Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
Good afternoon and happy last day of school!
Unfortunately, while we are happy that it is the summer break, we are also sad to say goodbye and good luck to MTRS students who will be leaving us at the end of the current year. We also want to say thanks and goodbye to Ms Cairney, Mr Bill, Ms. Kylie, Ms Beaudet & Ms Loomis as well as student teachers Jenna B and Nathan K. Thank you all for what you have done for students, families and staff alike. We will miss you and wish you well!
Safe journey to our students and staff who will be travelling to Rome, Sicily, Greece and Ireland this summer. Make wonderful memories! See the section below on how you can sign up for next year's trip!
If you are in Greenfield tomorrow, come and support MTEA (Mohawk Trail Equity Alliance) students and staff who will be taking part in Franklin County Pride.
Finally, our Civics teachers talked about the work that students have completed with them this year at the most recent school. You can see a PDF of their presentation, here.
Important dates
- Q4 and Final Grades will be available in Aspen from Monday afternoon (17th)
- New and returning student information packets will be available to collect from MTRS from August 19th
- Chromebooks will be issued during the first week of school
This has been another busy week for everyone and today Mr Billings oversaw the soft opening of the first of two outdoor classrooms at MTRS - see photo. A huge thanks to Ms Camarda and the Key club students who have been instrumental in helping with this project! Please read on to find out more about:
- Field Trips
- Ordering your Yearbook and Mini End-of-Year-Activities Yearbook
- Civic Action Projects
- Summer programs
- Chromebook returns
- Cooling Centres in Greenfield over the summer
- Job openings in the district
Finally, please note that the MTRS newsletter will take a break for a few weeks and will return on August 15th. Admin staff will be working throughout the summer and the MTRS building will be open business from 8am - 2:30pm, Monday - Friday.
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.
Best wishes
Chris
Upcoming dates
- August 19th: New and returning student registration packets will be available to collect from MTRS
August 28th: First day of school for students
September 25th: Grade 7 Open House & Official Outdoor Classroom opening
October 30th: SLC for Grade 8-12 & Mary Lyon Resource Fair
November 14th: Grades 5-8 STEAM Fair
April 2nd: SLC for grades 7,8,9,10,11,12
May 29th: Senior Awards
May 30th: Class of 2025 Graduation
District (Calendar for 24/25)
Quarter 4 40 Days (5 fewer days due to Q2)
First Day: Monday April 8, 2024
Last Day: Monday, June 10, 2024
Q4 progress report grades close on: Friday, May 10, 2024
Q4 progress report grading window: Thursday, May 9 - Thursday, May 16 at 11:59pm
Q4 progress reports will be available in Aspen: Friday, May 17, 2024
Q4 grading window: May 31st - June 14th
Q4 report cards available in Aspen: June 17th
This week, grade 8 students showcased their final presentations for their civic action projects! Some students focused on strengthening the MTRS community and school, advocating for changes to the dress code, creating a girls lacrosse team, more support for LGBTQ students, and addressing bullying and mental health. Others focused on local issues, like creating a tool library at the Buckland Public Library, increasing the number of volunteer firefighters, and working to pass local plastic bag bans and other climate-resilience resolutions. Some even took on statewide issues: advocating for more rural school funding, increasing affordable housing, and passing the “Raise the Age Bill.” Mr. Tierney says, “I am inspired by the interests, engagement, and power of these incredible students, and could not be more proud of the accomplishments of these incredible changemakers.”
At our civics event, we prepared trifolds about our projects and presented what action we’ve taken towards our project. We had 3-4 rounds of educators and representatives who came by our tables to discuss our projects and ask questions. Talking to new people who also took interest in our projects was really awesome and inspiring!
Bianca R
Did your student return theirs?
Students in grades 8-11 were given the opportunity to return their devices earlier this week.
Unfortunately there are some devices and chargers still outstanding.
Thank you in advance for returning the chromebook and charger to the school at your earliest convenience. If you are unable to do so, your child will not be issued a device next year and you will be billed for a replacement. Next week we will remotely close down access to devices not yet returned.
Please reach out to Chelsea in the front office with any questions or concerns
Thank you for supporting our technology team.
On Friday Mr. M and I traveled to Harvard to help out with the special Olympics opening ceremony. We were tasked with making supportive signs for the athletes and holding the tear away banner that each team ran through. We met other councils from across the state and had a great time. The fun was amplified by the knowledge that we were making a difference and supporting a great cause. I was even given the honor of reading the volunteer pledge for the ceremony. Overall, it was a great day filled with meaningful work.
- Landon C
Graduation and Awards photos - Families and Class of 2024, access them now before your MTRS access expires!
To access the portraits of the Class of 2024 graduates captured just after receiving their diplomas, as well as photos from the awards evening, visit this link to download your graduate’s photo before June 30. Thanks to Otis at Falls Cable, the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 may be accessed on YouTube here.
PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY & FAMILY/CAREGIVER SURVEY
The Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont School Districts have engaged Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12) to complete a thorough sustainability study that ultimately will present the Districts, their member towns, and their communities with ideas about the educational, financial, and operational future of the Districts. For this work to be successful, we need your help!
Please fill out a survey and let us know your thoughts for the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts by clicking on the link below, or entering in your web browser. Thank you!
Happy Summer! May the summer be filled with sunshine, rest, and just have fun!
There is a plethora of research on the “summer gap” that happens when students completely let go of learning for the summer. How can families help this? Keep learning while still having fun! Take in a museum, take hikes along the Appalachian Trail, walk around a college campus (GCC has fabulous trails with activities along the way), take in a historical movie, even go bowling (great math activity). Well, there is always reading a book!
It has been a pleasure to be Assistant Principal this year! See you all in the fall!
Carol Foote, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, cfoote@mtrsd.org
Summer Reading!
Click on this link to find summer reading recommendations from the American Library Association for grades K through 5, and information about how to access Sora, the online platform where students can read and listen to books for free! Many of the schools also are hosting summer reading programs to keep those pages turning!
BSE
The Tradition of the Teddy Bear Picnic
Students from the two sections of the kindergarten class invited their families and friends to participate in the highly anticipated Teddy Bear Picnic. It was in the 2012-2013 school year that Mrs. Tomlinson arrived at BSE and, with her, brought the tradition. Practice starts about a month before the performance date, which is always at the very end of the school year. And students identify a teddy bear, or other stuffy, to bring to the Teddy Bear Picnic.
Guests bring a picnic to enjoy. Together the students perform three songs: The Teddy Bear Picnic, Three Bears Rap and First Grade, First Grade! (to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”) Bears receive awards such as Most Huggable, Cutest Bear, Most Athletic, etc. BSE provides ice cream desserts for everyone paid for by the BSE PTO! Mrs. Tomlinson shares, “It's such an enjoyable time and it's amazing to watch how proud the students are. Watching them with their families and sharing that joy is my favorite!”
Secret Agents and The “Department” Team Up for Literacy
This spring, third grade students in Ms. Griswold’s class became secret agents. The "Department" left case files for the classmates to solve. Some of the missions in these case files involved reading complex text and looking for evidence, writing paragraph reports, and writing a story from another person's perspective.
Framing assignments in this way allowed for excitement and joy during reading and writing class, even when the text was complex to read and the reports they needed to write were long. Every student rose to the challenge and completed the missions.
To bring this unit to a close, Superintendent Sheryl Stanton and Assistant Superintendent Bill Lataille visited the class this week as members of the mysterious "Department." They came to meet the secret agents who had been completing the case files. They arrived at the classroom door in spy outfits and sunglasses, playing spy music and waving flashlights to survey the room.
They acknowledged and thanked the agents for all of their hard work this spring, and presented them with one final mission. The agents were given special paper and fancy flashlight-like gadgets. These gadgets revealed messages written in invisible ink. The agents quickly discovered that the papers did not contain their names but there was a code each agent had to crack. Working together, they figured out that the code was the digits of their birthdays. Once everyone had their correct paper, they could flip it over and read a personalized message written in invisible ink.
Superintendent Stanton and Assistant Superintendent Lataille stayed in character and answered questions such as, "What do the Department's cars look like?" and "Where is the Department located?"
Since becoming secret agents, Ms. Griswold’s students' engagement and perseverance in reading and writing has increased tremendously. They are all much stronger readers and writers since becoming secret agents. Superintendent Stanton and Assistant Superintendent Bill Lataille helped to celebrate that growth and learning.
Colrain Central
Kickball Tradition
Last week, Colrain Central held its annual Field Day. One feature of this event is the 6th grade students versus staff kickball game. This is an event everyone looks forward to, and never disappoints. Great sportsmanship was on display.
North River News, Latest Issue
Colrain Central students have completed research on a number of topics that they have showcased in the latest issue of the North River News. Take a look - no doubt you will learn something! And consider subscribing!
Hawlemont
Wood Bank Update
The Town of Charlemont Wood Bank is partnering with Hawlemont Elementary school.
5th graders helped stack 2 cords of wood that was delivered to the school in support of the Charlemont community and their heating needs. During the school year, when a donation of wood is secured, students will help the recipient(s) load the wood in their vehicle.
To inquire about securing a donation of wood, contact 413-339-4335 ext 8, ask for Sarah Reynolds in the Charlemont Town Office. Once approved, a pick up is then scheduled.
Sanderson Academy
In Person Pen Pals
Fifth grade has been exchanging letters with Ashfield senior citizens throughout the school year. It has been a collaborative project with Ms. Wilson, Ms. Johnson, and Chief Bezio. On Tuesday, students and their pen pals had a lovely gathering that included snacks, a 'getting to know you ' activity, and a card game. Stories, laughter, and hugs accompanied the connections that have been built over the year through the letter writing.
Beauty and the Beast Recap
Sanderson Academy’s performance of Beauty and the Beast Jr drew a huge and enthusiastic crowd. It was a magical night!
How did it all begin? Well, a handful of sixth-grade girls had the idea to perform Beauty and the Beast many months ago. The idea grew and grew, and by late April, Sanderson had twenty-nine students in their cast and crew, and rehearsals began. The students worked very hard to bring this production together in a very short time--and they put on an amazing performance!
Many thanks to our production team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes–making costumes and props, building sets, directing the cast and crew, and teaching the wonderful choreography. It was a true team effort. Thanks, also, to families who provided costumes, props, and support. A big thanks goes to the Sanderson Academy PTO for all of their support and the Sanderson staff and students who came and pitched in to help out on the night of the performance. The biggest thanks of all goes to the original group of sixth-grade girls who started the whole thing. You left a legacy that will resonate for many years to come–and we thank you.
We’re looking for people with a passion for education, who care about kids. Sound like you? Then let’s work together!
District Positions
Director of Pupil Personnel Services - Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts
Special Education Teacher - Mohawk Trail Regional School District
School Bus Driver (Part-time) - Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts
Mohawk Trail Regional
Interim Education Team Leader - Mohawk Trail Regional School
Middle School Special Education Teacher - Mohawk Trail Regional School
Middle School Supported Classroom Teacher Long-term Substitute - Mohawk Trail Regional School
Supported Classroom Programs Clinician - Mohawk Trail Regional School
Anticipated Opening: Special Education Paraprofessionals - Mohawk Trail Regional School
Buckland-Shelburne Elementary
1:1 ABA Paraprofessional Long-Term Substitute - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
Grade 1 Teacher Long-Term Substitute - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary
Interventionist/Title 1 Teacher - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
Colrain Central
Hawlemont
Sanderson Academy
For more information or to apply, give us a call at 413-625-0192, send your cover letter, resume and references (and licensure, if applicable) to ktotman@mtrsd.org, or mail them to:
Superintendent of Schools
Mohawk Trail Regional School District
24 Ashfield Rd.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
If you are interested in substitute teaching, please find the form here.
Many other schools in the region have looked at a program like Yondr as a solution to combat excessive phone use in schools. As an alternative, we developed our own pilot program earlier this year which intends to support students with appropriate phone use during the school day.
As a result of the pilot which has been in place in grades 7 and 8 during S2, we have seen a reduction in behavior referrals and issues between Middle school students in school in relation to social media usage. Consequently, for the school year 24/25, we are going to extend this pilot into high school in order to maximize student and staff time on learning, free of digital distraction.
We hope that this pilot provides a supported approach for grades 7-12 to use their phones in a responsible way whilst also removing technological distraction from the learning environment.
We will include a specific section on the phone pilot as part of the student, staff and family feedback surveys during 2024/25.
Short version
- Phones and earbuds should be off and away from 7:45-2:20 each day for all students in grades 7-12
- Grades 9-12 will be allowed to use phones at lunch time only. Grade 7 and 8 will remain unable to use phones during breaks or lunch
- No phone use will be permitted during transitions
- Caregivers can communicate with their student by calling the office. Students are permitted to call home by using the phone in the front office.
Progressive discipline
- All students will be provided a verbal warning about having a phone and earbuds out at the start of the school year.
- Phone out second time - Teacher to take the phone for the remainder of the lesson. Phone is returned at the end of the class. Teacher makes a behavior referral, "phone infraction."
- Phone out third time, administration is called and the student phone is kept at the front office until the end of the day. The student can collect the phone at the end of the day and the parent/ caregiver is notified.
- A further infraction will result in the phone being taken to the office and the parent/ caregiver being required to come into school to speak with admin and pick up the phone. The student will go onto a phone plan for 10 school days; dropping off their phone in the front office at the start of the day and collecting it from the office at the end of the day.
- An additional infraction after successfully completing a phone plan will result in the student being unable to have a phone in their possession for the remainder of the current grading period.
Student Services Update
Bus Schedules and Questions
Please make sure that you check the Bus routes on district site. Care providers can call Dawn at the bus company on 413-489-3195 at ext 3304 or call the school and ask to speak to Robin Pease.
We want to hear your voice!
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 in early September
The virtual joining information is as follows:
Meeting ID
Phone Numbers
(US)+1 813-435-9650
PIN: 741 012 215#
Special Education Updates
Mohawk Trail SEPAC Member and Parent
Join us for the Caregiver Workshop to:
* understand DESE's new IEP Process
* become familiar with the new forms
* learn to navigate the new processes
Follow the link to the virtual session on May 20 here:
https://collaborative.zoom.us/j/84763305906#success
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.
Special Education Contact Information
Person
Role
Contact Information
Leann Loomis
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
413-625-0192 x1025
Melissa Plesnar
Assistant to Director of Pupil Personnel Services
413-625-0192 x1015
Erin Beaudet
7-12 Liaison
413-625-9811 x1314
Carolyn Goodnow
1-6 Liaison
Mohawk Trail District
413-625-2521
Kate Dwyer
1-6 Liaison
Hawlemont District
413-339-8316
Amy Socquet
Early Childhood Coordinator and Liaison
413-625-6194
About Mohawk Trail SEPAC
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council is an advisory group led by parents within our community. We are looking to support each other and help the school district to better serve its students. The SEPAC is open to all caregivers within the district with an IEP or 504 plan, and to interested members of the community. Please reach out to us to learn more!
SEPAC meetings
We meet monthly via Zoom.
We welcome caregivers, staff, and interested members of the community to learn about SEPAC and meet local families. The public meeting will be followed by a private caregiver support discussion.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81146390541?pwd=cGVyR0hFelYrTWhTZ2pzK0kwWnBWQT09
Meeting ID: 811 4639 0541
Passcode: 453118
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,81146390541# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,81146390541# US (New York)
Email us to learn more: mohawksepac@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MohawktrailSEPAC
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional