Exhibit highlights what's new, healthy on school lunch menus

• Perth Amboy Catholic School winners for Knights of Columbus art contest
• St. Bartholomew School in East Brunswick open house
• North Brunswick Township celebrates school counselors week Feb.1-5
• Kean University hosts high school students for New Jersey DECA Central Region conference

More than 400 school food service professionals and business administrators from around New Jersey previewed the newest healthy school lunch and breakfast offerings available from food manufacturers for the 2016-2017 school year on Jan. 21 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture presented the Fourth Annual USDA Foods Conference to showcase healthy school lunch and breakfast offerings that could appear in school cafeterias around the state next school year. The conference featured a vendor show of the latest trends in prepared school menu items made from U.S. Department of Agriculture donated bulk foods that also meet the nutritional requirements of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act school food regulations implemented in 2013.

“This show highlights the efforts being made by food manufacturers and school food service to provide students with foods they will enjoy that also meet federal nutrition guidelines,” said Rose Tricario, NJDA Division of Food and Nutrition Director. “The Christie Administration supports programs such as this that assist school districts in providing healthy options in school cafeterias.”

The USDA Foods Distribution program allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to utilize USDA foods and distribute them to processors who make nutritious, reduced-fat, lower sodium, whole grain products at a cost savings to school districts.

The conference gave school food service professionals the opportunity to sample the foods and speak directly with manufacturers to meet their district’s specific needs, helping them to determine which foods to order for the 2016-2017 school year.

This year, there were many creative options including, chicken patty sliders, vegetable whole wheat lo mein, chicken egg rolls boil-in-bag real mashed potatoes and pre-washed baked potatoes.

Gene McDonald, vice president of sales for Rich Chicks, said their breaded chicken products have whole grain breading and use whole muscle chicken.

“Sliders are a trend and we have found many schools even using them for breakfast,” McDonald said.  “Schools are focused on participation.  Kids are demanding minimally processed foods like they’d find in a restaurant.

Marcia Brenneman, school food service director for Washington Township schools in Morris County, agreed.

“The visual appearance is very important for kids,” Brenneman said. “They are restaurant-savvy and looking for schools to recreate that.”

Items that appeared to be making a comeback were mashed and baked potatoes.  Karen Farrell, New Brunswick schools food service director said they serve a bowl with mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken and chicken gravy.

“Kids love mashed potatoes and there are lines when we put them out,” said Farrell.  “Sometimes the only hot meal children get is in school, so we want to make sure they like it.”

Service First offered pre-washed baked potatoes that could be used on baked potato bars and boil-in-bag mashed potatoes made from real potatoes.

To start out the day, sessions were held to give program updates, review different types of acceptable procurements, and educate them about the Department of Defense Direct Delivery of Produce program.  The program enables school districts to receive a larger variety of produce delivered directly to them on a weekly basis.  It also allows them to purchase more Jersey Fresh products during the growing season.

For more information on the USDA Foods Distribution program, visit www.nj.gov/agricutlure/divisions/fn/fooddistrib/slcd.html. .

Bishop George Ahr High School

Leaders in the fields of robotic surgery, paleontology, physics, astronomy and engineering are sharing their knowledge and insight with the Bishop George Ahr High School community, thanks to the Edison-based school’s “Speaker Series.”

This year’s series, sponsored by the school’s Honors Program, showcases Bishop Ahr alumni who have distinguished themselves in the sciences. Recent speakers included Dr. Martin Martino, class of 1989, a practicing cancer surgeon, and Dr. Daniel Ksepka, class of 1998, a research collaborator at the Smithsonian.

Martino, medical director of the minimally invasive robotic surgery program at  the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania, discussed the latest advances in robotic surgery during his presentation Nov. 2.

Daniel Mulvihill, a science teacher at Bishop Ahr, said the college-style lecture offered excellent insight into Martino’s groundbreaking work in the field.  Martino also discussed the evolving role of medical technology on the battlefield.

Andree Ordaniel, junior, said Martino offered invaluable career advice.

“Dr. Martino said if we choose to follow our dreams, and work at what we love, then our careers won’t feel like work,” Ordaniel noted.

Martino’s talk was followed by a Nov. 10  presentation delivered by Ksepka, who is credited with the first scientific analysis of Pelagornis sandersi, an extinct bird that had a 24-foot wingspan. Ksepka has collected and studied fossils in South America, New Zealand and Africa. Much of Ksepka’s work focuses on penguin fossils, and he shares  his penguin research on the science blog “March of the Fossil Penguins.”

“Dr. Ksepka led us through an exploration of the natural history of these unique birds and gave us a window into the world of a museum researcher,” Mulvihill said.

The speaker series was initiated by Susan Paluskiewicz, who formerly served as the school’s director of counseling and now helps to coordinate the school’s Honors Program, among other duties.

Paluskiewicz said she was inspired to launch the program based on research indicating 25 percent of Bishop Ahr’s  graduates have moved into a science-related field.

“I thought that was a remarkable number and a testament to the education students receive at Bishop Ahr,” Paluskiewicz said. “Fortunately, we had alumni who have been recognized in the feld as experts and were pleased to give back by coming to speak to our students and their families.”

Upcoming speakers include Jack Hughes, a professor of physics at Rutgers University who will provide an overview of the universe’s evolution.  “In this lecture, I will give an overview of how the universe has evolved from the tiniest fraction of a second after the Big Bang until the present,” he said. Hughes will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Alumni and sisters Theresa D’Addio-Russi , Class of 2009, and Suzanne M. D’Addio, Class of 2003, will discuss career opportunities in engineering at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb.8.

D’Addio-Rossi works as a quality control supervisor at PepsiCo. Ms. D’Addio works at Merck & Co., leading cross-functional teams developing injectable formulations of novel drugs.

Sister Donna Marie Trukowski, principal, said the speaker series is an excellent forum for the exchange of ideas between students, their families, and experts in various fields.

“Learning is a lifelong process, and we are proud that Bishop Ahr is playing an important role in providing additional educational opportunities to members of the school community,” she said.

Those interested in attending upcoming speaker events should contact Paluskiewicz at 732-549-1108, ext. 608.

Champlain College

The following Central Jersey residents at Champlain College in Burlingtoon, Vermont were named to the fall dean's list: Kiana Best of North Brunswick, Mariana Franzetti, Anthony Vultaggio of Cranford, Tyler Wood of East Brunswick. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher for the semester.

Chatham University

Aubrey Shombert of Highland Park was named to the fall dean's list at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater.

Clemson University

Garret Carl Blount of Piscataway graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and management from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina on Dec.17.

Dunellen: Faber School

Kindergarten and preschool students at Faber School in Dunellen had fun on Jan. 22 when safety ambassadors from Dunellen High School visit the youngsters to share with them the book "Clifford Takes a Walk" by Norman Bridwell and traffic safety tips.

The book was created in conjunction with FedEx and Safe Kids  Safe Kids is a worldwide organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children. According to their website “millions of children are injured in ways that can affect them for a lifetime.” As a way to prevent this Safe Kids and FedEx created a book to help prevent these injuries.

The book "Clifford Takes a Walk" was created to help children learn about pedestrian safety.

During the special visit, students learned and reviewed how to safely cross a street, what they need to do to stay safe, and what Clifford did in the book that was safe and not safe. Kindergarteners and preschoolers practiced their new safety song and also how to look left and right when crossing a street. They reviewed what to do when a ball goes into the street and to cross in the crosswalks.

According to librarian Beth Willoughby “this is a great program to not only encourage reading, but also to remind students how to stay safe when they are walking or playing outside.”

Willoughby arranged the program with the help of Diana Starace, coordinator of the Injury Prevention Program, Safe Kids Middlesex County, and High School Peer Leader Coordinators Tammy DelRosario and Terri Albertson.

Duquesne University

Olivia Szallai of South River was named to fall dean's list at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Students mush achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater.

James Madison University

The following Central Jersey residents graduated recently fromJames Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia: Ashley Nicole Purtell of Matawan, magna cum laude, with a degree in nursing; Stefani Sagiovanni of Old Bridge, bachelor's degree in occupational therapy.

The following Central Jersey residents were named to the university fall dean's list: Tess Donnelly of Metuchen, Sarah Frost of East Brunswick, Timothy Redshaw of Metuchen, Kevin Wehner of Somerset, Stephanie Pasewaldi of Monroe Township, Rachel Redding of Edison, Corey Allikas of Cranbury, Emma Curci of Spotswood, Molly Kaplan of Woodbridge, Julianna Klioze of Highland Park, Rebecca Kilcoyne of Kendall Park, Christina Nesi of Metuchen, Amy Slothower of Plainsboro, Marissa Kircher of East Brunswick.

Kean University

Kean University welcomed 2,475 high school students from Union, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Morris and Monmouth counties for the New Jersey DECA Central Region Conference on Jan. 7 and 8. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management through its specialized programs in high schools and colleges around the globe. The conference featured competitions in 25 different career areas. Winners will be eligible to attend the DECA State Competition in February for a chance to represent New Jersey at the International Career Development Conference in Nashville. 

“Kean is proud to host DECA and sponsor this event because you represent the business leaders of tomorrow,” said Kean University Executive Vice President for Operations Phillip Connelly, addressing high school students at the event.

New Jersey DECA is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education and administered by Kean University's College of Business and Public Management.

With more than 200,000 members in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico and Puerto Rico; DECA is designed to integrate into classroom instruction, promoting applied learning and competition. Since it was founded in 1946, DECA has impacted the lives of more than ten million students, educators, school administrators and business professionals. 

“New Jersey DECA helps its members to develop well-defined college and career objectives by encouraging rigorous academic curriculums and promoting professional responsibility. Through leadership activities such as these conferences, community service, and real-world learning, New Jersey DECA provides enriching educational experiences for participating students,” said New Jersey DECA State Advisor Jeffrey Victor.

Keene State College

Ashley Hoffer of Cranford was named to the fall dean's list at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire . Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Lehigh University

The following Central Jersey residents at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, were named to the fall dean's list: Bartlomiej Bancewicz of South River, Richard Barry of Cranford, Jake Blecher of Belle Mead, Abigail Buckley of Princeton, Steven Cornish of Monroe Township, Amanda Mae Donohue of Princeton, Moriah Garcia of South Plainfield, Hayley Goodman of Cranford, Ian Haney of Monroe Twp, Steven Jodogne of Old Bridge, Mina Khan of Carteret, Emmanuel Lai of Belle Mead, Catheryn Llibre of Parlin, M. Delaney McCaffrey of Belle Mead, Anil Morisetti of Monmouth Junction, Emily Motola of Lambertville, Ashwini Parchure of Dayton, Pujan Patel of Kenilworth, Miranda Route of Monroe Twp, William Schwarz of Cranbury, Elizabeth Sharlow of Metuchen, Matthew Thoonkuzhy of Rahway, Paul Zetterberg of Princeton. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher.

Linden High School

One of the most important goals of the Linden High School Social Studies Department is to help students become active and engaged citizens. With this in mind, students and teachers in the department spent  two days discussing the importance of the annual State of the Union (SOTU) address. After the State of the Union address on Jan. 19, social studies teachers helped make the speech more accessible to students by playing SOTU bingo. Students filled out bingo boards with words and phrases that might come up in the SOTU address. After watching and playing, students engaged in a discussion of current political issues based on the address.

North Carolina State University

Alec Haklar of South Amboy was named to fall dean's list at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater.

North Brunswick Township High School

North Brunswick Township High School placed on the College Board’s 6th Annual AP District Honor Roll for "significant gains in student access and success."

North Brunswick Township High School is one of 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 6th Annual AP District Honor Roll for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or high on AP exams. Reaching these goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP, according to a district news release.

National data from 2015 show that among black/African American, Hispanic and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating. The first step to delivering the opportunity of AP to students is providing access by ensuring courses are available, that gatekeeping stops, and that the doors are equitably opened so these students can participate.  North Brunswick Township High School is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds, according to the release.

“That the committed teachers and administrators in this district have both expanded AP access and also helped their students achieve high levels of performance on AP Exams shows they’re delivering opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and it is a real testament to their belief that a more diverse population of young people is ready for the challenge of college,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president of AP and Instruction.

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores in an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to simultaneously expand access and improve student performance.

In 2015, more than 3,800 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.

Inclusion on the 6th Annual District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2013-2015, looking across 34 AP exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used.

• Districts must: Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts; 
• Increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and 
• Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2015 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2013 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher. 

North Brunswick Township Celebrates School Counselors

National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated from Feb. 1–5, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do.

National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. 

The special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who "implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century," according to Kevin P. Farrell, North Brunswick Township High School's director of guidance. “Our district school counselors are commended for being actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; for working in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today's world; for focusing on positive ways to enhance students' social/personal, educational and career development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential while also setting healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves."

ASCA reports that professional school counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master's degree in guidance and counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

"School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career awareness in post-secondary options and personal/social skills,” said Kwok-Sze Wong, Ed.D., ASCA executive director. “Comprehensive school counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success."

Perth Amboy Catholic School

Six students from Perth Amboy Catholic School were winners in the "Keep Christ in Christmas" Art Contest sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, San Salvador Council, No.299 of Perth Amboy.

The winners were: Gianna Santiago, Katarina Koziotova, Zamira Ysaac, Sian Brossard, Viviana Rodriguez and Lauren Daniels.
Two of the students, Zamira Ysaac and Katarina Koziotova, had their artwork move on to the District/Regional contest of the Knights of Columbus.

Seussical musical

Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School

In celebration of February as Career and Technical Education Month, Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (SCVTHS) in Bridgewater will conduct its ninth annual open house from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6.  A snow date of Feb. 20 has been set in case of inclement weather.

During the event, faculty, staff and student ambassadors will be available to answer questions, give tours, and provide information on each of the fifteen Career and Technical Education Programs available at the high school. The Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School students who have volunteered to become student ambassadors will lead tours and speak as representatives for their Career and Technical Programs during the event.  Prior to the open house, these student ambassadors also have assisted SCVTHS staff with touring Somerset County middle schools in an effort to increase awareness of Career and Technical Education.

"As a student ambassador, I am able to share my love for my school, as well as educate others on why it is important to know your future,” said Chloe Jen, a junior from Bridgewater who is in the Academy for Health and Medical Sciences.

Some other highlights of the annual open house include a full review of all academic offerings and program specific demonstrations. In addition, hors d'oeuvres will be served by Culinary Arts students and guests can meet with the advisors of SCVTHS sports teams, extracurricular activities, and clubs.

New this year to the Open House is the inclusion of the SCVTHS Honors Dance Department’s Dance Day. The move of Dance Day to the open house was done in an effort to open up the event to more students in the community. Attendees can visit the SCVTHS Dance Studios and Auditorium, as well as attend a free class taught by the faculty of the SCVTHS Dance Department. Classes offered during the day for high school students are Ballet or Jazz at 8:30 a.m. and Modern or Tap at 9:40 a.m. There also will be a dance performance at 10:30 a.m. by the SCVTHS Tap Company, Repertory Company and features student choreographers. Pre-registration for Dance Day is required by emailing Maureen Glennon at mglennon@scvts.net

Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School is a fully accredited, four year high school located on an 80-acre campus at 14 Vogt Drive in Bridgewater.  Serving all of Somerset County, SCVTHS accepts students on a full or shared-time basis for programs that combine training in occupational and academic skills. Along with the Career and Technical Education offerings, students are provided with the opportunity to take a variety of rigorous college preparatory academic courses.

All interested guests are encouraged to pre-register for this event online at http://www.scvths.org/forms.cfm?myform=5662 or call 908-526-8900, ext. 7250 or 7243.

St. Bartholomew School 

St. Bartholomew School in East Brunswick will host open houses on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 5 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

The school, at 470 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick,offers a nurturing, family environment. The school has full-time three and four-year old Pre-School Programs and a full-day Kindergarten which is academic based.  The K-8 grades are AdvancED Accredited. There is a full time nurse, guidance counselor and before- and after-care programs. Free before-school care is available from 6:45 a.m. for K-8.

Extracurricular activities such as Homework Club, Arts and Crafts Club, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Spring Track, Band, Chorus, Drama, Spanish, Latin, Yearbook and STEM Programs are available to the students.  Wi-Fi throughout, along with Google Classroom, an Advanced Computer Resource Center and Digital Microscope are integrated into the student’s daily curriculum.

For more information, call 732-254-7105 or visit www.stbartseb.com.

South Plainfield High School

On Jan. 8, members of South Plainfield High School's Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) Chapter competed at the annual Regional Conference at Kean University. After a day of role plays, informative seminars, and networking, five of its members including, Alex Entchev (Automotive Services Marketing),  Kieran Mangra (Business Services Marketing), Amivi Sogbo (Business Services Marketing), Alejandro Cepeda (Sports and Entertainment Marketing), and Adanna Ibeku (Restaurant and Food Service Marketing Event) placed in the “Top 10 Overall” of their respective events, with Mangra and Cepeda taking first place in one of their two role plays. As a result, the five will advance to DECA’s State Career Development Conference, being conducted next month in Cherry Hill.

SUNY Potsdam

Brianna Hill of Colonia was named to the fall president's list at SUNY in Potsdam, New York. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Stonehill College

East Brunswick resident Jessica L. Dudra, a student at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, studied in Spain at University Autonoma de Barcelona for the fall semester.

ALSO:Andrew P. Pecoraro of Linden was named to the school's fall dean's list.

The Wardlaw-Hartridge School

Cheerleaders at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison rallied the community at the Winter Pep Rally on Jan. 8. The pep rally included performances by the Middle and Upper School cheerleading teams and several faculty and student games. The varsity winter sports captains addressed their peers and championship banners were unveiled for the 2015 boys' tennis team and 2014 softball team. The Booster Club sold refreshments and W-H apparel and gear to the many fans in attendance. Young alumni returned to their alma mater to participate in an Alumni vs. Boosters and Coaches basketball game in the evening.

Thomas Edison EnergySmart CharterSchool

Thomas Edison EnergySmar Charter School in Franklin won the Best in State award ($5,000 for the school and a mobile tablet for each participant student) in Middle School category for the app "CheerUp and Smile."

The app was designed by Sanjana, Ujjayi, Sandy, Rithika and Siya, sixth and seventh graders.

To view the video: http://youtu.be/w4_2vBWq6LU.

The team also qualified for the Regional (Eastern) and Fan Favorite Award. If they win Regional, they qualify for Nationals. If they win Fan Favorite award, it gets all the benefits of winning the National award: $15,000 for the school, assistance from MIT team to build the app, and flight tickets for all students and teacher to Tennessee to collect the award.

Fan Favorite award is for the app that received the most votes, and the school is reaching out to the community to get votes for the app. Interested community members can text CHEERUP2 to 22333.

Or visit http://appchallenge.tsaweb.org/vote/5937.

The University of Vermont

The following Central Jersey residents at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, were named to the fall dean's list: Victoria Taormina of East Brunswick, Oraya Zinder of Princeton, John Lorenc of Colonia, Scott Quisenberry of Cranford.

Wofford College

Christopher David Pritting of Parlin was named to the fall dean's list at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina  Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher.

York College of Pennsylvania

The following Central Jersey residents at York College in York, Pennsylvania, received degrees on Dec. 22

Maya Brown of Fords, bachelor's degree in sport management

Chelsey Colucci of South Plainfield, bachelor's degree in finance

Justin Glasofer of Piscataway, bachelor's degree in accounnting

Megan Kulpa of Sayreville, bachelor's degree in music

Michael Stetson of Old Bridge, bachelor's degree in business administration.

The following Central Jersey residents at York College were named to the fall dean's list: Ryan Aug of Monmouth Junction, Rachel Bonacci of Spotswood, Hayley Davino of Monroe Township, Kyle Gora of Old Bridge, Morgan Hoagland of New Brunswick, Adrian Jatsiv of Parlin, Moriah Kunch of South Plainfield, Timothy O'Leary of South Plainfield, Kelly Peck of Monroe Township, Alyssa Philip of Carteret, Richard Roy of Lambertville, Marissa Smith of South Plainfield, Rebecca Thomas of Middlesex, Peri Weinfeldt of Gillette, 
Aimee Wilson of Metuchen, Sarah Wilson of Edison. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Youngstown State University

Michele Saladino of Princeton was named to the fall president's list at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio  Students must achieve a grade-point average of 4.0.

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email: hntmetro@mycentraljersey.com