FREEHOLD – Children in the Freehold Borough K-8 School District have been working with professional teaching artists who have helped them polish their academic skills.
The Freehold Borough K-8 School District Board of Education recently approved a theater residency program with Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania of Princeton to provide educators who would inspire and expand the students’ learning through the arts. The program took place for six days in March.
District administrators said the purpose of the program was to enhance pupils’ academic skills in core subject areas using theater arts as a medium. The MindAligned/Count Basie Initiative funded the program.
Children in the fourth grade classrooms of Peggy Earhart, Nicolina Harker and Mayra Noesges, the fifth grade classrooms of Danielle Fekete and Suzanne Peltzman, and the fifth-sixth grade classroom of Mark Hudzik participated in the theater residency program.
In other business, board members authorized cooperation between the district and two schools – the Fidelity Chinese School of Marlboro and the Huaxia Chinese School of Marlboro – for adult and student volunteers to provide tutoring in table tennis to Freehold Borough students this spring.
Freehold Borough and the Fidelity Chinese School have an ongoing relationship which the school board recently recognized in a resolution stating appreciation for the Chinese school.
According to the resolution, the relationship has resulted in programs of benefit to Freehold Borough students, including academic tutoring, computer familiarization and cultural programs. Parents and students of the Fidelity Chinese School have provided ongoing support to Freehold Borough on a voluntary basis.
Finally, the board authorized the purchase of two Clorox Total 360 Electrostatic sprayer disinfection systems at a cost of $9,998. The contract was awarded to Penn Jersey Paper, which offered a price of $4,999 per unit. The American Paper and Supply Company offered a price of $6,937 per unit ($13,874 for two).
Administrators said one disinfection system will be used at the Park Avenue Complex, which houses the Park Avenue Elementary School and the Freehold Intermediate School. The second disinfection system will be used at the Freehold Learning Center elementary school. District administrators said the equipment “can be used efficiently and safely to clean, sanitize and disinfect school buildings and property of the district when needed.”
