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Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has named Sarah Jacobs, to the role of Acting Communications Coordinator for the District, effective immediately. In this role, Jacobs will apply her relationship building expertise, communications and project management skills and her community focused approach to provide communications leadership for the District. “District communications, Vargas said in a statement, “is a very important function.  Ms. Jacobs expertise in this area will be tremendously valuable.”   Jacobs bring with her more than twenty years of experience in education and community engagement.  Most recently she served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at UNH Manchester, where she focused on partnership development and community initiatives. She is a graduate of Northeastern University and Fitchburg State University and is actively involved in the NH community serving on various boards of directors, advisory boards and committees. “Having partnered with ...

Manchester City Library staff and trustees and Mayor Joyce Craig announced all Manchester public libraries will eliminate overdue fines on children’s and young adult collections, starting October 1. “With this move, we can truly say any child in our community can afford to check out a book at our libraries,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “The libraries in Manchester are much more than a collection of books — they’re pivotal centers of our community. No child should be unable to engage in learning because of their family’s income level.” The decision to eliminate overdue fines is part of a growing national trend in library policies to promote reading. Manchester library staff also noticed there was an issue once they held discussions with families who said they hadn’t been to a library in years due to their inability to pay late fees. “We’ve recently begun working more closely with the Manchester School District, and we realized we needed books to be as accessible as they can be to ou...

When New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu today recognized New Hampshire Jobs for America’s Graduates (NH-JAG) for its growth and outstanding student outcomes, he was not just talking numbers.  He was talking people. While NH-JAG surpassing five of five performance outcomes, including achieving a 100% graduation rate for the Class of 2017, is extremely impressive, it is the youth behind those numbers that represent the true success, according to the Governor.   NH Governor Chris Sununu, JAG President and CEO Ken  Smith and NH-JAG in school staff member Amy Darrigo  at the "5of5" awards celebration.  Juliette Gonzalez participated in the JAG program at Manchester West High School and went on to obtain her LNA before attending Southern New Hampshire University to study healthcare administration. She is currently employed at Catholic Medical Center and plans to return to school in the future to obtain her Master of Public Health degree. “Th...

Local politicians, school district officials, and educators joined Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire/Vermont (ABC) and its Young Professionals Group as they delivered a $2,000 donation, in addition to commitments from local companies, to help support the Middle School at Parkside’s new careers in construction exploration program. “We are delighted to deliver this money and industry support to the school,” said Joshua Reap, President of ABC. “And the investment is more than just this check. Our contractors will invest materials to give the students projects and dozens of hours from their skilled workforce to teach the kids what a career in construction looks like.” “For ABC, this is an investment in our community to create a better tomorrow,” added Reap. According to ABC research, over 500,000 construction jobs need to be filled across the country. This need led Manchester Board of School Committee member and local construction executive Jimmy Lehoux to push ...

Communities across the country -- including Manchester -- are organizing events that bring together immigrants, refugees and native-born residents to promote cross-cultural awareness and unity.  All events below are free and open to the public. Many of our English learners are participating in various ways, including poetry readings and art displays at Jupiter Hall next Tuesday.