Learn about recent news and upcoming events

The NH Department of Education has named Smyth Road Elementary School kindergarten teacher Shauna Webber one of five finalists for 2018 NH Teacher of the Year. The other four finalists are a first grade teacher in Rochester, a middle school teacher in Gilford, and two high school teachers in Bow and Concord. The rigorous selection process continues this summer before the NH Department of Education announces the Teacher of the Year in September. Good luck, Mrs. Webber!

The NEA Foundation named Karyn Burgess, a special education teacher at Hillside Middle School, as one of the 48 public school educators to become a member of this year's class of Global Learning Fellows. Burgess will spend a year building the capacity to understand and act on issues of global significance -- otherwise known as global competency skills. As a result of the Fellowship, Burgess will be better equipped to prepare students for global citizenship. Fellows also create valuable global lesson plans for their students that are freely shared with educators across the national and the world through open-source platforms. “The Global Learning Fellowship provides a great opportunity to teachers who are interested in sharing the world with their students,” says Burgess. “I love the idea of learning even more about global competency since it aligns with my teaching philosophy.” The 2018 Fellows were selected from more than 400 applicants from across the country. They teach ...

Representatives from the NH Dept. of Education and the Manchester Area Human Resources Association recognized West High School for a successful career day, which was held on March 29. Robyn Chadwick, Claudette Knieriem, Deborah Stratton, Jim Hinson, Renee Beaulieu, Laura Lord, Richella Simard, Michael Oliveira, Alicia Moylan, Rick Dichard, Mary Ann Wood West brought about 75 business professionals into their classrooms to introduce different career options in various fields. What was different from traditional career day events is that the students were exposed to a variety of experts all day long as they rotated through their regular class schedule, instead of setting up the typical "career fair" format in a gym where professionals waited to be approached by students. The Dept. of Education and MAHRA took notice, and those organizations are now working to duplicate this career day model in other high schools around the state. It will be an annual event at West....

City schools are kicking off a new initiative which educators hope will keep students of all grades reading and learning during the summer months. The program, called “Booked for Summer,” is a school district-wide coordination of resources and learning goals that will touch every student. “Our schools and teachers have always encouraged students to read during their time away from the classroom,” said superintendent Dr. Bolgen Vargas. “What’s different this summer is that we are collaborating community-wide to share ideas and set expectations for all of our students, no matter which school they attend.” The Booked for Summe r website provides learning resources, including recommended reading lists by grade level, goal trackers, and event calendars. The information covers pre-k through grade 12. Preschool and elementary school students through grade four can participate in the Booked for Summer passport program, an ongoing activity in which children can visit various locations...

For the second year in a row, McLaughlin Middle School and Highland-Goffe's Falls Elementary School received awards for the highest participation in  Get Moving, Manchester.  The voluntary wellness program, which just completed its 16th year, encourages students in grades three through six to establish and maintain healthy lifestyle choices. Students use a Get Moving, Manchester log over the course of four weeks to keep track of eating, exercise, and screen time based on 5-2-1-0 goals.  Following 5-2-1-0 guidelines means: • eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day • spending 2 hours or less on the computer, watching TV, playing video games, or texting • getting at least 1 hour of physical activity a day • drinking 0 sugar-based beverages. This year, 1,432 students tracked their nutrition and activity goals all four weeks. Highland-Goffe's Falls and McLaughlin had the highest rates of participation, 97% and 93%, respectively. Mayor Gatsas presented those schools ...

The Manchester School District wants to hear from parents, students and staff to better understand how effectively it is communicating higher level learning opportunities to students and their families. Higher level learning opportunities include honors level (Level 3) and Advanced Placement (Level 4) courses, the Manchester Community College’s Running Start program, and Southern New Hampshire University’s Dual Enrollment Program (a/k/a College in the High School). We are proud that our high schools are offering more AP courses than ever before, and enrollment in those classes has increased by nearly 50% over the past few years, from about 900 students to more than 1,350. There is an ongoing effort in every high school by teachers and counselors who see the potential in their students to recruit them for AP courses. Responses to this voluntary survey will help the school district determine the success and challenges of those efforts. We encourage all students in grades 8-12 and...

Smyth Road and school district staff, students, and Mayor Gatsas pose with the HealthierUS bronze award banner  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Smyth Road Elementary School has earned a bronze HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms award. Smyth Road is the fourth in Manchester and 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. In 2016, Hillside and McLaughlin middle schools both received bronze awards; Beech Street Elementary School earned a silver award last year. The HealthierUS challenge is a key component of a national 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 educatio...