The Freehold Borough K-8 School District has entered into an agreement to provide coronavirus testing for school district personnel.
On Oct. 25, the Board of Education approved an agreement with Bayshore Homecare Pharmacy and Genesis Laboratory to provide coronavirus testing.
The service will cost $110 per test and the cost will be funded with grant funding from the New Jersey Department of Health and appropriations from the Federal Rescue Plan.
The board’s action is to comply with an executive order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy, according to district administrators.
In other business, the board approved general consulting services required by engineer Remington and Vernick to resolve a water intrusion issue at the Freehold Learning Center elementary school, Dutch Lane Road. According to district administrators, the water intrusion began in July. The firm’s services will be in the amount of $20,000.
Students of The Hebrew Academy, Marlboro, learn the lesson of the importance of tikun olam, the concept of repairing the world, and will present their projects at the annual “Thanks and Giving” assembly on Nov. 23, according to a press release from the school.
For 16 years, The Hebrew Academy has organized a school-wide “Thanks and Giving” program. The program is intended to “give back” to the community and benefit an organization or members of the community, according to the press release.
The projects this year include a diaper drive to benefit Child Care Resources, an organization that helps families find child care services and gives diapers and wipes to families who need them most; collecting pajamas and books for the Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and story books to children who need them most.
And, collecting coloring books and crayons to put smiles on the faces of pediatric patients at CentraState Medical Center; collecting and donating items to Fulfill, the food bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties; holding a coat drive for One Warm Coat, a nonprofit that works to create awareness of the need for warm coats across the country and provides free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability.
Also, collecting crossword and word search puzzles for Sunrise assisted living facilities; collecting and donating unused eyeglasses to Eyes of Hope, an organization committed to increasing access to eye care and eyewear where it is needed most; collecting jigsaw puzzles, decks of cards and tabletop games for the Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing; and collecting monetary donations for BluePath Service Dogs, a nonprofit organization that provides autism service dogs that offer safety, companionship and independence to individuals.
The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Freehold Township has welcomed Viatcheslav Shmurak as the new liaison for its Russian Cultural Program.
The 150-bed skilled nursing facility provides post-hospital care, short-term rehabilitation and long-term residential care; its Russian cultural offering features bilingual caregivers and medical professionals, authentic cuisine prepared in-house, special recreational activities, a Russian library and Kartina TV, according to a press release.
Shmurak serves as the personal concierge for all new admissions who are Russian speaking, interfacing directly with them and their family members.
He works closely with Dr. Lev Simkhayev, who oversees the cultural initiative, and the Jewish Home’s bilingual team to ensure Russian-speaking residents are well understood and all of their needs are met, according to the press release.
The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) recently recognized CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold Township, as a 2021 Platinum Well Workplace, one of only nine in the country to receive this award.
This platinum level designation recognizes organizations that have developed comprehensive wellness programs that are strategic, an integral part of their business, and have produced significant results, according to a press release.
CentraState, the third-largest employer in Monmouth County, earned the award after successfully integrating the seven benchmarks of results-oriented programs and meeting rigid worksite wellness criteria established by WELCOA, according to the press release.
“At CentraState, we value each one of our team members and the contributions they bring to our organization,” CentraState Vice President of Human Resources Frances Keane said. “Wellness is at the heart of our mission for our community and our team members, and is especially important now as we all continue to face the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Some of the CentraState wellness program initiatives include annual health assessments for employees and spouses; self-care programs for employees; mental health, emotional health and resiliency programs for employees; nutrition programming; fitness programs; and financial wellness programs.