I want to express my sincere appreciation for all you do to support your children (our amazing students!) both at home and at school. Over the past year and a half, we've had to adjust to "new normals" in our daily lives which can often be exhausting. But I'm so proud of our communities for their collective efforts to continue to care for one another by practicing the Fab Five, which help keep us healthy and safe. This weekend - I hope you get a chance to do the things that bring you joy and take a moment for yourself to rest and recharge!

And before you disconnect for that important recharging -- here's what's happening in our district this week!

* COVID-19 update and elementary pool testing

* MTRSD Family Literacy Night

* MTRS student services news

* Capstone students practice the art of interviewing

* Winter sports registration is now open!

* School Spotlight: Colrain Central

Roll-out for elementary school pool testing began this week. Together with the help representatives from the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC), COVID-19 Nurse Donna Weber was able to conduct testing at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary, Colrain Central, Sanderson Academy, and Hawlemont (in addition to Mohawk Trail Regional School which began testing two weeks ago). Nurse Weber is currently evaluating the participation numbers and will have more information to share in the upcoming weeks.

As a reminder, POOL TESTING is required for athletics, extracurriculars, and before- and after-school programs. ALL information can be found on the district’s COVID-19 Information page at www.mtrsd.org/covid-19-information OR by clicking on the “Helpful Links” drop-down from any of the school websites. If you participate in one of the above activities (including coaches and volunteers) -- you MUST sign-up for testing! If you have any questions surrounding the process, procedure, or need additional information, please reach out to Nurse Weber at dweber@mtrsd.org or Superintendent Sheryl Stanton at sstanton@mtrsd.org.

If you have not yet signed-up, but still need or want to - it's easy!

TO SIGN UP ONLINE: https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma?district

Select: Consent Now → Mohawk Trail → (select your school)

For staff, coaches, or anyone over 18 years of age, please select “Sign consent form for yourself.”

For caregivers who need to give consent for their child/ren, please select “Sign consent form for a minor.”

If you are unable to complete the online sign-up/consent, please contact Donna Weber for a paper copy to complete.

As a reminder, in addition to testing - practicing our FAB FIVE will continue to help us mitigate the spread of COVID-19. So don't forget to: Trust the Facts and Get the Vax; wear your mask; wash your hands; practice physical distancing; and stay home when you are feeling unwell. This helps to keep our community healthy & safe!

SAVE THE DATE for Wednesday, Nov. 17 (it's an early release day) from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Mohawk Trail Regional School cafeteria and JOIN US for some literacy FUN!

* Small read aloud sessions led by MTRS students & community volunteers

* FUN, movement-based literacy activities

* Refreshments

* Book Giveaways and Raffles courtesy of the Mary Lyon Foundation!

* Village Closet Pop-Up hosted by It Takes A Village! FREE clothing exchange for children Ages 2-8! Stop by the closet pop-up, drop-off clean and sorted clothing, and take home new items! Need something else? To request non-clothing items (or other sizes), contact our partners at It Takes A Village at closet@hilltownvillage.org and they'll bring what you need to the event!

Need more information? Contact Us!

Alia Woofenden, MTRSD Liaison for Community Engagement and Enrichment Programs at awoofenden@mtrsd.org.

Want to help promote literacy skills in our district and how the Mary Lyon Foundation can help? Contact Kristen Baker at kbaker@marylyonfoundation.org for more information and to sign-up for the Foundation's mailing list!

A big thank you to our community partners at the Mary Lyon Foundation and It Takes a Village for helping to make this a great event for our families!

"In this exercise, students practiced the interviewing skills they'll need to obtain information from outside sources for their Capstone projects," said Potts. "This really helped them to shake-off any initial interview jitters they might have before actually reaching out to experts in the field. They did an awesome job with making eye contact; keeping the conversations flowing; and presented themselves professionally."

Want to know more about the MTRS senior Capstone program? Check out their website here: https://sites.google.com/mtrsd.org/capstone/home

Athletic Director Greg Vouros shared information in his weekly newsletter this week that MTRS winter sports registration is now OPEN!

Winter sports offerings include:

• Alpine Skiing

• Basketball

• Indoor Track

• Nordic Skiing

• Wrestling

To register for a winter sport: Click HERE or visit the link below to our FamilyID portal to sign-up today! Registering is EASY -- If you've never used the site before, you'll need to create a log-in for first-time use. As a reminder ALL student-athletes MUST register via Family ID in order to participate, and need an updated sports physical on file with the MTRS Nurse's Office. In addition all student-athletes MUST sign the consent form to sign-up for COVID-19 pool testing (see above for pool testing registration details). If you need any help or have questions along the way, don't hesitate to reach out to AD Vouros for more information at gvouros@mtrsd.org

Family ID Link: https://www.familyid.com/mohawk-trail-regional-schools

This position is a one-year, grant funded position and will remain open until it is filled.

To apply, or for more information, please contact: Alia Woofenden, Liaison for Community Engagement and Enrichment Programs at awoofenden@mtrsd.org.