Principal's Message

With great pride, I continue my educational leadership journey and introduce myself as the Principal of Waterford Elementary School, WES. I have spent most of my career here at the Waterford Township School District, where I was a former student. I continued to pursue my formal education at Stockton University, where I graduated with two Bachelor’s degrees.

My professional career in education began as a middle school teacher. Teaching middle school gave me the pleasure of guiding students through some of the most formative years of their lives, which prepared them for the knowledge and skills needed in high school and beyond. During this time, I immediately determined that I would like to be involved in school leadership, so once again, I enrolled in courses at Wilmington University to attain my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. After completing my studies, I knew I wanted to start a family. Putting my dream on hold to see what joy my family brings me today is something I will never regret. I took that time to grow and educate myself.

I have had the unique opportunity to work with every age group, from Kindergarten to Junior High school students. I have had the pleasure of teaching some outstanding students, mentoring and working with talented educators, and instilling my love of learning in others through my enthusiasm, work ethic, and positive attitude. Having nineteen years to develop my craft before becoming a principal has been a humbling experience.

At WES, our top priority is to provide an environment that is conducive to learning and exposes our students to the rigor of the New Jersey State Learning Standards while still allowing them to be children and enjoy their time at school. This balance is of the utmost importance to help our students become academically motivated and grow socially as they mature.

Our mission at WES is to help our students to become critical thinkers, effective problem solvers, good communicators and to obtain the necessary skills required to continue their education and eventually enter the workforce in an ever-changing global society. We focus on developing character in our students to help them be responsible, civic-minded, and motivated individuals.

Our highly qualified, caring, and trained staff members work tirelessly to deliver instruction infused with technology, differentiated to address various learning styles and content-rich materials as prescribed in our district’s curricula. Our faculty and staff are engaged in ongoing, quality Professional Development experiences that embrace current trends in education.

I encourage you to be involved in your child’s education. Building their confidence is paramount. Assisting the students with their homework, volunteering at various events, promoting academic success, and being supportive of the teachers and the school are all effective ways to do this.

I look forward to working with everyone to make each student’s educational experience rewarding, enriching, and challenging.

Sincerely,

Christine Manna

Principal, Waterford Elementary School

Waterford Township School District

cmanna@wtsd.org