

Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022

May 12th, 2023
Good afternoon everyone,
It was fantastic to see so many people at the performances of Guys and Dolls this past weekend and are looking forward to more music at the upcoming Spring Show (May 18th) and District Concert (may 24th).
I hope that you have enjoyed the wonderful sunshine this week. It really does feel like summer is not too far away! Please read on to find out what has been happening and what will be happening soon.
District Calendar for 2023/24: Link
Student and Staff feedback: Q3 link Care providers will be asked for feedback next few week. Thank you in advance for continuing to refine our work at MTRS!
DUI reconstruction on May18th - This is another heads up that we are fortunate to be working with the Police, the District Attorney and Emergency Services to put on a Dangers of Driving Under the Influence demonstration and legal workshop for Grade 11 and 12 on the morning of May 18th. I will send another reminder on the day but I wanted to let everyone know that there will be a lot of activity outside the school on this day.
Come to the SEPAC meet-up! What is SEPAC? MTRSD’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council is a group made up primarily of parents of children with learning challenges and other disabilities, although local allies are welcome at meetings. SEPAC's goal is to support families and students' needs within the public school system and to work with the district to enact change, when needed.
If your child has a 504 or an IEP, or you are wondering whether they might need one, SEPAC can help you figure out who to talk to, what steps to take, what questions to ask and where to turn next at every step of the process. On Saturday, May 20, at 2:00 PM, we will be hanging out on the playground at BSE, with popsicles! Stop by, meet the interim group leaders, ask questions if you have them, and connect with other parents and allies.
Employment opportunity: The Franklin County Community Health Center is looking to train dental assistants and hygienists. I do not know if we have kids who don't have plans for next year and are looking for a career option, but this is on-the-job training starting at 16.00 an hour, and hygienists make up to 26.00 an hour.
Enjoy your weekend
Best wishes
Chris
Scenes from Guys and Dolls
Scenes from Guys and Dolls
Scenes from Guys and Dolls
Important Dates & Information
Upcoming dates
May 18th- MTRS Spring Musical Concert
May 18th - DUI/ Health and Safety presentation for grades 11 & 12
May 19th - Senior Prom
May 24th- District Musical Concert: BSE (rain venue - MTRS)
May 26th: Last day for Grade 12
May 29th - Memorial day (no school)
June 1st - Awards Evening: 5-7pm
June 3rd - Graduation (Saturday)
June 9th - Step up day
June 9th - 6;30-9 Grade 8 Semi-Formal
June 10th - MTAA Spring Fling
June 15th - Grade 9 Field Trip
June 16th - HS Civic Action projects and Field Day
June 19th - Juneteenth (no school)
June 22nd - Last day of school
Early Release Wednesdays (12:50pm)
- May 3,10,17,24
AP and MCAS Schedule :Link
Academic Calendar: Link (Please note that Q3 started on January 25th and subsequent dates have yet to be adjusted for snow days. Thanks for your understanding.)
District Calendar for 2023/24: Link
End of Year dates:
Finals Schedule
20, 21, 22ndJune: 2 hour delay 20 & 21st, 22nd is a ½ day: 11:30 dismissal
Celebrating cinco de mayo!
Last Friday, students in Ms Aldersmith's class were taught to dance salsa by 5 instructors (UMass students on the Ballroom Dance Team). Students also we made and enjoyed some homemade tortillas
MTRS Student Art show
Come visit the MTRS Student ART SHOW at Mocha Maya's in Shelburne Falls! The show, “Beasts of Nonconformity” features artwork by high school students at Mohawk Trail, including photography, digital art, drawing, painting and mixed-media works.
The show is curated by 11th grader Nate Ruth as part of his Civic Action Project. Nate aims to encourage students to grow confidence in sharing their creative work and feel the positive impact art makes. Nate says, “We’re all a bunch of unique goofballs after all!” The show will be on view from May 9th through June 17th.
Hanging our student work!
Hanging our student work!
Hanging our student work!
Artist in residence
The MTRS Art Department is excited to announce an artist-in-residence partnership with Ashfield artist Robert Markey this June. Mr. Markey will be joining us to lead a mosaic installation project in our outdoor classroom, to bring beauty and artistry to our courtyard learning space. Art students in grades 7-12 will have the opportunity to learn how the mosaic process works as they participate in designing, creating and mounting nature-themed artworks that will remain for years to come. Mr. Markey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as an artist. His community-engaged practice has brought him to South America, Asia, and the Middle East as well as many local communities where he has created public art. You can learn more about him and see his work at his website. We are thrilled to offer this experiential learning opportunity for students to create legacy artwork for our wonderful community here at MTRS.
Student Services updates
Graduation Information for the Class of 2023!
Dates to be aware of:
Grade 12: Finals, Reporting and Progress Grades
No SENIOR finals schedule, if you need to give a final please use class time prior to May 26
Senior sign off forms are due on May 26th . These were shared with students earlier this week- you should also bring in your chrome book and charger!
Grade 12 Q4 Term Grading Window: Wednesday, May 24 - Tuesday May 30 @ 11:59pm
Grade 12 Reports Cards available: Wednesday, May 31
Other events:
- Prom - Friday 19th May
- Senior Send off - Weds 24th May
- Senior Soak - Thursday 25th May
- Last day - Friday May 26th
- Rehearsals for Awards/ Graduation - Tuesday 30th May
- Elementary school visit and MTRS staff cookout - Wednesday 31st May
- Awards Event - Thursday 1st June (5-7pm)
- Graduation Celebration - Sat: June 3rd: 1-3pm
For scholarship information and deadlines, students should continue to reference the Student Services updates
Social Hosting information
With the upcoming prom and graduation season, the Northwestern District Attorney’s office has produced a social host law informational flier for parents/ caregivers who may be hosting a graduation/ celebration party. Social Host laws do apply to both alcohol and cannabis. Please explore the guidance, here:: Link
Please also note that the school is working with local and state police to prepare an EMT/ DUI presentation for students in 10-12 for later in May. More information will be shared as details are confirmed.
Mary Lyon Foundation updates
Please see the latest newsletter, here: Link
Community Activities
Sensory Garden
The OAC is working on creating a Sensory Garden this spring in the newly created Mohawk Trail Outdoor Classroom (MTOC). This space is situated between our building walls creating easy access to the outdoors for staff and students to use during the school day. Our community felt creating a sensory garden would be beneficial to our students.
We are in need of plant and seed donations. We are looking for plants (and small bushes only) that are fun to touch, smell or taste as well as pretty plants to enjoy looking at. We prefer things that are native, but are open to plant ideas that don’t profusely spread. Some ideas are bee balm, chives, rosemary and yarrow (nothing taller than 5 feet).
Have something to donate? Are you interested in helping plant items this spring? Email Chris Buckland: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Can you help???
How can you get involved in MTRS?
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 be on May 17th
The virtual joining information is as follows:
Meeting ID
Phone Numbers
(US)+1 813-435-9650
PIN: 741 012 215#
Outdoor Advisory Committee (OAC)
This meets every second Wednesday of the month between 5 and 6pm. In the winter we will be virtual. In the Spring and Fall we will be in-person. The next meeting will be on May 17th
Outdoor Advisory Committee- Virtual
5:00 – 6:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ysh-dgqv-jvz
Or dial: (US) +1 470-210-0524 PIN: 190 585 623#
Please explore the OAC page on the website and have a look at the list of initial projects we gathered from surveying students, staff and community as well as OAC priorities created from this initial list.
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.
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
Third Friday of each month: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: meet.google.com/sru-mshz-rht
Phone Number: (US)+1 (218) 301-2866
PIN: 136 064 523
Athletics News
Welcome back sports fans! After a week off while combating inclement weather, we are happy to report that the sun does in fact still exist!!! The weather this week has been beautiful, and our athletes have been taking full advantage!
This week our varsity baseball team finally broke into the win column with an 8-7 walk-off thriller on Tuesday at home! 7th grader Brady Gancarz plated Junior Weston Den Ouden with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the Warrrior’s first victory of the season. Pitcher Logan Moore went the distance on the bump for Mohawk Trail in a winning effort. The Warriors look to ride this momentum into next week with games against Turners Falls and Franklin County Tech.
The Warrior softball team is now ranked #21 in the state, and is gearing up for a postseason run! They are currently riding a four game win streak, and at just the right time! During that span, our ladies have scored an astonishing 53 runs while only giving up 18. They look to extend their streak this Saturday on the road with a league matchup against Athol High School at 10:00.
The Mohawk Trail Track and Field squads continue to improve and are beginning to see the fruits of their labor! Our lady speedsters defeated Turners Falls / Franklin Tech on Thursday in CONVINCING fashion by a lopsided score of 120-16! Multiple winners on the day included 7th grader Zephyr Jetzon (100m, 200m), Emily Sisum (triple jump, 400m hurdles), and Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner (shot put, discus)! Over a dozen Warriors set personal records on the day, and many also qualified for next Friday’s WMASS D2 Championships, which we will be hosting!
Our middle school baseball team is also finding success on the diamond, and is currently sporting a 3-2 record with a three game win streak. The young Warrior squad has been led by quality pitching and defense, along with timely hitting! They look to continue this momentum next Tuesday when they travel to South Deerfield to square off against the Red Hawks of Frontier Regional!
Also just a quick reminder that the Softball Team’s season long fundraiser is coming to a close very soon, and donations of any size are greatly appreciated! For more information and to donate, please contact Head Coach Sherri Lannon.
Senior Softball send-off
Senior Softball send-off
Senior Softball send-off
Special Education Updates
Mohawk Trail SEPAC Member and Parent
Do you have a question about your child, their services, or resources specific to your needs? If you or someone you know would like to be added to the private list and receive emails and event notifications, please send an email to: MOHAWKSEPAC@gmail.com Please indicate your email, title (such as parent of a student with IEP/504), District, Interested Party or other)
Disclosure: SEPAC maintains the list of contacts and keeps the information private. This email is maintained by a parent and volunteer. Our goal is to respond in a timely manner. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional
MTRSD Director of Communications