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Robin Rapoza Hauser says she wants to help people to unleash their creativity as the art center she and her husband have opened on Summer Street.

Rapoza Center for the Arts Opens on Summer Street

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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The Rapoza Center for the Arts is operating on Summer Street until renovations are complete at its permanent home in the former McBride Funeral Home. 
ADAMS, Mass. — The Rapoza Center for the Arts challenges all to tap into their inner artist.
 
"Everybody has creative energy in them and it comes out in all different ways," owner Robin Rapoza Hauser said. "I want to help be on outlet for people to unleash that and by offering workshops and long-term courses at different price points, I am hoping to be able to be open to a wide range of people."
 
Originally from southeastern Massachusetts, Rapoza Hauser and her husband, John Hauser, stumbled upon Adams some years ago and found it to be the perfect place to open up their art center.
 
"We were on our honeymoon out here in the Berkshires and we just went to North Adams for the first time and one day we drove south," Rapoza Hauser said. "We ended up in Adams and we just fell in love with the town’s adorableness. It was just beautiful."
 
The two walked by the Steepleview Realty office on Park Street and saw the former McBride Funeral Home posted, which they eventually purchased.
 
The Liberty Street funeral home is being renovated but in the interim, the two opened up a location on 98 Summer St. this past summer.
 
Rapoza Hauser said she named the center after her father who, too, was a creative spirit.
 
"After my father had passed away in 2014, John and I got together and decided that we were going to open what I wanted to open for many years -- an arts education center," she said. "We decided to name it after my maiden name, which is in remembrance of my father Robert who was also a very creative man."
 
She currently is the sole instructor at this time and has pulled from her many experiences as an artist, teacher, actor, and even improv comedian to inform her courses.
 
"I have worn a million different hats and anything can be creative," Rapoza Hauser said. "I have been a teacher and have worked with children for more than half of my life ... I have worked in communities at many different income levels and with children from all different backgrounds. I want to be able to give art education a boost."
 
Current courses include drawing, watercolor, jewelry making, and improv comedy among others at different price levels. 
 
Folks can sign up for these courses at the center, their Facebook, or on the future website.
 
Rapoza Hauser said they also offer drop-in workshops Monday through Friday. In the morning there is a preschool session between 9:30 and 11:30 when parents and guardians can create with their children. From 3 to 5:30 there is an after-school session and children ages 6 to 12 are invited.
 
People can sign up that day and the workshops cost $10 an hour.
 
Rapoza Hauser said different workshops and classes will be implemented this spring and summer as new faculty is brought on board.
 
She also looks to help the business community around her and organized the holiday walk this Christmas. 
 
"I wanted to help in whatever way I could so I talked to all of the neighboring businesses and put it out there," she said. "It was a way to get everybody in the Christmas spirit."
 
They plan to hold more of these walks throughout the year.
 
Rapoza Hauser said she encourages everybody to explore their creativity and noted that her teaching method aims to break down art into its simplest form. 
 
"There is no such thing is you can’t teach an old dog new tricks," she said. "I have a way of teaching that breaks down the technique into the very smallest things ... if you know what circles and squares are you can do as a sculptor does and carve away at the details with a pencil."
 
Rapoza Hauser said she is excited for the future of the art center 
 
"It is for the love of art that is the number one reason I do this," she said. "I am an artist who is a teacher and I love teaching so I am really looking forward to what this year brings."

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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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