Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
October 21st, 2022
Good afternoon everyone!
I hope that you have had a good week.
Just a reminder that we have School Photo day: Oct 25th. All students have received a photo day order form. Please ensure that your child brings this to school on or before Tuesday 25th when photos will be taken. For anyone absent from school, there will be a makeup photo day on November 30th.
Please read on to see what has been going on at MTRS this week!
Best
Chris
Important Dates to Remember
Upcoming dates
October 25th - Picture day
Oct 27th - in-school SAT
November 1 - No school, staff PD
November 9th - STEAM Fair
November 11th - Veterans Day - no school
December 9th and 10th - Winter Play: 7:30pm both days
December 21st - MTRS Winter Concert: 7pm
Grade 10 Chrome Books
Monday 24th October - 8-9am in the auditorium
Grade 10 Chrome books - Monday 24th - 8-9am in the auditorium. Bring your signed chrome book user agreement form. Collect one from the office if you have lost your original
Dean Colleen's Culture Corner
Wednesday Whole School Assemblies!
We continued with our tradition of whole school assemblies on early release Wednesdays. This week it was magnificent to hear updates from our Sports Captains, celebrate our staff and students through hearing the weekly shout outs and to hear Jacob G (Elvis Junior) perform his increasingly popular rendition of Hound Dog!
I can't wait to see what next Wednesdays' assembly will bring :)
Sports Captains give students an update
Jacob G performing with Mr F and Mr L
Jacob G performing with Mr F and Mr L
BARR Foundation - Photography visit
The Barr foundation has provided $450,000 of support for the development of our Trailblazer model here at MTRS. The Trailblazer Model has a sharp focus on the development of a positive building culture and strong relationships between students and teachers through Advisory, greater opportunities for student-driven choice in academic classes and a focus on developing college or career-ready skills in all students. Additionally, the Trailblazer model has helped provide opportunities for teacher collaboration and more distributed leadership among staff in order to help teachers to support students and shape educational experiences in response to changing student needs.
This Thursday we were pleased to welcome a BARR photographer to document students and staff at MTRS. These photos will be used in our MTRS publications such as the newsletter, yearbook and also in the BARR foundations support for school redesign work.
Based on the media release forms we have received, we tried to ensure that students from families who had not given permission were not photographed. I will also make sure that we double check the photos to be used to make sure that all families have given permission.
Finally, if you are still to return a media image permission form, please download and return this form. Alternatively, you can pick up a hard copy from the front office.
Bus Drivers urgently needed!
Can you help?
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?
Serve Safe Certificate?
Course at MTRS on 15th & 16th November
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
STEAM FAIR - Grades 6-8 at MTRS on November 9th
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.
Student Services Updates
Read all about our updates here: Student Services
Theatre
How can you support our Fall production?
Please consider supporting our fall production of "Ax of Murder" We are excited to give the opportunity to families, friends and local bussinesses a way of showing support. We will have a playbill for our performances that gives the opportunity for anyone to place an ad in support of our show. All of the details are on our website or by contacting Miss Eva at stagemanager@mtrsd.org. We must pay for permission to perform, get costumes and build a set and we would love your ad to help us do that! We hope to see everyone there and your ad in our program!
Community Activities
CEEP Updates
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
Arteens after school program
Fall 2022 ARTeens After School Program Information
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
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 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. Normally we are in-person but our next meeting on Nov 9th will be virtual.
Outdoor Advisory Committee- Virtual
Wednesday, November 9 · 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
Updates!
While our fall teams get a well deserved break to prepare for their postseasons, this is a perfect opportunity to start thinking about winter sports! This year we will be offering boy’s and girl’s basketball, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, indoor track, and wrestling! Winter sports registration will open on October 31st and will run right through to the first week in December. Just like for fall sports, all registrations will be submitted through FamilyID. Please remember that in order to be eligible for winter sports, your athlete must have an up to date physical (within the last 8 months) and must have had a concussion baseline test within the last two years. Please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly glillyAD@mtrsd.org if you have any questions or concerns regarding this process.
Senior Athlete Send-Off
It was emotional!
Good Luck Paige and congratulations on a fantastic MTRS Career
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