WELCOME to March! Spring and daylight savings time are JUST around the corner. With spring quickly on the way, we are excited for the busy months ahead and all wonderful school and community events on the horizon.

We have LOTS of important information so please take a few moments to read through this week's S'Update:

* COVID-19 School Planning Task Force updates

* MTRSD FY23 budget updates

* Sanderson Academy Kindergarten Teacher Sarah Forbes awarded 2022 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award

* Community Engagement & Enrichment Program offerings

* It's time to GEAR-UP! (Get your MTRS gear!)

* In the News

* School Spotlights

Last night the COVID-19 School Planning Task Force hosted a virtual town hall with representatives from our local Boards of Health (BOH) and Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to discuss data and answer questions regarding COVID-19 guidance and information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Immediately following the virtual town hall, the task force debriefed and moved forward a recommendation to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District school committee and the Hawlemont Regional school committee to lift mask procedures effective March 14. This will be addressed at the next Hawlemont school committee meeting on Monday, March 7. The MTRSD school committee will vote and discuss this recommendation and any potential changes to the mask procedure at their next meeting on Wednesday, March 9.

Our district buildings and mask procedures currently fall under the purview of the local boards of health who recently met and voted to lift their mandates (on staggered dates between March 7 and March 14), but strongly recommend the continued use of masks (preferably N95, KN95, or KF94) indoors in public spaces and whenever individuals are unable to maintain physical distancing. Our local BOHs will continue to monitor COVID-19 caseloads and status of variants locally, and the COVID-19 School Planning Task Force will continue to meet to review data and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on our district.

No changes to our district’s mask procedure can be made until our school committee has discussed and voted on the proposed changes. We will continue to follow our mitigation strategies including mask wearing until a decision. DESE continues to recommend that districts and schools adopt a layered approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in school settings. DESE and DPH continue to strongly urge all eligible individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster and continue to support schools with vaccination clinics. We will continue to implement our layered mitigation strategies including participation in the statewide COVID-19 testing program, encouraging good hand hygiene practices, and staying home when sick.

If you have not yet signed your child/ren up to participate in these programs and would like to, please reach out to our COVID-19 Nurse Leader Donna Weber at dwebber@mtrsd.org.

It was a great night of discussion. Thank you to FRCOG Public Health Nurse Meg Ryan, Peggy Hart from the Buckland Board of Health, Doug Telling from the Charlemont Board of Health, and Nina Martin-Anzuoni from the Colrain Board of Health for joining us and engaging in wonderful dialogue.

If you missed the virtual town hall and would like to hear the full discussion, you can watch it on our district’s Vimeo channel–www.vimeo.com/mtrsd.

The MTRSD school committee hosted a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 28 to discuss and vote on the proposed FY 2023 budget, which was successfully passed. The budget will next be voted upon at town meetings in the upcoming months. FY 2023 budget materials can be found on the district's website : www.mtrsd.org/Business-Services

Thank you again to the members of our budget subcommittee, TMS, and the numerous town representatives and constituents who were a part of the budget process this year and provided valuable feedback. We truly appreciate your time and commitment to making our district the greatest place for students to learn and grow.

Sarah Forbes, Kindergarten teacher at Sanderson Academy, has been selected by the Mohawk Trail Regional School District as a 2022 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award Winner.

Forbes received the award for being a "dynamic, dedicated teacher that always puts the academic and social-emotional needs of students at the forefront," said Sanderson Academy Principal Emma Liebowitz.

“Sarah’s commitment to a child-centered approach to teaching and learning is unmatched,” said Liebowitz. “It is truly magical to watch her engage with students. She prioritizes knowing each child individually and developmentally in order to give ‘just right’ instruction to all her students. Her ability to create an inclusive learning environment is impressive.”

Forbes was praised for being a dedicated educator for seeking professional development and committees to not only learn about best teaching practices, but to share her expertise with others. Forbes creates a classroom team where people feel supported and respected and has outstanding communication with families and caregivers.

“Our families and caregivers feel very connected to the education of their young learners,” said Liebowitz. “It is a true honor to watch her teach.”

Forbes will be honored at an in-person banquet at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 4.

On Wednesday, March 2, Superintendent Stanton and MTRSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Sarah Jetzon surprised Forbes with the award in her classroom, surrounded by her students.

“I was so surprised! As a classroom teacher of young children, my days are so focused on the work of learning–to share and count, write letters, and get snow pants on–I wasn't really thinking about anyone else noticing the work I am doing with my students. So the award really surprised me,” said Forbes. “I love teaching kindergarten and I am proud to teach in the district in which I live. I feel honored to have my work recognized by my esteemed colleagues with this award. Thank you so much!”

This week the MTRS alpine ski team competed at the MIAA Championship event at Wachusett Mountain with amazing team and individual results for both the Girls and Boys teams! A big congratulations to the girls team for taking home the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP this year! We are so incredibly proud!

Congratulations to ALL of our incredible student athletes for an awesome season! What a way to represent!

Middle school students -- JOIN US for our Girls Who Code Club offered for FREE on Tuesday afternoons (until 3:30 p.m.). Visit www.mtrsd.org/ceep to learn more!

AND Parent’s Night Out at MTRS is back on March 25! This FREE program, open to all district students in grades K-6 are invited to sign-up for a fun night of games, fun, and friendship!

Thanks to our generous program sponsor, WEST END PUB, we’ve EXPANDED our Parents’ Night Out event… Participants will join us for pizza and games before we head into the auditorium to watch The Lego Movie on the big screen. Registration is now open and space is limited, so be sure to sign-up today to reserve your spot! Contact Alia Woofenden at awoofenden@mtrsd.org. Here is the enrollment link for the programs.

Liaison for Community Engagement and Enrichment Programs

https://www.mtrsd.org/ceep

https://www.facebook.com/MTRSDCEEP/

*THANK YOU to MTRS student communications intern Sophia Goodnow for our program graphics!*

We are excited to host a spring skills & drills program for district youth in grades 3-6 right here at MTRS this spring as part of our Community Engagement and Enrichment Programs! The program will run two days per week for six weeks starting after the April break. Program cost: $25 per student. More to come from Mrs. Woof - so stay tuned for more details and how to sign-up.

To help us kick-off this program, WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are currently seeking gently used field hockey equipment including youth face masks, sticks, shin guards, and balls. To donate, please contact Alia Woofenden at awoofenden@mtrsd.org.

MTRS Caregivers, sports-fans, and future families -- it's time to get your gear!

Spring sports are *just* around the corner and to get you geared-up for the season so you can cheer on your favorite teams sporting some blue and gold, we've launched a pop-up shop! Orders close on March 14--to be sure to get your gear! https://eastbaystore.com/OFTSD595

The next MTRS Athletic Association Meeting will be held on March 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Topics for this meeting include:

• Proposed Changes to bylaws
• Final MAA logo with proposed changes from 02/07/22 meeting
• Fundraisers for Spring 2022
• Open floor for coaches
• Open Floor for parents

Where: MTRS / Superintendents Conference Room (map) OR virtually via Google Meet (please use personal email only if joining via Meet):

meet.google.com/rzg-ovyh-qeg; To join by phone: (US) +1 601-640-1048 (PIN: 973273056)

FROM THE ASSOCIATION: Meeting Minutes and Agenda can be found on the website. We need more parents, family members, athletes, coaches at our meetings. We discuss many topics surrounding the future of our association. We need your input, your intuitive ideas, your enthusiasm and most of all your support. $1 membership fee for voting rights.

On Wednesday, March 2 Buckland-Shelburne Elementary students in Kat Griswold's third grade class celebrated "Read Across America" day.

"My class was invited to wear pajamas or comfy clothes, and to bring blanks or pillows to snuggle up with," said Griswold. "The entire day was filled with reading. Students read independently, with a buddy or group, and teachers read aloud. Some students chose to read on a digital library. Every student spent the day engaged in reading. Many students asked if we could have more days like this."

Happy reading, 3rd Grade! Keep up the good work!

We spotted some incredible artwork in the hallways at Sanderson Academy this week -- mixed media pieces representing the various fish third graders were learning about. Check out the awesome details! To see the full gallery - head over to the Sanderson Academy Facebook page to check them out!

Superintendent of Schools

Mohawk Trail/Hawlemont Regional School Districts

sstanton@mtrsd.org

Twitter: @mtrsdsuper