OneManchester

PAJAMAS. PJs. JAMMIES. By whatever name, everybody loves cozy comfy sleepwear and on Friday students and staff throughout the district will be wearing theirs for a purpose -- to raise money for and awareness of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. This will be the district’s 10th PJ Day with more than $46,000 raised so far. We have more below as well as photos from the first of two Illing holiday concerts: the choral ensembles performed Tuesday and tonight the IMS band and orchestra take to the Bailey Auditorium stage.

Karla McClain directed as the IMS choirs performed Tuesday night; we'll be posting more photos soon from the concert on the district Facebook page.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Tonight, the Illing Band and Orchestra Concert will be held and next week there are two more events:

• Tuesday, Dec 17 -- Bennet Grade 5 holiday concert (rescheduled from last week)
• Wednesday, Dec. 18 -- MHS Holiday Concert

The public is invited to all concerts, which are free and start at 7 p.m. in Bailey Auditorium at MHS.

The final Board of Education meeting for 2024 will take place Monday at Lincoln Center with a fall data update on the agenda.

.

Children who are hospitalized wear PJ's for days, weeks, or months while being treated and the district each year raises money and writes cards in support. Students and staff are encouraged to wear pajamas on Friday and donations are welcome, either in person or online (here’s the link). Want to know more? Here’s a flier and there’s also a video with background and interviews.

Fifth- and sixth-graders at Manchester Middle Academy visited Oakridge Dairy Farm in Ellington recently and had a chance to check in on their adopted baby calf, Poppy, who was born in October. Students learned about the milking process, life on a farm and more. The latest MMA newsletter has more.

The ‘Crafted Vision – Perspectives of Makers’ exhibit highlights artists who transform non-traditional materials or reimagine traditional ones in unexpected ways, and can be seen at WORK_SPACE through Jan. 30.

Thursday, Dec. 12
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. -- Toddling Tots for walkers up to 24 months old at Mary Cheney Library.
12:30 - 5:30 p.m. -- Red Cross blood drive at North United Methodist Church, 300 Parker St.
6:15 - 7:45 p.m. -- Date Night Downtown - Paint Your Partner at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
6:30 p.m. -- A 19th Century Christmastide at Whiton Library.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- ABC Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.

Friday, Dec. 13
10 a.m. -- Preschool Playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
4 - 6:30 p.m. -- Christmas Polish Food Sale at St. John’s Church, 23 Golway St.

Saturday, Dec. 14
9 - 11 a.m. -- Holiday in the Park at Northwest Park.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Access Health CT ENrollment Fair at Community Rec Center, 78 N.Main St.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Saturday Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
7 - 8 p.m. -- Christmas concert at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 60 Church St.

Monday, Dec. 16
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. -- Shake Rattle & Roll at Mary Cheney Library.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Dino Time for ages 2-5 at Whiton Library.
7 p.m. -- BoE meeting at Lincoln Center.
7 - 8 p.m. -- WWLM is accepting cans, bottles and all donations at the Donation Center, 11 Bissell St. (Donations can also be made M-Th, 10 a.m. - noon and 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 17
9:30 a.m. -- Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
6 p.m. -- Manchester Youth Commision meeting at YSB, 63 Linden St
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- Shake, Rattle & Roll at Whiton Library

Wednesday, Dec. 18
9:30- 10:30 -- Baby Rhyme Time at Mary Cheney Library.
10:30 - 11:15 -- Preschool Fun with Math Storytime at Whiton Library.
3:30 - 4:45 p.m. -- R.E.A.D. to a Dog (pre-K - Grade 4) at Mary Cheney Library.
6 - 7 p.m. -- Holiday Gift Wrapping Party at Whiton Library.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- Bingo for Kids at Mary Cheney Library.

• The overnight parking ban is in effect between 2 - 6 a.m. through March 31, 2025. Click here for details

• Santa’s Workshop opens today at Wickham Park and runs through Dec. 23. Click here for details.

• PJ Day for the Kids Is Friday. Click here for details.

• Four performances of The Nutcracker at Cheney Hall on Saturday and Sunday. Click here for times and ticket info.

• If you are thinking about going back to school but need childcare, CT State Community College has convenient care on campus while you are in class. Click here for more info.

• UR Communty Cares Tech Center will host Parkinsons’ Disease Support Group sessions on the second Tuesday of the month at 153 Spruce St. starting this coming Tuesday.

• The Leaf Collection Program is now working its way through Area 2 and you can click here to see the schedule and here for the area map.
• The Manchester Greater Together Community Fund announced a competitive grant opportunity for nonprofits proposing projects to benefit the residents of Manchester. Click for details.

• The Youth Service Bureau is offering lots of opportunities of note. He are some in-school programs (FACTS, Girl Circles and Voices) and a list of Fall and Winter programs (employment readiness, cooking, birdwatching and much more).
• The Bennet Academy PTSA is holding a fundraiser at Panera on Dec. 11. Click here for more info.

• This year’s Hip Hop for the Homeless tour wraps up at the Main Pub on Dec. 21.

• Town offices will be closed for the holiday on Dec. 24 and 25.

• Manchester Public Schools will be closed for Winter Vacation from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1.

• Tickets are on sale for Little Theatre of Manchester’s 2025 season that opens on Feb.7 with ‘Murder Inn.’

• The town rec department is running a free three-on-three basketball tournament (ages 14-17) at Waddell Elementary School on Dec. 19 and the info is here.
  
• The Knights are offering instructional basketball on Wednesday nights for K - 3rd graders. Click here for more info.

Samantha Mitchell is a junior at Manchester High and the daughter of the late Barry 'Mitch' Mitchell, a beloved security guard who collapsed and died while working at the high school almost eight years ago. Samantha has written a book, "Finding Light In Darkness: A Daughter's Healing", that was published last month on Amazon and you can read more in a story published this week by Manchester Patch.

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.