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Mason Gross student musicians debut new interactive ensemble

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
The Rutgers Interactive Music Ensemble (RIME).

The newly formed Rutgers Interactive Music Ensemble (RIME), directed by Mason Gross professor Steven Kemper of Highland Park, will perform its first solo concert on Monday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mabel Smith Douglass Room in Douglass and Laurie Library, 8 Chapel Drive on the Douglass Campus.

The concert is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

New Jersey RIME student musicians are: Andrew Bambridge of Pittstown; John Boracci of Burlington; Andriy Gavrysh of Morristown; Kevin Gunia of East Brunswick; Marissa Hickman of Montclair; Joseph Patrone of Egg Harbor Township and Austin Durham of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a member as well.

“I started RIME to help students develop proficiency performing with a wide range of technologies, as well as to express their musicality through the combination of traditional instruments and cutting-edge performance technology,” Kemper said. “I also wanted to familiarize them with new types of ensemble music being created specifically for technology-oriented ensembles.”

This concert will feature established pieces for laptop ensemble by Joo Won Park and Kristina Warren, as well as guided improvisations that combine acoustic instruments with computer-generated sound by Mark Phillips and by the members of RIME.

Additionally, RIME will premiere "Fractured Imagination" for laptop quartet by ensemble member and BM in Composition student John Boracci. The concert also will present "After | Apple Box" by Associate Professor of Music at Stony Brook University Margaret Anne Schedel, which was written in honor of her father, Charles Woodis Schedel Jr., a Rutgers history major (Class of 1960). In this piece the ensemble plays ammunition boxes that Schedel found cleaning out the attic of her childhood home after her father’s death in 2017. These boxes have been converted to electroacoustic instruments using piezoelectric pickups and machine learning techniques.

For more information about any Mason Gross event, visit masongross.rutgers.edu or call the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center ticket office at 848-932-7511.

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4-H National Conference

Kate McHale, a 16-year-old resident of Hillsborough, and Julie Pirro, an 18-year-old resident of Metuchen. will be representing New Jersey at the 88th National 4-H Conference to be held April 7 to12 in Washington, D.C. 

Pirro is a member of the Somerset County 4-H Sidewinders Club and McHale is a member of the Woof Club.  Sidewinder members learn proper care and maintenance of domestic and exotic amphibians and reptiles.  Woof members focus on learning about dog care and training.

Kate McHale of Hillsborough will represent New Jersey at the 88 National 4-H conference to be held April 7 to 12 in Washington, D.C.

Headquartered at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this conference provides a forum for nearly 300 4-H members, leaders and staff from 45 states, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia and Canada.  These teens offer a voice in program development for future 4-H direction.

McHale and Pirro will join four other 4-H teens from other counties as New Jersey’s delegation:  Frank Ciminiello of Mahwah; Kailyn Emmett from Pedricktown; Grayson Link from Franklinville; and Ashley Murphy of Carney's Point. Candidates were selected amid keen competition following interviews at Rutgers University. Conference delegates were chosen based on their leadership and communication skills and strong participation in the 4-H program.  

Julie Pirro of Metuchen will represent New Jersey at the 88 National 4-H conference to be held April 7 to 12 in Washington, D.C.

“They also share an overall knowledge of the mission of 4-H and a broad understanding of Cooperative Extension,” says Jeannette Rea Keywood, State 4-H Agent & National 4-H Events Coordinator, Department of 4-H Youth Development.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.  4-H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades K-13 (one year out of high school), on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, domestic partnership status, military service, veteran status and any other category protected by law. 

For more information about the Somerset County 4-H Program, visit the website at www.4histops.org.

Colgate University

The following Central Jersey residents at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, were named to the fall dean' distinction list: Suyash Handa of Princeton, Dvorah Southland of Piscataway, Michael Tom of Plainsboro, Patricia Moscicki of Kenilworth, Shannon Pawlak of Cranbury, Lucy Allen of Cranford. Dean's academic excellence list: Danielle Blick and  Christopher Munoz of Princeton. Students must achieve a grade-point average 3.6 (distiniction) and 3.3

College Choice Ranking

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick was included in the Best Bachelor's in Graphic Design #19. The university has a BFA program in design that began in 2015. It focuses on the acquisition of skills such as typography and data visualization while fostering creative problems solving within the context of contemporary culture.

Franklin High School

Franklin High School will present "Into the Woods " at 7:30 p.m. April 13, 14, 20 and 21, and 2:30 p.m. April 15 and 22. Tickets are $15.

The musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine weaves the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales around the story of the Baker and his wife who long to start a family but have been cursed by the witch next door.  Their quest to end the curse causes many of the fairy tale characters to interact with each other, and examines the ramifications of the characters' wishes and quests. 

Before the Sunday performances, A Character Tea will be presented at 1 p.m.    Children can attend and meet and greet many fairy tale characters and have "tea" and desserts. Tickets are $10. There is also a discounted combination ticket for attending the character tea and the play for $22. The Character Tea is a fundraiser for the senior student scholarship fund. 

Visit fhsvocalmusic.com for more information.

High Point University

The following Central Jersey residents at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, were named to the fall dean's list: Kelley Gosling of Edison and Daniel Yackman of Monmouth Junction. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

Institute for Advanced Study

The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton hosted a groundbreaking ceremony recently for Rubenstein Commons, a new $20 million campus building that will provide a necessary space for enhanced communication and collaboration among faculty and scholars. Rubenstein Commons, which is designed by Steven Holl Architects, is made possible by a gift from Institute Trustee David M. Rubenstein, rphilanthropist and co-founder and co-executive hcairman of The Carlyle Group.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by David M. Rubenstein, architect Steven Holl, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert, as well as Institute Trustees, Faculty, scholars, and staff.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by David M. Rubenstein, architect Steven Holl, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert, as well as Institute Trustees, Faculty, scholars, and staff.

“The Institute is a true national treasure, bringing together the greatest minds to solve some of the world’s greatest problems,” added David M. Rubenstein. “I am extremely proud to be associated with the Institute and its quest to make society better.”

“On this special day, we celebrate the Institute’s rich academic history and its inspiring future, and move one step closer to the realization of this important piece of architecture. We hope the new generation of scholars will enjoy the Rubenstein Commons as it brings the community together with inviting spaces,” said Steven Holl.

The Commons is conceived as a welcoming and flexible environment for interaction among the permanent faculty and visiting scholars, and will greatly enhance the Institute’s role as a convener of academic thought and activities across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The building will be located to the east of Fuld Hall to provide convenient access for resident scholars and short-term visitors, and will feature a conference space, meeting rooms, and a lounge with a cafe. 

Linden Public Schools

Two representatives from the New Jersey Department of Education visited Linden Public Schools on Monday, March 19, to see and hear about some of the programs in the schools.

Liz Walsh of the New Jersey Department of Education talking with kindergartner Ethan Cajuste at Linden’s School No. 1.

Liz Walsh and Rebecca Wills, who are involved with strategic operations for the DOE, met with Superintendent Danny A. Robertozzi in his office, along with several other administrators, before they took tours of Schools No. 1 and No. 8.

The visit was part of an assessment of school districts being done under Commissioner Lamont Repollet to figure out what programs are successful in large and growing school districts.

Rebecca Wills of the New Jersey Department of Education talking with students at Linden’s School No. 8.

“We were excited to be able to talk to Ms. Walsh and Ms. Wills about our successes and challenges in Linden,” Robertozzi said. “But even better was taking them on a tour of two of our elementary schools. We’re so proud of the work that our teachers and students are doing that it’s a real thrill to be able to show it off to our friends from Trenton.

Among the major successes the Linden administrators highlighted were:

  • The increased use of assessment data to inform instructional decisions: Two of the staffers who met with Walsh and Wills were Supervisor of Data and Assessment Dariusz Kondratowicz and Instructional Coach Reina Irizarry-Clark, both of whom have been key to this push. Irizarry-Clark was able to show how data is broken down to give feedback to teachers on Instructional Leadership Teams, who pass the information on to their colleagues. Kondratowicz also pointed out that Linden has been able to eliminate the gap in testing scores between economically disadvantaged students and the general student population.
  • One-to-One initiative: Director of Technology Michael Walters talked to Walsh and Wills about the district’s move in 2013 to put a laptop computer in the hands of every student, which he said has leveled the playing field and put all students on equal footing for learning
  •  Parental outreach: Dr. Robertozzi and Assistant Superintendent Denise Cleary discussed the Board of Education’s Parent EST (Education Support Team) and grants from the New Jersey Education Association known as FAST (Families and Schools Together) as two of the areas that help keep parents involved in their children’s education. Parent EST meetings are held once a month as a forum to offer concerns or feedback to Board of Education members, who then share it with Robertozzi. Among other highlights were:
  •  The highly successful NJROTC program at Linden High School, which now has 500 members in a school of about 1,600.
  •  A peer-to-peer teacher feedback program at the high school.
  •  The district’s status as a Department of Education model program for English as a Second Language – the only district named as a K-12 model.
  •  The Professional Development Resource Center, a building specifically dedicated to increasing the number of professional development opportunities for faculty.
  •  The district Launch, a day of professional development and team-building that kicks off the school year.
  •  Programs aimed at increasing teacher diversity, including a partnership with Kean University for student teaching and an introduction-to-education course at Linden High School.

During their visits to the schools, Walsh and Wills walked and talked with School No. 1 Principal Dona Preston and School No. 8 Principal Michelle Rodriguez. They visited classrooms of different grade levels with the principals and talked to students about what they were learning in class.

Misericordia University

The National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) Chapter at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, is conducting the organization’s fourth annual NSSLHA Benefit Concert on Sunday, April 8 at 3 p.m. in Lemmond Theater in Walsh Hall. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. The concert features Beyond Harmony, the university’s female a capella group, performing various hit songs by popular artists. Misericordia’s Dance Ensemble will also perform a variety of creative dance routines. 

NSSLHA officers who organized the benefit, from left, are Alexis D’Amico of Riverside, vice president; Samantha Olcott of Monroe Twp., treasurer; Megan Kieltyka of Scotch Plains, secretary, and Jenna Reed of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, president.

Proceeds from the event will go to helping local individuals with special needs that receive speech, occupational or physical therapy at St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton.

NSSLHA officers who organized the benefit include Samantha Olcott of Monroe.

Tickets are available April 3 to 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Banks Student Life Center lobby at Misericordia University as well as at the door on the day of the event. Tickets sold on or before April 6 will be $3 for Misericordia students, faculty, children, and seniors and $5 for adults. At the door, all tickets will be $5. People who wish to support the cause, but are unable to attend, can mail a check to: Misericordia University Speech-Language Hearing Center, Attn: NSSLHA Benefit Concert, John J. Passan Hall, 100 Lake St., Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612.

One individual who will benefit from the efforts of the concert is Jacob Olmsted of Dallas, a six-year-old with spina bifida and limited leg function. Two years ago, Olmstead received a hand-and-foot powered adapted tricycle. He has outgrown that tricycle, and has developed sufficient strength so he no longer needs the assistance of his hands. The monies raised will go to purchasing him a new Amtryke-adapted foot tricycle, so he may enjoy biking with his family. 

Any proceeds raised beyond the cost of the tricycle will be used to purchase multi-sensory toys and devices that will benefit patients with special needs at St. Joseph's Center in their speech, occupational, and physical therapy treatments. 

For additional information, contact NSSLHA Chapter President Jenna Reed at reedj1@misericordia.edu.

Muhlenberg College

The following Central Jersey residents at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, were recognized for their research studies: Erik Berger and Hannah Molk of East Brunswick.

Palmer College of Chiropractic

Andrew Campana of Piscataway was named to the fall dean's list at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.50.

Raritan Valley Community College

Raritan Valley Community College student Amber Lindsay of Somerset has been selected as a national Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact in recognition of her commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities. Lindsay, a second-year Environmental Science major at RVCC, will join 268 students from across the country for this honor.

Raritan Valley Community College student Amber Lindsay of Somerset has been selected as a national Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact in recognition of her commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities.

Based in Boston, Campus Compact is a non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities

“Amber Lindsay truly embodies the spirt of service at Raritan Valley Community College. As President of the RVCC Environmental Club, and through her participation in service learning environmental science courses, she has pursued her passions with great impact,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

Lindsay’s many activities at RVCC have included leading a “Little Scientist Night” program in which hundreds of local elementary school students visited the campus for a fun-filled night of science. As part of that effort, she worked with a local non-profit serving under-resourced families. Through fundraising efforts and securing a student enrichment grant, she helped fund a study abroad program in Brazil for RVCC students focusing on environmental science. 

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.

Visit www.compact.org

Scholarship Offered to New Jersey College Students

 A $500 scholarship will be awarded this summer to a New Jersey student majoring in natural resource conservation, environmental science or a related field of study, announced the Firman E. Bear Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The Edward R. Hall/Robert R. Hanna Scholarship is awarded annually to acknowledge NJ college students for their academic and personal accomplishments in the field of conservation and/or natural resources.

To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must be: a full-time student in good standing at any New Jersey accredited university/college, or a New Jersey resident attending any accredited out-of-state university/college; and an undergraduate enrolled in a curriculum related to natural resources (other areas related to conservation may also qualify), and have successfully completed at least two semesters of study.

To apply: www.njswcs.org to download application form, complete and postmark by April 30, and mail to: Firman E. Bear Chapter, SWCS, C/O USDA-NRCS, 220 Davidson Ave, 4th floor, Somerset, New Jersey 08873. The scholarship winner will be announced by June 15.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

The following Central Jersey residents were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines: Jaimie Bach of Milltown initiated at Andrews University; Kayla Piatkowski of Cranford initiated at James Madison University and Paige Dalcourt of Plainsboro initiated at Fordham University.

The Wardlaw + Hartridge School

Students from The Wardlaw + Hartridge School in Edison who participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Safety Ambassador program provided tips to second graders. Items addressed included Safety In and Around Cars, Pedestrian Safety, How to Prevent Falls and Proper Use of Helmets in Wheeled Sports. Pictured with Dawn Francavilla, Director of Student Life, from left: Brittney Wilson of North Plainfield, Alex Vargas of Dunellen, Jason Yin of Scotch Plains, Ovidio Chavez of Elizabeth, Ryan Petela of Clark, Kelton Estabrook of Plainfield, Sarah Hoffman of Cranford and Cathy Bi of Edison.

ALSO: Three new teams and faculty leaders entertained a crowd of students, faculty and staff while impressing judges with their delicacies at the second Wardlaw+Hartridge edition of "Chopped." Organized by junior Laura Prishtina of Roselle Park and SAGE Dining Services Chef Anibal Rodriguez, the reality show competition maintained the momentum it built during the inaugural episode in January.

The winning team is pictured with their appetizer and main course selections.

Student teams, each assisted by two faculty mentors, created an appetizer and main course from a basket of ingredients in 35 minutes. A trio of judges — Gerard Gonnella class of 89, Director of Admission, Tanda Tucker, Middle School art teacher, and Rudy Brandl  class of 83, Director of Communications — sampled the entries, provided feedback and determined a winner.

The team of Idisa Morgan and Emanuel Arriaza of Plainfield, Sydney Sweeney of Cranford, Ariana Di Landro of Elizabeth and Alex Vargas of Dunellen, assisted by Upper School teachers Jim Howard and Elisa Segal, prevailed in a friendly and very close competition. Their tasty chicken smothered with tomatoes, cheese and black olives and stuffed mushroom appetizer surrounded by onion rings proved to be a winning combination. The final preliminary episode will also send a winning team to the championship round, which will be held this spring.

ALSO:The Wardlaw + Hartridge School in Edison staged a successful three-day run of "Urinetown" in the first spring musical to be held in the new Berry Performing Arts Center.

Leading players CJ Stueck of Scotch Plains, Kallie Schildge of Westfield, Mayah Nissim of Scotch Plains, Thomas Borner du Cane of Plainfield, Hannah Yates of Piscataway and Steven Bessette of Scotch Plains were joined by a talented ensemble cast and dedicated crew of student technicians. The show was funny and entertaining to the several hundred patrons in attendance.

Thomas Edison State University

Thomas Edison State University has received a $47,240 grant from the Princeton Area Community Foundation in support of the institution’s New Jersey Cultural Competency and English Language Learners (ELL) Summer Institute and Mentoring Program based in The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy.

Left to right: Barbara George Johnson, executive director, the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy; Nelida Valentin, vice president, Grants and Programs, Princeton Area Community Foundation; and John P. Thurber, vice president for Public Affairs, Thomas Edison State University.

The program is supported by a Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation, which is intended to fund organizations whose initiatives transform the lives of low-income individuals, families and communities. The grant will support the mentoring component for 15 classroom teachers who will be trained this spring and begin monthly mentoring shortly thereafter.

“We are grateful for the continued generosity of the Princeton Area Community Foundation in support of the institution’s New Jersey Cultural Competency and English Language Learners (ELL) Summer Institute and Mentoring Program,” said Barbara George Johnson, executive director of The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy at the university. “This funding will allow us to further engage educators in a dialogue about the connection between culture and language as an anchor for academic success, giving teachers the ability to be more culturally responsive to their students.”

The program is an 11-year, evidence-based professional development model that transforms the thinking and practices of teachers (Pre-K to fifth grade) to improve the interactions and instruction of English language learners (ELL) so that they will be able to academically succeed within the context of their strong cultural identities.

“Our Community Impact grants work to transform the lives of low-income individuals, families and communities,” said Jeffrey M. Vega, President & CEO of the Community Foundation. “The University’s program has a 11-year track record of success, and teachers in 15 more classrooms, as well as their students, will benefit from it.”

This year’s Program will continue its partnership exclusively with the Trenton Public Schools, making it the second collaborative year with the district’s teachers in grades Pre-K to fifth. The Program is expected to impact 700 students in one school in the city of Trenton.

Visit https://www.tesu.edu/watson/institute/summer-institute.cfm

Wilkes University

James Cahill of Clark is performing in Wilkes University Theatre's production of "A Chorus Line," April 12 to 15. Cahill is playing the role of Don.

Woodbridge Township School District

It is expected that robust vocabulary instruction occurs at every grade level through rich, engaging instruction and application. Vocabulary should be an integral part of read-alouds, shared reading, guided reading groups, self-selected reading, direct instruction, and writing. In order for students to get a richer, deeper level of word use, instruction must be meaningful and systematic providing multiple exposures of new words over time.

Vocabulary knowledge strengthens reading, writing, and speaking skills.

Woodbridge Township School District believes in infusing vocabulary instruction within existing curricula. Elementary teachers incorporate games and activities which have been proven to be successful with students and their retention of vocabulary words, meanings, and application. They are provided with suggested implementation ideas and strategies which can be adapted for each grade level.

One program that the district has purchased to support vocabulary instruction is Flocabulary — a learning program for all grades that uses educational music to engage students and increase achievement across the curriculum. Flocabulary’s videos are standards-based. There are instructional activities and student creativity tools to supplement instruction and develop core literacy skills. Elementary teachers each have an account where they can access various resources and support tools to enhance instruction.

Vocabulary practice can be done at home as well. A simple way to begin is by reading together. Reading exposes children to new words. The more children are read to and read themselves — the more words they come in contact with. Engaging in family conversations daily is also beneficial. Introducing new and interesting words during conversations will help build your child’s vocabulary bank as well.

Submitted by WTSD Supervisor Laura Calabrese.

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