Board of Education Honors SPFHS Top Students

School board members, teachers, coaches, administrators, and directors took to the podium at the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education's "Awards Night" on Monday. Before a capacity crowd in Evergreen Elementary School's multipurpose room, they honored more than 50 Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School students for their academic, musical, and athletic accomplishments during the 2010-11 school year.

"Tonight we'll celebrate your achievements," Board of Education president Trip Whitehouse said. "You've distinguished yourselves as the best in our district."

In fact, the high school's premiere jazz band, the Moonglowers, did one better. It placed first in both district and state competition, ahead of 26 other bands. Two of its members, Amanda Ho and Lauren Ruesch, were named to three all-state bands: Ho to the New Jersey Music Educators Association's orchestra and wind ensembles, and Ruesch to the NJME's symphonic band.

The Board all passed honorary resolutions in recognition of students who excelled in co-curricular activities: Adam Offitzer, co-editor-in-chief of The Fanscotian, the high school's student newspaper, won the Garden State Scholastic Press Association's New Jersey High School Journalist of the Year award. He also won the New Jersey Press Foundation's Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship, an award of $5,000.

The Union County School Board's Student Recognition award went to Lauren Steinbeck, a senior who developed a peer-tutoring program for freshmen. She was recognized for both her volunteerism and her academic achievements.

"You truly do make our district and our communities proud," Whitehouse said to Steinbeck. "I want to thank you for that."

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School principal David Heisey also lauded the award recipients. "These students have taken advantage of many opportunities," he said. "You are looking at some top students in the nation."

The students honored are listed below:

Moonglowers: Stephanie Baier, Laura Bruce, Lauren Casserly, Chris Cerchio, Ron Chattopadhyay, Russell Davis, Domenic Gubernat, Jesse Haack, Amanda Ho, Peter Huether, Evan Levine, John Lieblich, Al Lombardi, Blake Lyons, Will McColly, John McNally, Ryan McTernan, Michael Pesin, Nick Poulios, Roger Romero, Eddie Sangern, Steven Scannell, CJ Sciara, Bryce Smith, Charles Zhou

All State Band Orchestra: Amanda Ho and Laura Ruesch

Journalism Award: Adam Offitzer

Union County School Boards Student Recognition: Lauren Steinbeck

DECA: Kyle Bimbaum, Matt Greaney, Lauren Hamett, Johan Hernandez, Chris Freeman, Morgan Puleo

Scholar Athletes: Sarah Canfield (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Aassociation Scholar Athlete), Joseph D'Annunzio, and Kelsey Rossi (Union County Scholar Athletes)

Governor's School: Laura Bruce, Ben Parisi, Caresse Yan

Physics II Team: Andrew Van Haasteren (First Place Student), Maxim Kachalov, Aleksandra Szczuka, Brandon Wheeler

American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Awards: Brie Adamczyk, Marissa Berlant, Jorge Rodriguez-Larrain

Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars: Matthew Alfano, Jeremy Busch, Sarah Canfield, Timothy Carroll, Sophie Chou, Victoria Dalessandro, Lindsey Douglas, Geri Flood, Melissa Goldberg, Samantha Goldner, Samantha Henderson, Lauren Hirschhorn, Caitlin Hoynes-O'Connor, Alyson Linsenberg, Sruthi Narayanan, Daniel Nizri, Adam Offitzer, Neha Pannuri, Jason Pearl, Lindsay Robinson, Kelsey Rossi, Alanna Salituro, Steven Scannell, Mackenzie Sizemore, Lauren Steinbeck, Aleksandra Szczuka, Devra Traiman, Andrew Van Haasteren

National Merit Commended Students: Matthew Alfano, Alex Davis, Luke Durett, Christopher Fortunato, Alex Graham, Samantha Henderson, Sruthi Narayanan, Adam Offitzer, Alanna Salituro, Lauren Steinbeck, Andrew Van Haasteren

National Merit Finalists: Sophie Chou and Zachary Flanzman

National Hispanic Recognition Program: Bianca Chaves

National Achievement Scholarship Program: Delia McGee

Salutorian: Samantha Henderson

Valedictorian: Zachary Flanzman