Manchester School Board Lauds Teachers, Professionals

MANCHESTER, NJ -- As the 20156-16 school year nears its end, the Manchester Township Board of Education took time recently to honor the teachers and support staff of the district.

The district's Teachers and Educational Support Professionals of the Year were announced and each one's contribution to students honored at the Board of Education meeting.

They were introduced by their building principals and presented with certificates, Hawk pins and the coveted reserved parking spot signs. They also received commemorative pendants or keychains courtesy of the Goltsch Family of Golden Goose Jewelers, who have students in the district.

The following teachers and professionals were honored:

RIDGEWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Teacher of the Year, Jessica Parsons

Parsons has been the teacher of Ridgeway’s kindergarten through second grade self-contained classroom since 2011.

“Jessica is known never to toot her own horn, so tonight I am very happy to tell you how this humble, caring, and truly passionate teacher is an advocate for her children,” Principal Nikki Mazur said. “If you observe Jessica at any point in the day, you will notice that she is a master at creating activities that are engaging, fun, and truly meaningful for her students. I often visit Jessica's classroom and find the students on interactive Chromebook games, retelling a story, using manipulatives to solve a math problem, or simply discussing the day's events. It is obvious that she works so hard with her paraprofessionals to create an environment that is safe, secure, and nurturing.

“Jessica is truly an expert at finding ways to help struggling students succeed academically, and also has
great ideas that she shares with staff about supporting the social and emotional needs of children. I
appreciate the time she has spent in collaboration with our Child Study Team, classroom teachers,
paraprofessionals, and administrators in developing best practices."

Educational Services Professional of the Year, Jamie LaBarca

LaBarca has been a paraprofessional at Ridgeway Elementary School for 10 years. This year, she
works with Parsons in the self-contained K-2 classroom.

“Saying that Jamie is a passionate advocate for her students would simply be an understatement. She
consistently goes above and beyond to do whatever it takes to make learning happen," Mazur said. “On some days, that might be taking a student for a walk around the building, or it might be emptying out her bag of prizes and snacks that could motivate a child, or it could be joking and making real connections with kids, because that is what Jamie does every day.

“Mrs. LaBarca can always be counted on to assist students and staff. She is reliable, dedicated, and truly
loyal."

REGIONAL DAY SCHOOL

Teacher of the Year, Joshua Simpson

Simpson holds multiple degrees and recently earned a master's in education with an endorsement in special education through Stockton University. This summer he will earn the endorsement of learning disability teacher-consultant upon completing his final internship. Simpson joined Regional Day School in September 2010 as a paraprofessional. In January 2012 he began teaching in A-4, a middle school-aged behavioral disabilities
program. He also serves as the co-adviser to the Student Council.

“Mr. Simpson is the epitome of compassion and professionalism,” Principal Lisa Michallis said. “Each day he brings a zest for learning and structure to the classroom for a diverse group of middle school boys with emotional, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. He effectively infuses his passion for history and sports to motivate the students to teach them academic skills. Each day is a new beginning and the most important message he has instilled in his students is to ‘believe in yourself and strive to be the best you can be.’

"You have made and continue to make a positive impact on the lives of so many children that may not have a coach, mentor or positive male figure in their life. Tonight we celebrate you and all that you have done for the Regional Day School students and faculty.”

Educational Services Professional of the Year, Maureen Romanowski

Romanowski has been Regional Day School’s Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) for the past three years. She holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in special education and an LDT-C certification.

“The role of LDT-C at Regional Day is a departure from a traditional school-based child study team member,” Michallis said. “Maureen is an active member of our school’s crisis team and Teachers’ Advisory Committee. She is also serves as the school testing coordinator and assistant to the principal.

“Mrs. Romanowski works collaboratively with her colleagues and has effective problem solving skills. On any given day she can be found greeting students in the hallway, cheering on a student learning to walk, handling a crisis situation, teaching staff how to navigate a Chromebook or app, completing spreadsheets for uploading testing rosters, lending support to a colleague, facilitating an IEP meeting, sharing resources with a needy family, or promoting our school at a community sponsored event. Maureen, you truly have a generous and kind spirit. You have made significant difference in the lives of so many children. You are well respected by your colleagues and our families appreciate your support. Congratulations and thank you for all you do each and every day.”

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP MIDDLE SCHOOL

Teacher of the Year, Maura Simister

Simister came to the middle school as a math teacher; however, with a vision and a dream she established the district’s first and only multi-grade level STEM program. She has a mathematics degree and teaching certificate and is currently pursuing a master's in STEM curriculum. Simister launched STEM education at the middle school with a grant from NavAir to establish a Future Engineers Club. The club participates in a variety of robotics competitions. She was instrumental in obtaining a $10,000 OceanFirst Model Classroom grant for the STEM rotation program at the middle school. This program now offers STEM to grades 6, 7 and 8.

“Mrs. Simister maintains a very busy schedule outside of her classroom as well,” Principal Nancy Driber said. “She won a grant to attend the Marine Advanced Technology Education training in California. She keeps herself abreast of current trends in STEM education and attends various trainings throughout the year. This spring, she presented a paper on STEM education at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers at the STEM Conference at Princeton University.

“Mrs. Simister is a leader among her peers. She assists her colleagues with integrating STEM activities throughout the curriculum. As you can see by Mrs. Simister’s resume, she is truly an asset to the Middle School and it is my honor to introduce her as the Middle School Teacher of the Year.”

Educational Services Professional of the Year, Jennifer Barrett

Barrett, who has been a guidance counselor for 11 year, is the school’s HIB specialist, oversees student 504 plans, and serves on the climate committee, attendance committee and safety committee.

“I met Jennifer Barrett for the first time 5 years ago. After I introduced myself she immediately pointed to a picture of her daughter and told me with a huge smile, ‘I want to show you what inspires me every day,’ ” Vice Principal Steve Ninivaggi said. “After working with her for several years I began to understand what she meant. Her role as a mother informs every aspect of her professional life. She provides academic, social and psychological support to over 200 seventh-grade students, each of whom has unique needs and issues, and even directs them to outside services when needed. She keeps accurate and meticulous records. She is responsive to student and parent concern and is always reflecting on better ways to design plans to effectively support students and teachers in the classroom. If a student is in crisis, it is not unusual for her to stay late to ensure the student’s needs are met and that the parents’ questions are answered.

“There is not enough room or time to put down all that she does for our school and community, but it is truly amazing when you realize that she also raises two beautiful children. They are the reason she makes a difference in our school community and in the lives of her students.”

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Teacher of the Year, Melissa Peck

Peck started at Manchester Township Elementary School 10 years ago as a third-grade teacher. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and elementary education. She is the co-chair of the assessment committee and an active member of the school’s Professional Development Committee. For the past two years she presented at the Ocean County Tech Expo, sharing her expertise in the area of technology with other county educators.

“I am honored to have such an unselfish, positive, dedicated, hardworking teacher such as Melissa Peck
at our school,” Principal Linda Waldron said. “From the first day I met her I knew she was a team
player. Her smile and energy adds much to her third-grade team. She runs a learner active, student-centered classroom thanks to being among the first IDE Cohort Group in Manchester. She wrote and revised county curriculum over the years, implemented differentiated action plans for her struggling learners; taught her students to self-reflect, and served on many committees. She is a true teacher leader."

“Melissa likes to give back to her students and her greatest accomplishments are her students. You will see her shopping for Kevin’s Kids at the holidays and donating to any cause the school sponsors because of her generous heart. Her class was highlighted for their Living Civil Rights Museum in the NJEA Review Magazine and on Classroom Close-up. Last year her students organized a clothing drive to help make a difference in the lives of community members in Manchester, donating to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Students are actively engaged in learning and challenged in her stimulating classroom. Our students are fortunate to have her as their teacher."

School Educational Services Professional of the Year, Roni Anderson

Anderson has been a school psychologist in the Manchester Township School District since 2000. Originally she was assigned to the middle school and Ridgeway, and for the past eight years she has shared her time between Whiting and MTES. She graduated from Queens College in New York with a bachelor's and master's in psychology and over her 34-year career she worked at various school districts and hospitals as well as some private consulting work. She is a certified school psychologist and a licensed professional counselor.

“Roni started the school year down two team members and I know it wasn’t easy,” Waldron said. “She carried the load with a smile and took great pride in doing what was best for all our students. She is a valued member of our Intervention & Referral Services team, bringing her expertise to the table working closely with staff to find strategies and interventions to help our struggling learners. Her professionalism, wealth of knowledge and ability to keep calm make her an asset to our district. She is a lifelong learner who has devoted her career to the science of mind and behavior so that she can understand and improve the lives of our young children.”

WHITING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Teacher of the Year, Jen Shappell

Shappell holds a bachelor's in sociology and a master's in teaching. She became a kindergarten teacher at MTES in 2007 and also taught Basic Skills and third grade during her tenure there. She came to Whiting Elementary in 2011 and now teaches third grade. Throughout her career, she has participated in committees aimed at improving student achievement. In addition, she works with her peers in implementing data assessment, professional learning communities, and initiatives designed to improve school climate and culture. She is a respected member of the Whiting school staff.

“Mrs. Shappell has been involved in many school-wide and district initiatives exploring best practice in literacy, mathematics, assessment and data-driven decision making,” Principal Evelyn Swift said. “She is full of creative and innovative ideas and always seeks ways to challenge herself and her students. She meets every task with commitment and excellence. Her greatest assets are her hardworking attitude, perseverance and caring. During an observation, she shared her own experiences with literature as a little girl and gave a heartfelt account of her love for reading and her desire to become a teacher at that age. I couldn’t help but think how fortunate her students were to have her as their teacher, someone so passionate and dedicated to learning and to them.”

Educational Services Professional of the Year, Stephanie Boyd

Boyd holds a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology and a master's in communication sciences and disorders. She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association and holds a certificate of Clinical Competence. She came to Manchester in 2003, working at MTES. In 2010, she worked at both MTES and Whiting to cover the new autism program and was transferred permanently to Whiting the next year. She also serves as a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee for the district.

“Mrs. Boyd has been involved in writing many grants and has received an iPad, apps and a wheelchair accessible table for Whiting students. Her persuasive efforts have also helped Whiting gain a buddy bench and a green screen,” Swift said. “She has presented two years in a row at the Ocean Tech Expo about using technology to help struggling students. She is the district organizer for Bookshare, which gives students with learning, physical, and visual disabilities access to books digitally. She started the Lunch Bunch program at Whiting several years ago to help the students in the autism program integrate into the school community in a meaningful way. This program has morphed into the PAWS program which sends neurotypically developing students into the autism program’s
classrooms to demonstrate appropriate play and language skills.”

“She also started the Circle of Friends to help some of the children on the autism spectrum learn and practice appropriate social skills through play. Her expertise is a vital part of the all of our programs and contributes to our students’ success. She can be found working with small groups on receptive and expressive language, articulation, fluency and the like. She impacts these students in the most important way by developing the communication skills that will aid them in being successful in school and in life.”

MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

Educational Service Professional of the Year, Jennifer Eckert

Eckert is a social worker on the Manchester Township High School Child Study Team. She is one of the organizers of Challenge Day and is active with the Kevin’s Kids holiday drive. She serves as a school liaison to the Ocean County
Children’s Inter-Agency Coordinating Council and also serves on the council’s Educational Committee to improve the communication and services between schools and participating agencies.

“Ms. Eckert is pragmatic, prudent, caring, resourceful, and a tireless worker for her students,” Principal Dennis Adams said. “She handles each situation with careful consideration of how it will impact her students. As an effective problem solver, she willingly engages in open dialogue with colleagues and administrators to address concerns with an understanding of how each decision affects the big picture.

“In a normal day, Jen meets with her students, provides strategies for students to cope through the day, communicates with parents, provides motherly advice, firmly redirects inappropriate behavior, uses her office as a place of refuge, and consistently monitors her students’ academic achievement. She is a true reflection of a purposeful person who is passionate while understanding the roller coaster of emotions that are attributed to teenagers. Every day Jennifer comes to work with a single purpose, to make a difference in every student’s life.”

Teacher of the Year, Sgt. Timothy Hinger

Sgt. Hinger is the NJROTC Instructor at Manchester Township High School and is involved in numerous school and community activities. He was unable to attend the meeting and will be honored separately at the June meeting.