OneManchester
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023
TIME FLIES. That was a common refrain Tuesday night when eighth-graders and their families toured Manchester High during an Open House that previewed what life is like in high school. And for those thinking that grades K-8 flew by, check with students in grade 12. They'll tell you the pace only seems to pick up during the high school years. We have photos below from Open House and introduce you to three more MHS seniors as they reflect on their years in the district and what's ahead. Also ahead: the annual MLK Celebration, which is Tuesday night, and Wednesday night's MHS mid-winter concert.
To subscribe to OneManchester just click here.
Stories of Student Success
Board Of Education Budget
In the Classroom
At left, fourth graders in Ms. Lefebvre's class at Waddell are working on opinion papers while at right, Miss Lavallee’s first graders at Buckley are busy sounding out words.
MHS Midwinter Concert is Next Wednesday
The MHS Mid-Winter Concert will be on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Manchester High School's Bailey Auditorium. The concert is free, open to the public and will feature some of MHS' top performing ensembles, including the Jazz Ensemble, Handbell Choir, Jazz Choir, Roundtable Singers and Percussion Ensemble.
The Guardians Big Band, a component of the United States Coast Guard Band, will perform a free concert at Manchester High School on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Audience members can expect to hear a wide range of jazz tunes designed for music lovers of all ages. There's more information here and direct any questions to Keith Berry at b11kberr@mpspride.org
More than 700 people are using FirstView, our new bus tracking and parent communications app that lets you track where your child’s bus is in real-time and has a multi-stop view if you have multiple students on different buses. Click for details.
- This is the time of year when winter weather takes a toll on school attendance so please consider these steps to keep your children healthy and in school this winter.
Annual MLK Celebration Is Tuesday at MHS
The Week Ahead
Thursday, Jan. 12
8 a.m. -- Manchester Economic Development Commission meeting at Lincoln Center.
1:30 - 6:30 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at United Methodist Church, 300 Parker St.
6 p.m. -- BOE Budget Workshop at Lincoln Center.
7 - 9 p.m. -- Evening of Words, Music & Movement at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
Friday, Jan. 13
6 - 7:30 p.m. -- DJ Dance Party at Nathan Hale Activity Center, 160 Spruce St.
7 p.m. -- Winter Wonder Concert at SBM Charitable Foundation at MCC.
Saturday, Jan. 14
10 a.m. - noon -- Polish food sale at St. John’s Church, 23 Golway St.
10 a.m.- 2 p.m. -- ‘Perspectives Of Our World’ Artist Gallery at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. -- Silk City Chorus Annual Show at Cheney Hall.
Sunday, Jan. 15
9 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Train Show at Elks Club, 30 Bissell St.
10 a.m. -- A Storytelling Event at Center Congregational Church, 11 Center St.
Monday, Jan. 16
6 - 8 p.m. -- Songwriters Group meeting at WORK_SPACE, 901 Main St.
Tuesday, Jan 17
6 - 7:30 p.m. -- Manchester’s 38th Annual Martin Luther King Celebration at Bailey Auditorium.
Wednesday, Jan. 18
6 - 7 p.m. -- Introduction to Child Trafficking in CT at Whiton Library.
The last day for the town to collect bagged yard waste is tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 13. The program will resume on March 20.
Town offices and all Manchester Public Schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16 to observe Martin Luther King Day.
Manchester Art Association’s latest exhibit is entitled “Etcetera” and can be seen at Town Hall during normal business hours through March 22.
Math anyone? There’s a new Crazy 8s math club at Whiton Branch Library for K-2 kids that will run on Wednesdays through Feb. 22 at Whiton Library. Click here for details.
Taxes due Jan.1 2023 must be paid on or before Feb. 1, or the tax will become delinquent and subject to interest at the rate of 1.5% per month, back to the original due date. Click here to pay online.
Click here for information on how to receive a free COVID test kit from the town.
The town is sponsoring a ‘Winter, Fire & Ice’ event at Northwest Park on Saturday Jan. 21. Click the link for more information on this fun and free winter blues breaker.
Also on Jan. 21, the Elks Club is teaming up with Change Collaborative of Manchester for a Family Wellness Day at 30 Bissell St.
The town will host a bicentennial launch event in the Town Hall lobby on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 12:30 p.m.
Find out if we are going to have and early spring and meet Chuckles, Connecticut’s official groundhog at the Lutz on Feb. 2,
Cheney Hall has a full season of shows on tap for 2023, starting with Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery that opens on Feb. 3.
And finally, looking ahead to spring, save the date April 29 for Rebuilding Together in Manchester.
In The News
- The town has set aside $100,000 (surplus funds from the sanitation account) for a campaign to "create, test, and launch a new brand identity." That story is in the JI.
- The JI also has an update on what might become of Nathan Hale and other vacant (or soon-to-be) schools.
- Better Manchester weighed in on the Red Hawk Pop Warner trip to Orlando back in December.
In The Newsletters
The MACC Minute: Important milestone messages from Executive Director/CEO Beth Stafford along with inspirational messages from the MACC team.
Manchester Historical Society: The History Center at 175 Pine St will be open on Sunday for a meet and greet with new officers…The Cheney Homestead is closed to the public in January but will host an open house on Feb. 12…Activities are being planned for Manchester’s 200th anniversary in 2023 and you can find a blurb from an 1823 Connecticut Courant that documents the the town’s incorporation, and more in this week’s edition.
Manchester Matters: Town offices and buildings will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16 but there will be no delays in curbside trash collection…Feb. 1 is the last day to pay town taxes without penalty…Learn about the town’s new website for potential investors and stakeholders looking to invest in issued bonds by the Town of Manchester, and more. Click here to subscribe.
The Transitional Living Center, a private, non-profit Manchester institution since 1981, is looking for volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors. TLC is a residential facility for Manchester children and youth who, through no fault of their own, cannot live at home. Click here for more information.
SPORTS NOTES
The Newington co-op hockey team is holding a fundraiser at Puerta Vallarta in Newington on Monday, Jan 16. Click here for details. And click here to find out more about the Nor'Easters' cancer benefit game on Jan 28.
The Manchester Redhawks Baseball Boosters fundraising pasta dinner is on Jan. 22 at the Elks Club and here’s all the info.
The 35th Buzz Wooldridge Invitational Basketball tournament will be held at Illing Middle School Jan. 26 - 28. Click here for the schedule.
- NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by Paul Ofria of the school district's communications office but is dependent on contributions from people and institutions throughout the town and school district. So if you have something, anything, that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul at pofria@mpspride.org.