NORTH MANCHESTER – Private donations of nearly $2 million will soon yield a new daycare facility for Manchester Early Learning Center. The mission of the Center is to bring essential developmental care to the children of North Manchester, the school board heard during its meeting Tuesday. Many choose to skip a preschool education because of factors such as location. The new site will be located at the intersection of Market and 7th streets. This will neighbor the current center and the park. They will soon be able to serve as many as 50 more families in the area and bring new employment and volunteering opportunities. Already, more expansions have been added to the original design. With further support from the community, the Center wants to begin construction this fall, the board heard. A new emphasis is shining on the English Learner programs in the schools of North Manchester. Students who do not speak English as their first language may face a barrier in a regular classroom setting. This issue has received some resolve over the past 50 years, but ELL coordinator Andrea Villafana believes there is more to be done. “We need to accept their language as part of us. I am proud to be a part of this revamping process,” Villafana said. She believes English learning is an essential asset, but this does not serve as a replacement for a teacher. The amount of language used in the classroom is a benefit to the child. The more that can be done without diminishing the quality of the curriculum will only give more helpful practice to a bilingual student. Villafana has proposed administering a home language survey so that proper accommodations for a bilingual student can be made. A digital English learner program has also been created with new language standards for Indiana. And more efforts will be made with a student’s teacher and with the family of the student to be sure that they have every advantage. New iPad regulations have been added to the student handbook of North Manchester Junior/Senior High School. This year the iPad chargers have stayed home while the iPads were returned to the school for the summer. It also was decided that the iPads also should be collected during Christmas and spring break to prevent any accidents over the vacation time. Previously, damage caused to an iPad would be covered by the $40 paid in the optional insurance policy. However, repeat offenders will no longer have as much margin for error. It has been concluded that these pieces of school property are to be used in a respectful manner. The first offense will be forgiven and covered, a second offense will now be $25 and a third offense will be the full price of $85. The fee for textbooks, however, may be decreased. Physical workbooks may become an expense of the past to the parents of Manchester Community Schools. Digital rental is far less expensive and there are many Internet resources that can be used at no cost. The nurse of North Manchester schools, Mary Hire, encouraged all students to get their immunizations for the upcoming school year. If this is not possible, many vaccinations are available at the schools that Hire can provide. A valid insurance card is required for this service. The school board also discussed the purchase of a PlusOptix scanner for the schools of North Manchester. This would allow a nurse to assess a student’s vision in seconds. This resource has been borrowed for the past eight years from the local Lions Club, but it would be a helpful resource to invest in and have in the school system, the board heard.
