October 2016 BOE Workshop Meetings

I spent this past Saturday and Sunday I spent 4 hours watching the videos of the October 19th & October 24th Middletown Board of Education meetings.  The time spent sitting there watching 4 hours of video was mind numbing but there were a few things that stood out and should be discussed.

BOE Workshop Meeting - October 19, 2016


During the Workshop meeting the BOE discussed:

• The proposed new Civility Policy (59:08-1:02:38).
• An update on the ongoing security upgrades in the Middletown schools was discussed along with which groups (Tier I, Tier II, Tier III) using the schools need to provide security and how it would be paid for (1:09:03-1:33:38).
• And proposing a joint resolution with area towns affected by the JCP&L proposal for the Monmouth County Reliability Project (MCRP). (1:33:43-2:04:26 ). During the discussion, it was suggested that school funds be used to join the legal action against JCP&L, which may or may not be legal.

During Public Comments Jamie Curcio (2:31:30-2:40:24) and Dorothy Ginda (2:40:26-2:57:12) spoke about their ongoing concerns about school security, whether or not Tier III groups can be banned from school buildings and questioned the BOE whether or not they are taking seriously the risks to students, a charge that Dr, George took extreme exception to.

Here are the links to the Meeting Agenda and Meeting Minutes

BOE Voting Meeting - October 24, 2016


At this meeting it was officially announced that the BOE will be spending school dollars joining the legal challenge against the JCP&L's Monmouth County Reliability Project (15:45-16:30). Two members of the public them spoke on the issue.

When the time came for the adoption of the resolution to join the fight against JCP&L (26:25-29:26), it was adopted unanimously, which is troubling to me. Two board members are directly impacted by the power lines that JCP&L are proposing to erect and they chose to vote in favor of using an unspecified about of money from the education funds to fight the proposal. These two board members should have abstained. Especially since the legality of using school funds for such an endeavor, is murky at best.

During a discussion of old business pertaining the Facilities Committee (42:57-46:30), a discussion about field upgrades/improvements at Thorne Middle School was reintroduced and decided to place it on the agenda for December.

The meeting ended once again with resident  Dorothy Ginda, discussing school safety and where the issue stands after the last meeting.

Here is the link to the Meeting Agenda

Thorne Middle School To Honor Local Veterans For Memorial Day

For Immediate Release:

5/19/15

To honor local veterans for Memorial Day, the staff and children of Thorne Middle School will gather at 9:00 AM on Thursday, May 21 for a traditional Memorial Day ceremony.

Following the ceremony, there will be a special performance tribute to the history of the USO inside and a screening of a touching video about Edith Thorne Lentz Nowels, who died in April.

Nowels was the sister of local World War II hero Corporal Horace “Buddy” Thorne, for whom the school was named in 1962.

“Edith was instrumental in the school receiving the Battle of the Bulge monument from Fort Monmouth. She was a driving force behind everything that Thorne has done to honor Veterans past and present,” says Thorne Middle School Principal Tom Olausen.

Before she died, Nowels was busy working on a new project, researching to find all Thorne alumni who lost their lives while serving in the military so a second monument to honor them could be placed at the school.

One such hero was Army First Lieutenant Dennis Zilinski, 101st Airborne Division – Thorne Class of 1996. Lieutenant Zilinski was killed during combat operations in Iraq in 2005.

The Zilinski family will be on hand this Thursday when the school announces the plan for a future monument.

Lt. Zilinski’s family is thankful to Nowels. “I know Dennis would be honored to be remembered alongside Corporal Thorne and other local heroes,” said his mother Marion Zilinski. “Dennis loved his country, and he loved his home town. We are very grateful to the Edith and the school for keeping his memory alive and making the sacrifice of our local veterans relevant for generations to come.”

Lt. Dennis Zilinski II grew up in Middletown, NJ.

All veterans are welcome to attend the event.

Transgender Teen " would be treated with the respect and inclusive opportunities that all students deserve“ If She Decides to Attend Thorne MS

 Photo by Asbury Park Press/Facebook.

The drama surrounding transgender teen Rachel Pepe being allowed to attend Thorne Middle School in Middletown as the person she feels she is, has attracted some national press; Yahoo News has picked up her story today after it was first reported over the weekend by the Asbury Park Press.

The initial report of this story shocked me, I couldn't believe how insensitive and callous school officials were when informed that a student who was known as Brian Pepe by my son and his friends, felt that he no longer could identified himself as a boy and wished to be know as Rachel.

I am happy though that School Superintendent Dr. William George, has decided to embrace the situation as opposed to sticking his head in the sand, hoping that it will go away by issuing a press release earlier today addressing the situation which stated, “ ...administration and staff members pride themselves on character education and welcome diversity. This student is welcome at Thorne, and if she chooses to attend Thorne, she would be treated with the respect and inclusive opportunities that all students deserve.“

A community has an obligation to provide a safe and instructive learning environment for all its students regardless of gender identity. If Middletown's school system doesn't wish to accommodate this student or other students like her, then they are obligated to look into alternative educational opportunities for for such students. I'm glad to hear though that Dr. George and school system is willing to work with this student rather that push her away.

It's times like these that we find out exactly what type of community Middletown is.

Military Shout Out May 24 at Thorne MIddle School

From Middletown's  website:
A Middletown 350 Event

The three Middletown middle schools, in conjunction with Middletown 350, will be honoring World War II veterans at Middletown Military Shout Out, on May 24, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The theme of this multi-faceted event is to “Remember, Educate, and Entertain,” culminating in an authentic World War II U.S.O. show performed by students from the Thorne, Bayshore, and Thompson middle schools.

Thorne Middle School, which houses the Battle of the Bulge Monument, will host the event. Special guests will include survivors of that battle and other World War II Veterans. The school is named for Corporal Horace Thorne, Middletown’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. The medal was awarded posthumously for Corporal Thorne’s heroism during the Battle of the Bulge. The Middletown Military Shout Out event is part of a series commemorating Middletown’s 350th anniversary.

Middletown Military Shout Out will feature three events, beginning with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Battle of the Bulge monument in front of the school. The Battle of the Bulge monument, previously housed at Fort Monmouth, was relocated to Thorne in May of 2011, with a re-dedication ceremony that included over 90 survivors of the battle. Next, attendees will be welcome to visit inside the school to see a “Wall of Heroes” and showcases of World War II gear and uniforms. There will be a special presentation by Mr. Frank McGinley, an artist who captures history through painting. Several of Mr. McGinley’s original paintings depicting the battle will be on display. The program will conclude with the U.S.O. show, which will take place outside, behind the school.

Veterans who wish to attend Middletown Military Shout Out should contact the school, at (732) 787-1220. Families and the general public are welcome to attend any part of the program, and need not contact the school. For the U.S.O. show, seating will be available for veterans and their families. Other attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for seating. Thorne Middle School is located at 70 Murphy Road, in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.

Wreaths Across America Convoy Coming to Middletown Wed, Dec. 11th

From Middletown Alerts:

Middletown NJ - With the help of thousands of volunteers, Wreaths Across America (WAA) is working to fulfill its mission ofremembering, honoring and teaching through the annual laying of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths’ journey to Arlington has become a tradition in itself, allowing locals along the route to share in the emotional and educational experience as the WAA convoy passes through their hometown. On December 11, 2013 the parade of wreaths will stop in New Jersey, at Thorne Middle School, 70 Murphy Road, in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.

In preparation for the event the Middletown VFW 2179 and American Legion 515 will presented 800 flags to the Thorne Middle School principal on Thursday, December 5for the school to use as part of the Wreaths Across America Ceremony.

Thorne Middle School houses the World War II Battle of the Bulge Monument, previously located at Fort Monmouth. The school is named for Corporal Horace “Bud” Thorne, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, who was killed in December 1944 during the battle that the monument commemorates. Thorne Middle School is the only school in New Jersey named for a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. The convoy will stop at the school on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at approximately 11 a.m. to present wreathes.

The journey to Arlington National Cemetery will begin Saturday, Dec. 7, in Harrington, Maine, and will travel down the East Coast. The convoy will arrive in Arlington on National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, Dec. 14, where it will be met by thousands of volunteers who will place a wreath for the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country, ensuring no one is forgotten.

Attendance at the December 11th Thorne Middle School Ceremony includes:Morrill and Karen Worcester - founder and executive director (respectively), Wreaths Across America;American Gold Star Families; Maine’s First Lady Ann LePage; Active and retired military including survivors of the Battle of the Bulge such as Middletown VFW 2179 member Tom Scriffignano; membersof the Thorne family; Thorne M.S. staff, students, Middletown Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee members and community members; Patriot Guard Riders. Local officials including the Middletown Township Committee are also invited to attend.