Sometimes, making sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to be happy and healthy seems like a full-time job. After all, our bodies are highly complex, dynamic machines. Like most machines and tools, our bodies need plenty of high-quality, potent fuel to operate optimally. Unfortunately, everyday life makes it difficult to get the vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, and antioxidants our bodies need to function correctly.
The truth is most of us live busy lives. That's especially true for busy professionals and working parents who can't take the time to source organic ingredients and nutrient-dense foods. Preparing a delicious dish with lean protein and fresh, yummy veggies sounds great. But do you really have the time to buy, clean, prep, and cook a full meal with all those responsibilities on your plate? A quick trip to the cheeseburger joint is so much easier, especially when you have picky eaters for kids. If you're a parent, you know convincing a child to choose Swiss chard over chicken nuggets is harder than solving a Rubik's cube.
Thankfully, there are much simpler ways to treat your body right with vitamins and nutrients, even if you're constantly on the go. IV vitamin therapy in cityname, state is a new, revolutionary treatment from Juventee that delivers essential nutrients directly into your bloodstream. That way, you can give your body the refined fuel it needs without choking down pills or balancing supplements.
Unlike pills and food, vitamin injections bypass the liver's metabolism, where nutrients are often broken down. When nutrients are processed by your liver, it can decrease the amount your body absorbs. By injecting vitamins directly into the bloodstream, you can be sure that 100% of nutrients are absorbed by your body. Vitamin IV therapy may boost your overall brain and body health in a number of different ways:
Plus, with our NAD+ therapy, patients can improve more of their body's functionality and even prevent muscle deterioration. It might sound like science fiction, but Juventee's IV Vitamin Therapy is as real and effective as it gets. You're probably thinking to yourself, "That's all well and good, but what's in IV drip therapy? Don't worry; we've got you covered.
IV vitamin therapy is a wonderful choice if you want softer, healthier skin, a better immune system, and even a cure for that early-morning hangover from a weekend out. But if you're like most new patients, you're probably wondering what's actually in this type of IV therapy.
The contents are right there in the name, boosted with some extras to make you look and feel great. Some of the most common ingredients include vitamin C, a wide range of B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. Let's take a closer look at what these typical ingredients are and why they're included in most vitamin IV therapy sessions:
If you're like most adults, your parents probably loaded you up with vitamin C whenever you had the sniffles or a cold. Your younger self might not have believed it worked, but as it turns out, your parents were onto something. According to doctors, vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins to consume. It might not be the cure-all for the common cold, but it absolutely helps maintain your immune system so you can fight the cold quicker. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C also protects your body from prenatal health issues, cardiovascular problems, eye diseases, and even wrinkly skin.
When your body lacks vitamin C for a long time, you're sure to notice. Though vitamin C deficiency is relatively rare in the U.S., adults who go long periods without it may get sick frequently and suffer from other immune system issues. In extreme cases, people may get scurvy, which causes a litany of issues like joint pain, bleeding gums, and depression.
B vitamins like riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid (b9), and cobalamin (B12) play a crucial role in keeping you healthy and maintaining your overall wellbeing. If you want a healthier body, B vitamins are critical, as they are literally building blocks that help preserve your brain functionality, cell metabolism, and energy. For pregnant women, B vitamins in IV drips are especially important because they help your new baby's brain develop while in the womb. B vitamins have also been shown to prevent congenital disabilities. Plus, they help ease feelings of nausea, which is a big bonus for moms and dads alike.
When your body is vitamin B deficient, you're putting yourself at risk of many health problems, such as complications with pregnancy, nervous system disorders, amenia, and gastric cancers.
Like the other vitamins and nutrients on this page, magnesium plays an important part in your body's total health. As a cofactor or helper molecule, magnesium has a role in 600+ bodily functions, including protein formation, nerve function, gene function, muscle movement, and energy production. If you're having a stressful day or week, high-potency magnesium has been shown to have relaxation properties that help calm your nerves and muscles. Unfortunately, most Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diets.
When your body is magnesium deficient, you could be playing with fire. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to chronic health concerns like osteoporosis, diabetes, and even heart disease. If you're feeling unusually weak or suffering from irregular muscle cramps, a vitamin IV session from Juventee could be the solution you need.
Just about every health food and drink in the stores boasts high levels of antioxidants. That's great, but what are they? Antioxidants are substances shown to slow or prevent cell damage from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules linked to inflammation, disease, and forms of cancer. According to the National Library of Medicine, antioxidants also act as hydrogen and electron donors, as well as enzyme inhibitors.
Most humans get some types of antioxidants naturally through eating and drinking. However, IV vitamin therapy is a much more effective way to fight back against free radicals with antioxidants. When your body lacks antioxidants, free radical production increases, which causes oxidative stress - a harmful situation linked to arthritis, cancers, strokes, and Parkinson's disease.
Thankfully, Juventee's IV vitamin therapy in Bayonne, NJ contains antioxidants that may scavenge and reduce the free radicals affecting your health.
Some additional vitamins and nutrients found in most IV vitamin therapies include:
All IV vitamin injections are applied here at the Juventee office, where our patients are comfortable and at ease. IV vitamin therapy sessions vary in length, depending on the IV therapy you choose and how many applications you need. Vitamin IV injections are administered quickly, with the patient feeling a small pinch from the needle at the injection site.
Patients should not experience any irritation or adverse effects. Once therapy is over, they may leave and go about their day feeling fantastic. While most patients leave our office feeling great, everyone's experiences are different.
What you feel after IV therapy depends on the vitamins you choose and your unique body composition. Most often, however, patients enjoy IV vitamin benefits instantly since their bodies absorb all of the nutrients provided. For optimal results, we recommend you schedule several vitamin IV therapy sessions to thoroughly care for and cleanse your body.
In the past, IV vitamin therapy in Bayonne, NJ was reserved for sick hospital patients and the ultra-wealthy. Today, millions of health-conscious Americans use IV vitamin drips to give their bodies full-potency vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids. Taking supplements is great, especially if you're not treating your body to a healthy diet. In reality, though, supplements and multivitamins only give you a fraction of the benefit.
Juventee's IV vitamin infusions, on the other hand, are applied directly into your bloodstream. That way, all those wonderful vitamins and nutrients bypass your digestive system, giving your body much-needed care in the blink of an eye.
Getting nutrients in an instant is a benefit on its own, but what other advantages does IV vitamin therapy provide patients? Are there other uses for a vitamin IV drip other than getting your daily vitamins? Let's take a look and see.
If you're like most Americans in modern times, you could afford to lose a few pounds. Weight loss is a big topic these days - being overweight puts you at risk for a long list of ailments and diseases, so it makes sense to shed pounds. Of course, that's much easier said than done.
One savvy way health-conscious people use vitamin IV drips is to help kick start their weight loss goals. Juventee's unique vitamin formula contains metabolic boosters that help convert fat into energy, giving you the "go" needed to finish that workout. By jumpstarting your metabolism, your body can break down fat more effectively, helping you maintain a healthy weight.
In hospital and medical settings, IV nutrient drips can help patients who are too sick to eat. Outside of those settings, it can also be a great way to address certain nutrient deficiencies caused by conditions like:
Generally, people with the conditions above have a hard time getting the nutrients their bodies need via supplements and diet. Because IV vitamin therapy in Bayonne, NJ bypasses their digestive system, these patients can get nutrients that they otherwise wouldn't get.
Are you sick and tired of relying on teeth-staining coffees and chemical-ridden energy drinks to stay awake and focused? Nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins, found in IV vitamin therapies, give you a natural boost of energy, lessening your need for sugar and caffeine.
In addition to helping with weight loss and giving you essential nutrients, vitamin IV therapies may also cleanse your body of damaging toxins and free radicals. Free radicals, in particular, can damage your DNA and speed up the aging process.
The antioxidants in Juventee's IV vitamin therapy help protect your body and its immune system by neutralizing free radicals and eliminating toxins. Some common antioxidants used include:
Ingredients in IV vitamin drips like magnesium sulfate are great for lowering blood pressure and calming nerves. But magnesium has also been shown to:
Magnesium sulfate is also a common ingredient in stress-reducing products like Epsom salts as well.
We've all been there before - it's Friday afternoon, and you and your work colleagues decide to leave the office early. One of your co-workers suggests you go to a bar to let off some steam and reflect on the work week. One or two drinks, you promise yourself. The next thing you know, you're three sheets to the wind, singing bad karaoke and making new friends with everyone at the bar.
You had a great time, but now it's Saturday morning, and it feels like a cinderblock was dropped on your head. Instead of grabbing a can of salty V8, why not treat yourself to vitamin IV therapy from Juventee? The hydration provided by our IV vitamin drips helps fight back against hangover symptoms like:
Fluids from vitamin IVs get to work quick, replenishing the water you lost while you were out partying. Vitamin IVs also have much-needed electrolytes for your body, which may relieve feelings of dizziness, fatigue, and thirst.
If your goal is to nourish your body with nutrients and vitamins, Juventee's IV vitamin therapy in cityname, state is the key you need to unlock success. We believe that balance is key to your health and wellness, which is why our specialists employ the most innovative medical advances in our treatment options and products. Unlike other vitamin IV clinics, our focus is on providing you with a full range of health services to help you reach your full potential.
That way, you can satisfy your aesthetic, physical, and nutritional needs while positively impacting your emotional wellbeing too. If you're on the fence about getting healthy and re-discovering the joys of youth, contact our office today. It would be our pleasure to talk about your concerns and how our preventative, proactive treatments like IV vitamin therapy can help on your journey to health.
The Bayonne branch of the NAACP has rescheduled its second annual Juneteenth festival from tomorrow to next Saturday, June 24.The celebration is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. with a kick-off parade that starts at Avenue A and DiDomenico 16th Street Park. The festival itself is set to take place from noon to 5 p.m. and is to include music, spoken word and poetry, student performances, vendors, food and game trucks, face painting, and arts and crafts.Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army o...
The Bayonne branch of the NAACP has rescheduled its second annual Juneteenth festival from tomorrow to next Saturday, June 24.
The celebration is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. with a kick-off parade that starts at Avenue A and DiDomenico 16th Street Park. The festival itself is set to take place from noon to 5 p.m. and is to include music, spoken word and poetry, student performances, vendors, food and game trucks, face painting, and arts and crafts.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army ordered in Galveston, Texas, that enslaved people in the state must be freed. They were the last to learn of their freedom because Texas was a remote state at the time. The Civil War had already ended, and President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had been in effect for more than two years.
There’s some confusion about when the holiday is celebrated.
In New Jersey, state legislators decided to consistently commemorate the holiday on the third Friday in June, so state offices are closed today.
The federal government commemorates the holiday on June 19 itself unless that date falls on the weekend. When June 19 falls Saturday, the national holiday will be the Friday before; when it falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be the Monday after.
This year, the date lands on Monday so federal offices and the post office will be closed then.
The Jersey Journal follows the federal schedule. There will be no paper on Monday, and our offices will be closed. Subscribers will receive Monday’s Star-Ledger.
In addition to the Bayonne NAACP festival next weekend, several celebrations are planned in Hudson:
* Jersey City’s African Cultural Arts Juneteenth Family Festival returns on Saturday, June 17, from 1 to 7 p.m., at Berry Lane Park, Garfield Avenue at Union Street.
A main stage will feature performances emceed by Rob Crocker, host of WBGO-88.3 jazz radio. Headlining at 5 p.m. will be the Blackbyrds, who are preparing their 50th anniversary tour this summer.
Children’s Stage performances will include martial arts, rap, poetry and the Jump 4 Jerry Double Dutch Team.
Face painting and art and crafts are among the other highlights.
* On Monday, June 19, the Jersey City Economic Development Corp. presents a Juneteenth festival at Liberty State Park from noon to 8 p.m. Entitled “All About Us,” it will include more than 40 Black-owned food and artisan vendors, DJs, face painting, a gaming area, photo booths for kids, as well as live art activations from artists at Mana Contemporary.
There will also be a special performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop music featuring artists Slick Rick the Ruler, Sango, DJ Clue, DJ First Choice, DJ Wallah, DJ Buka, DJ Midnite, Winard Harper, Felicia Temple, Avante, and RXparations.
Tickets are $25 general admission; $18.66 for children and seniors; $20 for admission after 4 p.m. Children under 2 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at allaboutusfestival.com. The Green Ring at Liberty State Park is located at 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City.
* Hudson County Community College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and its African American Outreach Committee will host a “Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Through the Arts” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at the HCCC Gabert Library, 71 Sip Ave., Jersey City.
Pamela Gardner, a lifelong educator and a member of the HCCC Board of Trustees, will serve as program host. Song, dance and gospel performances will be featured, and refreshments will be served. For information, email [email protected].
BAYONNE, NJ - The City of Bayonne will host their annual Independence Day Celebration on Wednesday, July 5, at the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park, Mayor Jimmy Davis announced.Set to begin at 6:30 p.m., the event will feature attractions for both children and adults, including free children's inflatable rides until 8:30 p.m.; music by Parkway Soul, an Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band, beginning at 7:00 p.m.; and fireworks scheduled to go off at approximately 9:15 p.m. The fireworks show will run for about ...
BAYONNE, NJ - The City of Bayonne will host their annual Independence Day Celebration on Wednesday, July 5, at the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park, Mayor Jimmy Davis announced.
Set to begin at 6:30 p.m., the event will feature attractions for both children and adults, including free children's inflatable rides until 8:30 p.m.; music by Parkway Soul, an Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band, beginning at 7:00 p.m.; and fireworks scheduled to go off at approximately 9:15 p.m. The fireworks show will run for about 30 minutes.
Food vendors will be located in the parking lot.
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A buffer zone will be created in the park and the bay for residents' safety. Only authorized people will be allowed inside the buffer zone. No pleasure craft in Newark Bay will be permitted within a perimeter of at least 500 feet from the launch site, as per the U.S. Coast Guard. The Fire Department will have a boat in the bay during the show.
The Bayonne Recreation Division is providing free shuttle bus service for the event and will pick up passengers at East 24th Street and Church Lane. This location is near two parking lots: Parking Lot 6 (behind Archie's Cab) and Parking Lot 7 (behind Valley Bank).
Shuttle bus service will begin at 6:00 p.m., and will drop off passengers at the lower level parking lot alongside the tennis courts until 8:30 p.m. Following the fireworks, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the buses will pick up passengers at the same area for the return trip to East 24th Street and Church Lane.
Shuttles will continue to run until all passengers have been returned to East 24th Street and Church Lane, by approximately 11:00 p.m.
To provide space for the shuttle, parking will not be allowed in a designated bus area between 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Signs will be posted in the designated no parking area.
The boat ramp on the lower level of the park will be closed to boats for the entire day and the boat ramp parking lot will be available for public parking.
The main parking area on the lower level of the park will be closed to the general public after 7:00 a.m. No parking will be allowed by the firing range on the upper level of the park.
On West 16th Street, between Avenue A and the park, no parking will be allowed on either side of the street after 6:00 p.m. Signs will be posted. The signs will be removed around 10:00 p.m. as the event ends. Police will create a single lane for traffic on that portion of West 16th Street for crowd control purposes.
The DiDomenico Municipal Pool on the upper level of the park will follow regular operating hours on July 5, opening at 10:30 a.m. and closing at 5:00 p.m., weather permitting.
The basketball courts on the lower level of the park will close at 2:00 p.m.
The park's regular bathrooms will be closed for the event. Portable toilets will be available. Both regular and handicap facilities will be provided.
In case of inclement weather the fireworks, concert, and entertainment would be rescheduled for Sunday, July 9.
One of the largest industrial companies in Bayonne is reconfiguring its commercial footprint, freeing up 130 acres of waterfront space for a new use for the first time in decades.IMTT, a bulk liquid storage company, will be moving its current operations off the eastern portion of its 450-acre property south of the Bayonne Golf Club, and consolidating its work to the western side, closer to Route 440.The company plans to find a new use for the land and anticipates the transition creating a net increase in jobs, though it has not...
One of the largest industrial companies in Bayonne is reconfiguring its commercial footprint, freeing up 130 acres of waterfront space for a new use for the first time in decades.
IMTT, a bulk liquid storage company, will be moving its current operations off the eastern portion of its 450-acre property south of the Bayonne Golf Club, and consolidating its work to the western side, closer to Route 440.
The company plans to find a new use for the land and anticipates the transition creating a net increase in jobs, though it has not yet decided whether it will sell that portion of the property, said CEO Carlin Conner.
“We want to do all we can to advance Bayonne’s interest and create a better town,” Conner said. “I feel although this is a big decision, I feel like it’s the right decision.”
In the meantime, Conner anticipates the IMTT workforce will be trimmed by 10% to 15%. The company will not fully shift its operations off the land for 18 months, he said, at which point he hopes early retirements and voluntarily accepted severance packages will be the primary means of downsizing.
IMTT, short for International-Matex Tank Terminals, stores petroleum products, commodity and specialty chemicals, vegetable and tropical oils, oleochemicals, biofuels and ethanol, according to its website.
Changes in the petroleum market prompted the decision to consolidate IMTT’s current work in Bayonne, Conner said. Transitions to alternative and renewable energy are forcing many companies in the oil and gas industry to update their business models.
“We’re not in a position that we have to sell (the land),” Conner said. “We can hold the property, we can contribute it to a joint venture, we can develop it ourselves or we can do a sale if that makes the most sense.”
Mayor Jimmy Davis noted that the transition will also likely include an environmental cleanup of the property.
“We are open to hearing a variety of ideas for that site,” Davis said. “Our main goal is producing new jobs there for our residents. Providing greater economic opportunity is vitally important for Bayonne’s future.”
IMTT is headquartered in New Orleans and owns and operates 16 terminals in the United States and Canada. It purchased its Bayonne terminal, a former Standard Oil facility, in 1983, said a company spokeswoman.
IMTT said even after the transition it will remain the largest bulk liquids storage terminal in the area of New York Harbor.
Bayonne’s redevelopment renaissance of the past decade went hand in hand with financial incentives doled out to developers.A city administration eager for new apartment buildings and businesses to revive its local economy negotiated generously with developers willing to take a chance on a city at a standstill, most often handing out payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, or PILOTs, that essentially provided tax breaks to developers.Now nearly 10 years later, even as developers’ interest in Bayonne keeps the planning b...
Bayonne’s redevelopment renaissance of the past decade went hand in hand with financial incentives doled out to developers.
A city administration eager for new apartment buildings and businesses to revive its local economy negotiated generously with developers willing to take a chance on a city at a standstill, most often handing out payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, or PILOTs, that essentially provided tax breaks to developers.
Now nearly 10 years later, even as developers’ interest in Bayonne keeps the planning board busy year-round, councilmembers and Mayor Jimmy Davis’ administration aren’t ready to do away with those tax abatements, though they are perhaps ready to apply a bit more scrutiny.
In practice, that could mean that not every developer who wants a PILOT gets one, or that the longevity of tax abatement agreements is significantly shorter, councilmembers said. One newcomer to the council also said that Bayonne should increasingly use developer interest as a bargaining chip to reel in developer contributions to the community, or givebacks, in some fashion.
But after a nearly yearlong pause on PILOT agreement votes for major residential projects, which Davis initiated, taxpayers can expect them to return in some form.
“Given the building boom that we have experienced over the past eight years, there is no doubt that Bayonne can be a bit more discerning about development projects,” the mayor said. “We need to keep our eyes open to opportunities for growth, jobs and improved living spaces for our residents.
“The delicate balance between attracting investors and ensuring that our taxpayers are protected is something we must all keep in mind as Bayonne’s needs change.”
The PILOT program calls for 95% of the payments to go the municipality and 5% to the county, leaving the local school district with nothing. Under normal property taxation, a portion, usually in the 35-50% range, goes to the school district.
All councilmembers interviewed — newcomer Jacqueline Weimmer, Council President Gary La Pelusa and Councilman Loyad Booker — said that each development and affiliated tax abatements should now be scrutinized individually rather than the city taking a universal approach of approving or rejecting all of them.
Councilmembers Juan Perez and Neil Carroll III did not respond to interview requests.
La Pelusa and Carroll have leveled frequent scrutiny at PILOTs throughout their time on the council. La Pelusa estimated that he’s voted down more than 50 — though most of those votes were in the minority and unable to block council approval.
But even he does not think there should be a citywide shift away from incentives entirely.
La Pelusa said they could be good for projects that cultivate areas of Bayonne’s economy that he feels are still lacking, such as facilities that create scores of jobs or needed services like an assisted living facility.
New projects that resemble the bulk of those that cropped up in the past decade are likely less in need of tax abatements, and the council may look at shorter duration PILOT agreements if it does hand them out, the council president said.
“When the Davis administration took over in 2014, there really wasn’t much building going on at all, and the feeling was a lot different in town,” La Pelusa said. “The feeling from a lot of the developers was it wasn’t easy to deal with Bayonne. Now, no one can really say that.”
The city is currently wrapping up a study intended to review the development under the Davis administration and chart a path forward. It found a 92.6% occupancy rate in the 20 new buildings analyzed, La Pelusa previously said.
Despite Davis’ satisfaction with how far Bayonne has come, he knows that development is competitive and that neighboring municipalities are continuing to offer incentives. Tweaks to Bayonne’s process, therefore, might involve crafting more individualized deals for developers rather than attempting to do away with them, the mayor said.
“Within Bayonne, developer incentives might differ based on whether the development is commercial, residential, industrial, or mixed-use,” Davis said. “The incentives might also differ based upon the site of the proposed development or its size.”
The only PILOT agreement on the city council’s agenda for this month is for a new 70,000-square-foot industrial building at 7 Hook Rd.
The council will likely consider tax abatement agreements for the next phases of the Silk Lofts and Woodmont developments in coming months as well. Woodmont phase two plans include 85 new apartment units between West 52nd and West 53rd streets to supplement the existing Liberty Bay Club property.
Weimmer, who joined the city council last summer, said she was initially skeptical of whether PILOT agreements were still needed, but after conversations with colleagues has come to believe that developers often need them to make projects financially viable.
Still, she thinks that developers can probably offer the city more in return in the way of community givebacks and is exploring ways for to facilitate that.
“I’m looking for assistance to infrastructure costs, I’m looking for the betterment of the community,” Weimmer said.
She said she is skeptical of PILOT agreements that last up to 25 or 30 years.
Booker, also in his first year on the council, said he is also still learning, but he believes that considering incentives individually is probably the best approach for the city.
“There’s no broad brush for incentives,” he said. “That’s my take on it.”
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Bayonne High School students are getting two treats at the end of this week: a pep rally and a half day.If they want more in the future, they’re going to have to behave.The perks, as Superintendent John Niesz calls them, are one component in the launch of a new anti-bullying program that administrators and an array of student leaders are introducing at the high school to incentivize students to behave. The concept is that if students are kind to each other and there is less bullying and fighting on school property, the ad...
Bayonne High School students are getting two treats at the end of this week: a pep rally and a half day.
If they want more in the future, they’re going to have to behave.
The perks, as Superintendent John Niesz calls them, are one component in the launch of a new anti-bullying program that administrators and an array of student leaders are introducing at the high school to incentivize students to behave. The concept is that if students are kind to each other and there is less bullying and fighting on school property, the administration will dole out a series of rewards.
As school districts nationwide grapple with bullying in the wake of social media cyberbullying, the pandemic and a youth and adolescent mental health crisis, Bayonne wants students to be leaders in determining how to address it and wants to enact both preventative measures and disciplinary reforms.
Incentives like “no-homework Fridays,” an ice cream truck and half days are just the start of what Niesz describes as a blossoming collaborative response by students and staff.
Students have also pitched ideas including peer-to-peer interventions that could be a reform to the current disciplinary processes, space for students to relax alone if they are dealing with stress or anger, and a rage room to yell and scream out frustrations.
“All of us have to try something different besides just suspension, suspension, suspension and doing the same things over again and trying to expect a different result,” Niesz said.
Several Bayonne High School students said they have noticed an increase in bullying in recent years, much of which may begin in digital spaces, but lead to direct confrontations, often physical, on school property.
It has happened simultaneously as the high school has become a more vibrant space where students are embracing their own unique identities and choosing to express them, they said.
“I feel like now that people are being open with themselves and they’re not really keeping it to themselves, I feel like people don’t know what to do with that and it just causes them to act aggressively,” said senior Menna Hafiz.
Central Regional High School in the Bayville school district gained national attention last month when a student suicide brought public attention to what students described as a school environment where bullying had reached crisis levels and the district did little to mitigate it.
Niesz’s plan preceded that incident; he gathered student leaders from Bayonne High School to meet with him for the first time about two months ago.
Together, over lunch, they discussed what they were seeing in school in a series of sessions, where Niesz said he first worked to build their trust by asking them what staff could do for them. He then began inviting guests from the community, including a reverend, police sergeant and the local NAACP president.
The dialogues included brainstorming ways to address and prevent bullying, and Niesz invited administrators and the press to a final lunch Monday before the district announces the plan to the broader student body Tuesday. The high school will hold four assemblies Tuesday to tell all students about the program, and the students who helped develop it will all sit on stage.
Determinations of whether to dole out incentives will be made with both “formal and informal assessments,” Niesz said, and there is no expectation that there must be not bullying at all in order to earn them, at least at first. That will include monitoring of the digital records of student suspensions and fights, he said.
If they prove ineffective, the superintendent said he will simply call that idea a bust and move on to other strategies. But they key, in his mind, is including student in the problem-solving process.
And by bringing in student leaders to help create the roadmap, they will hopefully also lend encouragement to each other, or intervene when they see bullying so that the broader student body can enjoy the rewards, said Board of Education President Jodi Casais.
“I feel that maturity levels have gone down and that’s why we’re here to make things better — maturity-wise and just energy,” said sophomore Caitlin Gaetani. “If you have good energy in the school and sports and everything, everybody else is going to be more positive.”
Niesz plans to bring the high school leaders to elementary classrooms as ambassadors to discuss bullying prevention.
“Let’s not have a crisis,” Niesz said. “Let’s not ever be there.”
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