Student & Family Update

It has been great to be back for a full week and it is hard to believe that Monday saw the start of Spring!

April is just around the corner and there continues to be a lot happening at MTRS!

Grade 7 Fundraiser

• The 7th grade will be fundraising next week, selling raffle tickets for a variety of gift baskets. We are still building out some of the baskets, but a few of the confirmed options include a luxurious set of 6 large Yankee Candles, a basket full of Mo's Fudge Factor & other deliciousness, and a family fun basket. Get your tix next week from a member of the Class of 2028, or find our table at the Showcase of Learning on Wednesday, March 29.

Franklin County DEI Leadership

• This has been rescheduled to May 23rd. Watch out for more details

Winter Ball and Elvis concert

• These have been rescheduled to April 1st - see images below

Solar Power

• Students who live in Ashfield. The town is interested in hearing your thoughts on Solar power. Please take a few minutes to answer this brief survey::Link to survey

Please read on to find out what has gone on this week and to find out more about upcoming events at our busy school.

Have a safe weekend

Best

Chris

Upcoming dates

• March 29th - District Celebration of Learning

• April 1 - Elvis Concert and Winter Ball

• April 5th - NHS Induction, 5-6:30pm

• April 14th - Talent Show, 6-7:30pm

• April 17-21 - April Break

• May 29th - Memorial day (no school)

• June 9th - Step up day

• June 9th - 6;30-9 Grade 8 Semi-Formal

• June 10th - MTAA Spring Fling

• June 19th - Juneteenth (no school)

• June 22nd - Last day of school

Early Release Wednesdays (12:50pm)

• March 1,8,15,29
• April 5,12,26
• May 3,10,17,24

AP and MCAS Schedule :Link

Academic Calendar: Link (Please note that Q3 started on January 25th and subsequent dates have yet to be adjusted for snow days. Thanks for your understanding.)

Theatre Updates: For more information and news on Guys and Dolls: Link

Tentative End of Year dates: (adjusted for snow days up to and including 3-17-23)

Finals Schedule

• 20, 21, 22ndJune: 2 hour delay 20 & 21st, 22nd is a ½ day: 11:30 dismissal

The MTRS Equity Council is excited to partner with Sarah Biette from Tapestry to offer a workshop for parents and guardians on the basics of gender and sexuality and best practices for discussing sexual health topics with young people. Through discussion and reflection, participants will consider the barriers that make these conversations difficult, and develop a plan to overcome them. The workshop will take place from 4:15 to 5:00pm during the March 29th Celebration of learning at MTRS and is open to parents/guardians of children and teens of all ages. Please register in advance by filling out the survey.

The GCC Dual Enrollment and Early College Team invites 10th -12th grade students to join us for three different online Zoom workshops this Spring. Each workshop has a different theme, and the first workshop is this Thursday, March 23rd, "Connecting college majors to careers". The attached flyer will provide you with the workshop details and Zoom link.

Things to keep in mind! As a participant, you should be prepared to have your video on for the Zoom meeting. You will be expected to engage with other high school students in Zoom break-out rooms, and the larger Zoom room together. We look forward to seeing you!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to FallonP@gcc.mass.edu

latest update

7th grade Science Teacher Samantha Rutz attended the National Education Association Leadership convention. The 2023 NEA National Leadership Summit was held March 10-12 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA. The theme for the 2023 Summit is Joy, Justice, Excellence: The Strength of Educators. The Brilliance of Students. The Power of Community. The purpose of the Summit was to develop school leaders and prepare them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to lead relevant, thriving schools and to lead in their professions. Samantha attended sessions focusing mission and vision, providing equity in classrooms and applying for national grants to support students in high need areas. One highlight was a guest speaker Helena Donato-Sapp who talked about overcoming disabilities in school and focusing on students assets. Her website can be found here, and is well worth checking out https://www.helenalourdes.com/ as she is an inspiration to both adults and students.

We are about to start the journey towards MCAS testing for 2023 and students will soon be introduced/ reminded of the process for our computer based (CBT)for this year.

MCAS tests are required by state and federal law and are an important tool to promote student success and educational equity.

High school students in the class of 2025 (10th graders) must take and pass the MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics to earn a high school diploma, in addition to meeting local requirements. Students in the class of 2026 (9th graders) will take tests in ELA and mathematics next year, and they are also required to take and pass a test in science and technology/engineering (they will take or have already taken the science test this year). Students will have opportunities to retest if they do not pass.

The high school MCAS tests also provide the opportunity for students to qualify for several state awards. These include the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and the Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery.

In addition, MCAS test results will:

• give information about areas of learning that have been most impacted by the pandemic,

• provide important data on which students, schools, and districts have been most affected by pandemic-related changes in schooling, and

• improve understanding of your child’s knowledge and skills in relation to the state’s learning standards, so that we can provide the best system of support and instruction in future years.

Schedule & Parent Information

Please be aware of the schedule. It can be found here

Parents/guardians who are interested in learning more about the tests themselves, DESE have put together a number of useful resources, here. Student expectations during testing are explained, here.

Grade Level and Tests

Grade 10 - ELA and MATH - Computer Based Testing (CBT)

Grade 9 - Biology CBT

Grade 8 - ELA, MATH & Science CBT

Grade 7 - ELA & MATH CBT

Staff will be reviewing expectations and supporting students with the testing process in preparation for the respective tests later in the term. This includes familiarity with the testing technology as well as looking at past papers.

Day of the test

Please make sure that students have slept well and eaten breakfast prior to coming to school. There will be a snack available for students who have not been able to have breakfast before traveling to school.

Chromebooks

During class next week, students will be supported in uploading the MCAS test nav app to their own chromebook. Students will use their own devices for testing. This is a change to a previous note where we planned to have students use library devices.

After Testing

The vast majority of tests are scheduled from 8 - 10am. This is followed by a lunch break. Students are expected to remain in school for the remainder of the day. It is important that students are able to take advantage of class time for the rest of the year. Staff will adjust lessons to account for students taking a test earlier in the day. We strongly encourage all students to participate in all sessions of all tests and require written notice from care providers at least 24 hours in advance if this is not the case for non-graduation requirements.

Please email or call your student’s counselor if you have any questions or concerns.

Based on feedback from graduating class of ‘23 and the family members who completed the surveys, graduation will take place outside on Saturday June 3rd from 1-3pm with a rain venue of the MTRS gymnasium on the same day as an alternate rain location - decision on the weather will be made by 11 am on the 3rd.

A survey has been shared to students in the class of 2023 in which the following information is required:

• Name as it appears on your diploma

• Capstone focus

• Plans for next year

• What you liked most about your experiences at MTRS

• What you will miss most about MTRS

• Your advice for future graduates

The deadline for students to complete this is April 13th.

Reach out to Class of 23 advisors Ms. Basal or Ms. Camada if you have any questions.

Dates to be aware of:

• SENIOR Grading window: Wednesday, May 17 - Wednesday, May 24th, 2023 at 11:59pm

• Prom - Friday 19th May
• Senior Send off - Weds 24th May
• Senior Soak - Thursday 24th May
• Finals and rehearsals for Awards/ Graduation - Tuesday 30th May
• Elementary school visit and MTRS staff cookout - Wednesday 31st May
• Awards Event - Thursday 1st June (5-7pm)
• Graduation Celebration - Friday June 2nd, 6:30-8pm (Rain date: June 3rd: 1-3pm)

For scholarship information and deadlines, students should continue to reference the Student Services updates

Here is the latest CEEP newsletter with our spring enrichment offerings and our April Camp information.

And we are looking for some cinder blocks to be donated to build a sensory garden in our new MTOC (outdoor classroom).

The OAC is working on creating a Sensory Garden this spring in the newly created Mohawk Trail Outdoor Classroom (MTOC). This space is situated between our building walls creating easy access to the outdoors for staff and students to use during the school day. Our community felt creating a sensory garden would be beneficial to our students.

We are in need of plant and seed donations. We are looking for plants (and small bushes only) that are fun to touch, smell or taste as well as pretty plants to enjoy looking at. We prefer things that are native, but are open to plant ideas that don’t profusely spread. Some ideas are bee balm, chives, rosemary and yarrow (nothing taller than 5 feet).

Have something to donate? Are you interested in helping plant items this spring? Email Alia Woofenden 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/

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 be on April 12th.

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)

This meets every second Wednesday of the month between 5 and 6pm. In the winter we will be virtual. In the Spring and Fall we will be in-person. The next meeting will be on April 12th.

Outdoor Advisory Committee- Virtual

Wednesday, Feb 8th, 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

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