September 12, 2023
ALLENTOWN, NJ (MONMOUTH)–Allentown FFA reported the following activities over the summer:
June
CookoutWe had our annual June chapter meeting and cookout on June 7 to finish out the school year.We made the most of what we could amidst the smoke from the Canadian Wildfires. There werelots of fun games like inside kickball and shop cornhole. We introduced the new leadership teamof the Allentown FFA. We were also incredibly grateful to our alumni for coming back and helpingmake food for everyone. Overall, it was a fantastic way to kick off summer vacation.
POW-WOWThe leadership team hit the ground running with POW (Performance ObjectiveWorkshop)-WOW. The first of many leadership training courses for officers. There was lots of planning
for the year, as well as team-building activities to bring the leadership team together.
July
Monmouth County Fair Produce
The Monmouth County Fair was held July 26-29, 2023. Members and alumni from the chapterworked with the other Monmouth County FFA chapters at the FFA Produce stand. This eventhelps raise for all chapters funds to help support travel and other expenses throughout the year.
Safe Tractor Operator Career Development Event (CDE)
During the summer, the Allentown FFA sent two contestants to the Burlington County Farm Fairto participate in the Safe Tractor Operation contest. During the contest, the members had tosafely back up a four-wheeled wagon and a two-wheel trailer. They also had to operate a skid
steer to carry a bucket of water and the contestants also had to operate a front-end loader.
Meat Evaluation & Technology Career Development Event
During the summer, the chapter sent a team of 4 individuals to participate in the MeatEvaluation & Technology CDE held in Jacksonville NJ. Participants in the competition delve intothe science of meat. During this team event, students evaluate beef carcasses for quality andyield grade; identify various meat cuts and place carcasses; and identify wholesale and/or retail
cuts. The team placed 2nd overall!!
August
Canoe Trip
The newly elected leadership team participated in a canoe trip down the Wading River to workon getting to know each other, learn to work together, and have fun! There were lots of good
memories from having lunch along the river and the advisors splashing everybody!!
9th-Grade Orientation
On August 29, the leadership team gave presentations and set up displays to show incomingfreshmen what the FFA was all about. We wanted to spark interest and introduce them to ourAgriculture program with its many opportunities.
Allentown Officer Leadership Training
To finish up our summer of planning and preparing, the leadership team stayed over at theAllentown Presbyterian Church after Freshman orientation. We spent the day working with ourCommittees to plan the year’s events. In addition, there were various team-building activities toimprove our teamwork. We ended the night with our sponsor’s dinner to communicate with our
sponsors and discuss ways to improve the chapter and better connect with the community!!
September 12, 2023
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Trenton Police reported that on September 11, 2023, members of the Trenton Board of Education received an email with possible threats of violence against schools. The threat was vague giving no specific school or target. The Trenton Police Department is working closely with local, county, state and federal authorities to investigate and assess the threat which appears to have originated out of state.
Although we believe this to be a nationwide “swatting” incident, the Trenton Police Department take any and all threats against our children and school community with the utmost concern and will exhaust all investigative resources to keep them safe. — Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson
