Manchester Public Schools
Points of Pride: Monday, Jan. 2, 2023
Dear Members of the Manchester Public Schools Community,
I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break and is rejuvenated and excited as we prepare to return to school. As we look ahead to the new year, I encourage everyone to recommit to establishing positive routines and setting high standards so that 2023 can be a time of great growth, learning and development.
As you know, Manchester is celebrating its bicentennial this year and we have so much to be proud of including a school system that for so many years has given so many students a solid foundation for future success. We are reminded of that constantly with the latest example being Logan Tomlinson, a 2019 Manchester High graduate. Logan just graduated from Wesleyan University and was named a First Team Academic All-American by virtue of his grades (a 3.8 GPA) and exploits on the football field.
That's Logan with his father Robert and mother Linda. We have their story below.
As I noted last week, in the next few months we will be sharing many more stories of MHS students -- both current and past -- who are ready to make their mark on the world as a result of their experiences in MPS.
This semester, high school students are developing and delivering their Senior Stories, which seniors must complete for graduation. As part of this reflective process, we often emphasize with students the importance of taking ownership of how we shape and tell our stories.
As a district, our story is the collective story of the students who grow and learn in our schools, and from whom we continue to learn. So as we step into this new year and as each of our upperclassmen works to develop their Senior Story, we will tell some of these stories by spotlighting one 11th or 12th grade student each day. Among those we will feature are Evan Austin and Ky’Lynn Monts and in a video below they share thoughts on their experience in our district.
I look forward to 2023 with hope and optimism. Hope because there are so many inspiring stories of success and optimism because I know that when we work together, we can overcome the obstacles we face and grow from our experiences.
Best wishes for a new year filled with joy and light.
Sincerely
Matt Geary
Superintendent
" I’m So Proud That He Went To MHS”
Linda Tomlinson heard from the haters but never wavered.
“People said, ‘You aren’t really sending him to MHS, are you?’,” she remembers. “And I said “Yes, I am.’”
That was seven years ago and no one in the family has any regrets.
Logan Tomlinson, a 2019 MHS grad, graduated in December from Wesleyan University where he double-majored (economics and psychology) and starred on the football team, earning First Team Academic All-American honors.
“I am so proud of him,” says mom. “And I’m so proud that he went to MHS.”
Always a terrific student and athlete, Logan excelled at Buckley, Bennet and llling but when it was time for him to go to high school, Linda said lots of people encouraged her and her husband to send Logan to a private or prep school so he’d be better positioned and prepared for college and beyond.
“But we didn’t hesitate,” she said, noting that her two older sons went to MHS and did fine. (Ryan, 31, is now a physical therapist and Evan, 30, is in the Air Force; the older boys’ last name is Van Nieuwenhuyze, from Linda’s first marriage.)
Logan was a basketball and football standout at MHS and earned top grades while taking five AP classes. (He was featured in our 'Humans of Manchester' gallery senior year.) He chose Wesleyan because of its stellar academic reputation (it’s one of the “Little Ivy’s”) and the chance to play high-caliber Div. 3 football.
Recruited as a quarterback, he switched to wide receiver after the pandemic scuttled the 2020 season and emerged as a star -- catching 72 passes for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns last season while earning a 3.8 GPA.
He also graduated in seven semesters and will be attending the University of New Hampshire starting later this month to do graduate work while playing Div. 1 football for two more seasons.
“Everything worked out and I’m so happy for him,” said Linda. “MHS is a great school. There are so many opportunities there and it’s just what you make of it.”
Student Voices: Evan Austin and Ky'Lynn Monts
Junior Evan Austin and Senior Ky'Lynn Monts are among the students whose stories will be featured during the coming weeks.