Gathering to learn life skills

New GMB club brings girls together

By: Matthew Rick
JAMESBURG — A classroom in Grace M. Breckwedel bustled with activity two weeks ago as girls knitted scarves and chatted about plans for upcoming activities.
    "I really like the knitting," said eighth-grader Courtney Hammond as she put the finishing touches on her own brightly colored scarf.
    The students are members of the new Girls Club, started by Superintendent Shirley Ann Bzdewka, which meets every Monday and Tuesday for an hour and a half after school.
    At their meeting on March 20, the girls were brainstorming additional activities for the club including another visit to a local nursery school and additional baking projects.
    The Girl’s Club, supported by a $13,100 grant from the Middlesex Department of Human Services, aims to give seventh- and eighth-
grade girls the opportunity to learn life skills in a social setting, Ms. Bzdewka said.
    The 14 girls who have signed up for the free program have also learned how to balance a checkbook, fill out a job application, knit, bake cookies, and participate in community service projects.
    "This money has been put to good use. The program has really benefited the kids," said Ms. Bzdewka.
    The program also strives to expose girls to female role models, she said. Marianne Esch, who is a speech therapist in the district, and Sophia Scola, a social worker for Jamesburg Township, volunteer their time to organize and oversee activities for the club.
    The girls have learned crafting skills like knitting and are currently in the process of finishing brightly colored scarves. In addition to knitting, the girls have learned how to make other useful items like placemats and ornaments.
    One community service project brought the club to the Little Wonders Day School on Railroad Avenue in December. At the nursery school, the girls paired up with the children and read them books.
    Ms. Esch said the trip to the nursery school was a great learning experience for the small children and the girls in the club alike.
    "It was a good opportunity to socialize as well as incorporate learning into the sessions," said Ms. Esch.
    For all their hard work, members of the Girls Club were treated to pizza and a night out at TGI Friday’s. Besides eating at the restaurant, the girls learned to order off the menu and figure out the correct tip for their bill, said Ms. Esch.
    Future events for the club include another visit to Little Wonders Day School, an outing to a local Chinese restaurant and other baking projects.