How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Pine Cobble School will host How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age: Supporting Connection, Resilience, and Critical Thinking, a presentation for parents of elementary and middle school kids who are seeking developmentally appropriate guidance on preparing their kids to handle the complexities of digital life.
 
The evening will start with a presentation by educator, author, and parenting expert Betty Ray, who will share findings from her years of research as head of innovation at the George Lucas Educational Foundation and chief impact officer at Pandora's Way. 
 
The event is intended for parents and other caregivers of elementary and middle school students who are eager to take proactive steps for healthy digital engagement. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, and will leave with several actionable steps they can implement right away.
 
Following the presentation will be a Q+A with Betty, as well as Pine Cobble Head of School Dr. Jill Romans, and developmental psychologist Scott Burg.
 
How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age: Supporting Connection, Resilience, and Critical Thinking will be held on March 5, 2026 at '62 Center for Performing Arts on the Williams College Campus,  Williamstown, MA. Doors open at 5:45 pm and the program starts at 6 and runs until 7:30 pm.
 
"I am delighted that we can come together as a broader community and discuss this important topic for our youth through the lens of child development," Romans said. "Betty's focus on rites of passage is helpful in understanding the process for nurturing agency and empowerment for our students as they navigate an increasingly digital world. We must be intentional in how we introduce children to this environment and ensure they have adequate skills to navigate digital platforms in healthy ways."
 
Attendees will discover:
  • How to plan for the developmental shifts from childhood to adolescence.
  • How digital media is designed to engage the developing adolescent brain
  • A practical approach to introducing digital media and sustaining healthy development.

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Williamstown Finance Committee Finalizes Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Proposal

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The tax bill of a median-priced single family home will go up by 8.45 percent in the year that begins July 1 under a spending plan approved by the Finance Committee on Wednesday night.
 
After more than a month of going through all proposed spending by the town and public schools and searching for places to trim the budget and adjust revenue estimates, the Fin Comm voted to send a series of fiscal articles to the May 19 annual town meeting for approval.
 
The panel also discussed how to appeal to town meeting members to reverse what Fin Comm members long have described as an anti-growth sentiment in town that keeps the tax base from expanding.
 
New growth in the tax base is generated by new construction or improvements to property that raise its value. A lack of new growth (the town projects 15 percent less revenue from new growth in fiscal year 2027 than it had in FY26) means that increased spending falls more heavily on current taxpayers.
 
The two largest spending articles on the draft warrant for the May meeting are the appropriations for general government spending and the assessment from the Mount Greylock Regional School District.
 
The former, which includes the Department of Public Works, the Williamstown Police and town hall staffing, is up by just 2.5 percent from the current fiscal year to FY27 — from $10.6 million to $10.9 million.
 
The latter, which pays for Williamstown Elementary School and the town's share of the middle-high school, is up 13.7 percent, from $14.8 million to $16.8 million.
 
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