Student & Family Update

Please note that the School Committee meeting for February has been moved from Feb 12th to Feb 5th. The LEC will remain on Feb 12th at the usual time.

Our second round of Student-led Conferences are on the horizon

Please see the section below for more information. In the meantime, here are the quicknotes:

Student Led Conferences (SLC): Grades 7-12, April 2nd, 2025

Advisory is a graduating requirement for a high school diploma at MTRS.

Students need to complete their SLC in order to pass their Advisory class

Grade 7 has 1 per year. Everyone else has 2 per year.

After the February break, Advisory teachers will reach out to caregivers by email to set up a15 minute SLC meetings between 12 - 3:30 pm on April 2nd 2025

Here are the following options for students and families:

• All students are dismissed at 11:30 and go home on the bus. They come into school with caregivers at the appointed time for their SLC. Student, caregiver and advisor meet in person

• All students are dismissed at 11:30 and go home on the bus. Students & caregivers join the SLC virtually from home and the advisor joins virtually from school.

• If a caregiver is unable to attend, the student and advisor will complete the SLC either in-person or virtually at the appointed time.

• Students with an SLC between 12 and 12:30 may wait in the lobby until a caregiver arrives and then go home with them afterwards.

• There will be no MS sports/ practices on this day.

• Information about HS sports/ practices will be communicated well in advance.

Bullying Intervention Plan: Please note that we are required to update this plan yearly and to keep the school community informed. The most recently revised Mohawk Trail Regional School District Bullying and Intervention Plan can be found at this LINK.

Please read on for information and news related to our busy school. This includes:

• Library news
• District updates
• AP Brault's culture corner
• Student Led Conference information
• Q2 report cards are now available in Aspen
• Course Catalog and course choices for 25/26
• PBIS in grade 8
• Info on how caregivers can support students with chromebooks
• MTEA movie news
• Integrated Math updates
• Fans in the Stands
• SEPAC updates
• Spring Musical updates

If you are reading this newsletter on a phone or laptop, don't forget to click on "read entire message" in order to see the complete newsletter.

Finally, we do our best to convey information to our community from a variety of sources, lots of them community rather than school based organizations. Unfortunately we are not able to share images and posters with live links through Smore but always ensure there is an email for inquiries. If you would like an e-copy of a poster with live links, please feel free to reach out to the office directly.

Have a great weekend and see you next week!

Best

Chris

Upcoming dates

• Feb 7: MTEA Movie - Twighlight: New Moon 5pm
• Feb 8th: Winter Dance 7-9pm (Change of date from 2-1-25)
• Feb break: 17 - 21st
• March 6th - CPR and First Aid training for Grade 10
• March 15th: Spring Dance 7-9pm To be confirmed
• April 2nd: SLC for grades 7,8,9,10,11,12 (11:30 dismissal for all students!)
  
• April 7: NHS Induction Ceremony
• April 7: Ice Cream Social and information for Rising Grade 7
• April 17: Spring Music Concert
• April break: 21-25th
• May 2 & 3rd: Spring Musical
• May 15th: District Music Concert
• May 17th: Prom
• May29th: Smithsonian Celebration, Pathways Panels and Senior Awards evening (The new version of Celebration of Learning)
• May 30th: Class of 2025 Graduation
• June 2nd: Step up day for grade 6
• June 6th: Grade 8 Semi-Formal
• June 12th: Tentative last day of school for students (this may change based on snow days!)

MCAS and AP schedule for 2024/25

Bell Schedule

District (Calendar for 24/25)

Student Handbook

Live course catalog 2024/25

Food Services Information

Live Solar Panel Energy Information

Twin Lakes has taken over from Suzor as our IT company. support@twinlakesconsulting.zendesk.com

Quarter 3: 45 Days

First Day: Wed January 22, 2024

Last Day: Tues April 1, 2024

Q3 progress report grades close on: Tuesday, February 25, 2024

Q3 progress report grading window: Monday, February 24 - Monday, March3, 2024

Q3 progress reports will be available in Aspen Tuesday, March 4, 2024

Q3 grading window: Monday, March 31 - Tuesday April 8 at 11:59 p.m

Q3 report cards will be available in Aspen: Wednesday, April 9th, 2024

SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION OPENS FEBRUARY 1ST!!!

While winter sports are just now in full swing, it is time to start thinking about selecting a spring sport for your student-athletes! Registration will open on February 1st, and can be found on the school website at https://mtrs.mtrsd.org/athletics. This spring we will be offering boys and girls..

-Track and Field

-Tennis

-Softball

-Baseball

Please remember that in order to participate in extracurricular athletics, students must have an up-to-date physical on file in the nurse's office (last 13 months), have completed their Concussion Baseline Test (taken during registration), and be in good academic standing. For more information regarding spring sports, reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly HERE.

ALPINE SKI TEAMS RULE THE MOUNTAIN

It was a busy week for our Alpine Ski Teams as they completed two races at Berkshire East in Charlemont. Both the boys and the girls squads went undefeated in their league matchups, and continue to widen the gap between themselves and the rest of the PVIAC! On Tuesday in the GS race, our girls took the top two spots and five of the top 11! Race winner Addie Loomis and runner up Lydie Pinkham continue to dominate the field, while Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner, Brooke Koshinsky, and Grace Sisum finished in 9th, 10th, and 11th respectively.

Thursday however is when our ladies really flexed their muscles as they were victorious by a staggering 31 seconds over 2nd place Minnechaug! Our racers took five of the first 9 spots, effectively shutting the door on yet another league title. Top finishers were Addie Loomis (1st), Lydie Pinkham (3rd), Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner (4th), Brooke Koshinsky (8th), and Grace Sisum (9th).

Tuesday on the slalom course, our boys took five of the top seventeen spots, with senior Phineas Tuttman placing 4th and sophomore Grayson Bishop taking 8th! Competing in the GS on Thursday, our Warriors took two of the top three spots overall (Phineas Tuttman 1st, Grayson Bishop 3rd) and four of the top eleven spots. Brothers Ben and Liam Zarotny took 6th and 11th, respectively. With only one senior on the boy’s squad this season, our Warriors are primed to control the league for many years to come!

JV BOYS BASKETBALL AVENGES PREVIOUS LOSS TO PIONEER!

After falling to Pioneer Valley last week in a very close battle on the court in Northfield, our hoopers turned the tables on the Panthers and soundly defeated them 51-40 on their home court on Tuesday in Buckland! Our Warriors were led by Senior Doug Wilcox with 18 points and Junior Nemo Rice with 11. Junior Noah Sprague chipped in with 9 of his own. Our boys are back in action next Tuesday, February 4th when they travel to St. Mary’s of Westfield for a 5:00 tip.

General information about SLC

What is a Student-led-conference?

• Student-led-conferences (SLC) are at the heart of our shift to standards based teaching and learning. They provide students with more ownership of their learning experiences at MTRS.

• Rather than reviewing letters/ numbers on a report or progress card, SLCs provide students with an opportunity to lead a 15 minute conversation about their progress towards proficiency in habits of learning and content-based skills.

• Students will be using the assessment criterion that we shared earlier in the year.

• They also enable students to reflect on their learning experiences to date and to set goals for the rest of the school year.

Does my student have to do an SLC?

• SLC are based in an advisory class, which is scheduled for each student every day. Advisory is a graduation requirement and student participation in SLC is expected and contributes to the pass/fail (credit/no-credit) for the course at the end of the year.

• SLCs are scheduled 1 x a year for grade 7 and 2 x a year for grades 8-12 Students must participate in SLCs in order to pass the Advisory class, in addition to attendance and participation.

• If a student is absent or unwell when their SLC is scheduled, they will make this up when they return.

Who will be at the Student-led-conference?

• Students will lead their own conference as it is their opportunity to talk about their experiences at MTRS as well as their goals for the rest of the year and beyond high school.

• We would like to invite care providers and families to be an integral part of every student’s journey and to try to be present at the SLC - in-person or virtually.

• Your student’s advisory teacher will be present. As advisory groups meet every day for a year, advisory teachers have the best overall insight into habits of learning and academic progress of each of their students. They can help support students as they lead their conference.

When will the Student-led-conferences take place?

• SLC #2 for Grades 7-12 will take place on April 2nd, 2024 from 12 - 3:30pm

Where will the Student-led-conference take place?

• If you are in-person, please arrive at school 10 minutes before your scheduled time and someone will bring you to the advisor’s room.

• If you are meeting virtually, please log in to the google meet 5 minutes before your scheduled time.

What is the difference between SLS #1 and SLC #2?

• SLC#1: A chance for the student to reflect on their strengths, growths and challenges in the first semester, to reflect on their discoveries as a learner during the year so far and to set some habits and academic goals for the second semester. It is also an opportunity for students to talk through current post-high school plans.

• SLC #2: A chance for the student to reflect on challenges and successes of the year, to set goals for the year ahead and to revisit and possibly change post-high school plans.

What is the schedule for the S2 Student-led-conferences?

• Students will be dismissed from school at 11:30 am after lunch. They will take their bus home and then either come back in to school with a caregiver to complete their SLC in person or take part in their SLC virtually with their caregiver.

• Students who return to the building with a caregiver for an SLC are expected to leave campus with their caregiver after their SLC has taken place.

• Only students with SLC scheduled between 12-12:30 will be permitted to wait in the lobby if their caregiver is coming into school. They will be expected to leave campus with them after their SLC has concluded.

How do I schedule my SLC?

• After February break, advisory teachers will start to reach out to caregivers and families by email to schedule conferences of 15 minutes per student (in-person or virtual) on the above days.

What if I have children in multiple grades?

• We will start to schedule appointments so care providers will be able to arrange times convenient for them during the SLC window.

What if 15 minutes is not enough time?

• Advisors can help care providers/ families set up a subsequent appointment to meet with themselves or specific content teachers at a later date.

What will happen if I am unable to attend in person or virtually?

• We understand that not everyone can be available in-person or virtually during the school day. If you are unable to attend, your student will still conference with their advisory teacher.

• As we continue to develop our Student-led conference process, we will look at ways to have early afternoon/ early evening conferences as a way for all families and care providers to have the opportunity to be a part of the process.

What if I have more questions?

• Please reach out to your students' advisor in the first instance. Your grade-level guidance counselor will also be able to help:

Grades 7 and 8: truggeri@mtrsd.org

Grades 9-12: ldessaro@mtrsd.org

Quarter 2 Report Cards are available to view in Aspen through 2/14/25:

- login to Aspen https://ma-mohawk.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do

- look for "Published Reports" (right side of the screen, mid-way down)

- click on the icon

First day of Quarter 3: Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Last day of Quarter 3: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Quarter 3 Progress Reports are scheduled to be available on Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Aspen

Aspen Login page can also be found on the MTRS website under Quick Links

Please contact Twin Lakes Technology with questions related to Aspen access:

https://www.twinlakesllc.org/support

Being a Trailblazer at Mohawk Trail Regional School (MTRS) takes many shapes. One way that students at MTRS can follow their own path to graduation is to create an independent study.

Seven students who participated in independent studies during the fall semester presented their final work to a panel of peers, teachers, and outside guests in mid-January. Their topics included ceramics, painting, business marketing, architecture, literature, and mountain biking trail safety data analysis. These semester-long studies allowed students to do interdisciplinary work, surpass the level of coursework we offer in certain curricula, pursue areas of interest above and beyond our offerings, and lay the groundwork for Capstone or internships.

Independent studies can be completed by students in grades 8-12, and often meet a variety of needs. Students opt for an independent study to pursue a passion, meet graduation requirements, or to take on a meaningful and personalized course of study. Students design their learning goals and criteria, meet regularly with a mentor, and ultimately present on their learning and growth.

Interested in a topic but don’t see a related class in the course catalog? Ask your school counselor about an independent study for next year! And check out the independent studies on display at this year’s Pathways Event at the end of May to hear directly from students about how they’re blazing their own trail here at MTRS.. Rachel - photos

The Course Catalog has been finalised and will be shared with students and families during the week of Feb 3rd. A link will also be included in the newsletter and on the website.

The following week, our guidance team will be going over options with students who will make initial choices for 25/26 before the start of February break.

Grade 8 successfully transitioned to 1:1 chromebooks earlier this week and I wanted to email to let you know that there are several ways that caregivers can support students in using devices appropriately at home.

Please see below with suggestions of how you can help your student.

Thank you specifically for:

• Helping your student get into the routine of charging their device at home
• Helping your student pack the device and charger in bags before leaving the house each day
• Reminding your student that the device is their responsibility to look after during the school day
• Reminding your student that they should speak with Chelsea in the office or email Twin Lakes directly if there are issues with either their charger or their device
• Reminding your student that they should only use their assigned device for school purposes

Each student having their own device to use at school and at home is a change that adults have to help a child manage. Here are some tips and ideas that can help caregivers with this change to create effective learning time and space at home while online.

The caregiver is in charge

• Set rules and expectations for computer use at home.
• Expect that screens will be open where you can see them.
• Designate times and locations in the house for computer use.
• Require work to be done in an area where you can check in on your student’s progress.
• Create times when the device can only be used for school work and if, or when, it can be used for recreational activities.

Talk with your child

• About what they are doing online and have them show you what they do and where they go online.
• Ask them to show you how they use the computer for school work and for fun.
• Talk about social boundaries and sharing too much information online.
• Set expectations for appropriate use and the types of websites and social networks that are appropriate for use at home.

Communicate with the teacher

• If you are concerned if your child is accurately reporting what they need to use the computer for at home or about anything related to classroom activities.
• Keep a line of communication open where you can ask questions or concerns.
• Track your student’s progress through Aspen

Consider the “paper equivalent” in difficult computing situations

• How would you handle the off-task or inappropriate activity if it happened with pencil and paper instead of on a computer?
• What were my expectations around technology and computing, and do they mirror those expectations for respect and proper behavior at home?
• Often the solution for “digital problems” are the same as it was for a similar “analog problem” or on paper.

Determine consequences for inappropriate behavior

• Discuss inappropriate behavior.
• Hold your child accountable for poor decisions.
• Limit recreational computer and/or phone time.
• Have them turn over their devices or reset wireless passwords at home until inappropriate behaviors change.

Using Internet filters at home

• Teaching appropriate use is more important than filtering.
• The most important step you can take is establishing expectations around appropriate use on the web and help your child develop an internal filter.

Students who forget their devices?

Students should be reminded to charge their devices each night and bring them in each morning. A single trolley of loaners will be kept with Emily in the library.

If a student comes to a class without a device, the teacher should email the advisor who should follow up with the student and communicate home.

If a student forgets their device on three separate days, the advisor should communicate this to Admin who will follow up at home. The student may be asked to move to a 1:1 in-school plan.

Students and families of grade 8,

The second semester of the school year has started and the admin and the Grade 8 team have started to build a Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) pilot to run from Jan 31st until the last day of school in June.

The intention of the PBIS pilot is to explore this as a way to help sustain and support a positive learning culture and climate among all grade 8 students. Additionally, this pilot intends to provide ongoing opportunities for students to develop responsibility and accountability, which will help them enormously as they move towards being grade 9 students in less than five school months!

What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.

What will this look like in Grade 8 for the rest of this year?

Grade 8 teachers will be talking to students this week about structures to support positive behaviours based around our three core pillars:

• I am part of this community
• I can contribute in a positive way
• I will be accountable for my words and actions

Informed by our ongoing work with the Suffolk Centre for Restorative Justice, the team will develop incentives and rewards, such as field trips and class activities to help strengthen our community and embolden academic rigor. In addition, the admin will establish structures to support these; As well as helping with incentives, admin will also start to run after school "office detentions" as well as "Saturday" detentions - these will actually take place on early release Wednesdays and will run from 1 - 3:30pm. Caregivers of impacted students will be invited to a meeting prior to assigning after school or "Saturday" detentions as per the existing code of conduct in the student handbook.

The intent of the detentions is to provide opportunities for students to reflect on negative behaviours, repair harm to the learning community and to support them in reintegrating back into classes, ready to learn.

Updates and Communication

The team will provide updates on a monthly basis via the newsletter. In addition, the administration will share data at the May school committee meeting to demonstrate the impact of PBIS on school climate and academic culture. At this point there will be a discussion about potentially expanding the pilot to grade 7 and 8 for the school year 2025-26.

How can you get involved?

We are looking to partner with interested caregivers in grade 7 / 8 and encourage interested folks to come to the March LEC or email principal Buckland in the first instance: cbuckland@mtrsd.org

Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns: cbuckland@mtrsd.org

The MTEA looks forward to showing the movie, Twighlight next Friday: $5 tickets. There will also be popcorn!

Caregivers, please look at the description of the 13+ movie to see if you are comfortable allowing your student to attend: Link

On Friday January 24th several students from the HS Student Council here at Mohawk attended a special olympics Bocce tournament at Murdock High School. We had a fun time cheering for athletes from all teams as well as holding up supportive signs to encourage participants in the tournament and to add to the excitement and positivity of the tournament. The event also consisted of a short assembly of uplifting and encouraging speeches for the athletes done by student council members from other schools and other administration/community members. Everyone who went to this event had a great time and we hope to have more student council members join us next year!

Last Friday the G8 team took the majority of eligible students on an amazing field trip to Umass Amherst for a day at college. In the morning, they split into four different groups to explore theater, transportation engineering, public policy, and journalism. Then they all gathered for a buffet lunch at the dining commons and went ice skating at the Mullins Center.

Here are some of the things that we heard about their experiences:

Journalism

“We had the chance to operate a camera and broadcast control system, tour the podcast studio, and see the process for writing news articles”!

Public policy

“We worked in groups to design cities of the future that would be more sustainable” …. “Cities had solar panels, electric trolleys, terrace and aqua farms, and more”

Theater

10/10! We got a tour of two theaters, and learned about how the lights get set up and taken down between each show. The coolest part was the giant set of stairs to go up 70 feet to the catwalk!

Lunch

Lunch was “delicious”, “so good”, “best food we’ve ever had”. “You need to write about the dumplings, they were the best.” The best thing we ate was “ice cream” (x2), “everything”, “the pesto noodles”, “french fries” (x3), “pizza”, “salad bar”.

Ice skating

Ice skating was really fun! We all got really warm. Some of us slid around on the ice, and lots of us got a lot better at skating. A bunch of us were also in a room overlooking the rink, and had a lot of fun playing games and watching our friends skate around.

Seniors, the countdown is on!

Make sure that you are aware of what you need to do in order to graduate. Ms Desarro has already met with you all and you should reach out with any questions.

Please note the following events that are for and involve you all:

• Prom - Saturday 5-17

• Senior Send off - Weds 21st May (2:10- seniors walk around the building, everyone comes out and cheers)

• Senior Soak - Thursday 22nd May: 1:50-2:18 parking lot

• Last Day - Friday May 23rd Senior sign off form needs to be completed and returned to students (This will be issued on Monday 19th May)

• Memorial Day - Mon 26th May

• Finals and rehearsals for Awards/ Graduation - Tuesday 27th May and Wednesday May 29th, 10-12 am

• Elementary school visit and MTRS staff cookout - Wednesday 28th May

• Awards Event & slide show - Thursday 29th May (5-7)After the Smithsonian event in the library: Junior class to organise food

• Graduation Celebration - Friday May 30th 6-8pm indoors at MTRS (auditorium)

Many of these dates have been on the calendar since May of 2024 and you should check in with Class Advisor Mr Leowolf with any questions

Finally, please note that in order to graduate, you need to have paid up your class dues. Please email me/ come and speak with me if you have any questions: cbuckland@mtrsd.org

Integrated Math Inquiry Sessions - two down, two to go!

Mohawk Trail Regional will be moving to an integrated math model in the fall of 2025. This topic was presented to the MTRSD School Committee by District Math Coach Wayne Kermenski at the January 8 meeting.

To hear his presentation, click here: https://drive.google.com/.../1LEpqkXjawJnqJuSjMWlHta.../view His presentation begins right around the 1 minute 10 second mark (1:10) with Principal Chris Buckland setting it up. It runs until about the 28 minute and 27 second mark. (28:27)

To read more about integrated math, please find a write up in the January 10 MTRS Student & Family Newsletter titled “MTRS will be moving to Integrated Math in 2025/26” (https://secure.smore.com/n/6q82j) You may also read about it in a recent Greenfield Recorder article here: https://mtrs.mtrsd.org/.../Mohawk-Trail-Regional-School...

Lastly, we have scheduled real-time opportunities to ask your questions directly. Two have already taken place and these two forums are open for the topic:

Local Education Council Virtual Meeting: February 12th, 3:45-4:30

Meeting Link: meet.google.com/gzo-toke-ibz

Phone Number: 1 813-435-9650

PIN: ‪741 012 215#

Principal's Virtual Drop in: February 14th, 8-9am

Meeting Link: meet.google.com/jtz-yhet-ipo

Phone Number: 1 (813) 773-5581

PIN: 636 883 303#

What is IM?

Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II (AGA) are integrated, so that concepts can be frequently reviewed and built on. Additionally, concepts in Algebra and Geometry are interwoven in order to make connections between the two traditionally separate maths.

What does the research say?

NCTM president Shaughnessy

• “Exposure to relevant applications of algebra integrated with statistics and geometry throughout a high school student’s learning of mathematics will help instill more meaning and sense making in his or her algebra experience and lay a foundation for transition options to college mathematics.”

• “90 percent of the rest of the world teaches mathematics by using an integrated approach.” In general, U.S. students do not perform as well in math as other countries.

In Transition to Common Core, Some High Schools Turn to ‘Integrated’ Math Ed. Week

• “A study published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education last year tracked students over three years and found that those who were being taught with an integrated-math

curriculum outperformed their counterparts who were in a traditional sequence.”

Mohawk Trail’s Core Math Program Components.

1. Comprehensive and meets all CCSS-MA for each grade-level or course.

2. Students collaborate, persevere and take risks in class

3. Inquiry-based. Students solve meaningful and complex problems.

4. Meets the needs of all learners.

• Scaffolding and extensions are present.
• Heterogeneous classes through 10th grade
• Choice of different pathways after 10th grade

How does Integrated Math support our math program components and students better?

• Links Algebra and Geometry, and in turn both reinforce and support each other by seeing the same concepts in multiple contexts. (Component 4)

• Reduces the learning lost from Algebra I to Algebra II found in the current AGA model. (Component 4)

• Introductory Algebra and Geometry concepts are taught in IM I, which provides more learning opportunities before more difficult concepts in Algebra and Geometry are introduced in IM II and III. (Component 4)

• IM can be implemented in a semester or year long course. AGA is not compatible with semester-long courses. (Component 1)

• Partnership with local schools, such as NHS, who have already designed a comprehensive IM program that we can use. (Component 7)

• Local Districts with IM Pathways have strong MCAS Performance

Comparing the scope and sequence between Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II vs Integrated Math.

• Please see the photos below.

• Also have a look at the Ed sub cttee - IM presentation for specific details about unit sequence or visit Open Up Resources at https://access.openupresources.org/curricula

Visit Massachusetts Common Core State Math Standards at (https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/math/2017-06.pdf), specifically pages 111-156 and 167

Auditions took place today for students in grades 7-12 who expressed an interested in being a part of the cast or crew of the Spring Musical (May 2nd & 3rd).

If you were unable to make the audition and are still interested in participating, please complete this survey so you can be included in emails from Paul:Link

Parents of students in grades 5 & 6 who think their child might like to be involved, please complete this initial interest survey. Paul will reach out with more information in the next month.

Students in grades 5 & 6: Link

Please email Paul at stagedirector@mtrsd.org with any questions.

Mohawk Trail SEPAC Member and Parent

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Do you have a question about your child, their services, or resources specific to your needs? If you or someone you know would like to be added to the private list and receive emails and event notifications, please send an email to: MOHAWKSEPAC@gmail.com Please indicate your email, title (such as parent of a student with IEP/504), District, Interested Party or other)

Disclosure: SEPAC maintains the list of contacts and keeps the information private. This email is maintained by a parent and volunteer. Our goal is to respond in a timely manner. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

There are a lot of upcoming non-sporting extracurricular events planned for the remainder of the year and I wanted to make sure that students and families are aware of expectations for students in relation to participation.

In order to participate, students must be in:

• Good behavioral standing - no more than 3 conduct referrals between the date the permission slip is sent home and the day before the field trip/ event.

• Good academic standing - not owing work or have unauthorised absences from school & classes (does not include work missed due to approved absences)

Students who are unable to participate in events will be provided academic work to complete during their regular schedule and will be expected to attend school, if the planned event takes place during the school day.

This information will be included in permission forms that caregivers are asked to sign and return.

Please see the section from the student handbook in relation to eligibility for sports:

P35

Participation And Eligibility

MTRS offers a variety of team sports in middle school, varsity and junior varsity interscholastic athletics. To be eligible to participate in sports, students must complete an annual physical, be in good academic standing, pay user fees, complete a baseline concussion assessment and sign an athletic contract. Fall sports include cross-country, field hockey, and football, girls’ volleyball, soccer, and golf. Winter sports include alpine (downhill) skiing, basketball, cross-country (Nordic) skiing, indoor track, and wrestling. Spring sports include baseball, tennis, softball, and track and field. Students interested in participating in athletics should contact Greg Lilly, Athletic Director, at ext. 1310.

Welcome to winter! Finally some snow. I am reminding our new drivers to be very careful on the roads!

We have some upcoming surveys happening in the next couple weeks.

The first one is Prevention Needs Assessment which will take place on February 6th for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. 8th grade will participate during their science class that day and 10th/12th grade during advisory. This assessment gives us valuable data county-wide about student perceptions of health needs for themselves and our larger school community. It is completely anonymous.

Another survey is to provide data for the Barr Grant that we have been very fortunate to have to supplement such initiatives as restorative justice and standards based teaching and learning. We are in our second round of this grant and would like to keep it going if we can. This survey will provide data that is required for the grant.

In March we will be providing a program for 7th and 9th graders called Signs of Suicide (SOS). This is a series of vignettes showing how to help a peer who is having a tough time. This is followed by a self-assessment of their own needs. We follow this up with counseling if there are students with concerning self-assessments or requests to meet with a counselor.

Grade 9 semester 1 Biology students will be taking their Biology MCAS on the 4th and 5th of February. Next week Robin will reach out to families and students to remind them of times and days. It is the expectation of the district that all students take MCAS tests that they are scheduled for. Please see below for a clarification of state and school expectations.

We received further advice from the state about MCAS testing and I hope that information helps provide clarity around who and when MCAS testing takes place and how, even though MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement, we still expect students to take MCAS tests during their time at MTRS. This information will be sent to all families and students in grades 7-12 and included in our weekly newsletter.

Please reach out to me for any clarifying questions

What is MCAS?

MCAS stands for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, which is a set of standardized tests that assess how well students are learning the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) develops and administers the MCAS. The MCAS helps teachers, parents, and students understand where students are excelling and where they need help. It also holds schools and districts accountable for their progress on the assessment.

Testing typically takes place during March - June and the schedule is shared on the website and directly with students and families directly. The following grade levels take MCAS tests at MTRS in the following subjects:

Voters removed passing the MCAS exams in high school as a required measure of competency to graduate high school. This means that while students will still take MCAS, they do not need to pass it in order to graduate from high school. The law now requires students to pass high school coursework equivalent to that tested by MCAS to demonstrate competency, along with meeting local graduation requirements, to receive a diploma. This means, students will need to meet MTRS graduation requirements, which includes passing rigorous courses in math, ELA, and science.

It is the expectation of the school, district and state that all students take all of the MCAS tests administered in grades 3-8 and 10, along with a science MCAS test in high school. At MTRS the high school science MCAS offered is typically biology in 9th grade. Participation in the MCAS is required by federal and state law and the ballot question did not change this requirement. DESE's accountability system will continue to use assessment participation rates (and the resulting achievement and growth data) in its annual determinations made through the district and school accountability system. This means, schools and districts will continue to be evaluated by student participation and performance on MCAS. These exams also give educators important information about the efficacy of our curriculum and teaching practices.

Do high school students still need to earn a Competency Determination (CD) in order to graduate?
High school students will still need to earn a CD in order to graduate. Since 2003, the CD has been based on achieving qualifying scores on relevant MCAS tests. After the November vote, CD is now based on "satisfactorily completing coursework that has been certified by the student's district."

In order to graduate from MTRS, students need to pass their scheduled classes in Science typically offered in grade 9 and ELA and Math in grade 10 or the equivalent, as well as fulfilling MTRS Graduation requirements. For example, students typically must pass biology in 9th grade in order to meet the science competency determination. However, there are many other courses that fulfill the requirement, and competence could be demonstrated by passing chemistry, physics, anatomy, AP coursework, or other rigorous lab sciences offered at MTRS. Similarly, in math, students will need to pass Algebra and Geometry or more rigorous courses. In ELA, they would need to pass 10th grade English or more rigorous ELA courses.

1. Strong performance on 2 or more MCAS tests in high school makes students eligible for the Adam's scholarship, which offers 4 years of in-state tuition to a state university
2. Educators and administrators use the test results to help them assess the efficacy of their curriculum and instruction, and to make improvements to their own practices. We want to see what is working and what needs improvement.
3. It is required by state and federal law that students in MCAS grades (3-8, high school) participate in MCAS tests.

Please see the latest Student Services updates

Summer learning opportunities for current high school students and training / certification opportunities for current students and graduating seniors can be found here: link (which will be continually updated). Please share with students and encourage them to apply!!!

Local Education Council (LEC)

This meets virtually every second Wednesday of the month between 3:45 and 4:30pm. More information can be found here. The next meeting will take place on Feb 12th

The virtual joining information is as follows:

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/gzo-toke-ibz

Phone Numbers

(‪US‬)‪+1 813-435-9650‬

PIN: ‪741 012 215#‬

Principal Drop-ins

As was the case last year, I will hold regular virtual office hours. You don’t need an appointment to come and talk with me and share your thoughts on what goes on at MTRS. I will try to be available for the whole 60 minutes but can't always guarantee it at our busy school. The next drop in will take place on Feb 14th: 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

Meeting ID: meet.google.com/jtz-yhet-ipo

Phone Number: (US)+1 (813) 773-5581

PIN: 636 883 303

Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional