The HOWELL Times
Vol. 21 - No. 17
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
School Board Backtracks On Transgender Policy
In This Week’s Edition
Local Veteran Celebrates 101st Birthday BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 6-7
Inside The Law
By Stephanie Faughnan HOWELL – A World War II Navy veteran’s recent 101st birthday bash included four generations of his family and fellow residents from Brandywine Living. Organizers of the community’s tribute to National Assisted Living Week decided to shine the spotlight on Salvatore “Sal” Cortese as he embraced his second year as a centenarian. The celebration adopted a Forest (Birthday - See Page 3)
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Dear Pharmacist
Photos by Stephanie Faughnan (Above) Sal Cortese holds 86 birthday cards sent to him by perfect strangers as a result of a call on social media to honor him turning 101.
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(Left) Four generations of family members were in attendance of Sal Cortese’s 101st birthday celebration.
Classifieds Pages 13
September 30, 2023
By Alyssa Riccardi HOWELL – Despite expressing their support at a previous meeting, the majority of the Howell Township Board of Education have now voted to repeal the district’s transgender policy. Accordi ng to the state’s policy, guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education accepts a student’s asserted gender identity; parental consent is not required. Cur rently, Howell Public Schools follow the state’s transgender student guidance. The policy prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Additionally, staff members are not required to notify a student’s parent or guardian if a student changes gender identity
or expression. Howell Public Schools has now joined other districts throughout Monmouth County who have made the decision to reject Policy 5756. Superintendent Joseph Isola had voiced support for keeping the policy at the August meeting, and upheld his opinion at the September meeting. However, some board members who had previously decided against any changes have now altered their opinion. “One of the main points being addressed here is outing students, parental notification. If we do abolish this policy, it does not make it mandatory for parents to be notified. It’s still going to be the way it is,” board member Joseph Mauer said. (Policy - See Page 2)
12 Schools Awarded Certificates For Going Green By Alyssa Riccardi HOWELL – After all 12 schools reached the requirements, the Howell Township K-8 School District has been awarded the silver level certification and Digital Schools Star recognition from Sustainable Jersey for Schools for the year 2023. Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program that provides guidance, support and recognition to schools that implement environmental improvements. The total number of certified schools across New Jersey has now reached 337.
The schools that have achieved certification and a Digital Schools Star are: Adelphia, Aldrich, Ardena, Greenville, Griebling, Land O’ Pines, Memorial, Newbury, Ramtown and Taunton Elementary Schools, in addition to Middle Schools North and South. “We’re thrilled to achieve continued success in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools and Digital Star programs, proudly earning these prestigious awards again this year. This dual-focused assessment ensures our schools stay at the forefront of innovation, meeting evolving student and community needs,” Superintendent of Schools Joseph Isola said.
“Partnering with Sustainable Jersey for Schools, the Howell Township Public School District reinforces its commitment to sustainability efforts and advances its effective use of technology. Our schools’ efforts yield significant benefits for students and the wider community, enhancing education and promoting a brighter, eco-conscious future,” Isola added. For every school in the Howell Township K-8 School District, they submitted documentation to show it has completed the program’s sustainability actions, (Certificates - See Page 2)
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