Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope that you have had a great week.
Progress Grades
Progress Grades for T1 are now in Aspen. Thank you for contacting Twin Lakes if you have issues logging in. Please note that you may see NE and I in report cards and I wanted to provide a little explanation about this.
NE means - no evidence and does not have a numerical value. This means that an assignment or task is missing and that there is no evidence that the student has demonstrated competency in a skill. The teacher will ask the student to complete/ make up this work in academic flex or homework.
If a student does not make up the work, the NE becomes an "I" incomplete, which has a value of 0.
The student has further opportunities to complete the missing work in Flex before the incomplete becomes the grade that the student has earned.
Please reach out to your student's content teachers in the first instance if you have a concern or questions.
Lots has been going on at MTRS this week. Please read on to find out more about:
- Photo retakes on October 29th - bring your original photos back
- How students can get involved in the Spring Musical
- We are looking at moving to a Latin Honors system for recognizing student achievement at Graduation, (starting with the Class of 2031)
- Middle School Mosaics are up - have a look when you can!
- Smithsonian/ Museum on Main Street: October 29th
- Music Trip
- College Application Financial Aid night
- Student Council News
- Focus on Academics: The Student Led Conferences are coming - Staff will be reaching out to make appointments the week of October 21st
- Art of the week: Foundations of Art 1
- PSAT tests for students in Grades 10 & 11: October 29th
- Library newsletter
- March for the Food bank is on the horizon!
- Order your yearbook today!
- Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Sustainability Project updates
- Spotlight on Elementary schools- Sanderson Academy and Colrain Central
- A reminder about Cell Phone expectations
- District Perspective -How and when can you get involved!
Have a great weekend
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 discourse
After the success of last year's play, Something Rotten, we have started to plan the Musical for 2026-27. Students, please note that open auditions will be held at MTRS in the auditorium on the following days:
- Fri Nov 6th: 2:30-5pm
- Monday Nov 9th: 2:30-5pm
- Additional call back date: Mon 16th: 2:30-5pm
Remember, there is no late bus anymore so please make sure you have a ride home. Any questions, please ask Ms Amy.
There will be a meeting for MS and HS Cast and Crew on Monday 14th December from 2:30-5pm
Performances will take place on March 12th and March 13th
Caregivers of students in Grade 5 and 6 - if your child is interested in getting involved, please complete this form!
Counselor Desarro organized a fantastic information and resource fair for students and families interested in applying to and financing college experiences.
If you were unable to make it, here are the resources that were shared:
This past Saturday Student Council President and Vice President Landon Clark and Tanner Biagini attended the MASC State Officer Shop! Landon, as WMASC President, serves on the state board so he had the opportunity to lead workshops and facilitate student leaders while Tanner was able to participate in workshops targeted to officer position leadership roles. There was also a roundtable event led by advisors across the state where students could share their expertise on a wide variety of topics to provide other councils with new and exciting ideas.
Focus on Academics: Student Led Conferences are coming: November 12 (12-3:30) and November 13th (12-2:20)
Our Student Led Conferences (SLC) have been an important part of the student experience at MTRS for the past three years. The First set of SLCs are due to take place on November 12th (12-3:30) and 13th (12-2:30) for all students in grades 7-12 and I wanted to share some information with caregivers about what they should expect in the weeks leading up to their student's conferences. This information is also in the weekly newsletter.
What is a Student-led-conference?
Student-led-conferences (SLC) are at the heart of our shift to standards based teaching and learning. They provide students with more ownership of their learning experiences at MTRS.
Rather than reviewing letters/ numbers on a report or progress card, SLCs provide students with an opportunity to lead a 20 minute conversation about their progress towards proficiency in habits of learning and content-based skills. This year students will also identify a specific literacy goal.
Students will be using the assessment criterion that we shared earlier in the year.
They also enable students to reflect on their learning experiences to date and to set goals for the rest of the school year.
Does my student have to do an SLC?
SLC are based in an advisory class, which is scheduled for each student over the course of each week. Advisory is a graduation requirement and student participation in SLC is expected and contributes to the pass/fail (credit/no-credit) for the course at the end of the year.
SLCs are scheduled 2 x a year for grades 7-12: November and March.
Students must participate in SLCs in order to pass the Advisory class, in addition to attendance and participation.
If a student is absent or unwell when their SLC is scheduled, they will make this up when they return.
Who will be at the Student-led-conference?
Students will lead their own conference as it is their opportunity to talk about their experiences at MTRS as well as their goals for the rest of the year and beyond high school.
We would like to invite care providers and families to be an integral part of every student’s journey and to try to be present at the SLC - in-person or virtually.
Your student’s advisory teacher will be present. As advisory groups meet every day for a year, advisory teachers have the best overall insight into habits of learning and academic progress of each of their students. They can help support students as they lead their conference.
When will the Student-led-conferences take place?
SLC #1 November 12th and 13th, SLC #2 March 18 & 19th
Where will the Student-led-conference take place?
If you are in-person, please arrive at school 10 minutes before your scheduled time and someone will bring you to the advisor’s room.
If you are meeting virtually, please log in to the google meet 5 minutes before your scheduled time.
What is the difference between SLS #1 and SLC #2?
SLC#1: A chance for the student to reflect on their strengths, growths and challenges in the first Trimester, to reflect on their discoveries as a learner during the year so far and to set some habits and academic goals for the second and third Trimesters. It is also an opportunity for students to talk through current post-high school plans.
SLC #2: A chance for the student to reflect on challenges and successes of the year, to set goals for the year ahead and to revisit and possibly change post-high school plans.
What is the schedule for the Student-led-conferences?
Students will be dismissed from school at 11:30 am after lunch on the days of the conferences. They will take their bus home and then either come back in to school with a caregiver to complete their SLC in person or take part in their SLC virtually with their caregiver.
Students who return to the building with a caregiver for an SLC are expected to leave campus with their caregiver after their SLC has taken place.
Only students with SLC scheduled between 12-1pm will be permitted to wait in the lobby if their caregiver is coming into school. They will be expected to leave campus with them after their SLC has concluded.
Students are expected to attend school on both days but only attend one SLC on either of the scheduled days.
If they do not have a SLC scheduled on one day, they are expected to leave school at 11:30am and not return until the following day.
Knowing that the working day is a challenging time for come caregivers to meet, teachers in Grades 7-12 will provide a 5-7pm virtual slot for caregivers to take advantage of on Thursday 18th March. This will not be an option for the first SLC in November.
How do I schedule my SLC?
From October 19th Advisory teachers will start to reach out to caregivers and families by email to schedule conferences of 20 minutes per student (in-person or virtual) on the above days.
What if I have children in multiple grades?
We will start to schedule appointments so care providers will be able to arrange times convenient for them during the SLC window.
What if 20 minutes is not enough time?
Advisors can help care providers/ families set up a subsequent appointment to meet with themselves or specific content teachers at a later date.
What will happen if I am unable to attend in person or virtually?
We understand that not everyone can be available in-person or virtually during the school day. If you are unable to attend, your student will still conference with their advisory teacher.
As we continue to develop our Student-led conference process, we will look at ways to have early afternoon/ early evening conferences as a way for all families and care providers to have the opportunity to be a part of the process.
What if I have more questions?
Please reach out to your students' advisor in the first instance. Your grade-level guidance counselor will also be able to help:
Where can I find more information? Our new SLC section of the website and reach out to the following:
Grades 7 and 8: truggeri@mtrsd.org
Grades 9-12: ldesarro@mtrsd.org
What is a Student Led Conference?
What happens on the 12th or 13th November?
Have a look at the quick bits poster!
We are looking into transitioning to a Latin Honors framework for the Class of 2031 (entering 9th grade in Fall 2027). This means that we are going to move away from recognizing only two students (The valedictorian and Salutatorian) for their achievements at graduation.
Principal Buckland spoke with the LEC about this earlier in the month and at the Educational Sub committee yesterday afternoon. There will be further discussion at the School Committee later on this year. Below is a brief explanation of how Latin Honors would differ from the current system we use.
A valedictorian is the graduating high school student who achieves the highest academic standing and grade point average (GPA) in their class.
Key Responsibilities and Meaning
Top Rank: The title represents the number-one academic rank in a graduating class.
The Speech: The valedictorian traditionally delivers the closing farewell address—known as the valediction—at the graduation ceremony.
Name Origin: The word comes from the Latin phrase vale dicere, which means "to say farewell"
A salutatorian is the graduating high school student who achieves the second-highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) in their class, ranking just behind the valedictorian.
Key Responsibilities and Meaning
Academic Rank: They hold the #2 academic rank in the entire graduating class.
Graduation Speech: Traditionally, the salutatorian delivers the salutatory address, which is the opening or welcoming speech at the graduation ceremony.
Etymology: The word comes from the Latin word salutatorius, meaning "of greeting or welcoming".
In moving to Latin Honors, we have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the academic achievements of all students as well as their contribution to extra curricular life at MTRS. We believe that this addresses critical challenges in traditional secondary grading by prioritizing authentic student growth and well-being.
What will a move to Latin Honors mean for students?
Eliminating Fractional Competition: Traditional numeric rank forces high-achieving peers into intense competition where margins as small as thousandths of a GPA point separate students. A criteria-based threshold ensures one student’s success does not diminish another's, shifting the culture toward a shared pursuit of excellence.
Encouraging Academic Exploration & Risk-Taking: Under rigid class ranking, top students frequently avoid advanced electives, arts courses, or unfamiliar STEM subjects out of fear that minor grade fluctuations will harm their rank. Latin Honors gives students the flexibility to explore a broader curriculum.
Protecting Student Mental Health: High schools across Massachusetts cite severe academic anxiety and chronic student burnout as primary drivers for eliminating public, comparative ranking tiers.
Recognizing a Broader Spectrum of Excellence: Traditional models spotlight only two graduates (valedictorian and salutatorian), rendering other high-achieving peers invisible. Latin Honors expands validation to celebrate every graduate meeting top-tier academic standards.
Aligning with Higher Education Paradigms: Colleges and universities—including Massachusetts institutions like Harvard University, Amherst College, and UMass Amherst—have long utilized Latin Honors. Higher education admissions teams prefer this universally understood standard over numeric class rank.
How will we recognize academic achievement across a four-year high school career starting in Fall 2027:
Summa Cum Laude (With Highest Honor): 3.90+ Cumulative GPA, Gold Honor Cord, and completion of MCAS competency determination requirements.
Magna Cum Laude (With Great Honor): 3.70 – 3.89 Cumulative GPA, Silver Honor Cord, and completion of MCAS competency determination requirements.
Cum Laude (With Praise): 3.50 – 3.69 Cumulative GPA, Bronze Honor Cord, and completion of MCAS competency determination requirements.
Key changes for Grade 12 students
Transcript & Rank Elimination: Class rank will be discontinued and not provided to colleges. Final transcripts will report cumulative GPA accompanied by the earned Latin Honors distinction.
School Profile: The district’s High School Profile will be updated to educate college admissions officers on the Latin Honors structure and grading context.
Graduation Speakers: Achieving a Latin Honors distinction does not automatically confer a graduation speaking role; student speakers will be selected at the discretion of the building principal or designee.
At Mohawk Trail Regional, we actively look for ways to expand our academic pathways for the benefit of our students and their futures.
An existing pathway includes dual enrollment at Greenfield Community College, and we are seeking ways to offer professional certification opportunities, more work-based learning, and other career path opportunities.
To ensure that our planning and efforts align directly with real-world economic demands, we are guided by economic data gathered by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. We aim to connect students with local economic foundations by bridging our curriculum and opportunities with the area's current top industries, which include Healthcare & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Retail & Small Business Commerce.
Looking ahead, we want to prepare our graduates for regional career development by establishing training pipelines into projected growing industries such as Hospitality & Tourism Management, Sustainable Food Systems & Agricultural Tech, Green Infrastructure & Municipal Trades, Educational Careers, and Digital Access & Technology Services.
As we plan this next chapter, we will schedule collaborative focus groups with students and staff to gather insights, evaluate specific training interests, and shape the direction of this exciting expansion. We look forward to your participation in this process.
Upcoming dates to be aware of:
Oct 29th: PSAT assessments
Oct 29th - Photo retakes
Oct 30th Smith Vocational Visit to Grade 8
Nov 2 - no school for students
Nov 3rd - Deadline for AP test payment
Nov 12 & 13th: Student Led Conferences 11:30 am dismissal both days
November 16th - Student Voice Equity event at MTRS
November 19th: Freshman Career and College Fair at GCC: 8:30-11:30am
May 26th: Senior Academic Awards assembly - 9-11 am
June 4th: Graduation and Scholarship evening: 6-8 pm
Early Release (11:30 am) dates:
Oct: 21,
Nov: 12 & 13th
Dec: 9
Jan: 27
Feb: 24
March: 10, 18, 19, 24
April: 7
May: 5, 19
June: 9
Solar Panel Live Energy Tracker
No Late Bus for the 2026-27 school year
Unfortunately there will not be a late bus running this year. Caregivers are expected to collect their student/s from after school activities.
Trimester 1
Sept 2 - November 24th
Progress grades close: October 14th
SLC Nov 12 & 13th
Final grades close: November 24th
Trimester 2
November 25 - March 12th
Progress grades close: Jan 20th
Final Grades close: March 12th
Trimester 3 (This takes into account 5 snow days. If we have no snow days, we will adjust so the last day for kids is June 15th)
March 15th - June 23rd
Progress grades close April 29th
SLC March - 18th and 19th
Graduating Class Academic Awards: May 26th
Junior Book and Presidential Awards: June 10th
Final Grades close: Weds 23rd June
T3 report cards will be available in Aspen: Thursday 24th June, 2027
WINTER SPORTS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!!!!
We know that the last thing everyone wants to think about is winter and the cold weather, but it is time to get your student signed up for winter sports! This year, Mohawk Trail will be offering…
BASKETBALL
WRESTLING
INDOOR TRACK
ALPINE SKIING
The registration process can be found HERE. Please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly at glillyAD@mtrsd.org with any questions regarding the winter sports registration process!
Go Warriors!
Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Sustainability Project updates
Work continues on the 2 Districts 8 Towns (Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont) Sustainability project.
The project has been focusing on building a shared Educational Vision: the description of what teaching, learning, and the student experience could look like on a single PreK–12 campus. Last year the Ed Visioning Steering Committee met each month and held a community convening in April.
Findings and ideas were incorporated into a set of documents and resources to support the districts' future work in realizing the aspirational single-campus vision. Over the summer, the project team reviewed input from educators to incorporate into that vision, and on August 31 the full staff of MTRS and HRSD came together to learn more about the project and add their own ideas. Educators voiced support for many of the anticipated benefits for students while raising thoughtful questions about staffing, resources, and how a single campus would work day to day. The Educational Visioning Steering Committee will meet again in September to finalize the educational visioning documents.
Alongside this work, the project team is also updating financial projections, taking a closer look at bus ride times for our youngest students, and expanding community outreach as the districts prepare for a future vote on whether to fund an MSBA feasibility study.
Families and staff can find project documents, along with updates, summaries, and other resources, at 2Districts8Towns.org.
Museum on Main Street Featuring Frederick Douglass
On Monday, October 26, an exhibit featuring Frederick Douglass will open in the MTRS Library and will run through mid-November.
On Thursday, October 29 at 7 p.m., MTRS will host an event at which students, teachers, and community members will read the 30-minute version of his speech, "What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?" We hope you will join us for this event!
This programming is made possible by Mass Humanities and local cultural councils, and is inspired by The Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street Voices and Votes Exhibit.
Seeking Drama Director
Mohawk Trail Regional School is seeking a Drama Director with a background in musical educational theater who will work with a creative team to direct a musical for students in grades 7-12. This production will include middle and high school students and may, potentially, include upper elementary students to a limited extent. The successful candidate will be able to work with the Musical Producer to engage students and community members in an original production that showcases student talent and ingenuity, both onstage and behind the scenes.
The show will be performed in early Spring 2027, with three performances: a Friday, a Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening. This is a stipend position paying $2,265.
Please forward a cover letter, resume, licensure, transcripts and recommendations to: cbuckland@mtrsd.org. Application deadline: Advertised until filled.
The school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, disability, religion or sexual orientation.
Mary Lyon Foundation Partners for the Holiday Giving Tree Program
Mary Lyon Foundation, Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB), and M&T Bank are partnering once again on the Holiday Giving Tree. Trees will be on display at the banks in Shelburne Falls starting the week of November 23, with a big celebration during Moonlight Magic to encourage community members to participate in gift-giving through the Holiday Giving Tree.
Families can sign up to receive gifts for children this holiday season using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6Tfqc_0p0hZWSMMUeDEay9FjJX4aYNaUScLR9pXNXYXFHyA/viewform. Please share the form with families in your school or community.
The deadline for families to complete the form in time for an ornament to be added to the tree is end of day Wednesday, November 18.
ML Foundation staff and volunteers will deliver gifts to family homes between December 15 and December 22.
Students and Caregivers, please be aware that we expect students in all grades to have cell phones off and away from 7:45am-2:20pm each school day. We would like students to participate in distraction-free learning during their day at MTRS.
Caregivers, if you need to communicate with your student during the day, thanks for calling the front office.
Here is a powerful slide deck about Youth Mental Health and Technology, shared with us through our FRCOG partnership.
Please see the section below from the handbook in relation to electronic devices including cell phones:
Use of Electronic Devices, Including Cell Phones
Mohawk Trail Regional School District (MTRSD) is committed to fostering a school environment that prioritizes engaged learning, supports the development of social skills, and promotes the overall well-being of our students. To achieve this, MTRSD has an “Off and Away All Day” requirement for students. This means that cell phones and other personal electronic devices may not be used by students during school hours (7:45 am to 2:20 pm).
Phones may be used between arrival at school and the start of classes at 7:45am. However, all devices must be turned off and put away in student bags or backpacks before entering class.
Failure to meet the expectation of this policy will result in disciplinary action. At the determination of staff, inappropriate use of a cell phone or electronic device (including airpods) is cause for confiscation of the device. Cell phones must be relinquished in their complete form, including SIM cards and battery. There will be no “warnings” and no student is excused from the policy and the offenses as outlined below unless they qualify for accommodations. If a student has a disability or medical condition that requires a cell phone or other device, the accommodation will be noted in the student’s IEP, 504 Plan, and/or health plan. The special education team coordinator or health office will notify appropriate staff of the necessary accommodations.
Discipline is at the discretion of the building principal; possible discipline may include but is not limited to:
• Teacher will take the phone for the remainder of the class, returning it at the end of class. Teacher will also make a behavior referral report to administration.
• Administration is notified and the device is confiscated and taken to the main office, where it can be collected at the end of the school day. Caregiver is notified.
• An infraction may result in the phone being taken to the office and the caregiver will be required to come into school to meet with administration and to pick up the phone. • At the meeting, the Phone Plan will be developed and modified as necessary to consider the underlying needs of the student that may be contributing to repeated non-compliance will be discussed and addressed.
• The Phone Plan will require the student to drop off the phone in the front office at the start of the school day and collect it from the office at the end of the day.
• Other discipline as deemed appropriate based on the circumstances.
Any additional infraction after successfully completing a Phone Plan will result in the student being unable to have a phone in their possession for the remainder of the current grading period or, in the case of repeated offenses, for the remainder of the school year.
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.
Chris Buckland
Email: cbuckland@mtrsd.org
Website: www.mtrs.mohawktrailschools.org
Phone: 413-625-9811
Facebook: facebook.com/mohawktrailregional