Germantown teachers and staff ready to survive school year
Germantown Municipal Schools Superintendent Jason Manuel (left) dances on stage during the district’s annual back-to-school kickoff event on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Jason Manuel is no Jeff Probst, but he has quite a knowledge of the CBS reality show “Survivor,” and used it to inspire teachers and staff as they prepare for the academic year that starts when students return Wednesday.
On Friday, Aug. 1, the district kicked off the upcoming school year with a theme day to inspire everyone after several summer months away from campus. Each year, days before students arrive, teachers from all seven of the suburban district’s schools gather in Houston High for a party and inspirational speech from Manuel, the Germantown Municipal School District superintendent.
The themes over the years have ranged from Willy Wonka and the tagline of ‘A World of Our Own” last year to three years ago with an ode to Fred Rogers and the theme of “GMSD Neighborhood.”
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Germantown Germantown Municipal School District Jason Manuel GMSD Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Abigail Warren
Abigail Warren is an award-winning reporter and covers Collierville and Germantown for The Daily Memphian. She was raised in the Memphis suburbs, attended Westminster Academy and studied journalism at the University of Memphis. She has been with The Daily Memphian since 2018.
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