Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
December 16th, 2022
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope that you enjoyed a safe and happy snow day.
We are almost at the December break and I wanted to let you know that Friday December 23rd is an 11:30 am dismissal. School will be reopen after the break on Tuesday 3rd January at the normal time.
A quick link to our calendar for 2022/23 can be found here.
After enjoying the Winter play last week, I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Winter Concert on Wednesday 21st. Students will enjoy the performance from 1-2pm during the school day and there will be a performance for families and care providers from 7pm the same day. There is no cost for entry but we will be accepting donations!
Finally, please note that the principal drop scheduled for today has been postponed. If you were planning on joining me today, please send me an email and I can make a time to talk with you next week.
Please find below information related to the week ahead:
Best wishes
Chris
Student Services
Important Dates to Remember
Upcoming dates
Dec 16th - Parents’ night out at MTRS 4-8pm - POSTPONED due to snow!!!
December 21st - MTRS Winter Concert: 7pm
December 23rd - 11:30am dismissal for Winter Break
January 3rd (Tuesday) - First day of school after the Winter Break
Winter Concert
Live Music is Back!!!
Mr. Friday took students on a mini tour of our elementary schools to perform previews of our upcoming Winter Concert. Wednesday 21st is your turn to be in the audience!
Come and join us as we celebrate our students’ musical accomplishments at the
2022 Winter Concert!
From 7-9pm on Wednesday, Dec 21st. Two choirs, a concert band and a rock band will all join together to present music of the past, present and future!
Theatre
Triumphant return of Live Theatre to MTRS!
Last Friday and Saturday audiences were treated to a performance of Axe of Murder. It was wonderful to see almost full houses for both shows.
We are excited to let you know that rehearsal information about our District Musical, Guys and Dolls will be shared in the new year. We are delighted that we have already reached our cap of 15 students from our elementary schools.
Please make a note in your diary for May 5 and 6th to come and see one of our live shows!
Please email stagemanager@mtrsd.org with any questions and see you next week!
Scene from Axe of Murder
Scene from Axe of Murder
Scene from Axe of Murder
Write and perform YOUR own stories...and get paid for it!
Teen Theatre - Your Show, Your Way!
Through playwright mentoring, students aged 13-19 are supported with writing and performing scenes and monologues based on their own stories. As an actor, you can also earn a stipend of 200$ for your participation!
See flyer for more information
Teacher Appreciation Lunch
This Wednesday staff were treated to fine dining in the Trailblazer cafeteria as the Student Council prepared and served an appreciation lunch!
This was a fantastic event and staff are thankful to work with such a caring community of learners.
Mary Lyon Foundation is helping keep our students warm this winter
Thank you to Mary Lyon Foundation for their incredible donation of hats, gloves and scarves now that we are in soggy season.
Last week they very generously provided free winter clothing for those in need. This week they will be setting up another table. Students, please help yourselves!
Assembly on Cyber Safety , Consent and Online Exploitation
We are thankful for the CHild Advocacy center for helping us run advisory and a special assembly this week.
As with many other schools in the region, we have seen a worrying increase in incidents involving students and cell-phones in relation to cyber-bullying, picture sharing. Accepting that cellphones are a part of most student's lives, the intention of this assembly was to support students in being independent users of their cell phones, to make them aware of behavior and actions that might make them vulnerable to online exploitation and to make them aware of what constitutes an illegal activity on a cell phone.
The assembly also encompassed conversations about consent, online exploitation and access to pornography as these are also issues that have come up in conversations with students recently.
These are the videos and the on-line Cyber-Education Training the Mohawk students viewed for this curriculum provided by the CAC.
∙ 7-8 grades viewed: Blue Seat Studio’s, Consent for Kids -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3nhM9UlJjc
∙ 9-12 grade’s viewed: Blue Seat Studio’s, Consent, it’s Simple As Tea -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGoWLWS4-kU
∙ Middlesex County’s District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with that county’s Children’s Advocacy Center, created a Cyber-Education Training for youth and parents. A certificate of completion is provided at the end. Registration & login required:
https://cyber-ed.middlesexcac.org/
We are actively trying to find a speaker and resources for a similar activity in relation to vaping. If there are community members who might be interested in helping, please contact the office.
Community Activities
CEEP Updates
Here is the latest CEEP newsletter with our winter enrichment programs. NOTE We are offering a number of middle school programs, please enroll ASAP by emailing awoofenden@mtrsd.org
Alia Woofenden "Mrs. Woof"
Liaison for Community Engagement and Enrichment Programs
Mohawk Trail Regional School District
24 Ashfield Road, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
She/Her/Hers
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 December 21st.
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 December 21st.
Outdoor Advisory Committee- Virtual
Wednesday, December 21st· 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
Hello sports fans! Hopefully by the time you read this newsletter there will be over a foot of snow on the ground, with more on the way! This most recent dumping is just what our ski teams ordered, as they are more than ready to begin competing on the slopes!
Our Nordic team, led by coaches Mark Pollard and Maggie Birrell, are poised to compete at a high level this winter. With a balanced mix of youth and experience, they should undoubtedly make some noise this season!
With this snow, also comes the end of dryland training for the Alpine team, as they will soon move operations over to Berkshire East! Races will begin after the first of the year, so our downhillers will get plenty of time to practice on our hometown mountain. Both teams look to defend their league championships this year!
Please keep your eyes open for the return of our pop up SWAG SHOPS! Similar to the fall, we will offer sport specific shops. These shops will offer new, seasonal options, in addition to your standard fan gear!
Stay warm, and go out and support your Mohawk Trail athletes!
Tiered Focused Monitoring Review
During the week of December 13, 2022, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.
Parents and other individuals may call Marc Oldenburg, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at 413-314-6703 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report with information about areas in which the (district or charter school) meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the (district or charter school) requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.
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