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Webster Elementary School’s 4th and 5th grade girls’ basketball team just wrapped up their undefeated season, led by Coach Katie LaBranche. Katie LaBranche is a Title I Reading Supervisor at Webster Elementary and a mother to one of the girls on the team. She also chairs Manchester Proud’s Council.  This year’s championship is particularly notable, since only four of the team’s players returned from last year.

Asking the girls about their favorite part of being on the team, they all echoed the same feelings of enjoying being together. 5th grader, Liah says, “spending time with my friends and learning new skills”. 5th grader, Quinn added, “We have built a family around the team”. Not only were the girls like family, but they truly felt encouraged and uplifted by their coach. About Coach Katie, 4th grader, Isla says, “She is practically my idol”. 5th grader, Gloria adds, “She’s the best coach I’ve ever had”.

Eight girls on the team had never been on a team before. About this, 5th grader, Else says, “There are so many rules in basketball and they’re always changing”. To overcome this, the girls practiced three times a week and they calculated that they practiced for over 50 hours throughout the season. Coach Katie highlighted their dedication by noting that the students spent recess time creating new plays for the team. She says, “They worked hard this season”. 

About winning the championship, 4th grader, Aniya says, “It was like getting a new cat or dog and having a birthday party at the same time”. Webster Elementary School completed their undefeated season in a Championship game against McDonough Elementary School.About this 4th grader, Isla says, “McDonough is a great team so we weren’t sure that we would be able to win”. 4th grader, Anola added to this saying, “We didn’t even make the playoffs last year”! 

Coach Katie explained, “It’s like a little community” with all the alumni, students, and families coming together to encourage and celebrate the team. She told a story of Leah who arrived here from the Dominican Republic when she was in 1st grade; her father had played basketball during his time in the Dominican Republic and he came to give the girls pointers and stretches to utilize. Webster PTO also helped raise funds to purchase hoodies for the entire team, that they all wore during our interview. 

This group of students is highly involved. When asked who participates in another club or team at school, every single student raised their hand. Some examples of this are: French club, chess club, strings, 21st Century, YMCA, band, Girls Scout, BringIt!, and Boys and Girls Club. In addition to these extracurriculars, they also participate in various sports, moving into new seasons in baseball, lacrosse, girls on the run, and archery.

When saying goodbye, the girls were excited to show their team cheer. They stood together in a circle with their hands stacked together in the center and yelled, “I, 2, 3, Webster”. Congratulations to the Webster Elementary School’s 4th and 5th grade basketball team on your championship and undefeated season!

During February Vacation, a group of Manchester School District students spent part of their break earning over 20 IRCs (Industry Recognized Credentials). These credentials include AED/CPR, First Aid, ServSafe, and Fire Extinguisher operation certification. Students also enjoyed a presentation from ARMI/BioFab, where they shared about the breakthroughs happening here in our city!

On the afternoon of the final day, the group enjoyed a luncheon to celebrate their hard work with Fidelity Investments, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester School District staff, School Board members, Mayor Jay Ruais, and Member of PNWG June Trisciani.

Congratulations to these students for their hard work in earning their IRCs!

On March 8, 2024, The Weston 4th and 5th grade basketball team celebrated their championship season. They celebrated with a pizza party and the reveal of their banner. A banner that will be proudly displayed at the school for years to come! The team is made of up of fourteen 4th and 5th-grade boys and two coaches, Jon LaVallee and Jon Ramos (both have sons on the team). 

Jon LaVallee, the coach of the team and parent to a student on the team has been coaching for 7-8 years, Jon’s oldest son is even coaching with the middle school team! About the team, he said, “We wish the season was longer, they are a great team. This is about building character and keeping them out of trouble. They need this”. Logan, a 5th grader and Jon’s son, tells us what it is like to have his dad as the coach, “It’s cool because I get to go home with him and he helps me and gives me pointers”. 

Gavin, a 5th grader who has been on the team for the past two years, explained that his favorite part of the team was, “being with my friends”. Gavin’s father joined our conversation and explained how he was deployed in the military this past year.  During his deployment, this team was really what his son needed. He said, “It was good for Gavin while I was away”. 

Aaron Junior, a 4th grader, when asked his name, responded “I’m Aaron Junior because my dad is Aaron”. His dad looked over at Aaron with a big smile.  The room is full of proud parents! Aaron Junior was excited by our conversation as he explained, “I like writing stories, like sports stories and I know how to write in cursive”. Watch out world, we have a sports reporter in the making! 

Jaymani and Jakobe are both 5th graders and second year on the team, and Jakobe’s father is coach, Jon Ramos. They were excited to sit down with us, but together. About their team, they explained, “It’s a lot of fun, our team is amazing, couldn’t have done it without them”. Jaymani and Jakobe explained they have been friends their whole lives as their parents are friends. The friendship expanded beyond the team and the students, around the room parents were gathered laughing and chatting. 

Lucas, 5th grade, says, “I like it because my friends are on the team” and another student who we previously spoke to, Aaron Junior, 4th grader, yells, “That’s what I said!”. Each student we spoke to said the same thing, they enjoyed their team because they are all friends. Chris, a 4th grader on the team explains, “I like it because they’re not in my class, but we get to be friends and can play basketball together”. Aaron Junior, 4th grader, explains, “…that’s why we won, because we are all friends.”

Following the interviews, students were given a gift bag with a sweatshirt and team photo. After opening their gift bags, the group sat down and enjoyed some cake! After receiving their gift bag, they took a group picture in their new swag yelling, “1, 2, 3 Champs!”. Asking the group if they plan on wearing their sweatshirts on Monday, a student exclaimed, “I am never taking it off”! 

These interviews were some of the most challenging that we have conducted because this group of boys are truly best of friends and were so joyful to be together playing ball, rather than sitting still for an interview. It was a real pleasure to be able to chat with this amazing team and the community surrounding them. Congratulations to the Weston Whirlwinds!

In mid-February, we “experienced” a CHAOS 131 meeting at Central High School in Manchester, NH. CHAOS 131 is the Central High School FIRST Robotics Team. Spilt between four rooms were about 30 students and 10 mentors, all working together toward one goal…FIRST Robotics Worlds! 

Advisor of CHAOS 131 and Central High School Science teacher, Charles (CJ) Chretien, gave us a tour of their workspace as well as introduced us to many students and mentors. Mr. Chretien has been involved with the FIRST Robotics team since 2014/2015. About the team, Mr. Chretien says, “It’s like a family,” and told a story of several participants who have met their spouses through the team. A Manchester resident himself, with children within the district, Mr. Chretien says, “This is an amazing thing happening in Manchester, making Manchester a better place.”

What exactly is FIRST Robotics? FIRST Robotics is an international youth organization that operates the FIRST Robotics Competition along with other branches of FIRST Robotics. Established by Dean Kamen in the late 80s, Central High School was not far behind in establishing its team in 1992. What do you do at these Competitions? On the First Saturday in January, information is released to FIRST Robotics teams, information they will use to begin constructing a robot. The 2024 theme is centered around “music” including amps and speakers, into which the robot must put “music notes” (round discs)  successfully. To make it to FIRST Robotics Worlds, the team must qualify at Districts. CHAOS 131 will be competing at Districts at Salem High School and Revere High School. Upon qualification, CHAOS 131 will proceed on to Worlds in Houston, Texas. 

During our visit, the team was in peak development of their robot and all of its many components. As mentioned, students were split into four different rooms, each room having a specific duty. About this split, Mr. Chretien says, “a team is like a company with departments such as engineering, programming, communication, fundraising, and more.” The four rooms during this day included one room focusing on the mechanical and electrical build of the robot, one room focusing on applying for the FIRST Robotics IMPACT award, one room focusing on the programming of the robot, and last but not least one room focusing on the protection elements of the robot. 

Each room had at least one mentor, who are working professionals that volunteer their time to come in to assist in the FIRST Robotics program. Mentors present included a former FIRST Robotics advisors, a lawyer, a quality assurance manager, engineers, programmers, and FIRST Robotics program alumni. These mentors work with students to assist in learning through hands-on experiences in their assigned area. 

CHAOS 131 not only is building a robot for competitions, but are working to make Manchester a better place. In 2023, They completed over 700 volunteer hours as a team, participating in events such as CelebratED and hosting their own events. One example of an event that they hosted was in partnership with a local Girl Scout Troop. Through this event, they provided instruction and materials for the troop to create their own robot to earn 3 badges! The week prior to us visiting CHAOS 131, they had gone to McDonough Elementary School to facilitate an art project as well as conduct a demo of their robot. 

Not only is the team working to give back to the community, but they are demonstrating teamwork and sportsmanship. About FIRST Robotics’ sportsmanship, Mr. Chretian says, “One of FIRST Core Values is Gracious Professionalism. We operate with that in mind as a team.” While describing this, Mr. Chretien shows two students who are printing a piece for Memorial High School’s robot. “We are ahead of schedule and Memorial asked us to help out so we are happy to,” said Mr. Chretien. 

Want more information about CHAOS 131 or to see where they will be competing next? https://www.chaos131.com/ 

Interested in being a sponsor of CHAOS 131? Email 131chaos@gmail.com

Part 2

Programming Team – The Programming Team of CHAOS 131 Central High School’s FIRST Robotics team is working in Java Programming. Their job is to create programming to make the robot drive. About this team, advisor Charles (CJ) Chretien says, “This is real-world experience. We encourage students to take classes on programming, but this will show you how to implement those skills”. Mr. Chretien further explains how they have had to add in comments to their code to record errors that occur during competitions, enabling the team to problem solve.

Some programmers joined this meeting via Zoom, this stems from COVID but has proven  effective for busy schedules. The in-person team works collaboratively with the virtual team as pictured below.

Part 3

Matt Bisson is an alumnus of Central High School (Class of 2017) and currently works at DEKA as a Systems Engineer. He discovered his love for engineering through FIRST Robotics and Central High School’s team, CHAOS 131. Matt continues to work with the team through mentorship.About being back as a mentor Matt says, “It’s cool to give back to the program and students”. 

Matt shares his excitement about CHAOS 131 journey to Worlds, “the last time we went to Worlds was during my senior year in 2017”. His confidence aligns with the team upgrading equipment since his time in 2017, including a 3D printer and other mechanical and electrical technologies. Matt credits this to grants provided by the Department of Education, but also to Assistant Superintendent, Nicole Doherty and School board member, Jim O’Connell advocating for funding for the program. 

Part 4

Mia is a senior at Central High School who is a Dean’s List Semi-Finalist, an award based on Leadership and Impact. Mia plans to attend Wentworth Institute of Technology to study both Fine Arts and Robotics. Mia used her love of art, robotics, and desire to give back to the community to facilitate a workshop at McDonough Elementary School. She facilitated an art project and the CHAOS 131 team then gave a demonstration to the school of their robot. 

Part 5

Tony Pion is an alumnus of Central High School (Class of 2020) and currently in his senior year at UNH Manchester, while working full-time in Computer Information Systems at Mainstay Technologies. Troy participated in FIRST Robotics during his time at Central High School and returns back to mentor. About his time in FIRST Robotics, “Participating helped me with electrical knowledge in my career”. Troy assisted students with wiring and electrical components  of the robot. 

Part 6

Caiden – is a senior at Central High School, who plans to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering. Caiden received acceptance into all the schools that he applied to and is still deciding on the right school for him. Caiden has been a part of CHAOS 131 since his sophomore year (2020 was his Freshman year and CHAOS 131 was not active) and has worked a lot in the CAD (computer-aided design) software to create the blueprints for constructing the robot. About his work Caiden says, “I enjoy the CAD work the most, but now that’s basically done, it’s fun to be in the shop building.” 

Part 7

Isaac is a junior at Central High School, who is also on the baseball team. He participates in the shop where the robot is built and during competition he does some scouting.Through Isaac’s experience with baseball, he has developed scouting skills to collect data at competitions. He then puts this data into spreadsheets for analysis and reporting. When asked what he liked about FIRST Robotics, “I like design, I plan to go into some sort of engineering – mechanical or robotics.” 

Part 8

Zuzu is a sophomore at Central High School, who has been a part of FIRST Robotics for both of her years. When asked why she joined FIRST Robotics, Zuzu says, “I want to be a Wildlife Biologist. A lot of biologists want to learn the science, but stay clear of the robots.  But the only way to observe wildlife is by creating robots that blend in with surroundings.” Zuzu works in the design and construction of the robot to get experience that she is hoping to transfer into her career as a Wildlife Biologist. 

Part 9

Oliver is a senior at Central High School and has been a part of FIRST Robotics since his freshman year. Oliver will be the driver of the robot for the 2024 competition season. When asked about his favorite thing in regard to FIRST Robotics, Oliver says, “Build and design robots.” He hopes to continue this work into his career as he has been accepted into several colleges, including Wentworth and WPI to study Mechanical Engineering. 

Part 10

Lexi is a junior at Central High School, who just joined the FIRST Robotics team this year. Lexi was encouraged to join by the team advisor, Charles (CJ) Chretien, as she would like to go into a STEM major like Chemical Engineering. When asked what she enjoys most about FIRST Robotics, Lexi says, “I really like hands-on work and assembling in the shop.”

Want more information about CHAOS 131 or to see where they will be competing next? https://www.chaos131.com/ 

Interested in being a sponsor of CHAOS 131? Email 131chaos@gmail.com

On Friday, January 26, 2024, Manchester Proud worked together with the Manchester School District to coordinate and distribute 200 brand-new coats to our students. This effort was part of Operation Warm, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide winter coats and shoes to children in need. Operation Warm partners with corporations and organizations who fundraise, deliver, and distribute these items to students all over the country. 

“In our cold New England winters, a good, warm coat is a necessity, whether you’re walking to school or playing outside with friends,” said Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel Gillis. “Operation Warm helps meet a critical need, bringing us new, high-quality coats for the students that need them the most. We are incredibly grateful for the program’s continued efforts, as well as for the Bean Foundation, which provided the funding. We would also like to thank Manchester Proud, which helped coordinate the donations. As I often say, we are stronger together – this is just another great example of how our students benefit when the community comes together.”

“The Bean Foundation would like to thank Operation Warm and Manchester Proud for ensuring that students in Manchester are provided with warm coats,” said Bean Foundation Director, Leslee Stewart. “The Bean Foundation is proud to support this important community effort.”

You can learn more about Operation Warm here: https://www.operationwarm.org/

Strong school to community partnerships are essential for meeting the needs of 21st-century learners. Manchester Proud plays a crucial role in aligning student opportunities with the resources and needs of local businesses. From our earliest days, Manchester Proud has been supported by our business partners who, like us, are focused on the success of our community. We know that a thriving school district is essential to a thriving community and we are poised to move to the next step.

Building our next workforce in Manchester.

We have built trust, partnerships, and systems – we are here and we are ready.

Manchester Proud in collaboration with the Manchester School District has created an integrated Career Connected Learning Initiative that engages students, families, and local businesses, providing opportunities for students at every grade band to experience and learn from our local business partners.

Career Connected Learning is an approach that combines classroom learning with real-world experiences and opportunities related to careers. The goal is to prepare students for the workforce by providing them with practical skills, knowledge, and exposure to a variety of careers. Businesses can participate in a variety of levels: building awareness in classrooms or schools by participating in career days; speaking in classes or hosting tours; helping students explore careers by hosting job shadows; helping with mock interviews; or deeper career exploration discussions. This initiative also allows for full immersion into industries by hosting students as interns and apprentices. Building awareness, exploring careers, and immersing students provides opportunities for students as young as kindergarteners to learn about what happens at a business and for older students to gain in-depth, hands-on experiences.

The goal of Manchester Proud’s Career Connected Learning Initiative is to bridge the gap between education and the workforce, making sure that students are best prepared to enter the workforce and that companies are engaged and active participants in the process. This holistic approach supports not only the needs of the child but the needs of the community – creating a rich and thriving partnership.

The Career Connected Learning Initiative is beneficial to our students, families, and businesses. Students are exposed to different career pathways. This is essential for their personal and professional development, enabling them to make informed decisions, acquire diverse skills, and navigate the complexities of the modern job market.

Companies involved in career-connected learning for students contribute to the development of a well-prepared and skilled workforce, while simultaneously benefiting from a range of advantages related to talent acquisition, innovation, and community engagement.

Manchester Proud is eager to prioritize this work over the next several years. We are uniquely positioned to help support the creation and successful implementation of this initiative. Due to strong business connections and strong relationships with the schools, we are able to help bridge the divide between the two silos – breaking them down and creating unique opportunities across the community.

Our businesses want to do the work, our schools are eager to do the work and Manchester Proud is able to provide the map. ONWARD!

CCL Opportunity: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cW-gkShZzLObISlNnhkv6zfQ7y-Kx9Nj/view 

Manchester Proud continues to grow as an increasingly effective and valued partner of our schools, community organizations, and businesses. Of course, we have taken some missteps along the way, but thankfully they have been few, manageable, and instructive – we have learned a lot!

We have also gotten some things right from the start. Our founders had the good sense to realize that our strength would not come from one or a few individuals but from broad community engagement and mutually rewarding partnerships. They established several fundamental ground rules to ensure Manchester Proud’s sustained relevance and continuity:

• Set politics aside and welcome all who commit to the success of our students and public schools
• Respect the authority of our school leaders and elected officials and build authentic partnerships to expedite their good work
• Know that our collective vision of great public schools is bigger than any one person or group, including our founders, Council, school leaders, and elected officials.

Indeed, the success of our students and public schools is so profoundly important that its achievement must transcend dependence upon any one individual or group. During Manchester Proud’s six-year history, we have been deeply grateful for the productive relationships we have enjoyed with our Mayor, three Superintendents of School, and three Boards of School Committee. In each case, through inevitable transitions, our work has continued forward, driven by our higher purpose of making exceptional public schools for ALL of Manchester.

Soon we will again transition to governance by a new Mayor and Boards of Aldermen and School Committee. We congratulate all who have been elected and thank those who have served. Undoubtedly, new voices will now be heard in our community’s dialog, bringing added ideas and perspectives. Manchester Proud welcomes all in the spirit of friendship and collaboration, as we attain common ground in the pursuit of what really matters – the wellbeing and futures of our children and community.

Last month was an exciting time for Manchester Proud! We spent most of the month (and considerable time before) preparing for  the State of the Manchester School District Community Forum and CelebratED 2023 Festival! Both of these events highlight the amazing things that are happening in Manchester’s public schools!

The second annual State of the Manchester School District 2023-2024 was on held September 21, 2023 at the REX Theatre. Produced in partnership by Manchester Proud, the District and Greater Manchester Chamber, the event was an evening where local business and community leaders  gathered with Manchester School District officials for an update on the District’s progress to-date and goals for the new school year. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jennifer Chmiel Gillis and her team impressed us all with their professionalism and passion for the success of Manchester’s students.

Here’s a sampling of some of the updates provided during State of the Manchester School District: 

• The District’s communications with students, parents, staff and community will be enhanced by its new website and logo. Participating in school is the first step toward learning. A new “Show Up Manchester” program has been launched to boost attendance.
• Our Bakersville Elementary School will become the first dual language immersion school in New Hampshire!
• Student outcomes have improved, in part due to more standardization in curricula between schools. 

After hearing from the District’s Leadership Team, Dr. Gillis took questions from the audience as well as individuals online. There were over 30 questions submitted, which shows  passion and care for the success of our students and schools! Mayor Joyce Craig closed the program with remarks on how critical the success of our public schools is the future of all of Manchester. 

Riding the success and joy felt from the second annual State of the Manchester School District , CelebratED took place that very weekend. On September 23, 2023, Veteran’s Park was transformed into a festival to celebrate our public schools! This year our celebration of Manchester’s schools and community drew the biggest crowd to-date and filled Veteran’s Park with joyful students and families. (Since the event was open to the public, which came and went throughout the day, it is difficult to determine total attendance. However, a rough count indicated 5,000 attendees in the park at mid-day!)

The day began with welcoming remarks by our Mayor, Superintendent of Schools, and Manchester Proud’s Council Chair. Next came the induction of this year’s new City Year Corps Members, followed by non-stop entertainment and school celebrations from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Our Planning Team’s decision to include more student performances and fewer professional entertainers was another big step forward and attracted many enthusiastic students and parents.

Everyone in the park enjoyed options for multi-cultural food, free age-appropriate books for all students, and countless activities for kids of all ages.

Here’s a sampling of the festival’s success stories:

• For the first time, all 21 Manchester public schools participated in the event, many with thoughtfully planned and rehearsed performances.
• This year we added the “Music Café”, an off main stage venue for our high school and middle school students to provide solo performances.
• Also new this year was the “Art Gallery in The Park”, an enclosed area with portal entrance to provide a more statured setting for displaying student art.  There were 200 linear feet of fence space covered on both sides with wonderful artwork!
• Last year we were thrilled to report that 31 community organizations joined our event with booths and activities.  Remarkably, this year we had nearly 50!  This strong showing, in spite of questionable weather, is a clear indication that CelebratED is becoming a must-attend annual event.
• Our “Game Changer” awards were added to the presentations, honoring 110 students, teachers, and staff from all 21 schools, who were chosen by their principals for going above and beyond to make their schools great.  This is the ultimate spirit of CelebratED!
• We celebrated science education with a robotics competition and Manchester School of Technology’s student-built an airplane.
• Manchester Police, Fire, and Health Departments all joined-in with horses, ponies, fire trucks and a dental care van.
• 895 elementary school students participated in our “We Show Up” contest, won by the Smyth Road School. Smyth Road School will enjoy a party sponsored by SEE Science Center and the Puritan Backroom! 
• 847 students left with books, book markers, and a boost to their interest in reading.

Once again, we fed thousands – all free!  We expanded our multi-cultured menu this year to include:  Greek pizza, Caribbean, Thai, and Mediterranean food, plus Kona Ice for all kids.

All of this was made possible by 23 business partners and our CEAG (City of Manchester Community Event & Activation Grant) funding (please see those partners in our Sponsor Highlight section of the newsletter) which enabled us to make the event free to all kids and families. Eliminating cost, communicating in multiple languages, providing an ASL interpreter for all on-stage performances, and offering free transportation are all part of our commitment to making CelebratED accessible to everyone in Manchester.

 Onward to planning State of Manchester School District 2024-2025 and CelebratED 2024!

On July 12, 2023, Manchester Proud held its fifth annual meeting. Each year we find ourselves with more to celebrate, and this year was no exception. Dr. Gillis provided an inspiring summary of her recent report to the Board of School Committee, demonstrating progress across all three goals of the strategic plan: Grow our Learners, Educators, and System. Also, among the meeting’s highlights was the welcoming of ten new members to our Champion’s Council. All are extraordinary new talents that boost our capacity to seize the opportunities ahead.

The second half of the meeting brought the Council together to explore possibilities for the continuation and growth of Manchester Proud’s work. Prior to the meeting, we consulted with Superintendent Gillis to identify opportunities for ongoing and new partnerships between Manchester Proud and the District. The four most promising became topics of group and breakout discussions at the annual meeting:

Topic 1: Community Awareness and Family Engagement to Support Student Success

How might we better enable students and families to share their needs/concerns/suggestions and problem-solve with the District?

Topic 2: Integrated School-Based Supports for the Health and Wellbeing of Students and Families:

How might we facilitate partnerships to promote improved communications, access, and more equitable distribution of community services and resources?

Topic 3: Partnerships for Pathways to Postsecondary Education and Careers:

What are the next steps in our development of business partnerships to create career pathways for our students and promote a thriving workforce for our community?

Topic 4: Resource Development and Fundraising to Support Initiatives:

What resources will be needed to implement our initiatives and realize our goals for our students and schools?

The Council will reconvene for a dedicated strategic planning session on August 9th, when these and other potential initiatives will be probed more deeply. While our core mission remains sharply focused on the making of exceptional public schools, the ways and means of our work continue to evolve – as they should! For Manchester Proud to be most impactful in its partnerships with the Manchester School District, we must acknowledge the long-term nature of our work, continue to learn as we go and adapt to emerging needs and opportunities.

ONWARD!