MANCHESTER – The new school year has begun but there was some fanfare and fun involved in preparing for the first day of school.
Several orientation events have taken place along with student recognition presentations and celebrations to get things started.
Ridgeway Elementary School students and their families came out before the first day of school to meet their new principal, Sarah Thiffault, during a school orientation event.
The program proved that popcorn and principals could be a perfect match for the large crowd that came out and where students got to know Thiffault. They even learned what her favorite holiday was, her favorite color, her favorite sports team, and her love for chocolate ice cream.
Students lined up for a Ridgeway Dolphin temporary tattoo, and spend time together. It was an afternoon filled with laughter they prepared to return to school.
Manchester Township High School freshman tours were also conducted by current student leaders and 35 Advanced Placement students were recognized during the latest Manchester Board of Education meeting noting their outstanding achievement.
Three MTHS Student Government Association students completed the New Jersey Association of Student Councils’ Summer Leadership Conference. Students Katherine Estevenall, Emily Johnson, and Jaiden Barber attended the three-day conference in Trenton, with hundreds of other student leaders from across the state.
Together, they worked on leadership skills to bring back to their high school.
The school district also welcomed Michelle Nichol as the Supervisor of Early Childhood Education. Nichol has devoted her entire 22-year career to the district and takes great pride in the district’s achievements and commitment to exceeding expectations for staff and students.
Her professional journey has encompassed a career focused on early childhood education, starting with teaching kindergarten, first, and second grade at both Whiting Elementary and Manchester Township Elementary schools.
Following her teaching experiences, she took on the role of K-5 Literacy Coach for Ridgeway and Whiting schools and for the past nine years, has served as a Supervisor of Instruction for the Manchester Township School District, spending eight years at the elementary level and one year at the middle school.
Before the school district received its Preschool Expansion Aid (PEA) funding in 2022, two of the district’s schools housed classrooms for preschoolers with disabilities, while one school had an integrated general education and special education program.
As the Curriculum and Instruction Supervisor, Nichol supervised those preschool programs, ensuring appropriate supports were in place, selecting instructional materials, and coordinating intervention services to meet the diverse needs of our early learners.
The goal of her new role as the MTSD Supervisor of Early Childhood Education is to assist in the implementation, supervision, and evaluation of curriculum for all early childhood teaching staff Pre-K through fifth grade.
“Having an extensive amount of experience at the elementary level, I am excited to work with our administrators, teachers, and staff to create opportunities for our students in our PreK-5 buildings that focus on developmentally appropriate foundational skills and connect them to the standards outlined by the New Jersey Department of Education,” Nichol said.
She added that her intention was to “uphold the outstanding preschool program that has been established in our district. Additionally, I aim to enhance the link between preschool and elementary education in all three of our schools, ensuring that every teacher has the essential resources to provide our students with the foundational skills required for their success and growth.”
“Ultimately, my goal is to foster a comprehensive education that nurtures the whole child,” she added.
