SPEAR-IT is a 21st Century version of woodshop class revived at Toms River South. Standing for (South’s Pre-Vocational Educational Alternatives Resource Institute); the elective for Freshman this year was started during the 2019-20 school year. The idea was borne out of a desire by then-Principal Michael Citta and teacher Mr. Timothy O’Leary to have a program at our school that taught useful carpentry skills to students. O’Leary teaches the classes, Tiffany Lucy will be the Supervisor, and Michael Kenny plays a role as a District Grant Writer.
SPEAR-IT received jump start funding from United Way, a nonprofit organization. Initially the grant was for $30,000 in that first year, but that has grown to $60,000 in total since then from United Way.
The program was headquartered in D-08 early on while their existing facility in a room off the gym was being renovated.
The class has recently completed projects such as making lifeguard stands for Toms River beaches that were recently sent to go into service. As well, the class has been handy in hanging decorations and signs around the school, learning about leveling and mounting.
An important aspect is making useful and fun products that the students can feel a sense of pride in creating, such as when they built their own cornhole/bean bag toss boards to be able to play games with. Currently, they are making boxes intended to house butterflies for the ASR program.
Math skills are taught and applied constantly to the freshman. Part of the course includes the learning of addition and subtraction of fractions perhaps when you need it to make a precise cut. Handling tools and equipment is instructed, so each student can use a drill or saw in a proper way.
SPEAR has received donations from other companies and groups as their name gets out into the construction world more. Milwaukee Tools, gave them stools to sit on while working. Lowe’s of Toms River recently gave them a series of equipment pieces. Central Ocean Rotary also donated money to the program.
United Way finally got to see the course in action this past year and had Colossus Media Group produce a video documenting the program and some of its work.
Later, a ceremony recognizing the achievements of everyone involved was held at Frank Stadium with many dignitaries invited to tour the workspace and see their lifeguard stands.
Mr. O’Leary teaches SPEAR-IT 4 periods a day and has been the man educating all these young people, but he wanted to thank and credit the work of Superintendent Citta since that discovery of the grant opportunity a few years ago:
“Mr. Citta is the engine behind everything we're doing. I know now that he has a new position, my contact with him will definitely be way less, but I always say it’s whatever the boss wants, he’s still the boss.”
O’Leary also was extremely prideful to show the progress of his students to United Way and other officials;
“It was nice just to see United Way come in…it is unbelievable, we have a state of the art workshop, we have tools that I would say every woodshop person would be jealous of, we have every single thing that we need to do the project that we want…”
SPEAR-IT will be growing in the very near future. The program is going to add 2 half-year courses available to sophomores. SPEAR-2 and SPEAR-3 will be open to those who took SPEAR-1 their freshman year. This will hopefully be paid for by an application to the Perkins Grant. This means SPEAR will cover 48 freshmen and 12 sophomores during the 2022-23 school year. The program is also expected to continue to wow students and staff for many years to come after that.
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