Holmdel Board honors students for perfect NJSLA and SAT results

The Holmdel Township Board of Education recognized dozens of students on Oct. 31 for perfect scores on statewide NJSLA tests and for a perfect SAT subject score during the board's public meeting and awards ceremony. Superintendent Scott Cascone opened the presentation and invited principals from each school to read recipients' names and present certificates.

"We're thrilled to have you here to recognize what are truly amazing academic achievements," Cascone said, introducing the ceremony. Lisa Vitale, principal of Indian Hill School, read multiple fourth- and sixth-grade recipients and told families, "I mean, to get a perfect score on an NJSLA is such an amazing accomplishment. I'm so proud of their efforts." Chantelle Simonelli, principal of Satch Middle School, and Holmdel High School principal Dr. Michael John Harrods likewise announced names and congratulated students.

The ceremony listed recipients by grade and subject. Examples cited by school included fourth-grade Language Arts and math recipients (Chase Lin, Allen Liu, Sonali Matharu, Sofia Maguire, Ashley Richards, Myra Sudagala and Elong Tai), middle-school standouts (Yulan Chen, Sienna DeFilippis and Ethan Lavon among others) and high-school students who earned perfect scores across ELA, math and science. Dr. Harrods also announced a Holmdel High senior, Serena Ganae, achieved a perfect score on the SAT math subject test.

The superintendent invited the board and administration to join award recipients for group photos and thanked school staff for supporting students across academics and extracurricular activities. Families were invited to refreshments in the commons after the ceremony.

The board returned to its regular agenda following the presentations; the awards portion of the meeting concluded with board members and attendees offering congratulations and appreciation for the students' accomplishments.