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The School Committee meeting was held in the Hoosac Valley High School's Art Lab instead of the Cheshire Elementary School Computer Lab.
Updated July 11, 2017 03:07PM

Plunkett School's Named Changed to Hoosac Valley

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Update on July 11 to address concerns that Plunkett's name had been required to remain on the school building.
 
Eugene Michalenko of Adams Historical Society said on Tuesday that he knew of no stipulation that required C.T. Plunkett's name to be on the building. 
 
According to the society, Plunkett was chairman of the Adams School Committee and its Junior HIgh School Building Committee in 1922 when the $350,000 in funds appropriated by the town to build the school fell short of the bid by $10,000. 
 
Plunkett covered the difference with his own funds and had also purchased the former L.L. Brown Mansion, which had lain empty for more than 20 years, razed it and donated the land to the town as the school's site. His donation toward the school totaled $30,000. The school was named after him when it opened in 1924; he died in 1927.
 
 
CHESHIRE, Mass. — C.T. Plunkett School has a new, although familiar, name: Hoosac Valley Elementary
 
The name change is part of a bid to bring some unity to the two towns of the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District that have been riven by discord in the wake of the closure of Cheshire Elementary School. The shared high school has the same name, the designation for the river valley within which the two towns sit.
 
"It has a nice ring to it," Superintendent Robert Putnam said after the School Committee voted to change the name Monday night.
 
School officials have discussed changing the name of the district and the elementary school over the past few months. This was a recommendation from the Collins Center consultants, hired last year, to help unify the two-member town. 
 
With the vote to close Cheshire School and rising tensions between the two towns, the School Committee felt renaming the district's now single elementary school could help bring the communities together.  
 
Officials did reach out to both Adams and Cheshire to see if there was favor for the name change. The Cheshire Selectmen were all in favor of the change as well as Adams Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco.
 
"There is general support and indications that renaming the district and the elementary school would be fair," Chairman Paul Butler said.
 
Former Cheshire and now Plunkett Principal Peter Bachli said there was some urgency to the name change because he has to transfer paperwork and finances. 
 
The School Committee was in support of changing the district name to something similar as well but decided to make that change next year and bring in more town involvement.  
 
The Adams school had been named for Charles T. Plunkett, scion of the Plunkett textile empire and the school's benefactor.
 
In other business, Putnam said the district has been operating under the interim monthly 1/12 budget since July 1 and that the bulk of the financial hit will begin in September when a majority of payroll comes into play.
 
He said although the district has not been faced with the financial hardship that comes with the 1/12 budget yet, the uncertainty over the budget has made the hiring process more complicated.  
 
"It has affected the hiring process for the three interventionist positions and special education position proposed in the budget," he said. "The uncertainty of the budget has depressed the interest of internal candidates in the positions as well ... it is a topic of concern that has come up in most if not all of the interviews."
 
Cheshire's rejection of the school budget last month forced the state set the school district with a monthly budget based on fiscal year 2017. Cheshire will vote again on the same budget July 17 and if rejected, the vote will go to a districtwide vote.
 
The district has until December to pass a budget or the state takes over the district. 
 
Putnam said he plans to schedule a district vote for early August if Cheshire's town meeting vote fails. 
 
Committee member Stephan Vigna asked that both towns are involved in organizing the meeting so if the vote fails, there is a plan in place for the districtwide meeting as soon as possible.
 
"With not knowing what the outcome will be, I think we need to coordinate with both towns and have them start organizing so we have a plan in place if the budget fails again," he said. "We want this to be ready and make sure it is fair for everybody."
 
Vigna still had questions about the districtwide vote and asked if it had to be a hand vote, ballot vote, scheduled at a single time or at a single place. 
 
Putnam said it would essentially be a School Committee meeting at which a vote by those present is taken and counted. He said a simple majority will win. He said he would reach out to the state for more clarity.
 
It may be hard to find a venue that could potentially fit all the registered voters of both towns, he said, but felt the Hoosac Valley High School cafeteria, auditorium or gym could suffice. 
 
The superintendent added that the transition of the grades to Hoosac Elementary and the high school is going well and that all classroom content at the middle and high school has been moved.
 
He expects all the classrooms to be moved to the elementary school by July 12.
 
The C.T. Plunkett PTG has raised funds for more playground equipment and the Cheshire Elementary School PTG has donated $5,000 to purchase playground equipment for middle school that will now include Grades 4-5.

Tags: ACRSD,   HVES,   Plunkett,   

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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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