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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Companion Corner: Stink at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat at No Paws Left Behind looking for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Don't let the name fool you! Stink is a 4-year-old domestic shorthair tabby who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Volunteer Claire Morin introduced us to him.

Stink came from his previous home after not getting along with some of the cats there.

"He came from a woman who had horses. He was an indoor cat, but he also spent some time in the barn, and I think he was not getting along with the other cats at the house."

Stink does like to roam around and check new stuff out. He can be a little shy at first but once he comes out he likes to play with toys and get a lot of pets. He can be quite territorial especially around male cats.

"He clearly likes treats. He likes to explore when he's out. He is a little bit territorial, so he has not come out that much. Actually, I'm surprised that he's out today, but, like I said, he prefers the company of female cats," she said. "He has been sort of interacting today with the male cats that he can now see ... he hasn't been acting out or hissing or anything towards them."

While it takes him a while to get out of his shell he is not shy to chat with you, most likely asking for more pets or to play.

"He does like people, he's very affectionate. He would not come out on his own for a long time. We could open the cage and he would interact with us, and he would be super sweet. You could interact with him, but he really preferred to stay in his cage. But now that he started to come out more, he's a lot more interactive," she said.

Stink would have to go home as the only cat or with a female cat because of his aversion to male cats.

"I think his perfect home would be someone who has children who are over the age of 8, because he can be a little bit territorial," Morin said. "The home can be cat friendly, there can be other cats, but preferably female, because he has been reactive towards male cats here at the shelter, and he can go home with dogs that have interacted with cats before."

Stink is a very sweet guy who can't wait to talk and snuggle up to you. Plus, you can pick a new name for him.

"I just think he's a super warm, friendly cat. He's clearly exploring the whole space today. He doesn't come out that often, but he's very gentle and very sweet," she said.

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