Student & Family Update

I hope that you have had a good week and are looking forward to February break!!!!

We have one more week and it is a packed one. Please read on to find out what is currently going on at our busy school.

If you have a moment, swing by the school on Saturday and support our students as they participate in the D3 Western Mass Sectional Wrestling Event.

Have a safe weekend

Best

Chris

Upcoming dates

• Feb 15th - College and Career Future Fair Event at MTRS

• Feb 20-24 - No School: February break

• March 29th - District Celebration of Learning

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

Students in grades 7, 8, 9 and 10 will participate in hands-on learning designed to help them make the most of their time in high school and set themselves up for a bright future.

Through an expo-style fair, students will "choose their own adventure", exploring different pathways to college and career, and learn about opportunities in high school that will open doors to new pursuits.

The event will include a select panel of diverse college representatives that will answer everything from, "What kinds of colleges exist, and how do I choose the right one?" to "How do I pay for college?" to "What should I be doing now to figure out what I want to do later?"

Throughout the event students will have the chance to meet:

• Representatives from public, private, community and technical colleges

• Career professionals and nonprofit leaders from a wide-range of industries and government agencies

• High school teachers that will highlight impactful programming for student development, such as the Senior Capstone and Civics Project

• Guidance counselors to share about scholarships, course selection, and college-planning

• Coaches, club advisers and student leaders showcasing activities that enrich the secondary experience

• Vocational school representatives detailing secondary programs

• Junior Achievement to talk about financial planning

• MassHire to share internships and employment opportunities

• Arts' program leaders highlighting courses and activities in music, visual and performing arts

• Trailblazer leaders - to learn about specialized graduation endorsements and MTRS opportunities

• And more!

If you are interested in volunteering for the day to represent your organization or industry, please reach out to Carol Foote at cfoote@mtrsd.org

I am writing to let you know that we will be partnering with GreenField Community College (GCC) for a CIVICS project week at GCC for the week of March 13 - 17th. Not Wednesday 15th as this is a 12:50pm finish at MTRS.

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to work with their current grade 8 teachers as well as having the experience of speaking with GCC staff and community members in an authentic college setting. There will be no additional cost to families as bussing and food will be provided.

Students will attend regular scheduled classes from 7:45- 9:45 am at MTRS before traveling by bus to GCC where they will participate in classes and activities related to their grade 8 CIVIC action projects led by their regular MTRS teachers. Lunch will be provided and students will return to MTRS at 2:10 in time for regular dismissal at 2:20pm

Permission forms will be shared with students in advisory next week as well as being emailed home. Students without signed permission forms will not attend the trip and will instead be provided with Grade 8 work and will be supervised at MTRS.

Watch this space for more information...

Supported by faculty advisors, MTRS student groups are working hard to help organize the above event. The summit is planned to be a coming together of School youth groups from across Franklin County, all focused on equity and social justice work. Student groups will convene on campus at GCC for a day focused on education, leadership, as well as initiatives and opportunities across the county, including ACCESS Franklin County (Early College), that provide student voice, choice and access to youth opportunities and resources.

This is an amazing opportunity for student leaders involved in social justice groups in Franklin County to connect, share resources, learn and discuss important topics, and hone leadership skills.

We are incredibly proud of our MTRS students for spearheading this initiative.

Narrowing down our options - seeing which courses and electives we can run in 23/24

Staff have created descriptions for proposed courses for 2023/24 . Students will make initial choices for 23/24 on the following dates:

• Feb 9 - Students in 9 & 11 to complete google forms in advisory
• Feb 10 - Students in 8 & 10 to complete google forms in advisory

Sharing Course Catalog with students and families

• Following the google form survey, the guidance and admin team will finalize the Course Catalog for 2023/24
• March 1st - Catalog shared with Families and Students

Course Selection presentation

• March 1st: Guidance team & Teachers to use the whole school assembly to explain courses to students

Grade 8-12 Students making choices in Aspen

• March 8th: In an assembly on March 8th, the Guidance team will talk through the process of how students in 8-11 make course selection choices in Aspen.

Grade 7 and Rising 7

• Current 7: We will communicate about course selection later in the Spring
• Rising 7: More information about choices will be given when we visit grade 6 schools after Feb break. Typically this is done via google form and completed on registration day in the summer.

Every year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education releases a report card for each school and district in the state. Just as a student's report card shows how they are doing in different classes, school and district report cards are designed to show parents and community members how a school or district is doing in different areas. Report cards highlight a school or district's strengths as well as any challenges that need to be addressed in order to make sure the needs of all students are being met.

Massachusetts sees families and the community as important partners in a school's success and spent time listening to parents to make sure the report cards were designed as easy-to-use tools that provide meaningful information.

• What is the purpose of the school report cards?
  Massachusetts is required by federal law to annually produce information about school performance for families and communities. Just as a student's report card shows how they are doing in different classes, school and district report cards are designed to show parents and community members how a school or district is doing in different areas. Report cards highlight a school or district's strengths as well as any challenges that need to be addressed in order to make sure the needs of all students are being met.

• What type of information can be found on the report cards?
  The report cards provide a different way of looking at information related to overall school performance. They include information in a variety of areas that we heard from parents are important:

• Student Enrollment and Teacher Information

• Student Attendance and Discipline

• Academic Opportunities

• College and Career Readiness

• MCAS Performance

• School Spending

• Accountability Information

• 
  

• How were families involved in the development of the school report card?
  Massachusetts sees families and the community as important partners in a school's success and spent time listening to parents to make sure the report cards were designed as easy-to-use tools that provide meaningful information. We posted online surveys during the initial and final phases of the report card design process. In addition, we worked with parent advocacy groups across the state to host feedback sessions with parents, to see where we needed to make improvements before the report cards were released.

• Why are the school report cards important to families?
  The school report card is one of many pieces of information parents receive about their child's education. When looked at alongside other measures like the child's report card, MCAS scores, and classroom work and tests, it gives parents a more complete picture of their child's education.

• How can the report cards be used by schools and districts?
  Report cards are just one of many tools that principals and district leaders can use to identify which schools are doing well and which schools need more help. This will help to understand the strategies that are most effective in improving student performance and allow leaders to provide support to the students and schools that need it most.

• Will the report cards change over time?
  Yes! This is just the start. We will work with parents, educators, and community members to improve the report cards over time so they continue to meet the needs of Massachusetts families.

MTRS report card

District report card

FAQ

Previous report cards

Families with MassHealth Need to Renew Coverage:

Families with MassHealth need to renew their coverage this year in order to maintain coverage. Coverage protections put in place during the pandemic will end soon, and MassHealth will return to standard annual eligibility renewal processes. Please help inform MassHealth families that they need to take the following steps:

• Update contact information – make sure MassHealth has their most up-to-date address, phone number, and email so that they do not miss important information and notices about what else is needed.

• Report household changes to make sure MassHealth knows about any changes in their household, like a new job, address, changes to income, disability status, or pregnancy.

More information is available on the MassHealth’s Redetermination website.

Monday February 27th @ 5:30-6:30

Google Meet joining info

Video call link:

https://meet.google.com/xzc-mewh-mha

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 513-486-2530‬ PIN: ‪650 958 116‬#

Presented by Leann Loomis, Director of Pupil Personnel Services and parent representatives from elementary and secondary

Please reach out to Leann Loomis with any questions

lloomis@mtrsd.org

413-625-0192 x1025

The most important part of a classroom experience isn't the setting or course materials, it is the talent of the teacher in front of the student.

It is well known that Mohawk Trail’s team of educators and staff consistently bring real world experiences to students. This month, Julia Lignori traveled to the nation’s capital to take part in the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education’s annual winter summit. Prior to the summit, she attended a short graduate course on education policy and politics and met with congressional staff to advocate for Mohawk Trail.

“I have been a special education teacher for over 15 years and have intimate knowledge of the crisis facing students, teachers, and school leaders today,” Ms. Lignori said “Foremost, the recruitment and retention of new teachers has reached a nadir in many disciplines, and special education teachers in particular are in critical shortage.”

She explained that many states have lowered their standards for entry into the field of special education. These policy changes have disproportionately impacted students in rural and impoverished areas, including Mohawk Trail. Since 2020, the state of Massachusetts has allocated Rural School Aid based on a district’s student-density and per capita income, yet this aid is insufficient due to the state’s funding formula, which does not take into account declining enrollment and disproportionately high per-pupil expenditures.

“My experience teaching in this setting, and within the Mohawk Trail community, has compelled me to better understand how the legislative process works and what effective advocacy looks like in order to improve outcomes for all students,” she said.

The graduate course on education policy and politics was made available, through competitive application, to just 10 doctoral students from HECSE member institutions across the country and Ms. Lignori was selected for the experience. “The course was designed to provide a foundation in government, politics, and policy prior to attending the Winter Summit, which included all members of the HECSE board and each doctoral student’s faculty advisor,” she said.

During her time in Washington, D.C., Ms. Lignoroi attended Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s address at the U.S. Department of Education, titled “Raise the Bar: Lead the World.”

She also met with U.S. Representative James McGovern’s legislative assistant, Bella Edo, at his office in the Cannon Building on Capitol Hill.

“Overall, I had an amazing crash course in civics and policy development, and made incredible connections with like-minded educators,” she said. “Most importantly, I come back with real-life experiences that I can share with my students and help them understand the world a little bit better.”

• 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)

More information will be shared out in the next few weeks!

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

Updates

Here is our latest CEEP newsletter which includes the Explorers Summer Program 2023 enrollment information. And don’t forget to check out our website for the latest updates: https://www.mtrsd.org/Explorers-Program

And its not too late to enroll in the 4H babysitter class offered in March, check out the flyer below.

4H Babysitting Course

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 March 8th.

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 Feb 15th.

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