Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope you have had a great week.
Scheduling and student class options
Students will be bringing home a hard copy of the updated course catalog before the February break. We encourage all students and care givers to read this in advance of the week after the break when the guidance team will be working with students on making choices for classes in 9-12 for the 2024/5 academic year.
Student-Led-Conferences: Let us have your feedback
It was great to see caregivers in the building for our first set of Student Led Conferences. Caregivers - please give us feedback on your experience of SLC and how we can improve for our June conferences. Students and staff have also provided feedback to help us plan.
Middle School Phone Pilot in Semester 2
As a reminder from last week, this week we started a pilot program called, Off and Away During the School Day, which is designed to help Middle School students avoid cell phone distractions while they are in school. Caregivers are still able to communicate messages to their children by calling the front office during the day.
Change in administration structure
We are delighted to announce that Paula Brault has accepted the position of interim Assistant Principal for the remainder of the academic year. As an MTRS alum, Ms. Brault brings a wealth of experience in education, as a Math teacher and a counselor and has held administrative positions in previous schools, the most recent being Greenfield HS. AP Brault will continue to support student voice and building a positive school climate. She will also help support our Restorative Practices work and support our shift to standards based teaching and learning - both are central to the work we are undertaking as a result of the support from the Barr Foundation.
Please see below for more information related to upcoming events at MTRS:
- Semester 2 started on Tuesday. Students with an NC in their report card have until next Friday to make up S1 work. After this, the NC will be changed to reflect the grade the student has earned. Everyone is reminded to check Aspen when grades are published on Monday morning.
- Our annual Department of Education Report card for the school and district is out now. Link. Please see the Teaching and Learning section below which has more information about the report. This information will also be emailed to all families as a PDF attachment. If you would like a hard copy, please let the office know.
- SEPAC is organizing a virtual meeting from 9-10am on Feb 14th - more info on the posters below
FREE Covid Antigen Test Kits: Once again our school is being provided with free at home Covid Antigen Test Kits for our students, families, and staff. Please stop by the front office to pick some up or email dweber@mtrsd.org or lharrison@mtrsd.org if you would like us to send test kits home with your student, now and for the rest of this school year.
- Graduation information for the Class of 2024 - please see below! As a reminder (in newsletters since August of 2023: Graduation will be on Friday 31st May, indoors in the MTRS Auditorium)
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 nice weekend
Chris
Upcoming dates
Feb 2nd: MTEA Family movie night: Labyrinth 7pm start
Feb 19-23rd: Vacation
March 1st: 6:30-8:30pm: Student Council Winter Dance
March 27th: District Celebration of Learning
April 12th: Middle School Career Speakers in Advisory
May 3 and 4th: Spring Musical: You're a good man, Charlie Brown
May 15 & 16th District Music Concert at BSE
May 18th: MTAA Spring Fling
May 18th: Prom
May 30th: Senior Awards evening
May 31st (Friday) -6-8pm: High School Graduation. Indoors at MTRS (This is a correction to the published date of June 1st)
June 3rd - Grade 6 Step up day
District Calendar for 2023/24: Link
MTRS MCAS and AP testing schedule
Quarter 3 (45 Days)
First Day: January 29, 2024
Last Day: Friday April 5, 2024
Q3 progress report grades close on: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Q3 progress report grading window: Monday, February 26 - Monday, March 4,
Q3 progress reports will be available in Aspen Tuesday, March 5,
Q3 grading window: Thursday, April 4 - Thursday April 11 at 11:59 pm
Q3 report cards will be available in Aspen: Friday, April 12, 2024
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - Performances May 3rd and 4th, 6pm
Attention Cast and Crew of the spring production "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!": Check your email inbox! Miss Eva sent you an email message concerning a read-through rehearsal scheduled for Wednesday, February 7th. Please respond letting her know if you are available or not, as that will determine whether the rehearsal will be held. She will continue to communicate through email on scheduling and updates. Thank you!
Here is the rehearsal schedule for play (links)
Mark your diaries for performance dates of May 3 and 4th at 6pm
Welcome to February!
Very few students are taking advantage of the free breakfast that we offer every day. Breakfast is available at 7:20 every day. Some student favorites are breakfast sandwiches, waffles, and donuts! They also have yogurt with various toppings, fruit, milk, and juice. Students can check the menus website for the breakfast menu of the day.
We are opening the doors to the D wing (high school classrooms) and the Middle School Wing at 7:40, leaving 5 minutes for students to get to their classrooms. The library and the cafeteria are available for students and many enjoy walking the “square” for a bit of morning exercise. There are also two sets of bathrooms available before 7:40 - in the main lobby and near the cafeteria.
Carol Foote, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, cfoote@mtrsd.org
Sanderson and its Cow Keepers
First graders began taking our classroom stuffy cow, Celestial, home for a weekend of fun! Each first grader is the “cow keeper” for a weekend and, by the end of the year, Celestial will have visited 17 children’s homes! After each visit, first graders write in the shared journal, describing an adventure they had with Celestial, and a photo is attached. Activities have included attending a basketball game, reading a book, baking cookies, and enjoying some hot cocoa.
BSE Educators: Gaining Knowledge and Sharing It With Colleagues
Grace Coller and Eva Goldman - specialists at BSE in special education and reading, respectively - are both attending graduate courses to further their learning in the area of teaching reading. Eva recently shared her knowledge with BSE staff in the form of professional development around teaching and assessing reading fluency. Grace shared some of her learning, covering topics including phonology, orthography and morphology. Her focus was on morphology and teaching using mini matrices in the classroom. Using said matrices, students can discover new words by putting base words together with various affixes. The staff had a blast creating matrices for the classroom.
Phenomenal Literacy Results at Hawlemont
Principal Tulloch shared the “phenomenal” update that, in their literacy assessments, 13% more students are at or above grade level than were in the fall. She encourages the great habit of reading every day, even for just 10 minutes, because the more one comes into contact with words, the better literacy skills become. Each page makes a difference (and having a reading program that is partnered with Berkshire Pizza probably doesn’t hurt, either!)
And… please save the date of Tuesday, February 13 for Hawlemont’s “Snuggle Up and Read” event. See the flier promoting the dual event for readers and Hawlemont community members who wish to better understand the school budget. Come for dinner at 5 p.m. (made possible by the Mary Lyon Foundation - thank you!) and stay for the programs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Colrain Central Reading Buddies
Speaking of reading, who better to read with than a buddy? Students at Colrain Central are buddying up in nooks, on rugs, and in special chairs to read together. It’s the perfect time of year to get in the habit of hunkering down with a good book. If your Colrain Central student is in need of reading material, ask their teacher or reach out to librarian Talia Miller for suggestions.
MCAS information
In the next few weeks we will start to share information in relation to MCAS and AP testing. For now, I wanted to share some very quick information:
Our school testing schedule is here: MTRS MCAS and AP testing schedule and general parent/ caregiver information about MCAS can be found here: MCAS Resources for parents.
Here is High School Graduation Requirement Information in relation to MCAS
Finally, information on the financial scholarships available as a result of MCAS performance can be found here:
How do we support SEL needs of all students?
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a framework that has a tiered infrastructure that uses data to help match academic and social-emotional behavior assessment and instructional resources to each student's needs.
At MTRS we have several tiers (levels) of social-emotional support for our students:
Tier 1: Everyone in our school or in a grade (Crew Lessons, Signs of Suicide Training, etc)
Tier 2: Small Group intervention (Counseling Groups, Small Group discussions, etc)
Tier 3: Individual interventions with counseling staff, referral to outside support, or crisis intervention
We have several large group programs that assist all students:
Our advisory (crew) curriculum uses EL Education’s model for discussions school-wide.
Signs of Suicide Training for 7th and 9th graders:
This year school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called Signs of Suicide (SOS). The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
who they can turn to at school for help
Preventure:
Preventure is an evidence-based, mental health promotion and substance use prevention program run by school counselors.
The program is delivered through school-based workshops which help students explore their personality, strengthen their capacity to cope with personality-related risk factors, and provides them with the tools they need to pursue and attain their long-term goals.
All 8th graders are invited to complete a screening questionnaire, they are then invited to join a workshop (or not) based on the results of the questionnaire.
Prevention Needs Assessment, annual survey in grades 8, 10, 12
This completely anonymous survey is conducted by The Communities That Care Coalition. The Coalition brings together schools, families, youth, young adults, and the community to improve young people’s health, well-being, and health equity. This is a regional survey that looks at the school, health, and behaviors. It has been developed to learn what students do that may affect their well-being. The survey also informs our school and district planning in these areas.
Energy Drink Dangers
Although Energy Drinks can seem like a great idea, we request they NOT be brought to school. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatric "adolescents should not consume energy drinks".
Some of the potential dangers of Energy Drinks include:
Dehydration (not enough water in the body)
Heart Complications (such as irregular heartbeats and heart failure)
Anxiety (feeling nervous and jittery)
Liver and/or Kidney damage
High Blood Pressure
Seizures
And the list goes on and on. For everyone's safety, Energy Drinks are not allowed in school.
Class meetings will take place in the next two weeks and the Class of 2024 will be planning their involvement in the following events:
Graduation
Prom - Saturday 18th May
Senior Send off - Weds 22nd May
Senior Soak - Thursday 23rd May
Last Day - Friday May 24th
Memorial Day - Mon 27th May
Finals and rehearsals for Awards/ Graduation - Tuesday 28th May and Wednesday May 29th
Elementary school visit and MTRS staff cookout - Wednesday 29th May
Awards Event - Thursday 30th May (5-7pm)
Graduation Celebration - Friday May 31st 6-8pm indoors at MTRS (auditorium)
Scholarships
Please keep checking the Student Services section of the website in order to stay on top of deadlines. Last year the Class of 2023 walked away with over $100,000 in scholarships from our MTRS community!
This section of the newsletter will be updated as we progress through the year, so please check back in regularly!
Check out what is new in the library!
Take a look at our MTRS Library February 2024 newsletter: Link
Also don't forget to be checking the Senior Scholarship Bulletin.
Students and parents, please reach out with any specific questions - happy to help! Mrs. Cairney acariney@mtrsd.org Students to book an appt visit: https://acairney.youcanbook.me/
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 on February 14th
The virtual joining information is as follows:
Meeting ID
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 February 9th.
Second Friday of each month: 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
Welcome back Mohawk Trail sports fans! We are entering the home stretch of winter sports, and many of our teams and athletes are jockeying for potential postseason berths! Let’s get right into it!
WARRIOR HOOPERS STOP 5-GAME SKID; HOPE STILL ALIVE FOR POSTSEASON BERTH!
The Mohawk Trail Girls Basketball Team picked up a much needed victory as they pounded the Athol Bears 45-14, Thursday night in Buckland. The Warriors played suffocating defense from start to finish, while supplying a well-balanced attack on offense. Mohawk Trail was led by Freshman Natalie Lanoue who scored a season high 15 points, including three 3 pointers! Freshman Valerie Bzomowski joined Lanoue in double figures with 10 points, while Senior Rachel Pease and 8th grader Abi Dobias chipped in with 7 and 5 points, respectively. The Warriors are currently ranked #40 in the state and must make a jump to #32 by the end of the season to qualify for the MIAA State Tournament. Good luck ladies!
MOHAWK TRAIL NORDIC SKI TEAM HITTING STRIDE AS POSTSEASON APPROACHES!
While Mother Nature has been less than cooperative this winter for outdoor sports, the Mohawk Trail Nordic Ski Team has found a way to steadily improve and remain ultra competitive in the Berkshire Ski League! Led by coaches Mark Pollard and Maggie Birrell, the Boys and Girls Nordic teams have improved their placings in every race they have skied this winter, and are poised to become a thorn in the side of the other, larger, more experienced teams in the league. State Championships are slated to take place on February 13th at Prospect Mountain in Vermont.
MOHAWK TRAIL INCLUSIVE AFTER SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM WRAPS UP TO RAVE REVIEWS!
In what can be described as a modified Unified Sports Program, the Mohawk Trail Inclusive After School Pilot Program finished session 1 this past Thursday! Over the course of 8 weeks, a group of 10 Mohawk Trail students traveled to the Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley after school to partake in fun, team building, and comradery! A huge shout out to program coordinator Craig Suhre for spearheading the program, and stay tuned for more information regarding sessions #2!
SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!!!
Mohawk Trail will be offering….
Boys and Girls Track and Field
Baseball
Softball
Tennis
The online registration process can be found HERE. Please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly with any questions at glillyAD@mtrsd.org
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional