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Principal Linda Reardon accepts a check from Rodney Barber of WoodmenLife.

St. Stan's School Receives $2K Donation for School Equipment

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — WoodmenLife has donated $2,000 St. Stanislaus Kostka School for educational needs.

WoodmenLife representative Rodney Barber handed over the check to Principal Linda Reardon on Friday. It will be used to provide the school's classrooms with projectors.

"We are a nonprofit and we give back to communities, so any nonprofits, we like to deal with, especially schools because we know the crunch in the budgets," Barber said.

So how did 125-year-old fraternal benefit society that operates a private insurance company for its members based in Omaha, Neb., donate to a small Catholic school in Adams?

Because of a game of golf and friendly drink afterward.

Michael Deep, owner of Deep Insurance, also owns Waubeeka Golf Links in Williamstown. The story began when a marketing agent for Jiminy Peak contacted the golf course inquiring about holding a tournament. An insurance company was interested in hosting a large tourney and wanted to see the links.

Deep said Barber visited the course and they played a round of golf. They then made their way to the bar, where Barber met bartender and St. Stan's eighth-grade teacher Sara Blanchette.

Blanchette said they had a discussion about the school's need for white boards. Barber simply said, "we will get them for you."

And so he did.

"We had to do a little bit of hunting because I don't think they believed me when I said I was going to give them some money," Barber said. "Every time we tell someone that, they think likewise but we really were going to donate so we made the connections."

Reardon said Barber asked her what the school needed other than white boards and it was decided to purchase projectors and document cameras. She said the school does not have enough projectors and teachers have to share.

"I think it is very providential really," Reardon said. "Divine intervention."


Tags: donations,   st. stan,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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