MSD staff gather at SNHU Arena for kick-off to 2024-25 school year

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Manchester School District staff members gathered at SNHU Arena on Tuesday morning for what has become an annual tradition.

Hundreds of staff members from Manchester’s 21 public schools gathered for what will probably be the only time this year they come together in the same space to mentally prepare for the upcoming school year.

Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Chmiel (formerly Gillis provided a speech to the assembled crowd giving an overview of efforts made by the district’s leadership to work toward a productive school year, such as creating a vertically-aligned curriculum, renovations and school construction as part of the district’s facilities plan, the establishment of the dual-language immersion program at Bakersville Elementary School, a new in-house transportation system, the district’s new welcome center and other updates.

This marks the third year that Chmiel has held the event, which had been done intermittently prior to her tenure as superintendent.

“I’m super excited. I think that getting ready for a new school year is always that moment when you have jitters, but we’ve set the right foundation and I think we’re empowering staff to go charge forward,” she said.

One of the teachers in attendance was Chelsea Viera, who teaches second, third and fourth-grade autistic students at Highland-Goffe’s Falls Elementary and is a finalist for New Hampshire’s 2025 Teacher of the Year Award.

“I’m happy to embark into this new school year, every new school year is a new year of students and community,” she said. “I’m really excited to celebrate and highlight all the special education in our school and allowing each kid to have a voice and a space.”

Manchester Board of School Committee Vice Chair Jim O’Connell called the event “remarkable” and believes that the approximately 200 new staff members in the district are excited to get going. He was particularly enthusiastic regarding the district’s new bus service, which he says has already done a dry run to avoid issues like the ones with charter school pickups at the beginning of the previous school year.

“I’m getting a good vibe from people, a good buzz. It’s important for people to come back ready to work and engage with the students that are going to be in front of them,” he said. “It’s just amazing the amount of things that are going on in the Manchester School District and now we’re getting to see them come to fruition.”