Posted September 1, 2026
| A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Good Afternoon Manual Middle School Community, ’Twas the night before school, and throughout the schoolhouse… I thought I was going to have something much more clever after that first sentence, but I guess that’s all I’ve got! 😂 What I do know is that we are ready for an incredible school year. New Student Orientation Our New Student Orientation was amazing! A huge thank you to our Thunder Ambassadors for doing such an incredible job welcoming, leading, and interacting with our newest students. They represented Manual with enthusiasm, kindness, and leadership, and we could not be prouder of them. Growing Our Community Partnerships We are excited to announce several new partnerships this year as we continue looking for ways to expand the supports and opportunities we provide to our students and families. This year, we are welcoming: Project Voyce — Project Voyce will be working with our students to develop leadership, communication, and foundational entrepreneurship skills. Royal Mentoring Group — Their programming is designed to inspire and equip young people with the skills and mindset to pursue mental well-being and entrepreneurship. ISTCO Counseling Services — ISTCO will help expand access to mental health supports, with a particular focus on providing individual counseling to students. We are incredibly excited about what these partnerships will bring to our students. And please keep the connections coming! If you know of an organization, business, professional, or community partner who could support our students, we would love to hear from you. Our goal is to continue building a school community where our students have access to as many opportunities and supports as possible. What to Expect This Week As we begin the school year, students will spend time learning and practicing our: School rituals and routines Classroom expectations Daily procedures Community-building activities The first days of school are about establishing the foundation for a successful year. We want every student to know what it means to be a Thunder and feel a strong sense of belonging from day one. See You on the Red Carpet! Finally, Monday is the first day of school! We want to welcome our students back in style, so join us on the red carpet for first-day-of-school pictures, hugs, kisses, and well wishes as we kick off another amazing year together. We can’t wait to see our students back on campus! Let’s have an incredible year, Manual! Have a great weekend, Manual Middle School Administration STAFF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ✨Our staff member spotlight this week is Mr. Louis Morris – 8th Grade Science. Hello! I’m Louis Morris and I have a passion for education in the field of science while getting students ready for high school. This will be my first year teaching middle school science. I come from many years of working in the science department in the private sector. I am an avid hobbyist painter and love creating art. I grew up in Michigan and love to go back to vacation whenever possible. My goal is to provide a classroom where students can feel safe and seen.UPCOMING EVENTS Monday, 8/24First Day of school Red Carpet Celebration 8:00 – 8:30Beef Nachos Cheese Nachos (V) Crunchy Hawaiian Wrap Tuesday, 8/25Spicy BBQ Popcorn Chicken & Biscuit Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich Wednesday, 8/26Penne with Meat Sauce Chicken Parm Sandwich Thursday, 8/27Spicy Chicken Sandwich Crispy Chicken Sandwich Cheeseburger Spicy Grilled Cheese Friday, 8/28Fun FridayGlazed Chicken Drumsticks with Rice, Nashville-Style Spicy Chicken SandwichesBIRTHDAYS🎂🎈 No birthdays this week SHARED CAMPUS NEWS   ATHLETICSBelow you will find information about sports practices we do not have game information yet. Please make sure your students are registered prior to the first practices. If you need help your can contact me at mickey_grant1@dpsk12.netCross Country: Practice Starting Week of 8/31Monday – Thursday 3:30pm-4:45pm on TrackBaseball: Practice Starting Week of 8/31Monday – Wednesday 3:30pm-4:45pm Softball FieldGirls Soccer: Practice Starting Week of 8/31Tuesday – Thursday 3:30pm-4:45pm Grass on Softball FieldRegistration is now open using the link below:https://students.arbitersports.com/programs/2026-2027-early-fall-middle-school-athletic-registration-22For the most up to date sports schedule visit the DPS Prep League Athletics website. UPCOMING EVENTSAugust 24th – 8:00 – 8:30 AM First Day of School Red Carpet CelebrationSeptember 1st – Back to School NightSeptember 22nd – 25th – 6th Grade Overnight YMCA Estes Park Trip RESOURCESMy City Academy New to Denver? Then join one of the My City Academy (MCA) sessions. These FREE programs help community members better understand how Denver city government works, what resources are available, and how to get involved in their communities. Interpretation is available upon request through the registration form. Direct Registration Link: https://us.openforms.com/Form/37d8d3ac-bd97-4a73-a1a3-53057a08877a Reach out to Tsigereda Feseha at tsigereda.feseha@denvergov.org with any questions. ¿Es nuevo en Denver? Entonces, únase a una de las sesiones de la My City Academy (MCA). Estos programas GRATUITOS ayudan a los miembros de la comunidad a comprender mejor cómo funciona el gobierno de la ciudad de Denver, qué recursos están disponibles y cómo involucrarse en sus comunidades. Hay servicios de interpretación disponibles previa solicitud a través del formulario de registro. Enlace directo de registro: https://us.openforms.com/Form/37d8d3ac-bd97-4a73-a1a3-53057a08877a Comuníquese con Tsigereda Feseha en tsigereda.feseha@denvergov.org si tiene alguna pregunta.    Manual MarketManual Market is back for those that are in need of food you can reach out directly to Mr. Clinkscales. For others who want to support you can bring donations to the Manual Middle School office or the high school office. In these times of uncertainty I want to thank our wonderful community for always looking out for each other and supporting those you can also make financial contributions to the Manual Market on the Friends of Manual website or you can purchase items on this Amazon Wishlist.  Local Food Resources for Colorado Families Needing SupportIf families need additional food before SNAP benefits are available, they should contact these local organizations:Tasty Food Program: Afterschool meals for children will be offered at Denver recreation centers. Visit the Tasty Food website for locations and hours of operation.Food Bank of the Rockies: Find a food pantry near you using their Pantry Locator tool.Colorado 211: This confidential and multilingual service connects people to vital resources across Colorado. Call 2-1-1, 866-760-6489 or visit 211colorado.org. Note: The hotline is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, however, expect long wait times. To avoid waiting, use the call-back feature.Feeding Colorado: The collaborative effort of the 5 Feeding America food banks that serve Colorado and Wyoming to coordinate and enhance food resources, ensuring food insecure Coloradans have access to healthy, fresh foods. Visit feedingcolorado.org/find-food or email info@feedingcolorado.org.Hunger Free Colorado: Connects Colorado families and individuals to SNAP/food stamps, food pantries, free meal sites, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and other nutrition programs geared toward families, children and older adults. Call 855-855-4626 Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Food Mini Market at Central Community HubWe’re excited to launch The Hub Mini Market, offering fresh food at no cost to families with children in Denver Public Schools and eligible Denver residents. We encourage families to schedule an appointment for their shopping time. For more details, visit our website. Help spread the word! Contact us at cencommunityhub@dpsk12.net or check the attached flyers for more info.   Explore the Thunder Family: Schedule a Tour or Shadow Experience Today!School Tour Sign UpIf you or someone you know is considering joining the Thunder family, we invite you to take a personalized tour of our school! See our campus, meet our staff, and learn more about what makes our school unique. Use the link below to schedule your tour today!Family Tour Sign UpStudent Shadow Sign UpIf your student is interested in getting an inside look at our school and experiencing a day in the life of a Thunder student, we offer the opportunity to shadow one of our current students! This is a great way to see our school environment firsthand. Use the link below to schedule your shadowing experience today! Shadow a Thunder Student SHOP MANUAL SWAGShop Manual Middle School gear at our Spirit Shop online store. Click here to shop!  We have some Manual hats for sale $25.00 Each. You can purchase them in the Manual Middle School main office or use this link. We will reach out upon purchase to see which hat you want and get it to you or your student. MY SPARK DENVERThis is an incredible resource for our students. My Spark Denver provides eligible DPS middle school families with $1,000 to pay for youth programs like sports, music, art and more. Visit this link for more information. CONTACT USManual Middle SchoolPrincipal: Douglas ClinkscalesMain Phone: 720-423-6550Attendance Line: 720-423-6551Website: https://manualms.dpsk12.org/Calendar: https://manualms.dpsk12.org/calendar/Free and Reduced Meal Application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/  Copyright (C) 2026. Denver Public Schools. All rights reserved.Manual Middle School Bulletin. A Newsletter for Parents. Our mailing address is: 1700 E. 28th Ave., Denver, CO, 80205 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe |