Manatee School For the Arts

10/16/2026

You only have TWO more chances to see these Hello Girls in action!

THE HELLO GIRLS has performances tonight and tomorrow at 7pm in the MSA Large Theater! Tickets are $7 for Students and $12 for Adults. Prices increase by $2 at the door, so buy them in advance!!

If you are an active duty military member or veteran, you can use the code MILITARY at checkout for a 15% discount!

Tickets are available online here: https://manateeschoolforthearts.ludus.com/200549255

📸 CADY Photography

10/15/2026

🟢 HELP STOCK THE WAGONS! 🟢

Our MSA staff have successfully completed the first leg of the journey, Quarter 1, and are now heading into Quarter 2! We’re beginning to gather supplies for a fun staff appreciation event featuring a build-your-own trail mix, candy, and hot cocoa bar as we travel toward winter break.

MSA families can help us stock the wagons by purchasing an item from our Amazon Wish List:

🛒 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2KTCQR47Y2X01?ref_=wl_share

Every contribution, large or small, will help us celebrate the amazing staff members who keep our students moving forward throughout the school year.

Questions or interested in helping another way? Contact Emily Hirshman at [email protected].

Thank you for helping us prepare for the next leg of the trail: Quarter 2 on the way to Winter Break!

10/15/2026

Happy Opening to the Cast, Crew, and Creative Team of THE HELLO GIRLS!

Haven't bought your tickets yet? There's still time!! Tickets are $7 for Students and $12 for Adults, and they can be purchased online here: https://manateeschoolforthearts.ludus.com/200549255

Don't wait to grab your tickets! Prices increase by $2 per ticket at the door. If you are an active duty military member or veteran, you can use the code MILITARY at checkout for a 15% discount!

THE HELLO GIRLS has performances TONIGHT, tomorrow, and Saturday at 7pm in the MSA Large Theater! We hope to see you there!!

10/13/2026

Check out our students from THE HELLO GIRLS on the Suncoast View! 🎶

THE HELLO GIRLS opens THIS THURSDAY with performances on October 15, 16th, & 17th at 7pm in the MSA Large Theater! Tickets are $7 for Students and $12 for Adults. If you are an active duty military member or veteran, you can use the code MILITARY at checkout for a 15% discount!

Tickets are currently available online here: https://manateeschoolforthearts.ludus.com/200549255

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/10/13/hello-girls-opens-this-weekend-manatee-school-arts/

Musical follows first women soldiers who served as WWI telephone operators

10/13/2026

ESOL Families, tonight is the night!

10/11/2026

Happy Sunday! I know everyone is enjoying a 3-day weekend. Monday is Record Day (No School). Next Tuesday marks the beginning of Quarter 2 and it will be an A day. Quarter 2 presents a wonderful opportunity to build upon the successes of quarter 1 and to set new growth goals. As we begin the second quarter, our goals remain the same:

Continue building strong academic habits and personal responsibility.

Challenge students to think critically, collaborate, and solve problems creatively.

Encourage regular attendance, organization, and timely completion of assignments.

Strengthen positive relationships between students, teachers, and families.

Celebrate growth while continuing to pursue excellence in academics, the arts, and extracurricular activities.

We look forward to a great 2nd quarter! Thank you again for your partnership!

Updates:

The Hello Girls: Tickets are officially on sale for our fall musical, THE HELLO GIRLS! Set against the backdrop of World War I, The Hello Girls follows the journey of a group of courageous women who became America's first women soldiers and served as bilingual telephone operators on the front lines. Performances are October 15-17th at 7pm in the MSA Large Theater! Tickets are $7 for Students & MSA Staff and $12 for Adults. If you are an active duty military member or veteran, you can use the code MILITARY at checkout for a 15% discount! Tickets are currently available online here: https://manateeschoolforthearts.ludus.com/200549255 and available at all lunches.

MSA's Senior Thespian Troupe 6458 participated in the annual District 9 Thespy Festival this weekend, and represented MSA and the Theatre Department in big ways! District 9's festival is the top three largest districts in the state (along with Miami-Dade's district and Orlando's district), showcasing 51 different schools and over 1,000 theatre students. Historically, this isn't a competition, but rather a festival, celebrating young artists by showcasing their craft for adjudications. Troupe 6458 brought home 8 Excellents and 11 Superiors, with three of those Superiors receiving the Top Honors in their categories, and putting them in the running for representing the entire District Nine at the State Festival's opening ceremony, where they have the potential to perform for an audience of over 8,000 students in March! Top Honors and District Rep Noms include...

Evelynne Hirshman & Kate Woodside: Duet Acting

Neely Thompson, Rylee Kranz, and Rayne Wilder: Ensemble Acting

Camryn Ashander, Pierce, and Landon Schuler: Ensemble Acting

Do you have a middle school student interested in doing more theatre after school? Then join the MSA Jr. Thespians! They meet every Thursday from 5-6PM in room 401. If you have any questions please email Ms. Judd at [email protected]. Please see the attached flyer with more information.

Spirit Week and Homecoming Dances are coming the week of October 20-23! See the attached flyer for more details.

ESOL Parent Meeting: All of our ESOL parents are invited to attend a special parent meeting on October 13 from 6-7:30PM in the HS Student Center. A special dinner will be served to all of our families at 6PM. Hope to see you there! Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Check out the Math Dept. Students of the Month for September! These students have shown tremendous growth this past month and we are super proud of them!

Does your student need extra math tutoring? In addition to your student’s math teacher offering extra help before or after school, we are also creating more opportunities for support. Middle School: Monday with Mrs. DiSante (8:30 - 9:15) and Tuesday with Mr. Case (8:30 - 9:15). High School: Wednesdays with Mrs. DiSante (A Day) and Mrs. Thomas (B Day) 3:00 - 3:45. Please also check out the attached flyer!

All 4 Teens, Inc.: All 4 Teens is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit empowering youth ages 11–17 through CPR, First Aid, babysitting safety, leadership, and job readiness training. Their mission is to equip teenagers with lifesaving skills, build confidence, and inspire future leaders. Parents can register their teens, businesses can sponsor programs, and community members can donate or volunteer. Together, we can create opportunities, strengthen our community, and help save lives! Get involved today! Visit www.All4Teens.org to learn more. Please also see the attached flyer for more information. Laura Harten, Founder & President
All 4 Teens, Inc

Upcoming Events October:

10/11: FBLA Stuff the Bus Food Drive (Palmetto Publix, 8:30AM - 3:30PM)

10/12: Record Day (No School)

10/13: Physics of Motorsports Track

10/15-10/16: Blood Drive

10/15: FAFSA Night (College & Career Center, 6-7:30PM)

10/15-10/17: The Hello Girls Performances (Large Theatre, 7-9:30PM)

I hope you are enjoying your 3-day weekend with family and friends!

Dr. Marshall, Principal

A special thank you to our sponsors for supporting our school and students! If you are interested in sponsoring our school or one of our programs please send me an email!


3/8 & Co.

Sarasota Sign Shop

Matt Guthrie & Associates Realty

1st Street Credit Union

Banana Bug Designs

https://getfortifyfl.com/

10/09/2026

💸🎓 MSA FAMILIES with SENIORS: LET’S GET THAT MONEY! 🎓💸

FAFSA = your ticket to college cash! 💰

📅 October 15 | 6–7:30 PM
📍 MSA College & Career Center

🙌 Free help. Real answers. Spanish Translation. Money for college.

Don’t guess. Don’t wait. FAFSA! 🔥

10/04/2026

We would like to give a HUGE congratulations to MSA's Senior Thespian Troupe 6458. 🎉

This weekend, they participated in the annual District 9 Thespy Festival, and represented MSA and the Theatre Department in big ways! District 9's festival is the top three largest districts in the state (along with Miami-Dade's district and Orlando's district), showcasing 51 different schools and over 1,000 theatre students.

Troupe 6458 brought home 8 Excellents and 11 Superiors, with three of those Superiors receiving the Top Honors in their categories, and putting them in the running for representing the entire District Nine at the State Festival's opening ceremony, where they have the potential to perform for an audience of over 8,000 students in March!

We would also like to send a special thanks to the incredible Troupe Directors, Mr. Chris Frazier and Mrs. Ashlee Frazier for all of the time they have dedicated to giving these students a space the shine! ⭐️

10/02/2026

Happy Friday!

This week brought some challenges but the week also reminded me of the strength, resiliency, and character of MSA. I am very proud of our students and staff for the way they supported one another. Thank you for your continued support, patience, and partnership. We are looking forward to lots of positive and fun things we have planned for in October! Anything we can do for you please let me know.

Updates:

Greatest Female Artists of All Time! Please see attached flyer for our next Candlelight Concert on October 10th, at 6PM in the High School Student Center. We're going to blow the roof off with the Greatest Hits from the Greatest Ladies of Music. One of the featured vocalists will be our very own MSA Administrative Assistant, Javisha Strong-Mason! The Candlelight Music Series dedicates half of all ticket sales towards student scholarships purchased through the prepaid Florida Scholarship Program with “Take Stock in Children of Manatee County” (TSIC). Together, MSA and TSIC are working together to help students pursue their post-secondary goals! We appreciate your support and we look forward to a great evening of music!

Spirit Week and Homecoming Dances are coming the week of October 20-23. Please see the attached flyers for details and information!

Want more Book Fair? No problem! Keep the party going online. All book purchases over $35 ship free and every purchase earns funds for our school! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/manateeschoolforarts

Congratulations to FBLA, HOSA, and TSA for a successful Advisory Council meeting! Thank you to all of our parents and alumni coming out to meet with students to strengthen the bridge between classroom learning and real-world career readiness. The discussion was very engaging and very helpful to our students and teachers!

Next week is the last week for Quarter 1. Please make sure you are checking Focus for grades and missing assignments. Please make sure students are paying attention to deadlines and to communicate with teachers if there are questions.

Upcoming Events:

October 2026
10/3: Thespian Festival (Blake HS, 7AM-6PM)
10/6: PSAT (Grade 10)
10/7: PSAT (Grade 11-12)
10/8: 6th Grade Reward Day (1:15PM, Student Center)
10/10: Candlelight Concert Series (Student Center, 6-8PM)
10/11: FBLA Stuff the Bus Food Drive (Palmetto Publix, 8:30AM - 3:30PM)
10/12: Record Day (No School)

Have a wonderful weekend with family and friends!

Dr. Marshall, Principal

A special thank you to our sponsors for supporting our school and students! If you are interested in sponsoring our school or one of our programs please send me an email!

3/8 & Co.
Sarasota Sign Shop
Matt Guthrie & Associates Realty
1st Street Credit Union
Banana Bug Designs

https://getfortifyfl.com/

10/02/2026

📣 It's almost time for SPIRIT WEEK! 📣

Spirit Week is an annual event hosted by the ! It provides students the opportunity to demonstrate school spirit and have some fun with fellow classmates while fundraising for Varsity's annual trip to Nationals!

Check out the individual images to learn more about each event! We hope to see you there!!