At Tuesday evening’s Board of Education meeting, the board’s Athletics committee is expected to present an option for a swim team at Verona High School.

Although indoor swimming resources are already stretched thin in this area, the current proposal allows for practices three days a week at the Caldwell Community Center, two coaches, bussing for away meets and meet officials. The model allows for three lanes of swimming, which can accommodate approximately 26 swimmers for a co-ed swim team.

As proposed, the first year pay-to-play model is budgeted at just under $27,000 for the winter season and any additional costs  in future years would be the result of more swimmers and the need for more lanes and more days of practice. If the board approves the introduction of swimming to the mix of winter sports, fundraising activities are anticipated in an effort to keep the cost of participation to around $500 per student for the season.

Verona residents who would like to show support of the team are welcome to write to Athletic Director Bob Merkler, Superintendent Rui Dionisio, BOE Athletic Committee members Lisa Freschi or Michele Bernardino, and/or any of the board members, sharing the overall benefits which having a swim team at the high school would provide, and what participation on the team would mean to your child. There is a non-public board meeting on June 13, and another public meeting on June 27.

Correction: The June 13 meeting is a public meeting and it begins at 7 p.m. in the VHS Learning Commons.

On Monday, June 12, students from Laning Avenue School celebrated Flag Day. They began the day with a flag raising ceremony in front of the school, and then students and teachers stood together on the blacktop in back to create their annual living flag display.

Mia Corbett, as Janet in “The Drowsy Chaperone”

On Friday, June 16, Mia Corbett will be walking across a floor with a crowd of people. It just won’t be at the graduation for the Verona High School class of 2017.

Yes, Corbett is graduating, but on the evening that VHS hands out its diplomas, Corbett will be on stage at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, performing in the ensemble of Julius Caesar. This August, she will head to New York University as a theater major and, hopefully, a career on stage. “If I don’t do this,” she says, “I would always have wondered ‘what if’? ”

If you don’t know Corbett by name, you may know one of her alter egos from Verona school dramas and musicals. She was Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, the Ugly Duckling in Shrek, and Rapunzel in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, among others. 

As Rapunzel in “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon”

Her theater journey started the way most do in Verona, in the ensemble of a middle school play, Once Upon A Mattress. “I was in two songs, way in the back and I was terrified,” Corbett recalls. That was followed by several rounds of Verona Summer Music Program theater, including The Wizard of Oz. (She wanted to be Dorothy but, as the tallest student in the production, wound up as the green-faced Wicked Witch.)

But nothing in Verona quite prepared her for the grueling slog of the college application process for would-be theater majors. Corbett did all the same Common App paperwork as her VHS classmates for 16 colleges, but then had to follow it with dozens of auditions that took her and her mom from New York, to Boston, North Carolina and the Midwest. The two-step application process meant that Corbett could be accepted academically and rejected as a theater major, or the opposite, both of which happened. She had to apply separately for schools’ drama and musical theater programs: At one university, there were 600 students auditioning for 22 musical theater spots. And then there was the audition marathon known as “Unifieds”. In one weekend, Corbett had auditions from Friday afternoon to Sunday night, sometimes having just minutes to shake off a critical review and recover her beaming smile for the next monologue or song. 

Corbett acknowledges, with gratitude, the commitment that her parents have made to her theater bug. They made it possible for her to start vocal lessons with Montclair-based Linda Baker Grimm in the eighth grade, and for her to twice attend the rigorous summer theater camp at Oklahoma City University. “That totally changed it,” Corbett says of her thinking on drama vs. musical theater. “I did Shakespeare for the first time there.” After camp, her parents paid for a team of acting and vocal coaches to help her prepare her college applications, which she says was necessary.

“I was late in the game, I started when I was 12,” Corbett says, noting that that was well after some other students at VHS. “Maya Fortgang had headshots before I even knew what they were. Grace Gault did the Invisalign commercial.”

As Duckling in “Shrek”

In Julius Caesar she gets to work on the same stage as some of the leading actors in American, like Corey Stoll and Elisabeth Marvel, who played Peter Russo and Heather Dunbar in the Netflix political drama House Of Cards. “I had an extra orange with me at one rehearsal and I got to give it to a Tony nominee,” Corbett says, in obvious awe.

With the New York stages practically at her back door, one might wonder why Corbett is going to college first. “I didn’t feel that I could go on professional casting calls without more training,” she says. “You’re not going to let someone operate on you five days into med school.” 

“What’s Next” is a series of profiles about what members of each Verona High School class intend to do after graduation. MyVeronaNJ has been publishing the series since 2010 and you can read all of them here.

On Wednesday, June 7, Forest Avenue School unveiled its renovated school library. The renovation was a two-year project, generously funded by a $10,000 donation from the Thomas J. Falcone Memorial Fund and several parent- and student-led fundraisers. “We are so thrilled that the community came together to support our library renovation.” said Forest Avenue Principal Jeffrey Monacelli. He added, “This new space helps us to enhance the students’ love of reading and the importance of having a fully-functioning library in our school that is used for instruction and research.” A total of $30,000 was raised for this renovation.

The renovation started in the summer of 2016 with the replacement of the carpeting and painting. Local architect Frank Messineo of Solutions Architecture provided strategic consulting on how the new library could be designed. Teresa Boyd, a Forest Avenue parent and co-owner of Olive Hill Design assisted the project by picking out coordinating colors for the paint and carpet. The new paint and carpeting was funded by the Casino Night fundraiser held in March 2015 and the Harlem Wizards 2016 Fundraiser organized by the Verona Conference of SCAs.

With the generous donation from the Thomas J. Falcone Memorial Fund a new circulation desk was purchased, which greatly enhanced functionality. The memorial fund was established when Thomas Falcone passed away at the age of 35 as a result of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his brain, a condition that he had fought for 20 years. To honor his memory and ensure that his amazing courage will continue to inspire others, Tommy’s family, Verona residents for over 60 years, established the memorial fund. Tommy’s niece and nephew, Reese and Chase, are currently students at Forest Avenue School.

The Forest Avenue Library renovation project also received funding from other sources. The Forest Avenue Class of 2016 legacy gift of a new circular book case, which is the defining feature of a new reading area for the librarian and the students was purchased with the proceeds from their annual car wash. Casino Night 2017 raised funds to allow the school to add more book cases that provide improved storage for the library’s collection, a computer station, and a Lego wall which can be used during indoor recess.

The finishing touches to the renovation will be completed over the summer. The Forest Avenue Class of 2017 is funding a mural as their legacy gift to be created by Forest Avenue art teacher Lisa Varuolo from monies raised at their community car wash in May 2017. Finally with additional funds from the 2017 Casino Night, a new projector and additional art work and lighting will be purchased for the library.

“I am so pleased with the results of the hard work and effort from the parents, staff, and students,” said SCA President Lisa Loudon. “Our newly renovated Library is truly an example of what can be accomplished with the support of the entire school community.”

Dominick Falcone, Cathy Falcone, Jamie Falcone, and Lynn Falcone, with children Reese and Chase Falcone.

Michael Shamouil (l) and Evan Huaman, started the Verona High School chapter under the leadership of biology teacher Paula Ramos-Santiago.

On May 25, Verona High School initiated its newest student recognition program, the Science National Honors Society. The Science National Honors Society, not affiliated with the National Honors Society, is a national organization recognizing the achievements of dedicated students in the realm of the sciences. The organization was established in 2000 and since then high schools around the country and world have been adopting individual charters for their high schools. In September, two VHS juniors, Michael Shamouil and Evan Huaman, were given the green light to start a Verona High School chapter under the leadership of Paula Ramos-Santiago, a ninth grade biology teacher.

Throughout the year, Shamouil, Huaman and Ramos-Santiago worked together to set the basis for requirements for admission into this society. All members would be a junior or senior at the time of induction, have a positive science teacher recommendation, a 4.1 cumulative GPA, be clear of any school or legal offenses, and be enrolled in at least one AP science course with a final grade of a B- or higher as well as receiving a B+ or higher in Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry. Most importantly, all students had to complete nine hours of science-based community service in tutoring or volunteering.

This year, 36 students students qualified for the Science National Honors Society: Hannah Boyle, Sean Burke, Julia Cambreleng, Austin Camp, Francesca Cortese, George Du Laney, Brian Feury, Giuliana Frizzi, Dominick Gamarro, Grace Gault, Evan Huaman, Caitlyn Kenneally, Caitlin Klose, Isabel Latorre, Maggie Maranz, Matthew Nagy, Alexander Ng, Henry Noren, Gwynneth O’Donnell, Garrett Percevault, Kelly Petrino, Dean Ramsthaler, Anna Rosinski, Jordan Shaffer, Michael Shamouil, Aydin Sidali, Andrew Siegelin, Emily Sime, Cole Smith, Kyle A. Smith, Olivia Symczak, Mark Walsh, Veronica Wertz, Isabella Williams, Chitoh Yung and Lauren Zanders

“The Science NHS provides an important opportunity to recognize students,” says Caitlin Klose, one of the students who qualified for induction. “Now that such an organization exists, maybe more students will strive to excel in science.”

The 2017 inductees

On May 25, Shamouil and Huaman were inducted into office as the co-presidents of this organization, and the “pioneer” members were given certificates of membership. Ramos-Santiago started the ceremony with an opening speech, followed by the presidential speeches. In his speech Shamouil talked about his perception of wisdom and how it is something that can neither be measured nor quantified. Huaman discussed the process the group took to establish this honor society as well as his goals for the future. Both Huaman and Shamouil have been successful in scientific studies at VHS and are dedicated to pursuing scientific careers post-high school: Shamouil and Huaman are both dedicated to medical studies.

“I am very proud of Michael and Evan for all of their dedication and hard work in starting this program,” says Ramos-Santiago. “Because it was our first year, we ran into a few challenges, but by working together we were able to overcome all of them. Congratulations to all of our new members.”

“Our SNHS inductees have proved themselves academically as well with their contribution of community service for acceptance,” says Huaman. “Their next move awaits them to pursue a career in science and to help advance mankind’s knowledge of science to its endless possibilities.”

The VHS chapter hopes to get more of its members involved in helping the community scientifically. “As co-founder of this organization, I am happy that we were able to at least legitimize our group of accelerated science students this year,” says Shamouil. “Ms. Ramos, Evan, and I have many plans to expand the activities and group opportunities for our members in the 2017-2018 school year.”

The following Verona residents received academic honors at colleges and universities during the spring 2017 semester:

Bucknell University: Heather Smith and Jane Szybist of Verona made the dean’s list for the spring semester of the 2016-17 academic year. A student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0 to receive dean’s list recognition.

Coastal Carolina University: Hunter Grasso, majoring in political science, was among 1,920 students who made the spring 2017 dean’s list. To qualify, freshmen must earn a 3.25 grade point average, and upperclassmen must earn a 3.5 grade point average.

The College of Saint Rose: Angel Barkley was one of 704 students named to the dean’s list for the Sspring 2017 semester. To make the list, Barkley had to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours and achieve a semester grade-point average of at least 3.5 with no grades of D, F, Incomplete or Pass/Fail.

Greensboro College: Melanie Alayne Smith has been named to Greensboro College’s dean’s list for the spring 2017 semester. To qualify, a student must have a 3.5 grade-point average or better for the semester while having taken at least half of his/her course credit hours at Greensboro College’s main campus.

Hamilton College: Caroline G. Chivily, daughter of Christina and Philip Chivily of Verona, has been named to the dean’s list for the 2017 spring semester. To be named to the list, a student must have carried throughout the semester a course load of four or more graded credits with an average of 3.5 or above. Chivily is a rising junior majoring in biology.

Hofstra University: Tyler Petersen excelled during the spring 2017 semester, achieving a GPA of at least 3.5 to earn a spot on the dean’s list.

Lehigh University: Yazata Bhote was named to the dean’s list in the spring 2017 semester. Dean’s list status is awarded to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses.

University of Delaware: Alysia Vega and Amanda Flores have been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2017 semester.

University of Hartford: Joseph Eulie was named to its dean’s list for spring 2017. Chartered in 1957, Hartford has more than 5,000 undergraduates, 1,600 graduate students, and 75,000 alumni worldwide.

University of Scranton: Jillienne R. Cumming, Colleen R. Farrell, Claire M. Fitzpatrick, and Kristin A. Visentin were among more than 1,600 students who were named to the dean’s list for the 2017 spring semester. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better with a minimum number of credit hours during the semester to make the Dean’s List. Cumming of is a senior counseling and human services major in the University’s Panuska College of Professional Studies. Farrell is a junior nursing major there, while Visentin is a senior nursing major. Fitzpatrick is a sophomore business administration major in the University’s Kania School of Management.

Marissa Manley, who graduated from East Stroudsburg University with dean’s list status and magna cum laude honors, with a degree in special education and early childhood education.

Clarkson University: Michael Patrick King received a bachelor of science degree with distinction in mechanical engineering, and aeronautical engineering on May 13.

East Stroudsburg University: Marissa Manley graduated on May 6 with dean’s list status and magna cum laude honors with a degree in special education and early childhood education.

Georgia Institute of Technology: Phillip Vetrano has earned a bachelor of science in industrial engineering. Vetrano was among approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students who received degrees during Georgia Tech’s 253rd commencement exercises on May 5 and 6.

Greensboro College: Melanie Alayne Smith graduated on May 13 with a B.A. in history and sociology.

Loyola University Maryland: Jessica Schnurr received a BA degree in writing and Marco DiGrado received a BBA degree in business administration at its commencement exercises held on Saturday, May 20.

St. Lawrence University: Elena C. Pelse received a degree of bachelor of arts during commencement ceremonies held on May 21 in Canton, N.Y. She majored in environmental studies.

University of New Hampshire: Morgan Plessner graduated cum laude during the commencement ceremony held Saturday, May 20 on the Durham, N.H. campus. She earned a BA degree in English.

University of the Sciences: Nicole Farbaniec graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in health science and was recognized at a bachelor’s degree conferment ceremony on Friday, May 19. Farbaniec continues on in the doctor of occupational therapy program. She is a member of Alpha Eta Society, National Scholastic Honor Society for the Allied Health Professionals, and Pi Theta Epsilon, National Honor Society for Occupational Therapists.

University of Scranton: Patrick J. Malanga, Jillienne R. Cumming, and Kristin A. Visentin were among the more than 800 bachelor’s and associate’s degrees at its undergraduate commencement on May 28 in Wilkes-Barre. Malanga earned a bachelor of arts degree in history, Cumming earned a bachelor of science degree in counseling and human services, and Visentin earned a bachelor of science in nursing. She was also among The University of Scranton students inducted into the international honor society of nursing (Sigma Theta Tau).

University of Vermont: Olivia Pena graduated with a bachelor of science degree in food systems during commencement ceremonies on May 21. The university conferred degrees this year on an estimated 3,228 graduates, including 2,620 bachelor’s, 386 master’s,106 doctoral and 116 medical degree recipients.

Wesleyan University: On May 28, James Kellner graduated with a BA degree in Economics.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Jenna O’Connell was awarded a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering with high distinction on Saturday, May 13 during the university’s 149th commencement ceremony.

If you have a 2017 college graduate who should be added to this list, email details to news@myveronanj.com.

Olivia Pena was among the throng at the University of Vermont, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in food systems.

On Monday, June 26, the Verona Education Association (VEA) held a rally at Verona High School to show support for the negotiation team currently in mediation with the Board of Education. The issue at hand is the development of a contract and salary guide for the paraprofessionals of Verona.

Chris Tamburro, president of the VEA, states, “Our paraprofessionals primarily serve our special needs students, helping them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. They ensure the safety and well-being of the students from the time they arrive in the morning until the time they leave in the afternoon. They collaborate with teachers in supporting educational programs and collecting the necessary data and information so the most vulnerable students can succeed in the least restrictive environment,” said Tamburro.

In May of 2016, the paraprofessional staff voted to join the labor association. At present the district’s 68 paraprofessionals are not working under contract or salary guide. Their main concern has been the inequity of salaries in Verona.  
 
Verona Board of Education has been paying newly hired paraprofessionals at an average of $13.75, even as much as $14.40, while many of the current staff working with our children for years, even a decade, continue to make substantially less. In addition, Verona paraprofessionals are among the lowest paid in the state.

The negotiations process was declared at impasse by the state Public Employees Relations Committee. The association’s negotiating team requested a mediator from the state in order to help in the negotiations’ process.
 
Tamburro continues, “Several trained and experienced paraprofessional colleagues have left Verona to work in surrounding districts. This impacts all our students since the paraprofessionals help build an engaging, exciting, and rewarding community of learners.”

Diane Romano, a paraprofessional who has worked for 10 years in the district states, “Paraprofessionals in nearby districts earn considerably more than Verona, and several nearby districts offer health benefits Verona does not” said Romano. “In addition other districts provide their paraprofessionals paid sick days, Verona currently is not offering sick leave to its paraprofessionals even though this is required by the state. For now, we just want to receive a fair wage for the work we do.”

The VEA is an affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and represents the teachers, nurses, librarians, guidance counselors, child study team members, specialists, therapists, technicians, secretaries, and custodians.

Yvette McNeal and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those fifth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the fourth marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all “A” and “B” grades during the second marking period for the 2016-2017 school year:

Marya Abdelmalak, Juliet Alkaysi, Samantha Andersen, Christian Barattini, Sophie Beaubouef, Sean Brannan, Demitri Byrne, Christopher Caldera, Michael Castner, Andrew Conte, Mackenzie Cruz

Cara DeMars, Alexandra Derderian, Robert Donohue, Marcus Dunphy, James Fenton, Ethan Fersch, Nicholas Fiorita, Charles Fjeldal, Olivia Fuentes, Gavin Fuentez

Zachary Garmont, Teo Garson, Jackson Garthwaite, Lauren Gawley, Colin Giarrusso, Brandon Greene, Kaya Gumusayak, Joshua Hayes, Andrew Healy, Carley Holland, Erin Holland, Anna Hoogterp

Grace Keane, Marley Kramer, Anthony Lewis, Sarah Lewis, Jenna Lomanto, Kevin Loparnos, Julia Loudon, Jake Marion, Nicholas Mecca, Katelyn Meehan, Erin Michael, Dillon Millar, Gavin Moore, Eoin Moy

Julia Nogales, Maile O’Neill, Anthony Onofrietti, Luigi Pantano, Kieran Patel, Lauren Paz, Aidan Penny, Michael Potts-DeMasi, Nadia Prieto, Aryanna Rojas, Lauren Ryan

Cody Sacchi, Dylan Sampers, Emma Shaw, Marni Shepard, Abigail Shust, Evan Spitler, Briele Sposato, Nicolae Stanescu, Summer Stephens, Anthony Tedesco, Luca Tedesco, Emily Theobald, Anna Till, Matthew Toomsoo

Joseph Vallone, Ava Vega, Michael Venezia, Mia Viganola, Jeremy Williams, Elliott Ziebert

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 and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those fifth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

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

Kate Adornato, Leonel Andrade, Aidan Azarowicz, Marissa Barnett, Eleanor Battersby, Marcus Beninghof, Daniel Bernardino, Tessa Bichalski, Rachel Bochicchio, Sarah Bosco, Faith Brolly

Maria Caggiano, Evan Carlson, Fiona Church, Brian Cleaver, Aeryn Curren, Max Della Fera, Keira Dolan, Maya Dufalo, Cara Ehrhardt, Caitlin Eng, Omer Erdem, Kayla Esposito

Juliette Fernicola, Finnegan Freeman, Charles Giacomazza, Molly Hipp, Tyler Holland, Matthew Huaman, Patrick Huaman, Anya Klinger, Hannah Koffler, Daniel Kozachuk, Gabriel Levine, Zoe Levine

Emma McDevitt, Megan McGrath, Grace McMahan, Alexandra Palma, Anthony Passaro, Ryan Radigan, Samantha Rizzi, Danica Rosenbloom, Reese Sahadow, Julian Santorelli, Nixon Shick, Mia Sierchio, Christopher Sluck, Evan Spong

Sara Tortoriello, Matthew Vaccaro, Georganne Valera, Marguerite Valera, Allyson Vasquez, Michael Villani, Megan Wynne, Riley Ying, Ian Zalewski, Christian 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.

Colin Vega has been awarded a U.S. Department of State scholarship to study abroad during the 2017-2018 school year. Instead of spending what would have been his senior year at Verona High School, Vega will live with a host family and study in Philippines for the next academic year.

Vega is one of only 60 students selected competitively from across the United States who will receive a scholarship to participate in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program. The merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Vega a full academic and cultural immersion, including living with a host family in Philippines, attending Filipino high school, and helping him develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community. The YES Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Through Vega’s participation in the YES Abroad program, he will be at the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in his host country, enhancing cross-cultural understanding and deepening trust by building lasting relationships with his host family and peers, and engaging in volunteer service and leadership training to help his host community.  Through the YES Abroad experience, Vega will be developing the skills to share American values, find new ways for America to compete effectively in the global marketplace, and contribute to a more peaceful world.

The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as an effort to increase dialogue and mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of countries with significant Muslim populations. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program was expanded in 2009 to include YES Abroad for American high school students. For the 2017-2018 academic year, YES Abroad provides opportunities for Americans to study for one academic year in twelve diverse countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, and Thailand.

YES Abroad is administered by a consortium of non-profit organizations, including American Councils for International Education, AFS-USA, AMIDEAST, and iEARN-USA. Exchanges taking place in Philippines are administered by AFS. AFS is a worldwide, nonprofit organization that has been a leader in international exchange for more than 60 years. Visit www.afsusa.org for more information on studying abroad, hosting an exchange student, or bringing intercultural learning into the classroom.

For more information about YES Abroad, visit www.yes-abroad.org. For more information about hosting a YES international exchange student, visit www.yesprograms.org/host.

Yvette McNeal and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those sixth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all “A” and “B” grades during the second marking period for the 2016-2017 school year:

Alyssa Abello, Jack Aiello, Sydney Aiello, Neva Anil, Kendall Aromando, Christopher Baker, Julia Balogh, Aaliyah Best, Andrew Boyle, Gia Bujnowski, Astrid Burns

Nicholas Canal, Lia Rose Carroll, Amanda Cavallo, Izabelle Cheung, Jadyn Chu, Logan Colon, Paige Cooney, Krystal Costa, Elizabeth Curtis, Emma DePaul, George Donnelly, Kaitlyn Dunn, Kara Dunphy

Xander Francis, Olivia Frank, Sophia Freda, Jack Freedman, Liam Frey, Sofia Greco, Jordyn Hannigan, Caitlyn Heimerle, Zoriana Horodysky, Kimberly Chang Horton, Jack Huze

Sarah Knoetig, Antonio Kousoulou, Michael Krusznis, Isabella Lachina, Jacquelyn Lawless, Frank Liggio, Bridget Lonsinger, Alexander Lugo

Logan Machnowski, Isabelle Malanga, Zachary Markowski, John Marshall, Sabine Matta, Cole McClain, Ryan McLaughlin, Hadasha Merced, Ryan Meyer, Verena Mikhael, Anthony Nigro, Clara Nippes

Ava Perry, Grace Schulke, Mark Serra, Nadine Sharabi, Josephine Shust, Juliana Squilanti, Matthew Steitz, Sean Stiefbold, Dylan Toriello, Andrew Trapani

Victoria Valese, Ashlee Vargas, Hannah Vargas, Amanda Visone, Jacob Vogel, Serena Warner, Brooke Wiese, Amelia Wong

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 and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those sixth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

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

Victoria Aleynikov, Brooke Algieri, Gabriel Ali, Jane Bartell, Stephen Bartell, Emily Baumgard, Trent Bednar, Malachy Black, Leila Brolly

Marissa Carsillo, Raymond Chesney, Cassandra Collucci, Courtney Cullen, Samantha Davis, Emma Dillane, Alana Drost, Olivia Egan

Nicole Hagaman, Emily Heimall, Charles Kenrick, Philip Konrad-Parisi, Natalia LoCurto, Bridget Lonergan, Zoe Matias, Owen Merle, Kayla Mroz

Amelia Niziolek, Sophia Nunez, Samantha Pecora, Patricia Rakova, Sara Remler, Katherine Repoli, Brooke Rienecker, Jake Rizzi

Trevor Semeraro, Maura Shea, Abigail Smith, Regina Waldron, Fernanda Webster, Sarah Wynne, Dionisia Yanniotis, Stephanie Zimany

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 and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those seventh grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all “A” and “B” grades during the second marking period for the 2016-2017 school year:

Sofia Albanese, Michael Andolino, Rose Arias, Amelia Axelrod, Evan Bannon, Zachary Benanchietti, Derek Bernardino, Emily Bosco, Michael Caggiano, Alyssa Casalino, Abigail Cleary, Anthony Collucci, Dylan Conway, Tyler Coppola, Jasmine Cuartas-Ruiz, Christian Cunningham

Jessica Day, Nathalie De Leon, Emma Derderian, Luca DiNatale, Scott Duffy, Ashley Duhaney, Michael Dunphy, Hamza El-Hawwat, Stefano Farro, Liliana Freire Pires, Viviana Freire Pires, Olivia Giessen, Aimee Griffin

Alec Hamson, Nicolas Handler, James Haveron, David Held, Anders Heyniger, Emma Hogan, Lucy Hogan, Alana Holton, Katherine Hunt, Nicholas Jacobsen, Arian Jasaraj, Alexandre Jean, Michael Kosulin, Nicholas LaBruno, Jacob Lapid, Alyssa Lipesky

Addison Marriott, Gavin Martin, Kamdyn Matthews, Kaitlyn McCaffrey, James McHugh, Ryan McMahon, Aidan Millar, Ella Moore, Gianna Napoli, Brodie Neale, Eleanor Newman, James Ortiz

Alyssa Pichardo, Sophia Pruneau, Ethan Randall, Tanner Reed, Connor Robinson, Thomas Sabo, Hilton Sales, Connor Santos, Shalena Seepaul, Emma Sheehan, Stella Shepard, David Sidrak, Emily Strlekar, Madison Suk

Olivia Tedesco, Emma Triggiano, Michael Vaccaro, Emily Vallone, Zachary Van Wagner, Daniel Vecchio, Allyson Volpe, Naizha Wegesa, Emma Zalewski, 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.

Yvette McNeal and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those seventh grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

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

Aidan Bermeo, Sara Bochicchio, Ava Capriglione, John Cleaver, Julian Colon, Samantha Costigan, Matteo DeVito, Andrew Della Fera, Christian Despecci

Sabrina Farro, Julianne French, Megan Gallagher, Charles Giordano, Maya Golebieski, Dashiell Greenberg, Giselle Jandoli, Meghan Kenneally, Lauren Kobernick, Amelia Koellhofer

Dennis Liu, Christian Loparnos, Jacquelyn Loudon, Ella Mathewson, Sean Mulligan, Amy Ostermayer, Joseph Park, Christopher Petrino

Faith Reed, Carly Renna, Sofia Saj, Sebastian So, Annalie Ying, Giovanni Zerbini, Paige Zickerman

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 and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those eighth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

These students have qualified for the honors award by attaining all “A” and “B” grades during the second marking period for the 2016-2017 school year:

Peter Alfano, Anna Barile, Matthew Barnett, Grace Boutcher, Gabriel Breitenbach, Zachary Bucher, Sebastian Burns, Amanda Caldera, Kayla Catalano-Ott, Leonardo Celi, Nia Chesney, Byron Chu, Elyse Chu, Mia Cole, Sarah Cole, Grace Cooney

Tyler DaCosta, Michael Dastis, Hannah Davey, Matthew Day, Jessica DeVito, Jacqueline DeVivo, Derek Diskant, Aidan Dyer, Vincent Eremita, Angel Fauerbach, Dylan Ferrara, Daphne Glatter, Sofia Guide

Ryan Hajtovik, Audrey Hoffman, Andrew Hunt, Isabella Hussar, Sinclaire Infusino, Adam Karpinski, Geena Klinger, Woody Klose, Colvin Kramer, Isabelle Leagon, Robert Leland, Jessica Loudon, Gabriel Lugo

Breianna Magardino, Hannah Maida, Sean Maida, Declan Maisano, Giancarlo Maladorno, Philip Mancuso, Michael Matarazzo, Abigail McAneney, Kyle McCaffrey, Megan Meehan, Olivia Miranda, Jeffrey Monacelli, Thomas Monroe, Caitlin Moore, Megan Moran, Dylan Munjack

Benjamin Niesmertelny, Kelly Nulty, Kayla Oh, Dean Palmer, Thomas Radigan, Frank Riggio, Alexander Rodner, Kathryn Romanyshyn, Natalie Romanyshyn, Lucas Ross

Renee Schuldiner, Edward Selimi, Maria Serra, Buster Shick, Matthew Siegel, Brianna Silva, Stefan Slawski, Gerard Sona, Trevor Spinelli, Savannah Szamborski

Nicole Thompson, Lia Tortoriello, Joshua Vargas, Sebastian Vargas, Tyler Vasquez, Maria Vega, Graham Weber, Catherine Welsh, Alissa Wendling, Griffin Willner, Daniel Zamloot, Quinn 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 and David Galbierczyk, principals of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, are proud to announce the names of those eighth grade students who have earned academic recognition during the third marking period of this school year 2016-2017.

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

Britney Allteni, Iviana Anderson, Karen Andre, Ronald Arias, Jaelyn Barkley, Antonio Belotta, Kristen Brown, Tawanna Brown

Olivia Camuti, Julia Caprari, Harmonie Chang, Aaron Clarion, Cailan Compierchio, Gianna Ehrhardt, Isabella Freda

RioMarie Gagnon, Lia Gardner, Olivia Gasin, Mariam Girgis, Carlie Goldstein, Sarah Greene, Mete Gumusayak

Katherine Hensal, Paige Hensal, Katherine Hipp, Peter Hoogterp, Claire Jackson, Kara Johansen, Sophia Josephson

Jack Lambert, Luke Lambert, John Lonsinger, Leila Marcillo-Gomez, Laila Martes, Grace McKeown, Melanie Naeris, Audrey Ng, Madison Nigro

Cayla Okafor, Emma Ramsthaler, Emma Rice, Madison Ruggiero, Grace Russo, Aaron Shamouil, Evan Silvia, Taylor Spinelli, Karina Squilanti

Steven Tafuri, Arthea Valderrama, Daniel Valentine, Veronica Valera, Sophia Villani, Mary Wallace, Drew Weisser, Emily Wynne, Alison Zanders

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.

The Verona High School class of 1977 will hold its 40th class reunion on Saturday, September 23 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Montclair Golf Club in West Orange.

Tickets are $90 per person. Get your tickets now through New England Reunions, which is managing the event.

You can also follow the class on Facebook at Verona High School Class of 1977 to receive updates and all pertinent information.

Any questions can be directed to Karen Caprio Flynn at bfkcflynn4@verizon.net

On August 22, the freshmen will begin to move into their dorms at Duke University. This year, for the first time ever, there will be a student from Verona High School among their ranks: Austin Camp, the valedictorian of the class of 2017.

Traditionally, VHS graduates have gravitated toward colleges within a three-hour drive of Verona, schools like the University of Delaware and the University of Scranton. But in recent years more than a few Veronans have ventured farther afield, often drawn to southern destinations by Verona connections down there.

Camp’s paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother all now have places in North Carolina, and Duke became the first visit among the 18 colleges he would eventually apply to. Still, he wasn’t initially sure that Duke was where he was meant to be. “I was intimidated and overwhelmed,” he recalls.

That’s somewhat understandable, even for someone who had a 4.77 GPA in high school. Duke is, to quote the college guidebooks, a very hard place to get into. Duke’s acceptance rate for 2017 was 11%, above that of Stanford (5%), but lower than Johns Hopkins (14%), Georgetown (17%) or Notre Dame (20%). UDel, by contrast had a 68% acceptance rate, while Scranton’s was 77.3%.

With an inclination toward a biology major that would prepare him for a career as a medical examiner, Camp knew there were lots of colleges he could apply to, some much closer to Verona than Duke. But at orientation, he heard that Duke emphasizes double majors and that appealed to his wide-ranging academic interests. (If you saw Camp at graduation, you would have noticed that he wore academic cords for the math, science, history, art and Spanish honor societies, as a gold tassel for graduating with high honors, a gold sash for the National Honor Society and a gold medal for being valedictorian). Camp now thinks that his second major at Duke could be mathematics or history. “There’s so much of history that I am drawn to,” he says.

Camp got his applications in and, in late winter, the college decisions began to roll in. He was accepted at the University of North Carolina, George Washington, Boston University, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Camp was given a thumbs down at Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Princeton, Washington University, Tufts and Brown, and wait-listed at Harvard, Lehigh, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and NYU.

Duke kept him in suspense until March 30, and when he came home and found his mother and grandmother crying at the kitchen table, he suspected the worst, but opened the letter anyway. “When I saw ‘Congratulations’, I started bawling my eyes out too,” he said. (For the record, Camp is not the first VHS student to be accepted at Duke. Diana Flores, VHS ‘16 had that honor, but she chose to attend MIT.)

You’ll note that so far, we haven’t talked at all about sports, which might seem odd given Camp’s early years in Verona’s junior wrestling program and his high school career in football as a right guard and defensive tackle. But sports are going to be taking a back seat to academics for the next four years. “I’m definitely going to be at the football games and I’m going to be ‘tenting’,” says Camp, referring to Duke’s tailgating traditions. If he plays anything, it might be a sport that doesn’t now have a male team at VHS: volleyball. Duke has both an intramural and a club men’s volleyball team.

Camp says he is deeply indebted to VHS, and its teachers, for his success. Not just Casey Harris and former VHS teacher Roseanne Prendergast for encouraging his love of biology, but Jonathan Thai, Danielle Mutovic, Dr. Janan Wehbeh, Rich Wertz and Christopher Tamburro. “Teachers at VHS don’t get enough credit for what they do,” Camp says. He would also like to see more students stepping up to the challenges that VHS teachers can give, and more students participating in student government. Camp was class president in both his sophomore and junior years and president of the Student Council, which, he says, taught him the most about being a leader.

Any student can use VHS as a springboard to a top college experience, Camp says, “if you put in the time and make the most of what Verona has to offer.”

Where he’s supposed to be: Austin Camp at Duke University’s Chapel Bell Tower.

First Presbyterian Church of Verona recently filled backpacks school supplies.

The backpacks were distributed to the Verona Community Center, The Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair and the Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Verona.

Pictured from left are: Felicia Burgos, Ruby Klabenesh, Willie Burgos, Donna Kiel, Pat Heyer, Dalyce Tenore, and Christina Turkington.