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Representatives from the MSBA will be touring Hoosac Valley Elementary School in October. The 1923 section of the school is in need of repairs.
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Some work was done on the boiler roof and the back stairs by the town of Adams.
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The school district's engineering report says the chimney and other masonry work requires repairs.
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Gaps in the stonework, cracks and missing bricks can be seen on the port-cochere.

MSBA Officials Plan Tour of Hoosac Valley Elementary

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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The School Committee, meeting in Cheshire, was informed that the MSBA had chosen Hoosac Valley Elementarry for a visit this fall. 
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Massachusetts School Building Authority representatives will visit Hoosac Valley Elementary school for an initial screening.
 
Superintendent John Vosburgh told the School Committee on Monday that five MSBA representatives will visit the school on Oct. 17 to survey the facility and meet with administrators and town leaders.
 
"The purpose of this is to take a tour of the school, to look at the needs that we have, and to get feedback from us to see how things are going," Vosburgh said. "To get the flavor of the appetite for such a project."
 
The district submitted its statement of interest earlier this year under Superintendent Robert Putnam with the ultimate hope of becoming a one-campus district and building a new school on the Hoosac Valley High School grounds. The high school underwent a $40 million reconstruction in 2011-12 that saw the middle school grades move up to the campus.
 
After the closing of Cheshire Elementary school, C.T. Plunkett on Commercial Street in Adams became the district's only elementary school and was renamed Hoosac. The school has had various maintenance issues over the years.
 
Vosburgh said out of applications submitted, 28 were selected for this early screening.
 
"We were in the mix of 28," he said. "It is a screening process to see if the communities are serious and really want to do this and if there is a huge need ... it is very preliminary."
 
The SOI submitted for 2018 seeks renovation and modernization of Hoosac Elementary with project scope of a "potential new school."
 
The former junior high school was built in 1923 and has had one major renovation in 1994 that saw the three-story 22,000 square-foot addition built and repairs and renovations to the original 54,000 square-foot building. The town of Adams recently spent around $200,000 repairing the roof of the boiler room and several other repairs. 
 
That project was problematic and scaled back somewhat after a plume of oil from the neighboring service station was discovered under the property and required a liner and ventilation system; Liberty Street had to be closed and utility lines buried; the boilers froze up during construction and the contractor went bankrupt. 
 
The building needs extensive repairs to its exterior masonry, especially on the 1923 section,  and to its north chimney, the port cochere and the leaking roof. The solution is to demolish and renovate the auditorium and gymnasium in the 1923 section, overhaul the masonry, and install a new roof on the center classroom section. The SOI also recommends repairing the back steps and chimney and repairing or removing the porte-cochere. EDM Architecture and Engineering of Pittsfield did the studies. 
 
The statement reviews the difficulties faced by the school district over the closure of Cheshire Elementary and notes "The physical plant problems have reduced public confidence in the school which reduces confidence in the educational program."
 
Renovating or rebuilding "would inspire confidence in the educational program and win students back to the school" and more efficiently using the auditorium/gymnasium section could allow science labs and bringing the fourth grade back to the elementary school. 
 
"The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District has not built a dedicated elementary building within the last 60 years. It has abandoned six elementary schools," the SOI notes.
 
In other business, the committee tabled a requested action to relabel former Cheshire Selectman Edmund St. John IV as a Cheshire at-large member of the Regional Agreement Assessment Committee because he has resigned from the select board.
 
Vosburgh said the town does have the option to put forward a new town representative and that he was told by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools that the current at-large member did not have to be removed.
 
However, the School Committee felt possibly having another Cheshire representative would throw off the balance of the committee that was formed to update the antiquated document that spells out the contract between Adams, Cheshire and the school district.
 
"This is all about balance," School Committee member Adam Emerson said. "I don't think it will be equitable without removing someone first."
 
Emerson added that one of the Cheshire at-large members has only attended one meeting. Vosburgh said he would get information on how to remove a member.
 
The School Committee also approved a Hoosac Valley High School trip to Spain in April 2020.
 
"There are certainly wonderful education experiences that literally change the kids when they come back," Chairman Paul Butler said.
 
Hoosac Valley Principal Colleen Byrd said typically they do a European trip every three years and, in the past, have gone to England. This time around it was decided to align the trip with the language curriculum.
 
Dean of Students Molly Meczywor said at the most they would like to take two coach buses worth of students which is a little more than 80. There is not a bottom line for the cost of the trip yet but she said the students will have three years to raise the money.

Tags: little hoosac,   MSBA,   

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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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