This week at SBRSD!
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yates
Yates’ words emphasize that education is not about passively accumulating facts or information, but rather about igniting curiosity, passion, and a lifelong love of learning. Instead of purely memorizing knowledge, education should inspire critical thinking, imagination, and personal growth. This perspective matters because it shifts the focus from rote learning to fostering a mindset that encourages exploration, self-motivation, and deeper understanding, ultimately preparing students of all ages not just to know, but to think and innovate.
The quote aligns closely with the District's Vision and goals of fostering choice and voice for all, as well as our commitment to preparing students for life beyond their Pre-K-12 experiences. By emphasizing the importance of igniting passion and curiosity, this approach encourages students and educators alike to take ownership of their learning journeys. It supports the idea that education should not be confined to a rigid set of standards, but rather empower individuals to explore their interests, develop critical skills, and cultivate lifelong learners. This philosophy also ensures that students are not just equipped with knowledge, but are prepared with the adaptability, creativity, and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Please find below this week’s updates & events happening in our District ~
As promised, I said I would share opportunities to advocate on behalf of our District when they arise – and we have one already!
Please see this message from the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS) below.
“As the first month of school begins throughout the Commonwealth, many of our districts and towns are dealing with the aftermath of developing budgets that failed to address critical needs and proved impossible to fund.
School districts designated in hold harmless status have jumped from 113 in FY21 to 211 in FY25. Districts in hold harmless status only receive yearly minimum per pupil aid increases from the state, placing the full burden of funding education budget increases squarely on the backs of the municipality/member towns. Since 2021, there have been more than one hundred attempts at Prop. 2 1/2 overrides for general and school budget needs, increasing residents' tax burden exponentially. As declining enrollment continues to plague most of the Commonwealth's school districts, more towns will move toward the 82.5% required contribution cap, a cap long and incorrectly equated with "wealth" or capacity of a town's residents to pay toward education, when nothing could be further from the truth for too many towns already struggling to keep their heads above water since the formula changed in FY07. Year after year, these school districts and municipal government officials have battled over limited funds to develop their budgets, with both walking away feeling shortchanged and bitter.
Yearly sky-high required contribution increases, declining enrollment, and required contribution caps that no longer serve the purpose for which they were originally intended all point to the need for the establishment of a commission to reset the formula that was developed, which is failing 211 school districts, their municipalities/member towns, and 51% of the Commonwealth's student population.
The action we must take requires school districts and municipalities to work together to get the necessary attention from the state legislature to send a united, clear, and consistent message that the delay in establishing this commission cannot continue. The current formula is no longer tenable, and we have ample data to prove it.
We will be holding a Zoom meeting on October 8, 2024, at 6:30 PM for the officials of the school districts and municipalities of the 211 school districts in hold harmless status to discuss in detail how you got to this point and what is needed to establish this commission to make the education funding formula equitable for all school districts.
You can register to join the Zoom meeting by following this link: Project 211: Uniting to Raise Awareness of Financial Challenges Faced by Districts in Hold Harmless Status Once you have registered, you will receive an email with a link to join the meeting.”
I have registered to attend and will share this information with the School Committee and the members of my Superintendent’s Roundtable. Let’s see if we can garner the support and attention needed for our students!
Here are some other important items to highlight:
- Cell Phone Policy Task Force – (Facilitators: Jesse Carpenter and Charles Miller, with support from Julie Dolan.) First Meeting: Tuesday, October 1st from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in the Mt. Everett Library.
- Improving Attendance Task Force – (Facilitators: Julie Steuernagle and Paul Sullivan, with support from Sandi Hubbard.) First Meeting: Thursday, September 26th from 4:30 to 5:30 pm in the Eagle’s Loft.
If you are interested in participating on either one of these Task Force Teams please send my Executive Assistant, Michelle Castellano, at mcastellano@sbrsd.org, a message expressing which group you would like to join or feel free to attend the first meetings listed above.
**** IMPORTANT DATE UPDATE****
- We will be hosting a Candidate Forum to introduce and get to know those community members running for a seat on the SBRSD School Committee this November. This forum will be held on Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 pm in the TACPAC. We are excited to share that our students will be hosting and facilitating this meeting for our school community – please join us!
- ·On October 16th—We will also be hosting a Flu and COVID vaccine clinic in the Mount Everett cafeteria from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Pre-registration required. home.color.com/vaccine/register/tritown
To review the 2024-2025 Budget Information, please see the District website at https://www.sbrsd.org/documents/district/budgets/fy25-budget/567699 .
Whether it’s when students stop by my office to share all the good things going on in school or I get to see them in the classroom during my walk-through visits or at an after-school activity – I love the energy and excitement that is evident here in our schools! The Faculty and Staff have noticed it as well and we feel lucky to harness this positivity and want to keep it going!
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to read at South Egremont School! The students were so engaged, thoughtful, and kind to all it was truly the highlight of my week! I can’t wait for next time!
We are actively populating this year’s Superintendent's Advisory Councils with the hope of a first meeting before the end of September.
The Core/Implementation Team is hard at work actively building out our BerkStudio model, and we are working with our coaches and Transcend partners weekly.
As part of our Student Representative Report at last week’s School Committee meeting, it was shared that the first BerkStudio section is off to a good start and the students are enjoying the experience, are researching the question at hand, and beginning their dive into what aspect of the problem or idea they are interested in working on this semester. We look forward to hearing from them throughout the year and learning together as part of this journey.
The first Community Team meeting of the year is on Tuesday, October 8th, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm - more details to follow!
To learn or become a part of this incredible community focused initiative please find the link here at https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership.
Spanish IV and AP
Our Spanish IV and AP classes had a hands-on learning experience last week! They prepared Gazpacho, a traditional Andalusian dish, using fresh, local vegetables. The students helped with all seven ingredients and learned about the history and culture behind this delicious recipe.
Special Guest Reader Superintendent Regulbuto
Special guest reader Superintendent Regulbuto visited the South Egremont School House and read to Pre-K students last week!
Innovation Pathways offers opportunities for students to explore cutting-edge technology and in-demand fields! The program emphasizes real-world skills through career-focused experiential learning. Participants connect with industry mentors, go on field trips, get set up with internships in their areas of interest, and more!
Mount Everett currently offers two technical pathways in Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology.
To learn more about our Innovation Career Pathways please use the links below! To express interest in learning more about Innovation Pathways please use our form - Expression of Interest Form