Leading up to the first day of school on August 28th, desktops, hallways, and bulletin boards came alive in anticipation of your students joining us. It's always energizing when student athletes start their practices, and families stop in to register their students and pick up packets. Seeing teachers start their long goodbye to the summer as they make appearances to prepare their lessons and rooms is bittersweet. There is suddenly more chatter that exhibits hope and expectation for the new year.

This summer, school committees continued to meet and BERK12 has made progress using data collected from the many surveys taken by members of our communities for the ongoing sustainability study. Last Friday new staff had orientation and on Monday we hosted a districts-wide professional development session from which staff moved into break out groups to focus on the year ahead.

Each year at this time, I recommit to making a personal investment in the success of our students, their families, and our staff. I pledge to look for joy and spread it far and wide. My dedication to promoting the wonderful things happening across our districts is tenfold because I know the narrative around public education and, specifically, what is misunderstood about our school system needs that attention. But mostly this year, my goal is to cultivate a sense of belonging that extends to, through, and across all who learn, work, and live here.

Being officially underway, the energy has been carried from the summer into our hallways and classrooms, and onto the athletic fields. It is wonderful to start the circle of learning and growing again this year.

This calendar was in packets but we want you to be able to access it online as well. We hope the paper copy it is currently living on your refrigerator!

There is also a Google calendar with more specific district functions by school, with the following color key:

• District - Dark blue
• BSE - Purple
• Colrain - Orange
• Hawlemont - Green
• MTRS - Maroon/red
• Sanderson - Yellow

And the final word on the topic is that the calendars for Mohawk Trail Regional athletics may be found here.

Happy scheduling!

We are proud to announce that longtime district employee Julia Lignori has been selected as the next Director of Pupil Personnel Services.

Since 2012, Julia has been employed by the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, first at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary where she taught 5th and 6th grade, and most recently at the middle school, where she worked as the learning specialist for the 7th grade team.

In 2003, Julia earned a BA in psychology from Brown University. Continuing her education, she earned an M.Ed. in Special Education from Northeastern University in 2008 and an Ed.S. in Special Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2022.

Julia is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in special education administration under the direction of Dr. Mary Lynn Boscardin at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research interests lie in the interconnectedness of disability and poverty, the multicausal factors which yield to the disproportionate representation of low income students in special education, and what leadership demands of administrators of special education in rural schools. Related to this work, in 2021, she received a scholarship through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Personnel Development Program through a grant-funded project titled Preparing the Next Generation of Culturally Responsive Leaders for the Administration of Special Education.

Additionally, in 2023, Julia was one of 10 doctoral students selected from over 90 universities in the country to attend a policy course and summit in Washington, DC, hosted by the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE). HECSE has been the primary advocate at the federal level for the interests of institutions of higher education with personnel preparation, leadership preparation, and research programs in special education since 1982.

Julia’s teaching experience, coupled with her graduate studies at UMASS, inspired her to pursue this leadership position. She is passionate about improving the experiences of students with disabilities. Her hope is to extend her expertise from the classroom and to build the capacity of special education and general education teachers alike in order to effectively utilize inclusive practices across classroom settings, providing instruction that is equitable, accessible, and engaging to all students.

Julia shares, “When we advocate for policies that support and improve the lives of students with disabilities, we are advocating for all our students, and for public education at large. The reason that I became a special education teacher is because of the strong research to practice connection that informs the field. Additionally, special education focuses on how students learn, rather than what students learn. Research in this field can therefore inform best practices for all students, learning in any discipline, and at every level.”

We appreciate Julia’s approach and have confidence in how students and teachers will be stewarded by her expertise. She has hit the ground running and we are thrilled that Julia brings such a strong vision for students’ learning and growth to her new position.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Director of Pupil Personnel Services supervises the districts’ special education programs to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. Additionally, they are responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities who reside in the districts are identified and screened, including students who attend private or charter schools, and students who are homeschooled. The Director also establishes protocol and procedures for resolving complaints and disputes involving students with disabilities, develops the annual budget for the special education program, manages associated federal and state grants, supports the Special Education Advisory Committee, assesses special education program needs related to equipment, materials, personnel and curriculum, and reports to the school committee on special education programming within the schools. Additionally, the Director serves as Title IX Coordinator and the McKinney-Vento Liaison on behalf of students who are homeless within the two districts.

We’re looking for people with a passion for education, who care about kids. Sound like you? Let’s work together! See below the list of open positions in the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts. Apply today!

Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts

• Occupational Therapist or Certified OT Assistant - 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
• Substitutes Needed - Mohawk Trail Regional School System (Substitute Application & Registration)

Mohawk Trail Regional Middle and High School

• Anticipated Opening: Special Education Paraprofessionals - Mohawk Trail Regional School
• Education Team Leader - Mohawk Trail Regional School
• High School Math Teacher - 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
• Reading Specialist Middle/High School - Mohawk Trail Regional School

Buckland Shelburne Elementary School

• 1:1 ABA Paraprofessional Long-Term Substitute - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
• Behaviorist - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
• Interventionist/Title 1 Teacher - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
• Occupational Therapist - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary
• Paraprofessional Long-Term Substitute - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School
• Part-time Before and After School Program Assistant - Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School

Colrain Central Elementary School

• no open positions

Sanderson Academy

• Interventionist Long-Term Substitute - Sanderson Academy
• School Psychologist - Sanderson Academy

Hawlemont Regional Elementary School

• Speech Language Pathologist (Long-term Substitute) - Hawlemont Elementary School

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 your materials 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.

Have you wanted to step into a school and work directly with students but haven’t figured out how? Right now paraprofessional educators are needed across The Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts. Applying could be your first step toward achieving your goal of working in a school environment.

Paraprofessional educators, or “paras,” are trained aids who provide instructional and behavioral assistance in classrooms every day of the school year. They work under a licensed teacher but are not required to be licensed themselves. Some tasks include but are not limited to: organizing materials, supporting lessons, classroom management, and one-on-one work with students.

Owen Bragdon, an alum of Buckland-Shelburne Elementary and Mohawk Trail Regional, has worked as a paraprofessional in two of our district schools since 2017. Following graduation from college and working as a substitute teacher, Owen decided to become a paraprofessional educator because he could see how essential they are in making a classroom function well. Of the position, Owen shares, “I love working with such a great staff and student body. Because I've worked across the grades, I've gotten to know students over the course of many years of their lives, and watched them grow in ways that I never would have expected.” He also appreciates how working in the schools brings his own community closer to him.

Ultimately, Owen is interested in pursuing “a more specialized career in education” and working day to day as a paraeducator offers him real experience that is helping him to determine his own path. Owen encourages, “Every paraprofessional job that I've had has been rewarding. Even if you have never thought about working in schools, I would highly recommend applying to be a para.”

If you want to work in an environment that truly helps students and teachers succeed, please consider joining our team as a paraprofessional. Still not sure? Check out Greenfield Community College’s para educators training program (for people age 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent) or chat with one of our principals.

The Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts seek candidates who enjoy students and peers alike, work well in a team and on their own, have strong communication skills, take direction well, bring joy to their work, help create a culture of belonging, and are flexible and creative. We welcome candidates of all ages, whether retired, just out of school, or any age between. This work may be done by people from all walks of life with the dedication to enrich the lives of students. To apply for one of these benefitted positions, visit the postings on the website or forward cover letter, resume and recommendations to: ktotman@mtrsd.org.

The 2districts8towns Steering Committee, charged with overseeing the Sustainability Study for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District (MTRSD) and Hawlemont Regional School District (HRSD), has been busy at work this summer, meeting to review informational reports generated by the Berkshire Educational Resources K-12 (BERK12) research team, while also identifying promising options for addressing the districts’ challenges. The purpose of the Sustainability Study is to identify the best options for delivering the highest quality educational experiences for students in the 8 towns (preparing them for college, career, and life) while reflecting the fiscal realities of our towns/residents.

Through a series of extended working sessions this summer (links to slide decks HERE under presentations), the Steering Committee evaluated a comprehensive list of potential options and opportunities to determine which ones best address the desired outcomes of the Sustainability Study. Steering Committee members considered the potential impact of each option, how easy or difficult each option will be to implement, and how well the options address challenges (financial, educational, operational) faced by the districts. A list of the “most promising” options is in the final stages of development and will be presented for further discussion at the next Steering Committee meeting on September 19. Once approved, the research team will develop models that look more closely at each option and identify benefits and challenges to the districts.

A number of “working” reports have been developed by the Berkshire Educational Resources K12 research with the support of the 2D8T Committee. Several have been released and are available on the website, while others are in review by the advisory teams:

RELEASED REPORTS AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE

● Facilities Report - Provides an inventory and analysis of the five MTRSD and HRSD school buildings, considering factors such as enrollment capacity, physical condition, travel distance between buildings, and possible reconfiguration or repurposing.

● Enrollment Report: Covers historical and projected enrollment trends by district, school, & town; patterns of student migration in/out of the district; and class size.

● Historical Review: Looks back at district formation, historical studies, state efforts around regionalization and rural issues, and best practices (nationally) in rural education.

● Regional Agreement Analysis: Provides a side-by-side look at the Hawlemont & Mohawk Trail regional agreements.

REPORTS UNDER REVIEW BY ADVISORY TEAMS

● Education Report - Reviews a range of educational indicators in the MTRSD and HRSD, considering factors such as educational staff, academic programming, assessments, co-curricular activities, post-secondary outcomes, and accountability to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

● Finance & Personnel Report - Examines financial and staffing data for the districts by looking at recent historical and current data and making projections five years into the future. Examines factors such as overall budgets, comparisons to other districts, per pupil spending, transportations costs, and town assessments.

● Community Outreach Report - Provides results of community outreach efforts that included gathering feedback and perspectives from students, teachers, school staff, families, select boards and town finance committees, and other community members through a mix of meetings, community outreach sessions, and surveys.

● Special Education Report - Examines special education in the districts, including program location, staffing (teachers and paraprofessionals), specialists, disability types, and various outcomes.

The next meeting of the 2Districts8Towns steering committee, to be held on September 19 at 5:30 pm, will include a discussion about developing detailed models for the most promising options. Members of the public are welcome to attend Steering Committee meetings either in person at Mohawk Trail Regional School (superintendent’s conference room) or virtually by accessing the meeting agenda posted on the website (2districts8towns.org).

Community members are encouraged to submit questions or comments through the CONTACT link on the website. For those just becoming familiar with the Sustainability Study, a one page project overview is available HERE.

For more information, contact project manager H. Jake Eberwein, jakeeberwein@gmail.com.

We wish our newest alumni, members of the Mohawk Trail Regional class of 2024, all the best in their future endeavors. We are proud to share that the members of the Class of 2024 have this on the horizon:

70% are going on to higher education. (4 year colleges, 2 year colleges, and trade training)

27% are going to work.

3% are going into the military.

The final list of institutions of higher education to which Mohawk Trail Regional graduates have committed to this year is the following (in alphabetical order):

Curry College

Emerson College

Framingham State

GCC

Hofstra University

Lasell University

Lincoln Tech

Mass Art

Saint Michael's College

SUNY ESF

Syracuse

UMass Amherst

UMass Boston

UMass Dartmouth

Wesleyan University

Westminster University

Wheaton College

Thanks to Falls Cable, the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 may be accessed on YouTube here.

Congratulations to the 6th grade students across the districts who graduated this past June. While each speaker offered best wishes for the students' futures, they approached their message in unique ways.

BSE's Assistant Principal, Mr. Joe, gave advice that included: "Learn from your mistakes. Assume good will. Nurture relationships. Put down your phone. You are perfect just the way you are."

Colrain Central Principal Amy Looman read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and encouraged the students that, in a world where they can be anything, be kind.

Hawlemont Principal Amber Tulloch recounted many ways the students have had an impact on each other, the school, and their community with funny and sweet references.

Sanderson Academy Principal Emma Liebowitz spoke of when she asked the students what they want to be when they grow up. She also noted that through their morning announcements this class has likely heard more than a thousand jokes!

We have appreciated having your students in our elementary schools, and look forward to greeting them at the middle school in the coming days. Congratulations and welcome, all!

Please see the source news stories below. However, if you do not have online access to the Greenfield Recorder, you may read the articles on the Mohawk Trail websites. For MTRS news, visit this news archive. For district wide or specific reporting on elementary schools, visit the district news archive.