© Roland Rogers Elementary School
Biography and History
Brief Biography of Roland E. Rogers
Roland Rogers was born in Bar Harbor, Maine, September 15, 1919. He received his formal education
in Jonesport, Maine. After high school he attended Washington State Normal School in nearby
Machias, Maine and earned his teaching certificate.
His first teaching job was in a two- room school in Cherryfield, ME. As the male teacher, he was the
disciplinarian or principal. During Second World War, he served in the Army Air Corps Intelligence and
met and married Elmira Kaenzig of Cologne. In 1951, Roland Rogers and his family moved to New
Jersey. He became the principal of Cologne School and taught seventh & eighth grades.
Galloway School District did not have a superintendent when Roland Rogers taught at Cologne. As the
principal of the Cologne School, he had to attend Board of Education meetings. Eventually, Roland
Rogers became the first Superintendent of Galloway Township Schools in either 1956 or 1957. Roland
Rogers and Mrs. Rogers both retired from the Galloway School District in 1977.
History of the Roland E. Rogers Elementary School
In December, 1989, The Galloway Board of Education voted to construct two new schools. The
building constructed adjacent to Reeds Road was named after Roland E. Rogers in recognition of 26
years of dedicated service to the students of Galloway Township.
In the Fall of 1991, the Roland Rogers’ Staff was housed at the Reeds Road school until they were able to move into their new
building. During the Teacher’s Convention weekend, Roland’s first principal, Ms. Michele Lerman, assistant principal Mr. Brian
Conley, and the Roland Rogers’ staff packed up their school supplies and headed across the parking lot to the new Roland E. Rogers
Elementary School!
Since then, the school’s enrollment has increased along with the number of staff. Many
of the original members have retired but those who remain are joined together with
Roland’s current staff and are dedicated to providing the highest quality of education to
students of Galloway Township.
Current Roland Rogers’ Administration
Dr. Robin L. Moore, Principal (2006 – current)
Ms. Mai Gruber, Assistant Principal (Feb., 2014 – current)
Past Principals
Ms. Michelle Lerman (1991 – Dec., 2004)
Dr. Don Gross (Jan., 2005 – Aug., 2006)
Past Assistant Principals
Brian Conley (1991 – ’93-94)
Susan Spears (1994 – ’00-01)
Linda Thomas (2001 – ’04-05)
Ellen Ward (2005 – Aug., 2006)
Melisa Giacomo (2006 – Dec., ‘08)
Mr. Michael Silvestri (Jan., 2009 –Feb., 2014)
105 S. Reeds Road, Galloway, NJ 08205