The HOWELL Times
Vol. 21 - No. 49
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 8-11
Inside The Law Page 14
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 15
Classifieds Page 18
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“Learning Garden” Brings The Classroom Outdoors By Alyssa Riccardi HOWELL – Students at Ardena Elementary School were recently gifted a special classroom space for outdoor learning and a natural playscape. The school announced the inauguration of their brand new “Learning Garden” with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its grand opening. Ardena’s Learning Garden was devised by the school’s Green Team, led by teachers Allison Weigle and Candace Grande. The two submitted and were ultimately awarded a $10,000 grant through Sust ai nable Jersey, funded by PSEG. According to its website, Sustainable Jersey is a network of municipalities, schools and districts working collectively to build a better world for future generations. The classroom will be used for both academic and social-emotional
Photo courtesy Howell Public Schools The Learning Garden will function as an outdoor classroom for students. purposes, according to a statement on the program. An example would be science teachers using the space and the native plants for science lessons. Addi-
tionally, the students can use the outdoor classroom as a place to relax or study with their peers The initial design was crafted by local com-
munity member Eleanor James, owner of Sparrow & Brambles Landscape Architects. T he A rdena Parent Teacher Association
May 11, 2024
Bill Would Restore State Aid To Schools By Bob Vosseller TRENTON – Noting the devasting effects of the S-2 state aid formula, lawmakers hope their new bill would help restore some of the funding cut from local school districts. Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Paul Kanitra stated that a bill they introduced would appropriate $210.1 million to schools that previously received supplemental stabilization aid for their 2023-24 budgets. Supplemental stabilization aid was one-time funding given to schools that were hit hard by S-2 and needed help to continue operating. Since 2018, hundreds of the state’s school districts have faced cuts under S-2, the name of a bill that redirected aid away from some schools toward others. Certain schools were considered “overfunded.” Jackson schools, part of Sauickie’s 12th Legislative District and just one of 16 school districts he represents, have lost $22.4 million in aid, leading to cuts of 214 positions, sports teams, AP classes and electives. The district was forced to take a $10 million loan from the state, and pay a state monitor, to close budget gaps. The district needs $30 million to close its budget gap for the 2024-25 school year, but was informed April 10 that no districts will be allowed to seek loans. (State Aid - See Page 3)
(Garden - See Page 4)
Holocaust Survivor Speaks About Childhood In Hiding
Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn Maud Dahme speaks about her youth spent in hiding.
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK – Holocaust survivor Maud Peper and her younger sister, Rita, spent most of World War 2 hidden away on a farm in the Netherlands, separated from their parents and forced to adopt new names and new identities while being concealed from the Nazis by the Dutch resistance. The girls were just 6 and 4 years
old respectively, and during a recent presentation at the Brick Library, Maud Dahme (her married name) said she was forced to grow up quickly. Born in Amersfoort, Holland in 1936, Dahme recalled her childhood and how life began to change for the Jewish residents after Hitler came to power in Germany, especially after Kristallnacht
(or the Night of Broken Glass), named for the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the Nazis broke the windows of Jewish-owned businesses. “Every Jewish person had to register, they had a list, and anyone over 6 had to wear a yellow star,” she said. “Every Jewish person who worked in government, including (Holocaust - See Page 5)
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