Meet Your Teacher
Hello! My name is Meredith Thomas, and I am the resident Gifted and Talented Specialist in Holmdel, as well as the sixth grade STEAM teacher. STEAM is an acronym that means Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. I have a Bachelor in Music Education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and a Masters in Special Education: Gifted, Talented, and Creative Education from Arkansas State University.
I started teaching music in 1999, when I taught private band lessons at a Charter School in Princeton, New Jersey. Over the years, I have taught at a middle school in Freehold, where I also conducted the chorus and directed the school plays. I coached the color guard at a local high school, and I continued teaching private piano and voice lessons from my home. I joined the Holmdel team in 2005, when I started at Indian Hill as a Maternity Leave Replacement. Since then, Holmdel has been my home away from home. I taught the middle school/high school string ensemble for 2 years, seventh and eighth grade music, Kindergarten through first grade music, and I've been teaching exclusively at Indian Hill since 2009. My performance experience over the years ranges from marching with a drum and bugle corps., singing in amateur opera and Broadway-style musicals, and performing with community and religious choirs and cantoring, to professional productions such as The Lost Colony and cross-country tours with Andrea Bocelli and Denise Graves. I still enjoy singing at weddings and performing in community theater. In 2012, I earned my Masters in Special Education: Gifted, Talented, and Creative from Arkansas State University. I'm actively involved in the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children as a member, volunteer, and advocate for gifted children. I serve as Vice President of Programs for the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children. I have trained seasoned teachers and pre-service educators alike on the characteristics, nature, and needs of gifted children. I have written articles about gifted education for educational journals including NJEA Review and Promise magazine. I'm also the mother of gifted children. When I'm not teaching in Holmdel, I enjoy community theater and leading Girl Scouts. I love to sew, exercise, and learn new things. I volunteer my time in the community by helping local support groups and organizations. I'm also certified as a first responder. |
