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The School Committee hears a report from the superintendent on the start of school and looks over the new website.

Adams-Cheshire Reports Successful First Week of School

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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CHESHIRE, Mass. — Superintendent John Vosburgh reports that the school year is off to a good start.

Adams-Cheshire Regional School District students went back to school Wednesday, Aug. 29, and Vosburgh told the School Committee on Monday that there was plenty of enthusiasm among the students.

"The school opening went well, there was a lot of enthusiasm at all three levels," Vosburgh said. "It was a fun first day and the kids seemed generally excited … the enthusiasm really caught my eye."

Hoosac Valley High School students also started out the year with a new principal with whom they're familiar. Colleen Byrd, the former dean of students, has taken on the position.

"We went through the search process and she rose to the top," Chairman Paul Butler said.

Byrd is replacing Jerimiah Ames, who stepped down this summer.

Molly Meczywor was hired as the new dean of students at Hoosac Valley.

Vosburgh noted that the district is still working the kinks out of busing, but he anticipates it will improve over time.

"There are still busing issues, and this happens every year but, hopefully, everything is settling down," he said. "I think this is something we are going to have to evaluate throughout the year like how many kids are on the buses and where the bus stops are."

Vosburgh also introduced Rick White, the new shared technology director.

"It has been working out very well and we are coordinating with representatives at each level," he said. "Rick has been providing support to those folks."

White is technology director of the Central Berkshire School District and before the school year started, the School Committee gave Vosburgh their blessing to explore this shared service.

The district briefly had a full-time technology director some years ago but the position was eliminated because of budgetary constraints.

Vosburgh said the two districts are still working out the shared services and that the agreement is designed to be flexible.

"We are still figuring out what his role will be, and we will continue to evaluate and figure out how we can be a little more efficient," he said. "We tweaked some stuff today … this is going to be very fluid and we have to feel this out."

Also in regard to technology, Vosburgh said the district's website is still under construction but is up and running.

"As time goes on things will be brought more up to speed with all of the bells and whistles but it is up and running and it does look pretty nice," he said. "It looks pretty sharp."

As promised in his interview, Vosburgh said he plans to roll out a school choice survey in the coming months.

"Some students may have just moved away or chose to go to McCann [Technical School] but this will allow us to get an idea of where they are going and focus some attention on it," he said.

Vosburgh plans to send a paper survey to students and families who have decided to leave the district over the past two years in hopes of gaining some insight into why.

"We will see what we get back and even if we get 50 percent we can see what that the thought process may have been along the way and figure out what we need to do to retain students," he said.


Tags: ACRSD,   back to school,   first day,   

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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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