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Teachers and parents dressed up on Thursday for Hoosac Valley Elementary's trunkk-or-treat event.

Hoosac Valley Elementary Gets Spooky With Halloween Event

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass — As the town of Adams prepares to celebrate Halloween, Hoosac Valley Elementary School began festivities early by hosting a trunk-or-treat on Thursday evening.

More than 50 teachers and families got in costume and decorated their cars to join in on the event. Principal Erin Beaulac said she was happy to see so many people turn out and be excited to participate. 
 
"We wanted to have all of our families, students and staff get together for a fun family event, so we chose trucker treat," Beaulac said. "And as you can see, it's very well attended, and the kids and the families everyone is just having a great time."
 
Lisa Lesser, assistant principal, said it is great to host events that promote involvement from the community.
 
"I think it's just nice for the teachers and the kids to have other experiences outside of the classroom to bring everybody closer together," Lesser said. 
 
Beaulac and Lesser are both in their first year as administrators at Hoosac Valley Elementary School. They said that, while they've coordinated similar events in the past, they think the enthusiasm this time was notably high. 
 
"I think it's everyone was really looking forward to this event because it's our first really big family event in a couple of years at this point because of the COVID protocols," Beaulac said. "And as you can see, people wanted to participate. They're excited to be together to be here with all of us."
 
Beaulac said she was surprised by how much variety there was from each of the cars. 
 
"I am blown away," she said. "We have a Corvette decorated as the Batmobile. We have a haunted house and a trailer. There was one car that just had a cardboard box that said 'dangerous animals,' and the kids had to put their hands in it. It was just stuffed animals, but people really thought outside the box to provide a really unique experience for our kids." 
 
Lesser said she hopes the excitement from trunk-or-treat will carry over into future events. 
 
"I think it's the start," she said. "It is the start of us building our culture here as a school, with us both being new, and bringing our staff, bringing our family, bringing the community together." 

Tags: Halloween,   HVES,   

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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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