Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
March 1st, 2024
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope that you enjoyed a great February vacation.
Thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility with the rain, wind and power outage at school this week. Students took schedule changes in their stride and teachers and staff did a great job in making sure that teaching and learning continued in spite of things beyond our control.
The time between February and April vacations is packed with activities, academics and sports. Please read on to find out more about the many things going on at our busy school including:
- Scheduling and student class options information: Live course catalog 2024/25
- Dates and times in visits to grade 6 classes
- Upcoming Police Cadet opportunities
- Scholarship information for the Class of '24
- Community Engagement and district sustainability study information
- Exciting sports updates
If you are reading this newsletter on a phone or laptop, don't forget to click on "read entire message" in order to see the complete newsletter.
Finally, we do our best to convey information to our community from a variety of sources, lots of them community rather than school based organizations. Unfortunately we are not able to share images and posters with live links through Smore but always ensure there is an email for inquiries. If you would like an e-copy of a poster with live links, please feel free to reach out to the office directly.
Have a nice February break and see you on Monday the 26th!
Chris
Important Dates & Information
Upcoming dates
March 1st: 6:30-8:30pm: Student Council Winter Dance
March 27th: District Celebration of Learning: 4-6pm
April 10th: Grade 6 ice cream and info meeting with G 7 teachers
April 10th: NHS Induction 6:30-7:30pm
April 11th: MTRS Spring Concert
April 12th: Middle School Career Speakers in Advisory
May 3 and 4th: Spring Musical: You're a good man, Charlie Brown
May 11th: MTAA Spring Fling
May 15 & 16th District Music Concert at BSE
May 17th: Grade 11 and 12 DUI and Legal issues presentation from SFPD
May 18th: Prom
May 30th: Senior Awards evening
May 31st (Friday) -6-8pm: High School Graduation. Indoors at MTRS (This is a correction to the published date of June 1st)
June 3rd - Grade 6 Step up day
June 5th: S2 Student Led Conferences
June 7th: Grade 8 Ice cream and Celebration: 5:30-7:30
District Calendar for 2023/24: Link
MTRS MCAS and AP testing schedule
Quarter 3 (45 Days)
First Day: January 29, 2024
Last Day: Friday April 5, 2024
Q3 progress report grades close on: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Q3 progress report grading window: Monday, February 26 - Monday, March 4,
Q3 progress reports will be available in Aspen Tuesday, March 5,
Q3 grading window: Thursday, April 4 - Thursday April 11 at 11:59 pm
Q3 report cards will be available in Aspen: Friday, April 12, 2024
Course Selection Information
Updates on our selection process for 2024/5
Grade 8
This week Grade 8 were presented with information on Welcome to High School. Students were also provided two handouts to take home:
- Course Pathways handout
- Course pathways selection worksheet handout
This information was also shared by Ms. Cairney to students and families via email this week.
Here are the next steps in the process:
- March 13: Presentation by Guidance Counselors to review online course selection process and speak about courses
- March 13 - 18: Students enter course requests into Aspen
- March/April: Counselors meet with students 1:1 to verify course requests and answer any questions
- May/June students receive their schedules
Once students receive their schedules, they will have the opportunity to meet with counselors to review and make changes if needed. Efforts are made to have all schedule changes complete by the last day of school with only extenuating circumstances allowing for changes in the fall
Grades 9, 10 & 11
Before the break:
- Information on the course selection process was shared on Feb 16th with students in grades 9, 10, 11
- Course pathways for grades 9,10,11, 12 were also shared in advisory on Feb 16th
Next steps:
March 4th: Ms. Cairney will meet with Grade 9, 10 and 11 Advisory groups next week on Course Offerings by grade/graduation requirements
March 11th: Ms.Cairney will present grade 9,10 & 11 advisory groups with the Online Course Request process before the request portal window opens: We are opening the portal from 3/11 - 3/19.
Live course catalog 2024/25 This has also been published on the MTRS website.
Information for Grade 6/ Rising Grade 7 students and families
We are looking forward to welcoming you to the MTRS Community over the next few months.
Below is a list of events to provide information and prepare students and families for the transition to middle school:
March- Classroom Visits: Guidance counselor and principal, accompanied by former students, will visit each 6th grade classroom and provide information about life and opportunities at MTRS:
3/19 BSE
3/20 Hawlemont
3/21 Rowe
3/22 Sanderson
3/22 Colrain
March 27th - District Celebration of Learning at MTRS 4-6pm: This will be a great opportunity to see the school and to meet current students and staff and to find out more about the clubs and activities available to MTRS students
April 10th - Welcome to Grade 7: 5:30-7:30pm: Information and Ice cream for 6th grade families
June 3rd - Step Up Day: Grade 6 students from the district, as well as Rowe Elementary, will come to MTRS to meet teachers and experience a morning at MTRS
Additional opportunities for community event at MTRS (more information on the MTRS website):
April 11th - Spring MTRS Music Concert
May 3 and 4th - MTRS Spring Musical
May 11th - Spring Fling
Fantastic opportunity for students to join a Police Cadet program at GCC
We are fortunately to have a fantastic working relationship with local police departments and in particular Detective Tucker Jenkins - a fixture in helping support student learning at MTRS.
As a result of the public safety information talks conducted by Detective Jenkins in the fall, Captain Collins of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has reached out to us with a fantastic opportunity for MTRS students to get their foot in the door and network with peers from other schools, and other communities, while creating ties to Law Enforcement Agencies in the Commonwealth.
The Franklin County Police Cadet Program is open to students who have completed Grade 8 through Grade 12 that are interested in a career in law enforcement. Members must have a good standing within their community and school. The Franklin County Police Cadet program is a member of NERLEEA (Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Educational Association).
Police Cadets will attend weekly meetings at Greenfield Community College on Wednesdays from 630PM-830PM. During weekly meetings member are instructed by Police Officers and Deputy Sheriffs on topics that include defensive tactics, Massachusetts General Laws and patrol procedures.
Police Cadets will participate in physical fitness training and drill and ceremony. We will take field trips to law enforcement agencies and have officers from other agencies speak with the program. Police Cadets will have opportunities to attend NERLEEA events, which include skills competitions and the NERLEEA academy.
Students and families who may be interested in learning more and invited to come to MTRS on Tuesday, March 19th, 2024 from 6-8PM for an informational session in our library.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to the office for more information.
Mohawk Trail Regional School District approved for $24,934 in TPS funding.
Integrating Local History Across the Curriculum a success for Massachusetts educators and learners!
Mohawk Trail Regional School District Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region proposal is officially approved for $24,934 in funding. This exciting initiative is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University.”
Lead by high school teacher, Catherine Glennon, our Teaching with Primary Sources project, Civic Engagement in Any Subject: Integrating Local Primary Sources Across the Curriculum, seeks to engage students in their communities by helping teachers across subject areas learn about our local history, identify relevant curricular connections, and develop or modify projects that integrate primary documents.
Our project will work with teachers in our district and across the region, to identify areas of connection with content in different disciplines, learn about using primary sources in inquiry based projects, and provide the time, resources, and support to implement these projects with their students.
We look forward to bringing you updates on this exciting initiative in the coming weeks.
AP Brault's Student Culture Corner
What a week we have had at MTRS! Thank you to everyone who helped on Thursday when nature took over the phones, internet, and heat. The good news is that it counts as a day of school! On a more positive note, our Alpine Ski Team had a beautiful day at the slopes and fared very well.
Our 8th graders have been learning some positive games they can play when outside for break or at lunch. This is as a result of a large number of incidents of pushing and shoving as well as other “hands-on” actions. Some games included are “Duck Fights” and “Multi-Person Tug of War”. The students have chosen to play these as well. See picture!
The District Perspective
Carol Foote, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, cfoote@mtrsd.org
For the People, By the People
Today, Superintendent Sheryl Stanton and 10 others made it a priority to be in attendance at the Joint Ways and Means Committee public hearing on education and local aid segments of Gov. Healey's FY25 budget proposal. The invitation-only hearing took place at Greenfield Community College and focused on the education and local aid sections of next year’s budget. This is the second in a series of eight budget hearings — two in the State House and six in regional locations across the commonwealth.
Today’s hearing began at 11 a.m. and was live streamed from here: malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/4863.
See a press release from 1/24/2024 regarding the filing of the budget and specifics around education initiatives and rural aid here.
Districts Sustainability Study Update
You have likely seen references to the “sustainability study” in newsletters, on social media, and elsewhere. We normally associate “sustainability” with projects related to climate change and becoming “greener.” While we have those kinds of projects in the works (solar panels, anyone?), the project led by BERK12 is meant to recognize challenges in enrollment, finance, and educational programming/services and offer alternatives and solutions for a more sustainable future in educating and serving the students and families of our districts.
BERK12 has launched social media profiles that may be found on Facebook and Instagram. Please “like” and “follow” to receive the latest updates on BERK12’s work in identifying the best options and opportunities for providing high quality, sustainable education for students in the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional school districts. Our hope is that community members will engage with this study in meaningful ways. If you are interested in participating more generally, please visit 2Districts8Towns.org to read more or sign up to volunteer for an advisory team in the areas of Community Outreach, Educational Quality, and Finance. Please note that a Community Engagement Session is scheduled for March 11 from 6 to 7:15 pm at the Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School cafeteria. To register, send an email to Mary Nash at msnash3@gmail.com. More dates and locations around the districts will be announced. See the related flier below.
FY25 School Budget Update
On Wednesday, February 21, about 40 people gathered in-person and virtually to better understand the MTRSD FY25 school year budget. The slide deck presented may be found here, and other materials will be made available in this Google Drive folder as they are completed. A recording of the public hearing will also be made available soon. Attendees listened to the presentation and were given time to ask questions which largely centered on transportation and special education costs. The MTRSD school committee voted on the budget in late February and it will then be presented at Town Meetings for a vote in each district town.
A similar public hearing and vote on the HRSD FY25 school year budget was held at the Hawlemont Elementary School on Leap Day. Those materials may be found from a button on the middle of this page and more directly in this Google Drive folder.
The Business Services page offers a wealth of information. We ask that community members become familiar with the information ahead of their town meetings. Town Meeting tentative dates for 2024 are posted as:
Ashfield: Saturday, May 4, 2024, 10am
Shelburne: Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 6 – 8pm
Heath: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 9 – 11am
Hawley: Monday, May 13, 2024, 7 – 8:30pm
Charlemont: Tuesday, May 28, 2024, 6 – 8pm
Colrain: Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 7 – 9pm
Learning During Vacation Week
Over February break, 23 Mohawk Trail district students in grades 3 through 6 attended acceleration academies in which math was expertly taught by our own educators. (Hawlemont offered an additional opportunity focused on literacy and welcomed 14 students to their programs.) Even though it was just a week, the participating students built self confidence and honed skills while avoiding regression sometimes seen during break. Students also had fun as they made connections with peers from different district schools. Thanks to the students, families, and staff who made a commitment to learning by taking advantage of these programs. Another acceleration academy will run during April break. Invitations will be sent in March. As always, caregivers can work to keep student skills sharp by playing math games and reading together for 15 minutes a day.
Hungry Hippos at the acceleration academies during the February break
Community Engagement sessions
Sustainability project updates
Teaching and Learning
Celebration of Learning - March 27th, 4-6pm
Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional families and friends! Our students and teachers are getting ready to welcome you to the district's annual Celebration of Learning. Please save the date of Wednesday, March 27th from 4pm to 6pm. We invite you to attend and bring others who may be interested in seeing the work of Mohawk Trail Regional students first-hand. You'll see, hear, feel, and experience the products of their recent work as you tour the gym, hallways, auditorium and library. We offer a special invitation to 5th and 6th grade district families to come specifically to see our middle school wing abuzz with teachers, students, demonstrations and more! Other perks include free dinner from Foxtown Diner and desserts from local bakeries, the chance to win raffle prizes, and a book giveaway - all made possible thanks to the efforts of the Mary Lyon Foundation. We hope you attend to truly get a sense of what it means to be a Trailblazer!
We are excited to invite families and students to our annual Celebration of Learning
The schedule has a lot of information about the activities at our busy school
The MTRS Choir will be greeting families on arrival in the lobby
Graduation Information for the Class of 2024!
Class meetings will take place in the next two weeks and the Class of 2024 will be planning their involvement in the following events:
Graduation
DUI and Legal Issues talk with SFPF for G 11 and 12 - May 17th
Prom - Saturday 18th May
Senior Send off - Weds 22nd May
Senior Soak - Thursday 23rd May
Last Day - Friday May 24th
Memorial Day - Mon 27th May
Finals and rehearsals for Awards/ Graduation - Tuesday 28th May and Wednesday May 29th
Elementary school visit and MTRS staff cookout - Wednesday 29th May
Awards Event - Thursday 30th May (5-7pm)
Graduation Celebration - Friday May 31st 6-8pm indoors at MTRS (auditorium)
Scholarships
Please keep checking the Student Services section of the website in order to stay on top of deadlines. Last year the Class of 2023 walked away with over $100,000 in scholarships from our MTRS community!
This section of the newsletter will be updated as we progress through the year, so please check back in regularly!
Library Updates
Check out what is new in the library!
Take a look at our MTRS Library March 2024 newsletter: Link
Please take advantage of the book fair in the library during the Celebration of Learning on March 27th.
Also, make a note of the book discussion and author visit in Greenfield - see details below for more information!
Book discussion and author visit in Greenfield
Students and staff really enjoy using the library space during the day at MTRS
Come to the book fair in the library when you are at the Celebration of Learning!
Student Services
Also don't forget to be checking the Senior Scholarship Bulletin.
Students and parents, please reach out with any specific questions - happy to help! Mrs. Cairney acariney@mtrsd.org Students to book an appt visit: https://acairney.youcanbook.me/
Bus Schedules and Questions
Please make sure that you check the Bus routes on district site. Care providers can call Dawn at the bus company on 413-489-3195 at ext 3304 or call the school and ask to speak to Robin Pease.
Community Events
How can you get involved at 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 take place on March 13th
The virtual joining information is as follows:
Meeting ID
Phone Numbers
(US)+1 813-435-9650
PIN: 741 012 215#
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. The next drop in will take place on March 8th.
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
Athletics
MOHAWK TRAIL WINTER SPORTS SEASON WRAPS UP WITH STRONG SHOWING AT ALPINE STATES!!
On a day where temperatures peaked at 60 degrees, and skiing conditions were not ideal, both the Boys and Girls Alpine Ski Teams pushed through adversity and left Wachusett Mountain with some hardware! While the boys came away with a 7th place finish, the girls team was only a couple seconds away from claiming their 3rd consecutive state championship! All told, the girls took home 2nd place overall and had two veteran skiers place in the top 10 individually; Addie Loomis and Emmy Sisum.
SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!!!!
The sooner we have accurate numbers for participants, the sooner we can post practice schedules and coach information! This spring we will be offering…
Boys and Girls Track and Field
Baseball
Softball
Tennis
The online registration process can be found HERE. Please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly with any questions at glillyAD@mtrsd.org
The girls took home 2nd place overall
The boys came away with a 7th place finish
MOHAWK TRAIL WINTER SPORTS SEASON WRAPS UP WITH STRONG SHOWING AT ALPINE STATES!!
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.
Special Education Contact Information
Person
Role
Contact Information
Leann Loomis
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
413-625-0192 x1025
Melissa Plesnar
Assistant to Director of Pupil Personnel Services
413-625-0192 x1015
Erin Beaudet
7-12 Liaison
413-625-9811 x1314
Carolyn Goodnow
1-6 Liaison
Mohawk Trail District
413-625-2521
Kate Dwyer
1-6 Liaison
Hawlemont District
413-339-8316
Amy Socquet
Early Childhood Coordinator and Liaison
413-625-6194
About Mohawk Trail SEPAC
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council is an advisory group led by parents within our community. We are looking to support each other and help the school district to better serve its students. The SEPAC is open to all caregivers within the district with an IEP or 504 plan, and to interested members of the community. Please reach out to us to learn more!
SEPAC meetings
We meet monthly via Zoom. Upcoming meetings: Sept 28, Oct 23, Nov 27 at 6:30 pm
We welcome caregivers, staff, and interested members of the community to learn about SEPAC and meet local families. The public meeting will be followed by a private caregiver support discussion.
MOHAWK SEPAC MEETING
MONDAY NOV 27TH AT 6:30PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81146390541?pwd=cGVyR0hFelYrTWhTZ2pzK0kwWnBWQT09
Meeting ID: 811 4639 0541
Passcode: 453118
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,81146390541# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,81146390541# US (New York)
Email us to learn more: mohawksepac@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MohawktrailSEPAC
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional
MTRSD Director of Communications