Student & Family Update

Good afternoon everyone,

I hope that you enjoyed a great week.

Students, please be aware that the first meeting of the D&D Club will be next Thursday in Mr Minnick's room - see poster below!

Caregivers, you should have received two important emails from the district this week:

• MCAS Family Portal information
• 2026 District Low Income Data Collection Form

Please let Chelsea know if either of these are missing: clittle@mtrsd.org

Read on to see what has been going on at MTRS this week:

• Pioneer Valley Symphony Music Auditions
• Student Council news
• Study award winner for MRS Habits of Success
• MTRS Teacher is a National Coach!
• Title 1 information for families
• Introducing...Sal Cincotta!
• Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Sustainability Project updates
• Focus on Academics - Congratulations Natalie Lanoue
• Open House, MLF Resource Fair and School photo day on September 17th
• Library news
• Community Film on the Field - Friday Sept 18th from 7:30-9:30
• Bathroom pass of the week - Ms Beck

Finally, caregivers of Grade 7 students, thank you for reminding your students that they are not allowed to use the vending machine between 7am and 3pm during the school day.

Have a nice 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

Greetings from the Student Council!

Booster week, the Friday night bonfire and Homecoming dance are all coming soon. We are looking for pallets for our bonfire. Please email Ms Ruby in the first instance if you are willing to donate. lrubinaccio@mtrsd.org

Watch this space for bi monthly updates.

The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents has designed an award for academic excellence. This award was given to Natalie Lanoue who has distinguished herself in the pursuit of excellence during her high school career. Congratulations Natalie!

Open House and the Mary Lyon Foundation Resource Fair will take pace next week. The resource fair starts at 3 and Open hosue at 4:30. We look forward to meeting caregivers in person.

J-Term

Earlier this week, Principal Buckland spoke at the School Committee meeting about J-term for our entire Junior Class this year. He also spoke with Grade 11 students and communicated with their caregivers about this unique program in the region.

J-term (June Term) is initiative at MTRS which provides eleventh-grade students with the opportunity to gain professional experience through local internships scheduled for the month of June. This program is designed to bolster student resumes and provide foundational knowledge for their upcoming senior capstone projects by matching them with employers in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and education. We hope that this experience will also help students to gain work place life skills and to also bolster their resumes and college applications they put together prior to completing their secondary school experience.

Throughout the school year, student will participate in a structured preparation process that includes interest surveys and matching sessions coordinated with the local Chamber of Commerce.

During J-Term, which starts on June 1st, students will register attendance at school and then leave campus to attend their internship. Students will be able to use their own transportation and those without transportation will be driven to and from school at the start and end of each day.

Participation is contingent upon maintaining strong academic standing, and the school ensures accessibility by providing transportation support to work sites. Ultimately, the program leverages regional employment data to connect youth with growing industries, fostering potential future career paths within the community.

This is the copy of the slide show that was shared with students when I spoke with them earlier today.

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The timeline for the planning and implementation is as follows:

• Now - October: Students to complete a survey to determine their interests
• October - December: MTRS team to work with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce to arrange internship experiences
• November - Caregiver information opportunities: in -person and virtual (during the school day and in the early evening)
• Jan - May - I will share information about the internship expectations
• June 1 - 11th - Students to complete their Internships
• June 14th - Students return to MTRS (Last day is June 15th)

My name is Kenan Lavelle and I am the Title 1 Math Interventionist at MTRS. I look forward to seeing all of our amazing mathematicians learn new problem solving skills. As the Title I teacher, I have many important documents to share with you. Please click the links to read more: Title I Information Letter, Right to Know, School-Family Compact. Additionally, I want to invite you to the upcoming virtual LEC meeting where I will share more information about Title I. On Wednesday 14th October September 21st at 3:45pm you can join with this link. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns at any point this school year, please do not hesitate to contact me at klavelle@mtrsd.org.

Congratulations to Claire Johnson who was recognized by her peers for her Communication, Collaboration and Engagement around school during the Assembly earlier this week.

Claire is the first recipient of the Study Award. The Stundy recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in their Habits of Success.

Our very own Ms Kay has been very busy with the US National basketball organization this year. We are so excited to have her teach and inspire our MTRS students. Read on to find out how big a deal she really is!!!

This past weekend, I traveled to Omaha, NE to work with some of the most talented basketball players in grades 7-10 at the USA Regional Gold Camp. I have had the privilege of being a court coach for the youth development sector of USA Basketball for the past several years and spent a day and a half running clinics with the girls, and then a day and a half running clinics with the boys.

With the expansion of my role to a court coach for the US Junior National U17 team last spring at their minicamp and national trials, I was asked to prepare and present to the parents of 100 girls players for one hour as a part of the camp. I spoke on topics ranging from the do's and don'ts of parenting middle and high school players, in and out of season training and finding balance, the influence and goals of using social media as a player, college recruiting and NIL (name-image-likeness) education.

I am grateful for the experience and am excited to share my research and presentation with our athletic department and hope that it contains helpful information to support great relationships between players, parents and coaches.

Upcoming dates to be aware of:

• Sept 17th: Photo day (Retakes on Oct 29)

• Sept 17th: Open House 4:30-6:30 pm & Mary Lyon Resource Fair 3-6 pm)

• October 2nd: Senior Class fitting for Caps and Gowns

• Oct 13-16: Booster Week

• Oct 17th: Homecoming dance

• Oct 20th: FAFSA information night for students and families interested in applying to college

• 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:

Sept:16, 23

Oct: 7, 21,

Nov: 12 & 13th

Dec: 9

Jan: 27

Feb: 24

March: 10, 18, 19, 24

April: 7

May: 5, 19

June: 9

District Calendar

Student Handbook

2026-7 Course Catalog

Bell schedule

Solar Panel Live Energy Tracker

Assessment schedule

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

Hello everyone! I'm Teacher Cincotta. I'm a proud Connecticut River Valley townie, farmer and agricultural science enthusiast, and have taught environmental and general science classes around our valley for the last five years. I'm excited to join the MTRS community as the 7th grade science teacher this year. Let's move our scientific thinking forward together!

Today Hannah Smeltz the leader of the Pioneer Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra came to talk to the middle school band about the orchestra! This is a focused, skill-building performing ensemble made up of around 40 students grades 7-12 from all over our area. This Sunday there is an open rehearsal 4-6pm at Greenfield Highschool for any student interested.

Last year the Mohawk Trail music department had the most students in attendance out of any school! Let's keep that going.

Email youth@pvsp.org or call 4137733664 with interest and email aclough@mtrsd.org to ask about scholarships to cover tuition.

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.

MOHAWK TRAIL ATHLETICS OFF AND RUNNING!!!

The preseason is over, and our student-athletes are showing that all of their hard work is beginning to pay off! With matches and games starting this week, many of our teams have already started adding to their win columns! However, even though competitions have begun, it is still NOT too late to sign up for a fall sport! Please reach out to District Athletic Director Greg Lilly at glillyAD@mtrsd.org if you have any questions regarding our offerings, or simply visit https://mtrs.mtrsd.org/athletics to register your student. Also, for all the Mohawk Trail Warriors families and fans, all game schedules can be found at https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=14937. Go Warriors!

FIELD HOCKEY OPENS SEASON WITH 1-0 SHUTOUT AT NORTHAMPTON!

The Mohawk Trail Field Hockey team started their season off on the right foot by claiming a 1-0 independent victory over Northampton High School this past Tuesday. Junior Libby Amstein found the back of the net in the opening minutes of the contest off a pass from 8th grader Hailey Martin. The early score proved to be all that was needed as the Warriors dominated possession and field position for the duration of the game. Mohawk Trail also claimed a victory in the Junior Varsity game posting a 2-0 score. Our team is back in action this Friday at 4:00 when they host a tough South Hadley team in another independent contest.

CROSS COUNTRY SQUADS BEGIN SEASON WITH SWEEP OF MAHAR AND ST MARY’S!

Coaches Joe Chadwick and Mark Rabasco took the long ride down to Stanley Park on Tuesday with their boys and girls cross country teams, and brought back two victories for each squad! Seniors Virginia Krezmien and Natalie Lanoue claimed the top two spots for the girls, with 8th grader Brooke Harrison just behind in 3rd! The boys team was led by Junior Leo Boltz and Freshman Xerxes Law, as they claimed the top two spots in their race, respectively. Our Warriors are back in action this coming Tuesday when the travel to South Deerfield for league match-up against Frontier and Pope Francis.

Please see the Student Services latest newsletter

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.

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 on October 14th

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 on October 9th.

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

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