Noelle Barber, a first grader at Klager Elementary School, with her artwork, a needle-felted reimagining of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Red Canna, which was displayed at Michigan Department of Education’s “Masterpiece Reimagined” event in Lansing last month. She was selected for special recognition. Photo courtesy of Theresa Herron.

submitted by Luther C. Klager Elementary School

“Masterpiece Reimagined” was an event held recently by the Michigan Department of Education, Resource for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Michigan students in grades K–12 with a hearing difference were asked to reimagine a piece of art that they liked, using any medium they wanted. The resulting art pieces were then displayed at a gallery space in Lansing, on May 2, 2026. Noelle Barber, a first grader at Klager Elementary School in Manchester, worked with her speech language pathologist (SLP), Theresa Herron, and her art teacher, Andrea Worthing, to create an art piece for the event. 

Noelle chose a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe called Red Canna as her inspiration for the project. When the team (student, SLP, and teacher) were discussing different art media, Herron showed them some pictures of a landscape photograph that she was recreating in wool, using a technique called needle felting, or wool painting. For that technique, pieces of wool roving are placed on fabric and then a felting needle is poked through the wool and fabric numerous times to make the wool stick. Noelle asked to try it and liked it, so Herron assembled the materials and they were off. Noelle worked on it after school and during some inside recess times, with the help of Herron and/or Worthing across several weeks. Once she had the last bits of wool in place, Worthing adhered it to some canvas so it could be displayed, and mailed it to Lansing for the event. 

Noelle proudly displayed the ribbon that she won, explaining that she was “one of four people that got a ribbon,” and then presented her project to the Manchester Community Schools Board of Education at their meeting on May 19. Theresa Herron conducted a short interview with Noelle after the meeting. 

Interview with Noelle

by Theresa Herron

What was your favorite part of the art project? 

Finishing it. I was happy—my arm was tired. It took a long time. 

How did you learn what to do?

You taught me with a small one, and then we did a bigger one for my art project. It was fun, but it took a really, really long time. 

How did you choose what art to imitate?

Mrs. Worthing helped me. We looked at some books. Then she found pictures we could look at on the smartboard. I liked the flowers best and then we found one that I liked. 

What do you know about the artist? 

It probably took them less time to make their art. (laughing) Her name is Georgia O’Keeffe.

Who came with you to Lansing?

My mom, my dad, my sister, my grandma and grandpa, my aunts and uncles, and three of my cousins! 

What other art did you see there? 

I got to look at a couple, but I tried to find mine first. There were a couple of Spider-man ones. 

Will you do more art? 

Yes, more needle felting. Maybe a bird next. 

What advice would you give to other students, if they want to do a project like Masterpiece Reimagined? 

I would tell them they have to be brave, there’s gonna be a lot of talking there, it might be loud. And you’re going to have support, like you and Mrs. Worthing. 

(Note: The terms “hearing loss” and “hearing impairment” are not universally supported by the Deaf community—for kids like Noelle, there has been no “loss” of hearing, and many don’t see their differences as an impairment. The more accepted terminology right now is “hearing difference,” as it takes away the judgment about how impaired a person might be.)

Noelle needle felting. Photo courtesy of Theresa Herron.

Noelle’s artwork next to a print of the original. Photo courtesy of Theresa Herron.

Dawna Stockwell serving sloppy joe’s at a previous Emanuel Lunch on Us. Photo by Fritz Swanson.

by Sara Swanson

Lunch on Us, Emanuel Church’s free weekly lunch program, is starting back up for the summer!

Beginning June 10, every Wednesday through August 12, Emanuel will be serving a free lunch from 11:30am to 1:30pm in their fellowship hall, located through the door off of the parking lot in the rear of the building, 324 W Main St.

Caterer and former restaurateur Dawna Stockwell, who oversees the food preparation and serving, explained that they serve anywhere from 200 to 350 people during lunchtime.

While you can give a donation when eating lunch, it is not expected. The donations received along with grants they have received go to pay for future free meals for the community.

In recognition that school is out for the summer and that they will be feeding many children, the church opens their gym for play during lunch and also provides Legos.

Stockwell said, “This is for everyone not just children or grandparents. Everyone is welcome!”

Come enjoy a free lunch and help spread the word!

Bryan Barnard. Courtesy photo.

submitted by Katie Altherr, Riverside Intermediate Office Secretary

Manchester Community Schools is proudly honoring five longtime staff members whose combined 154 years of service have left a lasting impact on the district and community. This year’s retirees include Mrs. Laura Neal, Mrs. Karin Villarreal, Mr. Bryan Barnard, Mr. Ron Tindall, and Mr. John Wilkins. Last week Karin Villarreal reflected on her journey. This week Bryan Barnard has:

I started working at Manchester in June of 1993 as a summer migrant teacher and continued doing that for eight summers.

I taught sixth grade for 10 years. I started out teaching all subjects, and then just language arts when we departmentalized. I taught fifth-grade language arts and social studies for two years. And I taught young 5s through 6th-grade physical education for 16 years.

I coached football for 14 years, basketball for 20 years, and baseball for two years.

I grew up in Manchester and graduated in 1989, then went to Albion College from 1989 to 1993 where I majored in elementary education/physical education and played baseball.

I want to thank my teaching mentor, Curt Fielder, who showed me the ropes and helped me understand so many things they don’t teach you in college. I want to thank Wes Gall, another mentor that coached me in high school, took me on a college visit to Albion, and later helped me through the coaching ranks as Manchester’s athletic director.

I was very fortunate to teach with my wife, Irene, for over 25 years. It was amazing to share ideas and learn from each other.

I want to thank my parents, Ed and Bonnie Barnard, for all the love and support. Their example of work ethic and dedication is second to none.

I also want to thank all the amazing students, parents, and colleagues that I have had the privilege to work with over the past 33 years. It has been a wonderful career!

Good luck, Bryan, with your next adventure!

Ioli Papadopoulou, the recipient of the 2026 MHS Peacemaker Award. Photo courtesy of Colleen McKenney.

by Sara Swanson

The Peacemaker Award was established in 2023 by Manchester Community Schools, along with the help of resident Joan Gaughan, who envisioned the award, and Barry Allen, representing Manchester’s Masonic Lodge, which funds it. It was originally envisioned as an award to be presented to a graduating senior who has shown leadership in quelling bullying or just plain mean behavior among their classmates, but was opened to all students in the district after the first year.

This year it and the accompanying $500 scholarship was again awarded to a graduating senior, Ioli Papadopoulou. What makes Ioli receiving this award even more impressive than usual is that she only attended Manchester High School one year as she was here as a foreign exchange student.

Mrs. Shannon Morton, Manchester High School English teacher, presented the award to Ioli at the high school’s Awards Night. She explained why Ioli was chosen as the award recipient, stating, “Ioli is the president of the Alliance Club, which welcomes all students and works to build a more inclusive school community. Her leadership in the club helped it lead a House Day designed to bring students together in friendly competitions not directly related to physical ability, with the overall goal of boosting mental health for all. She is also a member of SRSLY and the Rolling Dutch. In her short time at Manchester Schools, Ioli has shown that she stands for acceptance of diverse people and viewpoints that promote positive community.”

Ioli’s name will be added to the Peacemaker Plaque alongside last year’s recipient, Travis Schiel; 2024’s recipient, Harley Neigebauer; the inaugural recipient, Caiden Kippnick; and Zoe Riesterer, who was the inspiration for the award.

Congratulations, Ioli!

The new Team States Trophy! Photo courtesy of Michael Coltre.

submitted by Michael Coltre, Coach, Manchester Track and Field

Boys Track are D4 Team State Runner-up!  Girls Top Ten for 2^nd Year in a Row!

Hillsdale, Mi – Manchester just graduated it’s 155^th Senior Class on Thursday May 21^st.  In the School system’s entire history you can count on one hand the times that a Manchester athletic team has placed inside the top two at State competition as a team.  Before 2013, everyone pointed to the 1993 Manchester Silverdome appearance and their runner-up finish to Iron Mountain in Manchester’s best Football season ever.  In 2013, the Girl’s Basketball team went 27-1 and won the Class C State Championship. I’m not in the school right now to look at the banners, but there is at least one and maybe two Wrestling top twos at their Team States in the last 20 years. Outside of those, Manchester has not had many in school history.  We have had a lot of great teams (across many sports), and others that ran up against some super teams, but not many that place top two in the whole State.  On May 23^rd, 2026 you can add another one of those teams to that select group. The 2026 Manchester Boys Track Team has placed top two in D4 at their Team State!

The first person you have to start talking about on this team is Senior Grant Johnson.  At the Team State, he would do four individual events and he would do well in all of them. He would take 2^nd in the Long Jump, 110m Hurdles, and 300m Hurdles.  He would run against his biggest competition in a preview of next Saturday at the State Finals and he is right there.  He would also take 9^th in the Discus.  Our 2^nd person you need to talk about with this team is Junior Jayden Johnson who has had an outstanding season.  He would go onto win the 200m in 22.70, take 5^th in the 100m, and anchor our 4^th place 4x100m Relay and 5^th place 4x200m Relay.

Now, those are the two you have heard the most about, but this is a Team State and it takes the whole team to win and this team proved that there are many more names that contributed to this team title! Justin Gale stepped up big time today as he would run on our 3^rd place 4×8 Relay which is normal for him, but he would run a PR in the 1600m in 4:59.10.  He would then have to sub into the 800m because of injury where he would run a great time and pick up big points for our team.  He would then run the 3200m where he would set a PR of 11:23.81.

Next up would be our distance warrior who has been feeling under the weather since Regionals week.  He has had a very strong season, but this has set him back from what he is capable of.  Even with that he was still able to rise to the occasion today.  Alec Dodak would run a great leg on the 4×8 Relay.  He would then run a solid 1600m and gut out a solid performance in the 3200m when he was not feeling the best.  He did that for the team, and it made all the difference!

There were plenty of others that stepped up and rose to the occasion:

-Brennan Woods – 6^th place in HJ, 7^th place in the 400m, 15^th in the 200m, and would run a great lead off leg on the 4x400m Relay team that clinched the meet

-Michael Navitskis – 7^th in the 110m hurdles and 9^th in the 300m hurdles, and ran a great leg on the 6^th place 4×4 Relay on his Birthday!

-Gavin Lindeman – 9^th place in LJ, 13^th in the 200m, and ran great legs on the 4^th place 4×1 Relay and 5^th place 4×2 Relay

-Gavin Horky – 11^th place 800m and HJ, great anchor leg on the 3^rd place 4×8 Relay, and great anchor leg on the 6^th place 4×4 Relay

-Cade Sayer – 12^th in the 800m, great lead off leg on the 4×8 Relay that took 3^rd, and a great leg on the 4×4 Relay team that took 6^th

-Ethan Hittle – 14^th in the PV, solid in the 100m, and ran legs on the 4^th place 4×1 Relay and 5^th place 4×2 Relay

-Eli Finnegan – 15^th in PV, solid in LJ, and a PR in the 400m in 1:01.67

-Liam Pierce – would PR in the 1600m and run great in his last 3200m of his career and take 19^th

-Wesley Earhart – would run a solid 100m and start off the 4^th place 4×1 Relay and the 5^th place 4×2 Relay

-Brett Brother – threw solid in both the Shot Put and Discus on the last day of throwing of his career

-Lucas Brothers – threw solid in both the Shot Put and Discus and did his job

-Donte Johnson – did his job in High Jump to score big points

-Milo Ryan – threw a PR in Shot Put to do his job

-Max Harvey – ran his 400m to pick up his points for the team

Without any of these efforts, Manchester is not 2^nd place in the State.  The Dutch finished with 1342 points.  3^rd place was Royal Oak Shrine with 1334.5.  4^th was Kalamazoo Hackett with their great Track pedigree and 1306 points.  Gobles rounded out the top 5 with 1240 points.  This was competitive and Manchester rose to the occasion!  Manchester was the top Public School in all of D4 as Hillsdale Academy was the winners.  This also marks the fourth week in a row with a trophy which is also a phenomenal stat!

On the Girls side, the scoring was well balanced even with the cold and rainy weather conditions, but a few stood out as the Girls team improved upon their 10^thplace power rankings as they would take 9^th overall in the meet and just a few points from finishing a couple spots higher.  Siera Jedele would take 3^rd in both the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles.  She would also anchor the 7^th place 4×2 Relay.  Valorie Hieber would take 6^th in the 100m hurdles and 10^th in the 300m hurdles, as well as run a great leg on the 7^th place 4×2 Relay and 4×4 Relay.

Ava Rentfro would have a great day! She would throw a PR in the Disc of 92’7 to take 5^th, she would take 15^th in the Shot Put, and in a new event the 200m she would fill in and run a great time of 30.68 for 23^rd.  Audrina Lauer is next up.  She would take 4^th in LJ, 18^th in the 100m, and run on the 7^th place 4×2 and 8^th place 4×1.  Elle Woods had a good day as she would take 10^th in the 400m, 19^th in the PV, and run on the 7^th place 4×2 and 4×4 Relays!

Teagan Clarke would take 11^th in the PV, 20^th in the Discus with a PR of 70’4, run a season best in the 1600m, and be on our 4×8 Relay! Natasha Seaman would take 12^th in the PV, 18^th in the 200m, 23^rd in the 100m hurdles, and run on the 8^th place 4×1 Relay. Olivia Woods would take 5^th in the LJ with a PR of 14’0.75, 11^th in the HJ, and be on the 8^th place 4×1 Relay as she closed out her Track career. Caroline Mason would run on our 4×8 Relay, take 20^th in the 1600m and 800m, and run on our 7^th place 4×4 Relay! Charlotte Williams would be on our 4×8 Relay, then run the most mileage you can in a track meet as she would run the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m in adverse conditions and she would rack up a ton of points for the team! Amanda Hieber stepped up today and she would run on our 4×8 Relay, take 26^th in the 400m, and 25^th in the 800m, then fill in on our 7^th place 4×4 Relay!

Abbi Austin would take 25^th in LJ, 26^th in the 100m, and be on our 8^th place 4×1 Relay in her last Track meet of her career. Isabella Rattray threw solid today in both the Shot Put and Discus as she closes out her Freshman season.  Giuliana Brother would run two PRs in the 100m, and 400m, and she would also run the open 200m.  Cordelia Matthies would throw solid in her last Shot Put of her career.

Dutch Hurdle Turtles Grab Four Selby Classic Crowns!

Jackson, Mi – The Flying Dutchmen ruled the hurdles and took all four first places as Grant Johnson and Siera Jedele would win the 110/100m Hurdles and 300m Hurdles.  They both would PR in the 110/100m Hurdles in times of 14.75 for Grant and 16.29 for Siera.  Grant has the 2^nd fastest time in D4 and Siera has the 4^thfastest time in D4 this season.  In the 300m Hurdles, they both would win as Grant would run under 40 seconds for the 2^nd straight race and Siera would run a half second PR down to 48.05 which is the 9^th best time in D4. Grant currently owns the 4^th best time in D4 in the 300m Hurdles. The Manchester Hurdle Turtles were rolling tonight! Valorie Hieber would take 2^nd in the 300m Hurdles with a one second PR down to 50.56 and she would also take 4^th in the 100m Hurdles.  Natasha Seaman would take 7^th in the 100m Hurdles.

Our Boys 4x800m Relay of Cade Sayer, Justin Gale, Gavin Horky, and Brennan Woods would run nearly a three second PR as they would take a respectable 4^thplace in a time of 8:42.48. Cade Sayer ran a great lead off leg to keep pace with the fast competition. Natasha Seaman would equal her PR in PV as she would take 3^rd place with a vault of 8’0.  Our Girls 4x400m Relay team would take 4^th with their second-best time of the season in 4:26.30.  This was a team that consisted of Valorie Hieber, Caroline Mason, Natasha Seaman, and Siera Jedele.

Michael Navitskis would run a near PR time of 16.75 to take 5^th in the 110m Hurdles. Gavin Lindeman would jump a PR in Long to 18’10.5 which was good for 6^thplace.  Brennan Woods would leap 5’8 in High Jump for 6^th place as well. Teagan Clarke equaled her PR in PV at 8’0 and would take 6^th.  Grant Johnson would take 6^th in Discus with a throw of 119’9. Gavin Horky would take 7^th in High Jump with a leap of 5’8. Charlotte Williams would run a 30 second PR in the 3200m to take 7^th. Our Boys 4x100m Relay team with a fill in anchor leg would take 6^th place with a respectable time of 47.49. This team consisted of Wesley Earhart, Ethan Hittle, Gavin Lindeman, and Justin Gale who is normally a distance specialist.  Ethan Hittle would PR in the PV with a vault of 10’6.

Don’t forget that Track Camp sign-ups are still open. The sign-up can be found on the school’s revTrack page (https://manchester.revtrak.net/athletics/#/v/Track-and-field-camp-162).  The Camp will run Monday, June 15^th 6-8pm, Wednesday, June 17^th 6-8pm, and finishes on Thursday, June 18^th from 6-8:30pm with a mini Track meet.  Learn from a lot of our great Track athletes, Back-2-Back Regional Champions, and D4 Team State Runner-ups!  Join the Manchester Track Family and have fun!

Next week, you can read about how the Dutchmen did at the D4 MHSAA State Finals.  We are sending a school record 16 athletes to compete with the best in the State! Go Dutch!

The Girls after the Parade of Athletes walk at Team States. Photo courtesy of Michael Coltre.

The Boys pose with their new Team State Trophy! Photo courtesy of Michael Coltre.

Voce Velata. Photo courtesy of Merrill Guerra.

by Sara Swanson

On Thursday, June 11, at 7pm, the youth-led chamber ensemble Voce Velata will be putting on a special performance of In Retrospect in Manchester. Joined by professionals, they will collaborate in a multi-media performance, including live music, spoken commentary, and video performance and documentation.

Voce Velata, based in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area, performs with the mission of unveiling the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and Women composers through deep study and authentic performance. This performance will feature the music of Jessie Montgomery, Fawn Wood, Florence Price, and more.

The Manchester performance will be at Dragonfly and Birch, 115 E Main St, starting at 7pm, and will last approximately an hour. Tickets are $10 and are available in person at Dragonfly and Birch or online on Eventbrite. The money raised from ticket sales will go to Voce Velata, a nonprofit that exists on grants and donations.

Voce Velata last performed in Manchester in June of 2021 as part of the Passport to Manchester event series co-sponsored by the Manchester Area Historical Society and Riverfolk Music & Arts Organization.

Kasia Bielak-Hoops, education director of Voce Velata, offered a glimpse into their process. She wrote:

Our upcoming program, In Retrospect, unfolded like a series of questions our ensemble is learning to hold. What does it mean to interpret music shaped by histories we are still trying to understand? How do we unveil truth with care and respect? On which untold story do we shine the light?

Working with the music of Grammy Award–winning composer Jessie Montgomery has been central to this process. Each season, her Strum returns as a kind of anchor, but it never feels the same. This year, I’ve watched the young musicians of the group move deeper into its rhythmic structure and take ownership over the interpretation. Montgomery writes that music is a “meeting place” where people can encounter both difference and shared stories. In rehearsal, I see that idea taking root—not as abstraction, but as something they are actively trying to embody.

As a pairing to Strum, we have chosen to bring Montgomery’s Banner back to the stage as a multi-media experience. Written as a tribute to the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner, Montogomery reflects: “For most Americans, the [Star-Spangled Banner] represents a paradigm of liberty and solidarity against fierce odds, and for others implies a contradiction between the ideals of freedom and the realities of injustice and oppression.” How, then, do we engage with the tension of this complexity? This is the question that Voce members were tasked to sit with, and while not finding any one answer, came to recognize that difference itself can be a generative force.

Some of the most profound moments have come from watching them trace the journey of a song.

When we began the preparation for recording our string arrangement of Remember Me by Cree artist Fawn Wood, the initial focus was on musical translation—on phrasing, enunciation, color. But as they learned more about the song’s origins, written in memory of Wood’s uncle, and its resonance within the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit movement, something shifted. As students grappled with what it means to carry a song that already holds so much meaning for others, they began to understand that performing is not simply an act of expression—it is also an act of responsibility.

A similar reckoning has emerged in our study of the work of Florence Price. For many of us, her music is both inspiring and unsettling—both in the soundscapes she creates and in what her story reveals. When we encounter her 1943 letter advocating for her work to be judged on its merit, we begin to see more clearly the structures that shaped her career. Guided in part by the scholarship of Samantha Ege, we begin to fully understand how histories are constructed and whose voices are allowed to endure.

What has been truly rewarding, though, is watching how these emerging musicians begin to think about their role in relation to an audience.

Throughout this process, they are not only preparing the music—they are preparing how to invite others into it. They have been shaping the ways they will speak about these works, deciding what questions to offer, what context might open a door, and where to leave space for listeners to form their own interpretations. When you attend In Retrospect, you will not simply witness a performance. You will be welcomed into an ongoing conversation, to listen closely, and to become part of what is unfolding.

This event came to be because of a long friendship between Bielak-Hoops and Merrill Guerra, owner of Dragonfly and Birch. Guerra explained that they met in 2012 when they started their positions as co-directors of the Ann Arbor Community School of Music (now Community Music School). Guerra’s real estate brokerage, Red Barn Realty, has been a supporter of Voce Velata from their start, providing them rehearsal space. She added, “I have attended many of their performances and it is always a fun and educational evening of great music.”

Learn more about Voce Velata at www.vocevelatamusic.org.

by Sara Swanson

With the large data center being built along US 12 in Saline Township in the news again this week, you may be wondering about the money slated for the Manchester Township Fire Department that came out of that deal.

Last October, when Saline Township, the development firm Related Digital, and three landowners reached an agreement that meant that a large data center could go ahead, one aspect of the agreement was that fire departments who would respond in the case of a fire would receive payments. Saline Township Fire Department would receive $7 million. Manchester Township Fire Department (MTFD) and Clinton Township Fire Department would receive $500,000 each. 

This came as a surprise to Manchester Township Fire Department who had heard nothing about this before it was announced in the news coverage, and eight months later they still have heard nothing. Fire Chief Kouba stated that neither the fire department nor Manchester Township has been given any information regarding the funds. Saline Township doesn’t have any more information. Kelly Marion, Saline township clerk, stated that they do not have a timeline for when the funds will be sent and do not know who will be sending the funds, Related Digital or Oracle.

We reached out to Related Digital but did not receive a response. 

So for now at least, the surprise data center money headed for the fire department has yet to materialize.

Gemini’s always-popular family concerts have kicked off the Gazebo concert series for many years! mirror file photo by Marsha Chartrand.

by Marsha Chartrand

If you’re feeling like summer might have finally arrived last week, after the very blustery winter, you’re probably feeling ready for a Gazebo concert! Just in time, the Thursday night staple of Manchester entertainment is gearing up to come your way and bring you exactly what you’ve been wanting.

Leading things off, Thursday, June 18, at 7pm, will be the popular local duo Gemini. These Ann Arbor–based twin brothers, San and Laz Slomovits, began playing together in 1973, and they haven’t stopped yet. They just keep adding new and often rare instruments to their repertoire. The Manchester community has been fortunate to be beneficiaries of Gemini’s musical and story-telling talent almost from its inception, and they’ve introduced many more musicians, including San’s talented daughter, Emily, into the fold. Her beautiful voice has added greatly to the range of music the group can offer to audiences at the growing number of events that the Manchester area supports.

A full lineup of six concerts is planned for the remainder of the summer, wrapping up on July 30.

The Gazebo Concert Series this summer is hosted and sponsored by the Manchester District Library, which is rapidly growing its own repertoire of classes and events for all. Volunteers are always welcome to join. Contact the library at 734-428-8045 f0r more information.

To benefit the musicians and the library, a free-will donation basket will be passed during the concert. Be generous; with recent funding cuts to so many public establishments, the road hasn’t been an easy one. Your support for the arts is greatly appreciated!

2026 Fair Queen candidates, Class of 2026. Photo courtesy of Angie Schaible.

submitted by Angie Schaible, Manchester Community Fair

The fair is fast approaching. The Manchester Community Fair Queen contestants have been announced:

Class of 2026
Abbi Austin
Jolene Line
Olivia Woods

Class of 2027
Zoe Hadden
Amanda Hieber
Teagan Clark

Class of 2028
Elle Woods
Maddi Bennett
Macie Felczak

Class of 2029
Guiliana Brothers
Isabella Rattray
Samantha Gautz

2026 Fair Queen candidates, Class of 2027. Photo courtesy of Angie Schaible.

2026 Fair Queen Candidates, class of 2028. Photo courtesy of Angie Schaible.

2026 Fair Queen candidates, Class of 2029. Photo courtesy of Angie Schaible.

First-grade teacher Melissa Yekulis presents Manchester District Library Youth Librarian Abby LeBovitz with the newly student-published first-grade books. Photo credit: Denise Yekulis.

by Melissa Yekulis, Luther C. Klager Elementary School 

On Friday, May 29, the first-grade classes at Luther C. Klager Elementary School were proud to present their published books they wrote this school year to their families, as well as a special guest, Manchester District Library Youth Librarian Abby LeBovitz. Starting in February, each first-grade class selected a topic of interest to research for their class book. Mrs. Finnegan’s class researched bunnies for their class book, All About Bunnies, and even had a day to observe a bunny in their classroom. Mrs. Poulin’s class researched books to learn all they could about their special book, Cheetah’s. Miss Yekulis’ class chose to learn more about the galaxy around them. After completing exploratory centers, each child became an expert to write a page about a different topic for their book, The Galaxy. Ms. Abby was honored to accept these books that are now proudly on display by the front desk in the library, with all the other Klager student-published books. Be sure to check out these latest additions to the library during your next visit!