SOMA BOE recognizes excellence within the school district

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — At its Dec. 17 meeting, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education recognize many groups of students and faculty members for their many recent accomplishments.

The CHS Unaccompanied Minors Vocal Ensemble, led by Vocal Music Director Jamie Bunce, was featured on a “Wonderama” episode, which aired Nov. 16.
The CHS National Honor Society inducted the following 59 seniors: Odilichi Agba, Chidima Asikaburu, Donovan Batzli, Katherine Besom, Kayla Bobb, Christopher Borello, Abigail Botschka, Gabrielle Bromfeld, Lewis Busch-Vogel, Ian Casaren, Chiamaka Chukwuka, Emma Chung, Shayna Cohen, Lillian Engelhard, Kelly Fagin, Grace Finlayson, Lola Freeman, Zoe Fuhrman, Malcolm Gibbons, Alessandra Grant, Finnola Gray, Hannah Gross, Jonah Grossman, Benjamin Harteveld, Hikaru Hayakawa, Jessica Helfenstein, Danielle Howell, Lily Hummel, Noah Johnson, Lucien Kisch, Jake Knoll, Adam Krakower, Evelyn Lazen, Jasmine Lecount-McClanahan, Alejandra Lupton, Andrew Matos, Meredith Meyer, Leah Miller, Samantha Miller, Cecilia Munoz, Katharine O’Leary, Cailee Olitt, Morgan Orzeck, Hamilton Peterson, Grace Petroccia, Ethan Pidgeon, Sofia Ratkevich, Francesca Rosenblatt, Jonah Sachs, Isaac Schiftic, Milo Shields, Lucero Shorter, Hannah Silver, Conor Strasser, Christopher Trzaska, Lillian Wilson, Rosa Wolff and Jacob Zakian.
CHS film students, under the direction of teacher Paul Marigliano, were victorious again this year at The Ramapo College High School Film Festival. Junior Sofia Simoniello and graduate Stephanie Cadet won for “Best Animation,” making this the second year in a row CHS has won this award. Junior Cameron Lipp and graduate Zack Spangler won for “Best Fiction Film.”
CHS sophomore string bass student Jason Meusel was selected for NJ All-State Orchestra this year and he just completed the Winter Concert Performance with the state ensemble.
Seven CHS students were awarded Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative instruction scholarships: freshman Elorm Afor-Agbanu for percussion; junior Ori Ben-Ari for clarinet; senior Lindsey Camara for flute; junior Sheldon Dohman for violin; junior Kimberly Dorvil for cello; junior Mikayla Montano for violin; and freshman Michley Nelson for viola.
CHS students from special dance, under teacher Kandice N. Point-Du-Jour, were featured in coverage of the 2018 NJ State Teen Arts Festival in this month’s edition of NJEA’s “Classroom Close-Up.”
MMS sixth-grader Ariel Harrington-Wright played the star role of “Fritz” in this year’s full-length production of New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble’s holiday classic “The Nutcracker.”
Technology integration trainer Sabina Ellis’s technology workshop, “Learn about the New Tools & Layout of Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Keep,” has been selected for the 2019 National Education Association Education Support Professionals Conference taking place in March in Las Vegas.
Jefferson Elementary School was ranked in the top 100 schools in New Jersey by Patch.com with special mention for outstanding teachers.
CHS ceramic arts teacher Nicole Thomas wrote an article titled “Stories of Exploration in a Student-Centered Learning Environment,” which was reprinted in the December 2018 issue of NJEA Review. The article was originally published in the February 2017 Issue of the National Art Education Association’s journal Art Education and has also been reprinted in the Art Educator’s of New Jersey’s October 2017 edition of Art Beat.
CHS graphic arts and production journalism teacher Cindy Malhotra has a photo called “City in the Sky” included in “Raw 2019: Photography Exhibition” at the Noyes Museum of Stockton University. One of Malhotra’s photos will be included in an upcoming issue of The Photo Review, a critical journal of fine art photography, as one of the winners of their 2018 photo competition. Her work will also be published in issue No. 131 of BLACK AND WHITE, a magazine for collectors of fine photography, as a winner in the Single Image Contest 2019.
CHS interim Director of Athletics and Activities Ken Mullen received the Ice Hockey Award from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Dec. 3.
Former CHS soccer coach Gene Chyzowych was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame with a posthumous award on Dec. 3; the award was accepted on his behalf by his sons.