A Garden (State) variety of history, culture at fair
Keyport Central School celebrates everything New Jersey has to offer
BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer

Students at the Central School are once again learning the history of New Jersey, from the Lenape Indian tribe to the release of Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet."

On Friday, fourth-graders at Keyport Central School showcased the origins, culture and famous names associated with the Garden State during the school's first New Jersey Fair. While one pair of students chose to play Bon Jovi videos, others focused on the inventions of Thomas Edison, historic military battles and the diner culture of the state.

Fourth-grade teachers Lori Kernan, Melanie Stroud and Marie DeNardo organized the event after teaching from this year's new social studies textbook, "The New Jersey Adventure." Although it's been a state requirement for decades, the history of New Jersey has not been taught at the Central School in at least 10 years, explained Vice Principal Jay Medlin.

"I was a fourth-grader in 1974 and we were doing it then," Medlin said on Friday.

The subject was reintroduced this year after new Superintendent of Schools C. Daniel Blachford asked Medlin to identify areas where the curriculum could be improved.

PHOTOSBY CHRIS KELLY staff At left, fourth-grader Jasmin Torres inspects sand samples at the New Jersey Fair, an educational event held Friday at the Keyport Central School. Above, N.J. Marine Sciences Consortium staff member Jessica Staats shows a small horseshoe crab to students during the fair. At right, Mike Ferm, 10, and Takya Kelly, 9, talk about fitness at their booth.

"We got the books in January," Medlin said. "We had to squeeze it into a half a year. Next year, it will be all New Jersey state history."

Set up like a job fair with booths to display each topic, students worked in pairs or groups to display one unique aspect of New Jersey. Topics included insects and birds, lighthouses, New Jersey "firsts," animals, sports teams, legends and lore, and the government. Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen each had their own booth.

Several local and state organizations volunteered to appear at the fair.

A diamondback terrapin turtle made an appearance, courtesy of the N.J. Marine and Science Consortium. Keyport High School grad Jessica Staats, who now works for the facility, allowed the students to get up close and personal with the turtle and various horseshoe crabs. Staat's booth was a real hit with students, who enjoyed looking at starfish and sand samples from the Jersey Shore.

Local volunteers Rowland Seckinger and Robert Poling from the Keyport Historic Fire Museum were also onhand, giving out red plastic fire hats and promoting fire prevention and volunteerism to the young pupils.

Food was abundant at the fair, with cookies made with cranberries, blueberry pancakes, tomato salsa, salt water taffy, eggplants dishes, hot dogs and overstuffed sausage and pepper sandwiches, to name just a few. Board of Education member Renee Larkin gathered all of the student's recipes into a cookbook.

In addition to the food, the Monmouth Race Track donated grandstand passes, pencils, hats and other freebies while the Lakewood Blueclaws Minor League baseball team displayed an historic look at baseball.