IN OUR SCHOOLS

Student news: Plainfield Public Schools mark Autism Awareness Month

Student news from: Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Delaware Valley Regional High School, Woodglen School, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, Readington Township School District, RVCC, Union College

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
  • The walks are scheduled for April 21 and 29; the school district also will participate in “WEAR BLUE DAY” on April 27
  • Del Val announce photo contest winners
  • Oak Knoll unveils rebranding for award-winning athletics progrma
  • Readington students enter the No Bully Zone

Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School’s K-5 grade students and Plainfield’s Special Education and Wallynzavy Autistic Kids Can Do, are participating in events to mark April Autism Awareness Month.

The students, families and the Plainfield Community are invited to participate in the Autism Color Walk, Friday, April 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Barlow Elementary School, 2 Farragut Road, Plainfield.

The 5K Walkathon will take place at Plainfield High School, 950 Park Ave., Plainfield, on Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where the community will be led on a unity walk around the school grounds in support of Autism Awareness. There will be music, a DJ, and special giveaways.

Dr. Antoinette Adams, vice principal of Special Education Gifted & Psychological Services for Plainfield Public Schools, said the district provides services to approximately 1,400 children. “Our services provide special education programs critical in the developmental achievement and maximizing our student’s potential," she said. "Our students receive the best education we can provide via programs in and outside the district.”

Elizabeth Filippatos, coordinator of Special Education Programs said, “Our department also works collaboratively with general education programs and Intervention and Referral Services to provide early intervening services. Our programs assist students, whose academic performance is negatively impacted by academic, social, emotional, behavior and health issues.c

At the conclusion of the walks the participants will be able to enjoy different activities, including face painting, games, music and lots of fun.
Additionally, the Plainfield Public School District will participate in “WEAR BLUE DAY”, April 27 encouraging all the students, faculty and staff to wear “Blue” on April 27 to bring awareness to Autism.

For information on the Color Walk for Autism at Barlow School, call 908-731--4292.

For information on the Autism 5K Walk at Plainfield High School or how to volunteer, call Taleana Hurst at 908-884-4725 or Claudine Lewis at 908-731-4200 ex. 5203.

To connect with state resources please contact Autism Family Services of New Jersey at 877-237-4477 or visit: www.autismfamilyservicesnj.org; Autism New Jersey 800-4-AUTISM www.autismnj.org.

Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School

This has been a year of accolades and accomplishments for young scientists at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School. Building Science Coordinator Rob Ambrose has advised and coached students toward the following accomplishments:

The BRMS Science Bowl Team:  Back row, from left to right:  Matthew Quispe, Kevin Li, Aarsha Shah, Anoushka Buddhikot, Ritika Thomas, Varun Punnam, Geoffrey Zhao, Navya Sinha, Avantika Khanna, Shreya Ashok.  Front row, from left to right:  Sumay Trivedi, coach Rob Ambrose
BRMS Central Jersey Science Fair Participants and Award Winners (from left to right):  Ritika Thomas, Sangeetha Punnam, Aarsha Shah, Jamie Oliver, Deepthi Sathyanarayana, Shazneen Gotla, Amaey Pandit, and Sumay Trivedi

On Feb. 24, the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School Science Bowl team competed in the New Jersey Regional Middle School Science Bowl at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Princeton. The team was presented with the “Team Spirit” trophy, in recognition of their sportsmanship throughout the day’s competitions. The team consisted of eighth-graders Geoffrey Zhao, Navya Sinha, AvantikaKhanna, Shreya Ashok, and Varun Punnam, as well as 7th graders Anoushka Buddhikot, Matthew Quispe, Kevin Li, Sumay Trivedi, RitikaThomas, and Aarsha Shah.  To prepare for the competition, members of the team spent many hours studying subjects that went beyond the Middle School Science curriculum and included life science, physical science, general science, earth science, and mathematics.

On March 4,Bridgewater-Raritan students presented experiments at the Central Jersey Science Fair in Hillsborough. Students from all over Somerset County submitted projects covering science topics ranging from energy to genetics. BRMS seventh-grader Ritika Thomas received first place for her project “Tame the Flames: Which Antacid Works the Best?”  BRMS seventh-graders Shazneen Gotla, Sumay Trivedi, Deepthi Sathyanarayana and Amaey Pandit were presented with the judges award for their project “The Future of the Earth is in Your Hands – Do You Care?” Other BRMS submissions included “Invisible Force Field – Earth’s Magnetic Shield” by seventh-graders Aarsha Shah and Jamie Oliver, and “How a Microwave Oven Affects the Human Body” by seventh-grader Sangeetha Punnam.

READ: The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond

READ: Education news from around the region

COLLEGE CONNECTION: Advice from local expert columnist

Centenary University

Centenary University in Hackettstown will host its 10th Annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the front lawn and in the Front Parlours of the Edward W. Seay Administration Building at 400 Jefferson St. This family-friendly event is appropriate to children of all ages and is open to the public.

Admission to this event is free and the day will kick off at 8 a.m. with “Breakfast with the Birds.”  Dr. Terry Master, professor of biology at East Stroudsburg University, will lead a nature walk/bird-watching stroll at the Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery, next to the campus. Those who plan to attend the walk should R.S.V.P to Dr. Krassi Lazarova at 908-852-1400, ext. 2252 or email lazarovak@centenaryuniversity.edu.

Delaware Valley Regional High School

The winner of the Delaware Valley High School Environmental Club’s annual photo contest is Michael Frey, a junior from Kingwood Township. Runner-up was Emily Del Greco, a senior from Holland Township.

After 40 photos were submitted, the top 10 were displayed in the library where students could vote for a winner. Club adviser Britta Koep said that 339 votes were cast.

The winner of the Delaware Valley High School Environmental Club’s annual photo contest is Michael Frey’s picture at left. It was shot in waters of Fiji. Second place went to Emily Del Greco’s photo of the Delaware River, and the No. 3 vote-getter was Jackson Ruthe’s wolf picture.

Although there was no official recognition of third place, Jackson Ruthe’s wolf photo came in a close third. He is a Holland Township junior.

Michael Frey explained how he found himself underwater photographing exotic coral formations. 

His aunt and uncle take each nephew and niece on a special trip when they turn 16. “Since they have no children, they treat us like their own,” he said. “They took my cousins to places like England, Peru, Tanzania, and my brother, Antarctica.” Last summer it was his turn. “I was fortunate enough to go to Fiji, where we scuba dived for almost three weeks.”

The photo was taken where “the current that flows through a cut in the reef around the island attracts huge schools of fish and female grey reef sharks which go there to mate. It was such an incredible experience to see such an abundance of so many fish.

“Towards the end of the dive," he said, "there was a growth of cabbage-looking coral, aptly named ‘the cabbage patch’ which you can see in the photo,” which was shot with an Olympus mirrorless camera in an underwater housing.  

Emily Del Greco found her photo closer to home; it was shot from the Milford-Upper Black Eddy bridge. 

She said, “I live right near the river, and it's always been a part of my childhood. I grew up going off the rope swing, tubing and even take my boat out on the Delaware every summer, and I enjoy taking pictures of sunset, and I happened to capture this at the perfect time.”

Frey won a $40 Visa gift card and his photo was reproduced on canvas. Del Greco won a $30 card.

Hearing Loss of New Jersey scholarships

As many as four scholarships of $1,500 each are waiting to be claimed by high school seniors with hearing loss who file applications no later than Monday, May 1, thanks to funds raised at the annual HLAA Walk4Hearing conducted this past October in West Windsor. High school seniors with hearing loss who plan to attend college, university or vocational school, beginning fall 2017, are invited to apply. The scholarships, to be awarded by the Hearing Loss Association of New Jersey, are one-time awards which encourage and recognize academic achievement, leadership qualities, community service and work experience, according to a news release.

Applicants must be a resident of New Jersey and be between ages 17 and 20.

The complete application consists of a form, required letters of reference, and an essay. The application forms and detailed requirements can be found in a checklist format at the HLAA-NJ website, www.hearingloss-nj.org, and further information is available directly from the scholarship chair, Latisha Porter-Vaughn at Latisha.Porter-Vaughn@hearingloss-nj.org.

Scholarships will be awarded to successful applicants in June 2017, time and place to be announced.

With more than 14 state organizations and 200 chapters, the mission of the Hearing Loss Association of America (www.hearingloss.org) is “to open the world of communication for people with hearing loss, through information, education, advocacy and support.”

Immaculata High School

For long-time Social Studies teacher and coach Joe Servedio, this US History lesson on World War II was personal. His materials included a cousin's letter from the front just before the Battle of the Bulge (1944); his father-in-law's discharge letter from the commander of the Army Air Corps; four decorative banners his father brought home from his base in Alaska; copies of several newspapers from D-Day and VE Day and his dad's uniform. The highlight was a Welcome Home sign (center) that hung on his grandmother's porch to celebrate the safe return home of her three sons and four brothers. That same sign was displayed at Servedio's home in Bridgewater, when his son, Anthony'95, returned safely from Iraq and his deployment in the Pacific. History becomes so real, when there's such a personal connection.

Ithaca College

The following Central Jersey residents at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, performed with the Wind Esemble at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on March 12: Kathleen Barnes of Whitehouse Station, Emman Grey of Bernardsville and Sydney Rosen of Hillsborough.

Lebanon Township: Woodglen School

Sixth-grade science students at Woodglen School have been busy learning how to be geologists.  Under the direction of Deborah Szmaida, science teacher, they conducted an investigation about stratigraphy. Students identified index fossils to determine the relative age of the rock that the fossils were found in. Later they discussed what may have happened to the rocks when the layers are missing or not in order from oldest to youngest.

Sixth grade science students at Woodglen School have been busy learning how to be geologists! Shown in the photograph is Kaitlin Milelli.

Mount Saint Mary Academy

Over the past 10 weeks, members of the Investment Club at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung competed in the 2016-2017 Knowledge @ Wharton Investment Competition. Kathleen Brennan, club advisor and Department of Mathematics Chairperson, explained, “Tasked with investing $100,000 in virtual cash, team members developed an investment strategy that focused on diversification and long term growth.

Left to right: Vanessa Sousa a sophomore of South Plainfield, Natalie Vogel a junior of  Warren, Cassidy Connett a junior of  Piscataway, Fiona Johnson a junior of Chatham, and Cara Condodina a junior of Westfield.

The team used the Wharton School's Online Trading and Investment Simulator to place their trades.” The top teams in this international competition will be invited to the Global Finale at the Wharton School in May. The Mount students submitted an electronic copy of their final project to The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania a few weeks ago.

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child

For the first time in almost 30 years, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child rebranded the visual identity of its award-winning athletics program.

Oak Knoll unveils rebranding for award-winning athletics program

The sports rebranding is part of an effort to bring athletics more in line with the school’s “Faith, Wisdom, Service” crest that was launched in the summer of 2015, and includes a new main logo, a diagonal monogram OKS, as well as a spirit logo of a lioness – the school’s mascot.

Head of School Timothy J. Saburn unveiled the new branding March 28, in advance of Oak Knoll’s April Homecoming.

“We wanted a design that captured the attributes of an Oak Knoll Royal: she is strong, she is virtuous and she is regal,” Saburn said of the new branding, the first since the school adopted the Royals’ name in 1988.

Oak Knoll unveils rebranding for award-winning athletics program,

Saburn also praised Margo Ganton  class of 17, of Verona, who created the new logos and worked with Oak Knoll administrators and staff, spending months of planning and designing.

“Margo’s impeccable design accurately reflects the spirit of athletics at Oak Knoll. It is truly impressive,” Saburn said. “I want to personally thank Margo for her graphic design and branding expertise. Her tireless efforts included hours of research, strategy and design.

“We are so lucky to have such talented, dedicated and inspirational members of our community. We are truly grateful for her help,” Saburn added.

Plainfield Public Schools

Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies (PAAAS) will host NJ State Theater’s Poet- in- Residence, Glenis Redmond, on April 26,  9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The academy is at 1700 W. Front St. Plainfield. For more information, contact PAAAS at 908-731-4421.

Raritan Valley Community College

Raritan Valley Community College’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society received several regional awards — including the top Honors in Action Project — at Phi Theta Kappa's 30th annual Middle States Regional Convention, held March 16-19 in Long Branch.

RVCC’s chapter, Alpha Epsilon Pi, competed against 79 Phi Theta Kappa chapters in the Middle States Region. The region includes chapters from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.

Raritan Valley Community College Phi Theta Kappa officers participating in the organization’s Middle States Regional Convention include, from left, Rebecca Sulla RVCC student and Phi Theta Kappa NJ State President, Matt Amabile, Emily Stratton, Aynesley Arthur and Kristine Bulava.

The chapter’s award-winning Honors in Action piece, titled “Rights and Responsibilities,” focused on the responsibility of society to provide rehabilitation to prisoners whose rights have been taken away. In addition to extensively researching the issue, the students planned several events to educate the RVCC community and support dialog regarding the current role of prisons in our society. The chapter also launched a successful advocacy campaign to encourage Phi Theta Kappa to change its bylaws so that currently incarcerated and paroled students are able to join the organization.

This endeavor was important to the members of Phi Theta Kappa due to the College’s partnership with the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons Consortium (NJ-STEP). NJ-STEP is an association of higher education institutions in New Jersey that works with the State of New Jersey Department of Corrections and New Jersey State Parole Board to provide higher education courses for all students under the custody of the State of New Jersey while they are incarcerated, and assist in the transition to college life upon their release into the community.

Due largely to the chapter’s efforts, Phi Theta Kappa changed its bylaws and the College’s chapter will soon be inducting more than 100 new members currently incarcerated throughout the state. These students have all earned 15 college credits from RVCC while maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher.

The college’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society earned several additional honors at the convention, including Distinguished Officer Team, Distinguished Advisor Team: Sara Banfield and Steve Schwarz, Continued Excellence Advisor Award: Steve Schwarz, and the Honors in Action Theme Award. Chapter President Aynesley Arthur and Vice President of Leadership Jeshua Rodriguez also were named to the Middle States Officer Hall of Fame.

Raritan Valley Community College’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is led by Steve Schwarz, faculty member, Computer Science Department and Sara Banfield, faculty member, Communication Department. Chapter officers for 2016-2017 include Aynesley Arthur, President; Matt Amabile, Vice President; Kristine Bulava, Vice President of Scholarship and Service; Jeshua Rodriguez, Vice President of Leadership and Fellowship; and Emily Stratton, Vice President of Membership and Secretary.

ALSO: Nicole Poyer of North Plainfield, a December 2016 graduate of Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, has received a scholarship from the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP).

RVCC graduate Nicole Poyer, left, with the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs national conference keynote speaker, Dr. Pedro Noguera, at the NACCTEP conference in San Francisco.

Poyer, who graduated from RVCC Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Education, is one of only two recipients in the nation to receive the award. The $1,000 scholarship is to be used to help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and/or living expenses during the current academic year. In addition to receiving the award, she was invited to participate in the NACCTEP national conference, which was held March 10-12 in San Francisco.

Poyer currently attends Kean University, where she is an English Education major. Her career plans include becoming a high school English teacher.

The NACCTEP Scholarship Program provides awards to community college students who are studying to become teachers and attending a NACCTEP member institution. For additional information, visit www.nacctep.org.

ALSO: Emily Stratton, a student at Raritan Valley Community College, has been named a 2017 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars, and providing nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each Gold Scholar receives a $1,500 scholarship and a special medallion.

Emily Stratton of Phillipsburg, a student at Raritan Valley Community College, has been named a 2017 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar.

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society administers the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program. Student scholars received local, state and national recognition at Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, which ran form April 6 to 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. High-achieving students are nominated for the award by campus administrators. An independent panel of judges considers academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service in the selection process.

Stratton, a Human Services/Pre-Social Work major at RVCC and a resident of Phillipsburg, expects to complete her associate degree in August and then transfer to Rutgers University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work. Her career goals include serving vulnerable populations and advocating for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of community college students. The Society is made up of more than 3.2 million members in nearly 1,300 chapters in nine nations.

Readington: Three Bridges School

The annual Science Fairs at Three Bridges and Whitehouse Schools were conducted on Feb. 22 and 23. Students in Kindergarten through third grade participated, enjoying their roles as scientists for an evening.

Among the experiments were amazing inside out eggs, rubber eggs, the science of rainbows, beautiful crystal creations, and amazing dissolving Skittles that allowed Science Fair attendees to “see the rainbow” just like in the commercial.  There were bubbles galore, including soap bubbles, bubble cubes, bubble rockets, and gum bubbles!

Children answered many great intriguing questions, such as “is there really iron in my cereal?”, “how do diapers work?”, and “what is blood?”  And, of course, as Green Ribbon Schools, there were lots and lots of green projects including solar power, potato power, the food chain, the importance of composting, how much worms eat, and how to save our bees.

Readington: Holland Brook School

Students at Holland Brook School entered the “No Bully Zone” when character education speaker and magician Cris Johnson presented anti-bullying assemblies at the school on March 20. Using magic and illusions, Johnson conveyed a message emphasizing teamwork and the need for students to look out for each other and get involved if they see someone being bullied.  Using interactive audience participation, students were able to volunteer and participate in delivering the message.

Audience volunteers participate in the assembly.  Left to right: 
Speaker Cris Johnson with fourth graders Tyler Rossi, Logan Campbell, Micah Das, 
Nico Montalvo, Ella Zimliki, Marcos Teixeira, Mackenzie Schneider, and Hannah Kavanaugh

School Guidance Counselor Christine Crielly said, “Cris' energy and gift for illusion kept the students actively engaged. The theme of the assembly is to be a HERO, with HERO being an acronym for Help, Empathize, Report, and Open up and talk about it!” The assemblies were funded by the Readington Township Home School Association.

Readington Middle School

Twenty-five eighth-grade girls at Readington Middle School learned about STEM careers during ExxonMobil’s “Introduce a Girl to Science and Engineering” program on Feb. 24.  Presented by ExxonMobil scientists and engineers Tim Barckholtz, Don Carpenter, Adrienne Dubold, Kazem Edmond, and Mary Popovech, the program is designed to encourage girls to pursue careers in engineering to help shrink the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and related fields.

ExxonMobil Encourages Readington
 Girls to Pursue STEM Careers. 
Esha Patlola watches as Olivia Stillwagon cuts plastic straws to use as part of their flotation device for the Raft Rally.

The ExxonMobil volunteers shared their expertise with the girls by leading interactive experiments.  The students explored polymers by combining Borax, white glue, cornstarch and water to make Bouncy Balls; were introduced to chromatography through a CSI crime lab activity; and learned about buoyancy and density by constructing rafts of plastic straws and aluminum foil to participate in a Raft Rally.

Susquehanna University

Alexa Iannitelli is serving an internship this spring at Global Programs of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The Asbury resident's responsibilities include assisting with advising, conducting student information sessions, as well as assisting with pre-departure and re-entry of study abroad students.

Union College

The following Central Jersey residents at Union College in Schenectady, New York, traveled abroad during the spring term: Carly Bayroff of Scotch Plains, studying in London, England through coursework, internships and cultural activities. Talia Paradiso of Scotch Plains is in Sicily, studying the Italian language and conducting scientific research.

Union County Club, NANBPWC scholarships

The Union County Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs will present scholarships to high school students from Elizabeth, Plainfield and Linden during the club's 45th Annual Founders’ Day Luncheon on April 22.

The recipients are: Tamiah Holmes, Jonathan Cajuste, Cierra Lebron, Briana Seabrook of Elizabeth High School, Kenar Myers of Plainfield High School, and Deyna Tello of Linden High School.

In addition, the Club will recognize community trailblazers to receive community service awards. The recipients are: Man of the Year, Ravenell Williams, President/CEO of the Plainfield Area YMCA; Male Role Model award, Eldridge Hawkins II, New Jersey Department of State & Office Intergovernmental Affairs, Director of Community Outreach; Business Woman of the Year, Stacy Welch owner of LiVay Sweet Shop in Plainfield; Professional Woman of the Year, Kim D. Osterhoudt. CEO of Osterhoudt and Associates, Jams by Kim; and Community Service Award, Mylis Bernel Harrison, a Plainfield police officer being recognized for his volunteer and charitable community service. The club will present its highest national award, Sojourner Truth, to Joyce Watterman, Jersey City Council Woman, and pastor at Continuous Flow Christian Center, for her service to the community.

The club’s luncheon will start at 12 p.m. at The Westwood, Garwood.  The club’s president is Sheila R. Greenwood of Plainfield. For ticket information, cal: 908-754-3895 or A. Lucas 908-406-0637.

Warren Township Schools

Through a 21st century learning project, seventh- and eighth-grade students with learning challenges at Warren Middle School are running their own business, solving real-life problems while utilizing important academic, social-emotional and life skills

“Teaching staff act as guides, not decision-makers,” said occupational therapist Laurie Donovan who, along with teacher Lisa Carlson, are the project advisers. “Students involved in this business group chose to sell healthy snacks to students in afterschool clubs, music and sports.”

(closeup of snacks & signs) - Seventh and eighth grade students with learning challenges are running their own snack business at Warren Middle School as part of an important 21st century life skills lesson.

The company (dubbed MMM RJK Snack Company after the first initials of each participant) employs a manager, inventory control clerk, order processors and point of sale personnel. Customers can choose one snack for 75 cents, two for $1.50 or select a combo that includes bottled water, before moving on to the cashier who rings up the purchase.

The student entrepreneurs collaborate to make a myriad of everyday business decisions, holding weekly business meetings to review goals and progress.

“Students are fully engaged in all aspects of their chosen business,” Carlson says. They are required to solve real problems such as how to run their business, including snack table location, sales methods and how best to reach student and other customers.

(closeup of snacks & signs) - Seventh and eighth grade students with learning challenges are running their own snack business at Warren Middle School as part of an important 21st century life skills lesson.

The two-year project, begun in September 2015, integrates skills in core academic subjects, including math and language arts, while promoting the attainment of student individual goals and objectives in areas of organization, study skills, listening, speaking, and other important life skills. Members of the middle school’s Buddy-to-Buddy Club also pitch in occasionally.

Technology is used regularly. For example, the students utilize bizkids.com to access sample business plans, career information, financial and investing guides, marketing do’s and don’t’s, and other business resources for young tycoons. The group also uses Google Classroom to conduct basic research, collect data, and work collaboratively. Each works with a Chromebook and/or iPad to research, create and maintain the data.

Startup funds for the MMM RJK Snack Company were provided by staff donations with plans for the business to become self-supporting through its own sales. To date, the student business venture has raised $100. All proceeds will be donated to homeless veterans, as decided at a business meeting.

Said Donovan: “With research studies indicating that young people with disabilities are underemployed as compared to their peers, there’s a continued need for life skills programs to help prepare our students for life beyond the classroom walls.”

Westfield Public Schools

Following a March 18 audition with approximately 135 students throughout New Jersey, all four auditioning Edison Intermediate School students were accepted to perform in the All State Intermediate Orchestra. The Westfield musicians who will perform on Saturday, May 13, at 3:00 p.m. at Summit High School include  left to right:  Kevin Chen, 6th Grade -Viola; Amy Xiao, 7th Grade -Violin; Kelly Eagan, 8th Grade -Bass; and Dylan McCann, 8th Grade -Viola.   Amanda Gant, instrumental music director at Edison Intermediate School, acknowledged, “It is a great privilege to be accepted into this group and I couldn’t be prouder of these hard working, talented young musicians.”

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com