Learn about recent news and upcoming events

New Hampshire Band Directors Association (NHBDA) executive board has named West High School band director Diane Francoeur the NHBDA Outstanding Band Director for 2016. The award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated an exceptionally high level of competence as a band director and developed a comprehensive band program, which has contributed educationally to the school, and provided service to their community. Francoeur has been recognized for excellence in her field before. In 2015, she was selected by the New Hampshire Music Educators Association to be the state’s Distinguished Music Educator of the Year. She has been with Manchester School District for about 24 years, 11 of them at West. The NHBDA will present Francoeur with the award during the New England Band Directors’ Institute on July 8, 2016 on the campus of Plymouth State University.

Judith Ashworth with Steve Lantos, chair of the Theodore William Richards Award committee Judith Ashworth, chemistry teacher at Memorial High School, is the 2016 recipient of the Theodore William Richards Award for Excellence in Teaching Secondary School Chemistry. The award was presented at the 961st meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) “Education Awards Night,” held at A123 Systems LLC in Waltham, Massachusetts earlier this month. Ashworth was recognized as a teacher who, through innovation and dedication, has inspired potential chemists, has communicated chemistry to non-chemists, or has influenced other teachers of chemistry. According to the award description, the criteria for excellence correspond broadly to the effectiveness with which the teacher conveys the principles of chemistry to students and to the influence that the teacher has had on students and on other teachers. Colleagues, former students, and Memorial High Schoo...

The staff at Green Acres Elementary School has produced a video promoting a love of reading and celebrating the students' Million Word Challenge accomplishments. Enjoy!

Many elementary school students will be receiving books as they leave for the summer, thanks to the generosity of Hugh Poza of GALE Cengage Learning in Bedford. Mr. Poza, who has worked as an education sales consultant for several years, had accumulated more than 2,000 student books and close to 1,000 instructional texts and materials that were designated as giveaways to schools. He chose to make the donation to the Manchester School District, where he felt the books would serve students best. Reading teachers from several schools spent the morning at the district office sorting the books into grade levels and boxing them up to be distributed to schools and students across the city.

Phil Alexakos, second from right, of the Manchester Health Department presented a certificate of excellence to Chef Michael Holfelder's Intro to Culinary Arts students For the second year in a row, Manchester School of Technology's Intro to Culinary Arts class has earned a Public Health Excellence Award for Food Safety.  The award from the Manchester Health Department honors food establishments which achieve the highest sanitary standards when it comes to food preparation. Fewer than 10% of the Manchester’s commercial kitchens receive the award. The Culinary Arts kitchen at MST is inspected twice a year, just like any other restaurant in the city. MST met the rigorous criteria for the award, which includes compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to safe food handling and preparation, with no critical violations and average inspection scores of 90 or higher. The culinary arts class average score was a 98.5 out a possible 100.

Superintendent Debra Livingston is pleased to announce that the Manchester School District 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program has been awarded a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Education to continue high-quality afterschool programming in three Manchester schools for another five years. In a highly competitive review process, the Department of Education awarded $243,750 to programs at Beech Street, Northwest, and Wilson elementary schools, noting that the “family literacy strategies are exemplary.” The nine other 21st CCLC sites – Bakersville, Gossler Park, Hallsville, McDonough, and Parker-Varney elementary schools, and all four Manchester middle schools – are in their second year of a five-year funding cycle. The goal of Manchester’s 21st CCLC afterschool program is to inspire all students to reach their full potential academically, personally, and socially. During the out-of-school hours, students have the opportunity to participate in STEAM...

Drug prevention education in Manchester schools is getting a significant boost with a donation of $10,000 from Manchester Rotary Club. The grant will be used to develop a plan that integrates drug use prevention activities into core content curriculum for students in grades 6 through 12. Manchester Rotary Club president Mark Burns, Rotary Foundation chair Sue Manchester, and Rotary program chair Cindy Gaffney present a check to Manchester School District superintendent Debra Livingston, assistant superintendent David Ryan “In light of the heroin epidemic that Manchester and so many other communities are facing, education about drugs contained to one class or even a week of awareness is no longer adequate,” said Superintendent Debra Livingston. “The intent of the instruction we want to create is to keep the dangers of heroin use and other addictive behaviors familiar to students so that they make smart and healthy choices in their own lives.” Money raised by the Rotary Club...

During school vacation, it is important for your child to spend time reading and writing on a regular basis. Luckily, summer’s more flexible schedule and wide array of activities lend themselves to literacy opportunities.  Have a look at tips for parents and grade level summer reading lists !

The 1,400-mile journey from the beaches of Florida to a McDonough Elementary School is helping students embrace nature in a place they may never get to visit. Check it out!

Check out all the news and updates from the past couple of months. Click HERE or below.

National Art Honor Society, chapter 104 spring induction ceremony May 18, 6:00 pm West High School library The ceremony recognizes the members of West High School's chapter and features a display of student work. The guest speaker is Adam Fitzgerald, editor in chief of "Iron and Air" magazine. Annual spring art show May 25, 4:00 - 6:00 pm West High School library Come enjoy hundreds of art pieces on exhibit, food and music. It is open to the public and free to attend, though donations to West's National Art Honor Society chapter are accepted.

Sarah Lynch is the new principal of Webster Elementary School, effective July 1, 2016. Board of School Committee members last night approved Superintendent Debra Livingston’s recommendation of Lynch for the position. “Ms. Lynch is a great match for the children of Webster,” said Dr. Livingston. “I am confident she will be an asset to every aspect of the school community.” Lynch currently works for the Lawrence, Massachusetts, School District as an administrative mentor. She has held curriculum coach and third grade classroom teacher positions in Lawrence as well. Lynch has taught students with various abilities and needs over the course of her career. Her experience also includes serving as assistant principal at Walker School, a therapeutic residential and day school for students with severe behavioral, emotional and social disabilities in Needham, Massachusetts. Among her strengths as a leader, Lynch cites her ability to observe and offer effective, constructive feedback to s...

The Manchester Community Music School is hosting a wonderful Instrument Petting Zoo event! Young students are invited with their parents to explore and try out several different instruments during the program under the guidance of expert teachers.  The event is on Saturday, May 14th from 10:00-12:00 at the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm Street). During the event, students will hear instrument demonstrations by professionals and then have the chance to learn how to put them together and create sounds on many instruments. Instruments include flute, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, harp, piano and students can even experience vocal session. 

Selected among six outstanding youth, Arielys Liriano has been named the 2016 New Hampshire Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle. The program honors our nation's most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures and encourages all kids to lead, succeed and inspire. As the NH Youth of the Year, Arielys will serve as an ambassador for all teens in the state, will receive  $16,000 in college scholarships from BGCA, the Ninety-Nine Restaurants and an anonymous donor, and will go on to compete in the regional Youth of the Year, ultimately vying for the national title. Liriano has devoted more than 600 hours to giving back to the Manchester community through her involvement in Key Club, Manchester High School West and church activities. In addition to be...

Parker-Varney Elementary School is one of five schools in the nation to receive the 2016 School Innovation and Change Award. The honor recognizes schools which embraced new and innovative strategies to transform from underperforming to exemplary. Members of the National Principals Leadership Institute visited Parker-Varney today to officially present the award, which includes a $10,000 grant to support the school’s ongoing transformation efforts. “The effort Parker-Varney’s staff, students, and parents have made is a tribute to the school’s dedication to the well-being and academic success of all students,” said Dr. Jann Coles, School Innovation and Change Awards director. “This is the only award of its type in the nation, and we are proud to include Parker-Varney in this year’s group of elite honorees.” Schools measure themselves against 16 specific criteria and consider the degree to which they have improved, grown, and significantly changed.  The award applicatio...

Central High School was put into secure campus for approximately ten minutes this afternoon, because of a situation near the school that did not involve students. It happened a little after 2:30, just before the end of the school day. Manchester Police felt it was safe to proceed with regular dismissal, and the secure campus status was cleared at that time.  

After nearly three years leading New Hampshire’s largest school district, Manchester Superintendent Dr. Debra Livingston has announced she will retire, effective October 1, 2016. Dr. Livingston has been an energetic advocate for all children and public education for more than three decades. She arrived in Manchester from Fall Mountain Regional School District in the summer of 2013 and has led many successful initiatives here. The Manchester Academic Standards developed during Dr. Livingston’s tenure reflects a focus on increased academic rigor, technology-supported learning, and evidence-based instruction. The collaboration among more than 60 Manchester teachers, curriculum specialists, and higher education researchers resulted in the highest level of academic expectations for all students in the Manchester School District. Dr. Livingston is proud to have played a role in implementing full day kindergarten in Manchester in 2014. She also created Manchester’s Innovation Zone. T...

The West High School National Honor Society has a fun day planned for kids in grades 6-12! There are over 40 classes to choose from during Saturday's SPRITZ, such as "The Chemistry of Fire," "Survival 101," "Actor's Studio," "How to Make Ice-Cream," "Oragami," "Pokemon Mythology," and many more. The courses are FREE, and lunch is generously provided by  Skinny's Pizzeria and Restaurant .  Use this link to find out more and register!

SAVE THE DATE! Mayor Gatsas has proclaimed May 21, 2016 KIDS TO PARKS DAY in Manchester, as people across the country celebrate the 100 th  birthday of the National Park Service this year! Come join  Manchester Parks and Recreation in Veteran’s Park from  10am-1pm with free performances, free kids nature crafts and much more! Spring has sprung and it is time to CELEBRATE the parks and all they offer!

To register, click HERE .