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Nationally, the Life of an Athlete program principles have achieved notable success in promoting wholesome athletic lifestyles. Realizing that the time a student athlete spends off the field, court, or ice is as critical as his or her time in the game, Life of an Athlete provides a concise and realistic set of lifestyle choices for New Hampshire student athletes. It's also relevant to students who participate in sports outside of school -- not just on traditional school teams.  Central High School embraces these concepts and has 50 student members committed to the "Life of the Little Green Athlete." Together, they promote positive lifestyle choices when it comes to proper sleep, nutrition and hydration, and a pledge to avoid drugs, alcohol and any other chemicals that negatively affect their bodies. Life of the Little Green Athlete from Communications Coordinator on Vimeo .

Manchester’s Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division is pleased to announce that the 2016 Clement M. Lemire Hockey Tournament will begin in March.  Named for the long-time Parks Superintendent who initiated the event, the tournament makes use of the city's two ice arenas to allow elementary and middle school students to compete in a fun city-wide event. The tournament will begin immediately following the conclusion of the high school season. Applications are currently being distributed to all public and parochial schools and is also available below.  The Tournament will have two age groups: elementary, consisting of 3rd , 4th and 5th grades; and middle school, for 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Applications must be returned to the schools by Thursday, February 18, 2016.  No applications will be accepted after this date. Games will be played Monday through Friday at either the JFK Coliseum or West Side Ice Arena, between the hours of 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm.  The to...

We are very proud of Central High School principal John Vaccarezza, who is featured in this year's Union Leader 40 Under Forty honor recipients. Read all about it!

Cadets from Manchester High School West Navy JROTC met with the number two officer in all the U.S. Navy, Admiral Michelle Howard, at the 14th annual National Cultural Diversity Awareness Council, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dinner. The cadets participated with the Salem NH Air Force JROTC cadets in a Joint Missing Man ceremony to honor POWs and MIAs. This extraordinary event also invited West High School cadets to act as ushers and the welcoming committee for attendees, including Governor Maggie Hassan, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte, and Congresswoman Ann Kuster, among other special guests. Adm. Michelle J. Howard, vice chief of U.S. Naval Operations, served as the keynote speaker.  The theme for this year’s dinner was “A Salute to the Brave Men and Women Who Protect Our Nation and Its Citizens.” The NCDAC paid tribute to men and women who serve in law enforcement and the military, while reinforcing the importance of multicultural awareness. Cadets participating in the event i...

The Webster School student council members pose with Currier Museum of Art Director & CEO Susan Strickler and staff while they sort shoes on January 19 Generous members of the Manchester community donated nearly 250 pairs of shoes to the Currier Museum of Art's Shoes for Schools drive. The museum organized the charitable effort in advance of its upcoming exhibition, Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe, and Manchester School District is grateful to be the recipient.  The Webster Elementary School student council sorted, counted and boxed the new shoes, sneakers and boots, which are now being distributed to elementary- and middle school-age children across Manchester.  We are storing the collection at the school district office and have invited principals and assistant principals to "shop" for shoes they can bring back to school and give to their students who need them. Our sincere thanks to all who donated, and to the Currier for the partners...

Words of Wisdom from Communications Coordinator on Vimeo .

One of the valuable components of our fourth grade FIRST  Junior STEAM program is the mentoring. Community mentors serve as classroom helpers and offer guidance while the elementary students navigate the new-to-them world of programming and robotics. Often, they are current business people in the tech industry, making many of our mentors real world role models for what opportunities are available to students' futures as they move through school and focus on interests in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Steve Messa has been mentoring Mrs. Buzzell's class at Green Acres since FIRST  Junior STEAM started there last school year. He is a Manchester native -- and Green Acres, McLaughlin Middle School and Memorial High School graduate! -- who co-founded VidFall, an online/mobile events platform that helps brands better market their products and services through live and trending videos. "Think of it as the next frontier for online marketing," Steve said. ...

Shelly Larochelle, principal of Northwest Elementary School, received the Elementary School Principal of the Year Award from the New Hampshire Association of School Principals. The annual award is one of three that recognizes one outstanding school principal in the state at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The nomination for Larochelle included high praise from her colleagues, including one who wrote to the selection committee, “Shelly is a principal that truly inspires the passion of being an educator in all of us. . .She promotes a culture that spreads optimism and cultivates a positive learning environment through the school. Teachers want to work with her and beside her.” Larochelle has spent her entire career in Manchester and at Northwest, the city’s largest elementary school with an enrollment of about 700 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. She began as a classroom teacher in 1995, became the school’s assistant principal in 2001, and since 200...

Twenty-seven members of Manchester’s classes of 2015 and 2016 were recognized at tonight’s Board of School Committee meeting for their high achievement on last spring’s Advanced Placement exams in various subjects. Students who participate in high school AP courses have the opportunity to take an exam that can lead to college credit for scores of three or higher. These credits can allow students to save college tuition, study abroad, or secure a second major. Manchester School District announced in October that high school students scored well above the national and global averages on spring 2015 Advanced Placement exams and narrowly outpaced the mean score of their state peers. The Manchester School District mean score on all AP exams was 3.38 (out of 5) while the New Hampshire mean was 3.23. The national and global averages were 2.82 and 2.84 respectively. “We are immensely proud of our students and their continued level of excellence on rigorous exams such as those in ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture presented McLaughlin Middle School with a bronze HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms award. McLaughlin joins the ranks of an elite group of schools across the country recognized for excellence in their integration of health, nutrition and fitness education. Only about 7% of the nation’s schools have achieved bronze, silver, gold, or gold of distinction HealthierUS status. The HealthierUS challenge is a key component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation. Schools participating in the challenge voluntarily adopt USDA standards for food they serve at their schools, agree to provide nutrition education, and provide opportunities for physical activity. McLaughlin demonstrates the award criteria in all areas. Principal Bill Krantz is an active member of the school district wellness council and promotes healthy behavior throughout the school. The physical education curriculum em...

Winter has arrived, and that means bracing ourselves for snow and ice and the likelihood of closing or delaying school for inclement weather. The decision to call a snow day or delayed opening must be made before 5:30 am due to bus schedules, and I start making and receiving phone calls well before then.  The state highway department, Manchester Department of Public Works, other school superintendents, the police department, National Weather Service and local forecasters are consulted to get as much input as possible about weather conditions. The accumulation and duration of the storm, road and sidewalk conditions, the ability to adequately remove snow on and around our schools’ campuses, and any other factor that would ensure or prevent safe travel to school at the regular time are considered. When a large storm is imminent, the mayor convenes emergency personnel from around Manchester to make decisions about snow plowing, emergency shelters, etc.  As superintendent,...

We want to get young children excited about reading! Pre-schoolers planning to attend kindergarten next fall are invited with an adult to McDonough Elementary School, where they will hear a story, do a math activity, and make friends. January 8, 15, 22, and 29 2:00 to 2:30 PM Snacks provided, as well as take-home activities. This is a free event, sponsored by Title I. Please call McDonough Elementary School for more information: 624-6373.

Front row: Nancy Tessier, Connie Van Houten, Sarah Ambrogi, Katie Desrochers, Erika Connors Back row: Richard Girard, Debra Langton, Lisa Freeman, Mary Georges, Mayor Gatsas, Leslie Want, Arthur Beaudry, Ross Terrio, John Avard, Dan Bergeron New and re-elected Board of School Committee members were sworn in this morning during an inaugural ceremony held at the Palace Theater. Four new members have joined the committee for the 2016-18 term: Mary Georges, Ward 3   Leslie Want, Ward 4 Lisa Freeman, Ward 5 Richard Girard, at large In addition, Dan Bergeron, representing Ward 6, and Nancy Tessier, the second at-large representative, won their elections to the seats they'd been filling on an interim basis since last year. In the BOSC's first organizational meeting held at City Hall immediately following the inauguration and Board of Mayor and Aldermen, committee assignments with chairs were made. Mayor Ted Gatsas, now serving his fourth term as mayor, is Chairma...

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte visited students, teachers and administrators at the Manchester School of Technology (MST) and discussed her work to boost support for career and technical education (CTE), as well as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs. Ayotte helped introduce legislation and supported efforts to strengthen CTE and   STEM programs, provisions of which were included in the   bipartisan education reform bill   that was recently signed into law.   “I appreciated the opportunity to visit the Manchester School of Technology and enjoyed meeting and interacting with the students there, who displayed great enthusiasm for their school and excitement about their future careers,” said Senator Ayotte. "I was also glad to have the opportunity to learn more about the school’s CTE programs as well as its partnerships with local businesses to help prepare students for good-paying jobs right here in New Hampshire." "Our st...