Riverside Township School District

Superintendent’s Message

Mr. Adams brings over 25 years of educational leadership and a passion for student success, driving excellence and innovation throughout our schools.
 

Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and Community Members,

This year, Riverside is leveling up.

After a year of growth and transformation, we are proud to enter the 2025–2026 school year with renewed energy and a clear sense of purpose. The tools, spaces, and programs we’ve carefully built are now coming together to offer students, staff, and families something even greater—a district that is raising the bar in every direction. From the classrooms to the community, we are leveling up how we learn, where we learn, and how we lead.

Leveling Up Learning: Diverse, Relevant, Engaging Experiences

We remain deeply committed to offering learning that is reflective of our students’ cultures, languages, and aspirations—while sparking their curiosity and creativity. Across our schools, we are expanding hands-on, real-world learning through thriving high school academies and an ever-growing list of career pathway programs, now including TV & Audio Media Production. Whether students are exploring Culinary Arts, Business, Teaching, Computer Design, Cosmetology, Woodworking, or Media, they are gaining skills and direction that set them up for future success.

Our elementary school students are leveling up too, with the launch of Wonders, a new K–5 reading program grounded in evidence-based practices. This program brings stronger routines, multimodal learning, and assessment-informed instruction to meet the needs of every learner. Meanwhile, our middle schoolers will dive into the Carnegie Learning Math Solution—blending rigorous instruction with real-time feedback, digital tools, and Carnegie Mellon research to elevate mathematical thinking.

High school students will continue to experience deeper connections to future opportunities through our Learning Academies. From career speaker events to fairs, interview skills, and workplace-ready experiences, the Academies are growing with our students—just as our staff continue to grow in their own professional practice through peer visits, collaborative planning, and shared engagement data reflections. It’s all part of ensuring that every student, at every grade level, sees themselves and their potential in the classroom.

Leveling Up Achievement: Academic Growth and Excellence for All

We are raising expectations and providing the tools and support to reach them. Our instructional programs are grounded in strong curriculum resources, differentiated teaching, and data-driven reflection. This year, staff will engage in meaningful in-service learning, including updated curriculum rollouts, co-teaching best practices, and expanded instructional coaching focused on differentiation, active learning, and formative assessment.

With our new student information system, OnCourse, we are also leveling up how we manage, view, and act on student learning data. OnCourse gives staff, students, and parents access to real-time information to better support individual progress and whole-class needs. It allows us to identify priority learners faster, make more informed instructional decisions, and keep families more connected than ever.

Whether launching a new curriculum, improving our multi-tiered systems of support, or analyzing district-wide benchmark results, our focus remains on ensuring that every student is growing—and that our staff are supported in that mission every step of the way.

Leveling Up Our Environment: A Positive and Productive Culture for All

Riverside is more than a district—it’s a community. And this year, our spaces are catching up to the heart and vision that have always set us apart.

Our newly completed wing is now home to our fifth and sixth grade students, opening up new space across buildings to reduce crowding and better support our teachers. Dedicated classrooms, specialized spaces, and clearer grade-level hubs allow us to better meet students’ academic and developmental needs. With construction underway on our new modular Pre-K facility, we are creating a safe, secure, and expansive space for our youngest learners to thrive in full-day PreK programs.

We are also leveling up our connections—with families, with each other, and with the broader community. Our communication tools remain strong and accessible, including expanded multilingual access. Our mentoring and attendance support efforts continue to grow, with roles like the Attendance Advocate helping students feel seen, supported, and valued. Across the district, staff collaboration is being elevated through purposeful meeting time, professional learning, and a focus on diverse staff needs and growth.  

As we move into this new chapter, we do so with confidence, clarity, and excitement. We are not just continuing to grow—we are leveling up in every way. Thank you for being a part of this momentum, this mission, and this incredible Riverside community. 

Here’s to a great year ahead. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with all stakeholders at the Riverside Township Public School District.

On behalf of our staff and the Board of Education, I want to thank you so much for your continued support of our endeavors. Please feel free to contact me for any assistance you may need at 856-461-1255, ext. 1111, or by email at MAdams@riverside.k12.nj.us.

Michael Adams

Superintendent