NAME:
Mrs. Darlene S. Manchester
SCHOOL:
Helen H. Hansen Elementary
CLASS:
Kindergarten, Room 20
SCHOOL PHONE:
(781)344-7006
I was born in Fall River, MA on July 26th. As an only child I attended
parochial schools for 13 years. After graduating from Bishop Gerrard High
School, I was accepted into Bridgewater State College, where I earned a B.S.
in education. For several years I taught mentally retarded adults until
giving birth in 1985 to my first son, Nicholas. Once my second son began
Kindergarten at the Helen H. Hansen School, I returned to the classroom
first teaching pre-school, then 1st, and later 2nd Grade. In September of
2001, Mr. John Marcus offered me a Kindergarten position at the Hansen
School where I have remained ever since. For the past 23 years I have lived
in Stoughton with my husband, Paul, and my 2 sons, Nick and Patrick. My son
Nick graduated from Stonehill College in 2007, and my younger son Patrick, is
in his senior year of studies at this same school. This summer I vacationed
in Newport, R.I. with my family and pursued two of my great passions, shell
collecting and sunning on the beach. The Manchesters also sponsored a French
foreign exchange student for 3 weeks in July, who shared her knowledge of
Parisian culture and fashion with our family. In addition to my love of the
ocean, I also enjoy visiting historical sites, watching old movies on TCM,
reading, and vacationing in Florida.
The kindergarten experience encompasses each child's intellectual, social,
emotional and physical growth. Children learn best through direct,
immediate involvement with their environment. They learn through hands-on
exploration and interaction with the physical world.
Each classroom provides a secure, non-judgmental environment where children
may explore, experiment, discover, confirm, create and learn. Children are
encouraged to interact with each other, their teachers and a wide range of
educational materials. They will be involved in a multi-sensory approach to
learning. They are encouraged to talk, touch, manipulate and inspect
materials, as well as to follow directions and classroom procedures.
Through such interactions, the children are encouraged to apply their
abilities in a variety of ways and settings. This fosters an understanding
of the interrelated nature of learning and stimulates creative and critical
thinking skills.
