COVID-19 Closes Two Grades at North Adams Elementary School

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Cases of COVID-19 among staff at Colegrove Park Elementary School is causing the closure of one grade for the week and remote learning for another. 
 
Kindergarten classes are closed this week with a reopening date of Tuesday, Jan. 18, and third grade will be remote also until next Tuesday. 
 
Parents and staff were notified of the closures on Monday afternoon. Superintendent Barbara Malkas in an update posted on the school district website reported that there were 31 positive cases reported in the schools. 
 
Colegrove had the most at 11, Brayton and Drury High had seven each, and Greylock reported six. 
 
"Every individual with a potential exposure has been contacted and given instructions on the course of action they need to take according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines regarding quarantine, including self-isolating and testing," Malkas wrote. 
 
The school system has been participating in the state's "test and stay" program that allows those who have been in close contact with an infected individual but aren't showing symptoms to be rapid tested for seven consectuvie days. As long as the student remain asymptomatic and has negative results, they can stay in school. 
 
Only about half the city's children in the 5 to 11 age group are vaccinated.
 

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North Adams Students Taste Test for Input on Lunches

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Chef Kyle Zegel talks to the children about the food they will be trying on Friday. He will be bringing recipes each month for them to try.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Pupils at Brayton Elementary got to taste test a new side dish as chef Kyle Zegel passed out cups cider-glazed carrots on Friday for the children to try. 
 
Zegel, a food literacy facilitator, said his goal is teach children about farms and how to grow food, and to have a deeper relationship with their food system.
 
"There's this increasing separation between the natural world and ourselves, and there's this increasing separation between the food system and ourselves," he said. "And we really see that with our students, and with the increasing prevalence of technology and ways that just separate us from interacting with how our food grows. ...
 
"I think it's just really important to make sure that we're giving students accessible opportunities for experiential learning."
 
Zegel will be highlighting a "Harvest of the Month" in the North Adams Public Schools through the Massachusetts Farm to School program.
 
The district last year received a state-funded MA FRESH (Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health) grant toward scratch cooking with more local ingredients. A little less than $7,000 of the $30,000 grant the district received in December will go to Harvest of the Month program.
 
Director of Food Services Thomas Lark said it was important to connect the children to food that is grown locally. The district is sourcing through Marty's Local in Deerfield.
 
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