Colrain Central School News
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March 31, 2023
A Note From Mrs. Looman
- Our Preschool and Kindergarten registration days have been rescheduled for Friday, April 28, 2023. Preschool registration will begin at 9:00 and Kindergarten registration will begin at 10:00. Current PK and K students will not have school that day. Please help us spread the word.
- Love our town? Looking for a way to help spruce it up? It’s time for Spruce it Up Colrain again this year! Join your friends and neighbors in town-wide cleanup opportunities on April 22 and 23, Earth Day Weekend. Work off your post winter blues by ripping out the invasive plants at the Colrain Central School. There will be music and dance at the Library. For more information, contact Jonathan Lagreze at 413-559-7755.
- With all of the incredible advances in technology, we've noticed that many students now wear smartwatches, fitbits, etc. I, myself, am a fan of my Garmin watch. However, due to security issues, students will not be allowed to wear them while taking the MCAS. The best bet is for them to stay at home on testing days. However, if they are worn to school on testing days, they will be put in a secure location until the student is done testing for the day. Thank you for your help with this.
- There will be a mandatory informational meeting for the families of all students who are attending the off-campus portion of Nature's Classroom on Monday, April 3rd at 6:00 pm in the cafeteria. Please contact Ms. Ickes gickes@mtrsd.org or Ms. Norwood mnorwood@mtrsd.org with any questions.
2023 MCAS testing schedule
April 11: ELA for all students in grades 3-6
April 14: ELA for all students in grades 3-6
May 11: Math for 5th grade
May 12: Math for 5th grade
May 15: Science for 5th grade
May 15: Math for 6th grade
May 16: Science for 5th grade
May 16: Math for 6th grade
May 18: Math for grades 3 & 4
May 19: Math for grades 3 & 4
If your child is absent on a day they are supposed to be testing, they will be tested when they return.
If you have any questions about the testing schedule or about MCAS, please feel free to reach out to me.
Specialist's Scoop: Rachel Glick, Special Education
What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning (EF, for short) is a set of brain functions that relate to how we set goals, make decisions, pace ourselves as we work towards a goal, how we interact with others, and how we manage unexpected events along the way. Much of what we think of as “self-control” and “self-awareness” are actually behaviors resulting from an individual’s executive function skills.
Some children with EF challenges may present with symptoms that resemble ADHD, and EF is commonly diagnosed by doctors as such. It can be very helpful to the adults who live and work with children with EF challenges to understand the nature of EF development and what strategies we can use to help our children develop stronger EF skills.
Most neuroscientists agree that the brain development required for adequate EF does not always happen without help from parents and teachers, and it takes many years to be fully developed. Some children need specific interventions in order for them to acquire EF skills. For more information about executive function and strategies for supporting your child, you can check out these websites:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/117VGZ0zXeVkBT_ZEGDWiF9tpWPEM15ja/view?usp=sharing
upcoming events
4/3: 6:00 Mandatory meeting about Nature's Classroom
4/11: ELA MCAS for grades 3-6
4/11: 3:30 LEC meeting
4/12: School committee meeting
4/13: grades 3 & 4 field trip to Pioneer Valley Symphony
4/14: ELA MCAS for grades 3-6
4/17-4/21: No school for April break
4/28: 9:00 PK registration, 10:00 K registration: no school for current PK/K students
March early release dates:
1:50 dismissals: 3/29
April early release dates:
1:50 dismissals: 4/5, 4/12, 4/26
