Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
October 7th, 2022
Good afternoon care providers, students and staff!
I hope that you are looking forward to a rest over the long weekend and gearing up for the Pep week activities planned for Oct 11-15th.
Please read on to see what has been going on and what is planned to happen next week at MTRS.
Best
Chris
Important Dates to Remember
Upcoming dates
Oct 10 - No school - Indigenous Peoples’ day
October 11-14th School Spirit Week/ Pep Week
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
Outdoor Learning Space
Do you have any ideas?
We are looking for your input about our new outdoor classroom. Some staff, students and community members have started converting our interior courtyard into usable space, we are calling it the MOC.
As we move forward with the project, we want to make sure we get everyone's ideas and input to make sure we are using the space well.
Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey.
Mrs. Woof
Open House & Opening of the College and Careers Centre situated in the library
Thursday October 6th
It was wonderful to see and speak with so many care providers and families at our Open House this past Thursday. As well as introducing new staff to families, I was delighted to introduce Laurie Benoit, the Chair of the Board of the Mary Lyon Foundation to all those present. I was pleased to thank Laurie on behalf of the MTRS community for the foundation's generous grant which had enabled us to create a College and Careers Speakers' Centre for MTRS students.
Moveable chairs and desks!
MCAS Results
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have just released the spring 2022 MCAS scores. Next weeks we will be mailing a report indicating our school’s overall results and your student’s scores to you via the U.S. postal service.
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.
New Staff!
Welcome to....
Ron DiDonato
I'm Ron DiDonato and I am delighted to be working as a Paraprofessional this year, and enjoying working with students to help them navigate their classes. I have 15 years experience teaching middle school art and technology, a passion for learning, and it's great fun being back here at Mohawk where my children attended many years ago.
Valerie Vasti
I’m Valerie Vasti, and I am honored to join the MTRSD community as the District Literacy Coach. I am enjoying a warm welcome from a team of creative, dedicated, thoughtful educators as well as many curious, energetic students! This year is my 27th as an educator. I started out as a high school English teacher but also taught middle school ELA, ELL, and inclusion classes. I have directed student theater productions and created advisory programs. My calling as coach began while serving as Director of Curriculum and Instruction. I am truly excited to work in this beautiful place with so many wonderful people. I look forward to meeting everyone!
Valerie writes a weekly coaching blog that will have it's own section of the newsletter next week. Have a look at the most recent post, here
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?
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
Dean Colleen's Culture Corner
Whole school assembly on Recycling and Composting
On Wednesday, Amy Donovan from Franklin County Solid Waste Management District came to talk to students and faculty about composting and recycling at MTRS. Here is a Link to Amy's presentation
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)
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
Athletics News
Updates!
It has been a busy and fruitful week for Mohawk Trail Athletics! Many of our squads are pushing towards their respective MIAA tournaments, while others are making huge strides in improving and gaining very important varsity experience!
Our golf team, led by head coach Lew Goodnow, have very quietly racked up 6 consecutive victories! This year’s squad is incredibly young, and the future continues to look very bright for golf at Mohawk Trail!
Coach Sherri Lannon’s volleyball team has also hit its stride and has won 5 consecutive matches! They are currently ranked #31 in the state for Division 5, and look to have a repeat of last year’s postseason success!
Both cross country teams picked up victories this week! In addition, both Emmett Johnson and Natalie Lanoue continue to set the trails on fire with course record breaking times! Both squads are heading to Manchester Connecticut this weekend to compete in the Wickham Park Invitational. There they will face some of the best runners that southern New England has to offer!
Finally, our club soccer team will get to see the fruits of their labor this fall when they get to face The Academy at Charlemont under the lights on Pollard Field tonight, 10/7! Come out and support your Warriors at 7:00! There will be no gate fee or concessions.
Mohawk Trail Athletics
Faster Alone…..Further Together!
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