Summit Scoop

Summit Scoop is a monthly newsletter for families and staff members in the Summit Public School District. Summit Scoop features stories of student achievement, events in the District, and positive news around the school community! The newsletter will be sent out on the last Thursday of the month. You can find an archive of newsletters sent throughout the year on the District website.

Summit Scoop can be translated into many different languages. All you need to do is open the newsletter in a web browser, and then click on the "Translate" button. If you open it on your phone, you will need to find the accessibility icon which will bring you to the translation option. It is usually at the bottom. If you open it on a computer, the option is at the top of the page.

Summit Scoop se puede traducir a muchos idiomas diferentes. Solo abra el boletín en un navegador web y luego haga clic en el botón "Traducir". Si lo abre en su teléfono, necesitará encontrar el ícono de accesibilidad que lo llevará a la opción de traducción. Suele estar en la parte inferior. Si lo abre en una computadora, la opción está en la parte superior de la página.

What started as a simple Instagram account highlighting Summit High School athletics has now grown into an exciting student-run initiative: the Sports Media Club. With more than 1,000 followers and a dedicated team of photographers, videographers, and content creators, the club has quickly become an essential part of the school’s sports culture.

The idea for the Sports Media Club began when Athletic Director Mr. Healy created an Instagram account showcasing Summit athletics. Jonah Arlein, one of the club’s co-founders, began posting highlight reels, and soon after, Emily Sensenich saw the potential to turn it into something bigger.

“I met with Mrs. Mohlmann, our club adviser, and together we realized that Summit needed an inclusive space where all student-athletes could be represented and celebrated,” Emily shared. “Starting a club felt like the best way to build something sustainable, so the coverage of our sports wouldn’t just be a short-lived project.”

Devin Shroff, another co-founder, immediately saw the vision and wanted to contribute. “I had been thinking about starting a photography club,” Devin explained. “So when I heard about this, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. We started small—just a few of us—but now we’re at around 25 members, which is amazing.”

For many club members, joining was a natural decision that combined their love for sports, media, and creativity.

“I’ve always loved sports,” Cam Aronson said. “Being able to participate in the Sports Media Club was another way to get involved. It’s fun diving into what goes on behind the scenes of what you see on Instagram or TikTok.”

Dante Acosta echoed that sentiment, saying that some of his friends were in it and told him to join, and since he likes sports, it seemed like a great fit.

Simon Deutsch's journey into the club was unexpected but rewarding. “At the beginning of the year, I randomly went to a soccer game with a camera my dad had stored in a closet for most of my life,” Simon said. “That one event got me hooked on photography. I love being able to capture moments for athletes and be part of the Summit community in a way I never expected.”

"One of the things I love most about being part of the club is that it feels like a real-life mini journalism team," Devin shared. "Everyone has a role, whether it’s capturing moments on camera, editing content, or managing social media, and we all work together to create something impactful. It has also pushed me to expand beyond photography and dive into videography, editing, and creative media production, which has been an exciting learning experience."

The Sports Media Club operates with the precision of a professional media team. Every Monday, members meet to review the master schedule of games and assign coverage based on availability.

“We keep a chart to track which sports we’ve covered to ensure fair representation,” Devin explained. “We want to make sure every team gets the spotlight. Whoever is available will attend events, take photos, and film highlights.”

Cam added, “We try to get as many people as possible scheduled for different sports. Whether they’re taking pictures or editing them, everyone plays a part.”

Simon detailed the process further: “We focus on sports that haven’t been highlighted much recently or big games. We also post daily schedules on our Instagram story so students know what games are happening.”

The creative process is just as structured. Members use Adobe programs like Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro to edit their work, ensuring that every post aligns with Summit’s signature maroon and gold aesthetic.

“We have a great team that works on graphics and design,” Devin said. “Since we cover so many different sports and events, our content naturally stays pretty diverse. We just try to capture the best moments, whether it’s action shots, highlight reels, or recap graphics, and keep things engaging for our audience.”

The club’s Instagram account, @ADSUMMITNJ, has quickly gained traction, reaching over 1,000 followers in just a few months. “It’s crazy how fast the page blew up,” Simon said. “But it makes sense—we’re one of the few accounts that consistently posts about Summit sports."

Devin believes the key to their success is consistency. “We try to post Instagram Stories every day with updates, plus game highlights and recaps throughout the week,” he said. “Right now, we don’t track engagement metrics like likes, shares, or comments, but it’s something we want to start doing to see what type of content people enjoy the most.”

Cam added, “It’s great knowing that so many people love our work. I’m proud of our team and how we keep things fresh and exciting. Keeping up this level of content will be a challenge, but I know we have the talent to do it.”

As the club continues to expand, its members have ambitious goals for the future. “We don’t have any big projects in the works right now, but we definitely want to cover more sports and have a club member at every event,” Devin shared. “We’ve also talked about possibly partnering with other school organizations, and that’s something we’ll explore. Another big goal is getting better equipment so that everyone has access to the right tools for capturing and editing high-quality content.”

Simon hopes the club will continue to grow. “I think we’ll get more members who are able to take photos at each event,” he said. “As new students come in and more people notice our work, the club will keep expanding. I just hope we can keep supplying athletes with great photos of them playing the sport they love.”

With a strong foundation, passionate members, and a clear vision for the future, the Sports Media Club is proving to be more than just a student-run Instagram page—it’s a dynamic, evolving platform that showcases Summit’s athletic talent while giving students hands-on experience in sports media. So next time you see a game highlight or action shot on @ADSUMMITNJ, you’ll know the dedicated team behind it—capturing the moments that make Summit athletics unforgettable.

Every year, Summit Public Schools participates in Union County's Teacher Recognition Program. These staff members, nominated at each school, serve as exceptionally skilled and dedicated educators, inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, and demonstrate leadership and innovation inside and outside of the classroom. In addition, Summit Public Schools also presents awards to Support Staff of the Year at each building. This award aims to celebrate and honor the outstanding contributions of our support staff who consistently go above and beyond to ensure the success of our team and organization. Congratulations to this year's Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year recipients from Summit Public Schools!

At the February Board of Education meeting, Summit High School seniors who have received the distinction of being named as scholar students by the 2025 National Merit Scholarship program are recognized. During this presentation, students select and honor a former or current teacher who has made a profound impact on them during their educational journey by gifting them a copy of their favorite book. This is a special event that we look forward to every year!

Congratulations to our National Merit Scholars:

William Ard - Mr. Dan Cummings

Jade Augustin - Ms. Brianna Kane

Abigail Bligh - Ms. Sunita Viswanath

Maya Bofinger - Ms. Kelly Wright

Abigail Cammarano - Ms. Wendy Donat

Monserrat Chacon - Ms. Anna Gomez

Avani Chand

Madeleine Chen - Ms. Elizabeth Mongno

Ellie Curragh - Ms. Katherine Gallaway

Max Eng - Ms. Kathy Branchflower

Lillian Engmann - Ms. Jackie Mattoon

Julia Eroles - Ms. Silvia Vicente

Sofia Estupinan - Ms. Lizbeth Contreras

Nicholas Fenelus - Ms. Mary-Lynn Rhodes

Liv Ge - Ms. Nevena Bojovic

Lucas Gomez - Ms. Michael Gleason

Bella Gulati - Mr. Chris Miller

Gabriella Guzzinati - Ms. Angelique Bender

Thomas Hamilton - Ms. Rosaly Kovach

Rebecca Harris - Mr. Ike Welsh

Carter Herman - Ms. Tina Lee

Emily Hickey - Ms. Laura Kaplan

Eylon Hotam - Ms. Andrea Laquerre

Clare Kwon - Mr. Dan Gollin

Ethan Lawton - Ms. Dana Appell

Meghan Lenis - Ms. Hannah Rothstein

Jonathan Liang - Mr. John Ross

Samuel Liu - Mr. Jeremy Morman

Julia Mahecha - Ms. Christina Allian

Alexa Malik - Ms. Elizabeth Buettner

Beatrice Morgan - Mr. Jack Maranhao

Saira Patel - Ms. Abigail Emerson

Luca Ramniceanu - Ms. Joan Lu

Jason Schwartz - Ms. Caroline Guinee

Emily Sensenich - Ms. Ashley Wollesen

Nikita Shevyakov - Mr. Alex Gentul

Calista Shroff - Ms. Cheryl Adair

Aiden Tapia

David Umana

Emma Vachal - Ms. Monika Bartlett

Jack Vargas - Ms. Erin Fogarty

Alexander Vehap - Mr. Frank Baragona

Ethan Vela - Ms. Jessica Pietracatella

Ava Wallach - Ms. Christine Stelmach

Board President Walidah Justice shared the following during her comments at the February Board meeting:

As we come together this month to celebrate and honor Black History, I want to focus my comments on recognizing the incredible work happening across our schools. Through thoughtful lessons, engaging activities, and meaningful discussions, our students are deepening their understanding of the achievements, contributions, and impact of Black Americans throughout history and in the world today.

At Summit High School, the Black Student Union is leading the way with several impactful events. Earlier this month, BSU members partnered with the Summit Free Public Library and the Summit Interfaith Council Anti-Racism Committee to host a screening of the Netflix documentary, Black Barbie. This event, led by our students, brought together a diverse audience—from elementary students to senior citizens—for a meaningful conversation on representation, identity, and the importance of seeing yourself reflected in the world. Following the screening, attendees had the special opportunity to participate in a virtual Q&A with the film’s director, Lagueria Davis, sparking an intergenerational discussion that resonated deeply with all who attended.

Looking ahead, the BSU will host Moments in Music on March 14, a celebration of African American culture through music, and Sneakerball on March 21, a unique formal event where students dress up but wear sneakers, bringing fun, friendship, and community together.

At Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School, students are participating in advisory lessons highlighting the achievements of Black leaders and historical events through The Social Institute. Seventh and eighth graders are also engaging in a powerful discussion on The Danger of a Single Story, examining how stereotypes shape our perceptions. Each week, the morning announcements spotlight influential Black figures from fields like science, literature, entertainment, and sports.

Across our elementary schools, students are learning about Black history in ways that are both engaging and meaningful.

• At Franklin, morning announcements and the weekly parent newsletter highlight prominent Black Americans, while students participate in lessons and research projects exploring their contributions.

• Brayton students are conducting research projects and daily read-alouds, and the community digital board is showcasing Black Americans in STEAM fields.

• Lincoln-Hubbard kicked off the month with an interactive assembly, Time Machine, which combined music and laser technology to bring Black history to life.

• Jefferson students have been working closely with their Media Specialist and teachers on research projects and read-alouds.

• At Washington, several classrooms are conducting research on both historical and contemporary Black leaders, with read-alouds reinforcing these lessons.

Even our Primary Centers are ensuring that our youngest learners engage with Black history through read-alouds, nonfiction literature, and role-playing exercises that help them understand the importance of their words and actions.

I am so proud of the work our educators and students are doing to celebrate Black History Month—not just as a moment in time, but as an opportunity to build awareness, foster discussion, and inspire future generations. Thank you to our teachers, administrators, and students for their dedication to making this month impactful. Let’s continue to celebrate, learn, and grow together.

Quintessance, Summit High School's literary magazine, has been recognized as a Superior magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)! This year, schools in 46 states and five countries nominated 422 student magazines. Magazines from middle school, high school, and higher education were welcomed for the 2024 contest.

The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate magazines.

Professor Carole Allamand, Director of the Undergraduate Program in French at Rutgers University paid a special visit to Dr. Schlehlein’s 8th grade French classes at LCJSMS! Dr. Schlehlein, who previously taught French at Rutgers University, invited her former colleague to talk to her eighth graders about the many benefits of continuing to study French in high school and in college.

Through Professor Allamand’s presentation, students discovered various aspects of French culture, such as little-known facts about the Eiffel Tower, current statistics suggesting the ubiquity of the French language in both the present and the future, and geography of the Francophone world. Further, Professor Allamand enlightened students about the opportunities of studying French at Rutgers, home of one of the largest French departments of any American university. The passionate undergraduates of French at Rutgers direct a French club, a French dormitory house dedicated to those desiring a simulation of an immersion experience on campus, a French magazine with articles to interest any level of French readers, and even an all-new film festival on campus coming this March.

As a part of our immigration curriculum, Brayton hosted its second annual Immigration Roundtable. Third grade teachers invited parents/grandparents and even Brayton employees who immigrated to America to share their stories in a 90 minute period of time. Groups of students had the opportunity to visit every table to hear their story, as well as ask questions. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other in the Brayton community and celebrate our different backgrounds!

Shelby, Summit High School's therapy dog, visits every Thursday thanks to the generosity of the Summit Educational Foundation. Here she is getting some pets from students at Summit High School!

Thanks to a generous SEF grant, Brayton Elementary School now has a digital bulletin board sharing Mindful Morning tips, Joke of the Day, Daily Acts of Kindness, and more! This new addition is keeping students engaged, inspired, and connected every day.

Each athletic season, the Union County Conference recognizes a male and female athlete each week from one of the schools in the county who have had noteworthy athletic achievement in that season. Congratulations to Tessa Cusumano (Basketball) and Thomas Hamilton (Indoor Track & Field) who are being recognized this winter by the county! To read more about these student athletes, please see below or visit the Union County Conference website.

"The conventional wisdom is that leaders are those who speak the loudest. In terms of Tessa Cusumano, her leadership this year manifests itself in the quiet, sometimes stern conversations with her teammates. She leads with her actions, and her teammates always know that she has their backs. Her steady presence and unflinching optimism radiates throughout the program, and this significant attribute allows the younger players to grow."

"Hamilton has had a breakout season this year. He has set personal bests in the 55, 55HH, 200m, high jump and long jump. Hamilton has has run the 6th fastest time in school history in the 55m, the 7th fastest time in the 55 hurdles, is tied for 2nd all-time in the high jump and the 5th best ever long jump mark in school history. At the Union County Championships, Hamilton earned a silver medal in the high jump, and he also placed 5th at the Metropolitan Invitational in the high jump and set a top 10 time in school history in both the 55 dash and hurdles. At the Varsity Classic, Hamilton matched his best clearance in the high jump to place top 10 and hit another top 10 time in the 55 hurdles, his best mark of the year so far!"

• David Fix becomes the 18th Hilltopper in SHS history to record 1,000 points in his basketball career!
• Coach Tim Simo registers his 100th career win as SHS Varsity Boys Basketball Coach with a state win over Rahway!
• Congratulations to senior wrestler Sam Henry for becoming only the 7th Hilltopper in SHS history to reach 100 career wins!

Congratulations to these Summit High School senior student-athletes who have committed to continue their academic and athletic careers in college next year!

Luca Avelino, Lacrosse - Denison University
Luke Broderick, Lacrosse - Salve Regina University
Madeleine Chen, Cross Country / Track & Field - Emory University
Rory Conway, Golf - Ohio Northern University
Henrique Guicardi, Football - Franklin and Marshall College
Sam Henry, Wrestling - Sacred Heart University
Will Iacovelli, Lacrosse - Denison University
Joelle Ma, Soccer - Dickinson College
Oscar Marx, Football - Franklin and Marshall College
Marin McGuire, Lacrosse - Gettysburg College
Valentina Moretti, Soccer -St. Lawrence University
Samuel Morris, Football - Muhlenberg College
Jaimie Penner, Lacrosse - Skidmore College
Caroline Putnam, Softball - University of Pennsylvania
Emily Sensenich, Lacrosse - University of Chicago
Max Shin, Golf - Grinnell College
Sam Wesson, Lacrosse - Clarkson University

Preparations are underway for the Summit District Arts Festival, set to take place starting on Wednesday, April 2nd through Friday, April 4th! This three-day event will celebrate all of the hard work and creativity that Summit students have put into their courses this year. Attendees can expect to both see and hear wonderful works of art, ranging from music, pottery, painting, photography, video, fashion, woodworking, culinary, and more.

Karen Forgione, District Supervisor of Fine, Performing & Practical Arts stated, "We are thrilled to introduce a new format for this year’s District Arts Festival, which will showcase the incredible talents of our students in fresh and exciting ways. Arts education plays a vital role in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression, and this event is a testament to the dedication and passion of our students and educators. We can’t wait for the community to experience the work being created in our schools."

Each day of the event will have something new and different and parents and students are encouraged to enjoy all that will be offered and to get in on the fun themselves with in-house workshops being offered. The Summit District Arts Festival is a wonderful celebration of our district’s talented students and we are proud to showcase all of their wonderful works of art!

In early February, Bel Canto (LCJSMS Select Choir) was selected to perform the National Anthem at a Rutgers University Womens' Basketball game! Singers arrived on campus early for a sound check, enjoyed dinner in the hospitality area, sang their hearts out on the court, and stayed to cheer on the Scarlet Knights. Students were just as fortunate to have family and friends cheering them on in the stands!

The SHS Speech and Debate survived four days of snow, wind, rain and freezing cold at the Harvard Tournament, advancing several students to elimination rounds. Harvard is the largest invitational speech tournament in the world with over 6,000 students competing from 42 states and several countries including China and the Dominican Republic.

Advancing to Elimination Rounds:

Humorous Interpretation

5th place out of 150 entries: Sarah Walsh

Octo Finalist: Ben Schachne

Public Forum Debate over 400 teams competed in this event

Double Octos and a TOC bid: Jackson Zarro and Adi Arora

Triple Octos: Lexie Malik and Kira Bhatia

Dramatic Interpretation

Octo Finalists: Scarlet Ashcroft Bale Dyer, Ainsley Valerio, Oliver Henderson, Lucy Adams

Original Oratory

Double Octos: Ben Strauss

Although the majority of our speech team was unable to compete at the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Tournament on Saturday because they were involved in our All Day Tech for The Prom that opens this Wed, our small but mighty team won Second Place Sweepstakes overall with over half the team advancing to the final rounds!

Humorous Interpretation

2nd Abe Pearlman

Impromptu Speaking

4th Maya Tung

Informative Speaking

2nd Oliver Charilas-Henderson

Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate

4th Max Huang and Sean Au-Yeung

Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate

6th Zooey Smith

Novice Parliamentary Debate

5th Ethan Vamkakis and Sarp Pilge

Novice Public Forum Debate

1st Karun Jain and Sara Borkar

Oral Interpretation

3rd Zoe Gianni

Program Oral Interpretation

5th Zoe Gianni

Varsity Public Forum Debate

6th Adi Arora and Hunter Patel

MARCH 10

Single Session - All Grades

Staff Professional Development

MARCH 20

Board of Education Meeting

LCJSMS Auditorium

6:30 p.m.

• Family technology support
• School times
• Food services
• School counseling
• Athletics schedule
• Arts calendar