Hamilton Hamilton PPost ost
DECEMBER 2020
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Season of giving
Schools go remote for rest of 2020
Volunteers help nonprofits provide amid pandemic
By Rob Anthes
By Rob Anthes, Joe EManski and SaMantha Sciarrotta
In the last decade, Hamilton-based nonprofit Joey’s Little Angels has made the holiday season a bit brighter for more than 20,000 sick children. The tradition continues in 2020, with an ever-expanding reach. This year is the 10th time JLA will conduct a Christmas toy drive. What started as a way for Nicole and James Angiolino to give back has grown into a massive effort that requires the assistance of volunteers from around the region and helps children at hospitals across the United States. The main event every year is an in-person celebration— which was scheduled for Nov. 28 at Notre Dame High School in Lawrence—where thousands of toys are collected. But JLA will be accepting and distributing donations up until Christmas Day. Donations will be delivered to 26 hospitals across the country. Recipients include patients at Capital Health in Hopewell and children’s hospitals in Los Angeles, Boston and Cincinnati. The Angiolinos pack the See NONPROFITS, Page 12
The Hamilton Township School District will return to a full-remote instructional model for the rest of 2020. District schools will remain remote until at least Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. HTSD superintendent Scott Rocco said in a Nov. 20 letter to parents that the district has struggled to maintain an appropriate inperson learning environment for students due to increasing cases of COVID-19, staff shortages due to quarantining requirements and delays Hamilton resident Amanda Angermiller portrays the Peppermint Princess at Six Flags Great in receiving COVID-19 testing and test results. Adventure’s Holiday in the Park event, which runs through Jan. 3, 2021. (Photo by Kyle Majkowski.) As of Nov. 20, two of the district’s three high schools, one of its three middle schools and two elementary schools were already using full-remote instruction due to COVID-19 cases or staffing issues assoran up to the director, pleadciated with required quaranAmanda must have watched Steinert senior have a line tines. Six more schools were 100 times, when she was ing, ‘Can’t I please One morning, a message written in chalk appeared plays Peppermint to say?’ So, as one of the flying one case away from joining barely two,” Michele said. in front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words Amanda had her first “pro- monkeys, I got to say, ‘Here them, spurring the district’s Princess at Great couldn’t beendecision simpler, or stirring, Wicked to more movesoulentirely fessional acting moment” three she comes!’ when the have accurate. remote. Adventure onmore stage.” years later, when she “was Witch arrives or That kind of ambition has Since Oct. 31, HTSD has thrown on stage when I was around 5.” She had already per- worked well for Amanda, who seen 25 confirmed positive By Lois LeVine with those cases comformed in her first talent show started working at Six Flags cases, “Heroes in contact Although Amanda Angermi- in Kindergarten at Yardville Great Adventure when she ing work here.” with 466 people ller’s first official dance class Elementary School, when a was only 14 and has turned inside district schools. “These are challenging was at the YMCA in Hamilton connection of Michele’s helped the job into a role fit for royalty. Amanda will times for our school comwhen she was just a toddler, Amanda nab the part as one For the first time, Three words of gratitude and encouragement that her mother Michele notes her of the munchkins and a flying perform at the theme park’s munity and families,” Rocco capture the courage and compassion of health Park event as wrote. “As a school commuactual first dance teacher was monkey, in a stage version of Holiday in the workers here and nity, across your Princess. we America. have and To willshare continue The Wizard of Oz at Rising Stars the Peppermint popstar Paula Abdul. thanks ortoto work supporttoourdeal Emergency Response Fund, “I really wanted with the challenges “There was an old Sesame Voice Studio in Bordentown. it would be faced by this pandemic, adapt “I was so determined to have there: I thought Street video, ‘Zoe’s Dance visit rwjbh.org/heroes Moves,’ with Abdul, that a line,” Amanda said, “that I See HOLIDAY, Page 11 See SCHOOLS, Page 9
Their courage and compassion inspire us all.
Role fit for royalty
And please, for them, stay home and safe.
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