Attendance Matters
The Arts are Alive
Legally Blonde Takes the Stage
The Central Regional Drama Club staged Legally Blonde March 13-16 to large and supportive audiences. A talented cast of students brought the theatrical story of Elle Woods to life with show-stopping musical numbers and wonderfully acted moments that ranged
at Central Regional
MusicFest 17
Central Regional students and staffulty showed off their musical chops on March 21 in the 17th Annual MusicFest, sponsored by the Central Regional Education Association. The event raised just shy of $1,000, which will be split between the John Theurer Cancer Center, Bone Marrow Transplant Division at Jersey Shore Medical Center, and the Middle School General Music Budget. Acts such as The Lava Walkers, Zahmir, The Haunting, BonamaSky, INK and The Vapors took the stage to kick out the jams for an enthusiastic crowd.
At Central Regional High School, students and staffulty are anxiously following their NCAA basketball tournament brackets to see who will win The Big Dance, but they are also competing in their own tournament to win The Big Attend-Dance.
In the CRHS March Madness Attendance Tournament, 64 homerooms are pitted against each other and student attendance percentages are tracked. The homerooms with the highest attendance advance to the next round of the tournament –from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight and down to the Final Four until there are only two left standing. The champion will be announced on April 7 – the same day the NCAA basketball tournament champion is crowned. A large print of the tournament bracket is on display in a hallway so everyone can track winning homerooms as the tournament progresses.
To create excitement and get more staffulty involved in the CRHS version of March Madness, the school designed posters featuring several staffulty, including Principal Angello Mazzuca, Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder, teachers, assistant principals, guidance counselors and security officers. The posters are hung throughout the school and the images are posted to the school’s social media accounts.
“The entire school is involved to encourage participation and foster school spirit,” Mazzuca said. “Everyone is excited to see to see who will capture the crown.”
The winning homeroom will earn a champion’s breakfast of waffles and pancakes served by the administration, but there is more than homeroom bragging rights at stake. Students from each round’s winning homerooms receive raffle tickets for drawings that include prizes such as snacks, earbuds, wireless speakers, sunglasses and other bounty valued by high school students.
"The entire school is involved to encourage participation and foster school spirit."
The March Madness Attendance Tournament was the brainchild of Assistant Principals Adrienne Cangelosi-Schafer, Joseph Toth and Dr. Laura Vanello, director of pupil services.
"The March Madness Attendance Tournament unites our school community, as we support attendance together in an exciting way,” Cangelosi-Schafer said. “It makes coming to school a little more fun and provides some extra incentive to attend.”
If you would like to share information or a story for the Golden Eagle Gazette such as a newsworthy event, an innovative lesson in your classroom, club news, etc., please email Dan Hanson at Dan@laura-bishop.com
Boys Basketball Sets Wins Record
The 2024-2025 boys’ basketball season was one for the record books as the team set a record with 24 wins in a season and was crowned the A-South Division Champion with an undefeated 10-0 record. In addition, the team made the Elite Eight in the Shore Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season and earned a trip to the South Jersey Group 4 State Tournament Semi-finals for the second time in school history. The team ended the year ranked first in Ocean County and fourth in the Shore Conference.
Individually, four Golden Eagles received post-season honors. Jaycen Santucci was named First Team All-South Jersey Group 4, First Team All-Shore, First Team All-County, and A-South Player of the Year. Jayson King was named Third Team All Shore, First Team All-County & First Team All A-South. Both Royalty Riley and Derek Roth were named Second Team All A-South.
King and Santucci also inserted themselves into the all-time leaderboard. King now ranks second in individual game assistant with 12 and first in individual game steals with 9. Santucci is second all-time in points with 1,675, second all-time rebounds with 708 and first all-time in steals with 230.
Clemente Named Coach of the Year
Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Mike Clemente was named New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association (NJBCA) County Coach of the Year. Clemente led the Golden Eagles to a 24-4 record, the most wins in school history. In addition, the team had an undefeated record in the A South Division, and a number one ranking in Ocean County. Clemente was honored in an oncourt ceremony during halftime of the NJBCA North/South All-Star Game on March 30.
Girls wrestling update
Congratulations to Liliana Alicea and sisters Jade and JayAnna Hahn for qualifying for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City.
Jade Hahn won her first South Region Championship with a dominating 16-1 technical fall in the 185-pound final. She made it all the way to the championship match in Atlantic City before falling to Shaelie Young of Gateway Regional.
JayAnna Hahn (132 lbs.) and Liliana Alicea (165 lbs.) took third place in their respective weight categories at the South Region Championships. Alicea battled in the quarterfinals of the state championships in Atlantic City but dropped a narrow 7-6 decision to Page DeCaro of
Newton/Kittatinny. JayAnna Hahn faced Sophie Babineau of Manalapan in the Round of 16 Atlantic City. It was a great matchup, but JayAnna was outscored 11-8.
Lilliana Comstock placed fourth in the 152-pound bracket at the South Region tournament. Although she missed the opportunity to wrestle in Atlantic City, she made everyone proud and excited for her future.
ROTC Robotics Team
Central Regional High School’s JROTC Robotics teams won both the Build and Design awards at the Roosevelt High School Vex Robotics Competition on March 1, earning one of the teams a trip to the Nationals on May 8-12 in Dallas, Texas.
The Design Award is awarded to the team that demonstrated the most effective and efficient robot design process. The Build Award recognizes a wellconstructed robot that is built with a high degree of attention to detail, both in the robot construction and engineering notebook.
The Bot A team, which won the Build Award, includes Mason Caudill, Jayden Garcia, Brayden Giglio, Joshua Guzman, Lillie Hruby and Emma Smith. The Bot B team won the Design Award. Students on the Bot B team included Leiloni Comiskey, Elliott Garvey, Antonio Guzman, Owen Holterman, Joseph Lau and Aedenn Wheeler. The teams’ advisors are Lillie Hruby and Angie Mares.
The goal of this year’s Vex Worlds competition is to maneuver rings, pick them up, push them around, and
score them on mobile goals set around the field and attached to the perimeter of the field.
One of the challenges for teams is to completely organize their engineering notebooks, which tracks the design process and progress of their teams from the beginning to the end of the season. At the very end of the Vex Worlds competition in Dallas, VEX reveals the game for the new year and teams begin the process of designing their bots, recording everything in their engineering notebook. The students have to be familiar with the rules of the game and the strategies for game play and scoring points.
Central Regional Esports Update
The Central Regional Esports team finished its regular season with a 4-3 record. The team also recently competed in the finals of the Overcooked! All You Can Eat tournament at Georgian Court University.
"It was amazing to be in that kind of environment,” said Central Regional Esports Team Advisor/Coach Brendan Neuhaus. “Games, which have long been a niche hobby, took center stage. We didn’t win, but it was a super awesome experience.”
Check out the video of the team’s competing at the Overcooked! All You Can Eat Tournament here.
The inaugural Esports team included students Marlon Blanco, Olvin Martinez, Jakayla Rivera and Bella Zappala.
In the Spring, Central will have a Marvel Rivals Team of six players, a Rocket League Team of two players and a Super Smash Brothers Team of two players. Additionally, the team is looking for another female player to field a Valkyrie Team for Super Smash Brothers. If you are interested, please contact coach Brendan Neuhaus.
CRMS Student Writes Award Winning Essay
Connor Jakalow, an eighth grader at Central Regional Middle School, put pen to paper and won $3,400 in the process. Jakalow’s essay, “My Voice in America’s Democracy,” won both the local and county VFW Patriot Pen Essay Contests.
Jakalow won $400 in the local contest, sponsored by the Berkeley Township VFW Lodge #9503, and $3,000 for winning at the county level.
CRMS social studies teachers encouraged students to enter the contest, which inspires students to use their mind and knowledge of America’s history and their experience of today’s American society to write essays expressing their view on an annual patriotic theme.
The Board of Education recognized Jakalow’s accomplishment during its March meeting.
CRMS Students Selected for State Band
The South Jersey Band and Orchestra Director’s Association (SJBODA) selected two CRMS students, Aiden Harrigan and Laila Santos, for the South Jersey Junior High School Band.
Harrigan and Santos, both clarinet players, auditioned for the honor on Jan. 25 and received high scores which earned them seats on the prestigious band.
As part of the honor, Harrigan and Santos performed with other selected junior high school musicians at a concert at Fernwood Avenue Middle School on March 9.
CR Academy Supports Missed Instruction
Students who have exceeded five unexplained absences due to illness with a parent or doctor’s note are eligible for the CR Academy. The CR Academy is held after school during teachers’ office hours to support the academic instruction missed.
CR Academy forms are available on our website and in the Main, Guidance and Assistant Principal’s offices.
Attending the CR Academy will support your student’s academic progress and will positively impact their attendance rate.
Kenneth Zinkevich
CRHS Technology Teacher
Q: Can you describe your role?
A: I teach video production and serve as advisor and director of CRN, the morning news club. I am also an assistant boys lacrosse coach.
Q: How long have you worked in the district, and have you worked in other roles?
A: I have been with the district since 2019. I started as the TV technician and put my stamp on Channel 21 by expanding its content, upgrading its technology, steering it toward live streaming and starting the Channel 21 TV production club.
Q: What is your favorite thing about
working at Central Regional?
A: I love being a positive influence for the next generation. When students respond positively to lessons in and out of class, I feel like I’ve found my purpose. So many people hope to go through this world and just affect one life, but I try to be the best teacher ever for more than 100 kids a year. When I used to freelance, I earned money but felt like I wasn’t really making a positive contribution to the world. I love this career that can both put a roof over my head and fill my heart.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your position?
A: The biggest challenge is balancing all the things I need to do as a teacher. Lesson planning for three different levels, grading, following up with discipline, bathroom duty and being
Kelli Tobin CRMS Science Teacher
Q: Can you describe your role?
A: I currently teach 8th grade science and am also the co-advisor of the Unified Club in the Middle School.
Q: How long have you worked in the district, and have you worked in other roles?
A: This is my 20th year at Central Regional. Over the last 15 years, I have taught both 7th and 8th grade science. I also spent my first five years in the district as the athletic trainer in the High School.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Central Regional?
A: My favorite thing about working at Central Regional is the people and the connections I've made over the last 20 years.
on the clock for CRN at 7 a.m. every morning can get to be a lot at times, but it has become easier every year. I also have an awesome group of level three students that make about three quarters of the content you see on CRN. It’s been great to have them in class all year long instead of one semester.
Q: Can you share something fun about yourself?
A: I found teaching by accident. When I graduated from college, the freelance production jobs were not coming regularly. A friend of a friend saw me playing guitar at a bonfire, and two weeks later, I was teaching private drum and guitar lessons at a music studio. I eventually gave up music teaching once production jobs became more consistent, but it laid the groundwork for where I am now.
Q: What is the most challenging thing about your position?
A: The most challenging part of my position is time. It never feels like there is enough time to accomplish all of the things I would like!
Q: Can you share something fun about yourself?
A: My favorite place to be is the beach. It just makes me so happy to walk up the ramp and see the ocean and smell the salt air.
Unified Club Fundraiser
The Unified Club thanks everyone who made donations for Jeans Day, helping the CAT Crew raise just shy of $40,000 for Special Olympics NJ. The 2025 Polar Bear Plunge raised $2.5 million for Special Olympics NJ.
