Good afternoon everyone,

As well as Grade 10 and Grade 8 MCAS, this week has also been about the Class of 2026. Prom took place last weekend and this week we held the Senior Send-off and our Academic Awards. I will share the link to the recording for local TV when I receive it.

Next week we look forward to our Scholarships and Graduation event from 6-8pm on Friday 29th May where our Valedictorian, Alex Niquette and Salutatorian, Hazel Foucault, will give speeches.

Yearbook updates

The 2026 edition of the Mohawk Trail yearbook will be available for pickup next week. They will be handed out to seniors first at their graduation rehearsal on Tuesday morning (barring any natural disasters). Later in the school day they will be delivered to underclassmen and staff who have ordered one.

If you missed ordering a yearbook but would still like one, please follow the link below to sign up for a TreeRing account and place your order. Yearbooks ordered at this point will ship directly to your home. Reach out to Brendan Leowolf at bleowolf@mtrsd.org with any questions.

We hope you enjoy the book!

Purchase link: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1015542201951246

Chromebook return for Grades 7-11 - June 15th

Read on to find out more about:

Journalism Field Trip
Support for families concerned about their students vaping
June 4th - Civics Showcase
Civics Trivia night round up
District News
How you can apply for Sun Bucks
May SEPAC updates
Athletics news
May library updates
Our MCAS assessment expectations
Notes from AP Johnson
Student Services updates

Good luck to Grade 10 with their MCAS on Tuesday and Wednesday and to 8 with their MCAS on Thursday & Friday.

Enjoy the long weekend and see you on Tuesday

Sincerely

Chris Buckland

Principal

District Targeted Learning Focus: All MTRSD and HRSD students will actively engage in critical thinking and communication through evidence-based academic discourse and writing across all grade levels and content areas

School Focus: Students will actively engage in critical thinking through text-based writing

Upcoming dates to be aware of:

- May 29th - Combined Graduation and Scholarship event: 6 - 8pm
- June 1st: Step up day
- June 5th - Field Afternoon for MTRS
- June 12th: Grade 8 Semi-Formal & Community Movie Night
- June 16th: Last day of school for students

Early Release Wednesdays (11:30am dismissal)

June: 10

MTRS Student handbook

Bell schedule

MCAS and AP Testing schedule

District (Calendar for 25/26)

District Calendar for 2026-2027

Solar panel live energy tracker

Trimester 3

March 16 - June 16th (60th day) March 13 - June 12th

Progress grades close April 29th (30th day)

SLC March 19th & 20th

Final Grades close: Fri June 12th

T3 report cards will be available in Aspen: Weds, June 17th, 2026

Last day for Grade 12: May 22nd

Current last day for Grades 7-11: June 16th

This trimester, Mr. Tierney is teaching “Civic Journalism” to 13 middle school students. His angle is to “move beyond just providing information but to teach that journalism has a role to play.”

They begin each class diving into editions of the Greenfield Recorder, which have been generously donated by the newspaper itself. Mr. Tierney’s students are not just learning about the nuts and bolts of journalism, but are approaching reporting with a lens of engaging their community. Students are conducting interviews with people in school, their family and community members with the intent of showcasing what is happening in their towns through a number of perspectives.

To get an insider’s view into real-time journalism, the class took a field trip to Northampton, MA where they observed and participated in a taping of the WHMP talk radio show Talk the Talk with hosts Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg, and then continued on to a tour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

At the WHMP station, students observed the hosts engage with and get to the heart of current issues with 1st Hampshire Rep Lindsay Sabadosa who spoke on the tight budget year and other work in the legislature, including funding for schools, plus data privacy. The students then took the opportunity to interview co-host Bill Newman. You may listen to the segment here when you choose the third track of the list. Students also heard from the sound engineer and learned a little about the nuts and bolts of bringing the show to listeners.

The group took the half-mile walk from the radio station to Northampton's local newspaper, The Daily Hampshire Gazette. There, they were escorted through the building (to which they moved a couple of years ago from their long-time home just a couple of streets over) and enjoyed a presentation from a number of reporters and management. The staff talked about how they identify stories (two examples were from the scanner and standing in line at a local ice cream shop!), what skills help make them better reporters, the rhythm of the departments, and more.

In a world where national news is always in front of us, the local news feed has shrunk. Because of this, the staff from both WHMP and the Daily Hampshire Gazette take their responsibility seriously to be the trusted outlets bringing local news to their audience, as they have for years and years.

With this inspiration, these journalism students are working on a final project to pursue a topic that matters to them, and report on it from the MTRS studio, in a podcast- or newsdesk-type format. We look forward to their final presentations. Thanks to WHMP and the Daily Hampshire Gazette for sharing their expertise with our students.

I hope this message finds you well! It was so great getting the opportunity to share with you all what we’re up to in our civics classes at MTRS last night. I'm reaching out because we're doing something exciting this June, and we'd love to have you be part of it.

On Thursday, June 4th, we're hosting our very first Civic Action Project Showcase: a culminating event where our 8th and 10th grade civics students will present projects they've developed around real community issues they care about. Students will be sharing their work with peers, families, and a small group of Community Judges who will offer feedback based on a rubric. Judges will rotate through a series of presentation rounds, and lunch will be provided to the judges.

After spotlighting a few students at last night's meeting, we'd love to have you come see the full spectrum of projects firsthand. You are warmly invited to join us simply as a guest. However, if you're open to it, we'd be absolutely delighted to have you serve as a Community Judge as well. Either way, we think it would be a wonderful opportunity to see civics education in action.

Here are the basics:

Date: Thursday, June 4th

Location: Mohawk Trail Regional School, library

Time: 12 - 2:20pm

Lunch will be provided

If you're able to join us, we'll send along a rubric and a brief overview of what to expect as a Community Judge in advance so you feel fully prepared. The commitment is a few hours of your time, but the impact on our students will be lasting.

The Civics Trivia Night co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of Franklin County happened on Thursday, May 21 featuring retired Greenfield Library librarian Kay Lyons as quiz master. She was joined virtually by Senator Paul Mark who was supposed to serve as her partner but was delayed in Boston during the senate’s budget week.

Mocktails were served up alongside submarine sandwiches, and each table had snacks for participants to enjoy. Student helpers were on hand for set up and replenished food supplies as the trivia wore on.

It was a chatty group made up of MTRS students, faculty, alums, community members, and members of the League of Women Voters. Their creative team names were:

The Aardvarks

The Doves of Peace

Hilltown Radishcals

Jake’s Parents

Know Nothing Party

Marvel Maniacs

One of these things are not like the others

Teddy’s Folks

Voter Rolls

We Have Faith

They played 6 themed rounds - like “Government Grab Bag” and “Don’t Forget the Ladies” - with wagering on bonus questions in each round. The final standing was:

3rd place: 52 points: We Have Faith (local professionals)

2nd Place: 58 points: The Hilltown Radishcles (partly League of Women Voter members and community members)

1st place: 59 points: One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other (our very own MTRS faculty team!)

Thanks to everyone who participated. And congratulations to the winners!

Thanks to the Mass Cultural Councils and local councils which made this programming possible in cooperation with the Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit.

This summer, Krystal, our Project Amp mentor, will be running a group specifically for teens who are looking to quit vaping (or smoking) nicotine products.

This group will happen in person at the Brick House every Thursday at 4:30pm July 2nd-August 6.

In the 6 week program, youth will gather in a non-judgmental space to work together on a shared goal of quitting or reducing their use of nicotine products. The sessions will cover goal setting, learning new coping skills, identifying and avoiding triggers, and how to deal with cravings, relapses, and social pressure.

Enrollment in this program requires parent/guardian consent, and youth must be willing to engage in the quitting process. To register, youth or parents can scan the QR code on the flyer or go to this link.

Any youth who may be interested, but would prefer to work with me one-on-one are encouraged to email me at cgarrity@brickhousecommunity.org.

https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/participation.html

We are about to start the run in to MCAS testing and I wanted to share information on who and when MCAS testing takes place and how, even though MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement, we still expect students to take MCAS tests during their time at MTRS.

What is MCAS?

MCAS stands for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, which is a set of standardized tests that assess how well students are learning the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) develops and administers the MCAS. The MCAS helps teachers, parents, and students understand where students are excelling and where they need help. It also holds schools and districts accountable for their progress on the assessment.

In which grades and subjects are students expected to take MCAS?

Testing typically takes place during March - June and the schedule is shared on the website and directly with students and families directly. The following grade levels take MCAS tests at MTRS in the following subjects:

Grade 7: ELA and Math
Grade 8: ELA, Math, Science and Civics
Grade 9: Biology
Grade 10: ELA and Math

MCAS Testing Expectations

In November of 2025 voters removed passing the MCAS exams in high school as a required measure of competency to graduate high school. This means that while students will still take MCAS, they do not need to pass it in order to graduate from high school.

The law now requires students to pass high school coursework equivalent to that tested by MCAS to demonstrate competency, along with meeting local graduation requirements, to receive a diploma. This means, students will need to meet MTRS graduation requirements, which includes passing rigorous courses in math, ELA, and science.

School and District expectations

It is the expectation of the school, district and state that all students take all of the MCAS tests administered in grades 3-8 and 10, along with a science MCAS test in high school. At MTRS the high school science MCAS offered is typically biology in 9th grade. Participation in the MCAS is required by federal and state law and the ballot question did not change this requirement. DESE's accountability system will continue to use assessment participation rates (and the resulting achievement and growth data) in its annual determinations made through the district and school accountability system. This means, schools and districts will continue to be evaluated by student participation and performance on MCAS. These exams also give educators important information about the efficacy of our curriculum and teaching practices.

Do high school students still need to earn a Competency Determination (CD) in order to graduate?
High school students will still need to earn a CD in order to graduate. Since 2003, the CD has been based on achieving qualifying scores on relevant MCAS tests. CD is now based on "satisfactorily completing coursework that has been certified by the student's district."

What does "satisfactorily completing coursework that has been certified by the student's district" mean?

In order to graduate from MTRS, students need to pass their scheduled classes in Science typically offered in grade 9 and ELA and Math in grade 10 or the equivalent, as well as fulfilling MTRS Graduation requirements. For example, students typically must pass biology in 9th grade in order to meet the science competency determination. However, there are many other courses that fulfill the requirement, and competence could be demonstrated by passing chemistry, physics, anatomy, AP coursework, or other rigorous lab sciences offered at MTRS. Similarly, in math, students will need to pass Algebra and Geometry or more rigorous courses. In ELA, they would need to pass 10th grade English or more rigorous ELA courses.

Why will students in High school continue to take MCAS at MTRS?

Strong performance on 2 or more MCAS tests in high school makes students eligible for the Adam's scholarship, which offers 4 years of in-state tuition to a state university

Educators and administrators use the test results to help them assess the efficacy of their curriculum and instruction, and to make improvements to their own practices. We want to see what is working and what needs improvement.
It is required by state and federal law that students in MCAS grades (3-8 & high school) participate in MCAS tests.

You can explore more fully the Dese update on MCAS testing: Link

More general information about MCAS for families can be found here: Link

Carol Foote Communications and Outreach Coordinator cfoote@mtrsd.org

The Charlemont Forum Comes to MTRS

The Charlemont Forum will be hosting a lecture on Thursday, June 4 in the Mohawk Trail Regional Library. The title of the 7 p.m. lecture by Professor Austin Sarat is "The Constitution is on Life Support! What if anything can we do to save it?" A livestream link is available for those who wish to attend from home or watch at a later date thanks to Falls Cable.

This and other related events have been supported by the Mass Cultural Council and local cultural councils.

ADDIE LOOMIS, PETER HEALY HIGHLIGHT SENIOR ATHLETIC AWARDS!

This past Thursday in front of friends, family and staff, the Senior Awards Assembly was held in the Mohawk Trail Auditorium as the Class of 2026 was honored for their many achievements! In recognition of their incredibly decorated athletic careers, Addie Loomis and Peter Healy took home the Outstanding Female and Male Athlete awards for the class of 2026, respectively, while other notable award winners included Cammie Thompson (Malah Murray Award), Hazel Foucault (Lisa Burdick Memorial Award), and Cleome Gardner (The Team, The Team, The Team Award). All athletic department scholarship awards will be given out at graduation next Friday, May 29th at 6:00. Go Warriors!

FALL SPORTS REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 1ST !!!!

Welcome back Warrior family! While spring sports are starting to wind down, it is time to start thinking about the fall season! This coming fall we will be offering….

Football

Soccer

Field Hockey

Cross Country

Volleyball

Registration information can be found at the Mohawk Trail Athletics Website HERE. Please make sure that your athlete registers in a timely fashion, as they will not be able to participate until it is complete. Also make sure that your student-athlete has an up to day physical (last 13 months) on file with Nurse Weber in the health office. Fall practices officially begin on August 24th!. Coaches will reach out to players with more information as the season gets closer. If you have any questions regarding registration, fall sports, or Mohawk Trail Athletics in general, please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly. Thank you all for a great year, and we look forward to seeing you all in the fall!

SPRING UNIFORM RETURN SLATED FOR JUNE 3RD, 4TH, AND 5TH !!!

Please have your student-athlete return their spring athletic uniforms during advisory on June 3rd, 4th, or 5th. All uniforms must be washed and bagged with the athlete’s name clearly written on the bag. For those athletes who are still competing, other arrangements can be made by contacting District Athletic Director Greg Lilly at glillyAD@mtrsd.org. All seniors MUST return their uniforms in order to complete their Senior Sign-Out forms. Invoices for the cost of uniform replacement will be sent to those athletes that do not return their uniforms. Thank you!

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 in September.

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#‬

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 one will take place in September.

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

Special Education Updates

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.

The online application for SUN Bucks (formerly Summer EBT) is now open. This federal food benefit program provides a $120 lump-sum summer benefit per school-aged child for income-eligible families. SUN Bucks income eligibility standards are the same as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)—all enrolled students identified as meeting the income eligibility standards for free or reduced-price lunch during school year 2025-26, either through an NSLP household paper application or direct certification, are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks. Students identified as homeless, migrant, runaway, or participating in Head Start are also automatically eligible. The program is administered by the state Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in partnership with DESE with assistance from schools. Find details and learn how to apply on the SUN Bucks website.