MANCHESTER –A dreary, wet day only served to bring a lot of fun and color to the inside of the township Elementary School that was packed with teachers, administrators, students and parents recently.
Principal Jill Moore was greeting students along with Vice Principal Ellen Healy and teacher Jen Gilbert. The fun filled event included various games, crafts, demonstrations by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Manchester Police, a Manchester Library outreach table, food and music provided by DJ Justin Love (Justin Jacobs – a township school bus driver) and Mary Jacobs.
Nina Caianiello, the school’s physical education teacher, organized this year’s event. “We do it one year and Ridgeway Elementary School does it the next,” Moore said. “The proceeds from this goes for programs of the school like graduation. I think the rain helped us in getting more people to come out.”
There were tickets sold that included face painting for students, food and many other fun activities. There were hermit crabs and goldfish as prizes for some of the games of chance. There were bounce games and sand art and other activities for children.
The event utilized just about every inch of the school ranging from the gym, cafeteria and hallways plus several classrooms where demonstrations and other activities were held.
“Mr. (John) Portuese and I planned the whole event,” Caianiello said. “This is the first Fun Fair since the pandemic so everyone is very excited about it.”
“We had many other teachers who helped out,” Moore added.
“The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office brought their truck which is behind our building for people to see and ask questions about to an officer,” she said.
“I think we have about 500 people in here right now so I think we’ll have a couple of thousand people by the end of the day,” Moore said of the crowd circulating throughout the building. There were programs aimed at students at various grade levels.
Parent Suzanne Rajcok said she brought her 16-year-old daughter Ella who was a volunteer at the event and her 13-year-old son Jordan and her 6-year-old daughter Lynnea who attends kindergarten at the school. “Every time they have this we come around. It is a lot of fun and it really brings the school together and gives that community feel.”
“The school always feels like home when you come inside and your kids are loved and you feel like you are part of something,” Rajcok said.
“It is really is well organized. We got here at 9 a.m. to help out. My husband is also helping and we took a classroom that has a game going on and my daughter who is helping also brought a friend to help out as well. It is a fun event and there are so many prizes, fun games and everyone is happy to be together again,” she added.
