Colrain Central School News
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December 2, 2022
A Note From Mrs. Looman
- Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight's Winter Wonderland Dance is being postponed to a later date. I apologize for the inconvenience.
- If you are looking for a way to become more involved with the school, there is an open seat on the Local Education Committee (LEC). The LEC is an advisory committee to the principal which advises on portions of the School Improvement Plan, the budget, and other issues pertaining to the school. We meet once per month for an hour, typically on the second Tuesday of the month from 3:30-4:30. If you are interested in serving, please let me know.
Students in grades 7-12 are currently in the final stage of preparing for the MTRS Winter Play which will be performed on December 9th and 10th. We are already looking forward to planning and preparing for the Spring Musical, a production of Guys and Dolls, to be performed on 5 & 6th May, 2023 and would love to involve students in Grades 5 & 6 in this show.
To help Director Eva with the planning and casting, we would like to invite care providers of students in grades 5 & 6 who might want to participate to complete this informational survey.
In January, Director Eva will schedule a student meeting for students in grades 5 & 6 at MTRS to see which roles students will take in the show. A parent information meeting will also be scheduled for early January with information about rehearsals at MTRS and an opportunity to ask Eva logistical questions.
Can we help?
The specialist's scoop; Jennifer Martin, Reading Interventionist
Tips for Reading Aloud to Young Children, from Jennifer Martin, Reading Specialist
(adapted from Readingrockets.org; monthly tips for parents)
Most parents of preschoolers realize the value of reading aloud every day to your young child. Story time is a great way to connect with your child, to share exciting stories and pictures, and to increase your child's understanding of the world.
The best story times are very interactive: You are talking about and reading the story, your child is talking, and there is conversation taking place between the two of you. Because of all the talking, this type of shared reading is often called dialogic reading. This method of reading aloud to your child builds vocabulary, a sense of story structure, sustained attention, and a love of reading!
Parents can use the PEER method to help them remember a few important ways to read in this interactive way:
P: Prompt your child with a question about the story. Prompting your child focuses attention, engages the child in the story, and helps the child understand the book.
Point to something in the picture, for example, a balloon. "What is that?"
E: Evaluate your child's response.
"That's right! That's a balloon."
E: Expand on what your child said.
"That's a big, red balloon! We saw one of those in the grocery store yesterday."
R: Repeat or revisit the prompt you started with, encouraging your child to use the new information you've provided.
"Can you say big, red balloon?" Each time the book is reread, the expanded vocabulary words are verbalized again.
Dialogic reading works. Children whose parents read in a dialogic way have better oral language skills, and are more likely to be exposed to new words.
Don't feel obligated to use the PEER procedure on every page, with every book. Keep it fun! Use PEER when it fits and when your child is engaged with the story.
PTO News
The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6th at 3:30pm.
The Children's Shopping Room will be open Monday, Dec. 12 after school and Tuesday, Dec. 13th during the day. The shopping room has a wide variety of items available for students to purchase as gifts for their families. Everything in the room is priced at 25 cents. Families are invited to bring their children to school during the afternoon/evening of the 12th to do their holiday shopping.
The PTO is also accepting gently used items in good condition for the shopping room. Items can be dropped off at the school any time between now and the 12th.
Ski & Snowboard Club
upcoming events
12/6: 3:30-PTO Meeting
12/12: PTO Children's Shopping Room
12/13: 3:30-LEC Meeting
12/26-1/2: No school: Winter break
1/11: Picture Retake Day
December early release dates:
1:50 dismissals: 12/7, 12/14
12:30 dismissal: 12/23
From MTRSD Special Education Department
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/.