OneManchester

THE PARADE IS BACK. For the past few years, Manchester High held a special student showcase in Bailey Auditorium as part of Homecoming activities, but this year a longtime tradition is being revived as the parade is moving back outdoors. Tomorrow's Hoco Parade will feature a range of marching (and dancing) groups and the best place to watch will be the Brookfield Street hillside about 3 p.m.

Stephanie Willoughby, who in her role as an Activities Planning & Youth Leadership Coordinator helped organize the event, was a guest on 'The Chirp' podcast and shared more details.

Also:

• Friday's night's Homecoming football game against Maloney of Meriden kicks off at 6 p.m.

Red Hawk science scholars were honored Monday night -- and classmates who are into broadcast journalism were there to capture the even on video. You can watch it here.

The next Board of Ed meeting is Monday (Nov. 9) at Lincoln Center and the agenda includes an update on Human Capital and Talent. You can watch the meeting here and for the upcoming meeting schedule, click here.

Standout swimmer Ava Lavigne was among those featured in the latest edition of the high school's award-winning news magazine. Click here to watch.

Waddell art teacher Nicole Abbott (left) has been named 2027 Connecticut Artist/Educator of The Year by the Connecticut Art Education Association event. Nicole will be honored at an event in Torrington next week, as will scholarship winner Jonah Junga. For more information click here.

MHS Project Graduation is doing its first fundraiser --- a 'Double Good' Popcorn campaign that runs only until this Sunday (Nov. 1). Click here for information.

MPS is excited for the opportunity for our scholars to attend the 3rd annual Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit on Saturday, November 14th from 8:00 am-2:00 pm in Waterbury, CT. There are limited spaces per school, so please see this link for information on registration, transportation, chaperones, and forms to complete.

The broadcast journalism program at MHS is once again holding a Broadcast Bingo fundraiser. It will be held will be held Nov. 21 and all the details are here.

K-12 students could win up to $20,000 towards their post secondary education plan. The entry deadline is Nov. 6 and the details are here.

Hartford Health Care is offering free medical services for adults and children at Illing Middle School on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. No insurance is needed and services include health screenings, behavioral health services, lab tests and more. To see the flier click here.

Just hours after trick-or-treaters make their rounds Saturday night, clocks are turned back as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end. That means sunset on Halloween will be a decent 5:49 p.m. but on Sunday it will be a cruel 4:45 p.m. This phenomenon -- when Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday -- won't happen again until 2037, when current first-graders are high school seniors.

• Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale’s first show of the 2026-27 season will take place Friday at Bailey Auditorium. Click here for the full schedule. To read about Friday’s soloists, click here and here for pictures from Monday's rehearsal at Bailey Auditorium.

• CAST is excited to announce "Fiddler on the Roof, Sr." a musical production created especially for adults 55 and over. Auditions & rehearsals are under way for Nov. 19 and 20 performances. Click here for more info.

• GIRL SCOUT TROOP 10602: Meets two Thursdays a month; for info click here.
• TROOP 123: Troop 123 welcomes boys and girls age 11-17. Click for flier.

The Illing boys soccer team beat East Hartford Middle School 7-0 on Monday in the Connecticut River Valley Conference quarter final while the Manchester High team finished the regular season with a 6-6-4 record and qualified for the state tournament that will start next week.

• Over 8K runners have registered for this year's Manchester Road Race. Click here for details.
• Registration for the Little Manchester Road Race begins (and may very well end) on Sunday Nov. 1. Limited to 1,000 runners, the event fills up quickly. Click here for the flier.
• Park's U.S. Taekwondo has a special offer through Nov. 6.

MyRec is the town’s new online registration system for recreation programs and activities, and you can learn about it by checking out this flier.

• Also, there's anew Friday Night Hoops League for high schoolers who are not playing for their school team. Learn more here.

.

Last Saturday, MHS math teacher Becky Redhead-Carey completed the Jones Beach Half Ironman in New York, finishing in the top 10 in her female age group. After six months of training, Becky completed the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run in 6 hours 21 minutes and 35 seconds. For more check out the district Facebook page.

Students, families and staff had a blast at the Fall Fest at The Martin Preschool Center last Thursday.

• 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.