By: centraljersey.com
WWG:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEGold, Silver and Bronze Awards for WWP Girl ScoutsWEST WINDSOR (January 30, 2011) — Girls Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey recently honored girl scouts who have demonstrated exemplary leadership abilities and project management skills. These 37 scouts, all from West Windsor and Plainsboro, earned the prestigious Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. It represents several years of research, project development and implementation. It includes leadership skills in that the honoree must enlist the help of others in order for the project to be successful. It is earned by upper-level high school students.Five of this season’s Gold Award recipients are members of Troop 71287, led by Diane Herte and Stephanie Bradley, and are Diana M. Befi, Julie Bradley, Lauren Louie, Diana Mayorga and Ananya Yalamanchi.Ms. Befi’s community service project entitled "Vocal Opportunity in the Community served schooled-aged children in the community. She taught children (pre-K to 5th grade) in the West Windsor Recreation Summer Camp the fundamentals of singing during the summer of 2010. The children were taught skills including pitch matching, pitch memory, rhythm, and singing as a group.Ms. Bradley’s project "Making Music Memories", included organizing and running a music camp for children ages five to ten in August 2010 at the Plainsboro Public Library. She developed lesson plans to help teach the participants about composers, music symbols and terms, including instrument demonstrations, crafts and games. She also created a music activities booklet for children in the community.Utilizing pictures and hands-on activities, Ms. Louie’s project, entitled "The World of Music", was focused on children at the Cherry Tree Club. The children learned how different musical instruments were played and participated in a performance using instruments they had made.Diana Mayorga, earned her Gold Award by focusing on students in Princeton. In her project, entitled "Healthy Cooking in English", she taught ten English classes to the VOYAGE ESL students. The class exposed the students to new vocabulary and a better understanding of healthy alternatives to traditional recipes.-more-Ms. Yalamanchi’s project, entitled "Touch Therapy for Patients at Princeton HealthCare System", implemented a new program at Princeton Hospital that focused on Touch Therapy. She trained volunteers to give hand massages to long term elderly patients.Jenna Modi and Casey Schoenholz from Troop 71525, led by Kathy Modi and Diane Schoenholtz, successfully implemented two Gold Projects.Ms. Modi, organized a second hand sports equipment drive throughout West Windsor. The equipment was donated to recreational teams in Trenton. Additionally, Jenna acted as assistant coach in their Fall Ball league, teaching basic skills in softball. Her project was entitled "Second Hand Used Sports"Ms. Schoenholtz’s project, entitled "Simply Self Defense" served women in the community by organizing and presenting information about self-defense. She utilized the skills of professional defense instructors to present self-defense skills and strategies for the safety of women."Tag Alongs @ Cub Scout Day Camp", was a Gold Award project developed by Juliette Scout Jennifer Dowling, which included organizing the Tag-Along program for the younger siblings of cub scouts attending camp. This provided daycare for adults who would otherwise be unable to volunteer with Boy Scouts.The Silver Award is earned by middle school girl scouts and represents the primary girl-lead community service project. At this level, troop leaders act as advisors only. The individual girl, with the assistance of family members and other scouts, plan and implement her community service project. This season’s Silver Award recipients, representing four troops, implemented projects that serve the West Windsor – Plainsboro community and beyond.Girls from Troop 70600, led by Kate Henkel and Lorraine Camaratta, implemented five projects. The following scouts earned their Silver Awards: RaeLynn Chapman and Danielle Henkel for "Jewelry Badge for Juniors"; Izzy daCosta and Natasha Hanstveit for "Backyard Sleepover for Younger Girl Scouts"; "Improving the Hiking Trails in WWP" by Rachel KarpAana Bansal and Rebecca Schwartz for "Geocaching Badge for Juniors" and Amani Sayed for "Teaching English to Younger Students in Abu Dhabi".Alexis Bruno of Troop 70677 earned her Silver Award with a project entitled "Benefits of Books". Her troop leaders are Louisa Ho and Alka Chodhari.Girls from Troop 71490, led by Becky Grant and Diane Hasling, implemented two projects: "Learn to Read, Read to Learn: Book Drive for Those in Need" by Neha Kulkarni and "Building Character in Community Middle School Mural" by Melinda Sibilia.-more-Girls from Troop 71612, led by Rebecca Farmer Huselid and Jessica Harris, implemented four projects. They are "Exploring Light" by Elizabeth BellottiAnna BrosowskyJessica Z. Harris and Rachel Huselid and "Homefront Informational Video" by Amanda Lane.Juliette Girl Scout Victoria Hernandez implemented an independent Silver Award Project entitled "Unlike Allergies, Awareness is Contagious".The Bronze Award is the highest honored awarded to Junior Girl Scouts, those girls in upper elementary grades. They represent a teamwork approach to a troop-wide project. This season’s recipients are from two troops.Troop 70580 Scouts Apoorva Balaji, Rahael George, Kendall Ku, Madeline Lee, Ananya Mukherjee, Dharaa Rathi, Ashlyn Rogers, Caroline Sabin, Cathy Tao and Robyn Wright implemented "Helping SAVE Animal Shelter". This troop is led by Allison Lee, Kristin Rogers, Mita Mukherjee, and Suzannah Sabin.Sheetal Mohanty and Shivangi Sogani from Troop 70866, led by Arti Khatri and Betsy Wallace-Saunders, implemented their project entitled "Animal Shelter Project"In addition to the official awards, presented by Mary Connell, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, each young lady received citations from local, county, state and federal governmental offices. Dignitaries in attendance for this ceremony included West Windsor Township Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and Plainsboro Committee Member Michael WeaverThe West Windsor-Plainsboro Service Unit is co-managed by Louisa Ho and Wendy Kramer. If you are interested in joining Girl Scouts in West Windsor or Plainsboro, as a girl or as an adult volunteer, send an email to [email protected]:Helen Rancan, PublicityWWP [email protected](609) 799-0060People in the attached photo (L to R)1st Row: WW Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Diana Mayorga, Ananya Yalamanchi, Plainsboro Councilman Michael Weaver2nd Row: Lauren Louie, Jenna Modi, Casey Schoenholtz3rd Row: Diana M. Befi, Julie Bradley, Jennifer Dowling4th Row: Tannya Hemmingway and Mary Connell from GSCSNJ### WW40: :For Immediate ReleaseWest Windsor, NJJanuary 28, 2011Contact Info: Bruce Perrine, 609-275-0968*******************************************************************Cub Scout Pack 40, which is based in West Windsor, held its annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday January 22, 2011. To prepare for the Pinewood Derby, the Scouts, with parental assistance if needed, construct a race car from a kit. They cut a block of wood into a car and decorate it; they attach axles and wheels. Then, the cub scouts race their cars against each other at the Pack 40 Pinewood Derby. This traditional scouting event is fun for all! In Pack 40, the five fastest cars this year were made by: 1st place — Ryan Callahan, 2nd place — Spencer Perrine, 3rd place — Sanjev Sunderram4th place — Prithvinarayan Revuri5th place — Anish Sankhla The races were very tight, so it made for a very exciting race! The first place finisher had an average race time of 2.6460 seconds, compared to second place at 2.6669 for a difference of .02 hundredths of a second! In fact, all cars finished the race within 8/10ths of a second of the winner! The pack also recognized the five overall best designed cars (as voted by the Derby attendees): 1st place — Andrew Carlson 2nd place — Gavan Horoszewski, 3rd place — Ethan Perrine4th Place — Jack Dreger5th Place — PJ Horoszewski. Andrew’s car was decorated to look like a bag of pretzel’s , Gavin’s car was a bottle of Stewart’s rootbeer, Ethan’s car was a traditional cutback design decorated w/ dogs, Jack’s car looked like a red hot chili pepper, and PJ’s car was crafted like a piece of Swiss Cheese, holes, mouse and all! . Bruce Perrine, Pack 40’s Cubmaster, commented that "I am always impressed by how much creativity the boys have with the cars. They want to make a piece of art, not just a fast car". If interested in joining Cub Scout Pack 40, feel free to email the Pack 40 Committee chairperson, Nora Perrine at [email protected] or contact the cubmaster, Bruce Perrine at 609-275-0968 Attached photo:From left to right: Anish Sankhla, Prithvinarayan Revuri, Sanjev Sunderram, Spencer Perrine, Ryan Callahan DUNE:
—— Forwarded Message —-From: "[email protected]" To: Kate Henkel ; Lynn Miller ; Michael Redmond ; Trenton Times Cc: Louisa Ho Sent: Tue, October 19, 2010 12:59:28 PMSubject: Dune Grass PlantingHi all, Below is information about a community service project in which my troops participated. I’ve included basic info, but if you need anything further, please let me know. Photos from the event are attached. Thanks, Kate Henkel Scouts and Adults from Senior Troop 70600 and Cadette Troop 70216 helped prevent beach erosion on Long Beach Island this past weekend by planting dune grasses. Two senior girl scouts, Ashika Ganesh and Brielle Robertson were present as well as eight Cadette girl scouts, Allie Dignan, Anna Henkel, Chloe Berger, Jade Rowland and her sister Pearl, who is a brownie scout, Julia Laresh, Kacy Lane, Ritu Vyas, and Shivani Patel. The event was held from 12pm – 2pm and was organized through Lorrys Island End Motel. There were over 100 volunteers in attendance and Lorrys also provided a much needed FREE barbeque at the end for all volunteers. If you are interested in joining girl scouts as a scout or adult volunteer please contact Louisa at 371-2119 or send an email to [email protected]. EAG1 and 2 PRESS RELEASEPaul Lavadera and Thomas Provine Earn Eagle Scout Awards Troop 40 awards Eagle Scout Award to Paul Lavadera and Thomas Provine. Paul, son of Frank and Eileen Lavadera of West Windsor, has enjoyed Scouting since joining Cub Scout Pack 40 as a Tiger Scout in First Grade. After earning Cub Scouts’ highest honor, the Arrow of Light award, Paul joined Troop 40 in 2003 where he was able to be a scout alongside his brother Andrew, also an Eagle Scout. Paul enjoyed the many friends he made at Troop 40 and the skills he learned from Youth Leadership Training and being both Instructor and Patrol Leader. Paul was elected as an Ordeal member of Scouting’s honor society, The Order of the Arrow. Paul’s most memorable moments come from the six years at summer camp NoBeBoSco and also from the 2005 National Jamboree in Virginia in Troop 2048. Paul earned 41 merit badges and the World Conservation Award over the course of his Scouting career, mostly from all those years at NoBe.Paul wanted his Eagle Scout project to directly help out his community while doing something that he enjoyed. He thought gardening would be an ideal way to accomplish both. He chose beautifying the flagpole circle outside the West Windsor Municipal Building. As a central location in town, the flagpole is seen by people going to the Municipal Center, Police Station, Post Office, and Senior Center Buildings. He decided laying down stepping stones would be a great way to learn a new skill and make his project unique. Paul led 32 volunteers in a fundraising car wash and in the building of the garden full of over 100 perennial flowers. In addition to scouting, Paul was also a very active member at West Windsor-Plainsboro HS North. Paul was President of the HS North co-ed acapella group, Vice President of the Improve club, Vice President of the concert choir and director of the gun and violence awareness play Bang Bang. He participated in five fall dramas and four spring musicals while at High School North including playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Paul is currently attending Boston College where he plans on majoring in Biology. Thomas M. Provine, son of Michael and Maggie Provine, bridged to Troop 40 after earning Cub Scout’s highest honor, the Arrow of Light. During his years with Troop 40, Tom earned 26 merit badges while serving as a Patrol Leader and Scout Trainor. Tom enjoyed many camping trips with Troop 40, especially sailing in the Florida Keys at Sea Base High Adventure Program. Tom joined Troop 40 in volunteering with the Special Olympics, and attended summer camps at NoBeBosCo, Hawk and Rodney. Tom planned his Eagle project to benefit The Pennington School, where he joined 100 other students in graduating in June 2010. "The Pennington School has given me so much over the years that I’m happy to be able to give something back," said Tom. For his Eagle Scout Project, Tom led a team of 36 volunteers in building a garden outside Stainton Hall on the Pennington Campus. The garden features two refinished picnic tables on a grassy patch surrounded by perennial plants and makes up for the loss of another garden which was recently removed to make room for a new road. Tom decided to make his project environmentally friendly and his team used only natural materials to develop the garden, with no weed killers or other toxins. Tom’s approach follows The Pennington School’s commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness. Tom’s project is just the latest in a series of contributions to The Pennington School. He served as Vice President of the school’s student government, managed the boys’ varsity basketball team for three years, and participated in the school’s Dramatic Society. He also worked with The Pennington Sports Network, a student-run sporting news program that provides news and information to the Pennington community while teaching participants video, camera, lighting and sound production. In May 2009, a panel of the school’s teachers and administrators elected Tom "Mr. Pennington." Tom currently is in his Freshman year at Hofstra University. GOLD
Six Montgomery Girl Scouts Receive Top HonorSix Montgomery High School seniors were recognized recently for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. Courtney Cytryn, Christina Fakes, Annie Herman, Marisa Iati, Ana Peterhans and Lindsey Rosenthal, all members of Girl Scout Heart of New Jersey Troop 60624, celebrated their achievement at a special troop ceremony held on May 18 at Blawenberg Reformed Church in Blawenberg. The girls also bridged to Adult Level Girl Scouts during the ceremony, along with fellow troop member and Montgomery High School senior Rachel Kolb.The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting and requires the completion of leadership development, career exploration, and community service projects. The final component is a 65-hour leadership project that each girl plans and executes to benefit her community.Cytyrn organized health and hygiene kits for distribution by the Diocese of Metuchen during a medical mission to Santa Rosa, Guatemala. She collected supplies from local community groups and Girl Scout troops and created a Spanish-language health and hygiene brochure that was distributed along with the kits. Gloria Grabois, a community volunteer and resident of South Orange, served as Cytryn’s project advisor.Crawford House in Skillman served as the setting for Fakes’ project. She completed a makeover of the Crawford House Resource Room. Fakes painted the room, hung window treatments, and updated artwork and bulletin boards. She also researched valuable information on topics important to residents and past Crawford House graduates such as transportation, housing, and credit counseling. Nancy Curtis, a community volunteer and Skillman resident, served as Fakes’ project advisor. Linda Leyhane, Crawford House Executive Director, provided additional project support.Herman launched a Teen Mentor Program for the Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties. The program matches local teens with children with special needs and their families. Mentors visit children in their homes and spend valuable time working on social skills development. Herman served as a mentor to a local family, recruited other teen mentors, and led monthly mentor workshops. Ruth Edelman, JFS Family Mentor Program Coordinator, served as Herman’s project advisor. Suzanne Martin, JFS Family Mentor Program Specialist, provided additional project support.Enable, Inc.’s Princeton Junction group home served as the site for much of Iati’s project. She made frequent summer visits to the group home where she played board games and shared baked goods with the residents. These visits also provided Iati the opportunity to interview three group home residents and write and publish their biographies. These biographies were presented to the residents during a special ceremony attended by residents’ family members and Enable staff. Iati also drafted a biography-writing guide for future volunteers and authored several press releases for Enable publications and local newspapers. Kirsten Yard, Community Engagement Coordinator at Enable, Inc. served as project advisor.Peterhans collected over three thousand books from local Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill residents. She sorted the books and transported them to Joyce Kilmer Elementary School in Trenton where they were distributed to pupils and teachers during a three-day book fair. During the book fair Peterhans took time to read to the younger classes and to talk to students about their book selections. Tamera Matteo, a community volunteer and resident of Princeton, served as Peterhans’ project advisor.Providing additional resources for teens diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes was the goal of Rosenthal’s project. She compiled, published, and distributed more than one hundred copies of her book written to provide advice and insight to diabetic teens. Entitled "The Highs and the Lows," Rosenthal’s publication is a compilation of humorous, compelling, and supportive insights written with newly diagnosed teens in mind. Karen Merritt, Montgomery Upper Middle School Teacher and Elizabeth Giardina-Preston, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Mid Jersey Chapter Executive Director served as joint advisors for Rosenthal’s project. F

