The Westfield High School Dream Team, in partnership with The Matthew Thomas Toriello Memorial Fund, recently recognized student finalists in the 11th Annual WHS Dream Team Palooza Contest for their submissions of posters, poetry, and public service announcements depicting the theme, “Be Kind To Your Mind, Live Drug-Free.”
Finalists in Grades 1-12 from the Westfield Public Schools and Holy Trinity School were recognized on January 30 at a ceremony at Westfield High School.
This year’s finalists from the Westfield Public Schools are:
Elementary Poster Palooza
Juliet Blumenfeld, Grade 4, McKinley Elementary School - Honorable Mention
Sydney Lupkin, Grade 5, Jefferson Elementary School - Honorable Mention
Intermediate Poetry Palooza
Natalie Gapp, Grade 7, Roosevelt Intermediate School - 1st Place
Tyler Jacobowitz, Grade 8, Edison Intermediate School - 2nd Place
Josephine Troup, Grade 6, Edison Intermediate School - 3rd Place
Maxim Machat, Grade 8, Edison Intermediate School - Honorable Mention
High School PSA Palooza
Keri Kapuscinski and Lily Topilow, Westfield High School, Grade 9 - 1st Place
Francesca Castellano, Westfield High School, Grade 9 - 2nd Place
Catalina Garcia-Lopez, Westfield High School, Grade 9 - 3rd Place
The Palooza Contest begins each year in October during National Red Ribbon Week and entries are submitted by early December. The finalists are announced and celebrated during a ceremony each January to which family and other members of the community are invited.
On February 2, members of the Dream Team also attended the New Jersey State Elks Association’s Peer Leadership Conference which, like the Dream Team, focuses on substance abuse prevention and awareness.
