COACH OF THE YEAR: Jon Stinson

Jon Stinson is Coach of the Year. Submitted.

Jon Stinson is The Daily Journal's Coach of the Year.

The fourth season swimming coach at St. Augustine did everything he could to prepare the Hermits for a state championship run this season. He scheduled top out-of-state opponents like Germantown Academy and Malvern Prep, and nationally recognized teams like Peddie School, which gave St. Augustine (15-2) numerous opportunities to improve itself.

The tough competition helped the Hermits reach the Non-Public A state final, where it lost 86-84 to Christian Brothers Academy on a late, disputed disqualification.

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Three VHS teams head to Odyssey of the Mind finals

All three teams from Vineland High School qualified to compete in the NJ State Finals in the Odyssey of the Mind competition this year.

The students recently showcased their creative talents at the OM Lighthouse Regional competition at Ewing High School.

The state finals will be held April 17 at Somerset High School, according to OM advisor Sheryl Rasmussen.

"Our students worked very hard to come up with solutions in three mind-bending problems posed by Odyssey of the Mind," she said.

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STAR STUDENT: Julia Scala

Julia Scala

Julia Scala is The Daily Journal's Student of the Day.

Julia is a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Petway Elementary School of Vineland Public Schools.

She lives in Vineland with her parents, Gina and Terry Scala.

“Julia enjoys school and always does her best,” according to a Student of the Day nomination submitted by her school. She is on the Honor Roll with LEAP math and language arts. She has earned medals in ballet. One year she won first place in the SPCA art contest.

Read more about today's Student of the Day and past participants here.

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STAR STUDENT: Michael Gluszak

Michael Gluszak

Michael Gluszak is The Daily Journal's Student of the Day.

He is a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Petway Elementary School of Vineland Public Schools.

He lives in Vineland with his parents, Wieslaw and Dorota Gluszak.

Michael was an MVP on his soccer team. He has been named to the Honor Roll at Petway School.

Read more about today's Student of the Day and past participants here.

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ATHLETE OF THE DAY: Sara Leonelli

Sara Leonelli

Today's Athlete of the Day is Sara Leonelli, who The Daily Journal sports desk deems "Most Improved."

The Vineland High School senior swims distance at the school.

Leonelli became an integral part of the Vineland lineup this season, swimming the area's fastest time in the 200 freestyle (2:02.67) and second fastest in the 500 free (5:39.69).

She also dropped more than a second off her previous best 100 free (56.66), which led her to stake claim on the Fighting Clan's 400 free state relay, which placed 16th at the Meet of Champions.

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Eight positions cut from V’land school district

Vineland Public Schools' Board of Education voted this week to eliminate eight Vineland High School administrative assistant positions from the district's organization chart, The Daily Journal staff writer Deborah M. Marko wrote.

Seven administrative assistants will lose their current position effective June 30. They are: Michael L. Adams, Edward Benish, Madeline Galan, Erika Kirschner, Tammy Monahan, Jeffrey Perez and Eric Reissek.

Carol Rothman is also affected because she was to be appointed to an administrative assistant position that has now been eliminated, said Superintendent Maryann Banks. She will remain in her current VHS teaching position. Their salaries range from $60,592 to $89,650.

Administrative assistants have divided their time between classroom instruction and overseeing the administrative responsibilities of a specific VHS small learning community of about 400 students each.

The seven administrative assistants will remain district employees but in other capacities, board president Frank Giordano confirmed. They will be given the opportunity to move to other positions under N.J. tenure laws.

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Mark calendars for CCS open house, project fair

Cumberland Christian School is hosting an Open House on Tuesday, March 23 during the day and its Middle School's Project Fair that evening.

Parents and children may visit classrooms from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7:30 to 9 p.m. Teachers will be ready to answer questions and share curriculum materials during the day and in the evening.

Tours of the school will be available.

The Project Fair opens its doors at 6:30 p.m. Bible characters are the focus and the imaginations of 6th,7th and 8th graders the only limitation for this annual project fair that alternates science, social studies and Bible.

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STAR STUDENT: Nathaniel Smith

Nathaniel Smith

Nathaniel Smith is The Daily Journal's Student of the Day.

He is a 7-year-old first-grader at The Ellison School.

He lives in Vineland.

“Nathaniel has one of the largest vocabularies I have ever heard in a first-grader,” according to a Student of the Day nomination submitted by his school. “He’s also a math whiz. He can add a group of mixed coins faster than anyone in the class.”

Read more about today's Student of the Day and past participants here.

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Students model latest prom styles

Delsea Regional girls model during a recent prom fashion show. Submitted photo.

Delsea Regional High School hosted Prom Event 2010 on Thursday to highlight local businesses involved in the prom industry, said Tanya Mastrokyriakos, Delta Eta Sigma’s advisor and Delsea's Language Arts and College Preparation teacher, who organized the event. 

All money earned during this event will be given in the form of college scholarships for graduating club members.

Delsea Regional boys model during a recent prom fashion show. Submitted photo.

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ATHLETE OF THE DAY: Troy Cevini

Troy Cervini

Today's Athlete of the Day is Troy Cevini, deemed "Most Improved" by The Daily Journal's sports desk.

The Vineland High School junior swims freestyle for the boy's team.

Cervini made his first trip to the Meet of Champions as an individual this season, qualifying in the 200 and 50 freestyles. His best times in those events, 1:48.86 and 22.31 respectively, were dramatic improvements from last season.

Read more about today's Athlete of the Day and past participants here.

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Sheriff hosts breakfast benefit for Project Grad

Drew Brosh, 3, son of the VHS golf coach, digs into his plate at the Project Graduation fundraiser breakfast held in the VHS cafeteria last year. File staff photo/Cody Glenn

Cumberland County Sheriff Robert Austino is sponsoring a fundraising breakfast for Project Graduation this Sunday.

The breakfast will run from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Vineland High School South cafeteria. The menu includes eggs, sausage, hash browns, French toast and rolls.

Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available from Debbie Gross in the Vineland High School North main office.

Project Graduation is a free all-night drug and alcohol-free party for seniors to celebrate their high school graduation. The location for this celebration is always a secret known only to a few of the organizers and never revealed to the students until their actual arrival at the site.

Threatened by state budget cuts, a variety of events and broad support from the community have been keeping Project Graduation fully funded for the past several years.

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‘Dance for a Cure’ for Autism

Educators 4 Autism is holding its second annual "Dance for a Cure" on Friday, April 9, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Heritage House in Millville.

Tickets are $35 and include a full buffet dinner, music for dancing by the band "Eleven Eleven," and a basket auction.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Autism Speaks Walk in Mount Laurel on May 22.

Dinner will be served from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There will be a cash bar.

For tickets and information, contact Anissa Anderson at(856)297-1642 or aanderson@vineland.org; Christina Peters at (609)501-3849 or chpeters@vineland.org; Jacquie Campbell at (856) 207-5839 or jcampbell@vineland.org or Educators4Autism@hotmail.com.

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Petway Players present Bunny and Me

Petway Players Drama Club is inviting the community to attend Bunny and Me! from 6 to 8 p.m. March 19.

The event will include a spaghetti and meatball dinner, an Easter egg hunt and an opportunity to take a photo with the Easter Bunny.

Guests should bring a camera and an Easter basket.

Tickets are $5. Proceeds benefit Petway Players’ first musical, “Aladdin Jr.,” which will be presented on April 29.

The event will take place at Petway Elementary School, 1115 S. Lincoln Ave. For more information, call (856) 362-8855.

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STAR STUDENT: Amanda Haggerty

Amanda Haggerty

Amanda Haggerty is The Daily Journal's Student of the Day.

She is a 17-year-old senior at Delsea Regional High School She lives in Franklinville with her parents, Sandy and Tim Haggerty.

Haggerty is a member of the National Honor Society and the Key Club, is president of the En-vironmental Club and is secretary of REBEL.

Read more about today's Student of the Day and past participants here.

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ATHLETE OF THE DAY: John Hennelly

John Hennelly

John Hennelly is today's Athlete of the Day.

Hennelly is a freshman at Delsea Regional High School.

The 103-pounder wrestles for the Franklin-based school.

Hennelly decked Camden Catholic's Chad Walsh to secure seventh place at the state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Sunday.

The freshman fell to the overall top seed and runner-up in the state, Tyler Fraley of Colts Neck, in the quarterfinals. But he wrestled back to the seventh-place bout by pinning Jan Rosenberg of Morris Knolls in 1:24.

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