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Dear Manchester School District Employees, We, the Parker Varney 5th Graders, would like to say thank you for the support that you have given us for our project based learning unit -- a fundraiser for the Liberty House transitional shelter for Veterans. The district-wide Employee Jeans Day raised $4,000.  We presented our donations to the Director of the Liberty House at a holiday luncheon, which took place at Manchester School of Technology. The veterans who were in attendance were overwhelmed with the support and especially liked the homemade snowmen filled with daily care items.  WMUR  broadcast coverage of the celebration of our collective efforts. Thank you for showing us the strength and power that we have as part of this community. Sincerely, 5th Grade Student Leaders Parker-Varney Holiday Helpers

What does it take to raise $6,000 in under three weeks? The fifth graders at Parker-Varney Elementary School proved it can be done with hard work and focus on a cause. They held several fundraisers for Liberty House, a transitional housing community for homeless American veterans in Manchester. The students' efforts included candy cane gram sales, a Polar Express movie night, a district-wide dress down day for all employees and staff, and collecting donations online through gofundme.com.  The fundraiser ended officially today when the Parker-Varney students hosted a luncheon at the Manchester School of Technology for the residents and staff of Liberty House. There, they sang Christmas carols, ate a delicious lunch prepared by MST Chef Mike Holfelder and his culinary arts students, and presented the executive director of Liberty House with a check and other gifts. In the end, the students raised six times their original goal of $1,000!  The fifth grade wants to thank...

New Hampshire Healthy Families, a managed care plan under New Hampshire’s Medicaid Care Management program, sponsored a special health-focused art contest through their Adopt-a-School partnership with Parker Varney Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire on Wednesday. More than 100 students in the third and fourth grades participated in the art contest by creating individual portraits of their health, while fifth grade students created a large canvas painting representative of New Hampshire, depicting state animals, trees, plants, insects and notable landmarks that will be displayed in the New Hampshire Healthy Families, Bedford, New Hampshire office. “New Hampshire Healthy Families is pleased to partner with Parker Varney Elementary School and proud of the third, fourth, and fifth graders who created these portraits for display in our Bedford office,” said Scott Westover, executive director of New Hampshire Healthy Families. “All of the students showed great creativity and t...

The New Hampshire Department of Education will continue funding to provide a high-quality after school program for five more years in nine Manchester schools. Bakersville, Gossler Park, Hallsville, McDonough, and Parker-Varney elementary schools, along with Hillside, McLaughlin, Parkside, and Southside middle schools are included in the  21st  Century Community Learning Centers  (21st CCLC) grant award totaling about $3.2 million over five years, beginning July 1, 2014.  “The 21st Century program is just one way our schools make sure Manchester students reach their full potential academically, personally and socially,” said Mayor Ted Gatsas. “We are committed to giving as many students access to the opportunity as possible.”    In the highly competitive grant-writing process, Manchester School District applied for renewal of funding for eight existing 21st CCLC sites, and for funds that will establish a new site at Parker-Varney Elementary School. ...

The students at Parker-Varney jumped with all their heart to raise nearly $4,500 for the American Heart Association. Classes learned about heart health for several weeks leading up to the AHA's Jump for Heart event on April 22.  More than 450 students and staff in grades pre-k through five participated in various jump rope activities led by Parker-Varney's City Year volunteers. Students collected donations from family and friends in exchange for jumping during the hour-long event. In the end, the students raised $4,485! Each student took home a jump rope from the Parker-Varney PTG.

Green Acres Elementary School was recognized today as having the largest participation in this year's Winning With Wellness program. Fourth and fifth graders in seven of Manchester's elementary schools took part in the program, sponsored by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and the Manchester Monarchs. Students used logbooks to track their healthy eating and physical activity progress over four weeks this winter. They learned about the importance of good nutrition, which includes restricting sugary beverages, exercising, and limiting screen time. Two hundred and fifty-six students in Manchester completed logbooks, with Green Acres at 67% participation out of 194 eligible students. To celebrate, Max the Monarch and representatives from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the city's Health Department pres ented Green Acres health teacher Mrs. Gula with a trophy. Two fifth grade students, Sam Smith and Colin Brodeur, were the school's individual winners. Cit...

Parker-Varney Elementary School students were wowed by today's performance by  Amazing Hero Art's Rob Surette . In under an hour, Rob painted a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, one of American history's greatest heroes, as he inspired the kids with the message that they can be great, too. Now the school has a beautiful painting to hang on the wall to remind them of it!  Parker-Varney's School Improvement Grant funds made the show possible.