Has your quality of life been affected because of back pain? You're not alone - Harvard Health tells us that almost 85% of people in the US have back pain so severe that they see a doctor at least once in their lifetime. Unfortunately, these problems often start small but end up becoming severe issues like sciatica. For active people and athletes, dealing with back pain isn't just compromising; it's life-changing.
And while many people will tell you that having a "back problem" is something you'll have to deal with for the rest of your life, that's far from the case. The good news is that seeing a chiropractor in Holmdel Village can provide you with the relief needed to live a healthy, active life without giving up the things you love most, like sports and spending time with your family.
Of the millions of Americans who suffer from back pain daily, many have found long-lasting relief through the same chiropractic care offered at NJ Sports Spine & Wellness. But what exactly is chiropractic care, and how does it help?
Chiropractic care is a drug-free, non-invasive approach to overall wellness and healing that focuses on correcting issues with your musculoskeletal system. When performed by a licensed chiropractor, it can alleviate and even eliminate common problems such as:
To treat your conditions and help reduce your pain, chiropractors use time-tested, hands-on techniques to adjust your spine, neck, back, and other joints throughout your body to restore proper function, mobility, and alignment. Once your body is in proper alignment, it functions optimally, leading to improved overall wellness and health.
Unlike some sports rehab clinics in The Garden State, chiropractors from NJ Sports Spine & Wellness work with you one-on-one to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific goals and needs relating to your pain and ability to live a normal life. Because our team takes a holistic approach to healthcare, we cover all aspects of your health and wellness when developing your chiropractic treatment plan. That way, we increase your chances of living a fulfilling life free of pain and worry about throwing your back out.
Seeing a chiropractor can quite literally change your life for the better. According to the American Chiropractic Association, in general, chiropractic therapy is a more effective solution for back pain than other treatments like addictive pain pills, surgeries, and yoga. When combined with services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and acupuncture, chiropractic care may be the key you need to open the door to a pain-free life.
Shedule An AppointmentSome of the many benefits of seeing a reliable, licensed chiropractor include the following:
Perhaps the most obvious reason to make an appointment with a chiropractor is for back pain relief. Some people only need to see a chiropractor when they have occasional back pain, such as when they wake up in the morning. Others, such as those who have been in serious car accidents, need regular chiropractic adjustments and therapies, which are often supplemented with techniques like physical therapy and acupuncture.
There are many causes of back pain that range from advanced conditions like having sciatica and herniated discs to everyday issues like poor posture and sleeping in a harmful position. Your chiropractor's job is to pinpoint the cause(s) of your back pain and build a customized plan to address your musculoskeletal conditions. Once that happens, pain relief follows shortly after.
At New Jersey Sports Spine & Wellness, we craft personalized chiropractic plans for every patient we treat, with the goal of avoiding harmful surgeries and addictive medicines.
If you've never experienced a headache in your life, you're exceedingly rare. Just about every American will suffer from a headache at some point or another. For some, headaches only happen occasionally and are not much more than an annoyance. For others, headaches evolve into crippling migraines that can affect quality of life, ability to work, and much more.
If you find yourself digging into a bottle of Aspirin or something stronger when you have a headache, it might be time to visit an NJSSW chiropractor.
Do you wake up in the morning feeling like you didn't sleep a wink the previous night? Do you have to take sleep aides like Ambien in order to drift off to dreamland? If you have chronic back pain, getting a full night's rest is easier said than done. From misaligned spines to improper sleeping posture, your chiropractor in Holmdel Village can use manipulation therapy and other techniques to boost blood flow and align your vertebrae, so your body can heal itself and help you rest better.
One of the best things about seeing your chiropractor is that when your session is over, you often feel great. The pain relief feels phenomenal. When you're not in pain, you have a more positive outlook on life, and often enjoy better sleep, blood pressure, and even sexual relations. It makes sense, then, that chiropractic care has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, which promotes relaxation and improved mental health.
At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, we work with a long list of athletes who suffer from sports injuries and other problems that can manifest from being active. For professional athletes, having a trustworthy chiropractor to care for them is needed for their careers. But you don't have to be a pro athlete to benefit from chiropractic care. Ordinary people that enjoy active lifestyles can reap tremendous rewards through chiropractic care, such as improved range of motion and relief from compressed discs.
Whether you enjoy impromptu games of tag football or simply want to play with your kids, seeing a chiropractor can help you be healthy and active without fighting back, neck, and joint pain. That's especially true when chiropractic therapy is used in conjunction with acupuncture, physical therapy, or occupational therapy.ies and addictive medicines.
Your NJ Sports Spine & Wellness chiropractor in Holmdel Village may use a range of techniques to restore function and alignment in your body. Some of the most common techniques our chiropractors use include:
Life has a habit of being unexpected. Sure, some surprises only hurt your bank account, like last-minute renovations in your home. But severe incidents, like car accidents, can inflict physical injuries that cause you long-term pain. These problems, like neck and back injuries, affect many Americans daily. Even worse, many hardworking people turn to risky surgeries and addictive pain medications, only to find themselves deep in a hole that seems impossible to get out of.
If you suffer from serious range-of-motion issues or you're in chronic pain, it's important to know that you have treatment choices. You don't have to put your health at risk to relieve your pain. One of the most successful non-invasive treatments offered for pain is physical therapy. The main goal of physical therapy is to restore movement and function to patients affected by illness, injury, or disability.
Physical therapists work with patients of all ages and abilities, from children to elderly adults, to help them overcome physical limitations and improve their quality of life. At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, our physical therapists help treat a wide range of conditions, from neck pain and spinal cord injuries to back pain and arthritis.
Once our PTs have made headway, they will often use our chiropractic therapy to provide the patient with more relief. Having the option of both chiropractic and physical therapy is often very effective, because your chiropractor in Holmdel Village can address nerve irritation and joint dysfunction while your physical therapist helps retrain your musculoskeletal system, allowing your body to heal faster.
Some of the biggest benefits of using physical therapy along with chiropractic care include:
Occupational therapy, or OT, is to help patients of all ages and abilities engage in activities of daily living, or ADL. Often, that means helping patients reclaim the ability to continue working, going to school, accomplishing day-to-day tasks, or other activities common to daily living.
Occupational therapy can benefit individuals going through many conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, and chronic pain. The end goal of occupational therapy is to help patients achieve the maximum level of independence and participation in their daily lives. If pain, discomfort, weakness, fatigue, or fear prevent you from participating in activities you love, an OT from NJ Sports Spine & Wellness could become the MVP of your wellness journey.
To give our patients the most complete pain relief and recovery options, our doctors and practitioners will often lean on the expertise of both a physical therapist and a chiropractor in Holmdel Village. By working together, your PT, OT, and chiropractor can provide you with a comprehensive approach to total-body functionality, from your spine and joints to your mind and range of motion.
Some of the most common benefits of using OT with chiropractic care include:
Acupuncture boosts your body's functions and helps improve its ability to heal through anatomic site stimulation - usually called acupuncture points or acupoints. To stimulate these points, acupuncturists at NJ Sports Spine & Wellness insert fine, sterile needles into your skin. Most patients don't feel any pain as needles are applied. Typically, needles are left in the skin up to 30 minutes. After your session, it's normal to feel incredibly relaxed.
While some practitioners still adhere to traditional philosophies, modern acupuncturists take an integrative approach to the therapy. Today, professional acupuncturists use these techniques to stimulate your body's natural healing and pain-fighting processes. When coupled with personalized care from a chiropractor in Holmdel Village as well as physical or occupational therapy, you can find real relief from the physical and emotional roadblocks holding you back. Some of the most reported benefits of acupuncture treatment include:
During an acupuncture session, you may feel a slight sensation of warmth or tingling at the needle's site of insertion. Generally speaking, acupuncture is painless and perfectly safe for you to consider. In fact, many practitioners and doctors recommend combining acupuncture with other treatment options like chiropractic adjustments.
Though acupuncture and chiropractic therapies come from different origins, both include non-invasive, holistic, and gentle approaches that don't require drugs to work. They also both facilitate total-body healing by addressing the underlying causes of your symptoms - not just the symptoms themselves.
Because acupuncture is known to release endorphins and improve blood flow, having a session prior to a chiropractic adjustment can be very beneficial. That's because, after acupuncture, your muscles are less stiff, more relaxed, and easier to adjust effectively. Over time, as you combine acupuncture and chiropractic therapy, you'll benefit from less inflammation and less pain as you heal from injuries or musculoskeletal conditions. That same truth applies to patients who undergo serious chiropractic adjustments.
At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, our staff consists of licensed and highly-trained professionals, including specialists focusing on:
Every member of our team believes that the path to wellness and a pain-free life begins with customized treatment plans that cater to your needs and body. Unlike some chiropractors in Holmdel Village, we do not treat on-the-surface symptoms with one-size-fits-all therapies. We do not rely on powerful pain medications to mask your pain or invasive surgeries that require weeks of recovery. Instead, we address the root causes of your pain so that we can help you live the happy, healthy life you're craving.
To achieve that goal, we'll conduct an in-depth evaluation to learn about your medical history. We'll also perform diagnostic tests and speak with you one-on-one to get a better sense of your needs. From there, we'll recommend the therapies that can give you a new lease on life and be there for every milestone you hit.
If you're fed up of living with the limits of pain and lack of mobility, we're here to help you break free. Contact our office today to get started.
HOLMDEL - An Extra Space self-storage facility was approved by the zoning board Wednesday night after an extensive redesign by the developer Holmdel Storage Developers LLC.“When we’re here last time, we heard a lot of comments and critiques and suggestions,” said Mitch Feldman, president of the Feldman Cos., parent company of the developer. “The size, the setbacks, everything was reduced. We created a new design that was more in line with what’s next door.”...
HOLMDEL - An Extra Space self-storage facility was approved by the zoning board Wednesday night after an extensive redesign by the developer Holmdel Storage Developers LLC.
“When we’re here last time, we heard a lot of comments and critiques and suggestions,” said Mitch Feldman, president of the Feldman Cos., parent company of the developer. “The size, the setbacks, everything was reduced. We created a new design that was more in line with what’s next door.”
Originally planned to be a 109,400-square-foot cube building, the developer shrunk the facility to 78,400 square feet and added gabled roofs.
Board member Demetri Orfanitopoulos said, “I appreciate what you did with that façade. … That made a big difference and it’s going to conform with the next-door neighbors.”
The facility will be three stories with a basement and it will contain 17 parking spaces.
It will be located at 2125 Route 35, across from Safeguard Self Storage and near the Holmdel Towne Center shopping mall. It will neighbor the yet-to-be constructed Brightview Senior Living facility approved in February.
Holmdel:Split board OKs dementia care village for old farm as neighbors divide
According to Christopher Muldoon, engineer for the developer, with the reduced size of the development, the site will be 93 feet from Route 35 in the front and will be 10 feet from the 50-foot wetlands buffer in the back, addressing concerns raised by the board in August.
Residents of Meadowood Estates living along Bayberry Drive expressed approval of the changes made, but asked about the visibility of the facility from their backyard.
Resident Anthony DeMarco said, “I do not want to look out my backyard and see the back of a storage facility.”
After similar concerns were voiced at the August meeting, the developer conducted a balloon test where the team deployed a handful of balloons to mark the back of the proposed facility. Members of the team then photographed the balloons through the wooded area while standing on Bayberry Drive. The developer’s report found the trees covered the balloons sufficiently and, due to the lack of lighting in the back of the facility, the building would be mostly screened.
Holmdel:Township picks new committeeman with just two members voting
Feldman also said the hours of operation will be from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The board approved the facility with a 6-0 vote.
Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
HOLMDEL - A $12,000-per-month fully enclosed dementia care village right off the Garden State Parkway at exit 114 was approved by the zoning board in a 5-2 vote Wednesday night, marking the end of an application that began more than a year ago and divided neighbors against each other.The village will be built by the elder care nonprofit United Methodist Communities, not to be confused with the church.The project was bo...
HOLMDEL - A $12,000-per-month fully enclosed dementia care village right off the Garden State Parkway at exit 114 was approved by the zoning board in a 5-2 vote Wednesday night, marking the end of an application that began more than a year ago and divided neighbors against each other.
The village will be built by the elder care nonprofit United Methodist Communities, not to be confused with the church.
The project was bought by the nonprofit for $5.5 million from a previous developer that dropped plans for a neighborhood with an affordable housing component. The land was known as The William Potter Homestead or Potter’s farm, which closed in 2020, after the Potter’s family, who had owned the land since 1920, moved to Upper Freehold.
According to chair of the zoning board Ralph Blumenthal, William Potter III, who had given statements to the board in favor of developing the farm into a dementia village, died two weeks ago.
Holmdel:Township picks new township committeeman with just two members voting
The village, modeled after the urban dementia village in the Netherlands called Hogeweyk, will include 11 one-story residential buildings, a pair of two-story residential buildings, a two-story administrative building and a recreation center. The entire village will be enclosed by a secure perimeter. A grocery store, restaurant and theater are planned to open with the site to mimic normalcy for its residents with dementia. A total of 105 beds could be available, with 10% being reserved for residents on Medicaid, which would help fulfill future affordable housing quotas for Holmdel.
Cindy Jacques, vice president of housing and community initiatives with the United Methodist Communities, said in April that there will be a staffing ratio of about one staff member for every eight residents. She said at night there will be four caregivers and two floaters for the four neighborhoods. A registered nurse and a security person will also be on site.
The original design would have had only one way in and out of the village, but after substantial revisions, the plan would include seven emergency gates in addition to the main entrance. Keys to the gates will be housed with the township’s various emergency response teams.
Holmdel:How a health scare led farm owners to strive to 'live more naturally'
Opposition to the plan questioned whether the plan should be built on the land it is located on.
Kevin Asadi, an attorney hired by certain residents in the adjacent County Woods neighborhood, said, “This project belongs in the Route 35 overlay district not in a rural R40-B zone.”
The opposition:Neighbors fear dementia care village could erase history, quiet
The Route 35 overlay district is Holmdel’s commercial district, where a three-story Brightview Senior Living Facility was approved in February. Asadi argued that the R40-B zone is for residential development that mimics the existing neighboring houses and not a dementia village.
Asadi also brought Joelle Winter, an administrator at a Cherry Hill-based dementia facility called Arden Court, in July. Winter said staffing for the 54 beds is difficult. In a three-month period, she said her facility received 234 job applications and interviewed 21 candidates who showed up. Of the 21, she only hired four who were qualified.
“I have staffing challenges,” she said. “That happens a lot since COVID and even before.”
For subscribers:Holmdel cops who muted audio during DUI arrest named in malicious prosecution suit
Other neighbors have spoken in favor of the dementia village’s construction.
Stephen Grywalski, who lives a few houses from the proposed property, said, “There’s no longer an option to save the farm. The Potter family sold the property a couple years ago and I’m concerned that if it’s not approved, the current owner will then be forced to sell and there’s many examples all around of what could happen. … There’s a need for housing and care of these people with dementia throughout the world. We should be honored to call this groundbreaking, state-of-the-art community our neighbor.”
Before a vote, board members gave statements explaining their reasoning.
Board members Valerie Avrin-Marchiano said the application was one of the hardest and, while many neighbors agreed with the application, others did not.
She said there are seven other assisted living facilities in Holmdel and the design of this property looks like army barracks. She ultimately voted against it.
The other board member to vote against the proposal was Irfan Lateef, who said with the cost of living increasing and the economy possibly going into a recession, he was afraid the township would be “saddled with a property that cannot be possibly used in (any) other suitable fashion.”
He said the proposal would change the bucolic atmosphere of that neighborhood. “I don’t think by putting (that) large facility there, we can mitigate this impact. It alters the character of the township.”
Board member Jason Buerkle said he moved to Holmdel because of the rural nature of the township, but said he believes property owners have a right to develop their land.
Board member Francine Campis said she would like to see the farm preserved “but honestly that ship sailed long ago.” She said she feared that if the board denied that application, another owner could propose another project that becomes more controversial.
Blumenthal, the board chair, said Holmdel’s population is aging. He said he was “very intrigued” by the proposal because the facility would feel less like a hospital.
Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
HOLMDEL - Stephanie Hanhan took it personally when the school district announced a surprise shake-up that will mean new principals at three of the district’s four schools next year, including Holmdel High School.The mother of three has a child in each of the affected schools: Indian Hill Elementary School, Village Elementary School and Holmdel High School, which is still searching for its next principal.“It's so frustrating,” said Hanhan. “It really decreases my confidence in the decision-...
HOLMDEL - Stephanie Hanhan took it personally when the school district announced a surprise shake-up that will mean new principals at three of the district’s four schools next year, including Holmdel High School.
The mother of three has a child in each of the affected schools: Indian Hill Elementary School, Village Elementary School and Holmdel High School, which is still searching for its next principal.
“It's so frustrating,” said Hanhan. “It really decreases my confidence in the decision-making, and it isn’t transparent. They kind of blame it on the pandemic and that is potentially a weak excuse.”
Background:How are Holmdel schools coping with COVID 'lost learning'? Shuffling principals
Hanhan is one of many parents who are speaking out against the administrative changes revealed to parents in late April and to the wider community and the press last week.
Interim Superintendent Leroy Seitz has said the changes were done in part to create new programs to help students recover from so-called “lost learning” due to the pandemic.
More:Holmdel high school back to all-virtual classes after off-campus events, bout of 'impatience'
Experts have said for months that the disruption of COVID-19 — ranging from virtual learning limits to school closures and quarantining of students and staff — has had a detrimental effect on most students.
An October 2020 Pew Research Center survey found most parents of students who were learning online were concerned that they missed out. The study found that 68% of parents whose children are receiving at least some online learning are concerned they are falling behind. That rises to 74% among lower-income households, the study said.
“There is no question that some students have experienced varying degrees of learning loss over the last year due to pandemic-related school interruptions,” Seitz said in a release. “The District is committed to ensuring that any student who fell behind over the last year will get the specialized attention they need in order to catch up.”
Also:Holmdel teachers vote 'no-confidence' in superintendent; what's irking them?
Those affected by the changes include Brian Schillaci, who has served as Holmdel High School principal since 2018 and will be reassigned to Indian Hill School, which serves students in grades 4 to 6.
Story continues below gallery.
Indian Hill Principal Lisa Vitale will then be reassigned to Village Elementary School, which serves students from pre-school through third grade. She will become a co-principal with current Village School Principal Art Howard and will implement a new reading program to boost reading levels that had dropped during the pandemic there.
Under the co-principal approach, Vitale will be responsible for pre-school through first grade and Howard will oversee students in grades 2 and 3.
Holmdel High School, meanwhile, will get a new principal who has yet to be hired.
“I worry about not having a principal right now at the high school and they are searching for someone,” said Hanhan. “Maybe we’ll get somebody great but are we going to attract well if we keep shuffling people around?”
Most of the opposition surrounds the decision to relocate Vitale from Indian Hill School, where she has served as principal for four years and drawn rave reviews.
“We are not happy about this at all. It is not right for anyone and it is not fair to her because she is doing an exceptional job where she is at,” said Samantha Stone, a mother of three children, include two at Indian Hill. “I cannot say enough for this woman, she is very personable, she wants to find out about how they are doing and you can easily schedule with her on any issue.”
Kimberly Tuccillo, another Indian Hill parent, echoed that view.
“I am upset because it seems unnecessary,” she said of the Vitale transfer. “It is really hitting home because Indian Hill is a very successful school and all of the good things that have been happening in a year where teacher morale has not been high, in that school it has been very good and part of that is the staff, the administrative staff.”
More:Holmdel High School grad helping dramatic turnaround for Seton Hall men's soccer
Vitale declined to comment on the reassignment.
Several parents rallied to Vitale’s defense on April 30, designated Principals Day, just days after the changes were announced to parents and staff.
“I was totally shocked. Why would you do this? It doesn’t make sense,” said Josephine Fanciullo, whose son went through Indian Hill School and who worked there for 14 years until last year as a para-professional. “She came into Indian Hill when half of the people weren’t happy, she turned it into a family. She brought that building together and honestly cares about them, the students and can work with anyone.”
Meagan Solomon Rodgers, president of the Indian Hill Parent Liaison Group, penned a lengthy letter to Seitz and the Board of Education demanding Vitale be allowed to remain and claiming the reassignment was “a disruption” and sparked “tremendous concern” among parents and students.
“Lisa has selflessly poured her own blood, sweat and tears into those brick walls, into the text books and murals,” the letter said, in part. “Into each and every teacher and faculty member and most importantly - into each and every student that has walked the halls at Indian Hill School during her four-year tenure there.”
Seitz did not respond to requests for comment.
Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and Monmouth County for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of two books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp
HOLMDEL — The planning board unanimously approved plans for a three-building apartment complex with 50 affordable units at 625 South Laurel Ave.The development, dubbed the Holmdel Family Apartments, will be built and managed by the Walters Group, a Barnegat-based developer. The complex is part of the township’s 2019 affordable housing settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center.Because the complex is right along the municipal boundary with Hazlet, ...
HOLMDEL — The planning board unanimously approved plans for a three-building apartment complex with 50 affordable units at 625 South Laurel Ave.
The development, dubbed the Holmdel Family Apartments, will be built and managed by the Walters Group, a Barnegat-based developer. The complex is part of the township’s 2019 affordable housing settlement agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center.
Because the complex is right along the municipal boundary with Hazlet, Hazlet sued Holmdel three separate times starting in August 2020 to stop the construction of the affordable housing complex. Last August, Holmdel reached a settlement agreement with Hazlet.
At Tuesday’s planning board meeting, the developer presented and agreed to plans that would move the complex 200 feet the municipal border and maintain a buffer of trees and plants between the apartment complex and the backyards of people’s houses in Hazlet.
“I don’t want to see dead trees and the loss of buffers for the Hazlet residents,” board member Joyce Ploussas said. “I want it maintained.”
Board member William Kastning asked about the contaminants found at the site during soil testing.
“There’s been contaminants associated with previous use that have been found that are being remediated and removed,” said Damien Del Duca, attorney for the developer.
The new plan would eliminate one of the driveways onto the site so there would be only one road leading into and out of the complex from Middle Road.
Development:Township could get 17 million-dollar homes on old farm across from Vonage
Upgrade:See the dramatic upgrades inside the township's new $4.2M firehouse
Board planner Jen Beahm expressed concern that having only one entry and exit could impede emergency services in the event that the road became blocked.
The developer agreed to add a bollard to the single entry and exit that would split the road in half, reducing the possibility of a completely blocked road. It also agreed to move two trees to allow emergency vehicles the ability to pull into the complex on the South Laurel Avenue side through the grass. It also agreed to plant trees with a minimum canopy of 12 feet around the parking lot to avoid branches impeding ambulances.
Edmond Speitel Jr., vice president of development for the developer, said in addition to apartments, the complex will house an indoor gym, a computer lab and an outdoor playground. Garbage will be picked up twice a week.
Holmdel:Crumbl Cookies bringing sweet treats to town
In response to a question by Kastning, Speitel said the developers will accept residents who don't have cars and said there is a bus stop within half a mile of the development. The nearest bus stop is a mile north at the intersection of Route 36 and South Laurel Avenue. Bus 817 from Perth Amboy to Middletown passes by stop 24642.
Del Duca said Walters Group applied to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency “in order for this community to be a reality … to get tax credit financing.”
He said, a condition of receiving the tax credit, the developer has to complete construction and “get our first certificate of occupancy” by late 2023.
“This has been a long process,” Del Duca said. “We’re very anxious to start work so we can put this community into service, comply with our obligations and help Holmdel comply with its obligations.”
Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
Patch is asking school board candidates to share their views on the issues. Candidate Elizabeth Urbanski presents her ideas.HOLMDEL, NJ — Elizabeth Urbanski is one of eight candidates seeking three full-term seats on the Holmdel Board of Education in the Nov. 8 general election.In these profiles, based on questions provided, the candidates give voters background about themselves and their positions on the issues. Patch is publishing individual profiles leading up to the election.Urbanski is the current school boa...
HOLMDEL, NJ — Elizabeth Urbanski is one of eight candidates seeking three full-term seats on the Holmdel Board of Education in the Nov. 8 general election.
In these profiles, based on questions provided, the candidates give voters background about themselves and their positions on the issues. Patch is publishing individual profiles leading up to the election.
Urbanski is the current school board president and cited her experience on the board and its accomplishments. She said her goals for the district include continuing academic excellence in the district. "I firmly believe that the Holmdel Board of educated should be focused on student success," she says.
Read more from candidate Elizabeth Urbanski:
Name: Elizabeth Urbanski
Residence: Holmdel
Office sought: Re-election to the Holmdel Township Board of Education; current president
Campaign website: www.urbanskiforholmdelboe.net
Education: I graduated from Smith College and have a master's degree from both New York University and Columbia University.
Occupation: I run my own professional art advisory firm, Elizabeth A Urbanski Associates, Inc. from Holmdel.
Why do you want to run for the school board and what in your experience or background prepares you for election?:
Since being sworn in in January 2020, I have been a very active and committed member of the board and have worked to support the many positive changes in the schools.
These include a newly appointed full-time superintendent, a focus on improving rankings, consistency and quality of education, completion of the $40 million dollar referendum, a fiscally responsible flat budget, and a successful navigation through the pandemic with a strongemphasis on keeping the schools open for the students.
I have had the honor of serving as the head of the Curriculum and Instruction committee and currently serve as the president of the school board.
If re-elected I will continue to work to elevate all aspects of the educational experience for students and families. I am an advocate for citizens, parents and children and remain focused on them and the Holmdel school district. I firmly believe that the Holmdel Board of Education should be focused on student success.
The candidate presented her goals for the district:
The board and district are currently launching a five-year strategic plan, which I personally sponsored. At this critical junction in our district, experience matters and I am the only candidate who can continue to bring this to the table.
Excellence: I have worked to increase the number of students taking AP exams, providing positive outcomes for students and the district which will have a positive impact on our rankings. In the last two years pre-school classes have been grown from two to six. The guidance and special services departments have both been reorganized. Making up for learning loss has been big focal point for me with the district creating a Summer Enrichment program for students in need that are identified through common assessments.
The rise of anxiety and bullying has been another area of my concern and it is directly addressed as one of the district goals for this school year.
Accountability: As the head of the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, I have supportedinitiatives to focus on data driven decision making in the evaluation of student performance,the new requirement that teachers prepare lesson plans (which has not been the casepreviously), and proper evaluations for teachers and staff.
Fiscal responsibility: Holmdel's schools are facing a dramatic increase in costs in areas suchas transportation, employee healthcare, and the new four-year teachers' contract. I amcommitted to doing what is possible to maintain our flat budget since the school district budget impacts all taxpayers, not just those whose children are currently in school.
The candidate discussed her personal background:
My grandfather purchased property in Holmdel in the 1930's as he was attracted tothe unique, rural character of what was then a much smaller town. My children are fourth-generation Holmdel residents and I am a third-generation resident and taxpayer. All of our three children have attended Holmdel Schools and we have had direct experience of the entiresystem, from the Village School to the High School.
We reside on our family’s organic tree farm in Holmdel, which is where I grew up and where we are raising our children.
I was previously a trustee of the Monmouth County Historical Association and have taught Art History at Brookdale Community College. I understand the unique history of Holmdel Township and the Holmdel School system which combines both academic excellence, and engaged and educated parents, within a pastoral environment.
Candidates for Holmdel Township Board of Education:
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