Evan Bavarsky

On the most beautiful moonlit evening, 311 Allentown High School (AHS) seniors collectively entered the Patriots Theater of the War Memorial in Trenton.

They were all dressed up in their caps and gowns ready to receive their diplomas.

The AHS Class of 2013 will mark the history books for their exceptional level of community service, academics and athletic ability.

Josh Masci and Nikki Kiefer

They are an outstanding group of ladies and gentlemen.

Mel Diggs

Congratulations to the Class of 2013. Wishing you much success in your future!   Email your graduation photos to MyCommunitySource@gmail.com

The Allentown High School Class of 2013 is remarkable for many reasons.

The Class of 2013 is one of the largest high school classes ever with 311 students graduating.

There were so many individual athletes and athletic teams that broke historical school records.

Graduating students have excelled both academically and athletically and received local scholarships for their accomplishments.

Below you will find just a handful of the awards, recognitions and scholarships these young men and women have received. For privacy reasons, some students may not be recognized.

Presidential GOLD Award winners: The Presidential Award for Educational Excellence recognizes those students who are in the top 10% of their senior class, based on a weighted grade point average. In addition, these students completed a preponderance of academic courses including English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language and Computer Science while attending AHS.

Upper Freehold Regional Elementary/Middle School PTA Awards

The PTA awarded scholarships of $1,000 to each of the below graduates who plan to pursue further training in college, business or vocational school. The candidates were judged on service, scholarship, financial need and personal interviews.

Tyler Gravatt and Genevieve Finn

ERA EDGE Scholarship

A $1,000 scholarship was given to a student who demonstrated ethical, forward thinking; exhibits positive life and work habits; and who takes a proactive approach to his/her own and to the lives of those in their community.

Erica Mahnkopf

Software Synergy Inc

Mrs Rose Oxley presented the Software Synergy awards of two laptops for graduating seniors who were the successful essayists/interviewees on his/her future plans.

Zachary Caruso

CentrasState Associated Auxiliary Scholarship

A $500 scholarship was given to Jasmine Ragoowansi from the CentraState Auxiliary for someone who is entering the medical field and has exhibited excellent academics, volunteerism and community service.

Brianna Rose Gaum Memorial Sports Scholarship

The following sports scholarships were awarded to varsity athletes who had a “C” or better average, are planning on attending a 2/4 year college or technical program, and were successful essayists on the topic “What team membership meant to them and how it influenced their lives for the future?”

$1,000 scholarships are given to the following students: Alex Moore, Jake Sandford, Rashi Roy, Erin Primich

The Give Back Foundation Inc Ronald A Dunster Memorial Scholarship

The following $500 scholarships were awarded to students who have demonstrated leadership qualities in their extensive participation in community service, and have a minimum 2.5 GPA and have been accepted to a college/university:

Jessica Parisi

George Louis Patchell Memorial Award

A $200 award was giving to a deserving student who will be attending a 2-year college or vocational school.

Nicola Wright

Allentown Lions Club Outstanding Student Awards

This year a $1,000 award was given to a graduating senior who demonstrated outstanding qualities of citizenship, leadership and service.

Mark Duffy

Also, a $1,000 award was given to a graduating senior who exhibited excellence in community service through the LEO CLUB:

Lena Campbell

Peter R. Chiste Memorial Scholarship

A $1,000 scholarship was awarded to a deserving student who displayed a proactive attitude in the anti-bullying campaign, and a supportive acceptance of his/her fellow students with words and deeds. The recipient must be a graduate of the Allentown/Upper Freehold school system (now the Stone Bridge Middle School) and have a GPA of at least 2.75. In addition, the candidate has been accepted at a four year college. The candidate’s essay described his/her personal experience and position in the anti-bullying campaign.

Mikalya Storey

La Piazza Business/Culinary Scholarship

A $500 award was given to Craig Baum who will be pursuing a career in the field of Culinary Arts.

AHS Robert M Mac Reynolds “Mac” Memorial Scholarship

A $250 award was presented to a deserving female softball athlete, with a 2.5 or higher GPA, who is pursuing a 2 or 4 -year college education, (and demonstrates financial need).

Erin Drennan

Millstone Township PTSA/PTO Award

A $1,000 scholarship award was given by the Millstone Township Middle School PTSA and Elementary School PTA. The award was based on service hours, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendation and an essay on obstacles the student has had to overcome and what he/she learned from the experience.

Jake Sanford

Millstone United Presbyterian Church

$500 awards are given to graduating parishioners for service to the parish and parish community.

Silas Rudderow

Steven E. Reid Courage Award and Steven E. Reid Music Award

$200 was awarded to a senior student exhibiting courage and perserverance in adversity.

Laurence Messler

$50 was awarded to a band student who has made a significant contribution to the music program.

Johannes Lang

Rue Insurance Business Education Award

A $300 award is presented to a senior student who has earned recognition as a future business and community leader.

Tyler Gravatt

Schaumloeffel Memorial Scholarships

For nearly 20 years, the Schaumloeffel family has generously donated and sponsored a scholarship in loving memory of their son and brother, Robert. This award is given each year to a deserving graduate of UFMS who will be continuing his/her education at a 2/4 year school. Recently, another generous award is offered in memory of Mrs Kathleen Schaumloeffel, who lost her life after a long and valiant struggle with breast cancer.

This year, a $500 award was presented to Erica Mahnkopf in memory of Kathleen Schaumloeffel and a $500 award was presented to Laurence Messler in memory of Robert Schaumloeffel.

AHS Mary Wharton Business Award

Upper Freehold Regional Education Association presented an award of $100 to a member of the graduating class who has shown outstanding achievement in the business curriculum.

Samantha Blanco

Nadia Zendaki Memorial Music Award

Two $50 awards were given to senior members of the Allentown Redbird Marching Band who displayed a passion, enthusiasm and commitment to music and the band.

Alexandria Lipman

AHS “Frank P Marino Memorial English Award”

$500 awarded to an student in all aspects of English.

Gabrielle Flake

Gifted and Talented Art Awards

$100 check awarded for outstanding work in art.

Kelsey Doherty

Gifted and Talented/Project Expand Award

$100 check given to the student who had contributed most to the Gifted and Talented program.

Ali Haider Ismail

AHS English Honor Society

Scholarships awarded to students who earned the highest number of service points in the English Honor Society

Gabriella Morrone, Jessica Parisi, Gabrielle San Nicola, Erica Mahnkopf, Ali Hadir Ismail, Marissa Campanella, Stephanie Sjaastad, Carlie Trentacosti

AHS French Honor Society

$150 was given to the students who showed achievement in French, promoted the French Honor Society and demonstrated good character, service and leadership skills.

Ali Haider Ismai, Cameron Mory

AHS Science Honor Society

$50 awards given to Ali Haider Ismail and Jessica Parisi who showed consistent effort and achievement in Science.

AHS Student Council Award

Student Council selected those senior members who were actively involved in council activities and significantly contributed to Student Council

$1,000 given to Alexis Fisher-Kennedy, $500 each to Rebecca Putvinski and Jacqueline Ferre

AHS Redbird Band Parent’s Association Outstanding Member Awards

$200 awards given to outstanding members

Marching Band Outstanding Achievement Awards: Hannah Cuffari, Trevor Kapit

Jazz Band Outstanding Achievement Awards: Gabriel Gilch, Johannes Lang

UFR Education Association Scholarship

The Association awarded $500 to Erin Primich for citizenship, extra curricular activities and community service

FFA Awards

FFA Alumni Awards $300 to: Stuart Faunce, Nicola Wright, Jessica Tegano

The Bucky Wagner Memorial Scholarship $200 to Craig Baum

The Vernon & Alberta Roszel Scholarship of $500 to Nicole Wright

The Blair Lusgarten Scholarship of $300 to Shawn Wolford

The George Rue Memorial Scholarship of $500 to James Asprocolas

The Noble FFA Scholarship of $250 to Stuart Faunce

The Allentown Active Member Scholarship of $300 to Roni Freed

The NJ Equine Clinic Scholarship of $250 to Jessica Tegano

The NJ State Parliamentarian for 2013-2012 is Stuart Faunce

The OceanFirst Foundation Scholarship of $1,000 to Kiersten Reed

National Merit Scholars Commendations: “The young men and women named Commended Students demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

Michael Anthony, Jasmine Ragoowansi      *3 other students were awarded this honor but were not able to be listed

Perfect Attendance for the last five years: Cameron Mory, Nicole Wright

Scholar Male and Female Athlete Award  

The Scholar-Athlete award is presented to a senior male and female athlete who has a very strong academic record and is a major contributor to athletics.  This is a very prestigious award because student’s ability to balance their academic rigor and team responsibilities. 

SCHOLAR FEMALE AWARD Recipient: Alex Moore for Soccer and Lacrosse

Alex Moore receiving one of many awards from Principal Connie Embley

Soccer

“She is most competitive player I have ever worked with.  She is someone who is hard working and always comes up big in clutch situations.  She knows how to win and understands what it takes to be a team player.” Coach Weber

Accomplishments: Team MVP, Team Captain, Led the team in assists, Selected for Mercer 33 All Star Team, 1^st Team All CVC, 1^st Team All Area, All State Honors

Lacrosse

“This young lady has put Allentown Lacrosse on the map.  She is fast, dynamic, and driven.  She is 100% lacrosse.  She is an amazing female athlete who is a leader and role model.  She is always willing to do what it takes to help the team be successful.  She is, without a doubt, one of the best female athletes to come through Allentown High School.”  Coach McCarthy

Accomplishments: 2x US Women’s Lacrosse All American, Under Armour All American National Team, Broke the State Record for Goals in a season, Broke the State Record for Career Goals, Third highest scorer ever in the Nation, Trenton Times Player of the Year, Team MVP Junior and Senior Year, 1^stteam All CVC Junior and Senior Year, 1^st Team All Area Junior and Senior Year

Alex will be continuing to play sports while attending the University of Southern California studying nursing in the fall.

SCHOLAR MALE AWARD Recipient: Nick Palladino

Nick Palladino

“He broke virtually every passing record at Allentown High School. He did very well in academically and was the team leader for three years. He was the quarterback at a time when the program was brought to new heights and he was a big part of the positive change.” Coach Graber

Accomplishments: Delaware Valley Scholar-Leader Award Recipient, 2 x 12^th Man Club Player of the Week, 2 x 1^st Team All West Jersey Football League, 2011 Offensive MVP, 2012 Team MVP, 1^st Team All Area, Set Every School Record for Quarterback Possible during his career at AHS , Selected to play in State North/South Game, Selected to play in the Sunshine Classic All Star Game

He will be continuing his career as a student athlete next year at Muhlenberg where he will be studying Finance and Math and playing football.

____________________________

Alex Moore received many scholarships including the Briana Rose Guam Memorial Sports Scholarship ($1,000), the Millstone Township Education Association Philanthropic Fund Scholarship ($500), Presidential GOLD Award.

Laurence Messler receiving one of his awards from Brian Irwin, AHS Athletic Director

Laurence Messler was awarded several scholarships including the AHS Douglas Van Deussen Educational Scholarship ($1,000), the Kenneth G. Keim, Jr Memorial Scholarship ($1,000), the Steven E. Reid Courage Award and the Staven E. Reid Music Award ($200), the Schaumloeffel Memorial Scholarship ($500), Outstanding Manager Award and was one of the recipients of the SILVER Presidential Award.

Doug Both congratulating Lena Campbell for her recognition as an outstanding student

Lena Campbell was the recipient of two awards; Allentown Lions Club Outstanding Student Award for community service through the Leo Club ($1,000) and the Villagers of Allentown Award ($500).

Joshua Masci

Joshua Masci received the Rita Brady Scholarship, a $250 award given in memory of Rita Brady, a beloved high school secretary, who worked in the AHS main office for several decades beofre her retirement. Awards are given to deserving students in the Business/Information Technology Department who will be furthering their education in the Business Field.

Outstanding Male and Female Athletes

Each year we honor a male and female seniors for our Outstanding Athlete Award who participated in 2 or more school sponsored sports, are major contributors to their teams, and display character, leadership, and integrity.

Being one of the most talented group of student-athletes to grace Allentown’s Athletic Programs in our school’s history, we had a large number of student-athletes that fit this description!!   

Erin Drennan

Field Hockey and Softball

Field Hockey 4 year player

“This player had a presence on defense!  Her ability to take control of the defensive side of the game was second to none. She could see the field and cover it quickly. Her easy-going attitude allowed for a lot of her success. In pressured situations she was our anchor and we all relied on her.”    Coach McCarthy

3 year Varsity Letter Winner

Captain her senior year

Team Defensive Player Award

1^st team All CVC

All Area Recognition

Softball 4 year player

This young lady that has grown tremendously as a player over the past 4 years.  Her offensive numbers this past year were one of the best in mercer county history.  Her leadership and ability to motivate her teammates was like having another coach on the team and we could always rely on her.”   Coach Dubina

3 year Varsity Letter Winner

Captain her senior year

Broke the CVC and Mercer County record with 14 home runs tied for 1^st in the state

Batting average of 523 with 49 RBI’s (top 5 in the State)

2 X Mercer County Champion (2012 & 2013)

2013 Mercer County Tournament MVP

College/Future:

She will be starting her next chapter as a student-athlete at Temple University where she will study Secondary Education and will be playing Division 1 Softball! Congratulations to Erin Drennan!!

Co-Male Outstanding Athlete Winners: Frank Juba and Norman Williams

Frank Juba

“This young man was a great high school football player. He was a three year starter that played both ways. He did anything you coached him to do and was fearless. He had a nose for the ball and a great ability to make the big play when needed. He rose to every challenge and helped our football program grow tremendously over the last four years.”  Coach Graber

Football 4 year player

3 year letter winner

Team captain junior and senior year

Defensive MVP junior and senior year

Red and Black Award winner  Sophomore Year

Led the team in tackling his junior and Senior Year

2x 1^st Team All Conference

2x 1^st Team All Area

Selected to play in the Sunshine Classic All Start Game

Wrestling 4 years

“This young man is a coach’s dream athlete. He is all about the team, the need for preparation, competition, the notion of fair-play, and winning and losing with a dignity.”  Larry Kimport

2010 Rookie of the Year Award

2012 Outstanding Totten Award

2103 Team MVP

2012 Icebreaker Tournament Finalist

2012 Southern Regional Invitational Finalist

2012 Hawk Classic Finalist

2012 MCT Champion

2013 MCT Finalist

All CVC Honors Junior and Senior Year

All Area Honors Junior and Senior Year

2 X State qualifier

2X Region 7 place winner

2X District 25 Champion

College/Future

He will be attending Brookdale Community College in the Fall and will studying courses to help him enter the field of Pharmaceuticals.

Norman Williams

Football & Basketball

“He is an explosive athlete that had the rare ability to change the complexion of the game in one play. Everyone stood when the ball was in his hands and he was able to make some of the biggest plays in the history of the program.  As a football player he was very exciting to watch! As a basketball player, he has great ability to go to the basket.  At times he was a huge scorer for us.”  Jay Graber

Football Accolades:

3x 12^th Man Club Player of the Week

2x All Area Honors

3x All West Jersey Football League Honors

2012 Team Offensive MVP award

Selected for the Sunshine Classic All Star Game

Basketball Accolades:

Great Rebounder

Major Contributor as a Junior and Senior Year

Track:

“Hard worker that was determined and competitive.  He was always smiling and had a positive presence on the team.”   Beth Corson

“He was a great team player who would compete in any event that he was asked. He practiced just as hard as he competed in meets which allowed for much of his success.”    Mike Gaeta

Track Accolades:

Had tremendous speed and natural ability

Set the 4×100, 4×200, and the Short Medley Relay Records

College/Future

He is hoping to attend either Wesley College or East Stroudsburg next year where he will be studying Business and Accounting and playing football.

Congratulations to this year’s Co-Outstanding Male Athletes of the Year:

Norman Williams and Frank Juba.

Laurence Messler – Outstanding Manager Award

Football, Lacrosse, Athletic Department Intern

Coach Graber describes him as: “the heart and soul of the football program for four years. He completed all tasks as the manager with great success and did it with amazing class. He will be dearly missed and he is as close to irreplaceable as they come within the football program.”

Coach Kays describes him as: “someone who shows the same commitment as the players and is just as focused on the success of the program as the coaches and team.

“Setting up for games, helping with team equipment, keeping the score, and researching every opponent on the schedule are just some of the things that makes him valuable.  His willingness to help any athlete of any grade or level and treat them as they were the best player on the team speaks of his character and interpersonal skills which makes him outstanding.  His true ability to work in the stressful environment of athletics came his freshman year when Ross Schuerman’s helmet needed to be repaired and Coach Amabile was putting the heat on him to fix it so he could get Ross back on the field.  For those of you that did not know the late Coach Amabile, he was an intense man who was demanding in every sense of the word.  The young man kept his composure, fixed the helmet and Ross went on to win the game for us.  From that day forward he did everything he could to be prepared and ready for any emergency or issue and the coaching staff and players could always count on him.

For four years now he has graced us on the sidelines here at Allentown High School.  His commitment to our school and athletics is remarkable and second to none.   He has left his stamp with the football and Lacrosse programs who have both showed tremendous improvement during his time with them. He will be missed by everyone…especially the coaches that now have the challenge of finding four people to replace him.  He will be trading in his Black and Red for Blue and White at Immaculata University where he will be pursing his true calling as a Sports Management Major and helping the athletes there to succeed the same way he did here.”  Brian Irwin, Athletic Director

Laurence Messler is the first recipient ever to receive the Outstanding Manager Award.

Sportsmanship Award winners:

Allentown High School received a ranking of an “A” in Inside New Jersey’s report of New Jersey high schools.

New Jersey’s Top Performing Public High Schools

By Frederick Kaimann/The Star-Ledger NJ.com on August 19, 2013 at 6:00 AM, updated August 19, 2013 at 2:23 PM

Inside Jersey’s public high school ratings use a new, proprietary formula this year. Instead of judging schools based on a snapshot of a single year’s test scores, we compared results during a four-year period, looking for trends in student achievement.

The ratings cull data from the New Jersey Department of Education, which reported the High School Proficiency Assessment results for language arts and math tests among the general student population. Then we added SAT scores for each school and weighted them. The results separate the best schools from the worst using the same four letter grades your children see scrawled across their assignments — A, B, C and D.

Schools that had higher than average test scores earned As and Bs, schools with Bs were the ones that showed the most improvement in the last 4 years. Schools with below average scores earned Cs and Ds, but the C schools showed growth in the last year, sometimes very rapid.

To clarify:

A – Above average scores, below average growth
B – Above average scores, above average growth
C – Below average scores, above average growth
D – Below average scores, below average growth.

Allentown High School Ranks an “A”

Article Source: http://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/index.ssf/2013/08/new_jerseys_top_performing_public_high_schools.html

Come out and see a football game!

2013 AHS Varsity Football Schedule

Allentown High School Varsity Football Schedule

9/7 AWAY Steinert 1 pm
9/14 AWAY Alta (Utah) 2 pm
9/20 AWAY New Egypt 7 pm
9/27 HOME Hamilton West 7 pm
10/5 AWAY Hopewell 1 pm
10/12 AWAY Trenton 1 pm
10/18 HOME Holy Cross 6 pm
10/25 HOME Nottingham 7 pm
11/8 AWAY Hightstown 7 pm

Allentown High School Sports Shorts:

It is a well-deserved honor and opportunity for the Allentown High School football team to be chosen to compete against the Alta Utah High School in the Xfinity games this Saturday.

Head Coach, Jay Graber explains, “We were emailed by Bill Manning, CEO of Rio Tinto Stadium for the professional soccer team Real Salt Lake. They have an XFINITY Football Challenge every year at the stadium, and Bill felt that we had done a lot over the last couple of years so he invited us. It is extremely exciting for our players and we are just happy to give them the opportunity to experience something different.”

The AHS football players and coaches have all worked very hard over the past few years and have had great success on the field. Under Coach Graber, the Redbirds had their best record in school history (9-2). They were the first AHS football team to ever win the Playoff and were second division champions for three seasons. Graber coached AHS to a 6-4 record in 2011, including its first Playoff Berth (home game) in school history. In 2010, the Trentonian named Graber 2010 CVC Coach of the Year after he led AHS to a 6-4 record, the programs best record since 1967 and the very first winning season in 43 years! Graber also guided the 2009 Allentown Freshman Football team to an undefeated 9-0 record. Very impressive indeed!

After school on Wednesday, the 2013 AHS football team left Allentown prepared to meet their opponents in Utah for their battle in the Rio Tinto Stadium.

Rio Tinto Stadium, Utah

Joining the boys on this excursion are all of the football coaches, some school administrators and the Superintendent Dr Richard Fitapatrick. 

Fitzpatrick is so proud of the team and the coaches.

“It is a dream to be on a plane headed for Salt Lake City with 61 of the nicest kids in America. I am so proud of the maturity and appropriateness of our kids! People who do not know us have already complimented our kids on their behavior. Today we start high altitude acclimation and training so that they can do what they know is what we expect, their personal best,” Fitzpatrick said.

Photo Source: www.bing/images

Congratulations to the Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach Mary Ellen McCarthy on her 300th win!!

Allentown High School crowned the 2013 Homecoming King and Queen during the half time show on Friday evening.

The king is Jimmy Roselli. The queen is Jillian Galindo.

Photo provided by Chelsea Turner

Photo Caption: The Allentown football team charges onto the field before a September game against Hamilton. The Redbirds need some help to qualify for the playoffs and if they get in they will be a very tough opponent. (Source: Martin Griff/The Times)

See the important message below from Superintendent Dr Fitzpatrick

Dear Teachers, Students, and Parents,

There will be no school in both the UFRSD and Millstone today Tuesday, Dec. 10. We have been advised by our Weather Works Advisory Service that the snow storm predictions for the Allentown area indicate that it will begin to snow between 7:00 am and 9:00am resulting in at least 3 to 6 inches of heavy snow. The snow will continue during the day making arrival and dismissal dangerous for buses, car travel and walkers. Have a good day!

Dick Fitzpatrick

Photo Caption: Allentown’s Mary Ellen McCarthy is The Times’ Field Hockey Coach of the Year. (Martin Griff/The Times)

AHS Academic Team WINS the first Academic Team Challenge in AHS History!

Did you know that xylem and phloem are two types of vascular tissues found in plants that perform transportation of food and water? Me neither!

Xylem and phloem were the winning answers to the BioTech High School BioBowl, a tension-filled, high-anxiety academic challenge in which Allentown High School (AHS) students competed and triumphed.

For the first time in AHS history, the Academic Team took home the gigantic first place trophy and secured the honor of Academic Team Champions! They competed against 27 teams from across New Jersey, going 6-0 in their tournament match-ups.  They beat MAST (Marine Academy of Science and Technology), Christian Brothers Academy, and Monsignor Donovan High School in the elimination rounds to claim the BIG prize.

In December, the Academic Team hopped on the bus headed for BioTech High School in Freehold to compete for the honor of being crowned CHAMPION!

On the ride over to Biotech, “The Dream Team” of Nick Boston, Ryan DeFelice, Brendan Fernes, Varun Jain and Olivia Sznaza casually played an online trivia game named QuizUp to further sharpen their trivia skills.

As the Dream Team sauntered into Biotech High School, they were seated 8^th and would compete in the first round against the first place team from MAST.

After successfully battling MAST, they took on Christian Brothers in an extremely tough competition. They then went on to their final championship tournament against Monsignor Donovan High School.

The final rounds of this competition were head-to-head, single elimination — no pressure!

Both the Monsignor Donovan team and the AHS Dream Team assembled in the classroom for this intense competition, answering question after question correctly as the final rounds approached. Tension filled the air as the thoughts of the big prize became a reality.

Mr. Marc Angelaccio (Mr. A), AHS Academic Team advisor, and Olivia Sznaza knew it was close as they kept the tally of points for the score sheet.

“Olivia and I knew this was going to be close – down to the very last question.” Mr. A said. Then, Ryan DeFelice hollered out, “Xylem and Phloem,” clinching the victory by 25 points!

Mr. A said, “This team was coming in as the 8^th seed so we didn’t necessarily expect we could win, especially with competition up against the top seeded MAST. In these competitions, we face the best schools in the state. This is a major activity for the other schools. They put a lot of time and effort preparing for these events. Some of these schools go to the national competition in Washington, DC. Our AHS teams have a much more casual and fun approach.”

Olivia Sznaza beams as she recounts this exhilarating day, “I was sitting in the back with Mr. A. We were keeping score. Every time our team would get ready to answer, we would tense up. It was really close! This was a big deal for us. It was an honor to me personally because I have been on the Academic Team since I was a freshman. We lost to these teams before. I felt like this win was very rewarding and really exciting!”

The day after the competition, the Academic Team members were treated like celebrities at school.

AHS Principal Ms. Connie Embley personally announced their accomplishment to all students with great enthusiasm.

“It was so nice to be acknowledged the next morning in the announcements from Ms. Embley. The recognitions are always for sports. But WE were all congratulated! We were like celebrities! Everyone congratulated US! It was a big deal for us…and for our school!” Olivia said.

Winning this academic competition was rewarding and thrilling for these five students. They competed against private schools with greater standings and much more serious attitudes toward preparation and game time.

Olivia proudly says, “It’s a classic underdog story. We competed against 28 schools. We really didn’t look like we were the most fit to win. You had to be in the top 8 schools to qualify for this tournament and we were 8^th and going against the top ranked school.  We had not lost a single matchup. We were the underdog in most exciting way!”

Being celebrities now, when asked what star Olivia would like to have portray her in the movie about the Academic Team, Olivia said she would choose actress Mayim Bialik, who plays Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory. Olivia said, “She’s nerdy but stands up for herself. I admire that about her.”

Mr. A would like Matt Damon to portray him.

So, what does it take to be on the Academic Team?

Mr. A said, “The students on the Academic Teams are involved in a lot of other teams as well. They are all curious knowledge seekers and they like to have fun. They like to interact with friends; they are connected with social media; they like to go online; they absorb everything.  They have a lot of general knowledge and love to compete.”

AHS has 25-30 students grades 9-12 on the Academic teams. The two varsity teams consist of juniors and seniors while the JV team has freshmen and sophomores.

“The juniors and seniors on the Team go over trivia game strategies with the freshmen and sophomores. The upper classmen share their techniques on knowing when to pass their turn, how to deliberate quickly, how to get some extra time to answer the questions, and passing on questions that you may not immediately know the answer to,” Mr. A continued.

Mr. A never competed in academic tournaments when he was in school but he always loved trivia. The Trivial Pursuit board game was his favorite game growing up and he always watched jeopardy.

“The Academic Club is geared towards what I like to do as well. I love to compete. The kids will be competing (in the tournaments) and I’ll say to myself, ‘I know that one.’ It’s fun to watch them deliberate and come up with answer. The approach they take to this activity and tournament is a good one. They don’t get upset if they do poorly and they have good time when do well.”

Olivia defined what she thought it takes to be an AHS Academic Team member.

“You need a willingness to cooperate, to work together and see things from other people’s point of view. You have to be able to consider other people opinions and decisions because you are not always right. It’s fun to decide together what the answer is. We don’t take it seriously. We are not too overly competitive. We have fun at the tournaments. We play ping-pong in-between rounds. We’re not strategizing. As long as we are doing our best, that’s what’s important!”

“You’ll have a good time on this team. I’ve made so many good friends. We can make nerdy jokes and we’ll all find them just as funny! It’s the ultimate club for people like me. It’s kind of like playing sports; you all have to work together. We are just not on an athletic field. We exercise our brains. If sports are not your thing, maybe the Academic Team is. I’d rather get hit with trivia than a soccer ball!”

The AHS Academic Team is always looking for more people to get involved in this club.

“We hope that seeing our win will get people excited about joining the Team!” Olivia says.

In January, the AHS Academic Team will compete at High Tech High School where they hope to bring home another trophy. On March 20 & 27 and April 3, AHS will host academic tournaments.

The AHS Academic team is one of several teams that fall under the Gifted and Talented (G&T) program.

Mr. A has been at teacher at AHS for the past 11 years. He currently teaches Journalism, Advanced Writing and English 2. Pam Koharchik, AHS English 1 Honors and English 3 teacher, manages all of the G&T programs. Mr. A and Ms. Koharchik are the advisors for the Academic Team.

Other clubs that are associated with the G&T program include:

• APAC (Allentown Political Action Committee)
• Model United Nations
• Academic Team
• Mock Trail
• Federal Reserve Challenge
• Math and Science Leagues
• Debate Team
• Future Educators of America

Any student who may be interested can join these programs.

Photo Caption: Allentown’s Jack Giglia is the co-captain of the Redbirds. (Martin Griff/Times File Photo)

UPDATE 745 pm, January 16

Emergency/High Priority – CLICK on letter to open in full screen

Dear Teachers, Students, and Parents,
Please take a moment to open the attached letter to better understand the events of today. You will note that the State Police has thoroughly inspected all school district buildings and are allowing us to open school as a regular day tomorrow, Friday Jan17th. Please remember that there is no school on Monday, Jan. 20th in honor of M.L. King Day.
Dr. Fitzpatrick

UPDATE!

The State Police will need several hours to declare AHS free from any threat. I am dismissing all schools according to this schedule: AHS Students 11:45 NES Students 12:45 MS 1:30. Again please do not come to the schools and know that EVERYONE IS SAFE AND SECURE.
Dr. Fitzpatrick

Please see this important message from Superintendent Dr Fitzpatrick. 

A Monmouth County school was evacuated for the second day in a row following a bomb threat.

by Dan Alexander, January 16, 2014, 1015.com

A call was received on the switchboard of Allentown High School in Upper Freehold around 10:15 a.m. Thursday from a male claiming to have a bomb inside the high school, according to acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. The call prompted officials to evacuate the school along with the adjacent Stone Bridge Middle School and Newell Elementary School, which are all part of the Upper Freehold School District.

Texts and automated phone calls were sent to parents alerting them to the situation.

The New Jersey State Police tactical team, the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team and the FBI all responded as students were evacuated to the Allentown Presbyterian Church.

Gramiccioni called the threat a hoax and said that all three schools have been searched with Stone Bridge given a final all clear at 3:20 p.m.  Additional searches continue in the other two school buildings.

“Swatting”

St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel was evacuated on Monday after a threat was phoned into the school. No arrests have yet been made.

Gramiccioni said nothing in either case has been ruled out, including a connection between the two threats. He says the threats may be a case of “swatting” in which an individual makes a threat to a school and gets a thrill out of the police response.

The FBI’s Kevin Kolbye, an assistant special agent in charge in their Dallas Division says his agency “takes swatting very seriously.” He explained that callers often use technology to make their calls appear legitimate Kolbye says the response is an expensive on, sometimes costing thousands of dollars.

“Swatting puts innocent people at risk,” says Kolbye.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443.

Article Source: : Allentown High School Target of Unfounded Bomb Threat | http://nj1015.com/allentown-high-school-target-of-unfounded-bomb-threat/?trackback=tsmclip

A $1,000 grant has been awarded to FFA member Jay Hyland of Allentown, NJ, by the National FFA Foundation.

The SAE Grant is designed to help FFA members create and enhance their supervised agricultural experience (SAE), a requirement that all FFA members must complete. An SAE requires FFA members to create and operate an agriculture related business, work at an agriculture-related business or conduct an agricultural research experience. Upon completion, FFA members must submit a comprehensive report regarding their career development experience. Hyland is a member of the Allentown High School FFA Chapter and was selected from hundreds of applicants
nationwide.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 579,678 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,570 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The National FFA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA Organization, which provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 579,678 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,570 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at www.FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

For more information, contact:
Rebecca Carter
National FFA Organization
RCarter@FFA.org
888-332-2589

The Allentown High School Drama Department presents “A Day In The Swamp,” based on Shrek The Musical, for children up to 5th grade on Saturday, February 1.  Children will have an array of activities, including learning and performing REAL choreography from the show with the Fairytale Creatures. Enjoy story time and singing with Princess Fiona.  Create a “prop” for the show and hang out with the big green ogre himself, Shrek.

“A Day In The Swamp!” will run from 10:00 am–1:00 pm on Saturday, February 1 in the Allentown High School Auditorium.  Tickets are $12, which includes all activities, drinks and a peanut-free snack. High school faculty, Shrek cast members and parent volunteers will be there to assist.

All proceeds will benefit the AHS production of Shrek The Musical on February 27, 28 and March 1.  For more information, contact Nicole Machin at machinn@ufrsd.net.