http://njtoday.net The online home of New Jersey's oldest weekly newspaper Sat, 26 May 2012 09:00:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://njtoday.net/2009/02/25/police-officer-turned-coach-brings-success-to-catholic-school-program/ http://njtoday.net/2009/02/25/police-officer-turned-coach-brings-success-to-catholic-school-program/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:01:10 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=3156 By Jim Whelan Four years ago on his first team bus ride, new coach Mike Jones asked his players if their opponent that day—the now defunct St. Al’s of Jersey City – was any good. One of his players on the school bus responded with optimism, “No. They’re not that good.” After a short pause, she continued, “They only beat us by 22 last year.’’ That was Jones’ baptism to when he took the reins of the fledgling basketball program at Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth, a small, all-girls Catholic school located in Elizabeth bordering Hillside and Newark. “I looked at the previous year; they lost by 50 five times and by 60 once,” said Jones. So in some ways he did realize the mountain he was about to climb. Jones, a 24-year member of the Elizabeth police force, played in the Union County Police Basketball League where the games were conducted on Benedictine Academy’s home court. Never did the police veteran think a few evening police league basketball games would evolve into a head girl’s basketball coaching position at Benedictine Academy. “I would get to the gym early and I started to help the girls in practice before our games [...]]]> http://njtoday.net/2009/02/25/police-officer-turned-coach-brings-success-to-catholic-school-program/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2009/02/24/students-volunteer-at-food-bank/ http://njtoday.net/2009/02/24/students-volunteer-at-food-bank/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:03:40 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=3132 Students Volunteer At Food Bank—Students, faculty and staff from Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth volunteered time at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside on Feb. 6. Pictured clockwise from far left are juniors Amiosinor Igertei of Hillside, Priscille Dossekou and Cassandra Silva, both of Newark, Vanessa Devia of Elizabeth, Natasha McDowell of Maplewood, and Elizabeth Bukiron of Elizabeth. They are assisted with a 50,000 piece mailing which the Food Bank sends out four times a year. (Photo courtesy of Benedictine Academy)]]> http://njtoday.net/2009/02/24/students-volunteer-at-food-bank/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2009/02/05/distinguished-scholars/ http://njtoday.net/2009/02/05/distinguished-scholars/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:50:59 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=2929   Distinguished Scholars—Three seniors at Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth were named “Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars” for 2009. Each of the three has exhibited both outstanding academic and leadership qualities during their years at the academy. Honored were Steffanye Barragan of Newark, Ninoshka Celi of Elizabeth and Tatiana Charles of Union. In order to be eligible for the Bloustein Distinguished Scholar Award, students must be in the top ten per cent of their class and have a minimum combined SAT score of 1260, or rank first, second or third in her class at the end of junior year.  (Photo courtesy of Benedictine Academy)]]> http://njtoday.net/2009/02/05/distinguished-scholars/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/12/26/high-school-hosts-holiday-basketball-tournament/ http://njtoday.net/2008/12/26/high-school-hosts-holiday-basketball-tournament/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:30:21 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=2548 ELIZABETH—Benedictine Academy  in Elizabeth, along with the Benedictine Academy Parents Association, will host the “Dr. Rosemarie Battaglia Christmas Basketball Tournament” at the school, located at 840 North Broad Street in Elizabeth, on Dec. 26, 27 and 29. Basketball teams from eight New Jersey high schools, including Benedictine Academy, will compete for the championship title at the event.  The tournament is named after Dr. Rosemarie Battaglia, who coached varsity basketball at Benedictine Academy from 1954-58. Battaglia will be honored at the Christmas Tournament on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.  Her record while coaching at the all-female Catholic college prep high school was 36-4. The 1954-55 varsity basketball team was undefeated, with a 12-0 record. She has been inducted as a Hall of Famer several times including Benedictine Academy in 2004; the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 1999; and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in 1996. Battaglia was named “Coach of the Decade for the 1970s” by the Star Ledger. Varsity basketball teams representing eight schools including Benedictine Academy will play during the four-day competition. Friday, Dec. 26, will feature the following games: Vernon Twp. H.S. v. St. Anthony (Jersey City) – 1 p.m.; Metuchen H.S. v. [...]]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/12/26/high-school-hosts-holiday-basketball-tournament/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/11/25/students-come-together-to-fight-human-trafficking/ http://njtoday.net/2008/11/25/students-come-together-to-fight-human-trafficking/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:04:33 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=2080 ELIZABETH—“Minga”, roughly translated, is a word used in South America that means “a community coming together to work for the benefit of all”. A group of students at Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth has come together as a “Minga”, saying “yes” as part of its “moral response to the human race”, in a very focused effort to help rid the world of human trafficking. The Benedictine Academy students are members of the “O Ambassadors Club”, which participates in the “O Ambassadors” program, a joint project of “Oprah’s Angel Network” and “Kids Free the Children”. With their hearts and minds moved by all they have learned about the trafficking issue, the students have raised nearly $5,000 so far to help combat the problem. In addition, determined to spread the word about how victims are impacted by trafficking, the student leadership group at the academy produced a DVD documentary along with a brochure containing many eye-opening facts. Both are very powerful. Specifics attributed to the “Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking” (CAST) state in the brochure that human trafficking is a “global epidemic”, “a modern-day form of slavery” and a “$9 billion industry annual profit for traffickers”. “Victims of this horrible practice are [...]]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/11/25/students-come-together-to-fight-human-trafficking/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/10/29/fighting-breast-cancer/ http://njtoday.net/2008/10/29/fighting-breast-cancer/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:52:29 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=1696 Fighting Breast Cancer—Seniors Stephany Sanchez of Newark, Ninoshka Celi of Elizabeth, Erika Yang of Hillside and Stefannye Barragan of Newark led their entire school community’s participation in Benedictine Academy’s Annual Breast Cancer Walk-a-thon on Oct. 8. Students raised more than $2200, which will be contributed to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to be used to wipe out the disease.]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/10/29/fighting-breast-cancer/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/06/18/benedictine-academy-graduates-class-of-2008/ http://njtoday.net/2008/06/18/benedictine-academy-graduates-class-of-2008/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:33:47 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=512 ELIZABETH—“I am proud to introduce Benedictine Academy’s 93rd class of graduates…” declared Associate Principal Kenneth Jennings, as the forty-one young women turned to face guests at Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Hillside at the Academy’s commencement ceremony on Thursday evening, June 5. Proud family members, friends, faculty, administrators and others filled the pews, applauding the beaming Class of 2008 as they flipped their graduation cap tassels from left to right. Earlier in the evening, the graduates were presented by Dean of Students Andrea Banks-Suggs to Academy President/Principal Sister Germaine Fritz, OSB ’54, who conferred their diplomas. Jennings announced academic awards and also acknowledged the Classes of 1983 and 1958 on the celebration of their silver (25th) and golden (50th) anniversaries of graduation from the academy. This year’s graduating class earned over $1.68 million in academic scholarships and received acceptances from 50 colleges and universities, as noted by Melissa Grau, director of guidance at BA, who read out the individual accomplishments of each graduate. Jennifer Ramos, a Newark resident who will attend the New Jersey Institute of Technology, was Valedictorian of the Benedictine Academy Class of 2008 and delivered the farewell address. Salutatorian Crystal Orr of Elizabeth, who will attend [...]]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/06/18/benedictine-academy-graduates-class-of-2008/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/04/24/elizabeth-students-inducted-into-national-honor-society/ http://njtoday.net/2008/04/24/elizabeth-students-inducted-into-national-honor-society/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:43:08 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/?p=256 ELIZABETH—Nine Benedictine Academy eleventh grade students were honored on April 10 when they were inducted into the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. The evening ceremony was held in the Benedictine Sisters Monastery Church across from the all-female Catholic college prep high school. Andreia daCosta, a 2004 graduate of the Academy, was the guest speaker. DaCosta will graduate from Rutgers University this spring and plans to pursue a career in biotechnology. The ceremony included the recitation of the qualifications for membership in the National Honor Society as well as a candle lighting noting the qualities of Knowledge, Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character that every member must exhibit. The newest members of the Benedictine Academy NHS chapter are: Nicole Andre of Union; Stefannye Barragan of Newark; Melanie Calatayud of Union; Ninoshka Celi of Elizabeth; Tatiana Charles of Union; Adriana Coleman of Linden; Melissa daSilva of Hillside; Genesis Mendoza of Elizabeth; and Erika Yang of Hillside. NHS Moderator Ana Vilarinho Alves, a graduate of the Academy who achieved National Honor Society status during her time at the school, assisted the senior members of the group as they conducted the ceremony. Senior NHS members who will graduate from the Academy in June [...]]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/04/24/elizabeth-students-inducted-into-national-honor-society/feed/ 0 http://njtoday.net/2008/02/27/students-of-the-month/ http://njtoday.net/2008/02/27/students-of-the-month/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:31:05 +0000 cmdmedia http://cmdmedia.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/students-of-the-month/ Students Of The Month—Four young women from at Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth have earned recognition for their academic and all-around achievements at the all-female, Catholic college-prep high school. Selected as “Students of the Month” for January are sophomore Vanessa Devia (standing, left) and freshman Tracy Estelus (standing, right), both of Elizabeth; senior Ulrielle Souffrant of Roselle (seated, left) and junior Erika Yang of Hillside (seated, right.)]]> http://njtoday.net/2008/02/27/students-of-the-month/feed/ 0