School Briefs: Snow Make Up Days, Retirement Announcements and Donations

Manchester students will have two make up days this summer; long-serving teachers and staff retire

Students will have to wait two more days for summer. Members of the Manchester Schools Board of Education approved a revision of the 2010-11 school calendar, extending the school year to make up days missed due to inclement weather, during a public meeting last week. The board also accepted the resignations for retirement of a number of long-serving peronnel and donations from various sources.

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Hawks Soar to New Heights in 2011

Before falling to three-time champion Kingsway, the Manchester boys basketball team advanced farther in the NJSIAA Tournament than any other group in program history

When Manchester High School senior Nate Nickens blocked a lay-up attempt by Kingsway’s Rondell Gilmore – one of the best players in South Jersey – with less than 30 seconds left in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III final against the top-seeded Dragons on Tuesday, Hawks coach Ryan Ramsay could not help but think one thing. “Holy (cow),” Ramsay remembered thinking. “We’re going to win a state championship.” It was not to be, however, as Nickens missed a free throw following the block and a controversial foul allowed Kyler Grigsby to hit the two game-winning free throws with 18 seconds to play, giving Kingsway its third straight sectional championship and leaving Manchester still searching for its first. Although the Hawks fell short this …

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A Look Ahead

Manchester High School Students Set to Stage 'Hairspray' This Weekend

Friday night performance sold out, tickets available for Saturday shows

Manchester Township High School students have been working hard to prepare for this weekend’s much anticipated production of the musical "Hairspray." “The upbeat show offers plenty of musical numbers. Students have been hard at work learning the choreography and music,” said Jennifer Ansbach, Business Manager in charge of ticket sales. "Hairpray," a musical inspired by a 1988 film, tells the story of a teen in the 1960s who dreams of dancing on a popular television show and her rise to instant celebrity. A second film version, based on the musical, was produced in 2007 and stars John Travolta.  Principal Alexander George said that he is looking forward to watching his students show off their talents this weekend. “I know there are a lot of…

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Tentative 2011-12 Manchester School Budget Approved

More in-depth presentations will come after March 23, board said

The Manchester Board of Education on March 3 approved its tentative 2011-12 budget during a special meeting. The budget has since been submitted for approval from the county superintendent. "They will review it and make comments and recommendations, at which time if we have to make any changes, we will do that," said Business Administrator Craig Lorentzen.  The proposed  2011-12 budget calls for general fund revenue of $46,364,752. The introduced local tax levy was $38,695,101.  The 2010-11 local tax levy was $37,634,507, according to a district budget document. After county approval, the budget, Lorentzen said, will then be presented "in detail" during a required public meeting that will be scheduled between March 23 and March 29. School …

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Airman Makes Surprise Visit to Whiting Students

Airman Michael Harrold dropped in after talking with students over Skype while in Afghanistan

The last time Airman Michael Harrold and Whiting School fifth graders spoke, he was some 6,700 miles away.  Students had no idea the U.S. Air Force serviceman, who chatted with the kids over the internet messenger Skype while stationed in Afghanistan, was in back in the country, let alone in their school. When students were asked to cover their eyes on Feb. 24, they thought they were beginning an exercise for Spanish class. Harrold quietly entered the classroom and took his seat.  "Hola, amigos," Harrold said, greeting the surprised fifth graders who now found their long-distance video chat partner sitting just a few feet away.  Harrold took questions from the students of Loreen Reiman and Shari Buhnerkemper's classes for about thirty …

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In Tough Times, Manchester Teachers Get Resourceful

DonorsChoose.org provides funds for extra materials to make classroom learning exciting

Each school year, many Manchester Township teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on materials necessary to enrich their students’ learning experiences. Through the use of an online charity website, DonorsChoose.org, teachers now have an easy and creative way to ask for donations and to receive assistance with extra expenses that are not covered by the district budget.     Public school teachers are able to “shop online for the specific items that they would like to use in the classroom, then plead their case to the public by writing an essay describing how the students will benefit from the donated materials,” said Robyn Pilcher, a third-grade teacher at Ridgeway Elementary School who has used the nonprofit organization to …

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School Board Opposes State Scholarship Bills

Opportunity Scholarship Act would use public money to pay for private school educations

The Manchester Board of Education approved a resolution affirming its opposition to state bills that they said would unfairly divert much needed funds from public to private schools.The Opportunity Scholarship Act, presented as Senate Bill 1872 and Assembly Bill 2810, would allow children living in a targeted district which operates more than one underperforming school to apply for a voucher to attend another public or private school.“In essence, what these bills would do is allow corporations to donate funds in lieu of tax payments to the state to a separate scholarship fund that … would provide scholarships in certain identified districts to children who could use them to attend private and religious schools,” said board member Donald …

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Rising Fuel Costs a Concern as Manchester School Board Crafts Budget

School principals, administrators offer presentations on spending priorities, concerns

While most principals and department supervisors said during presentations to the Manchester Board of Education last week that their budgets would remain relatively stable next school year, increasing fuel costs could strain the spending plan. The two days of presentations were held on Feb. 8 and 9 as part of the board's efforts to keep the public informed as it crafts the 2011-12 budget. "We all know that there's a 2 percent cap out there, which does not provide for many exceptions," Superintendent David Trethaway said, referring to the state Legislature's reduction of last year's 4 percent spending increase cap to 2 percent this year. "For example, if fuel goes up, which we fear it might go up …. there's no allowance for that, so …

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Manchester Superintendent Addresses State School Report Card

Superintendent David Trethaway talks about the state assessment and upcoming budgetary concerns

A state report released on Tuesday showed that, while most data gathered from Manchester High School was comparable to state averages, the school had a higher suspension rate, fewer students planning to attend two-year colleges and less enrolled in advanced courses. District Superintendent David Trethaway addressed these areas of concern and other information presented in the district's NJ Department of Education report card. According to the report, 29 percent of Manchester's high school students were suspended last year, more than double the state average of 14 percent. Trethaway said that the high percentage is due to more students serving in in-school suspension for minor offenses rather than attending detention after school. “I would …

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