North Adams Preschool Service Project Touches on Illness, Empathy

Mayor Richard Alcombright joins preschoolers working a PopCares project on Tuesday.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Preschool students are getting educated about illness in the "Hearts for Pop" service learning project.

Johnson School preschool teacher Rosemarie Dzierga said this is the first time the district has done a project of this kind. She said it is focused on teaching children empathy and how to handle illness

"We talked about what happens when someone is sick and what can you do with them and how can you make them feel better," Dzierga said. "My biggest pull away from this is teaching children empathy towards others."

Dzierga said she wanted the project to be much bigger than just the preschool and brought in members of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts basketball team, Drury High School students, Mayor Richard Alcombright, and others who have been affected by illness.

"I didn't want it to be a one little classroom ordeal. I wanted it to be a whole community event," Dzierga said. "I wanted to take it one step further."

MCLA student Kenny Suggs said the service learning project is a great way to get college students involved in the community.

"I think that this a great idea to have high school kids and college kids come help," Suggs said. "Most of us aren't from North Adams so it gives a chance to really be involved in the community."

Children throughout the preschool frantically worked on their projects. Some worked on heart pins with customized faces, others used syringes filled with paint to create small magnets, and others made "boo boo art."

"Kids when they get hurt they think of getting a Band-Aid. So they are getting to pick three Band-Aids, which is getting math involved, and they are putting it on paper. We are including a lot of different activities," Dzierga said. "They can paint right over the Band-Aids however they want and it is just a piece of art."

Dzierga said all children have been involved including special needs children who help paint posters advertising the project.

The preschoolers will showcase the crafts at a parent-teacher conference night and local establishments around the city, such as Berkshire Emporium and Persnickety Toys. Although they aren't officially for sale, she said people can take them and donate whatever they want.

Dzierga said many local businesses such as Big Y, Stop & Shop, Cascades School Supplies and Walmart have been very helpful in the project.

Dzierga said all proceeds go to PopCares Inc. PopCares cares raises funds for those affected by cancer and was established in memory of Bill "Pop" St. Pierre.

Dzierga said PopCares inspired the whole project after one of Dzierga's students with cancer received money from the organization.  

"PopCares has been wonderful," she said. "As soon as I contacted the family to let them know, they sent them $400, no questions asked. That is how great this organization is."

Dzierga said there has been an influx of students entering preschool and, in the past three years, she has had two students with serious illnesses.   

"You look at all of these children and you look at all of their beautiful smiles, but people don’t realize the underlying issues many of these children are coming in with," she said. "People don’t realize that so many children literally are coming in with cancer…People don’t understand the fight these little children have, and I decided it’s time that we make the general community aware."

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.