Patch Peeps: Education Is Pamela Albert Devine's Main Priority

What can one say about Pamela Albert Devine that the residents of Little Silver don’t already know? Although residing in Manalapan, this Ph.D. has been working in the school system of Little Silver for 30 years.

Pamela has been a teacher and a Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently in her seventh year as the Principal of .

“I started out as a seventh grade language arts teacher at ,” stated Pamela.

Born in Sayreville, Pamela comes from a very education-oriented family. Her sister is the Dean of the Graduate School at .

In relation to her immediate family, Pamela added, “I see educational traits in my son (who is now 24 years old). He had everything he needed before he went to school. I gave him his love of reading."

With Point Road School dealing with preschool thru fourth grade instruction, Pamela spoke lovingly about her students. “I learn something from our students, everyday. The younger students love life, everything about it. They can spend 10 minutes looking at one flower. They also speak their mind.”

Pamela also spoke highly about the Little Silver community. “People don’t elect to move out of Little Silver. People have moved here because of the reputation of both of our schools. The community is very supportive.”

“The parents are extremely involved,” continued Pamela. “They are committed to education. Money is not the answer. It is the people that make the difference.”

Not only is Pamela committed to education, but she is also a defender of the arts. “Every third grader gets an introduction to the violin.” Band, chorus and orchestra are all options that are open to their students. Among their many after-school activities is a school newspaper. Maybe we will see one of their students contributing to Patch one day.

A self-described outdoors person, Pamela has been a long-distance runner for a long time. Although she claims that she currently isn’t in the shape required to take on this task at this moment, her eyes appeared to have a sparkle as she thought about her time running half-marathons.

She still hikes and loves putting on the snow shoes. In the warmer weather, Pamela could be found sailing or swimming. Maybe this is why the PTO worked at making sure her school had such a beautiful courtyard.

“Education is very important,” stresses Pamela. “If you can’t make that a priority there’s a problem. Our Borough Council is very supportive.” And it’s not just the students that are her concern, but the parents and teachers as well. This is obvious through her Professional Development and Parent Workshops.

A hands-on Principal, it was not uncommon to see Pamela moving boxes with the custodial staff while the kids were enjoying their summer vacation.

Any school would be lucky to have Pamela as their Principal. With her background and education, she could probably get a job in any school district. However, she has become so enamored with Little Silver. “I’m not ready to retire,” Pamela concludes. “Point Road keeps me young.”

Visit www.littlesilverschools.org/lss to learn more about Point Road School.