OneManchester

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WHODUNIT? Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, and Colonel Mustard are among the suspects in the hilarious murder-mystery “Clue”, which opens tonight at MHS. We have details about the Sock n Buskin Drama Club’s fall show below. We also have pictures from last weekend's Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit, which was attended by a group of MPS scholars, and a look back at the Veterans Day ceremony in town.

A contingent from Manchester joined over 1300 hundred students from around the state for the Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit last Saturday at the Palace Theater and UConn Waterbury Campus. The program is designed to increase BIPOC representation in the field of medicine by exposure, inspiration, and mentoring.

The Board of Education will meet tonight (Thursday, Nov. 14) at Lincoln Center and will include an update on Human Capital and Talent on the agenda.

Also:

• The day before Thanksgiving -- Wednesday, Nov. 27 -- will be an early release day following the emergency dismissal schedule. That means the day ends at 11 a.m. for high schoolers with Bennet, Illing and MMA done at 11:45 a.m. and the elementary schools at 12:30 p.m. To see the district calendar click here.

Manchester High School's Sock n Buskin Drama Club's fall play is "CLUE (High School Edition)" and it opens tonight in Bailey Auditorium with additional performances Friday and Saturday, all at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and online here. These photos were taken at last night's dress rehearsal.

The MHS broadcast journalism bingo fundraiser is Saturday, Nov. 23 and they've updated their list of prizes -- as you'll see on this flier that has all the info you need to know.

Plus:

• The broadcast journalism program is also rolling out its annual calendar fundraiser, with prizes awarded every day in December. Click here for that flier. (Tickets can be purchased through broadcast journalism students or by texting 860-798-1060.)

• The latest edition of "The Pulse' looks at the Road Race, the fall show, and more. And to see the latest IMS News, click here.

• The district is conducting a student coat drive, with new coats preferred but gently used and laundered coats accepted. Click here for details.

• The MHS Marching Band Boosters are holding a fundraiser at Dairy Queen on Hartford Rd. on Monday (Nov. 18). Click here for details.

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Last Friday morning at Squire Village, Family Resource Center teams from Keeney and Verplanck, joined by Student Engagement Specialists and the Manchester Police Department, kicked off the day by walking students to the bus stop!

Also:

• Check out the district Facebook page for a video story about Vision To Learn, a program bringing free vision care directly to students, which made a stop at Bennet Academy.

Thursday, Nov. 14
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. -- Toddling Tots at Mary Cheney Library.
6 - 8 p.m. -- Family Fun Night at 153 Spruce St.
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. -- ABC Storytime at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 p.m. -- Native American Native Cooking and Food Preparation at Whiton Library.
7 p.m. -- BoE meeting at Lincoln Center.
8 p.m. -- The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Cheney Hall.

Friday, Nov. 15
11 a.m. -- Preschool playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
5 - 7:30 p.m. -- Beauty in Chaos: A Symphony of Color & Form exhibit opening at WORK_SPACE.
6 - 8 p.m. -- Family Fun Night: Friendship Bracelet Night at 153 Spruce St.

Saturday, Nov. 16
10 a.m. -- Preschool Playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. -- Household Hazardous Waste collection at 321 Olcott St.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. -- Historical Moments: Military contributions of African Americans at Mary Cheney Library.

Sunday, Nov. 17
6 - 7 p.m. -- Audition for February production of ‘Murder Inn’ at Cheney Hall

Monday, Nov. 18
7 p.m. -- Audition for February production of ‘Murder Inn’ at Cheney Hall.
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, Nov 19
4:30 - 7 p.m. -- Fundraiser of Vending for Change at Cafe Aura
6 p.m. -- Manchester Youth Commision meeting at YSB, 63 Linden St

Wednesday, Nov. 20
10:30 - 11 a.m. -- Preschool Dance Party at Mary Cheney Library.

• If you are considering 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.

• CAST children’s theatre presents ‘Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS’ on Monday and Tuesday and ‘Oliver Jr.’ on Nov. 21 and 22. Click here for showtimes, ticket info and more.

• ‘Something Rotten!’ runs at Cheney Hall through Nov. 24.

• MACC Charities’ 16th annual Emergency of Hunger food drive continues Saturday and Sunday at Stop and Shop. Click here for more details.

• The Leaf Collection Program is under way and you can click here to see the schedule and here for the area map.

• 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 Manchester Greater Together Community Fund announced a competitive grant opportunity for nonprofits proposing projects to benefit the residents of Manchester. Click for details.
• A coloring contest for children ages 5-10 who live in town will determine who gets to light the Downtown Manchester Christmas tree. The contest deadline is tomorrow and the tree-lighting event is Nov. 30 and there's more info here.

• The Youth Service Bureaus 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).

• Make friendship bracelets at Family Fun Night on Nov. 15 at 153 Spruce St. Click here to learn more.

• The Manchester Land Trust will hold a special tag sale at 330 Bush Hill Rd on Dec. 6, 7, 8.

• The 9th annual Manchester-CT Jazz Festival will be held at Cheney Hall on Dec. 7.

• The Knights of Columbus will be hosting ‘Pizza with Santa’ at St. James Church on Dec. 8. Click here for details.

• Santa’s Workshop opens on Dec. 12 at Wickham Park and runs through Dec. 23. Click here for details.

• CAST children’s theatre’s 14th annual Holiday Showcase Toy Drive will take place on Dec. 11. Click here for details.

On Wednesday afternoon, five seniors from the Manchester High girls soccer team signed letters of intent to play at Division I and II schools next fall as family and friends looked on. Left to right above are: Gabby Smith (CCSU); Olivia Goss (Franklin Pierce University); Liz Schoeneberger (Assumption College); Addison Hall (University of Akron) and Eme Christy (CCSU). And here they are again, up closer:

This time it's Liz, Gabby, Olivia, Eme and then Addison.

The MHS football team (5-3) beat Southington 26-20 on the road last Friday and travel to New Britain to play the Hurricanes (7-1) this Friday with playoff implications. Senior captain Joe Mugovero (right) has caught 61 passes for 960 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games. The Red Hawks close out the regular season at home on Friday, Nov. 22 against East Hartford in the traditional Thanksgiving game.

Also

• The Manchester Rec Department is offering a basketball skill development program for boys and girls ages 9 -12 at Mahoney Recreation Center from December through February. Evaluations will be held tonight (Nov. 14) and you can learn more by clicking here.

Almost 10k runners/walkers have registered for the 88th Manchester Road Race that willl start at 10 a.m. sharp on Thursday, Nov.28 The entry fee is now $37 and goes up to $42 on Nov. 23. Click here for registration information.

Also:

• Road Race Saturday serves is a celebration of the race and the community, all activities as a prelude to the annual 4.737-mile Thanksgiving Day race and will take place at Manchester High School on Nov. 23.

Manchester celebrates Veterans Day with a parade from American Legion Drive to Manchester Memorial Hospital, where a ceremony is held that includes include taps, bagpipes, speeches and more.

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.