Learn about recent news and upcoming events

The latest edition of MSD Messages is now available. Click HERE or below.

Manchester students are invited to enter the logo contest for the Manchester FAFSA Challenge.  Our school district is proud to be participating in the  2017 FAFSA Challenge, encouraging  Manchester's high school seniors to  complete and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and the new web site needs a logo! There's still time to submit your entry. The deadline is November 14.

The International Institute of New England recently hosted a potluck welcome event in Manchester. It was a chance for recently arrived refugee families to meet members of the community and celebrate cultural traditions, including food, music, dance and story-telling. Dr. Vargas offered welcoming remarks, while Beech Street School principal  Christine Brennan, English Learner teacher Tina Proulx, and EL director Wendy Perron attended the crowded event to represent Manchester School District. Many other community agencies also took part.

Every Friday, dozens of children at McDonough Elementary School go home with backpacks full of food, thanks to the Tennesee-based Blessings in Backpack program. A donor who wishes to remain anonymous chose McDonough as the recipient of his (or her, or their) financial contribution to Blessings in a Backpack, which facilitates the purchase and weekly delivery of non-perishable food items directly to the school. The program started last month at McDonough, where about 50 children benefit. They are students who principal Ken DiBenedetto and his staff know face food insecurity at home. Blessings in a Backpack provides one way to help families on a regular basis, especially on weekends when school meals are unavailable. A truck arrives at school every Wednesday, and boxes of food -- including cereal, soup, fruit, crackers, pasta, and canned proteins -- are unloaded into a storage area. On Thursdays, staff sort the food for each student, filling bags of the items so that the...

Courtesy: David Lane/Union  Leader This has been an exciting and motivating start to my tenure as Superintendent of the Manchester School District. As you can imagine, there are many people to meet and places to go in order to familiarize myself with the city and our schools. This month, I have witnessed many wonderful examples of teaching and learning at every level -- from our youngest students in elementary school to the students who are preparing to graduate next June.  The conversations I’ve had and the classrooms I’ve seen so far confirm what I already knew: there are great things happening every day in Manchester schools. I’m very proud to be part of this district and have the opportunity to help every student reach his or her aspirations in education and career. My role in this city is not only as an educational leader, but a support to the team of administrators, teachers and staff in every position across the district to accomplish the goal of helping e...

The MST Student  Salon  & Spa is open for members of the public to make appointments for various services.  Please email  mstsalon@mansd.org  to schedule: haircuts hair color foils/baliage/ombre' manicures, plain & spa gel polish manicure pedicures facials The salon is open at Manchester School of Technology on South Porter Street. Wednesdays  8 am to 2:15 pm Thursdays  8 am to 5 pm Fridays  8 am to 2:15 pm

Speak   Up , a national online research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow®, gives individuals the opportunity to share their viewpoints about key educational issues, particularly concerning 21st century education and technology for learning.  WHO TAKES THE SURVEY? EVERYONE!  Students, Staff, Parents, Administrators and Community Members are invited to participate.     Take the survey any time, through  December 16: http://www.speakup4schools. org/Speakup2016/ Choose a survey. Look  up  your school by state and then school. The secret word for students is:  speakup If you would like to preview survey questions prior to taking the live survey please visit  trc.mansd.org/ speakup2016

Manchester School District is proud to be participating in the  2017 FAFSA Challenge, encouraging  Manchester's high school seniors to complete and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  A new web site  dedicated to the effort offers support and resources for families, including in-school appointments with  FAFSA advisors who will be available in each high school's guidance offices every week to help students and families complete their applications. The FAFSA is a critical step toward accessing post-secondary education opportunities because it can provide the financial aid needed to make school more affordable. Through this initiative, Manchester School District is committed to increasing the likelihood that students will attend technical , and two- or four-year colleges and universities by making FAFSA completion easier than ever.  

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program sponsored two Lights On Afterschool rallies on October 19 and 20 at Hillside Middle School and Bakersville Elementary School respectively. The Manchester events were among more than 8,000 around the nation, organized annually by the Afterschool Alliance.  Lights On Afterschool brings attention to the efforts to expand afterschool opportunities so that every child who needs a program has access to one. The yearly celebration also highlight the benefits of afterschool programs, including inspiring children to learn, keeping them safe in the afternoon hours, and relieving working families of worries about their children’s activities in the afternoon. Participants of Manchester's Lights On Afterschool rallies included students, parents, supporters, and community members from all over Manchester. Superintendent Dr. Vargas and several school board members were able to attend as well.  For the first time, our mi...

Congratulations to Southside Middle School's Parent Support Group for winning its second Blue Ribbon Award from NH Partners in Education, recognizing the PSG's countless volunteer hours to support students and staff at Southside. NH Partners in Education also celebrates valuable collaborations between schools and local organizations. The   City of Manchester, NH Fire Department   received its first Gold Circle Award for the hours and resources provided to enhance education at Southside.

Succeeding academically isn’t simply due to studying: Good grades also rely on adequate levels of physical activity and healthy eating – a relationship that is consistently backed by research.  To further support Henry Wilson Elementary School’s efforts to promote the health of its students, the school has been awarded $3,520 to fund two programs. The Grab ‘N Go program will provide students with healthful snacks in between meals, including yogurt, smoothies, and fresh produce. The school also plans to purchase physical education equipment to help implement bursts of physical activity throughout the school day. Also known as “brain breaks,” the activities will improve student attendance, behavior, and concentration. Funding for these programs is provided by New England Dairy & Food Council and the dairy farmers of New Hampshire. “The grant is going to allow our students to be more active in the classroom and eat healthier throughout the day,” said the school’s Fuel Up ...