NJ students: Westfield High School 12th graders receive Seal of Biliteracy
One hundred and eighteen Westfield High School 12th graders received the Seal of Biliteracy, an award granted to students who attain proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.
There were other World Language honors as well. Senior Frank Wietry earned a perfect score on the National Latin Level 2 Exam. The distinction of a perfect score was only attained by a very small number of students out of more than 100,000 who took the exam across the world. Additionally, 61 students in total took the National Latin Exam in March, which is given annually in all 50 states and a number of countries worldwide. Westfield students earned a variety of awards and recognitions at all four levels of the exam, including seven gold medal summa cum laude awards, five silver medal maxima cum laude awards, five magna cum laude awards, and seven cum laude awards.
“I am happy to see the hard work of so many students recognized,” said WHS Latin teacher James Rowan. “I am also very proud that Frank Wietry had a perfect score this year; it is not every year that Westfield High sees an achievement of that level, so Frank’s perfect score is praiseworthy indeed.”
WHS students in grades 9-11 also took the Italian National exam in March, competing against more than 3,000 students across the country in all four levels of Italian. Eleven earned gold awards, 15 earned silver status, and five earned bronze awards.
In May, 82 students were inducted into the National Honor Societies for French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, with 22 excelling in French, 23 in Spanish, 18 in Italian, and 19 in Chinese.
“We are very proud of all of these accomplishments,” said Enrique Pincay, K-12 supervisor of World Languages and ELL. “The Class of 2022 had particular challenges to endure in the last couple of years. However, our students are resilient and they rose to those challenges, demonstrating how capable they are.”
Pincay praised the World Languages team as well, saying, “These achievements also are a result of the unfading will of our world languages teachers who tirelessly worked to achieve the level of proficiency we expect from our students.”
Mount Saint Mary Academy
Elizabeth Roper, director of College Counseling and AP Coordinator, reported on Tuesday, July 5, Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung students have earned commendable scores after taking the AP examinations in May. According to Roper, 75 percent of AP Exam scores were a score of three or higher. (Scores of three or higher may allow a student to be eligible to receive college credit.) Scores of five (highest possible) were achieved in 15 of the 18 subjects.
One-hundred forty-five students of 10th, 11th, and 12th grades took 321 AP Exams in 18 different subjects.
Mount Saint Mary Academy offered the following AP subjects: Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science Principles, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Italian Language & Culture, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, Statistics, United States Government & Politics, and United States History.
The majority of exams were taken in the following subjects: Computer Science Principles (41), Psychology (39), Biology (30), English Literature & Composition (30), United States Government & Politics (27), and Statistics (27).
Jacqueline Muratore, assistant directress for Faculty, Curriculum, and Planning, said, “Congratulations to our students and faculty for their success on the 2022 AP Exams! Mount Saint Mary Academy students have a record of excellence with AP Exams, and scores of three or higher were earned this year by students in all 18 subject areas. Strong AP scores can help students receive credit or advanced placement at many colleges and universities. We are so proud of our students and the extraordinary efforts made by all students and teachers this past year.”
Thomas Edison State University
On Thursday, June 16, the NJ Senate and General Assembly recognized the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison State University (TESU) in Trenton with a ceremonial resolution that commends the university for its years of service to adult learners while promoting the values and principles upon which it was founded − innovation, access to education and a recognition of college-level learning that takes place outside the classroom.
The resolution notes among other things that TESU, which was established on Saturday, July 1, 1972, by the NJ State Board of Higher Education and named after Thomas Alva Edison, “amply fulfilled its goal of providing an excellent education to all the students who have attended this respected institution of higher learning.”
“As one of New Jersey’s senior public institutions of higher learning and the only one designed specifically for adult learners, I congratulate Thomas Edison on its 50th Anniversary,” said Sen. Shirley Turner (D-15). “The University continues to impact adult learners through positive change and provide economic stimulus to the state.”
In a joint statement, Asw. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblyman Anthony S. Verelli said, “We are proud to have Thomas Edison State University in our district, to witness the positive change it makes every day in the lives of adult learners and to work beside this institution for the benefit of all state residents.”
The Senate and General Assembly resolution praised “the meritorious record of its faculty, administrators and staff in providing exceptional educational opportunities to its students and extends sincere best wishes for its continued success and vigor.”
“We are honored to be recognized by the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly for TESU’s 50 years of changing lives,” said Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, TESU president. “We step into the next 50 years of TESU with the same spirit of innovation and commitment to the success of our working students.”
Also: On Thursday, June 30, Gov. Phil Murphy and the NJ State Legislature took a step toward supporting nontraditional student learners with tuition assistance geared specifically for Thomas Edison State University (TESU) as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 NJ state budget.
With passage of the state budget, a higher education tuition assistance appropriation that was included in the budget on Wednesday, June 29, was signed into law by Murphy.
“This is a watershed moment for our students,” said Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, president, TESU. “I want to thank the appropriation’s sponsors, the legislature and the governor for their action today. With this investment, New Jersey takes a leading role in addressing the higher education need-based aid of adult students.”
The budget includes a fiscal year 2023 appropriation of $1.5 million from the State General Fund to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority in the Department of State to provide tuition assistance for students enrolled at Thomas Edison State University.
“Thomas Edison State University is a leader in providing online education for adult learners,” said N.J. Sen. Troy E. Singleton, District 7, who helped champion the additional funding for TESU. “This appropriation addresses a lack of financial support provided under the existing Tuition Aid Grants and other forms of traditional tuition assistance. It is our hope that this funding will provide new opportunities to even more people seeking to achieve their higher education goals.”
The tuition assistance funding will allow the university to establish a separate and unique Tuition Aid Assistance program, “Grant Opportunity (GO-TESU),” which will enable the university to open the doors for adult learners seeking to change their lives and further their careers.
In a joint statement, N.J. Sen. Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblyman Anthony S. Verrelli, of District 15, said, “Fifty years ago tomorrow, the New Jersey State Board of Higher Education created Thomas Edison State University as one of the first public institutions to forego traditional conventions and bring higher education to the state’s working adults. Today, with this budget, we again forge forward with thinking outside traditional financial aid conventions to create a pathway to education for adult learners.”
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Trinitas Regional Medical Center
Trinitas Regional Medical Center’s School of Nursing in Elizabeth recently celebrated 49 graduates at its 168th commencement ceremony. The graduation ceremony featured a traditional pinning ceremony that symbolizes a rite of passage into the professional world of nursing and the nurse’s commitment to those they care for.
While nursing school is uniquely challenging for all who enroll, the students that made up Trinitas Regional Medical Center’s School of Nursing Class of 2022 faced unprecedented challenges throughout their two-and-a-half year nursing school journeys which started in January 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time the students navigated multiple challenges with resilience including transitioning between remote and in-person learning multiple times, adhering to safety protocols including smaller clinical groups, social distancing, mandatory masking and face shields, COVID screening, weekly COVID testing and relocating on campus after Hurricane Ida flooded the Trinitas School of Nursing educational center on the Union County College Campus. Additionally, nursing students in the class of 2022 participated in vaccination efforts with supervision from faculty, administering some of the first COVID vaccines to the community.
“It is my pleasure to congratulate the Trinitas School of Nursing Class of 2022,” said Gary S. Horan, president and chief executive officer, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. “The past two and a half years have been unexpected and unforgettable, but our nursing students rose to every challenge they were faced with. We are very proud of students as well as our faculty and staff, for doing this important work during a very challenging situation, all while keeping with the mission of Trinitas Regional Medical Center upholding a commitment to providing high-quality care to a diverse population.”
Established in 1891, the Trinitas School of Nursing is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education, Inc. and the New Jersey State Board of Nursing. In 1971, the school made a commitment to serve educationally disadvantaged students, the non-traditional, and those seeking a second career and/or career mobility. This commitment resulted in the formation of a Cooperative Nursing Program (CNP), in partnership with Union County College, which allows students in the CNP to graduate with a diploma in Nursing from Trinitas School of Nursing and an Associates in Science from Union County College. Upon graduation, all students are also eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurse Licensure (NCLEX).
Trinitas School of Nursing is committed to providing and sustaining an excellent nursing education program for a diverse student population representative of the community Trinitas Regional Medical Center serves in Elizabeth. On average, 81 percent of Trinitas School of Nursing students represent ethnic minority groups, contributing to the cultural diversification of the nursing workforce. In the Spring of 2021, the demographic profile of the school showed that: 37% of the students were African American, 7% Asian, 13% Caucasian and 33% Hispanic. For more information about the Trinitas School of Nursing, visit: https://trinitasschoolofnursing.org/.
Union County College
Union County College announced a new partnership with Queen City Academy Charter High School in Plainfield for an Early College Program. Students participating in the Queen City Academy partnership will have the opportunity to receive their associate degree from Union County College at the same time as they earn a high school diploma from Queen City Academy.
As part of the new partnership, Queen City Academy students will have the option to pursue their associate degree in either engineering or computer information systems technology. There are currently 30 students enrolled in the program. The partnership started at the beginning of the 2021 school year, and the first students enrolled in the early college program may graduate in 2025.
"Through our partnership with Union College, our high school students have the opportunity to begin laying the tracks for post-secondary education in advance and we are thrilled that QCACHS’ inaugural class has set the tone of excellence for this partnership moving forward,” said Danielle West-Augustin, chief executive officer of Queen City Academy Charter School. “This program undoubtedly levels the playing field for Black and Brown students. With early exposure to a post-secondary and STEM-focused curriculum, we hope to put our scholars on a trajectory to address inequities in education and garner success.”
Students in the program will take all classes for their first two years at Queen City Academy. For their junior and senior years, they will also attend classes at Union County College. The partnership provides young people interested in STEM the opportunity to pursue these degrees at a younger age.
“We are excited to partner with Queen City Charter to offer students in our community this valuable opportunity,” said Union President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin. “They will experience college courses on our campuses, and more important, they may be eligible to graduate high school with an Associate Degree.”
Student and School news appears on Saturdays. Email: cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com
Carolyn Sampson is Executive Office Assistant for the Courier News, The Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com, and handles the weekly Student News page.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ students: Westfield High School students receive Seal of Biliteracy
