New personnel are in place in Manalapan-Englishtown
BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer
The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District will start the 2007-08 school year with an enrollment of about 5,500 students and several staff changes. Opening day for students in the K-8 district is Sept. 6.

The present enrollment figure is about the same as the 2006-07 school year.

The 2007-08 school year will begin under the leadership of John J. Marciante Jr., who is settling into his role as the district's new superintendent of schools.

Marciante took over the job in July, succeeding Maureen Lally, who served in the position for five years.

His administration will see other new leadership positions which include Joanne Monroe taking on the job of assistant superintendent for curriculum and human resources. Frank Sein will become director of pupil personnel services and Michael D'Anna has been named principal of the Pine Brook School.

Melanie Shelley has been named the assistant principal at the Lafayette Mills School and Jenine Thomas is the new assistant principal at the Taylor Mills School.

New textbooks are being introduced in the district; new textbooks for fourthand fifth-grade social studies and a new textbook for seventh-grade algebra.

Marciante is asking parents to explore and make use of the school district's Internet Web site (mers.k12.nj.us). He said parents can use the Web site to view district policies and regulations, as well as to subscribe to their child's school's Web page for updates regarding school events.

Marciante said there will be links for specific classroom Web sites available in the near future.

In an effort to offer parents state-ofthe art communications with the school administration that meets their professional and personal needs and schedules, Marciante said parents will be able to contact every district staff member by email by using the staff member's first initial, last name and the district address (@ mers.k12.nj.us).

Parents can now leave a voice mail for their child's teacher or principal by following the instructions offered when they telephone a school.

Marciante used the Web site last week to let parents know that the John I. Dawes Early Learning Center, Gordons Corner Road, will open on time for the new school year as planned. He informed parents that the school has received a temporary certificate of occupancy and he thanked township inspectors for working with Patock Construction to ensure that the new school for the district's kindergarten pupils would open on time.