Lacey School Board Recognizes Student Standouts

The Lacey Township Board of Education honored several students Tuesday whose achievements inside and outside of the classroom went beyond the call of duty.

The first student to be recognized was Devin Ostermann of , who was the recipient of the “Matthew Blum Unsung Heroes” award for the month of January. Ostermann was called to the front of the LTHS lecture hall by the BOE’s student representative, fellow LTHS student Alex Granato.

Granato said that Ostermann had contributed to many extracurricular activities and achieved academic excellence, while doing so both with a mind toward serious goals and a sense of humor.

“His strong sense of morality compelled him to turn in $50 found in the hallway to the main office,” said Granato. “For his tireless work both in the community and at school, we are proud to present this award to Devin Ostermann.”

Principal Rosemarie Bond and teacher Darlene Price were at Tuesday’s meeting to present certificates to , a free program offered by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation.

Receiving commemorative certificates were fourth-graders Emma Harken, James Mitchelli, Ryan Price and Jenna Strifler, who dubbed themselves “The Smart Stock Kids” in the competition. The award-winning students are members of Lanoka Harbor School’s “Gifted and Talented” program.

In the competition, teams began with a virtual cash account of $100,000 and strove to create the best performing portfolio using a live trading simulation, the website says. The winning students from Lanoka Harbor School placed first in a division of 35 schools in southern New Jersey.

Darlene Price explained that the competition ran from October through the end of December, and that the students will be honored once again at the SIFMA Foundation’s award dinner on June 6.

Will Zylinski, principal of Lacey Township High School, also stepped up to the podium to recognize the efforts of LTHS’s “Students of the Month” for January 2012, Allison Orlasky and Lex Knapp.

The principal first addressed Orlasky, saying she ”demonstrates a positive attitude” and showed “strong performance both on the athletic field and in the classroom.”

“She serves as a role model for all students,” said Zylinski, continuing by noting that in an addition to her long and impressive list of academic and extracurricular accolades, Orlasky holds a part-time job outside of school as well.

The second “Student of the Month” for January, Lex Knapp, was not present at the meeting, but will appear in person to be honored at the next BOE meeting, in February, according to Zylinski.

“Lex has earned four varsity letters in wrestling and two in football,” Zylinski said, noting that Lex also earned “Most Valuable Player” distinctions in both of those sports, as well. Lex also holds a 3.59 cumulative GPA.

During board member and superintendent reports, each member of the Lacey Board of Education congratulated all of the recognized students for their fine efforts, both in and out of the classroom.