Student & Family Update
April 29, 2022
Good afternoon everyone,
Huge thanks to the Student Council and Advisors Ms. Ruby and Mr. M for their amazing hard work in putting together such an enjoyable Booster week and Pep rally. Seeing the forecast for thunder, we decided to postpone the bonfire until next week. We will confirm a time and date once we have spoken with the Fire Department.
Families with students who might be thinking about applying to two or four year college are encouraged to attend our College Financial information evening on October 20th from 5-6pm - see below for more details.
Lots has been going on at MTRS this week. Please read on to find out more about:
- We need student voices to help us expand our Academic Pathways
- Pep Band is back!
- Student Council News - Booster week updates
- 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 - Middle School Mosaics
- PSAT tests for students in Grades 10 & 11: October 29th
- Financial AID evening for students thinking about college: October 20th
- Library newsletter
- Order your yearbook today!
- Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Sustainability Project updates
- Spotlight on Elementary schools- BSE
- A reminder about Cell Phone expectations
- District Perspective -How and when can you get involved!
Looking forward to seeing many of our students at the Homecoming Dance tomorrow, 7-10pm
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
Do you need help completing your FAFSA?
What do you need when completing the FAFSA?
Free Financial Aid Webinars
Greetings!
These past few weeks have stayed on the student council theme- busy and action packed! Each committee that we formed in the first meeting has been organizing and working tirelessly to reach their goals. The main focus is booster week. A few in school events/activities we’ve focused on include our: can drive, penny wars, and all school Olympics.
Outside of school events include our bonfire and homecoming. All of the above hope to raise funds for our student council and student governments, raise goods for our community, and raise morale and excitement around Mohawk.
We hope as many students as possible participate and attend our booster week extravaganza! Details about our various events can be found in fliers around our school and ads in the newsletter.
In other news, the junior car wash has been moved to this weekend. If you need to shine up, please stop by.
Thank you to all, toodaloo!
Naomi and Claire
Watch this space for bi monthly updates.
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!
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 17th: Homecoming dance: 7-10pm
Oct 20th: FAFSA information night for students and families interested in applying to college: 5-6:30pm
Oct 29th: PSAT assessments
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
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
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.
Booster week 26-27 has been filled with an incredible amount of class and school spirit. So much fun was had by all. We are looking forward to a successful final event, homecoming dance Saturday night. The flags, banners, bleachers and halls were incredibly creative.
Please continue to call the school if your student is going to be absent from school. Any notes (Dr, dentist) to support their late arrival, early dismissal and or absent should be given to the main office.
Enjoy the amazing foliage this weekend.
Opportunities to Support Fundraising and Community Building Efforts
Classes, PTOs, and other groups across the districts are working hard to raise funds and friends in support of school and class programming. Here’s a list of some of those opportunities that you may support - attend, purchase, volunteer - if the spirit moves you!
Mohawk Trail Regional School
Thursday, October 29, 7 p.m.: Reading Frederick Douglass Together: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July” as part of the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum on Main Street: Voices and Votes, Democracy in America exhibit; MTRS Library.
Ongoing: Class of 2027 Dutch Mill Bulbs Fundraiser, order online here.
Ongoing: the Mohawk Trail Athletic Association and Mohawk Trail Music Association are seeking volunteers.
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