Students, Teachers Honored by School Board

Students and faculty were honored for a variety of achievements Monday, as the Wyckoff Board of Education held its annual awards ceremony.

Eisenhower Middle School's cafeteria was at capacity as families, teachers and administrators came to pay tribute to the students and teachers who distinguished themselves at the county and state levels.

Additionally, the board said goodbye to several longtime educators who are retiring at the end of this school year.

Johns Hopkins Talent Search

Fifteen Eisenhower students received certificates of distinction from the Johns Hopkins University Center for the Advancement of Academically Talented Youth, which conducts an annual talent search. Eight of those students were invited to participate in the center's state awards ceremony.

The following students received certificates of distinction: John Ethan Adams; Stephen R. Azzolino; Katherine J. Budinsky; Michael Gostkowski; Nina C. Harris; Olivia H. Kim; Sugn H. Lee; Brian M. Leoce; Matthew L. Martone; Marie-Elle E. Merchant; Anna M. Powers; Nolan W. Robbins; Ryan D. Seffinger; Grace Tellado; and Jared S. Zoneraich. 

Adams, Kim, Lee, Leoce, Martone, Merchant, Robbins and Seffinger were invited to take part in the state awards ceremony.

The students were among 175 Eisenhower kids to qualify for the center's SAT program, where students who score in the 95th percentile on standardized tests are invited to take the SAT, normally administered to high school juniors. 

Bergen County Counselors' Caring Award

Twelve district students were selected by the Bergen County Professional Counselors Association to receive its Caring Award, which honors youngsters who unselfishly gave their time to help others. Some of their activities include Student Council, peer mediation and participation in volunteer projects, among others.

"They have distinguished themselves as leaders and positive role models," said Lisa Martone, board vice president.

The students honored were: Peter Bayiokos; Christopher Brennan; Kimberly Caccamo, Lucious DeGregorio; Allison Diaz; Kristine Hiltke; Franziska Mangot; John Pensallorto; Nicholas Phillips; Edward Pruim; Daria Raguseo; and Carly Tominovich.

Bergen County Middle School Chorus

Olivia Kim, an Eisenhower Middle School student, was among 120 students county-wide to be selected for the Bergen County Middle School Chorus.

Selected students attend five rehearsals in preparation for a concert in November.

Bergen County Middle School Band

Kevin Ayres and Ryan Yacos were among 100 students county-wide to be selected for the Bergen County Middle School Band, which also rehearses on five occasions in preparation for a concert in November.

All North Jersey Junior Region I Orchestra

Kevin Ayres, Heejin Ro and Eugene Won were among 70 students county-wide to be selected for the orchestra, which consists of string, brass, woodwind and percussion players.

New Jersey Science Olympiad

Twenty-one students competed in the New Jersey Science Olympiad state finals, where they were part of a team that won six medals in engineering and science challenges.

The competitors were: Lauren Boardman; Robbie Breslow; Kelly Buccisano; Mike Daly; Allison Diaz; Greg Duch; Michelle Gasbarro; Julienne Goodman; Alex Gorloff; Noah Kasmanoff; Vala Malamusa; Eric Kim; Aidan Lawson; Brian Leoce; Matt Martone; John McDonough; Ben Stern; George Swatek; Stephan Vazquez; Chelsea Zelisko; and Michelle Zink.

TIME for Kids Photo Contest

Kimberly Caccamo, a Lincoln Elementary School fifth-grader, had her photo of a beluga whale voted as runner-up in the TIME For Kids Photo Contest after being selected among more than 150 entries. Her photo was included in a slide show on the TIME For Kids website, www.timeforkids.com.

Teacher-Researcher Specialty Groups

Grace White, an Eisenhower Middle School teacher, was accepted to work in a specialty group to conduct research on grammar and vocabulary education. She joined teachers from a dozen schools in small groups to research course work with a recognized expert.

Best Practices in Education for Sustainable Development

Loris Chen, an Eisenhower Middle School teacher, was chosen as a participant in the Best Practices in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) conference, sponsored by Fulbright Japan in Portland, Oregon. 

The conference was jointly funded by the governments of Japan and the United States to raise awareness of ESD-oriented school programs and foster a sense of cooperation between teachers in Japan and the U.S.

Montclair State's 2nd Annual Web 2.0 Conference

Eisenhower students Julianne Goodman and Allison Diaz joined teacher Harold Olejarz at the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal's second annual Web 2.0 Conference, where they presented a proposal written with Google Docs.

Olejarz presented Google Apps Education, which provides schools with a set of free software tools comparable to Microsoft Office. Goodman and Diaz discussed how Google Apps empowers students as they work on projects.

Environmental Awareness Challenge Grant

Sicomac Elementary School's Environmental Committee received an Environmental Awareness Challenge Grant from the Bergen County Utilities Authority, with Harriet Shugarman, Kelly Hagan and Principal Debra Kirsch accepting a $1,000 award. 

The committee was honored for the school's outdoor classroom, as well as other activities.

Retirements

The board also recognized the following employees, who are retiring at the end of this school year: Superintendent Dr. Janet Razze; Stephen Carpenter, the assistant supervisor of buildings and grounds; Basil DeMase, an art teacher; Barbara DeMauro, a language arts teacher; Maureen Feeney, an ESL teacher; Donna Greenberg, a social worker; Sandra Lembo, a school secretary; George Licitra, a social studies teacher; Carol Molnar, a home economics teacher; Thomas Occhipinti, a maintenance staff member; Robert Santin, a music teacher; Arlene Tancorra, an elementary school teacher; and Katherine Van Dyk, a bus driver.