Promotion Ceremony Held At Grover Cleveland School In Caldwell

CALDWELL, NJ — Several high-achieving students at Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell recently earned awards as part of its annual promotion ceremony.

During the 2021 ceremony, the Joseph Jacangelo Award was given to Melia Hillman.

Meanwhile, the James A. Brown Make A Difference Award – named in memory of Jim Brown, the former principal of GCMS who passed away last April – was given to Portia Cina and Jack Migliaccio.

The school also paid tribute to the efforts of other hardworking students via a series of “pre-awards.” They included:

Coccia Foundation Italian Studies Award

The Coccia Foundation is an organization founded in 1994 by the late Joseph Coccia and his wife Elda. Mr. Coccia’s vision was to create an organization that would promote and preserve awareness of Italian and Italian-American culture, history, and societal contributions as well as foster academic excellence among young people interested in all things Italian. The Coccia Foundation Italian studies awards were created in order to recognize special students who exhibited great interest in the Italian language as well as its rich culture. Albeit important, academics are not the sole criteria for these awards. The recipients of this year’s awards not only received high marks in all four marking periods but exhibited great enthusiasm and a positive attitude throughout the year. For the 9th year in a row through the Coccia Foundation, Grover Cleveland Middle School is fortunate enough to receive an opportunity to reward five special students who truly stood out in the GCMS Italian program.

8th Grade Social Studies Award

The 8th Grade Social Studies Award is presented to a student who demonstrates exemplary academic achievement and good citizenship. Along with a high average grade, the Social Studies Award winner values service to the school and community. Students are nominated and voted on by the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Social Studies teachers.

Builders Award

Students nominated for the Leona Smith Award should demonstrate devotion to school and local community. They may belong to school clubs like the Builders Club or Ecology Club, which offer service activities. They may volunteer at soup kitchens, food banks, nursing homes, or shelters through their church or temple youth group. They may tutor their peers or become a leader in the Student Council. Whatever the focus of their volunteerism, these students display a sense of caring that was epitomized by Leona Smith, a teacher and counselor in the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District – specifically the middle school – for over 30 years. They make our world a better place to be.

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