Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
Good afternoon,
We finally made it to February break!
It has been a really busy week with lots going on in and outside of school.
This past Tuesday, both of our Alpine Ski teams competed in Individuals at Berkshire East and both teams retained their division championships with ease. The girls placing 9 racers in the top 20, and the boys placing 7 in the top 18!
Our wrestling team put on a show in front of a home crowd last weekend at the Western Massachusetts D3 Championship! Junior Will VanVleet was the runner up in his 220 pound weight class, 8th grader Landon Purington placed 4th in the 113 pound weight class and Sophomore Logan Moore finished 6th in the 138 class.
This past Wednesday we hosted over 25 colleges and career organizations for a Future Fair for students in grades 7-10.
You can read on to find out more about these events and more!
Please note that:
- AD Lilly & Superintendent Stanton will hold a forum on MTRS sports for care providers and families of students in grades 4-6 tonight at MTRS. Please see below for details.
- Permission forms for the GCC week were sent home to Grade 8 caregivers via student mail and email on Thursday/ Friday of this week.
- Principal Buckland's drop in for today has been cancelled. The next one will be March 10th at 8-9am.
- Caregivers for students in grades K-8 are invited to share feedback about literacy-related communication. Please let us know how we are doing with sharing information about your student's literacy program and literacy learning. https://forms.gle/m7hTq1X5cAAyzKrG9
See you on Feb 27th when school starts again.
Best
Chris
H.S. Roundup: Mohawk Trail Nordic team competes in state championship meet https://www.recorder.com/MIAA-Nordic-Skiing-Championships-49931985
Wrestling: Frontier’s Jake Mattson and Conner Hoffman capture WMass championships, Mahar’s Abduli Gilmore wins Central Mass. title (PHOTOS) https://www.recorder.com/Western-Massachusetts-wrestling-championships-Frontier-s-Jake-Mattson-and-Conner-Hoffman-capture-championships-49896152
Alpine ski: Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis, Hampshire’s Edward Przybyla capture wins at PVIAC Individual Championships (PHOTOS) https://www.recorder.com/PVIAC-Alpine-Skiing-Individual-Championships-Mohawk-Trail-has-big-day-on-the-mountain-49928089
Find out our vision for Sports at MTRS!
WHEN: Friday, February 17th @ 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Mohawk Trail Auditorium
WHO: Parents and caregivers of MTRS and Hawlemont
School District students in grades 4-8
This event will be hosted by Superintendent Sheryl Stanton and District Athletic Director Greg Lilly. The focus of this forum is to develop open lines of communication regarding the status and future of our Mohawk Trail Athletic Department. This is an opportunity for our community to voice their questions and concerns regarding the District’s athletic programming, and hopefully gain a clearer understanding and vision of MTRSD athletics moving forward. If you are unable to attend the event, please reach out to Greg Lilly at glillyAD@mtrsd.org with any questions! Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you all there!
Colleges and Universities From Across The Region Meet With Mohawk Trail Students
Shelburne Falls - Mohawk Trail’s gymnasium looked more like a convention center Wednesday as an array of colleges and universities from across the region came to meet with juniors and seniors considering their college options.
It was all part of a concentrated effort by Mohawk Trail staff to encourage students to make the most of their high school experience and help set students up for future success.
“Whether students go straight into the workforce, or head into the military, or pursue a two or four-year college degree, we want them informed and prepared to make the decision that is right for them,” Mohawk Trail Principal Chris Buckland said. “We also want them to understand what types of courses and perhaps even what type of capstone project to pursue if they are leaning toward a certain career path.”
Mr. Buckland said if a student is interested in engineering or forensic science or healthcare, meeting with college admissions officers and learning about what colleges are looking for is incredibly valuable to students.
The Mohawk Trail Future Fair is set up as an expo-style fair, students will "choose their own adventure", exploring different pathways and also learning about opportunities in high school that will open doors to new pursuits.
The day-long event included a select panel of diverse college representatives, answering questions from the audience such as “What kinds of colleges exist?” “How do I choose the right one for me?” and “What should I be doing now to figure out what I want to do later?”
The panel also featured discussion on what college life is like, what the admissions process looks like, and what options are available for students who don't want to go to college.
Some of the days activities included:
Representatives from public, private, community and technical colleges meeting with students.
Career professionals and nonprofit leaders from a wide-range of industries and government agencies sharing their experiences.
High school teachers highlighting impactful programming for student development, such as the Senior Capstone and Civics Project
Guidance counselors sharing about scholarships, course selection, and college-planning
Coaches, club advisers and student leaders showcasing activities that enrich the secondary experience
Vocational school representatives detailing secondary programs
Junior Achievement talking about financial planning options
MassHire sharing internships and employment opportunities
Arts' program leaders highlighting courses and activities in music, visual and performing arts
Trailblazer leaders showcasing specialized graduation endorsements and MTRS opportunities
“This is what Mohawk Trail is all about,” Superintendent Sheryl Stanton said. “Our purpose is to give our students as much information as we can so that they can make the right choices for their future. And clearly, the level of interest from the colleges and universities that jumped at the chance to participate tells me our students are in demand, that a Mohawk Trail education is valued by college admissions officers.”
March 13, 14, 16 & 17th
I am writing to let you know that we will be partnering with GreenField Community College (GCC) for a CIVICS project week at GCC for the week of March 13 - 17th. Not Wednesday 15th as this is a 12:50pm finish at MTRS.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to work with their current grade 8 teachers as well as having the experience of speaking with GCC staff and community members in an authentic college setting. There will be no additional cost to families as bussing and food will be provided.
Students will attend regular scheduled classes from 7:45- 9:45 am at MTRS before traveling by bus to GCC where they will participate in classes and activities related to their grade 8 CIVIC action projects led by their regular MTRS teachers. Lunch will be provided and students will return to MTRS at 2:10 in time for regular dismissal at 2:20pm
Caregiver permission forms were sent home via students this week and can also be found here.
Students without signed permission forms will not attend the trip and will instead be provided with Grade 8 work and will be supervised at MTRS.
MTRS Equity Council and Equity Alliance are taking a key role in organizing the above event on 3/15/23
Supported by faculty advisors, MTRS student groups are working hard to help organize the above event. The summit is planned to be a coming together of School youth groups from across Franklin County, all focused on equity and social justice work. Student groups will convene on campus at GCC for a day focused on education, leadership, as well as initiatives and opportunities across the county, including ACCESS Franklin County (Early College), that provide student voice, choice and access to youth opportunities and resources.
This is an amazing opportunity for student leaders involved in social justice groups in Franklin County to connect, share resources, learn and discuss important topics, and hone leadership skills.
We are incredibly proud of our MTRS students for spearheading this initiative.
Courses and Scheduling process overview for 23/24
Narrowing down our options - seeing which courses and electives we can run in 23/24
Staff have created descriptions for proposed courses for 2023/24 . Students will make initial choices for 23/24 on the following dates:
- Feb 9 - Students in 9 & 11 to complete google forms in advisory
- Feb 10 - Students in 8 & 10 to complete google forms in advisory
Sharing Course Catalog with students and families
- Following the google form survey, the guidance and admin team will finalize the Course Catalog for 2023/24
- March 1st - Catalog shared with Families and Students
Course Selection presentation
- March 1st: Guidance team & Teachers to use the whole school assembly to explain courses to students
Grade 8-12 Students making choices in Aspen
- March 8th: In an assembly on March 8th, the Guidance team will talk through the process of how students in 8-11 make course selection choices in Aspen.
Grade 7 and Rising 7
- Current 7: We will communicate about course selection later in the Spring
- Rising 7: More information about choices will be given when we visit grade 6 schools after Feb break. Typically this is done via google form and completed on registration day in the summer.
How to Effectively Communicate with your Student’s School Team
Monday February 27th @ 5:30-6:30
Google Meet joining info
Video call link:
https://meet.google.com/xzc-mewh-mha
Or dial: (US) +1 513-486-2530 PIN: 650 958 116#
Presented by Leann Loomis, Director of Pupil Personnel Services and parent representatives from elementary and secondary
Please reach out to Leann Loomis with any questions
413-625-0192 x1025
Public Input Survey on the Accessibility of Town Facilities, Programs, and Services
We need your help! The Town of Shelburne is in the process of developing a Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan to ensure residents and visitors have access to all Town facilities, programs, and services. The Town has engaged the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management to assist with the plan, which is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An important part of this planning process is providing opportunities for the public to offer input and voice concerns.
This survey is intended to gather preliminary data to assist the planning team in identifying any barriers to access for individuals with disabilities at Town facilities or within the programs and services it currently offers. Once the initial study is completed, the Town will solicit additional input on how to best address any deficiencies that are found.
Please take a few minutes to complete this important accessibility survey at the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TownofShelburneADA
If you need assistance in completing this survey or would like to request an alternative format, please contact Marcia Birmingham at marcia.birmingham@umb.edu. We sincerely appreciate your time and effort in helping to ensure Shelburne remains a great place to live for ALL of our residents.
Mohawk Trail Athletics has had a great week!
We are currently entering the home stretch of our winter athletic season, and there is A LOT to report! But before we get into the details, let’s have everyone CLICK HERE and get signed up for SPRING SPORTS!!!!! As usual, we will be offering track and field, tennis, baseball and softball for all students, grades 7-12!
This past Tuesday, both of our Alpine Ski teams competed in Individuals at Berkshire East, and to say that they did well would be the understatement of a lifetime! Both the boys and girls teams retained their division championships with ease, with the girls placing 9 racers in the top 20, and the boys placing 7 in the top 18! Addie Loomis, Emmy Sisum, and Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner swept the medal stand going 1-2-3 for the second time this season, while boys Weston Den Ouden, Gage Pateneaude, and Wyatt Sisum placed 2nd, 4th, and 5th respectively! Both teams get a much deserved break for they compete at States after February vacation!
Our wrestling team put on a show in front of a home crowd last weekend at the Western Massachusetts D3 Championship! Junior Will VanVleet was the runner up in his 220 pound weight class, while 8th grader Landon Purington placed 4th in the 113 pound weight class. Both wrestlers qualified for States this weekend, while Sophomore Logan Moore finished 6th in the 138 class and will serve as an alternate!
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional