TOMS RIVER – Christine Girtain had some advice for her students in remarks at the end of a pep rally Monday held in her honor at RWJBarnabas Health Arena.
“Whatever choice you make in your career, make sure you love it as much as I love this,” said Girtain, who last week was named New Jersey’s Teacher of the Year for 2022-2023 by the state Department of Education, “for this has been one helluva ride.”
A combined band of Toms River High School North and South students serenaded Girtain, school mascots led cheers, and several of her students, along with a series of speakers, lauded the science teacher for her devotion to educating and seeking extra opportunities for the kids in her classes.