News&Notes from the Superintendent

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” — Phil Collins

This quote speaks to the dynamic, reciprocal nature of education. In a K-12 public education setting, this concept emphasizes that learning is not a one-way transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Instead, it is a collaborative process where both teachers and students can grow and gain insights from each other. When students actively participate in teaching each other—whether through peer tutoring, group projects, or class discussions—they solidify their understanding and develop critical communication skills. Similarly, when educators remain open to learning from their students’ perspectives, they become more effective in addressing diverse needs and fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Student choice and voice are central to this reciprocal learning process. When students are given the agency to explore topics that interest them or share their viewpoints, they become more engaged and invested in their learning. This empowerment transforms students into active contributors, reinforcing the idea that learning and teaching are intertwined. By honoring student voice, educators not only deepen students' understanding but also demonstrate that their insights are valuable, cultivating a sense of mutual respect and collaboration.

Incorporating student choice and voice into the classroom aligns with preparing students for life beyond the K-12 experience. It nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication—skills that are essential for success in higher education and the workforce. As students teach, they learn to articulate their thoughts clearly and consider others’ perspectives, developing empathy and collaboration skills. As they learn, they gain the confidence to share their knowledge and ideas, understanding that their voices matter.

After students attended the SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Youth Leadership Workshop in Plymouth, MA. The Superintendent's Advisory Council worked together to come up with ideas on how they can help create a more inclusive environment at SBRSD! Irit, Jonathan, and Maryn shared some of their ideas on video. https://5il.co/3aui5

We strive to build a culture of kindness where all members of our school community feel safe, and one that reflects the values of the Southern Berkshire Regional School District.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to monitor, educate, and eradicate all hate speech within our school community. Such behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values we uphold as a District. We stand united in our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all students, staff, and families. We have and will continue to take immediate steps to address these and all incidents, and to ensure that our school remains a place where everyone feels valued and respected. Together, we will continue to build a community where hate has no place.

In an effort to support our families, and in light of the presence of ICE in our communities, please see the information and resources compiled by our community partners here:

CRFIF.pdf CRFIF SPANISH.pdf

One of our wonderful middle school educators, Mrs. Brown, has volunteered to lead us in the work with the Jewish Federation to amplify the message that “Hate Has No Home Here” in our District. Please stay tuned for more information and opportunity to be partners with us in this work.

I had the humbling and wonderful opportunity to meet with Rev. Jill Graham of the Sheffield UCC congregation, Rabbi Jodie Gordon of Hevreh, and Rev. Erik Karas of Christ Trinity Church in Sheffield, to talk about how they wanted to be both an encouragement and a support to myself and the District in the difficult work of addressing and confronting hatred in general, antisemitism, and anti-LGBTQIA hatred in particular, in an ongoing way. I am grateful for a candid conversation and the opportunity to be vulnerable about how to best do this work in an authentic way. We could agree that this work is ongoing, and we want it to be actionable.

I am grateful for the idea that Rev. Karas had that came out of hearing about the Superintendent Advisory Councils where he suggested that we form a Superintendent Community Advisory Team. The Superintendent Community Advisory Team would be composed of trusted and engaged community members who can provide valuable support in times of crisis. This team would serve as a resource to help the Superintendent assess situations, generate solutions, and access local resources that could benefit the district and its stakeholders. In the event of a crisis, the team could also assist in effectively communicating responses, ensuring transparency, and fostering trust within the broader community. Additionally, outside of crisis situations, the team would serve as a sounding board for ongoing feedback, helping to strengthen the relationship between the district and the community while staying attuned to community needs and perspectives. We are looking forward to thinking about how to populate this team and welcome suggestions from you!

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Please find below this week’s updates & events happening in our District ~

The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and Berkshire County Kids Place partner to provide cyber safety programming in Berkshire County schools for students. Last week, our middle school students all participated in two in-class sessions conducted by Berkshire County Kids Place staff utilizing the NetSmartz Curriculum. Supporting our Eagles to be safe online!

At the Budget Hearing last week, the School Committee voted to recommend the FY26 Proposed Budget, and that recommendation was confirmed at the School Committee meeting on March 20th, 2025. The Business Office has 15 days to certify the assessments to the member towns to ensure that an article for the school budget is put on the respective town meeting agenda this spring. The town meetings will take place between May 3rd and May 13th, 2025.

Our goal in development of the District’s Annual Budget Proposal remains the same, we strive to maintain our commitment to be as effective and efficient with our resources, to align allocations based on student need, and to keep assessments to the member towns manageable.

​For the FY26 Proposal:

· Overall increase to budget at 4.51% or $892,060​ with a proposed increase in assessments to our member towns of 2.16%

· Since 2017 the District overall budget increases on average have been 2.78%.​

· With the addition of the FY26 proposal, the average increase since 2017 is 2.69%​

Yesterday, I attended the Joint Ways and Means hearing on education and local aid at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to hear and support testimony from many important statewide organizations and officials, including the Secretary of Education, the Commissioner of Education, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The executive directors of MARS, MASC, MASS and MASBO comprised a panel that specifically addresses the “asks” that I have shared with you including a review of the educational funding formula and the need to fully fund rural aid.

JOINT COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS HEARING

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Shortfalls fuel growing call for Mass. education funding overhaul (State House News Service via NBC 10)

Legislators: State’s school funding formula has ‘left us out,’ call for changes at hearing held at UMass (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

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Ways and Means meeting attract K-12 student rally (Massachusetts Daily Collegian)

1,000 Amherst regional students greet education officials, legislators in advance of legislative hearing on school funding (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

The Community Outreach & Advocacy Subcommittee of the School Committee will be putting together their second newsletter of the year which will be sent to every home in the District at least one week before the first Annual Town Meeting which happens to be in Monterey, on Saturday, May 3rd. The goal of this newsletter is entirely focused on the FY26 Budget Proposal to ensure that all taxpayers, whether they are involved in the schools or not, have an understanding of where their investment in the schools went, why the resources were allocated this way, and to share some highlights of the outcomes as a result of their support and funding. Look for your copy coming to your mailbox at the end of April!

Improving Attendance Task Force – (Facilitators: Julie Steuernagle and Paul Sullivan, with support from Sandi Hubbard.)

Survey for Families – Please use this link to complete the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NOmqPwNLrsHkxKb-c5Zf0gVTKPBXmi4BMC6NbzMy3aE/edit?usp=sharing_eil&ts=6785e0bf

Cell Phone Policy Task Force – (Facilitators: Jesse Carpenter and Charles Miller, with support from Julie Dolan.)

Survey for Families – Please use this updated link to complete the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQt1LYzDM8uon-ZtM5cq9kckWBTxAk5vrOr6uIRwJoUC71pw/viewform?usp=header

To review the documentation presented at the SBRSD hearing, please see the District website at https://www.sbrsd.org/page/budget

The Superintendent Advisory Councils (SACs) met last Friday and continued our work as a group on safety, belonging, and acts of kindness. Our student Ambassadors shared their work with the Sandy Hook Promise initiative including things they learned at their training, some new ideas as next steps, and then led the group in a tabletop activity designed to build relationships across all grades in the council – grades 4 – 12!

In every school and in every community, there are youth who suffer silently because they feel left out, alone, or invisible. Young people who are isolated can become victims of bullying, violence, and/or depression which may result in pulling further away from society, struggling with learning and social development, and/or hurting oneself or others.

This is why we have partnered with Sandy Hook Promise and will be training our students (grades 6th-12th) in their Start With Hello program. The Start With Hello training presentation is an age-appropriate program designed for students that teaches youth to minimize social isolation, empathize with others, and create a more inclusive and connected school culture.

A trainer from Sandy Hook Promise will be sharing the Start With Hello program during in-person, assembly style sessions on Thursday, March 27, 2025. We are excited to join this programing along with many other Massachusetts Schools. Sandy Hook Promise has partnered with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to bring this no-cost programming to our schools.

We look forward to incorporating this initiative into our District with student ambassadors leading us all in the work!

Last week, we had a fabulous Design Team meeting and had Coach Holly there to help us facilitate the discussion. Our Community Team Leads, who have agreed to facilitate our four key areas that need further research and development, have already begun to plan their next steps and engage those who have volunteered to take on this challenge!

The four Community Teams are listed below with the Team Leader identified. We would love additional support and membership on all of these teams, so please reach out to the Team Lead directly or myself and we will be happy to get you connected!

Communication Group - Point Person - Jane Burke

Overview

Responsible for spreading the word about SBRSD’s change initiative and ensuring the broader community is aware of the school’s transformation efforts. Develop and implement communication strategies to engage stakeholders, highlight progress, and encourage participation.

Community Mapping Group - Point Person -Erik Butler

Overview

Analyze local resources, identify needs, and develop a comprehensive map of the community to foster stronger connections between the school and the community.

Foundation Group - Point Person - Will Conklin

Overview

Explore the feasibility of creating a school-based foundation to support the sustainability of initiatives. Research best practices and develop recommendations.

Mentorship & Internship Group - Point Person - Kristen Sparhawk

Overview

Develop a structured approach for connecting students with community mentors and internship opportunities, enhancing student learning and career exploration.

The website is updated so that members of the community can interact with all the events we hold throughout the year!

A link to the Transcend Partnership page can be found here: https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership

We encourage other members of our school community to join us in this work and share their thoughts and expertise as we continue our journey forward!

NMC PreK's Dinosaur Unit is in full swing! Students are exploring diverse dinosaur species, learning about their diets (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore), and discovering the work of paleontologists at "dig sites." Children are actively engaged, pretending to be paleontologists at the sand table, excavating and identifying hidden bones. They've also created their own salt dough fossils. Their classroom has transformed into a dinosaur world, with themed pretend play, sensory activities, and a listening station featuring dinosaur read-alouds.

Students enrolled in Guitar Instruction, a music course elective offered in the spring, have been practicing chords!

UME Vejigante masks are on display!

Fourth-grade students learned through play, starting their day with fun math games last week!

Fifth graders experimented with combining different solutions, observing the chemical reactions that resulted in new substances. After discovering the perfect mix for a gooey substance, each student made their own batch to take home.

The UME community came together for an All-School Sing last week.

Learn more about Mount Everett's Culinary Program through @ms.gotts_kitchen on Instagram!

This time of year, there are wonderful things happening in our schools and we would like nothing more than to have you here to support our students alongside us!

Reminder: Friday, March 28th is a Half Day for Students, Faculty & Staff!

Spring Sports are underway – come out and support our athletes! We have many other events happening in District this week including the Sandy Hook Promise Assembly, Girls on the Run, Pen to Paper Class, National Art Honor Society NYC Trip, College Experience, Girl Scouts, UME Talent Show, and Berkshire Arts Center After School Program - just to name a few!

Please check the event calendar regularly as it will keep you up to date as will the weekly notes from the principals!

Take a look at our Early College course offerings below! Do you see a class that interests you? Talk with our Early College Coordinator, Lindy Marcel, and enroll now!

Interested in learning more about our Early College program? Visit our website!

Innovation Pathways offers opportunities for students to explore cutting-edge technology and in-demand fields! The program emphasizes real-world skills through career-focused experiential learning. Participants connect with industry mentors, go on field trips, get set up with internships in their areas of interest, and more!

Mount Everett currently offers two technical pathways in Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology.

To learn more about our Innovation Career Pathways please use the links below! To express interest in learning more about Innovation Pathways please use our form - Expression of Interest Form

Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns as I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Best,

~ Dr. Beth Regulbuto, Superintendent of Schools

We have gathered the following resources to help families navigate conversations with their children about school safety and procedures. These resources can also be found using the link to the webpage. https://www.sbrsd.org/o/sbrsd/page/commitment-to-kindness-and-safety

• https://www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/mental-health-resources/school/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-school-safety
• https://parents-together.org/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-school-lockdown-drills-an-age-by-age-guide/
• https://tinybeans.com/5-tips-for-talking-to-your-child-about-lockdown-drills/
• https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-families-and-educators