Student & Family Update

I hope that you have enjoyed hearing about Pep week from our students!

So far this week we have had Royalty day, BBQ vs Sports Fan, Class colors and Class Olympics and our whole school Pep rally.

Tonight we are looking forward to hearing some live music at the bonfire - 7pm-9pm

Saturday we will hold our Homecoming Dance from 7-10pm indoors, in the gymnasium.

Thanks for helping your student/s dress appropriately

Please read on to find out what has been going on at our busy school!

Best

Chris

Upcoming dates

• October 25th - Picture day

• November 1 - No school, staff PD

• November 9th - STEAM fair

• December 9th and 10th - Winter Play: 7:30pm both days
  

• December 21st - MTRS Winter Concert: 7pm

It has been wonderful to be a part of the first full Pep week since 2019! The Student Council did a phenomenal job in organizing themes and activities throughout the week. We had Royalty day, BBQ vs Sports fanatic, Class Color day and the Class Olympic games.

Tonight from 7-9pm student and staff musicians will be entertaining us on the outdoor stage while we warm ourselves by the bonfire. On Saturday night we will welcome students from 7-10pm to our Homecoming dance, held in the MTRS gymnasium.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have just released the spring 2022 MCAS scores.

As you may already know, MCAS is just one data point. The district improvement plan includes reviewing student MCAS data along with other student assessment data with all teachers and staff with the goal of identifying ways to improve educational outcomes for all of our students.

Here is a link to a DESE press release which talks about the big picture for MCAS results in Massachusetts.

Grade 8 - Hurting or Flirting review

On Friday, October 14th, eigth grade students will participate in a workshop about sexual harassment, called “Flirting Or Hurting?” This is a follow-up to the same workshop that they participated in as 7th graders. The purpose of this year's workshop is to review and clarify the concepts they learned about last year.

During the workshop, we will be discussing the definition of sexual harassment, the roles of individuals involved, and what students can do if they witness or experience harassing behavior. The workshop will be delivered during Social Studies classes and be facilitated by school counselor, Ms Ruggeri.

The curriculum is provided in middle school because it is a time when many students begin experimenting with language and gestures that they do not fully understand. They are faced with the task of developing identities within peer groups and the larger community, and interactions between students can result in confusion and misinterpretation. Often students in middle school do not realize the effect that their behavior has on others, and many are unaware of the definition of sexual harassment and that it can be a form of bullying.

Please feel welcome to be in touch with any questions.

Ms Ruggeri

The district is desperate for drivers! We are having to cancel field trips and sports fixtures due to a lack of drivers. Can you help?

Are you interested in becoming servsafe manager certified? We are offering a course here Nov. 15th & 16th for anyone that is interested. See the flyer below and email awoofenden@mtrsd.org to enroll today.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I9Yv18eN-QUCyVHwZBssQeZlhjlZTvSk/view?usp=sharing

We are sorry to see Ms Neunenschwander leave us to take up a new position in Pittsfield and thank her for all the students and staff she has helped during her time at MTRS. We wish her all the best for the next step of her professional journey. Sara's last day was October 14th.

We will be welcoming back Jane Shaney as Interim Guidance Counselor in 9-12. Jane, who previously worked as a Guidance Counselor at MTRS will start on October 17th and is excited to be back!

MTRSD STEAM Fair is coming this fall for students in grades 6-8, and we couldn’t be more excited! We are hoping to recruit caregiver and community members to our cause: to connect our students with a diverse range of new and interesting hands-on experiences in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Volunteers needed to run sessions or help with logistics. Tentatively scheduled for Wed., November 9, we would love to have you join us; click here for more information.

Read all about our updates here: Student Services

Have a look at our library updates: Link

Here is the latest CEEP newsletter. Have an idea you want to share or a club you would like to run? Please email Mrs. Woof at 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

https://www.mtrsd.org/ceep

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

Applications are now available for ARTeens, a pay-what-you-can program for teens who love making art.Fall sessions begin the week of October 25th and run through December 15th. Teens can apply online at his link: https://forms.gle/RQYoNfNumU5FrZgV7 Applications are due October 14th but will be accepteduntil the program is full.

ARTeens is a weekly, after school program at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls open to middle and high school teens (ages 12-19) who are interested in making art. Fall sessions are offered on either Tuesdays or Thursdays. Mohawk teens can take a school bus to a stop near The Art Garden and arrive at 2:30p.m. The program ends at 6pm. Fall sessions run for seven weeks.

ARTeens provides an opportunity for teens to cultivate an art practice in The Art Garden’s supportive,intergenerational studio. With an emphasis on personal responsibility and self-direction, teens explore and critique the world around them, develop their own voices, and share their ideas. ARTeens offers a sense of community while nurturing uniqueness and engagement in a diverse and non-judgmental group.

Each week teens are encouraged to expand their art making through an introduction to a new media, technique, or artist’s work through an art prompt. Teens are supported with trying new things or following their own ideas and work. The Art Garden is stocked with high quality art supplies, as well as unusual and repurposed materials for art making. And we always provide a table of healthy snacks for hungry teens.

Now in its tenth year, the ARTeens program is made possible, in part, by a YouthReach grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The program costs $350 per session, but no one is ever turned away due to lack of funds. We ask families to contribute something because every contribution helps make the program possible.

Based on current Covid-19 information, this fall we will be following Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines. We are not requiring masks but will support anyone who chooses to wear a mask. Our studio has 2 HEPA air purifiers. More details will be provided prior to the start of the program.

For more information, contact Jane Beatrice Wegscheider at csartgarden@gmail.com

Information and photos are also online at theartgarden.org

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 virtual joining information is as follows:

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/gzo-toke-ibz

Phone Numbers

(‪US‬)‪+1 813-435-9650‬

PIN: ‪741 012 215#‬

Outdoor Advisory Committee (OAC)

Anyone interested in being a part of the outdoor advisory committee and to invite you to our next in-person meet at MTRS on October 14th at 5pm.

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

Second Friday of each month: 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. (starting September 9th)

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. (starting September 16th)

Meeting ID: meet.google.com/sru-mshz-rht

Phone Number: (US)+1 (218) 301-2866

PIN: 136 064 523

Mohawk Trail SEPAC Member and Parent

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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.

Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional