image description
The Adams Cheshire Regional School Committee publicly congratulated first-grade teacher April Mazzeo at its May 7 meeting.

Hoosac Valley Elementary First-Grade Teacher Honored

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires.com
Print Story | Email Story

 

April Mazzeo received her award on May 3 at MCLA.

CHESHIRE, Mass. — On May 3, Hoosac Valley Elementary School first-grade teacher April Mazzeo was one of several teachers who received a Berkshire County Educator Recognition Award.

On Monday night, the Adams Cheshire Regional School Committee publicly congratulated her at its meeting.

Mazzeo met with the school committee Monday after receiving the award, given by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in collaboration with Berkshire County K-12 superintendents and Berkshire Community College. The award, now in its eighth year, was created to honor the region's exceptional teachers.
 
"I am honored to receive this award for myself as well as the district. This is the place I think of as my forever home," Mazzeo said. "I love it here and it is an amazing place to work."
 
Hoosac Valley Elementary School Principal Michele Colvin said Mazzeo came to the district in 2014 and is "that teacher."
 
"She is the one who played school as a little girl and dreamed her whole life of becoming a teacher one day when she was all grown up," Colvin said. "In her teaching career, April is still that teacher."
 
Colvin said Mazzeo helped completely revamp and align the district's kindergarten through fifth-grade STEAM programming with state standards. She added that she is also an asset for other teachers, the district and the community.
 
"She is a transformative, dynamic and an inspirational first-grade teacher," she said. "She has found a way to encourage, motivate, energize and engage our students, their families and our community."
 
In other school committee business on Monday, interim Hoosac Valley Middle School Principal Chris Sposato was named the permanent principal.
 
Sposato was named the interim principal in April of last year when the unanticipated departure of Hoosac Valley Elementary School Principal Peter Bachli triggered a reorganization of the administrative staff.
 
Superintendent Robert Putnam said the position was posted for the month of March and the district received applications from five qualified candidates. Putnam said three of these candidates were interviewed by three separate interview committees: a Parent Committee, a Staff Committee and an Administrators Committee. 
 

The school committee hears from students Adam Bush, Kelsey Wohrle and Douglas LaDouceur about a recent trip abroad.
Putnam said Sposato was the chosen candidate and will be offered a three-year contract.
 
The school committee also heard from students Adam Bush, Kelsey Wohrle and Douglas LaDouceur, who recently went on a school trip to England and Scotland.
 
Bush said it was an eye-opening experience.
 
"You study history in school all of the time … and with traveling you actually see these historic places and can make that connection," Bush said. "But I think the most important thing about these trips is the cultural experience and it makes you a fuller person."
 
LaDouceur added that it was interesting to experience a new culture.
 
"The pictures can only say so much of how great that experience was just being there and seeing all of the different architecture that they have that is so completely different," he said. "Different accents, restaurants and beyond, that is the first time a lot of us even left the country."
 
Wohrle agreed and said her favorite part of the trip was walking around in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 
"My favorite part was just walking around the city and seeing the differences," she said.

Tags: Hoosac Valley,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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.
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories