OneManchester

BOMBA TIME! Third- and fourth-graders enjoyed an immersive, hands-on Bomba workshop experience Tuesday afternoon at Waddell Elementary as part of a Roots & Culture Lab program. Open to all, the multi-unit series is designed to meet the deep, emotional, and cultural needs of Black/Brown/Indigenous children.

The Roots & Culture Lab is grounded in ancestral wisdom, Indigenous knowledge systems, and creative, experiential learning, serving as a form of reclamation, healing, and empowerment.

The kindergarten registration window for next school year will open next Wednesday -- Feb. 18. Parents/guardians of children whose fifth birthday falls on or before Sept. 1, 2026 may begin the registration process by visiting the registration page on the MPS website.

Note:

• If parents/guardians of children who turn five between Sept. 2 and Dec. 31 feel their child may be ready for kindergarten, they may request a kindergarten readiness screener for a possible placement in kindergarten by contacting the Deputy Superintendent at 860-647-3447. The kindergarten readiness screener will only be given in May and June.
• If you have any questions please contact the Manchester Public Schools Welcome Center at 860-645-6041 or email mfrison@mpspride.org.

Manchester High was well-represented at a college fair held at the Connecticut Science Center last Saturday.

• The Board of Education is scheduled to hold another budget workshop tonight (Feb. 12) at 6 p.m. in Lincoln Center as it continues to examine the Superintendent's proposed budget for '26-27. The board's most recent regular meeting was Monday, Feb. 9 and you can see a replay by clicking here.

If you are a healthcare professional with a bachelor's degree, at least one year of full time medical work experience, and a willingness to take three education courses within two years of your date of hire, you may qualify for employment to teach medical career preparation courses at MHS. Click for more.

Manchester Adult and Continuing Education is offering a Guard Card certification course -- a state-approved 8-hour training course that fast tracks becoming a licensed Security Officer in Connecticut. For information click here.

• This spring, MHS student musicians in concert band, orchestra and choral ensembles have the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia to perform at the Philadelphia Heritage Festival. Parents have set up an online fundraiser to offset costs. For more information and to donate, please click here.
• The MHS classes of '26 and '27 will be hold a Talent Show fundraiser on March 18. The deadline for performers to apply is March 4 and they can use this form.

Project Graduation

• Yard Flocking is back: Three days for $25. Click here for instructions.
• Order your Class of '26 yard sign by clicking here.

Former MHS students Raquan (left) and Ricky Jordan are running a local non-profit called Rosal Cares that is dedicated to assisting the community by providing groceries, hygiene and baby supplies, and more. The business on Center Street is among the stories featured in the latest edition of 'The Pulse.' To watch click here.

With just three days of classes next week, our next newsletter will be published on Thursday, Feb. 26 -- so we have an extended calendar this week.

Because the Islamic and Gregorian calendars operate on different cycles, Ramadan and Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) rarely coincide -- but they do this year, on Tuesday, February 17. After this, the next time they are even in the same week won't be until 2092, where Fat Tuesday is February 12 and Ramadan begins around February 9.

Thursday, Feb. 12
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Storytime for 2-5 year-olds at Mary Cheney Library.
4 - 5 p.m. -- Checkmates (chess for ages 7 -10) at Whiton Library.
6:15 - 7:45 p.m. -- DateNight Downtown:Messages from Heaven with local author/medium Rebecca Anne LoCicero.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- ABC Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 p.m. -- Cultural Perspectives of Chocolate at Whiton Library.
6 p.m. -- BOE meeting - Budget Workshop #3, at Lincoln Center.

Friday, Feb. 13
10 a.m. - noon -- Preschool Playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
2:30 - 4:30 p.m. -- Sit by the SAD Lamps at Mary Cheney Library.
6 - 7:30 p.m. -- Valentine’s Day cupcake decorating at Leisure Labs at Mahoney.

Saturday, Feb. 14
9 a.m. - Puppy Love Yoga in the Galleries (SOLD OUT) at WORK_SPACE.903 Main St.
9 a.m.- noon -- Knights of Columbus Can & bottle drive in St.James Church parking lot, 896 Main St.
10 a.m . - 2 p.m. -- The Fixery at WORK_Space.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Second Saturday open house at WORK_ SPACE, 903 Main St.
10:30 - 11 a.m. -- Saturday Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
12:30 - 4:30 p.m. -- Silk City Board Game Group at Mary Cheney Library.

Monday, Feb. 16
6:30 - 8 p.m. -- Manchester Women’s Club meeting at Center Congregational Church, 11 Center St.

Tuesday, Feb. 17
9:30 - 10 a.m. -- Baby Rhyme Time at Mary Cheney Library.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Tykes, Trucks and Trains at Mary Cheney Library.
2 - 3 p.m. -- Library Scavenger Hunt (ages 6 - 10) at Mary Cheney Library.
6 - 7:30 p.m. -- Youth Commission meeting at Town Hall.
6 -7 p.m. -- Fat Tuesday/Shrove/Mardi Gras Pancake Supper featuring The Katz ‘n Jammer Jazz Ensemble at Second Congregational Church.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- Evening Bingo for Kids at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 - 7 p.m. -- Mother Goose (newborns up to 24 months) at Whiton Library.
7 p.m. -- Scouting America Troop 123 info night for boys and girls in grades 5 - 9 at Concordia Lutheran Church.

Wednesday, Feb. 18
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. -- Toddling Tots (walkers up to 24 months) at Mary Cheney Library.

The Early Childhood Fair is free, open to the public, and provides a wealth of

information on preschools, programs, services, recreation, and local resources

available for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young children up to age 8.

Please join us for fun activities along with resource tables!

ALSO:

To see more of what's happening the week after next (Feb. 19-25), check out our One Man Planner.

• Manchester Public Schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday for President's Day Recess.

• Town Offices will be closed on Monday for the holiday.

• The Fat Tuesday/Shrove/Mardi Gras Pancake Supper featuring The Katz ‘n Jammer Jazz Ensemble returns to Second Congregational Church on Tuesday.

• Neil Simon’s ‘Rumors’ runs on the weekends at Cheney Hall and through Feb. 22. Click here for ticket information. And click here to see what’s coming up at Cheney Hall.The Fat Tuesday/Shrove/Mardi Gras Pancake Supper featuring

• Scouting America Troop 123 is holding an information night for boys and girls in grades 5 - 9 on Tuesday at Concordia Lutheran Church. Click here for more info.

• Manchester Art Association’s Watercolor exhibit can be seen at Town Hall through March 13.

• The Winter Parking Ban is in effect through April 1. Click here for details.

REC NEWS

• 'Step into Oz' is theme at Pop Culture Night on Feb 27 at Leisure Labs.
• Signups are under way for the 'Girls Got Game' sports clinics at The Oak on March 28.

Follow their Facebook or Instagram pages for more.

• The Household Hazardous Waste collection scheduled for Feb. 7 at 321 Olcott St was cancelled due to cold/snow and has been rescheduled for Feb. 21. All appointments were cancelled and here is the reschedule form.

• The Manchester Comic & Toy Convention returns on March 1. Click here to learn more.

• ‘Paws, Claws, & Smalls Resource Fair for Pets’ will take place on March 21. Click here for details.

• The deadline for the Connecticut Elks Association poster, essay and video contests for students in grades 3, 4 and 5 is today (Thursday, Feb. 12). Click here for more info.

E.J. Perez (left), rebounding Rashid Crenshaw and the young Red Hawk boys' basketball team played South Windsor Tuesday night and you can check the OneManchesterCT FB page for more pictures from the game and other sports news.

• Help support MHS wrestler Noah Colon's trip to the Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND in July. Noah is undefeated this season and was named the outstanding wrestler at the CCC meet last weekend. Click here for more on Noah and to donate.
• The Manchester Knights' Cheer Clinic is underway and runs through April 8.
• The Manchester Red Hawks Baseball Booster Club's annual pasta dinner fundraiser on Feb. 22 at The Elks Club.
• Manchester Little League Softball and Baseball signups are under way and you can learn more by clicking here. Registration for the Challenger program is open through March 31.

.

Fun at Verplanck (above and below) included dressing like 100-year-olds while at Keeney (left) the attendance fairy added to the ambiance as all over the district students and staff celebrated the 100th day of school last Friday .

DON'T FORGET THE ANNEX: This is our spillover space to other newsletters, social media accounts and more, including the 'OneManchester Planner', which has even has more calendar listings for the months ahead. Plus we share a special flashback photo from Paul Ofria each week. To get to The Annex, click here.

• NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by 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 that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul Ofria at pofria@mpspride.org.