New North Adams Walking Loop Christened

By Rebecca DravisiBerkshires Staff
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Around 100 people walked the new North Adams Walking Loop on Friday evening.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Around 100 people took a hike Friday evening in downtown North Adams.

The hike was actually a walk on the brand-new North Adams Walking Loop. The loop actually has two parts: The MCLA loop is 1.9 miles and the MoCA/Main Street loop is 1.6 miles.

On Friday evening, the rain held off for the group to walk the MCLA route, led by Mass in Motion Coordinator Amanda Chilson and North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright. Participants were given maps and scavenger hunts to complete along the way, featuring items like picnic benches and a wind turbine.

And a chalkboard — which was the highlight of the walk for the younger walkers, who flocked to the chalkboard in the outdoor classroom at the new Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation at MCLA (where the wind turbine was, too) to sign their names and draw pictures. Also in the outdoor classroom, MCLA students handed out water to the walkers.

Many of those walkers were also participants in the inaugural Mayor's Fitness Challenge, and they scored many bonus points for taking the walk.

 

 


Tags: #NAMAfitchallenge,   health & wellness,   walking,   

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Teacher of the Month: Kaylea Nocher

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — First-grade students in Kaylea Nocher's class feel secure and empowered in the classroom, confidently embracing mistakes as they take charge of their learning.
 
This safe and fun atmosphere has earned Nocher the iBerkshires Teacher of the Month designation. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, features distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here
 
Nearly a dozen parents and colleagues nominated the Brayton Elementary School teacher, praising her dedication, connection to students, and engaging classroom environment — going above and beyond to foster growth in her students.
 
"My students are the most important part of the job, and instilling love and a love for learning with them is so valuable," she said. 
 
"We have these little minds that we get to mold in a safe and loving environment, and it's really special to be able to do that with them."
 
Nocher has built her classroom on the foundation of love, describing it as the umbrella for all learning. 
 
"If you have your students feel loved… in the sense that they have a love for learning, they have a love for taking risks, they have a love for themselves, and they can use that in everything that they do," she said. 
 
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