May School Highlights

 

Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences

Sophomores Shreya Kodati, Ankia Pruthi, Kavya Srinivasan, Kavya Thakkar and Daniel Wrob-leswski placed second in the Rutgers Oncology Olympiad Quiz Bowl. They participated with students from across the east coast of the United States and Canada.

 

Juniors Camille Bustamante and Rohan Singeetham placed first in the Visual Arts category of the Amud Aish Memorial Museum and Kleinman Holocaust Education Center Visual Arts and Literacy Contest.  The students created a series of nesting dolls and were recognized as the best in the 11^th-12^th grade category amongst the 1,525 students from 127 schools in 14 states and three countries. 

 

Senior Vraj Shah was recognized as the Academy’s scholar athlete for the 2016-2017 school year by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on May 21^st. Vraj was cap-tain of the varsity soccer team this year and is also president of the National Honor Society.  The NJSIAA presented Vraj with a $500 scholarship.

 

Sophomore Kavya Thankkar was selected to participate in the Classical Singer Competition in Chicago at the end of May.

 

The 2016-2017 New Jersey Science League final standings have been released. The Academy finished 6^th in the state in biology testing with Chanpreet Toor and Stuti Mohan earning individual plaques as high scorers.  The chemistry team finished 2^nd in the state with individ-ual plaques being earned by Hitesha Ukey, Lakshay Sood and Lakshanyaa Thamaraikannan.  Finally, the physics team finished 9^th in the state with Tanvi Banota earning an individual plaque. 

 

Seniors Michele Grzelczak and Arman Singh were recognized at the Middlesex County Confer-ence’s Sportsmanship Luncheon on May 10^th.  Michele and Arman were selected by their coaches as examples of being role models for fair play and good sportsmanship.

 

The senior class traveled to the Perth Amboy Campus for the Employer Appreciation Luncheon on May 18^th. Seniors and their mentors had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful meal prepar-ed by the Perth Amboy culinary students. Students Siddarth Marwaha and Priya Nigam spoke about the importance of the capstone project and how it prepared them for the challenges ahead in their professional careers.

 

Sophomore Sanjit Menon was named Best Delegate at the Central Jersey Model United Nations and Congress held May 20^th.  Sanjit represented the Russian delegation during the Congress and was acknowledged by the organizers for his contributions.  

 

Freshman Neel Pachwagh was accepted into the Georgetown University Medical Institute Summer Program. Neel will stay at Georgetown this summer conducting research and shadow-ing medical professionals. 

 

The junior varsity softball team won the 2^nd Ray Cipperly memorial tournament. The team had two dramatic wins to claim the championship for the 2^nd year in a row.

 

Ms. Yeye’s sophomore classes held their annual transcendentalism fashion show.  Students were encouraged to embrace knowledge from nature and create a fashion that was uniquely American and recyclable. A great time was had by all and congratulations to Ms. Yeye on this unique project. 

 

Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies

Senior Noah Paladino was honored at the Greater Middlesex Conference Sportsmanship Lunch-eon held at the Pines Manor on May 10^th. Noah joined sixty-four other athletes from the GMC in being recognized for displaying a high level of sportsmanship on the soccer field.

 

Noah Paladino was also honored at the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Award Banquet on May 14^th for his performance in the classroom and athletic fields.  He received a $1000 scholarship from MedExpress.

 

The Rotary Club honored Neehar Peri as the Academy Senior of the Year at the May 4^th Awards Dinner.  Neehar received a plaque and a $500 scholarship for his outstanding community service

 

Sophomores Kaileann Villanueva, Ariana Novo, Nicole Salazar, Sudheshna Vemula and Rameen Farooq attended the Rotary Club’s District Leadership Youth Conference on May 6^th.

 

The Safety Ambassadors gave presentations at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School on May 22^nd.

 

The Academy’s Red Cross Club hosted a luncheon on May 24^th, with proceeds being donated to Tulip New Life in India.

 

The Academy held its annual formal dinner dance on May 26^th at the Saw Creek Grille in Rum-son.  Approximately 50 students and staff enjoyed an evening of food and fun.

 

The Edison Academy had another excellent season of competition in the New Jersey Science League.  The Physics Team ranked number 3; the Chemistry Team ranked number 5; the Biology Team ranked number 5 and the Environmental Team ranked number 1.

 

Students receiving plaques are as follows:

 

Biology

Avinash Kumar        Placed 16^th

Dhruv Misra             Placed 10^th

Chemistry

Glenn Sun                 Placed   1^st

Kevin Tang               Placed 18^th

Vineeth Vajipey        Placed 28^th

Physics

Kunal Adhia             Placed   3^rd

Ankit Patel                Placed 12^th

 

Environmental Science

Noah Paladino          Placed   3^rd

Ayush Parikh            Placed   8^th

 

The Academy has been accepted into the 2017 Waksman Student Scholars Program.  Sophomore Yoganand Pathak has been selected to represent the Academy at the Summer Institute in July.

 

Senior Civil/Mechanical Engineering major Kushagr Singh has been offered the National Merit Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Scholarship.

 

Senior Civil/Mechanical Engineering major Anthony Wang has been offered the National Merit Northwestern University Scholarship.

 

The Academy of Edison once again received recognition for its outstanding contribution to M.C.F.O.O.D.S. One hundred forty-one schools participated in this year’s drive. The Academy of Edison was among the top twenty contributing schools.  Students received a proclamation from the Board of Chosen Freeholders on June 1, 2017.

Fourteen students from the entrepreneurship class attended a STEM Innovation Camp at Nokia in Murray Hill, NJ on May 16^th – May 17^th. The event was sponsored by Junior Achievement.

 

In teams of six, students were tasked with creating an innovative business model for one of Nokia’s existing products.  Passaic County Vocational School students were mixed into teams with Academy students to mimic the experience of a group collaborating with team members they may not know.  The winning team consisted of four Academy students:  Rishi Masand, Swapnanil Deb, Meghna Mehta and Sankruth Kota.  Their innovation was a smartwatch that monitors and alleviates tremors.

 

The four students will be part of a team that will participate in a global online final challenge on June 21^st against teams from Chicago, Brazil, Belgium, Spain, Finland and Israel.

 

To help support Red Nose Day, Do Something held an Open Mic day on May 20^th at What’s the Scoop ice cream shop in Metuchen. Students and the public performed and red noses were sold. A portion of the purchases from the day were donated by the store. In addition, a fundraiser luncheon on May 18^th with a “kid’s meal” theme raised $136 which will be donated to the Red Nose Day organization.

 

Through the power of entertainment, Red Nose Day raises awareness and money to help end child poverty.

 

Seniors, Art Dzienisewski, Aaron Kellet, Rohan Marwaha and Atharva Padhye and freshmen, Aditya Vidyadharan and Serena Zeng achieved an “Excellent” fitness rating (the highest possible) based on the results of this year’s physical fitness testing.

East Brunswick Campus

The School of the Arts, Digital Filmmaking, hosted their annual film festival on May 4^th and 5^th. This year’s festival screened over 40 films from each grade level. The films showcased film, music, and other artistic forms of film. The students work was well received by all who attended.

 

Senior Leah Piscopo received a Community Service Awards from the East Brunswick Chapter of the AARP on May 9^th. Ms. Piscopo’s community services both in and outside of school made her a clear choice to receive this award.  The generosity of the East Brunswick’s AARP will help Ms. Piscopo as she plans to attend college in the fall.

 

The School of the Arts, Dance, performed their annual spring dance concert on May 19^th and 20^th. The works were choreographed by Ms. Cleo Mack and various professional artists. The students performed amazing works that showcased their choreography and the artistic talent of the program. The event was very well received.

 

EB Tech’s Cosmetology Program hosted a salon-a-thon to help raise money for Skills USA on May 25^th. The students in Ms. Wolansky’s cosmetology class did an amazing job and raised money to help offset the cost of sending one of her students to the national Skills USA Compe-tition in Louisville, Kentucky.

 

The School of the Arts, Theatre, performed their annual freshmen showcase on May 25^th and 26^th. The freshmen exhibited the collaboration between the senior student’s directing and fresh-men performing in a series of vignettes written and performed by the students.

 

Five works from School of the Arts, Digital Film have been selected for the 43^rd Annual New Jersey Young Filmmaker’s Festival. The winning films were:

 

First Prize for Documentary  - "Milk" by Jasmine Gutierrez (Grade 12)

 

First Prize for Animation  - "Morning Coffee" by Benjamin DeSimmone (Grade 12)

 

Second Prize for Experimental  - "2016" by Paul Sindac (Grade 11)

 

Honorable Mention for Experimental - "Static" by Rosalia Richter (Grade12) and Andrew Massaro (Grade 12)

 

Honorable Mention for Animation  - "Technicolor Mind" by Emily Arce (Grade 10), Amanda Clark (Grade 10), and Melia Velez (Grade 10)

 

East Brunswick School of Career Development

HOSA hosted a blood drive set up by the American Red Cross on May 30^th.  The event was a huge success with many of the students and staff willing to donate to this great cause.  The blood drive goal of 30 pints to be donated was achieved. The Red Cross was pleased with this outcome and we look forward to hosting this event again in the fall. HOSA has been participating in this successful event for the past three years.

 

This year’s senior prom was held on May 5^th at the Pines Manor in Edison.  Students from East Brunswick Career Development, as well as the other high schools in our district, looked very nice in their formal wear and represented our school in a positive and appreciative manor. The senior class for East Brunswick gave special mention to their advisor, Laura Kufta, for her hard work, caring, and dedication to their class.  

 

Sophomores and juniors in Mr. Gent’s HVAC shop have become EPA 608 Type I Certified and are currently studying for the Type II Certification. 

 

Mr. Canning’s carpentry students and Mr. Wiseman’s building services students were given the opportunity to work with the Carpenter’s Union in Kenilworth, NJ.  This opportunity exposed these students to the field of carpentry and will hopefully open the door for them for careers in the field upon graduation. The two teachers escorted their students to a Carpentry Expo held at Raritan Center in Edison, NJ on May 31^st, where the students were exposed to many possible careers in carpentry and to new technologies that are used in the field.

 

Perth Amboy Campus

The Perth Amboy Campus hosted an online seminar for all HVAC/R and electrical trades students given by the Pennsylvania School of Technology.  Our students learned all about educational and career placement opportunities that are available for Penn Tech students.

 

The Perth Amboy Campus culinary arts seniors have amassed nearly $500,000 in scholarship offers including three fully paid educations from Rider University, St. Peter’s University, and Rutgers University.

 

The Perth Amboy Campus culinary arts students competed at the NJAC Convention in Atlantic City. Our students won the Gold Medal Chef’s Award for Plate Presentation and Silver Medal Chef’s Choice for Taste.

 

The Perth Amboy Campus hosted 190 students, employers and cooperating internship offices at the annual Cooperative Education Banquet. This event honors all of the employers who support the Cooperative Education Program.

Piscataway Campus/Piscataway School of Career Development

Several administrators, teachers and students visited Rutgers University's Livingston Campus to see the business school and hear about their Global Logistics Program on May 15^th. This new career major in "logistics and supply chain management" will be coming to Piscataway Campus next school year. Rutgers professor William McLaury spoke with the students and staff in attendance about the many careers and job opportunities they could have with the skills they will learn in this field.  A hands-on simulation exercise was done with the students in groups to help them learn about supply and distribution.  

 

High school and adult cosmetology students took the State Board of Cosmetology Licensure Exam at the Burlington County Vocational School on May 15^th.

 

Mr. Housel and Mr. Povinelli co-hosted a SKILLS USA and Teacher and Parent Alliance Murder Mystery Dinner performed by a professional staff with audience participation on May 19^th. The Piscataway Rotary Club and Piscataway Stelton Road Fire House also collaborated to make the event a success. Students representing our school and clubs were chefs and servers, and handled themselves very professionally.

 

Students attended a teen conference with the Teen Outreach Program at the Pines Manor in Edison, NJ on May 16^th. The students attended workshops on positive decision making, healthy relationships, and prevention planning. 

 

Students from the Johnson and Johnson Leadership Program participated in a workshop on social media on May 18^th. They learned about how social media is being used today, the “Dos and Don’ts” of interacting on social media sites, and how to be sure to leave a positive footprint on the web.

 

The Middlesex County Vocational Technical Schools Senior Prom was held at the Pines Manor in Edison on May 13^th.  Eighty-seven Piscataway students and their dates attended the Holly-wood themed event.  Those in attendance enjoyed a dinner buffet, dancing, and a photo booth.  Olivia Rivera and Armand Diaz were crowned Piscataway Queen and King.

 

Isabella Sosa was honored at the GMC Sportsmanship Award Banquet on May 10^th.  She has shown tremendous leadership towards her teammates and opponents throughout the year playing varsity soccer, basketball, and softball. Her dedication as a player and positive role model has had a positive impact on all the programs. 

 

The NJSIAA recognized Claudia Edralin’s dedication to sports and awarded her a scholarship on May 21^st. Throughout her time in Piscataway Vo-Tech, Claudia has played varsity basket-ball and softball for all four years and soccer her senior year; making her a three varsity letter student athlete.  Claudia has had the honor of being a two-time all-division player in basketball and an all-division player in softball.  She has been a captain since her junior year and has been a role model and mentor for the under classmen on and off the court/field. Over her academic career, she has excelled in all of her classes maintaining a high overall GPA. Claudia is continuing her academic and athletic career at Raritan Valley Community College where she will play both basketball and softball.