Manchester Twp Middle School 2013 Graduation

Manchester Township Middle School Principal Nancy Driber and her staff said goodbye to Manchester’s future Class of 2017 at the middle school graduation ceremony on June 17.  The ceremony was held at Manchester Township High School, where the students will enter as freshmen in the fall.

Mrs. Driber welcomed the audience of parents, friends, and family members and spoke about the challenging year that included attending the high school on split sessions due to a mold problem and Superstorm Sandy.  She told the students that it taught a very good lesson, “Life doesn’t always go as planned and to plan for the unexpected.”

Darius Walton led the Pledge of Allegiance and was joined by Kelly Fleming in singing the National Anthem.  Nicholas Pellicano presented the welcome address, reviewing the past three years with his classmates and remarking, “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in our years at the Middle School.”

The Eighth Grade Chorus gave a beautiful performance of “I Was Here” before the presentation of awards.  Award recipients were: Manchester Board of Education Academic Excellence Award  – Diane Lacuarta, Kaylee Shepard ; Carrie-Anne Carter Academic Achievement Award – Diane Lacuarta, Nicholas Pellicano; Carrie-Anne Carter Character Achievement Award – Darius Walton, Natalie Lelievre; Manchester Township Education Association Academic Excellence Award –Philip Marx, Christina Batista, Valeria Perez, Kaylee Shepard; Student of the Year Award –Dylan Cervenak, Syann Colon; Scholar Athlete Award –Eliana Delasso, John Davern; Athletes of the Year –Dejah Adams, Robert Hart; Christie Pearce Sportsmanship Award –Charissa Copeland, Edward Hudak; Community Service Award –Darius Walton; Ocean County Professional Guidance Assoc. Caring Award –Syann Colon;  Manchester PTA Fine Arts Award –Kelly Fleming (Music) Cory Johnson (Art), Nicholas Pellicano (Band); Administrative Unit Award –Alexis Giuffrida; Presidential Academic Fitness Award –Dejah Adams, Christina Batista, Bailey Castro, Dylan Cervenak, Syan Colon, John Davern, Alexis Giuffrida, Edward Hudak, Zachary Kennedy, Kassandra Kopanyi, Diane Lacuarta, Brooke Leiser, Nicholas Pellicano, Valeria Perez, Kaylee Shepard; Manchester Middle School Achievement Award –Sabrina Ferro, Jaidel Ellis.

Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway congratulated the graduates and thanked parents, staff and students for ‘stepping up at a very difficult time’ during both the mold situation and the storm.   Board Member Jennifer Hudak also addressed the graduates and was joined by Board of Education President, Donald Webster, Jr., Superintendent Trethaway and Middle School Teacher of the Year, Claire Rutz, for the presentation of certificates. Vice Principal Steven Ninivaggi read each student’s name. 

In the farewell address, Diane Lacuarta thanked parents and teachers for their support through the years, saying, “We are all like one big family.”  Mrs. Driber congratulated the students and wished them well in their next four years at the high school before she dismissed the class for the last time.