OneManchester

THE WASHINGTON POST is one of the largest and most influential newspapers in the country and it yesterday featured a story datelined Manchester, using Illing Middle School as the focal point for a thoroughly reported (and flattering!) story about how IMS and other schools around the country are clamping down on the use of cell phones by students during the school day. We have the story about the story below and lots more including photos from a career day and a trade fair and also a long list of events including special upcoming history visits for third-graders.

Joanna Slater, an award-winning writer for Post, came to Illing last month to interview students and staff and then photographer Tony Luong came a week later to take photos for the piece, which by mid-morning yesterday was the most-read story on the WaPo website and by last night had generated more than 2,200 comments.

The story, which will likely be published in the print edition of the newspaper in the next day or two, included on the web version photos of students and staff separated by a picture of the student's actual phone (or, in one case, Yondr pouch).

That's AP Ray Dolphin being photographed and, clockwise from top left, teacher Dan Connolly and student Serenity Erazo, AP Erin Powers-Bigler and Chioma Brown, teacher Anwesha Baidya and Collin Clapp, AP Amy Beardsworth and Noah Phanthavong and teacher Justin Pistorius and Michael Wilson. The student pictured with Dolphin higher up is Amar Akasha.

To read the story, click here. If it's behind paywall now (it wasn't yesterday morning) you'll need an account but can get a free one with an email address.

MHS senior Katherine Matute, Bowers special education teacher Christiana Yeboah and Waddell third grade teacher Jason Pepin are this week's additions to the Humans of Manchester gallery. You can read about each of them on Facebook or Instagram.

The next BoE meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 13 at Verplanck Elementary School with a Verplanck update on the agenda. The meeting can be viewed live here.

Also:

• The Board of Directors has pushed back its budget adoption (now scheduled for May 14) so major decisions about school spending for next year are still on hold.
• And a reminder: Graduation is Wednesday, June 12 and the last day of classes for everyone else is Monday, June 17.

Robert Kanehl of the Manchester Historical Society visited every third-grade classroom in town during recent weeks to share a presentation about the town's history, and in May local museums are extending a special welcome:

Here are the hours and the museums that will be open to welcome students:

• History Center (175 Pine Street) -- Every Saturday from noon – 4 p.m.
• Old Manchester Museum (126 Cedar Street) -- Saturday 5/4 and 5/11 from 10 a.m.-2 pm
• Cheney Homestead/Keeney School (106 Hartford Road) -- Saturday 5/4 and Sunday 5/12 from 1-4 p.m.
• Woodbridge Farm (East Middle Turnpike) -- Sunday 5/5 and 5/19 from noon-2 p.m.

Parents please note: The Historical Society is always looking for volunteers to help at their various museums. While you are visiting with your children, you are encouraged to ask about regular hours and the Historical Society’s needs.

June Steffenson of Illing Middle School and Samyah Flores of Waddell Elementary School have qualified for the CT State Invention Convention finals, which are at UConn on Saturday, June 8.

Also of note:

• Manchester Head Start is accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year. Click here for enrollment info.
• Celebrate a Manchester High senior with a Pink Flamingo Flocking from MHS Project Graduation. And if you would like to volunteer to lead a committee for Project Graduation '25, you can click here for information.
• Applications for next year's Manchester Youth Commission are due May 10. Click here for details.

Thursday, May 2
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Shake, Rattle & Roll for children 2-5 at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- Pajama Storytime for children ages 2-5 at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 p.m. -- Woven Mandala Craft at Whiton Library.

Friday, May 3
10 a.m. -- Preschool playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.

Saturday, May 4
7:15 - 2:30 p.m. -- Free drop-off day at Manchester Transfer Station, 321 Olcott St.
9 a.m. - noon -- BSA Troop 27 can and bottle drive at Bennet Academy.
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. -- Spruce Street Farmers Market Special Spring Edition at 153-163 Spruce St.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Old Manchester Museum open house, 126 Cedar St.
11:30 - 1:30 p.m. -- Compost bin and rain barrel sale at 321 Olcott St.
1 p.m. -- Jane's Walk with Susan Barlow, town historian and Jesse Muniz-Poland, town board member, starting at 146 Hartford Rd.
8 a.m. -- Birdwatchers walk at 330 Bush Hill Rd.
7 p.m. -- ‘Laurel Canyon,’ a tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Cheney Hall.

Sunday, May 5
Noon - 2 p.m. -- Woodbridge Farmstead open house, 495 East Middle Tpke.
2 p.m. -- ‘Memories of Patsy,’ a tribute to Patsy Cline at Cheney Hall.

Monday, May 6
9:30 - 10:15 a.m -- ABC Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Tykes, Trucks & Trains for ages 2-5 at Whiton Library.
5 - 6 p.m. -- Home Alone Safety for Kids at YSB, 63 Linden St.
6 - 8 p.m. -- Songwriters Group at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. -- Street Corner Dreams at Mary Cheney Library.
7 - 8 p.m. -- Can and bottle donations at WWLM Warehouse Loading Dock, 16 Brainard Place.

Tuesday, May 7
10 - 10:20 a.m. -- Baby Rhyme Time for pre-crawlers and crawlers at Mary Cheney Library.
6 - 7 p.m. -- Family Place program at Mary Cheney Library.
7 p.m. -- BoD meeting at Lincoln Center

Wednesday, May 8
10 a.m. - noon -- Genealogy meeting at the History Center, 175 Pine St.
3:30 - 4:15 -- Picture Bingo at Whiton Library.
6:30 - 8 p.m. -- Town Wide Block Watch at Senior Center, 549 East Middle Tpke.

Also:

• Boy Scout Troop 27 is holding a can and bottle fundraiser at Bennet Academy on Saturday as well as ‘31 Days of Prizes’ in May. Click here to find out more.

• CAST children's theatre's production of School of Rock will take place on May 8 and 9 at Manchester High School. Click here for more info.

• ‘Expressions of Healing’ exhibit at WORK_SPACE will be on display until May 30.

• Downtown Manchester’s annual Butterfly Stroll and the Elks Club’s ‘A Day in the Park.’ will take place on May 11.

• Manchester Adult and Continuing Ed is offering a self-defense and empowerment course for women on Mondays starting May 13. Click here for more details.

• The Manchester Land Conservation Trust’s giant tag sale at 330 Bush Hill Rd. will be held May 17-25 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day. Click here for details.

• Public Works Day is May 22. Click here to learn more.

• This year’s Memorial Day Parade will take place on May 27 starting at 9:30 a.m. from the Army & Navy Club. Click here for details.

• BSA Troop 123 is holding a bottle drive fundraiser on Saturday, June 1st from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church, 40 Pitkin Street, Manchester. For more information about the event or Troop 123 contact 123Scoutmaster@gmail.com.

• The school district, Manchester Early Learning Center and town Parks and Recreation Department will be offering various summer opportunities to students. Click her for all the details.
• Summer Day Camp registration for Manchester residents starts April 8. Click here for info.

T.J. O'Brien and A'Maya Thomas were enjoying the nice weather while representing Manchester High School at Manchester Country Club this week. The girls team beat South Windsor on Monday while the boys lost to a very strong East Catholic team on Tuesday.

Here is the complete MHS spring schedule.

Also:

• In-person Registration Week for Manchester Knights Youth Football and Cheerleading closes tonight and Friday (May 3) from 6-8 p.m. at Illing Middle School. Click here for the form and here if you are interesting in coaching.
• The Greater Manchester Track & Field Classic (formerly known as the Randy Smith Journal Inquirer Invitational) will be held at Manchester High on Saturday, May 18 with some events taking place on May 17. Click here for more information.
• Manchester Running Company's Spring Street Mile will be on May 18. Click here for details.
• The Hartford Shockers will be running basketball camps in August at East Catholic High School for 3-11 graders. Click here for the details.

Soccer Stuff

• Manchester Soccer Club is now a Hartford Athletic affiliate team and will have a special event on May 24 at Dillon Stadium. Click here for more info.
• Travel tryouts for fall teams will take place in June. Click here for the schedule and here for the schedule in Spanish.
• Everton Soccer School will run a camp August 19-23 at Veterans Memorial Field on Hillstown Rd. Click here for more info.
• Coerver CT East is offering two weeks of soccer camps this summer at East Catholic High School. Click here for dates and details.

MHS students who attended a Construction Careers event in Wallingford yesterday had the chance to extinguish fire, operate heavy equipment and more. At lower left is a photo from an Apprenticeship Trade Fair held in the MHS cafeteria later in the day that featured a host of industry experts in fields including carpentry, electrical, masonry, etc.

DONT FORGET THE ANNEX: This is our new 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.
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