Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
March 8th, 2024
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope that you all enjoyed a great week
In this week's newsletter there are updates on:
- Civic Action week activities for March 11-15th
- Student Council activities at the Cape
- Grade 8 Career Morning on April 12th
- National Honors Society (NHS) membership application
- Celebration of Learning at MTRS on March 27th
- Upcoming Police Cadet opportunities
- Information for Grade 6 parents
- Scholarship information for the Class of '24
- Community Engagement and district sustainability study information
- Progress on our Trailblazer model thanks to generous support from the Barr Foundation
- Spring Sports
Please note that we are now in a position to confirm dates for the June Student-led conferences. There is also an additional early release Wednesday which is not included on the calendar:
June 5th: S2 Student Led Conferences- Early dismissal for all MS and HS Students at 11:30 (Conferences to take place virtually or in person between 12-3:30pm MS & HS and virtually only for HS 3:30-5:30. More details coming soon!)
June 12th: 12:50pm Early release for students in MS and HS
June 13th: Last day for students: 11:30 dismissal for MS and HS
Don't forget that the clocks change on Sunday morning. Daylight saving time will resume on March 10th, 2024 when clocks will spring forward.
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 great weekend!
Best wishes
Chris
Come and browse at the book fair during the Celebration of Learning on March 27th
You are most welcome to come to the Celebration of Learning on March 27th
Mark your calendars for the MTRS Spring Concert on April 11th
Important Dates & Information
Upcoming dates
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- Early dismissal for all MS and HS Students at 11:30
June 7th: Grade 8 Ice cream and Celebration: 5:30-7:30
June 12th: 12:50pm Early release for students in MS and HS
June 13th: Last day for students: 11:30 dismissal for MS and HS
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
Student Council activities
TAKING A POLAR PLUNGE IN SUPPORT OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Eight Mohawk Trail students traveled to the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (MASC) three-day conference on Cape Cod. While there, for the second year in a row, the group participated in the 2024 MASC POLAR PLUNGE on Wednesday, March 6 at Craigville Beach in Hyannis. Their goal was to raise $900 in support of Special Olympics of Massachusetts. These Mohawk Trail students believe that sports are the gateway to building confidence, lifelong friendships, and becoming leaders in the community. Donations will help to fund inclusive experiences for more than 19,000 Special Olympics athletes and the 10,000+ volunteers in Massachusetts.
The community rallied around this effort. Not only did they take the polar plunge, they have raised a whopping $2045, blowing their goal out of the water!!
Thank you to the members of the Student Council for braving the icy waters, and to the community members who backed them with their donations.
Please follow the link below if you would like to donate to Team Dalmatians. Thank you!
Civic Action at MTRS
Civic Action/ Learning week activities: March 11-15th
Friday March 8th teachers were asked to share about the ways that we all as individuals are involved and the things we love about our communities.
All week long 11-15th, the Civics team will be sharing on the morning announcements quotations about community and civic engagement along with daily challenges that people can participate in if they want to be more involved.
On Tuesday 12th, 8th and 10th graders will have an In-School Field Trip during Crew to the Auditorium. There they'll learn from a panel of 9th and 11th graders about their Civic Action Projects last year who will share tips and tricks for choosing topics and getting started.
Wednesday 13th during PD, Catherine Glennon will present to staff about our local history and opportunities to learn more about integrating it across the curriculum in interdisciplinary projects..
To expand the Civic Learning footprint beyond the official week, Brennan has organized an event for 8th and 10th grade students to meet, hear from, and work with some of our legislators, Senator Paul Mark and Representative Natalie Blais, on 3/25 during Block 1 and Advisory.
Grade 8 Career Morning: April 12th
April 12th - Middle School Careers speakers
I wanted to give you a heads up for planning purposes that I'm organizing a Middle School Career Day that is happening on Friday, April 12th during Exploratory. You won't have regular classes (I hope this is okay), but I would like to schedule Career Speakers in your classrooms. The general idea is that there will be 3 rotations of students who come through your classroom to listen to the career speaker. I will give you more details soon.
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
NHS Applications
The invitations to apply for NHS membership have gone out to the sophomores and juniors who have shown an interest in joining and who fulfil the membership requirements.
Selection for membership in the National Honor Society (NHS) is based upon outstanding accomplishment in four areas: scholarship, service, leadership and character. Students in the sophomore, junior and senior class who have maintained a grade point average of 3.8 (based upon a minimum of two core academic classes per semester) are eligible for consideration for membership. There are many ways for students to exemplify and demonstrate the qualities of leadership, service and character. We encourage interested students to seek information and opportunities to demonstrate leadership in these areas.
At the beginning of the spring semester students in the 10th and 11th grade who are academically eligible will be notified and invited to submit Student Activity Information Sheets; eligible seniors will be invited to submit information after the first quarter of the fall semester. Faculty members are asked to assess the students on the basis of their service, leadership and character. The Faculty Honor Council, appointed by the Principal, meets to evaluate the information provided by eligible students and the input from the faculty. Candidates receiving a majority vote of the Faculty Honor Council are selected for induction into the NHS. The induction ceremony for students selected at any time during the school year is held in the spring.
Membership in the National Honor Society is both an honor and responsibility. NHS members are expected to continue to demonstrate the high standards of leadership, scholarship, service and character which were recognized when they were selected for membership. Students who do not maintain these standards will be informed of the nature of the concern and given a time period for improvement. If the student does not demonstrate improvement in the specified time, they are liable for whatever disciplinary measures are considered appropriate by the Faculty Honor Council, which may include dismissal from membership. Students who are dismissed or resign from membership are never again eligible for membership in the NHS.
The National Honor Society meets regularly. Notices of NHS activities are posted on the bulletin board outside of the Front Office, on the NHS page at mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org, and on the NHS Facebook page.
If you are a sophomore or junior and have not been invited to apply but you would like to apply (and fulfil the membership requirements) please speak to Ms. White as soon as you can!
Please note that the NHS Induction Ceremony for new members is on the district calendar for April 10th: 6:30-7:30pm
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.
AP Brault's Student Culture Corner
Safety at school!
Here are some safety items to share with your students:
If a student isn’t in class (including advisory) for a long period of time, but is in the building, adults have no way of knowing if they leave the building in an emergency. We would need to ask emergency responders to go back in the building and search for them.
There are no tobacco products (cigarettes, vapes, chewing tobacco, etc) allowed on school property.
If there is anything unusual happening at home, please let the appropriate school counselor (Middle School: Mrs. Ruggeri, High School: Mrs. Cairney) know and whether they can share with staff.
For adults, please make sure that your information in ASPEN is up-to-date. If there have been changes in contact information, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses, please let the school know so we have contact information in case of an emergency.
The District Perspective
Carol Foote, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, cfoote@mtrsd.org
“We Made an Impression.”
Mohawk Trail School Committee Chair Martha Thurber was referencing the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ fiscal year 2025 state budget hearing last Friday at GCC. The follow up article may be found here in which Thurber, Superintendent Sheryl Stanton, and others are quoted. Topics of great discussion were rural aid, transportation, and special education. MA State Senator Jo Comerford and MA State Representative Natalie Blais continue to be advocates for the needs of our school districts, and others. The event energized community members and has inspired follow up letter writing campaigns. Community members who wish to access templates for letter writing to legislative representatives may find samples here.
Ready to Engage with the Sustainability Study?
The work of the steering committee is well underway directed by BERK12, the firm leading phase 2 of the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts sustainability study. Project leaders have begun meeting with members of selectboard regarding the work at hand. Next, they look to you.
How do YOU see a better and more sustainable future for our district students, buildings, programs, and budgets? Your first opportunity to come together as members of our school districts is this Monday, March 11th at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary. Please plan to attend either in person or virtually to engage with this important short-term project that will help to determine the future of education where we live, learn and grow.
Organizers are looking for participants to be ready to share observations, thoughts and ideas as they relate to the systems and standards of our school districts.
Click here for the latest information on dates and ways to engage with this project. Information may also be found at the project website, www.2districts8towns.org.
Accessing General News Items
Lately there has been lots of great reporting from the Greenfield Recorder on topics from the budget to the ski teams, and more. For a running list of news coverage from the Greenfield Recorder visit:
We also encourage readership of your local newsletters - like the Two Town News and Ashfield News - that offer information on school happenings.
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
Barr Foundation Updates
March 8th update
In addition to reporting out at school committee meetings about the progress we are making towards our outcomes and outputs thanks to our generous support from the Barr Foundation, I wanted to provide a monthly update of our progress as well as a reminder of our timeline (see below).
As a reminder, we were notified in December that we had been successful in our application for a Barr Foundation grant to continue our MS and HS redesign work. The grant of $450,000 will run from January 2024 until January 2026 and will support the ongoing development and refinement of our Trailblazer Model started through Massideas and a previous Barr Foundation grant.
The Barr Foundation grant will help support the following:
To continue to develop and refine our MTRS Advisory program and continue to build a positive building culture
PD support for developing and strengthening our Restorative Practices and developing opportunities for student voice to lead
PD to support our Standards Based Teaching and Learning and further development of Student-Led Conferences and students leading their own learning
To develop structures to support Internships, WBL and College-based opportunities for students linked to their Capstone/ specific interests
Stipend supported leadership opportunities for staff
Opportunities for all staff to participate in site visits to partner schools
How will this financial support be utilized?
Supporting opportunities to innovate our schedule and the learning experiences that students have at MTRS
Staff PD and mentoring from our consulting partners
Supporting and promoting staff leadership opportunities to ensure that distributed leadership
Site visits to inform and refine our practices
March 8th Barr Updates - how are we doing?
Restorative Practices
The guidance leadership team at MTRS will be taking part in T1 and T2 RP training in late March and early April. This will be run by Suffolk Centre for Restorative Justice and we will share more information next month.
Advisory support work
Our EL consultant came to work with admin in late Feb and will be back in Mid March to continue to develop our instructional model. Teacher leadership teams will continue to work with EL and conduct classroom walkthroughs later in March.
SBTL
The ILT is working on SLC for June 5th. More details will be shared with students, families and the community in the next week.
College and Career development
Counselor Cairney has been working with Capstone Coordinator Hoogstraten and Communications Director Carol Foote to continue to develop our MTRS Pathway to Internships and WBL. The team is also planning an introduction to Capstone for G11 students during Step up day on June 3rd.
Principal Buckland attended the Western Mass Clean Energy Workforce Summit in Springfield on March 7th.
Distributed Leadership opportunities
ILT member Rachel Silverman was successful in securing an NGLC learning grant which will enable several students, family members and staff to attend a three day visit to schools in VT. These schools use similar teaching and learning approaches as we do and this will be a fantastic opportunity for our stakeholders to continue to envision our TB model. Thanks to Rachel for taking on the huge task of project managing this amazing opportunity.
Led by ILT member Erik Sussbauer, teachers Cait Mans, Stacie Beck and Bethany Basal attended a student teacher recruitment event in Springfield on March 1st and promote MTRS as a wonderful place to develop and refine your teaching craft. This year we are fortunate to have 4 student teachers in our building (Middle school Science and Math and High school Social Studies and Biology) and look forward to welcoming new students in the fall.
Community feedback
We will continue to solicit honest and constructive feedback from students, staff and families during the school year. At the start of April, I will share the second student and staff feedback survey. At the start of May I will share the second family feedback surveys. As has happened in the past, I will share trends and quantitative feedback at the April and May School committee meetings.
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 (depending on Snow Days and if students are on track to graduate)
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 April 12th. See joining information below!
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
The winter athletic season has officially wrapped up, and all eyes are fixed on the upcoming spring season! While the weather thus far has been very conducive to an early spring, we still can’t rule out a late season snowstorm or two! Either way, all spring practices will begin on Monday, March 18th! Please remember to get registered as soon as possible and ensure that your student-athlete has an up-to-date physical on file with the school nurse (last 13 months) and has completed their concussion baseline test. Please remember to check out next week’s family newsletter for Week 1 practice schedules for all our spring teams. Go Warriors!
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
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