A few first-day jitters and tears as South Jersey kindergartners head to school

As she welcomed her kindergarten class to New Albany Elementary in Cinnaminson Wednesday, veteran teacher Maureen Coller shook off a few nerves.

A smiling Coller stood at the entrance to Classroom 7 to welcome each student. Beginning her 26th year as an educator, Coller still gets excited and a little anxious about a new school year.

“First days are always a little bit of jitters,” she said. “You never know what’s in store.”

Across New Jersey, the state’s 1.4 million public school students are returning for a new school year. That includes first-timers like Coller’s class.

Nearly two dozen students carrying colorful backpacks and lunch boxes piled into her brightly decorated classroom. Most were excited, with only a few appearing apprehensive.

Shortly after arriving, Logan Santos, 5, raised his hand to get Coller’s attention across the room.

“Can I get a hug?” he asked trembling, his face crumbling.

Coller, a mother of five, hugged Santos and patted his shoulders. She showed him a photo of his older sister, Harper, a second grader in the same school, on her cell phone and told Logan he would get to see his grandmother, a cafeteria aide, at lunch time. He eventually settled down.

“He just got overwhelmed and missed his family,” Coller said.

Throughout the day, Coller put all of her young charges at ease, complimenting their outfits or giving them a reassuring gentle touch. She showed them the class pets — three live rabbits munching nosily in a cage named Kobe, Iverson, and Tim (Duncan), after the NBA players.

“I love bunnies,” said Lillian Geesaman, 4, the first to arrive. She put away her backpack in a cubby at the back of the room and found her seat at a table with a “welcome to kindergarten” mat.

New Albany enrolls about 640 students in kindergarten through second grade. There are 213 kindergartners assigned to 10 classrooms. Cinnaminson, like most South Jersey schools, has full-day kindergarten.

“I’m so excited to see the kids,” principal Valerie Jones said. “I get to see them grow throughout the year.”

Coller, 47, decided at a young age that she wanted to become a teacher, playing school with her dolls. After graduating from Chestnut Hill College, she began her teaching career in Philadelphia in 2000.

After giving birth to her first child, Coller moved to Cinnaminson, her hometown, to raise her family. A 1997 graduate of Cinnaminson High School, she met her husband in the Burlington County town, and the couple lives on the same street where she grew up.

During her 20-year career at New Albany, Coller has taught kindergarten and first grade. She believes she found her niche with the kindergartners.

“Kindergarten is where I really belong. You get something different every day,” she said. “I love their energy and I love creating a clean slate.”

New Jersey has encouraged all of the state’s more than 600 public school systems to offer free, full-day kindergarten. Currently, kindergarten is not mandatory in New Jersey. There have also been calls to mandate free preschool.

Experts say kindergarten is important because students learn basic concepts such as letters and numbers, as well as how to get along with others. It also helps develop social, emotional, and academic skills and boosts confidence.

» READ MORE: Haddonfield, one of 10 N.J. districts only offering half-day kindergarten, prepares to go full-day

Coller’s students spent the morning learning the routine of a school day. They sang the song of the day about a gray squirrel, colored, and listened to a story read aloud by Coller. A sign on the bulletin board reads “Believe in yourself.”

“It’s always exciting, hoping for a good year,” said Coller’s aide, Paula Otto.

Curious about everything, they peppered Coller with questions or blurted out random tidbits.

“Did I miss playtime?” one asked. (No, it’s only 9 o’clock, Coller replied.)

“Do you have to pay for lunch?” another asked. (Not today, she said).

“I don’t eat pork,” a 5-year-old girl said.

“What are we doing after nap time?” a boy asked. (No naps, buddy, she said.)

» READ MORE: Cherry Hill is expanding its preschool

Coller has earned a reputation as a dedicated and compassionate teacher. Earlier this week, she was inducted into the district’s Educator Hall of Fame.

“She’s an amazing teacher. They don’t make them like Maureen anymore,” Superintendent Stephen Cappello said.

Also honored posthumously in the 2026 Hall of Fame class was Fae Beth Zuckerman. She died about 10 years ago.