N.B. BOE presents awards to students, teacher
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The township Board of Education presented several awards at its May 14 meeting to celebrate the successes of its students and staff members.

Mike Buttitta, a technology education teacher at LinwoodMiddle School, has received the New Jersey Technology Education Association's Middle School Teacher Excellence Award.

Buttitta has been teaching at Linwood for four years, and is also a baseball coach. He received his degree in telecommunications management at DeVry University, North Brunswick, and is pursuing a master's degree in technology education.

He is now automatically nominated for the International Technology Education Association Teacher Excellence Award, and is allowed to apply for NJTEA grants.

"It's not just our students who do excellent work," said Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski.

Brian Davis, a student at North Brunswick Township High School, was elected as the 2008-2009 New Jersey DECA state president.

Several students were accepted to the Governor's School of New Jersey summer program. Julian Haimovich and Ruchi Patel were accepted to the environmental program, and Lindsay Cohick will attend the creative writing program.

Danielle Garback, a student at North Brunswick Township High School, was recognized by the United Way of Central Jersey as a Hometown Hero.

The student representative to the township's Municipal Alliance Committee was nominated by council President Cathy Nicola because of her work as a teen advocate against underage drinking: she helped pass a township-wide ordinance that makes it illegal for minors to consume alcohol on private property.

Garback also volunteers with the North Brunswick Food Bank.

"She's an absolutely wonderful role model to her peers in North Brunswick," Nicola said. "She talks the talk and she walks the walk."

In addition, Amit Singh was honored for his Greater Middlesex Conference First Singles Tennis Championship. He has a record of 64 wins and just six losses over his three-year career, and he will return next year as a senior.

"Tennis is an individual sport but is also wrapped around a team concept," said Zychowski, who gave credit to Singh's coach and teammates.