Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Garfield, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Garfield, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Garfield, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933
GARFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) -- Dramatic video shows a driver slam into a light post and nearly hit a pedestrian before crashing into two parked cars in New Jersey.The crash happened Monday near the intersection of Midland Avenue and Passaic Street just before 2 p.m.Police say the 88-year-old driver suffered a medical episode but was conscious when medics took her to the hospital.During the episode, she apparently put her foot down on the pedal and lost control of the car. Her vehicle went onto the sidewalk, under the Pas...
GARFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) -- Dramatic video shows a driver slam into a light post and nearly hit a pedestrian before crashing into two parked cars in New Jersey.
The crash happened Monday near the intersection of Midland Avenue and Passaic Street just before 2 p.m.
Police say the 88-year-old driver suffered a medical episode but was conscious when medics took her to the hospital.
During the episode, she apparently put her foot down on the pedal and lost control of the car. Her vehicle went onto the sidewalk, under the Passaic Street train trestle and struck a light post, traffic light and large flower pot.
The car came close to striking a man walking under the trestle who was heading to work at Walmart.
The vehicle then sped through an intersection before crashing into two vehicles waiting at the traffic light and finally coming to a stop.
Authorities say the woman's seatbelt saved her life and she only suffered minor leg injuries in the crash.
The pedestrian who narrowly escaped serious injuries spoke out on Thursday and said he considers himself very lucky.
"I heard the car and it went like ehhh... I saw it and I thought it was going to cross and it was coming to me," Warlin Almanzar said.
Almanzar got off a few stops early to grab food -- something he doesn't typically do.
"I had my empanadas in my hand, I just threw it and ran away," he said.
Almanzar narrowly escaped with his life, but a tire did go over his foot and he will need to undergo therapy.
It was not yet clear what medical episode the woman was suffering from.
Abel Rodriguez was in his shop at the time of the crash and helped the driver.
"When I got to the vehicle, the door couldn't open but she seemed shocked, she didn't know where she was," Rodriguez said.
No other injuries were reported by people in the other vehicles.
Almanzar was especially grateful for that.
"My uncle says because I have a good heart, god blessed me and saved me," he said.
ALSO READ | Child dies after falling into water behind Brooklyn IKEA
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The boy was found unresponsive in the water just hours after he went missing. Janice Yu reports.
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GARFIELD, N.J. -- Dramatic video shows a driver slam into a light post and nearly hit a pedestrian before crashing into two parked cars in New Jersey.The crash happened Monday just before 2 p.m. in Garfield, New Jersey.Police said the 88-year-old driver suffered a medical episode but was conscious when medics took her to the hospital.During the episode, she apparently put her foot down on the pedal and lost control of the car. Her vehicle went onto the sidewalk, under a train trestle and struck a light post, traffic ligh...
GARFIELD, N.J. -- Dramatic video shows a driver slam into a light post and nearly hit a pedestrian before crashing into two parked cars in New Jersey.
The crash happened Monday just before 2 p.m. in Garfield, New Jersey.
Police said the 88-year-old driver suffered a medical episode but was conscious when medics took her to the hospital.
During the episode, she apparently put her foot down on the pedal and lost control of the car. Her vehicle went onto the sidewalk, under a train trestle and struck a light post, traffic light and large flower pot.
The car came close to striking a man walking under the trestle who was heading to work at Walmart.
The vehicle then sped through an intersection before crashing into two vehicles waiting at the traffic light and finally coming to a stop.
Authorities said the woman's seatbelt saved her life, and she only suffered minor leg injuries in the crash.
SEE ALSO: Video captures moment out-of-control car flies through air, slams into house
The pedestrian who narrowly escaped serious injuries spoke out on Thursday and said he considers himself very lucky.
"I heard the car and it went like ehhh... I saw it and I thought it was going to cross and it was coming to me," Warlin Almanzar said.
Almanzar got off a few stops early to grab food -- something he doesn't typically do.
"I had my empanadas in my hand, I just threw it and ran away," he said.
Almanzar narrowly escaped with his life, but a tire did go over his foot, and he will need to undergo therapy.
It was not yet clear what medical episode the woman was suffering from.
Abel Rodriguez was in his shop at the time of the crash and helped the driver.
"When I got to the vehicle, the door couldn't open but she seemed shocked; she didn't know where she was," Rodriguez said.
No other injuries were reported by people in the other vehicles.
Almanzar was especially grateful for that.
"My uncle says, because I have a good heart, God blessed me and saved me," he said.
When you walk into Déjà Vu, in Garfield, NJ, you immediately notice the large bar and lounge area. So when a server comes around, you’ve surely already perused the selection of wine, cocktails, and beer (no draft pints). And right away, popular appetizers stand out. These include the signature Déjà Vu shrimp: lightly breaded, fried, and crispy, and served with a spicy garlic-mayo sauce.Combining American, Macedonian...
When you walk into Déjà Vu, in Garfield, NJ, you immediately notice the large bar and lounge area. So when a server comes around, you’ve surely already perused the selection of wine, cocktails, and beer (no draft pints). And right away, popular appetizers stand out. These include the signature Déjà Vu shrimp: lightly breaded, fried, and crispy, and served with a spicy garlic-mayo sauce.
Combining American, Macedonian, and Serbian cooking styles, the menu features Déjà Vu’s own take on Mediterranean cuisine. At this restaurant, you’ll find fresh, ground meat on skewers cooking over a hot grill, lounge seats around a big bar with cold cocktails and live entertainment.
Sipping drinks, popping shrimp, and taking in the restaurant’s ambiance provides ample time to coordinate entrée orders. You may find a well-designed flyer with top choices along with the full main menu. Along with skillful recommendations from knowledgeable waitstaff, these flyers will walk you through options you may not have tried in the past.
“For those experiencing our establishment for the first time, we highly recommend the Déjà Vu sofra,” notes co-owner Monika Aleksoska. “This delightful option provides a sampling of dishes, allowing newcomers to experience a bit of everything we have to offer.”
For the past two years, Aleksoska and her business partner, Ivana Vanev, have run the Déjà Vu show. As the owners, they have maintained and expanded the 25-year-old restaurant’s menu, staff, customer base, marketing efforts, and already stellar reputation.
Aleksoka and Vanev were born in Macedonia and Serbia, respectively. They met after they each moved to the States in the late 90s, and have been friends ever since.
In more recent years, they’ve built their lives in New Jersey. Professionally, they’ve been successful in their careers in corporate banking and human resources. Running Déjà Vu has been a passion project for them, and they’ve clearly pulled no punches in hiring a great team, and in sourcing products to build their menu.
“The menu primarily focuses on meats and salads, with less emphasis on pasta,” says Aleksoka. “I would describe it as Mediterranean cuisine.”
“The Déjà Vu sofra stands out as one of our most sought-after dishes,” says Aleksoka. “This generously sized platter is designed to satisfy two or three individuals and features a variety of delectable components. Included are kebapi, a savory sausage made from a blend of ground beef and pork, as well as makedonka, a succulent ground beef and pork patty stuffed with provolone cheese.” And that’s not all for this platter, which also showcases grilled pork or chicken rolls filled with provolone cheese and enveloped in bacon. This is just the beginning.
There’s also the bread bowl, which Vanev, Déjà Vu co-owner and graphic designer, describes as a unique creation, filled with flavorful ground beef and provolone cheese. “We take pride in crafting it fresh with the finest quality meat,” she says.
The variety of meat options reflect the Mediterranean-style cooking that characterizes this spot and the roots of the people who built the restaurant. Vanev notes that her own favorite item is the Déjà Vu burger.
Guests can rest assured that the drinks are strong, the desserts are rich, and the entrees are satiating—and high in quality protein.
“We take pride in making everything in-house, starting from sourcing certain meat directly from farms, grinding it, seasoning it, and shaping it ourselves. We never purchase [already] ground meat, which is something our customers find intriguing. It’s a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. While we face supply challenges from local farms at times, this meticulous process ensures that we consistently serve our customers the highest quality meat when preparing their meals.”
“When introducing new items like the quinoa bowl, we conduct a trial period during which we gather feedback and carefully document the presentation. Based on customer response, these items may potentially become permanent additions to our menu.”
The kitchen runs with two main chefs at the helm plus a hardworking crew, all to create Déjà Vu’s signature Mediterranean meals: Chef Vinny Miovski and Chef Aleksandar Mitkoski.
“Chef Vinny Miovski, by design, joined Déjà Vu six months before we acquired the restaurant,” says Aleksoka. “Chef Vinny’s extensive experience in launching new establishments from the ground up has proven to be instrumental in our success.”
Chef Aleksandar recently joined the team. Originally from Macedonia, Chef Aleksandar brings over 30 years of kitchen experience to the restaurant.
Déjà Vu has been known for live music on Saturday nights since even before Aleksoka and Vanev took ownership. This weekly party is an ode to the Balkan American community in Northern New Jersey.
“We’ve offered consistently, the Balkan Band on Saturday nights. We’ve now come up with a diverse base of bands like jazz on Sundays, or a modern-pop duo on Fridays,” says Aleksoka.
“Tonight, we have a six-member band performing inside, and we strive to maintain consistency in our offerings. We believe in sticking to what works well for us but plan to provide different entertainment options. We have invited talented individuals like DJ Chelli, who has a substantial following, and we also intend to introduce karaoke on Wednesday evenings. Our goal is to become a comprehensive destination for live entertainment.”
While Aleksoka and Vanev have made some notable changes, at Déjà Vu, guests who’ve visited before won’t notice much of a difference. Instead, the goal has been to broaden Déjà Vu’s audience.
“We’re fortunate to have been attracting a new crowd for both lunch and dinner. On certain days, it genuinely feels like we’re running a completely new restaurant. However, we value our longtime customers just as much as our new ones. When we spot unfamiliar faces, it gives us a sense of accomplishment, motivating us to strive even harder to ensure our customers’ satisfaction. We have great confidence in our offerings, and we are committed to expanding and further improving our services.”
Since finishing a major renovation in 2021, the restaurant is just as appealing to the eye as it is to the tastebuds. Guests either come here to recall homestyle cooking from their own childhoods, or to try food that they may have never had before. And now there’s also updated outdoor seating in the patio area. The result? A crowd from lunch all the way to dinner.
Déjà Vu is currently open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (Hours are subject to change.) Head to the website to see what’s on the menu and head to Instagram for updates about entertainment and weekly events.
Déjà Vu 50 River Drive Garfield, NJ 973-777-5288
Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Violeta Yas, made a visit to Washington Irving School #4 in her hometown of Garfield, NJ. Students learned all about weather science and climate change.Slide 1 of 19Violeta Yas Brings Weather Kids to Hometown of Garfield...
Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Violeta Yas, made a visit to Washington Irving School #4 in her hometown of Garfield, NJ. Students learned all about weather science and climate change.
Slide 1 of 19
Violeta Yas Brings Weather Kids to Hometown of Garfield
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Bronx Second Graders Learn About Weather
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A suggestion from an anxious young patient trying to make it through a CT scan caught the attention of the nurse taking care of her and ended up, months later, as a text message on Garfield High School biology teacher Victoria Derevyanik’s phone."Can you help get this done," texted Derevyanik’s longtime friend Joanne Taormina, a radiology technician at Hackensack University Medical Center. The hospital wanted ceiling tiles to distract and soothe young patients undergoing ultrasounds and scans; they...
A suggestion from an anxious young patient trying to make it through a CT scan caught the attention of the nurse taking care of her and ended up, months later, as a text message on Garfield High School biology teacher Victoria Derevyanik’s phone.
"Can you help get this done," texted Derevyanik’s longtime friend Joanne Taormina, a radiology technician at Hackensack University Medical Center. The hospital wanted ceiling tiles to distract and soothe young patients undergoing ultrasounds and scans; they were hoping a high school would take on the project.
The result, painted in exultant colors by a group of Garfield High School students, was 24 ceiling tiles now newly installed in rooms where patients undergo scans and procedures using radiology. Depictions of characters like Tom and Jerry, Elsa and Anna from the Disney movie "Frozen," and "The Incredibles" family charging fist-forward are among the painstakingly re-created images of beloved animated characters and encouraging quotes on tiles that patients' eyes would otherwise ignore. To the 13 Garfield high schoolers and their teachers visiting the radiology wing for the first time on a Thursday earlier this month, it was a moment of disbelief mixed with squeals of delight.
“Seeing it on the ceiling is kind of crazy, I guess. I’m like, wow. Speechless.” said one of the students, Bridgette Taipe.
Across the hall from her, the tiles made an impression on 66-year-old patient Bill Spahr, from Newburgh, New York, who said he loved the characters even though he is not the intended audience.
“I love it. It was just so different. God bless you,” he told the students.
The tiles are part of the Daisy Project, named after the young woman who mused about how nice it would be to have uplifting pictures on the ceiling for patients to look at during a procedure.
“She was on her back and looking up. We had old pictures on the ceiling that we wanted to redo, and it was helping her relieve her anxiety and stress. And she said we should have more of these. She was really the inspiration,” said Eileen Parapar, who coordinated the project with other radiology nurses as part of a community outreach group she runs. The nurses told the young woman they would name the project after her.
Funded by COVID-relief money, the project was part of Garfield’s Summer Arts Program, said teacher and program coordinator Rob Barbier. This is the second year that the school has provided the program, which includes yoga, art and other opportunities for creative enrichment as well as an academic credit-recovery program. Relief funds are set aside for two more years of summer programming, through 2024. School districts nationwide received three rounds of COVID funding between the Trump and Biden administrations, called ESSER, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. The ceiling tiles program was funded by the second grant.
“The program is directly funded through an ESSER grant as a way of providing students an opportunity to be together — to bond. We thought it was very important for social growth, because they had missed some of that, and also it was a way for us to use the COVID money to teach students about being part of a larger community,” Barbier said. In addition to encouraging personal projects, the school picked community-focused art programs for the summer. Students painted murals in the school cafeteria in the summer of 2021. The highlight of the 2022 summer program was the Hackensack hospital's ceiling tiles.
“Each year we were able to pick out programs that will contribute something to the community in addition to their own artwork,” Barbier said.
Some students came to the program with a love for the arts. Others came looking for a way to escape the summer doldrums. Most of the artists picked a tile to complete, but everyone pitched in. Senior and football player Zuriel Vargas said he came to the program because art teacher Mike Garcia told him about it.
It was the kind of project that came together a little serendipitously but eventually reminded everyone involved that they mattered. Derevyanik, the biology teacher, brought the idea to the school from her friend and the radiology team at Hackensack. The Garfield school administrators lapped it up, and Barbier made it the star project for the summer arts program he runs. That was a relief for Garcia, who also loved the project but was worried about protecting and drying the brittle 2-by-2-foot tiles between classes during the busy school year.
Filling the perforations on the tiles with paint while staying true to the original image was the hardest part. As for the perfect copies and sharply detailed text, the trick was to trace out a stencil of the original from a projector. Students sketched the pictures standing to the side after placing them on projectors so as not to cast shadows.
It took two days to complete the stencils.
“We had to do it lightly, too, in pencil. There was only one projector for six people, so you had to kind of wait your turn,” said senior Dafne Guachamin, who worked on Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.
Vargas said he worked on touch-ups and textures — he helped paint in the textures of a vest and a bubblegum-pink background on a painting of Shrek.
“We all found ourselves moving along to other tiles. If one person had a specific ability on realistic stuff, they would help, and if one person was good at mixing colors, they would go and help,” said Victoria Begoski, a junior.
Did they make mistakes?
“Oh, my God, yes! That was so frustrating,” said Guachamin. Erasing wasn’t possible, and despite the opacity of acrylics, the medium the students used, painting over wasn’t easy because a lot of time would be wasted drying. But it was worth it, because working to give something back to the community meant a great deal to all the students who participated.
“I really liked that we were doing something for the community. Not just in our town but for other people," said sophomore Emma-Lee Montalbano, who worked on Garfield and "Frozen." She described "the self-satisfaction of knowing that you're helping someone, even if it's just to brighten their day a little bit by using something that you already are good at.”
Would they do the program again?
“Definitely,” said Begoski, who painted murals in the school the previous summer. “I like the idea of giving back.”
And there was the joy of creating.
“It was fun, painting and just doing something that's creative. It’s not only giving us time to do something fun and stuff that we want to do, but it's also helping other people,” said sophomore Brianna Emanuel.
Eleventh graders Ashley Jimenez and Kaila Bradford joined because they love painting and art. Bradford so enjoyed painting murals the summer before that she knew she would be part of this program.
Both students said art is personally important to them. “Whenever I am feeling sad, or, like, anxious, I start drawing. It really helps me be calm,” Bradford said, adding that she draws characters from games and movies. “I think art just sends its own message outwards.”
“Personally, I paint animals, because I want to be a wildlife conservationist," Jimenez said. "I find that I always draw in nature, and my artwork sends that message.” It made sense, she said, that the students chose happy characters and bright colors, “to help calm the children.”
Hanging out with friends was a draw for everyone on the project.
Eleventh grader Majitha Gomez was so reduced to giggles with her friends Nia Stuart and Haley Mceachern that she could not provide a reason for picking the quote she painted: “Follow your dreams, they know the way.” The trio said they joined the program to do something interesting in the summer. “It was a fun thing to do to pass the time,” Gomez finally said, with as straight a face as she could muster.
“We were painting each other as well. Towards the end, when there was lots of paint, we would just paint on each other's hands,” Guachamin said.
“I just love art and being able to create,” Vargas said. He spoke about art teacher Garcia with a lot of regard. “I always talk to him after school,” he said. That’s when he learned about the program.
Helping kids feel happier by seeing art and beloved characters while going through the hardship of being a patient in a hospital meant something to Vargas, who said he had a seizure in middle school. Going to the hospital at the time was “definitely scary,” and he said the project made him feel he was walking in the current young patients' shoes.
The summer program was offered in the afternoon, so that students who were taking remedial courses in the morning could work on projects later in the day. The student painters were taking academic classes and other summer offerings, but they gave the hospital tile project their time; it drew them in and gave them a purpose, Garcia said. “The core group that I was getting was leaning towards the arts. They saw the big picture; there was a goal in mind. It wasn't just about finishing something,” he said.
The school received the tiles from the hospital in June and had to complete them in July. “I told them that guys, we have a deadline, we have to get this done, and they actually beat the deadline,” Garcia said.
“Even when the ceiling tiles were done, we still got to hang out with people that we enjoyed being around,” Montalbano said. “After we were done with the tiles, Nadia and I went up to the second floor and we were on the walls finishing the murals.”
Garfield Summer Arts Program “Daisy Project” students:
