Advance Robbinsville
AUGUST 2020 FREE
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
School district outlines 2020-21 plans
Golden girls Robbinsville teen completes Spanishlanguage GED prep project By NICoLe VIVIAno
Two life-long Robbinsville residents have crossed over her final milestone as a Girl Scout after completing the highest award in the global leadership development program for girls. Jenna Soliman and and Samantha DeMartino both earned their Girl Scout Gold Awards this year. Soliman has been part of the Girls Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey since she was in kindergarten. Between 2018 and 2019, Soliman completed her Gold Award project, a Spanish high school equivalency exam prep program in Trenton through a local nonprofit, the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “My mom was in Girl Scouting for a little bit when she was younger,” Soliman said. “So I think it was just kind of a way for me to get involved and meet people and meet girls my age in the beginning and then as I got older I got more into it myself.” This year marks her 13th year as a Girl Scout. An adventure and commitment that has taught her leadership skills along with other readiness in areas such as See SOLIMAN, Page 8
By SAM SCIARRottA
Robbinsville Girl Scout Troop 71439 constructed and installed a Little Free Library at the Town Center gazebo July 20, 2020. Front: Lucie Canuso (left), Lily Feigenbaum, Aryanna Fernandez, Emmy Holt and Gwen Holt. Center: Marisa DeMeila (left), Josie Basora and Emily Moorcroft. Back: Karen Shenghit (left), Jillian Shenghit, Lucy Daly and Aimée Daly.
Their courage and compassion Take a book, leave a book inspire us all.
for residents to borrow and book and maybe even add one Scout troop builds of their own to the collection. books for the written commu-in chalk Onedonate morning, a message appeared community libraryin front The girls worked on the nity to share. of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words By SAM SCIARRottA
“Coronavirus
postponed installation as part of their
couldn’t have been more soul stirring, Bronze Award group project. everything, but simpler, I thinkorwe or more did accurate. a good job putting stuff They knew the project had to
Robbinsville Girl Scout together on Zoom calls,” said be centered on the community, and they tossed around a Troop 71439 was ready to member Lucia Canuso. A Little Free Library build and install one of the “Heroesis the few other ideas, like a collaborative garden, before decida neighbortownship’s first Little Free physical home ofwork here.” Library locations earlier this hood book exchange. They’re ing on the library. And the spring. And then the pan- ordered, constructed and more they researched it, the registered by groups and more they liked the idea. demic hit. Three words of gratitude and encouragement that “We thought it could have They adapted, though, and individuals through the Little capture the courage and compassion of health Free Library nonprofit. Com- a good impact on the comgot back on track. The library workers heremembers and across To shareand your start more intermunity canAmerica. take munity was installed at the Town Centhanks or tofrom support Emergency actions Fund, between people,” books the our structure and Response ter gazebo July 20, and it’s encouraged to return the now fully stocked and open See LIBRARY, Page 7 visit are rwjbh.org/heroes
New Robbinsville Public Schools superintendent Brian Betze released the first steps of the district’s back-to-school plan in a letter to the community July 17—but not before the state Department of Education changed its official mandate. In the letter, Betze said that the plan has not been finalized and that the district expects flexibility and changes in the coming months. The letter listed several broad features of the plan. All school days will run on an early dismissal schedule, though dismissal times may change depending on the need to disinfect buses. Additionally, the entire student body will be split in half, and families will be kept together. Students opting to attend school will follow a half inperson, half-remote schedule each week, though, according to recent state guidelines, students and parents can select a full-time distance learning program. As of July 17, students did not have the option of a fulltime virtual learning plan, according to a state Department of Education mandate. See SCHOOLS, Page 9
And please, for them, stay home and safe.
Academy Dental CHILDREN
& ADULTS
Complete Dentistry for the Whole Family
See our ad in SIX09, section pg 12
AcademyDentalNJ.com
Currently Open for Emergency Dental Care See our ad on page 9
1179 NEWARK, NJ