The BRICK Times Vol. 23 - No. 47
In This Week’s Edition
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“Caravan Of Creatures” Take Over District Arts Festival
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Government Page 7
Photos by Alyssa Riccardi The “Caravan of Creatures” Mask Parade was just one part of a night celebrating the arts.
By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK – The annual District Arts Festival kicked off at Brick Township Public Schools on Community March 7, highlighting students’ creative talents. News Page 8-13 In its f if th year, the district-wide festival honors visual and performing arts programs from pre-school all the way to Dr. Izzy’s 12th grade. It celebrates creSound News ativity, talent, and the passion Page 14 of the staff and students. “The Brick Schools’ District Arts Festival is a feast for the eyes and ears! It features a Inside diverse array of mediums inThe Law cluding paintings, sculptures, Page 16 ceramics, and mixed media creations. Students’ talents are showcased through stunning school exhibits that reflect their creativity, skill, and unique perspectives. Teachers have created stunning displays to take families on a visual journal through the imaginative worlds crafted by our student artists,” said Jennifer Lane, Supervisor of Science 6-12, STEM Coordinator and Visual Arts. In addition to the captivating visual art displays, the festival also featured spectacular performances from the district’s band, choral, and drama programs the entire evening. These award-winning programs showcases students’ musical talents and dedication to their craft. The drama program brings stories to life with captivating performances that showcase students’ acting abilities and stage presence. This year, the festival commenced with the “Caravan of Creatures” Mask Parade led by Brick Memorial High
School Ar t Students. It showcased over 30 unique masks created by students under the guidance of art teacher Judith Harzer. “The idea came about f rom a work shop I attended last fall. The idea of making masks using recycled cardboard and then par ticipating in a parade to kick off the District Arts Festival, seemed like the ideal way to foster collaboration and to build community,” Harzer said. During the school year, students from Mural Making, Graphic Design, and A r t Club worke d w it h r e c ycl e d m a t e r i a l s t o constr uct their designs.
The result: giant, colorful masks each representing different characters. The masks also ref lected the students’ creativity and dedication. “The concept of a parade as a way of uniting the community and encouraging collaboration while celebrating something of importance, seemed the ideal way to commence our 5th District Visual and Performing Arts Festival,” Harzer said. Student Isabella Headley c r a f t e d a m a sk of Cerber us, a my thical three-headed dog known in Greek my tholog y to (Art Festival - See Page 4)
Isabella Headley pictured with her Cerberus mask.
March 30, 2024
$158.4M Tentative School Budget Introduced By Alyssa Riccardi BR ICK – The Brick Township Board of Education has approved a tentative budget of $158.4 million for the 2024-25 school year. According to district documents, the tentative budget is $158,431,294. Of this, $122,872,456 is to be raised by property taxes. The higher number includes the general fund, special revenues, and debt service. The district’s general fund, which aids the majority of the district and its operation, is $145,362,232 with a tax levy of $122,739,251. Brick is one of many districts suffering under S-2, a law that lowered state aid for some districts and sent it elsewhere. The NJ Department of Education
states that Brick School District is receiving a total of $14,519,578 in state aid, which is down $112,455 – a .77% decrease from the 2023-24 school year. Superintendent Dr. Thomas Farrell has been a vocal critic of the state funding formula, explaining the never-ending impacts it has on the district. “I think I sound like a broken record over the last four years. We anticipate job cuts once again with the continued loss of state aid. We’re doing our best to minimize the impact on our students and staff and the programming. During these tough times I assure you that we look at all avenues that are in the best interest of all of our students and staff,” Farrell
(BOE Budget - See Page 4)
Critics: Ciba Presentation Lacked Info By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - BASF recently hosted an event billed as a n i n-person poster session to detail its environmental restoration plans for the former Ciba-Geigy chemical plant site. However, many of those who attended expressed frustration at the lack of information actually provided to them. Britta Forsberg , the Ex-
ecutive Director of Save Bar negat Bay, sum med up her impression of the presentation which was e cho e d by ot he r s who hoped to secure some answers – and even some positive reassurances. “I think it’s just a bunch of pret t y pict u res with very little substance,” said Forsberg. “I’ve seen pictures of birds, bees, and (Ciba - See Page 4)
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