SCHOOL

PASCACK VALLEY

DEAN’S LIST AND MORE: ALUMNIACHIEVEMENT

PASCACK PRESSSALUTES the Pascack Valleyʼs highachieving alumni of our area high schools. Hereʼs what theyʼve been up to lately, according to their schools and families…

• David Sklar of the Township of Washington is graduating Ramapo College of New Jersey with a masterʼs degree in social work (MSW) this May. Sklar, now 36, decided to change from a career in information technology to one that in the words of his father, Michael, who tipped us off, “makes a better world for children.”

David told Pascack Press heʼs wanted to be a social worker/therapist since he was 12 and is now following his dream. Heʼs a social work intern at South Orange Middle School.

He graduated Ramapo College of New Jersey with a bachelorʼs degree in social work, 2019–2021, and Bergen Community College with an associateʼs degree in psychology, 2015–2019. • Reports his mom, Ian W.

Laflotte, formerly of River Vale,

and a 2007 graduate of Pascack Valley High School, received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Rutgers University this spring. He took his MS in nuclear physics at Carnegie Mellon University.

He told Pascack Press on April 13 his research work involved the Large Hadron Collider, the worldʼs largest and highestenergy particle accelerator, at CERN, near Geneva. He worked on a team, the Compact Muon Solenoid Collaboration, collecting and analyzing data for “a more sophisticated theory of how the world works.”

Laflotte credited his PV chemistry teacher, Carrie Jacobus, who retired last year from the River Dell Regional School District, for “inspiring my fascination with chemistry.

“She did a great job and then I had a lot of questions about how chemistry worked at a deeper level, because it kind of felt like we were told some things work because thatʼs just the way it is and I had more questions than that.”

He said, “At some point she was like, Look, I donʼt fully know how to answer your questions; a lot of the answers are going to be based in physics, and thatʼs how I started to get more into physics.”

He said he also had always enjoyed math as well, “and it was a natural fit. And then I got to college and thatʼs when I started doing physics properly.”

Now heʼs looking for a job outside of academia: “data science, analytics, computer programming big data analysis. Iʼm looking forward to joining the industrial workforce in the tech sector. ... itʼs very difficult to have a long-term research career. … I like playing with computers too much.”

Laflotte said, “I love the way my brain feels after 10 years of getting to study physics. I love my critical-thinking abilities. It was just a lot of fun to be able to practice that, and to get told every day, This is what you have to work on. Physics problems? OK, great, love it! Learning to do research? Excellent!” • Stephen Brennan of Hillsdale was among the University of Scranton students inducted into Alpha Delta Sigma, the national honor society sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, recognizing and encouraging scholastic achievement in advertising studies. Brennan is a senior social media strategies major at Scranton, a Jesuit university in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

• Alyssa Raine Lara of Westwood earned membership into the 2022 Purple Key Leadership Society at Emerson College, in Boston. Participants were honored during the annual Emerson Recognition & Achievement (ERA) Awards on Friday, April 8. The Purple Key Leadership Society recognizes a select group of seniors who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and service, solid academic achievement, and a commitment to civic engagement. Lara is majoring in Media Arts Production and is a member of the Class of 2022. SKLAR • Michelle Galdi of Park Ridge was inducted into Pi Theta Epsilon, the occupational therapy honor society at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Conn. during a recent campus ceremony. Students inducted must exhibit superior academic performance. This yearʼs inductees had GPAs of 3.7 or higher.

LAFLOTTE

EMERSON

Class of ’22 dodgeball fundraiser April 22

Dodgeball fun is back! Emerson Project Graduation Class of 2022 is hosting six-on-six dodgeball on Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Emerson Junior-Senior High School gym. All are invited to attend.

If you are interested in putting a team together, email projectgraduation2022EHS@gmail.com.

Participants must be 14 and up. Yes, adults are welcomed too. The fee is $10 per Emerson student or recent graduate or $20 per non-Emerson student/adult. Complete and submit all paperwork by April 8. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams.

ADVERTISEYOURSERVICEINTHE SERVICE DIRECTORY INTHE PASCACK PRESS.

SUMMER 2022:

JUNE 21 - JUNE 24

TUESDAY - FRIDAY JUNE 27 - JUNE 30

MONDAY - THURSDAY JULY 11 - JULY 14

MONDAY - THURSDAY

ALL SESSIONS AT: Pascack Valley High School

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

GIRLS: Grades K - 8 • BOYS: Grades K - 7

Coach to Player Ratio: 1 Coach per 5 Players JEFF JASPER DIRECTOR

email: jjasper@pascack.org phone: 551-427-1030 web: jeffjaspersbasketballcamp.com

— Compiled by John Snyder. Send your family milestones to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net

WESTWOOD

$2K INSCHOLARSHIPSVIAHERITAGESOCIETY

The Westwood Heritage Society, a volunteer organization that is dedicated to the preservation of the history, beauty and spirit of the Borough of Westwood, will award its Cheryl Todd Memorial Community Service Scholarship to a high school student who is a resident of Westwood and who is completing his/her senior year.

The society will be awarding scholarships totaling $2,000. The scholarship, which is dedicated to the memory of Cheryl Todd, former borough historian, who devoted her life as a volunteer to the research and preservation of the history and heritage of the Borough of Westwood, will be awarded to a student who has been accepted for enrollment in a post-high school educational program and who has a demonstrated record of community service in the Borough of Westwood.

For more information and an application form — the deadline to get this in is April 30 — write WestwoodHeritage@usa.net or, by USPS, Westwood Heritage Society, ATTN: Community Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 611 Westwood, NJ 07675-0611.

PASCACK VALLEY

30th Annual Kid Fishing Contest April 30

The 30th Annual Kid Fishing Contest, sponsored by the Friends of the Pascack Brook, is on for Saturday, April 30 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.

All kids 4–16 are invited to fish the Pascack Brook between St John R.C. Church in Hillsdale and Brookside Place in Westwood.

There is no advance registration or fee. In order to compete for trophies, prizes, and other awards, kids should have all trout caught the day of the contest measured and recorded during contest hours at the police booth in Hillsdale.

All club-tagged fish caught will be awarded prizes during contest hours only.

Any child who wants to help stock the brook with fish should be accompanied by an adult and meet in the parking lot of the Hillsdale Public Library or the ball field by Brookside Place in Westwood, both at 7 a.m. the day of the contest.

Organizers say it would help Hillsdale’s Jayden Tattoli shows off her catch at the 2021 Pascack Brook Kid Fishing Contest.Photo courtesy Danielle O’Brien. to bring a clean spackle bucket to help stock with.

The Westwood Elks Lodge #1562, at 523 Kinderkamack Road, will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, and soda from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone wishing to donate may send contributions to Friends of the Pascack Brook, P.O. Box 84, Hillsdale, N.J. 07642.

AHAspring open house May 17

Behind every successful Angel is her growth mindset education. Plan to attend the Academy of the Holy AngelsʼSpring Open House on Tuesday, May 17, and discover how this prestigious all-girls school empowers young women through a nationally acclaimed STREAM education.

Angels learn to lead in an uplifting atmosphere, where they are encouraged to surmount temporary obstacles, and encounter success throughout their lives.

So far, the Class of 2022 has gained early admission and millions of dollarsʼworth of scholarships to renowned colleges and universities that include Princeton and Yale. Be part of AHAʼs 142year success story. Register for Spring Open House at holyangels.org/admissions/visit-aha beginning May 1.

Spring Open House will begin at 5 p.m. at the Academyʼs campus at 315 Hillside Ave. in Demarest. Friendly, knowledgeable Angel Ambassadors will lead tours and answer questions. The administration, faculty, and staff will cover AHAʼs mission and culture, curriculum, co-curricular and extracurricular offerings, and more. The admissions team will discuss the application process, and scholarship and financial aid opportunities.

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girlsʼschool in Bergen County. 315 Hillside Ave., Demarest. Call (201) 768.7822 and visit holyangels.org.

WESTWOOD

Westwood rec preschool registration

Registration for the Westwood Recreation Department Preschool begins Tuesday, April 5 at 9 a.m. for Westwood residents and at 11 a.m. for non-residents at the Westwood Community Center, 55 Jefferson Ave.

The three-day-a-week half-day programs for children 3–5 are designed to foster kindergarten readiness by creating developmentally appropriate learning opportunities in a nurturing setting.

Interested parents are encouraged to register on April 5. Class size is limited to 24 for the pre-K–4 morning class and 20 for the preK–3 afternoon class.

Led by teacher/director Natalie Boes, Westwood Recreation Preschool is licensed by the State of New Jersey and follows state curriculum guidelines. Classroom activities prepare students for academic and social success by assisting in the development of self-help skills, gross and fine motor skills, listening skills as well as providing a strong foundation in literacy, math, social studies and science. Art, music, seasonal activities and freeplay round out the program offerings. The Westwood Recreation Preschool program is open to children 3–5 as of Oct. 1, 2022. Proof of residency and birth certificates are required for registration. All children are required to be potty-trained before entering the program.

Annual tuition is $2,000 for kids 4–5 who attend Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Annual tuition is $1,700 for kids aged 3 who attend Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For convenience, annual tuition is payable in four installments: April 5 (time of registration), Sept. 7, Jan. 2, and Feb. 6. The 2022–2023 school year begins Wednesday, Sept. 7.

For registration information and forms, see the Preschool section of the Recreation Page at westwoodnj.gov or call (201) 6647882.

For more information, write , Recreation Director Gary Buchheister at gbuchheister@westwoodnj.gov.

WESTWOOD

Two Charity Golf Outing scholarships!

The Westwood Charity Golf Outing has been raising money for worthwhile recipients for the past 24 years. Fifteen years ago, the WCGO Scholarship Committee began giving its proceeds to the WCGO Scholarship Fund to assist Westwoodʼs future leaders. This year, the WCGO Scholarship Committee is offering two $1,500 scholarships to two Westwood resident senior students who are very talented, and the assistance for college would really help them and their families. The scholarship-winning students may come from Westwood Regional High School or one of the private high schools in the area to which Westwood residents attend. To date, 32 recipients from six high schools have won WCGO Scholarships.

If you would like a scholarship application, you may find them in the Clerkʼs Office at the Westwood Municipal Center, in the Recreation Department at the Westwood Community Center, in the Westwood Library, or on the Borough of Westwood website. You also may send your request to westwoodcgo@gmail.com, or you can ask your guidance counselor for an electronic copy.

If you have any other questions, you may write to us: WCGO Scholarship Committee, 37 Goodwin Terrace, Westwood, NJ 07675.

The deadline for applications to be received is April 30, 2022,