Pupils’ talents recognized at school board meeting

MANALAPAN — The members of the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education and district administrators honored some of the district’s most talented students prior to the board’s March 3 meeting in the Wemrock Brook School cafetorium.

The artwork of one student from each of the seven district schools was on display prior to being inducted into the district’s permanent art collection. The annual ceremony recognizes the efforts of the students who are chosen for the honor, in addition to the art teachers who inspired and guided them.

School board President Anthony Manisero asked the audience members for a round of applause after each student was introduced and allowed to make a speech about their project while images of their work were shown on a large screen.

Prior to the formal presentation of the 2008-09 Permanent Art Collection, members of the district’s Select Steel Pan Ensemble, conducted by David Geltch, performed while people enjoyed the works of art on display.

The Select Steel Pan Ensemble consists of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students who were chosen via an audition process to be a part of the group. Audience members enjoyed the island sounds of songs like “Jammin’ ” by Bob Marley and “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria, to name a few, performed on authentic steel drums.

Manisero said the district’s administrators have tried to not only maintain the quality of education, but to improve on it in difficult economic times. He said the proof of that effort is reflected in the quality of work that all of the students exhibited that evening.

The newest student members of the Manalapan Englishtown Regional School District Permanent Art Collection are Briahna Reinstein Castibla, second grade, Clark Mills School; Gina Fatovie, second grade, Taylor Mills School; Andrew Kwong, sixth grade, Wemrock Brook School; Michelle Martin, sixth grade, Lafayette Mills School; Lusi Rossi, second grade, Milford Brook School;’ Dana Haley Gordon, sixth grade, Pine Brook School; and Nicole Capobianco, eighth grade, Manalapan Englishtown Middle School.

Capobianco, whose creation was titled “High Hopes and High Tops,” said, “It may just be a piece of art created by an eighthgrader, but I have hope that it will be a slight inspiration.”

The members of the Select Steel Pan Ensemble are Adam Friedman, Michael De- Baere, Vincent Sauchelli, Nicole Seltzer, Ethan Seltzer, Alex White, Jared Goldstein, Drew Halasy, Philip Lau, Nicholas Rotondo, Erin Rotondo, Robert Mineroff and Mikey Rosen.