Fisher Price – Little People Lil’ Movers School Bus
Editorial Review
“Stop and go,” thats what riding the school bus is all about. That and enjoying the bumpy, “wiggly-wobbly” ride, of course! This cute bus will appeal to every toddler and preschooler who has gazed longingly out the window as the big kids board the big yellow bus, off to exotic destinations unknown. Measuring 12 inches long and half again as wide, the durable plastic bus rolls through town, jostling the passengers with the aforementioned “wiggly-wobbly” action. Push down on driver Carlos and see flashing lights, plus hear the “Stop and Go” song, beeping horns, giggling children, and commentary from the driver (“Everyone sit down lets go to school!” etc.). The bus includes driver, two passengers, a wheelchair for one of the riders, a swiveling stop sign, a door that opens, and easy access through the roof for children to play with the figures. The ideal toy to while away the hours until the real thing arrives in a few years! Check out the entire line of Lil Movers vehicles. Three AA batteries required (not included). (Ages 18 months to 3 years) –Emilie Coulter
Stop and go, stop and go, on to school – let’s take it slow! Hop aboard this school bus for a wiggly-wobbly ride with Maggie, Michael and Carlos the Bus Driver. Children will discover how to make things happen, like lights, sounds, talking and wiggly-wobbly action. They’ll also hear a song that will help them learn about “stop” and “go.” And as they get closer to school age, The Lil’ Movers School Bus will help them imagine what it’s like to ride a real one. Includes bus, Michael, Maggie, Carlos the Bus Driver and wheel chair piece.
Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Computer Cool School
Review
Computer Cool School is sure to get your young ones excited about learning. Whether they are in school already or haven’t started yet, this easy-to-use educational toy will get kids ages 3 and above writing, reading, counting, painting, and more! .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } table.callout { font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1. 3em; } td.think { height: 125px; background: #9DC4D8 url(http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; width: 250px; } td.glance { height: 100%; background: #9DC4D8; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; padding-top: 10px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; width: 250px; } Children will learning using a real full QWERTY keyboard. View larger. Kids can write and draw using the tablet and stylus. View larger. What We ThinkFun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Easy navigation and crisp, clear graphics that are fun and colorful without being cloying.The Bad: Can’t adjust the volume while playing the game.In a Nutshell: Kids will enjoy the wide variety of activities and will associate learning with fun! At a GlanceAges: 3 and upRequires: PC with minimum of: Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP Processor: 1.2 GHz Memory: 256 MB RAM Hard Drive: 200 MB available Video Resolution: 800×600 32-bit color DirectX9.Oc compatible CD or DVD drive USB port Recommended: Printer, Internet Connection (for software updates) Fast and Easy Set-Up With bright, animated graphics and big controls that are easy for young hands to use, Computer Cool School hooks up to your computer via a USB cable. Once you’ve completed the quick software installation, kids are ready to start learning and playing. They’ll love Leo the friendly leopard who leads them through the game, and all the other colorful creatures they meeting along the way. Computer Cool School requires that you connect the Computer Cool School keyboard to your computer with a USB cable and install the game’s software on your computer via a CD-ROM. The installation is fast and easy; the software’s set-up wizard walks you through the process. Before letting your child play, you can use the parental controls to set things like volume and number of copies that can be printed. Parents can also create a password that protects their hard drive and prevents their child from going on the Internet. These parental controls are easy to find and set. The helpful instructions thoroughly describe the setup process and all the different options for play. Kids play using the sturdy plastic Computer Cool School keyboard. It has big, colorful buttons that your child will learn to use quickly, along with a drawing “tablet” and attached stylus they can draw with. The layout of the QWERTY keyboard is clever yet simple, with buttons along the top and side that let your young ones navigate to different parts of the game. They’ll not only have fun, but they’ll also feel “adult” because the keyboard looks so much like yours! Learning Equals Fun! Each time your child starts to play Computer Cool School, they go to the home classroom where Leo the leopard greets them. From there they can visit one of the four learning “centers,” including reading/writing, math, science, music, and art. There is also a “field trip” they can go on, which takes them on a fun-filled visit to a farm. Each of these centers is unique and filled with great information and stimulating activities. Kids can choose to click on different things and learn about them or participate in a more interactive way, with quizzes, games, or writing and art projects. In the art center, for example, they can create original drawings with a range of tools and colors, and then print or save them. In the science center, they learn about different kinds of environments and the plants and animals that live in them. But they can also choose to play games that test their knowledge and help them learn more. The graphics in Computer Cool School are crisp, clear, and fun to watch. The colorful creatures, buildings, objects, and environments are beautifully rendered and the animation moves at a good pace — fast enough to keep your child’s interest and let them participate, but not so fast as to be dizzying. The audio is equally clear, and in fact can be very loud — so be sure to set the volume low to start with. Though kids will be learning constantly throughout the game, they’ll also be having fun, which is how learning should be! Your Child Will Feel Like a Star We really liked how the software uses your child’s sign-in name in the classroom in various ways. For example, there’s a sign in the classroom that says “Star of the Day” and your child’s name is on it. We also especially liked the art and music centers, which will inspire your children to creative heights. In the art center, you have a huge variety of colors and virtual art implements to use, as well as “stamps” and backgrounds that your child is sure to love. In the music center, children will learn about different instruments and play them in combination with all (or none) of the other included instruments. The clear and colorful (but not cloying) graphics are another high point of this game. In general, Computer Cool School is very thoughtfully designed, enabling kids to navigate a wide range of play options with a few simple touches of a button. Our only complaint was that we couldn’t find a way to change the volume settings once we’d entered the game. In order to change the volume, we had to back out of the game and reset the parental controls. There is a short learning curve for figuring out how to navigate through the centers, but once you know how, it’s easy to do. Your child will be up and running in no time, having fun and learning at the same time. What’s in the Box Computer Cool School keyboard with USB cable; templates for practicing writing numbers and letters; software; instructions.
This kid-safe, kinder-friendly laptop builds confidence in young ones by teaching important school skills. It plugs into your computer via an easy-to-use keyboard (QWERTY) to provide learning fun throughout five learning centers and one field trip activity. The centers are: Reading, Writing, Math, Art, Music and Science. Activities in each center can be accessed by the simple push of a button. Children can also print out reward certificates and supplemental worksheet-type activities for further encouragement. Plus, parental controls keep kids away from Mom and Dad’s desktop, prohibit internet access, and limit the number of prints your child can create. Expandable system includes keyboard, writing tablet with stylus and CD Rom software. Measures 20.25″ x 4.25″ x 11″.
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Kafton Politics: Do as I say, Not as I Do
How dare Mike Kafton recommend a “Road Safety Advisory Committee” while he himself is currently being brought up on charges that he passed a School bus while it discharging disabled children. Not to mention his running mate, Mr. Tilis, wants to appoint an ethics committee while sitting idly by as Mr. Kafton used sexual profanity at a young female resident who disagreed with one of Kafton’s ridiculous resolutions. I guess ethics only counts for “the other guys.” By the way, what exactly is Kafton and Tilis’ platform? I haven’t heard anything from either, other than Kafton’s shouts from the dais, insults to residents, and countless questionable behavior situations. Oh yeah, then there is Mr. Tilis who just agrees with everything Kafton tells him. Mike Reina and Ken Bressi have clearly depicted their platform. Fair and open government, proven leadership and maintaining a stable tax rate in a horrible economy. I know who I’m voting for….Reina and Bressi. Cassandra Strong Jackson
Continued here:
Kafton Politics: Do as I say, Not as I Do
CPSC Joins President Obama’s Back-to-School Campaign
As a new school year gets underway, President Obama launched a major back-to-school campaign today aimed at keeping kids in the classroom. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) new Chairman Inez Tenenbaum carried the President’s message to South Carolina where she met with students and faculty at Rosewood Elementary School in Columbia.
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CPSC Joins President Obama’s Back-to-School Campaign
Free Music Together Classes!
Come join the Music Together Princeton Lab School at a free demo class!
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Free Music Together Classes!
10/13/2009 : 6:30 PM – Educational Forum and State of the Schools Presentation
Jackson Memorial High School Fine Arts Center
See the article here:
10/13/2009 : 6:30 PM – Educational Forum and State of the Schools Presentation
Jackson Township, NJ School Commercial (1990)
Television commercial for the success of Jackson Township, NJ, educational system. (1990)
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Jackson Township, NJ School Commercial (1990)
7/21/2009 : 7:30 PM – Board of Education Meeting @ Jackson Liberty HS
This meeting will be held at Jackson Liberty High School 125 N. Hope Chapel Road
Link:
7/21/2009 : 7:30 PM – Board of Education Meeting @ Jackson Liberty HS
7/21/2009 : 7:30 PM – Board of Education Meeting @ Jackson Liberty HS
This meeting will be held at Jackson Liberty High School 125 N. Hope Chapel Road
Link:
7/21/2009 : 7:30 PM – Board of Education Meeting @ Jackson Liberty HS
Baking Beans: A Tribute to Grandmother’s Secret Recipe
June 25, 2009 by Six Flags Great Adventure
Filed under Opinions
At least once every summer, I try to recreate my late grandmother’s special baked beans to take to a family picnic. Her recipe was legendary among friends and family, appearing in a 1962 cookbook published by the Young Ladies Auxiliary in Seattle. But I remain convinced she didn’t list some secret ingredient that made them so addictive. The original recipe calls for small white beans, but I’ve taken license and subbed Great Northern beans, which seem to hold their shape better through the long, slow cooking process. Instead of the can of tomato sauce, I’ve successfully experimented with ketchup. And, occasionally, I’ll change things up by swapping out the bacon and using salt pork instead. Or, making a veggie version by incorporating a splash of liquid smoke. These exercises yield mixed results, always judged by the sharp palates who well remember Nana’s baked beans. The constructive criticism can feel as stinging as a rebuke from American Idol’s Simon Cowell. Bottom line: They’re good, but they’re not in the same league as Nana’s. This year, I was determined to get it right, especially because I was cooking for a family gathering to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from Garfield High School, whose famous alums include Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones. Then, in the middle of making pulled pork and baked beans for 75 people, my oven conked out! Was somebody trying to tell me something? Thank goodness my neighbor, Liz, offered to let me use hers after I sent out an SOS on Twitter. She didn’t even mind that her house smelled like pork and beans for days. This time around, I added the burned sugar at the end, and I didn’t skimp on the amount
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Baking Beans: A Tribute to Grandmother’s Secret Recipe
New Jersey’s new 364 acre wildlife recreation area and hiking park
June 7, 2009 by Phil Stilton
Filed under Feature, Jackson Activities, Jackson News
Jackson, NJ – Today, Jackson Township, home of Six Flags Great Adventure and the northeastern most border of the Pinelands National Reserve, the Pine Barrens as New Jersey residents affectionately call it, officially preserved 364 acres of forest and wetlands. The Bunker Hill Bogs Wildlife Recreation Area was officially christened today by Mayor Michael Reina as local residents and volunteers of the Jackson Pathfinders were on hand to witness the occasion.
The huge parcel of land that encompasses a large section of eastern Jackson Township was rescued several years ago from becoming the southern entrance to an extension of the Westlake Village retirement community. Years of legal and political maneuvering by concerned conservationists eventually forced the Westlake developer to cede the property to Jackson Township according Art Rosky, the local site manager for the Jackson Pathfinders. The Jackson Pathfinders, through grants from the State of New Jersey and with the approval from the township, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and JCP&L, which maintains rights of way on the land eventually turned this once forgotten tract of land into a clean and pristine ecological park with over 5 miles of trails around two large lakes and 9 defunct cranberry bogs. Through the dedicated effort of Pathfinders’ Treasurer Tom Stevens, Chairperson Karen Borga and the Pathfinders organization, a $25,000 grant from the New Jersey Conservation Fund, the group was able to clean up years of trash left behind which included items such as discarded metal swingsets, construction debris, tires, automotive parts and various other illegally dumped items forgotten by years of neglect.
Joining Mayor Reina at today’s ribbon cutting ceremony was township Councilman Scott Martin and Councilwoman Bobby Rivere. Other special guests included Jackson Girl Scout troop 110 who worked hard the previous morning on a community flower garden in preparation for today’s ceremony, led by troop leader Kathleen Malmstrom, of the Dogwood Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.
Jackson Township Councilman Scott Martin said “It’s a beautful site. There’s no doubt the residents of Jackson will enjoy themselves here.” about the new park and it’s stunning natural beauty and hidden wildlife treasures as the children in attendance followed a turtle as it crept along the shore of the lake.
“Today is all about the Jackson Pathfinders and they deserve it” said Mayor Reina “This isn’t about politics, it’s about what ordinary people in the community have accomplished. It makes me proud to be the mayor of Jackson when I see things like this.” as he pointed around at the kids playing by the water and the results of many years of hard work by the Pathfinders, a 100% volunteer organization and branch of the Jackson Township municipal government. He continued “This project has had absolutely zero cost to the taxpayer and that’s the beauty of it”.
It was just a few months ago that Mayor Reina proposed to expand Jackson’s volunteer corps by reinstating an all volunteer community advisory board for the township to tackle projects and iniatives that might have otherwise carried a burden on taxpayers, similar to the Bunker Hill Bogs reclamation project. Mayor Reina then spent time with the children in attendance including his grandson and the kindergarten daisy scouts from the Lucy N. Holman Elementary School who created the community garden at the site. Mr. Reina will be joining the children at their school as a special “Mystery Guest” to read an unspecified Dr. Seuss classic to the children later in the week and answer questions they may have about being mayor of their town.
After the ceremony, Tony Santamaria, a local ecological expert took the group of children and the mayor on a short hike through the bog trails and detailed the vast and diverse range of wildlife that could be found in the preserve from deer to snakes to fish to the local beaver population. Along the way, Mr. Santa Maria showed the children the effects already being felt by the project such as a resurgence in wildlife and growth of auquatic plants that haven’t been seen in recent memory at the Bogs because of damage caused by off road vehicles which has been all but eliminated. The Pathfinders have also built dozens of bird and owl shelters on the property which have lured back local exotic bird species including woodpeckers and owls.
Along the hike, the group was joined by Customized Dickens, a horse owned by Karen Borga, being ridden here by Pathfinder member Keith Sawyer. Dickens is a neiiigh-bor of the bogs who calls the adjacent horse ranch owned by Site Manager Art Rosky home.
In the above photo, Mayor Reina, no stranger to horses, walks along some of the 5.1 miles of reclaimed trails first hand, accompanied by Customized Dickens and Keith Sawyer.
After such an accomplishment, the Pathfinders intend to remain busy and keep informing residents about the untold natural treasures right here in their own backyards. “Next up is a full moon hike at the New Jersey Forest Resource Education Center in August” Ms. Borga said. The Forest Resource Education Center is just a few miles west of the Bunker Hill Bogs on East Veterans Highway.
“We have fishing, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and canoeing right now at the bogs” explains Art Rosky, site manager “In the future, we’ll have lots of activities for children and seniors. Just yesterday morning, two fisherman spent all afternoon in a boat out here and didn’t catch anything. As they were leaving, a young kid on the banks caught a huge bass!”. Rosky says there are plenty of bass already in the lakes and the waters will eventually be stocked with fish by the state.
Bunker Hill Bogs is the most unique of Jackson Township’s parks as it has no swing sets, no ball fields and no stadium lights. In fact, it doesn’t even have electricity, but it’s one of the most diverse and well maintained ecosystems in the town and it’s open from dawn till dusk every day. You won’t find Bunker Hill Bogs on any Google Map or State Wildlife guides because it just officially opened today, but it’s located on East Veteran’s Highway (Route 527), west of the intersection of Whitesville Road on the westbound side of the highway. It’s a makes for a perfect eco-day trip for the entire family.
An energy conservation pilgrimage to a Toms River elementary school
Toms River, NJ – Tonight, I had the oportunity to tour West Dover Elementary School, a school in the Toms River Regional Schools District. I was invited to see the 5th grade production of The Amazing Game show, a play in which students soon heading to Toms River Intermediate South put on as a final farewell to the school they called home for the past six years. In the image above you can see tonight’s 5th grade rendition of the Jonas Brothers.
The play was a cultural walk through time as a hippie family played the all American family in a mock game of family fued , then the 50’s family above went head to head against the champion all American family. In this photo, we see the Cunninghams, featuring Johnny, Sandra Dee, Fonzie, Annette with brother Elvis off camera. It was a wonderful play and I had a thoroughly good time.
While the play itself was well thought out and a very entertaining performance by children who obviously worked very hard to produce and practice, my main reason for my visit to the school was a pilgrimage of sorts to see first hand, the effects of energy conservation the Toms River School District has been engaged in since 2006 under the NJ BPU Green Schools Grant.
Toms River Regional Schools and Brick Township Schools were chosen as the first two schools to receive this grant which paid for the school to create energy conservation programs and procedures by calling on both faculty and students to discover ways to reduce energy costs in the district. Green Schools is a unique grant program in which the schools are each allowed to perform actions that are necessary to meet certain green goals by tackling conditions that are unique to each school and finding ways to reduce energy waste and energy costs.
In the first year alone in this program, Toms River Schools reduced their energy costs by over $220,000 for a 9.6% reduction in electric, gas and water charges. In Brick Township, the district, smaller than Toms River saved over $100,000 dollars or 15.1% of energy consumption.
After recieving an invitation to see the play, I couldn’t resist to see this program in action. I was more than amazed at how two and a half years after intiating the project, West Dover Elementary School was maintaining its energy conservation plan. In the hallways, four socket flourescent lights were mostly being lit with only two bulbs. In the main corridor to the gymnasium, all lights reamined on for safety reasons, but in side corridors, lights were alternated so that every other fixture was turned off. The classroom doors were all closed and the lights were turned off as were computers and other appliances. Outside the school, they were using energy conserving outdoor lighting instead of wasteful halogen bulbs. It was a 70 degree humid day and rightfully, the heat was not on and the administrative offices were all dark.
In the image above, you can see the low intensity outdoor lighting and all of the lights in every classroom turned off at 7:30 pm, a stark contrast to what can be seen driving past many Jackson Schools during the same time.
I was thoroughly impressed by the level of discipline both staff and students displayed when it came to energy conservation long after the grant has ended. In November, NJ BPU had announced they were looking for 9 more school districts to expand the Green Schools Progam and I thought it would be a great program for Jackson Township to get involved in.
At recent meetings, the Board of Education seemed to be grappling and struggling with financial delays and setbacks from the state and were aggressively challenging parents for $25,000 in student parking fees. It seems like our district has been doing a lot of wheel spinning in the area of energy conservation, while our nearest neighbors have been reaping the rewards of a sound energy conservation program, created by students with guidance from the faculty. When comparing the size of Jackon’s district against Toms River, we can stand to save as much as $150,000 in energy costs in just the first year of this grant and the efforts will be funded completley by the grant at no cost to the taxpayers. This grant can help our district begin to chip away at the past 7 years of attacks on education in which senior citizen communities have overwhelmingly voted against school budgets by margins up to 70% each year!
I have been told that the Jackson School District has hired outside vendors to conduct an energy audit in our schools, but while we continue to unecessarily spend money on professional services contracts, it’s no wonder why our district has been struggling with budgets and finances over the past 7 years. While we pay vendors, forward thinking districts like Brick Township and Toms River are taking advantage of available grants and have accomplished the same goals we are hoping for with commercial services. These district empowered their staff and students to make a change and they delivered with substantial cost reductions through simple common sense energy conservation strategies. I’m not sure if the November 2009 NJ BPU Grant is still available, I had called on Tuesday to get information, but have not yet received a return phone call. I can only hope that somebody in the district reads this and procatively looks into this grant and we can start seeing some real savings and perhaps we won’t have to continue to look into the pockets of our students to make up for losses incurred during the past 7 years of failed budgets. I will seek to ask the Jackson Board of Education if we had applied for this grant at the next business meeting and the district did not, perhaps find answers to why we passed on a golden opportunity to lower energy bills.
Over the next few weeks, I’m also going to set aside some time to try to speak to members of the Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education to engage in a fact finding mission to perhaps bring case studies of energy consumption back to Jackson to present to our Board of Education.
Correction: The school was erroneously listed as East Dover, but in fact was West Dover.
Jackson Township students display their artwork in online art gallery
Jackson, NJ – 7 Jackson Township Schools have participated in Artsonia, an online art gallery in which parents, relatives and friends can browse through their children’s artistic creations in school and have them printed onto a very large selection of gift items from coffee mugs to holiday ornaments to mousepads.
15% of all sales goes directly back to the child’s school in just another way local school teachers are establishing creative revenue streams to compensate in the reduction of state funding our town receives and to offset years of budget cuts by the Board of Education.
Since 2007, nearly 30,000 works of art by Jackson children have gone online in Artsonia’s virtual online art gallery. The gallery now has over 5,000,000 works of art for purchase from students nationwide.
Six of the district’s schools currently participate in this fundraiser. Two of our schools are ranked in the top 5 schools in New Jersey. Remarkably, our very own Howard C. Johnson Elementary School is ranked #1 in New Jersey and 17 Nationwide. while the students at Lucy N. Holman Elementary are ranked #4 in the state and #29 in the nation overall in generating sales and members.
The program allows parents, friends and relatives to purchase artwork on many items including sweatshirts, t-shirts, holiday ornaments, keychains, mousepads and more.
See what our kids have been up to…
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Christa McAuliffe Middle School — 631 artwork published since 11/19/2007 Jackson, NJ |
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Holman Elementary — 11367 artwork published since 8/22/2007 Jackson, NJ |
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Howard C Johnson Elementary School — 14265 artwork published since 10/30/2006 Jackson, NJ |
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Jackson Liberty High School — 656 artwork published since 11/17/2008 Jackson, NJ |
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Jackson Memorial High School — 3486 artwork published since 5/1/2002 Jackson, NJ |
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Ocean County Yam — 170 artwork published since 2/4/2008 Jackson, NJ |
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| Switlik Elementary School — 2362 artwork published since 9/5/2007 |
Here are some sample works of art from district children at Artsonia.com
Kindergarten Sunflowers taught by Lia Thomas. Art by Erin, a kindergarten student at Lucy N. Holman Elementary School.
Mixed Media Landscapes, taught by Megan Genz. Art by Rebecca, a student at Jackson Memorial High School.
Op Art, taught by Karen Blenner. Art by Mary, a student at Johnson Elementary.
Soft Pastel String Instruments taught by Maria Galang. Art by Katie, a Switlik Elementary School Student.
Be sure to visit http://www.artsonia.com/schools/list.asp?city=Jackson&state=NJ to check out the artistic talents of Jackson Township students.
Target’s “Take Charge of Education” fundraiser has donated over $45,000 Jackson Township Schools
Target Stores have donated over $45,000 to Jackson Township schools to date with their Take Charge of Education program. Through this program, parents can register their target card or checking account to automatically donate 1% of their total purchase directly to their child’s school at no cost to the parent or cardholder. So, for every $100 you spend, target will donate $1.
In these troubling economic times which have seen programs and services fall to the axe of budget cuts, this is just one way to raise money for your child’s school without a cost to taxpayers. In our district, Jackson Liberty High School parents have far out paced all other schools with over $13,500, or 30% of contributions donated since joining the program.
As Jackson residents, all of your target purchases currently help the districts of Freehold, Toms River and Howell, but this is a great way to take some of that money back for our own children. By encouraging parents, senior communities, members or sports and political organizations to sign up for the Red Card program, we can help alleviate some of the tax burdens and cuts we have had to face over the years in regards to public education.
Currently 458 people have signed up for the program which directly benefits Jackson Township Schools averaging $100 in contributions per person. Lets see if we can double this number and get the entire community involved. We all shop at target, there’s no reason not to enroll in this program.
How can you promote this program?
Click the following link for tools necessary to generate flyers, information to present the program, clipart and website banners to be used to help children in Jackson.
https://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-001848
How can local organizations help raise money for our schools through the Take Charge of Education program at Target?
- Visit http://target.com/tcoe to learn more about the program.
- Include information about Take Charge of Education in your next PTO, Sports, Political Club, Business or fundraising newsletter or memo and encourage your members to sign up.
- Make it easy for members to designate your school of choice by providing them with the school’s 5 digit school ID. Jackson Schools are all listed below.
- Offer information for members who do not have or want a target card that the program can link directly to a checking account while the rewards still go to your school.
- Include a Take Charge of Education banner or link on your school, organization, business or charity website.
- Encourage members to speard the information to family members and friends, including aunts, uncles and grandparents.
- Encourage our board of education to promote this program along with other fund raising programs for our children.
School by School Breakdown as of May 21, 2009
CARL GOETZ MIDDLE SCHOOL
School ID:73070
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $260.46
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $4939.76
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $111.33
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 44
CHRISTA MCAULIFFE MIDDLE SCHOOL
School ID:73064
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $314.47
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $3936.64
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $111.56
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 37
CRAWFORDRODRIGUEZ ELEM SCHOOL
School ID:116776
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $480.0
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $5279.49
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $188.62
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 61
ELMS ELEM SCHOOL
School ID:119558
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $499.5
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $4448.43
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $186.52
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 46
HOLMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JSchool ID:73068
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $303.93
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $3904.13
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $84.12
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 38
JACKSON LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL
School ID:123979
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $216.23
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $827.02
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $87.28
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 37
JACKSON MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
School ID:73065
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $959.38
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $13640.41
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $300.07
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 129
JOHNSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
School ID:73067
The most recent Target donation to this school (March 2009): $613.68
Total of all Target donations to this school through March 2009: $9264.57
Amount accumulated toward the next Target donation:* $197.67
Number of REDcard holders who have designated this school: 66
Online Workshop: Creative revenue generating ideas for the Jackson Township Board of Education
This year the Jackson BOE presented a school budget in which the most creative revenue generating solution consisted of charging high school seniors to drive their vehicles to school. Some in the community, including the seniors themselves have objected this idea and feel it is an unfair tax on the students. Others, including board members claim that the time for parents to complain has long since passed because they chose not to be involved in the school budgeting process. They feel that parental non involvement is justification for maintaining this fee.
Others in the community have suggested alternative revenue sources. Some simple, some complex. Since the school board is usually unwilling to discuss new ideas at BOE meetings and rarely value the parental input they publicly claim they seek, perhaps it’s time for an online workshop and a community based online think tank to present a list of creative revenue generating ideas to this Board of Education who has now threatened cuts to other programs in order to compensate for the $25,000 lost should the parking fee be eliminated.
This closed mindedness is what has led us to student parking fees in the first place. Instead of embracing parents, the board instead chastizes parents for raising concerns. At this week’s BOE meeting, board President Barbara Fiero lashed out with her own temper tantrum against parents standing up against a fee to their children.
Lets get the discussion going and see if we can come up with some creative solutions to help generate revenue for our children without them having to reach into their own pockets.
Here are some Creative Revenue Generating Ideas for Schools
1) Charge students and faculty. This will generate more money and create a fair system that should be acceptable to Mr. Gross.
2) Charge parking fees at sports events and carnivals.
3) Advertise on sports fields.
4) Concact stop and shop and shop rite and they have programs where they will ask shoppers for a $1 donation to the Jackson BOE at check out.
5) Now that ch 77 is on cable, monetize that service.
6) Monetize the district’s website.
7) Host concerts in our school gymanasiums for the children. You don’t need carrie underwood, a local high school band or semipopular regional act would result in a sellout and you can probably charge up to $20 per ticket plus parking.
Host senior friendly concerts like Brick Township does. They turn people away with oldies nights.
9) Host an ongoing year long talent show like American Idol, etc with a scholarship reward from your JEF. This will create a steady stream of events that will have cover charges.
10) Turn yearbook ad sales into a competition in which the leading sellers will be rewarded with a scholarship, trophy or other award. Many districts do this.
11) Healthy beverage sales. You can contract with a gatorade or vitamin water type company to exclusively sell their products in vending machines on school property.
The Best Pizza in Jackson NJ
May 20, 2009 by Phil Stilton
Filed under Feature
Communities throughout time have always grappled with tough decisions, but one of the toughest decisions a community can face is where the best pizza in town can be found. Jackson has an abundance of pizzeria’s just like any town, but only one restaurant can truly claim the title of “Best Pizza in Jackson”. There are some old time favorites and some pretty sizable newcomers in Jackson. Thankfully, we are void of chain restaurants Sbarro’s, Dominos and Pizza Hut, so Jackson pizza has not yet been tainted by pre-made pre-packaged cookie cutter culninary yet.
Out of towners often balk at Jackon’s pizza claiming there’s no competition to Grimaldi’s, Denino’s or Rays of NYC, but in my opinion, a pizzeria is only as good as the surroundings and the surroundings of those three aren’t even in Jackson’s league. I’ve been to all three and quite frankly, I never understood the fascination with them.
Sometimes I hear people say the Jackson Schools pizza is in the top 10 and while yes, Ellio’s pizza does rank up there, is that really the best we have? What’s your favorite three pizzerias in Jackson? Use the comments to tell us why you think they are the best.
If there is a pizzeria not listed, mention it the comments and it will be added.
Remember you can vote for 3 favorites.
[poll id='14']
Memorial Day 2009 weekend events in New Jersey
May 18, 2009 by NJ News
Filed under Jackson Activities
The unofficial start of the 2009 Summer tourism season in New Jersey is upon is. Memorial Day Weekend is this week and there’s plenty of events going on in the state. Our highlight attraction this weekend is the St. Al’s summer carnival, one of the best Jackson Township events for children and families.
Carnival in Jackson NJ
This weekend is one of the best NJ Carnivals, the St. Als Carnival in Jackson NJ.
FridaySaturday
| Ocean Twp Founders Day Event Information Priff Elementary School Date: May 23,2009 Location: 139 Wells Mills Rd., Waretown, NJ 08758 Get More Information: Ocean Twp Founders Day |
| Tail Blazers Dog Agility Trial Event Information Gloucester County DREAM Park Date: May 23,2009 Location: 400 Route 130 South, Logan Twp, NJ 08085 Get More Information: Tail Blazers Dog Agility Trial |
| Advanced Birding` Event Information Duke Farms Date: May 23,2009 Location: 80 Route 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 Get More Information: Advanced Birding` |
| Crafts and Antiques for Memorial Day Event Information Emlen Physick Estate Date: May 23,2009 Location: 1048 Washington St., Cape May, NJ 08204 Get More Information: Crafts and Antiques for Memorial Day |
| Tri for Our Veterans:Triathlon Event Information Boardwalk Date: May 23,2009 Location: Boardwalk & John F. Kennedy Blvd., Sea Isle City, NJ 08243 Get More Information: Tri for Our Veterans:Triathlon |
| Calling All Fishermen: 100+ Years of Fly Fishing Event Information Cooper Gristmill Date: May 23,2009 Location: 66 State Rt. 24, Rt. 513, Chester, NJ 07930 Get More Information: Calling All Fishermen: 100+ Years of Fly Fishing |
| Blues and Wine Festival Event Information Natirar Park Date: May 23,2009 Location: 2 Main St., Peapack/Gladstone, NJ 07977 Get More Information: Blues and Wine Festival |
| Meet the Surflighters Event Information Surflight Theatre Date: May 23,2009 Location: Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ 08008 Get More Information: Meet the Surflighters |
Sunday
| Seaport Craft Show Event Information Huddy Park Date: May 24,2009 Location: Bay Ave., Highlands, NJ 07732 Get More Information: Seaport Craft Show |
| Barks on the Boards Event Information Music Pier Date: May 24,2009 Location: 825 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226 Get More Information: Barks on the Boards |
| Jersey Shore Premium Outlets Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale Event Information Jersey Shore Premium Outlets Date: May 22,2009 Location: 1 Premium Outlets Boulevard, Tinton Falls, NJ 07753 Get More Information: Jersey Shore Premium Outlets Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale |
| Jackson Premium Outlets – Memorial Day Sale Event Information Jackson Premium Outlets Date: May 22,2009 Location: 537 Monmouth Road, Jackson, NJ 08527 Get More Information: Jackson Premium Outlets – Memorial Day Sale |
| Wildwoods International Kite Festival Event Information On the Beach at Rio Grande Avenue Date: May 22,2009 Location: Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ 08260 Get More Information: Wildwoods International Kite Festival |
| State Gymnastics Competition Event Information Wildwoods Convention Center Date: May 22,2009 Location: Ocean Avenue, Wildwood, NJ 08260 Get More Information: State Gymnastics Competition |
Monday
| Memorial Day ` Event Information NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Date: May 25,2009 Location: 1 Crawfords Corner Rd., Holmdel, NJ 07733 Get More Information: Memorial Day ` |
| Haddonfield’s Memorial Day Parade Event Information Kings Highway Date: May 25,2009 Location: Kings Highway, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 Get More Information: Haddonfield’s Memorial Day Parade |
| Tour of Somerville Cycling Series Event Information Downtown Somerville Date: May 25,2009 Location: Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 Get More Information: Tour of Somerville Cycling Series |
Why do you live in Jackson?
May 17, 2009 by Phil Stilton
Filed under Opinions
Why do you live in Jackson? That’s a question I get often from friends and old neighbors from Toms River when they learn that I have abandonded the town I grew up in, supported and was active in. Over the years, Toms River has become what the North Jersey and New York City transplants have made it. A sprawling suburban community experiencing similar problems to the places they had left.
When I was young, growing up and going to school in Toms River, it wasn’t much different than Jackson is today. Hooper Avenue and Fisher Blvd. were 2 lane roads, heavily wooded with spots of commerce here and there. Route 37 was the equivelant to County Line Road and the summer traffic was akin to the summer traffic we see at Great Adventure.
We had horse farms, cattle farms and agriculture farms in North Dover, yes it was always Dover Township back then, but the only Dover we referred to as kids were the Dover Rovers. Local hardware stores thrived before Loews and Home Depot. Our local post office was actually a desk inside one of these hardware stores. On weekends, kids would hang out in the woods, build bonfires and ride our bikes, quads and cars through woods without worries.
Slowly those woods and hardware stores started disappearing and chain stores and chain restaurants began taking over. More kids started having New York accents in school and eventually we gave way to the tract developments and senior citizens communities which eventually took over the entire town.
I’m not afraid or embarrassed to say that after New Yorkers, senior citizens were the biggest downfall to Toms River. Together, they both wanted to bring some of what they left into our community. They came to Toms River for the seclusion and country-esque living, but they weren’t happy with well water, they weren’t happy driving 3 miles to the convenience store and they weren’t happy with just about everything in their new home.
On every corner, Brooklynites talked about how the shore is backwards and there’s no good restaurant and they live in a hick town. Slowly their influence grabbed footholds in local politics and business and gone were two acre building requirements in North Dover and the town began to look like a suburb of Staten Island.
Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. With the murder of one of our neighbors, the organ player at our corner church just houses down after I had personally looked the killer in the eye moments before it happened as he forcefully peddled magazine subscriptions door to door, we decided Toms River was no longer the town for us. The year before we left to come to Jackson, Toms River had many murders which dropped it from it’s yearly position in the top 25 communities to live in America. Drug shootings at the nearby notell motel, ex cops killing entire families and now one so close to home where it could have been any of my neighbors or worse, my wife and daughter had I not been home that day were all key factors in our decision to leave.
To my surprise, not only is Jackson ecologically and environmentally walking in the exact same shoes as Toms River of 20 years ago, Jackson is making the exact same mistakes as Toms River of 25 years ago. Our insatiable thirst for ratables, out of control senior housing developments, low incoming housing projects on the horizon, strip malls and drug stores at every corner and the same old fight between locals and carpetbaggers. Once again its the good old boys vs. the new kids on the block.
I have seen where Toms River has gone and I see Jackson heading down the same path, but only worse. There are forces in Jackson who have lost sight of why they have moved here and will slowly destroy the town. Like Toms River, we will soon match them in pharmacies per capita. Do we need a Jackson Crossings at every intersection? Do we need a Starbucks? Do we need an Olive Garden or TGI Fridays? Does Jackson really need a movie theater? What price should we pay to have these businesses?
Why do you live in Jackson and how do you see Jackson’s future?
Jackson Police Department gets steamrolled by NJ State Police for charity
May 15, 2009 by Phil Stilton
Filed under Feature
Tonight was “Cheers for Chesley” as the Jackson Pop Warner club held a charity fundraiser for Chelsey Thomas, a JMHS student who was injured recently in an automobile accident. The event included a powder puff game between students from Jackson Memorial High School and was headlined by an intense game between the Jackson Police Department and the New Jersey State Police.
All money collected went to Chesley’s family and if you missed the event and wish to donate, please contact Rachel Brand 732 779 6349.
Jackson Township council president Mike Kafton was on hand along with councilman Scott Martin to start the ceremonies as the JMHS girls went head to head in an impressive 40 minute powderpuff game that was as intense and as exciting as the men’s game that followed. I was on the lookout for local school board members and administrators but either I missed them or they were a no show, but many district faculty members came out to show their support for one of their children.
Girls from the Jackson Jaguars national championship winning cheer squads were also on hand to cheer the Jackson Police team while the non competitive younger squads cheered on the victorious NJ State Police team. The game started on a high note from the Jackson Police Department with a long touchdown pass, but it was all downhill from there as the State Police squad schooled the local police department on the gridiron. Ok, in all seriousness, it was a good game for both sides and we really wanted the local team to win of course, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Both sides played their hearts out for Chelsey and the event seemed to be a success.
Again, if you missed the event and are interested in making a donation, contact rachel at the number above to get the details. Remember this week, the pop warner club will be holding open registrations on Wednesday, May 20th between 7 and 8pm. Visit http://www.jacksonpopwarner.org/ for more information and directions. Pop Warner football and cheer are great team building activities and from the support they have given to a child in need and showed their true colors as a supportive family friendly organization goes beyond the field.
Somebody forgot to tell the Jackson Police Department this was not the Super Bowl. This second and 10 play sent the JPD quarterback scrambling to the right with a huge pass to the receiver for a touchdown pass and reception worthy of ESPN replay. The final score was 28-15 after trailing 21-9, the Jackson Police Department made a 4th quarter comeback attempt to bring the game within 5, but a quick retaliation touchdown by the State Police with a few minutes sealed the deal.
Enjoy these pictures from the event.
JMHS girls square off against each other at the start of the Powderpuff football game.
The JMHS girls played a tough and competitive 40 minute game.
The blue team runs the field on the yellow team.
No mercy was shown for the ball carrier in the opening game.
Blue team runs the ball back against the yellow team.
After a tough and gritty game, the girls head to the sidelines during intermission between games.
Cheerleaders from the junior cheer squads hang out in the bleachers before getting ready to cheer on the State Police team.
This “friendly” game of football saw some fierce competitive action as the NJ State Police in yellow squared off against the Jackson Township Police Department in blue.
Girls from the national championship Jackson Jaguars pop warner cheer squads cheer on the Jackson Township Police Department.
Is Chris Christie Jackson’s Governor?
May 12, 2009 by Phil Stilton
Filed under Opinions, Politics
After watching tonight’s Republican Gubernatorial debate, I can’t help but think Chris Christie is the man for the job and that he is somebody who would be on Jackson Township’s side as the Governor of our state.
Many of the topics Chris Christie covered tonight seem to be in line with the bipartisan desires of local politicians. They seem to be things we need to take our township back from the Abbott districts, from COAH, from the DEP and most importantly tax cuts instead of increases for residents.
While John Corzine has taken away tax rebates to all but seniors, Christie instead spoke of reducing government spending in order to restore tax rebates to homeowners.
When talking about the abbot districts and what to do for students whose schools have failed them, Lonegan talked about vouchers and spending more money for children to get an education. Christie hit hard and close to home for Jackson residents and claimed “The Abbot Experiment has failed” and expressed his commitment to fixing the problems created by the failed Abbott districts in our state that takes hard earned tax dollars from residents in towns like Jackson and gives that money to “less fortunate” towns like Lakewood. That money was supposed to help those districts compete and provide a quality education, but has instead lead to out of control spending in many districts who received the funding. This leaves towns like Jackson with schools that are falling apart, kids learning in trailers and school boards making poor decisions such as charging seniors to park to compensate for lost tax revenue under this program.
COAH? Christie said that COAH was a fundamentally flaw concept that is holding back growth. In Jackson COAH is promoting growth, but very irresponsible growth that will put a burden on our town and our taxes for years to come.
Chris Christie also supports maintaining what open space is left in New Jersey. Jackson happens to have a lot of open space in which the folks currently in Trenton have their greedy little eyes set on, trying to force us to build more low income housing under COAH forcing us to change the dynamic of our town.
There are many people in our town on both sides who will always ride the party line right off the cliff, but when you think responsibly about the future of Jackson from the state level, there’s really only one politician who seems to be in our corner and that man is Chris Christie.
Democrats will undoubtedly support John Corzine as he continues to support legislation and policy that will eventually destroy the very fabric of our community, such is always the way in politics. I just don’t see at this point in time how anybody who truly cares about the future of Jackson will be able to continue to publicly support John Corzine and be able to look the taxpayers of Jackson in in the eyes and say “I’m working for you”.
The unfortunate part of this story is that I cannot vote in the Republican primary because I am not registered with a party and will not. I will always back the right guy and so far it’s turning out to look like Chris Christie. I’ve always been very socially and environmentally liberal, but militarily and financially very conservative which really doesn’t sit well with either party, so I continue to ride the center line and voting the person, the agenda and the future and not the party.
What are your thought’s on tonight’s debate and Chris Christie?
