OneManchester

AS THE NEW YEAR DAWNS we have a couple of resolutions, both involving story-telling. As part of a district initiative, we will be sharing more stories more regularly that are focused on students in our school system-- with Ky'Lynn and Evan kicking things off. We are also launching a series that will focus on figures from Manchester's past as part of our bicentennial celebration. First up is Wunnee, a Pudunk princess. We also have lots of news and notes and a reminder that schools are closed tomorrow for Three Kings Day.

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Senior Ky'Lynn Monts and junior Evan Austin are two of the many MHS students being featured in a series on district social media platforms that include the MPS Facebook page.

Also:

• If you missed the video featuring Ky'Lynn and Evan reflecting on their experience at the high school, please click here.

Superintendent Matt Geary will be presenting his proposed 2023-24 school budget at the Board of Education meeting on Monday at Lincoln Center. The meeting also will be televised live on the district FB page and you can learn how to participate remotely by clicking here.

A Reminder:

• Manchester Public Schools will be closed tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 6) in observance of Three Kings Day.

Also:

• Multilingual families, note that the LAS Links, a yearly assessment that measures your child’s English language proficiency level, will begin next week at most schools in the district. This assessment covers the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For details please click here (or click here for a Spanish version).

Manchester Public Schools students were back to work this week after their winter break. At left, kindergarteners in Mrs. Kilgus' class at Highland Park share a book, and at right, students in Ms. Leining's fifth grade class work on math problems.

More than 700 people are using FirstView, our new bus tracking and parent communications app that lets you track where your child’s bus is in real-time and has a multi-stop view if you have multiple students on different buses. Click for details.

Also

• This is the time of year when winter weather takes a toll on school attendance so please consider these steps to keep your children healthy and in school this winter.

Thursday, Jan. 5
6 p.m. -- Beginner Watercolor Technique Class: Negative Painting, at Mary Cheney Library.

Friday, Jan. 6

8:30 a.m. -- Manchester Art Association’s newest exhibit opens at Town Hall and runs through March 22.
8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at Manchester Memorial Hospital, 71 Haynes Rd.

Saturday, Jan. 7

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at Buckland Hills Mall, 194 Buckland Hills Dr.

Monday, Jan, 9
7 p.m. -- BOE Meeting at Lincoln Center.
7 - 8 p.m. -- Can and bottle drive at World-Wide Lighthouse Missions, 16 Brainard Place.
7 p.m. -- Manchester Garden Club meeting, 27 Adams St. South

Tuesday, Jan 10
6 - 8 p.m. -- Stop the Bleed Training - a free course at Manchester Elks Club, 30 Bissell St.
7 p.m. -- BOD meeting at Lincoln Center.

Wednesday, Jan. 11
6 - 7 p.m. -- Geometric Origami Workshop at Whiton Library.

ALSO THIS WEEK

• Math anyone? There’s a new Crazy 8s math club at Whiton Branch Library for K-2 kids that will run on Wednesdays from Jan. 4- Feb. 22 at Whiton Library. Click here for details.
  

• Taxes due Jan.1 2023 must be paid on or before Feb. 1, or the tax will become delinquent and subject to interest at the rate of 1.5% per month, back to the original due date. Click here to pay online.

• Click here for information on how to receive a free COVID test kit from the town.

• The last day for the town to collect bagged yard waste is Friday, Jan. 13. The program will resume on March 20.

• Town offices and all Manchester Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 16 to observe Martin Luther King Day.

• Manchester’s 38th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be held on Tuesday, Jan 17 at Bailey Auditorium.

• The town is sponsoring a ‘Winter, Fire & Ice’ event at Northwest Park on Saturday Jan. 21. Click the link for more information on this fun and free winter blues breaker.

• Also on Jan. 21, the Elks Club is teaming up with Change Collaborative of Manchester for a Family Wellness Day at 30 Bissell St.
  

• Boy Scout Troop 25's Open House is Jan. 25 at Center Congregational Church.

• The Coast Guard Academy’s ‘Guardian Big Band’ will be at Manchester High on Jan. 26.

• Cheney Hall has a full season of shows on tap for 2023, starting with Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery that opens on Feb. 3.

Better Manchester Magazine: Read a feature story on the town’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting plus town updates from the Tiny Gallery and the Dept.of Leisure, Family and Recreation.

Manchester Historical Society: The History Center has reopened on Wednesdays through Saturdays and will host a meet and greet on Sunday, Jan. 15…Activities are being planned for Manchester’s 200th anniversary including 23 hikes for 2023..The Manchester Landtrust’s Cheney Railroad walk has been moved to Saturday Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. due to a UCONN basketball game.

Manchester Matters: The latest edition has info on tax bills, Christmas tree disposal, the winter parking ban, information on a ceremony to honor Vietnam era veterans and more. Click the link to subscribe.

The MACC Minute: MACC’s 49th Christmas season is in the books after helping residents facing difficult situations but donations are always welcome…Shout out to Alpha Kappa Gamma for their generous donations…Check ins with Chef Ferdinand Cruz, Pantry Manager Phil Leggett and Operations Manager Patti Thurlow.

ALSO

• The town will be creating committees to oversee the new library project and to study the Case Mountain log cabin. Read about it in the JI.
• The town has been awarded a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting and the details are here.

The Illing boys basketball team battled Sage Park in front of a packed Kelley Gym Tuesday afternoon on the first day back from the winter break.

SPORTS NOTES

• The Newington co-op hockey team is holding a fundraiser at Puerta Vallarta in Newington on Monday, Jan 16. Click here for details

• The Manchester Redhawks Baseball Boosters will hold a fundraising pasta dinner at the Elks Club on Jan. 22 and here’s all the info.

Manchester is celebrating its bicentennial this year and there will be lots of fanfare. As one small part, we will occasionally feature people from our town's past in the 'Humans of Manchester' gallery.

We start today with Wunnee, a Podunk princess who was the subject of a book written in 1934 by then-resident Mathais Speiss. Wunnee is the first of our what will be occasional historical figures added to our gallery, which is on both Facebook and Instagram.

• NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by Paul Ofria of the school district's communications office but is dependent on contributions from people and institutions throughout the town and school district. So if you have something, anything, that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul at pofria@mpspride.org.