Each year, New Jersey school districts nominate their educators for the prestigious Governor’s Educator of the Year Award through the New Jersey Department of Education. The program seeks to recognize educators “who have gone above and beyond in their service to New Jersey’s students” and to create a culture that recognizes excellence and brings public attention to the work of outstanding educators.

“On behalf of the district and Board of Education, I want to say, ‘congratulations’ and ‘thank you’ to the 10 teachers and educational services professionals who were recognized through the program,” said Superintendent Alvin Freeman, Ed.D. “Their hard work and dedication to student success is what makes Bound Brook School District and its students bound for greatness.”

The Governor’s Educator of the Year recipients are:

Teachers:

Samantha Melesurgo, LaMonte/LaMonte Annex Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Stephanie Ackley, Lafayette Elementary Art Teacher

Gina Petrusky, Smalley Elementary Gifted and Talented Program Instructor

Kim Kredatus, Community Middle School Science Teacher

Joelle Smith, Bound Brook High School Mathematics Teacher

Educational Services Professionals:

Alma Pena, LaMonte/LaMonte Annex Teacher Assistant

Renee Jacobs-Grauer, Lafayette Elementary Speech Therapist

Lee Eaton, Smalley Elementary School Counselor

Genesis Picado, Community Middle School Teacher Assistant

Deborah Paulsen, Bound Brook High School Student Assistance Counselor

The first cohort of students enrolled in the course are preparing to take the FAA Part 107 certification exam – passing that exam makes students certified Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilots. 

“I do plan to take the test,” said Olivia Scire, a BBHS junior. “BBHS and RVCC kindly pays for the students in the program to take the Part 107 exam the first time.”  

Olivia is active in FIRST Robotics and is interested in pursuing an engineering degree in the future. When she heard about the drone program, she immediately decided to take advantage of the opportunity to see if it could further prepare her for college. She pictures building drones in the future – and knowing the rules and regulations gives her an edge. Scire describes the CTE/WBL program as “lifechanging.” 

“I like how this program is not what I expected. It’s something completely different,” she said. “It’s something I didn’t think I could learn at such a young age; I would imagine learning this when I’m in college. It’s definitely opened my mind for the future.” 

Another advantage to the CTE/WBL program is being in the college environment. BBHS students are on the RVCC campus two days per week and get comfortable being on a college campus, exploring their interests, while still in high school.   

In-demand Career with Vast Applications  

Dennis Florentine, the program’s instructor and the Director of Operations, UAS at Warren County Community College, prepares students for flights by covering various topics including regulations and safety concerns. He takes it one step further by educating students about in-demand careers and how to safely fly drones.  

“As an educator, I want to see my students succeed,” Dennis said. “You can sit for this test and pass it and become a drone pilot. So, what we do, is get students ready for the test, but also give them the opportunity to apply the skills.”  

The goal of the CTE/WBL program is to prepare students for in-demand careers. BBHS students can study Make-Up Design, Advanced Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Allied Health Phlebotomy. The drone program is the newest addition this school year. Unmanned Systems Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the career market. Another program is planned to join the line-up in the fall: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)/Emergency Services/Fire Science. 

“We often tell students that college and career are not an either-or,” said William Ross, Bound Brook’s Director of Data, Planning, Research, & Evaluation. “We want you to think of both simultaneously for your post-secondary pathway life.” 

Students learn about a wide variety of industries that employ UAS technology such as agriculture, environmental sciences, search and rescue, and law enforcement. Many of these industries are understaffed with qualified professionals – that’s where BBHS students come in. Ready with advanced certification and training, students can enter the workforce and meet the demands of this emerging industry. 

“We learn about the vast opportunities available through this course,” said Kimberly Chaves, junior at BBHS. “I am interested in law enforcement and that’s one of the careers that use drones for search and rescue and other pieces.”  

For Chaves, learning about drones has expanded her skillset and branched out to new opportunities. She joked she even improved in her map reading skills. 

“It’s a huge switch in setting coming to a college campus,” Chaves explained. “The class is very hands-on, and you learn to apply the skills while interacting with other students and professors. In the small setting, everyone is focused on the materials.”  

The Future for Unmanned Aircrafts 

The drone certification program is a nationally recognized program that began at Warren County College in 2018. Now, the program travels across New Jersey even working with corporate companies on basic skills.  

Alex Morales is a senior at BBHS and was surprised when he heard about the opportunity through Mr. Ross. With an interest in technology, he decided to absorb more skills and pursue the program. Although he does not see himself flying drones in the future, he can visualize the application in cyber security, his planned career path.  He will attend Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the fall to pursue that goal. 

“Learning the tech that goes into drones, like coding. Even a drone could get compromised,” he said. “So, understanding how they work will help me.”  

CTE/WBL offers students opportunities for in-depth learning so students can clarify goals and interests, while enhancing their career readiness in industries like UAS.  

At the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Warren Hills District Competition, the group received the FIRST Impact Award. This prestigious honor recognizes the team that best embodies the mission of FIRST Robotics and who serves as a model for other teams to emulate. The judges praised the team’s diversity and other initiatives as the team works to raise awareness of STEAM in their school community and beyond, including by mentoring young BBSD students and hosting outreach events.   

Members of R.O.B.B.E Team 56 are no strangers to the FIRST Impact Award as back-to-back awardees. It also marks the third time the team has achieved the award overall.  

R.O.B.B.E Team 56 President Kimberly Chaves-Cubero was named a Dean’s List Award Semi-Finalist at the Warren Hills Competition. Similar to the National Merit Scholarship Award, it celebrates sophomores and juniors who exemplify leadership and have increased awareness for FIRST and its mission. Awardees attract the attention of prestigious colleges and universities who desire to recruit FIRST Dean’s List students. As a semifinalist, Kimberly will compete for this award at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship.  

The group also won other attribute-based awards earlier this season, such as the Team Sustainability Award at the Mt. Olive District Competition. This award celebrates a team for developing practices to have a positive environmental impact. This marks the program’s third triumph for this accolade, building upon its legacy of environmental stewardship.  

The judges commended the team’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, “With their plans for the future, you can be sure this team isn’t going anywhere. From the pit to the lobby, being eco-friendly is their hobby.” 

Mrs. Lauren Belli, Robotics Team Faculty Advisor, was honored with the Donald Bowers Inspiration Award at the Mt. Olive District Competition. This award recognizes individuals who instill the values of FIRST within their team and community and honors the legacy of Donald Bowers.  

The judges recognized Mrs. Belli’s supportive nature saying, “This mentor teaches team members what it takes to collaborate, think creatively and the value of learning from mistakes. With even a simple bracelet saying, ‘You got this!’, this mentor lets students know anything is possible!” 

What’s next? R.O.B.B.E Team 56 will be competing in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship in April at Lehigh University. Join us as we wish them luck during the rest of this impressive season. Learn more about the team at: team56.com. 

Several students from Bound Brook High School (BBHS) were selected, including artwork from juniors Valentina Aleman and Marissa Hays at the county level and artwork from senior Denys Lelyanov at the state level.  

Read more about these talented artists:

Denys Lelyanov  

Senior Denys Lelyanov created his artwork as a cover for the Elysium Magazine, the school magazine at Bound Brook High School. Using a graphite pencil, Denys centered his art piece around the theme of human experience to illustrate it with a black and white medium.  

“I tried to think of the human experience,” Denys said. “I’m from Ukraine, so I tried to convey the experience people have over there for the magazine cover.” 

Sparked by his love for video games, Denys is interested in pursuing art as a career, specifically in concept design for video game studios. He will be choosing a college to pursue that career path this spring.  

Denys became one of the top 70 student artists selected by AENJ for the statewide Youth Art Month exhibition, which took place at the Grounds for Sculpture Museum from late February until late March.  

Valentina Aleman 

Valentina Aleman, a junior at BBHS, was one of 22 BBHS students whose artwork was selected to be featured in the Somerset County Youth Art Month show. 

“To create variation, I made six different strawberries from different focal points to illustrate the various ways you can draw a strawberry,” she said.  

Valentina emphasized the support from her art teachers, Ms. Levering and Ms. Zybura, who continue to help ignite her passion and interest for art. It’s especially important to her as she aims to pursue graphic design as a future career.  

Marissa Hays 

Junior Marissa Hays celebrated her appreciation for art by depicting pickles in various colors, which was also chosen to be showcased at the Somerset County Youth Art Month show. She noted the difficulty in first drawing them but became excited to see how her efforts turned out to be a great result.  

“I drew pickles first and then painted on top of them to represent four different color schemes,” she explained. The artwork allowed her to use color variation to create visual interest, utilizing the color wheel taught to her in art class.  

While Marissa plans to pursue nursing as a career, she loves to engage in art as a hobby. She especially enjoys painting to make use of shading and the colors available at her disposal. 

All three students acknowledged the importance of Youth Art Month and the opportunities it grants to young artists who want to explore art and showcase their creativity.  

Way to go, Crusaders! 

BBHS is delighted to share all students who were chosen to be featured in the Somerset County Youth Art Month show, hosted by the Manville Public Library:  

Grade 9 

• Diego Orlando Alvarenga Cruz 
• Haley Perez Felipe 
• Jadyn Marold 
• Allison Mora 

Grade 10 

• Melanie Garcia Bautista 
• Krysta Chaves 
• Angie Cano Lopez 
• Katherine Lopez 
• Rosie Malpartida Oriol 
• Kylie Win 
• Timothy Varshavskyi 

Grade 11 

• Valentina Aleman 
• Emma Baker 
• Faobricio Garita 
• Marissa Hays 
• Steven Quiros 
• Mariana Velasquez 

Grade 12 

• Ellana Landers 
• Jasmine Leiva 
• Valerine Lopez Alfaro 
• Mariangelis Mitchell Vargas 
• Norelvi Navarrete Menjivar 

A big congratulations to Denys Lelyanov for his artwork being featured in the state Youth Art Month show! 

The new space comfortably fits 256 students – and serves as a true multi-purpose space for Lafayette. All School Meetings – a monthly school-wide gathering – are easier in the space. Students can meet to honor birthdays, student of the month ceremonies, and even hold student performances.

Jonathan Bal, a second grader at Lafayette, has watched the construction firsthand and noticed the impact of the cafeteria. “It’s a good place to hang out with my friends and take a break from work,” he said about the new space. Pizza Fridays in the space always bring a smile to the faces of him and his friends.

“We are all thrilled to have this new space,” said Lafayette Principal Ms. Deirdre Kehayas. “We are all super excited for Ms. Nelson to finally have a dedicated space to teach students about the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.”

The addition has already increased the functionality of Lafayette Elementary School. Before the new cafeteria, students used the gym as an auditorium and cafeteria. That created an almost two-hour period where most physical education (PE) classes could not happen in the gym. Some physical education classes were held outside in the winter months, weather permitting, or in students’ regular classrooms.

Before winter break, students used the space to rehearse for the Winter Concert. The school looks forward to hosting other events like book fairs, class pictures and concerts in the spacious cafeteria without interfering with other schedules.

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