then dressing up as Santa Claus and his helpers at Hawkins School.
The impact that a gift brings to these children is invaluable. For many, these presents represent the only gift they will receive for the holiday season. Seeing the joy and excitement on the children’s faces is a humbling experience for the students as well as the staff. Although the task to supply these toys on an annual basis is an enormous one, having help from a community as supportive as Verona makes the undertaking much easier.

With great gratitude, we write to you, the community, to thank you again for your generosity during this season of giving.

Sincerely,
Linda Barone, Jonathan Thai, and Patrick Bresnan
Coordinators of the Hawkins School Toy Drive

Frank Ferrari has committed to Colgate, where he plans on majoring in economics and finance.

Bill Ferrari revealed in late fall that he will be trading the maroon and white colors of Verona for the black and blue of Johns Hopkins University. Late last week, Frank Ferrari committed to Colgate University, whose colors are maroon, white–and gray.

Bill Ferrari says he had started getting letters of interest in the spring, well before he and his Hillbilly teammates delivered an undefeated state championship season. During the summer, he went to several football camps, where he kept running into the Hopkins coaches. When they invited him down to Baltimore to watch the Blue Jays in action, he noticed the quarterback spent some time on the sidelines studying. “He’s pre-med,” says Ferrari, clearly impressed.

Hopkins, which is a D-III school, had an 11-1 record this year, winning its sixth straight conference title and making it to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Bill Ferrari says he will likely play as a tight end, and could get a chance at playing right in his freshman year.

Frank Ferrari’s journey to Hamilton, N.Y. came together quickly after some scouting by a Colgate alumni at the Verona’s November 7 game against Cedar Grove, a 35-6 Verona win. “The school got in touch, and things took off from there,” he says. But Ferrari hadn’t been able to get to the Colgate campus until after the Hillbillies’ season ended, and when he did, he discovered two feet of snow on the ground. “I’m a skier so I love the snow,” he notes. The Colgate Raiders are a D-I team that had five wins and seven losses this year.

“I looked at Dartmouth in the summer,” says Frank Ferrari. “They wanted me to play safety. But I love quarterback and Colgate wants me to play quarterback.”

Bill Ferrari will play for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays and study business and possibly politics.

And though they will be traveling far from Verona, both will face Verona players among their new opponents. Hopkins plays Susquehanna University, where Matt McKeown (VHS Class of 2014) plays, as well as Muhlenberg College and Franklin & Marshall, where he will go up against MJ Mughetto and Tucker Freeman, who went to Seton Hall Prep and St. Peter’s Prep, respectively. Hopkins also scrimmages against Catholic University, which counts St. Peter’s alum and Verona native Robbie Walsh among its players. “I get to play against my neighbors,” he says. Brother Frank will face a closer opponent when Colgate plays Bucknell: His first cousin Bobby Kaslander, VHS Class of 2011.

Academics figured into the brothers’ decision as much as sports. Bill Ferrari, who says he “really likes” his AP government class at VHS, will major in business or economics, and “maybe a minor in politics.” Frank Ferrari also names business as a potential major, but says it might be coupled with finance. “I really like math,” he says. “I don’t want to be a math teacher but I’d like to be in something where I can use math skills every day.”

The brothers are excited about their choices, but cognizant of the changes that lie in store for both of them. “We’ll get to share our different experiences at different schools,” says Frank Ferrari. “It’s going to be fun talking about the season and all the friends we are making.”

“But we’re going to have to be more responsible,” he adds, with a nod to his brother. “He won’t be waking me up and I have to remember when practices are.”

Four months ago, I embarked on an incredible adventure as I set out to study abroad in Amman, Jordan. For me, the Middle East was the natural choice for a study abroad destination. As an International Politics major in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, I am required to achieve proficiency in a language by the time I graduate. For better or worse, I chose Arabic. (I did four years of Spanish at Verona High School, including AP Spanish.) Studying in Jordan presented the opportunity for me to speak Arabic not only in the classroom, but to utilize my language skills on a daily basis…in taxis, restaurants, and with my host family. More than anything else, I was excited to immerse myself in a new culture and gain first-hand experience living in the Middle East.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy adjusting to life in Amman. However, as the weeks went by I became increasingly comfortable in my new surroundings. I argued with my taxi drivers in Arabic over the best route to school, gained a new appreciation of Arab food and music, confidently rolled my eyes at men who catcalled me on the street, and managed to sleep through the 5 a.m. call to prayer. I began to feel at home with my Jordanian host family and settled into my Sunday to Thursday class schedule.

In a region of intense conflict and political instability, Jordan is the eye of the storm. During my time abroad, the United States began its air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The security situation in Jerusalem also escalated after Muslims were barred from entering al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City. Despite my close proximity to these conflicts, I never once felt unsafe in Amman. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to hear perspectives on these events from individuals such as my international relations professor Dr. Omar Rifai, the former Ambassador of Jordan to Israel, as well as the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Nasser Judeh.

To name a few highlights of my semester…I rode a camel through the desert, explored the ancient city of Petra, floated in the Dead Sea, relaxed on the beautiful beaches of Cyprus, and visited Jerusalem, one of the holiest cities in the world. I’m coming away with a greater understanding of Arab culture and Islam, and my Arabic has improved leaps and bounds. On my flight home, I spoke to the Jordanian man next to me in Arabic for over an hour about my time in Jordan and my plans for the future.

It wasn’t an easy four months. It wasn’t always fun. But Amman has become a second home to me, and I’ll cherish the memories always. I have no doubt that, whether it’s for business or just to visit, I will find myself back in the Middle East.

Gideon Sebesebe, Kyle Malanga, Holly Lake, Veronica Domyslawski, Zoriana Horodofsky, Charles Giordano, Aiden Kearns and Philip Chivily of Our Lady of the Lake School competed on December 19 in a Geography Bee. The contest was designed to motivate students to learn about the world and how it works. The winner was eighth grader Philip Chivily.

“Getting College Right: Preparing Students with Disabilities for the College World” will be presented by Elizabeth Hamblet, published author and learning specialist at Columbia University, on January 7, 2015, in the H.B. Whitehorne Middle School auditorium, 600 Bloomfield Ave., Verona at 7:00 p.m. (Snow date: 7:00 p.m., January 14, 2015, in the F.N. Brown School auditorium, 125 Grove Avenue, Verona) Co-sponsored by the Department of Special Services and C.H.I.L.D., the program is free to all who attend. High school students and their parents are encouraged to come.

Having worked as a learning disabilities specialist at the post-secondary level for over a decade, Hamblet is uniquely qualified to explain the laws governing access to disability services at the college level and how they differ from those in place for high school students who have a 504 Accommodation Plan or an IEP. Her program will focus on the student’s responsibility for applying for services, colleges’ rights to approve or deny accommodations students might have had throughout their education, and how the freedom of the college environment may present challenges to students. She will also offer college search/planning tips and suggestions to families.

Hamblet’s book, 7 Steps for Success: High School to College Transition Strategies for Students with Disabilities, will be available for purchase that evening.

Our Lady of the Lake School, a National Blue Ribbon School, is hosting an open house on Sunday, January 11 from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m., Thursday, January 22 from 7 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, January 27 from 9 to 11 a.m. All families are welcome to attend.

At Our Lady of the Lake School, a supportive educational team of students, faculty, parents, and community aims to provide a creative, challenging, and Christian learning environment. Emphasis is placed on developing students’ individual abilities, promoting social awareness, and lovingly preparing students to become responsible, contributing members of church and society. Our parents and children appreciate and love the special atmosphere that has developed over the 90 years of OLL’s history.

Our Lady of the Lake draws students from all over Essex County from all faiths and backgrounds. The school offers Pre-K3, Pre-K4, full day Kindergarten and Grades 1 through 8. Graduates go onto to successful high school and college careers. Interested parents and families can visit the school website, www.myoll.org or call 973-239-1160 for a private tour. Our Lady of the Lake School: Connecting on a Higher Level.

Verona residents whose children turn three years of age or four years of age by September 30, 2015, and are toilet trained are invited to apply for admission to the Verona Preschool Program. Class size is limited. Available spaces will be filled by a lottery, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2015.

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. Morning and afternoon classes are available. Morning classes meet from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and afternoon classes meet from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Under the supervision of Laning Avenue School’s principal, Julie DiGiacamo, 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.

Open houses for parents only will be held on Wednesday, January 21; Friday, January 30; and Friday, February 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please call 973-571-2029, ext. 7520 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Lottery applications are available in each of Verona’s elementary schools and through the Verona Public Schools web site: www.Veronaschools.org. For additional information please contact 973-571-2029, ext. 7520 or 973-571-2029 ext. 7512. Completed applications should be returned to the Verona Preschool Program, 18 Lanning Road, Verona, NJ 07044 by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 10, 2015.

The elementary school SCAs will be sponsoring pre-kindergarten workshops for children who will enter kindergarten in September 2015.

These workshops are open to children who will be 5 years old on or before October 1, 2015. The purpose of these workshops is to give children the opportunity to meet their future classmates and to become familiar with the school environment. Parents are invited to stay for refreshments.

Workshops will be held at each of the four elementary schools from 10 to 11 a.m. on the following Saturdays: February 7, March 7, April 11 and May 2.

Parents who are interested should register in the school district they reside in. If you are not certain which district you belong in, call the school offices at 973-571-2029. Registration begins on January 9.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact the committee chairperson at
your elementary school:

• F.N. Brown: Kristy McCabe, kmccabe@veronaschools.org, 973-216-5102
• Forest Avenue: Vanessa Vargas, vec7972@verizon.net, 646-879-3814
• Brookdale: Amy Cappello, kacappello102@gmail.com, 201-926-2738
• Laning Avenue: Kristin Venezia, kristinj74@aol.com, 973-239-7990

The Verona High School class of 1969 is planning a reunion in April, and it is inviting the classes of 1968 and 1970 as well.

The reunion will be held on April 25 at the Villa at Mountain Lakes, 90 Route 46 East, in Mountain Lakes. There will be a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. and a buffet dinner from 7 to 11 p.m. The cost is $80 per person, and if you want to go, you’ve got to get your money in by March 1.

Please make your check payable to “VHS Class Reunion” and send it to Jay Aiello, 98 Lynwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044.

Reunion organizers say that if you want more information or have other friends or siblings who graduated from VHS who are interested in attending, contact Carolyn Ferraiolo at cferraiolo07@comcast.net.

Someone broke into H.B. Whitehorne Middle School overnight. School Superintendent Rui Dionisio told us that a fire alarm in the school went off at about 2:30 on Sunday morning. When the Verona Police Department responded, they discovered that an area of the school had been sprayed with a fire extinguisher.

Dionisio said the damage was “minimal” but declined to provide further details on where or how the trouble occurred in the building because the Verona Police Department is investigating. He said that the school would be cleaned and made secure for HBW to open on time on Monday.

Dionisio did not put a dollar amount on the damage that had been done. But the clean-up costs will include overtime pay to the maintenance staff who had to come in today.

Verona, like every other public school district in New Jersey, has been preparing for the debut of a new state-mandated standardized test this spring. At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the BOE heard almost an hour of concerns about the PARCC, the test that accompanies the so-called Common Core curriculum that New Jersey now is following.

The discussion begins at the nine-minute mark of the video below. The audio quality is poor in spots but you will hear Superintendent Rui Dionisio speak about what Verona is doing to prepare students for the test. Several months ago, Dionisio announced that Verona would be investing in more computers, both for the test and for regular classroom use. (Verona also dropped midterms at Verona High School to accommodate the PARCC, which stands for Partnership for Assessment and Readiness for College and Careers tests.)

The speakers included Judy Rostello, a Wayne resident who is a member of Citizens United for Responsible Education New Jersey. She has been active in the opposition to the Common Core in Wayne and has addressed school boards in other towns. The board also heard from Liz Arias, who is among the Verona residents who have organized an information meeting on the PARCC on February 21, as well as from Al DeOld who taught at Verona High School for many years.

Dionisio said that testing is being organized to be the “least disruptive” to the school day, both in terms of when it takes place and where. Testing will be staggered throughout the school day and week; not everyone will be tested at the same time and students will return to regular instruction once the test is over. Verona will have wireless access ready in March, and will let students work on computers on a PARCC tutorial in advance. “We don’t want their first time working on the computers to be during testing,” Dionisio said.

Verona educators are trying to allay concerns among parents and teachers about the test. They are holding information sessions at the schools for parents, and will have a general presentation on February 24 by the executive director of the New Jersey School Board Association. There is also a page on the PARCC on the school district Web site.

DeOld wanted to know about the repercussions on Verona if the district tries to opt out of the PARCC, as some districts are trying to do. “The only people more stressed out than parents and teachers about the PARCC are school boards because we are being forced to do something that we don’t believe is sensible, rational or thought out,” said BOE President John Quattrocchi, who voiced a number of concerns about the state’s lack of preparation for the test. Quattrocchi said the PARCC, in its current form, will “collapse”, and noted that this year’s scores will not count for student records or graduation requirements. He said that the BOE has been advised by its lawyers that it cannot refuse to administer the test, because it would risk a loss of state aid and be subject to county or state takeover, which could include the firing of our superintendent. “We would be going through all that,” Quattrocchi said, “for a test that doesn’t matter.”