Mount Greylock Regional School: The Forum February 2003

12:00AM / Tuesday, February 04, 2003Print Story | Email Story

Come to the Budget Meetings Mt. Greylock may be forced to make major cuts to its programs and personnel next year. Substantial increased costs in health insurance and special education will be hitting the district at the same time that state aid to schools will be plummeting. This will force the district to make some hard choices about what to fund and what to cut in its budget for next year. We encourage teachers, staff, parents and students to attend the School Committee meetings, which will be discussing the budget, and deciding what must be cut. All meetings except for March 4 will be in the Mt. Greylock Library. The meetings are scheduled at 7 p.m. on the following Tuesdays. February 25: The administration will present a proposed budget to the committee. March 4: The Committee will begin discussing how much should be cut and from what areas (This meeting will be held at the Lanesboro Town Hall) March 11: This optional meeting will be held if the committee needs to decide additional cuts. March 18: This meeting will begin with a public hearing; the Committee will then formally adopt the budget. Mt. Greylock Sees Shadow Mt. Greylock will again participate in a job-shadowing program this year. On January 31 the program will have kicked off with an orientation meeting for interested students in grades 10-12. However, it is not too late for students to participate. The National Job Shadowing Coalition describes the program as a coordinated effort of America's Promise, Junior Achievement, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education to inspire high school students to consider various occupations. In the next few months, MG students will indicate job interests and placement ideas, then a suitable half-of full-day experience will be found. The Berkshire Count Regional Employment Board and Junior Achievement will assists the school. Employers will work closely with the students and school to provide a meaningful mentoring experience. The school will work closely with parents and employers to attempt to assist with transportation needs. For further information, please contact project coordinator Debora Cole-Duffy at 458-9582 ext. 159. Student Handbook Advisory Committee Members Needed Each year, our Students Handbook is revised and refined, submitted to the School council for approval in the spring, and then published and distributed to our students in August. Any community member who wishes to be apart of the Student Handbook Advisory Committee should notify Ed Davenport by February 14. Committee meetings will be held approximately every other week after school beginning in February. Each meeting will last no more than an hour. The tentative date for completing the revision is May 15. Superintendent's Corner At Mt. Greylock the past year marked outstanding student achievement, significant organizational developments, and numerous noteworthy events. Student Achievement Our students continued to make us proud with their academic accomplishments. In June 108 members of the class of 2002 received their diplomas. For the first time the graduation ceremony was held on a Saturday evening at John T. Allen field, with fireworks at the conclusion of the ceremony. Ninety of the graduates planned to continue their education, 61% going to four-year colleges. The colleges they were heading to included Williams, Yale, Princeton, UMASS/Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and West Point Military Academy. As usual our students' scores on the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test were above state and national averages, and on Advanced Placement exams thirty-three of our students were recognized with honors. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation notified eight members of the Class of 2002 that they were Commended Students, and it selected one other as a Semi-Finalist One hundred fort-five of our students took the National Latin Exam, and 99 of them won awards-two perfect scores. All seventh graders participated in the 7th Grade Berkshire Writing contest, and they were awarded one first place and two second places. Our future Problem Solving teams won many honors at the regional level, and one of our teams took first place at the state level. Twenty-eight of our art students were invited to display their work at the annual Norman Rockwell Museum Art Show, and two won Art All-State awards. Seven students were invited to submit work to the Boston Glove Scholastic Art Show, and four were recognized with awards. In January 35 middle school students produced a lively musical called Broadway Lullaby, and in March over 50 high school students performed an outstanding production of the musical The Sound of Music. Later in the spring we applauded an innovative production of Room Service. The 2002 theatrical season concluded in the autumn with an impressive production of Shakespeare's A Midsummers Night's Dream. Meanwhile, our musicians were making us proud. Four high school students were honored with acceptance into the state junior music festival, and seven middle school students were accepted into the state junior music festival. In the athletic arenas our students were demonstrating the character, sportsmanship, and teamwork necessary to ensure success. The winter saw our wrestling team win the county championship and the boys cross country ski team and the girls Alpine ski team capture both the county and state championship. In June the boys and girls tennis teams won both the county and western Mass. Championships. November saw the girls cross country running team capture the county championship, and the boys soccer team win the Northern Division Championship. In all, our athletic teams won seven division/county championships, two Western Mass honors, and two state Championships. That is quite an achievement for a high school of just 799 students per season participating in athletics. Furthermore, in victory or defeat they conducted themselves admirably, and in November the coaches and athletic directory of Berkshire County awarded Mt. Greylock the Sportsmanship Award for 2001-2002 school year. This is the second year in a row that Mr. Greylock has received this award, which recognizes the excellent character that our students display in all sports. As our students displayed their academic, artistic talents, they also demonstrated concern for others through activities and projects that served the school and community. The student council has a very active year, involved in many school-wide activities. It orchestrated fund-raisers, hosted a spring senior citizens dinner, and contributed to needy families. In the autumn the Student Council initiated Project 540 to promote student civic engagement. The Council hosted numerous student round tables, soliciting student opinions on a variety of school issues. It will create and reinforce structures and practices that honor the voices, ideas and actions of students. A number of students committed themselves to performing one hundred hours of service to school and community as part of the Presidential Service Challenge. In this spring we honored twelve for their exemplary service to others. Two were awarded $1000 scholarships for outstanding service. The Williamstown Community Chest supported our emphasis on service by giving Mt. Greylock a grant of $1000 to help fund these scholarships. Meanwhile, our teachers were encouraging service through their courses. In the spring nine teachers took their classes to the elementary schools in Williamstown, Lanesborough, and Hancock, and our students conducted mini lessons for children on such topics as ecological diversity, physical fitness, Latin mythology, ecology, aerospace, and puppet making. Seven art students contributed to the Words are Wonderful pageant of the Williamstown Elementary School. They created masks and costumes for underprivileged children, enabling these children to participate in the pageant. District Developments Meanwhile, the district was moving forward, in October 2002 our total enrollment was again 799. Lanesborough students accounted for 243 of the total, while Williamstown sent us 427 students. Included in this number were six "A Better Chance" students and one foreign exchange students. Out-of-district students rose from 118 to 129. During 2002 the district pursued outside funds and were able tow in $260,522 in grants to support and improve its program. These funds provided Mt. Greylock with diverse resources such as: Personnel to assist special needs youngsters, Consultation to improve curriculum and instruction, A remedial summer program for middle school students Mentoring and development for new teachers, Shakespeare and Company's production of A Midsummer's Nights Dream, Field Trips to Hancock Shaker Village, and Training for students and faculty in diversity and tolerance. As usual, parents and community volunteers contributed greatly to Mt. Greylock. Parents continued to devote many hours every week to tutoring students, assisting the middle school, and running the College and Career Center. In June the parent group "After Prom 2002" very successfully held an All Nigh Safe Celebration at Eastover Resort in Lenox for the class of 2002. Friends of the Arts presented twenty-one scholarships to graduating seniors who had shown dedication and excellence in their pursuit of the arts. 40th Anniversary Celebration In the spring we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our school. On March 9th local merchants showed their support for the anniversary by contributing a percentage of their sales to the school. In May we hosted four days of activities filled with reminiscences, ceremonies, thoughtful presentations and fun activities. The highest of the four days was the unveiling of the Wall of Recognition. Designed to recognize the lives of people who have made enduring contributions to the life of Mt. Greylock, the Wall celebrates those who have provided vision and direction for the district. It honors those who made enduring contributions that had significant impact on students, faculty and the life of the school. On May 9 we honored eight teachers, one custodian, one administrator, and three School committee members. Mitchie Backiel- Teacher Bruce Carlson- School Committee Member William Clark- Teacher Administrator Richard Dodds- Teacher Guy Dushanek- Teacher Maurice Filler- Counselor Mark Gold- School Committee Member Paul LaPlante- Teacher Edna Lunney- Teacher John Maziarz- Artist in Residence John McGowen- School Committee Member Francis McSweeny- Teacher Ferman Turner- Custodian School Committee Over the year the School Committee took action on a number of items. Its most difficult action was adopting of a FY2003 budget which, while representing a 5.65% increase over FY2002, included a number of cuts to school programs: elimination of field trips and cuts to professional development, athletic travel, and classroom equipment and furniture. In the summer and autumn unexpected costs in special education and in school plumbing led to further cuts in the budget, e.g. computer technology and furniture replacement. The School Committee set four goals for the 2002-2003 school year. Develop and model for student efficient, effective communication and problem solving among all personnel in the school. With this goal we will seek to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational communication and problem solving of all personnel in the building. Translate the mission of the district, "helping students progress toward responsible citizenship," into the daily life of the school. With this goal we will articulate the essential proficiencies of responsible citizenship, highlight what we are doing well, and initiate new programs to promote citizenship. Continue to integrate technology into curriculum and instruction to improve student performance. With this goal we will provide teachers with training and support to integrate technology into their curriculum and instruction. Move to the next stage in developing graduation proficiencies. With this goal we will put the proficiency rubrics into a final draft form for School Committee approval. We will also align the curriculum with the graduation proficiencies and curriculum frameworks, and we will develop a proposal for modes for student demonstrations of proficiency, e.g. senior projects, portfolios, course activities, and/or oral defenses. 2002 marked membership changes on the Committee. In the spring we thanked Peter Smith for his service on the Committee, and we welcomed John Malloy to take his place. In November we said goodbye to Kay Oehler and welcomed Sally White to the Committee. The See Fund In April the SEE Fund awarded $7,897 in grants and $1,185 from the John Allen Fund. These grants supported initiatives for sustaining educational excellence at Mt. Greylock. These grants enabled Mt. Greylock to Create an after-school program to help Middle School students develop empathy, impulse control and anger management; Enhance the school paper through the purchase of a digital camera and graphic design software; Purchase a SMART board -an interactive whiteboard that, with a computer, allows students to explore shapes and relate algebraic expression to real world situations; Provide support for a fledgling lacrosse club; Take students enrolled in stained glass classes on a field trip to New York City to view stained glass treasures. The SEE Fund Board of Governors is continuing its efforts to enhance the size of the endowment fund so that it can expand its efforts to enrich the education of Mt. Greylcok students. Over the long term, the Board hopes to attract donations from bequests and planned gifts. For more information about the SEE Fund should contact Mark Piechota, Superintended of Schools at 413-458-9582, ext.149. Faculty Activities Compared to previous years the faculty was less able to attend staff development workshops and conferences due to sever budget cuts. However, they still showed their commitment to improve Mt. Greylock's programs for students. Two English teachers and our school librarian created an independent reading guide for Mt. Greylock students. Faculty began work revising the entire curriculum in preparation for the school's re-accreditation in 2005. At the same time, they refined and approved the graduation proficiencies for all students. In June Williams College announced that three staff members were the 2003 recipients of the Williams Bicentennial Olmsted Awards. With the assistance of these awards they will initiate programs to promote tolerance and respect among students, and will learn the latest techniques in curriculum coordination. Throughout the year teachers were attending courses at nearby colleges and universities, pursuing advanced degrees in their subject areas. In the autumn a group of faculty musicians organized and performed in an outstanding concert to benefit Berkshire charities. Personnel Changes 2002 also witnessed a number of personnel changes at Mt. Greylock. In June and July we said goodbye to thirteen teachers, one counselor, and one paraprofessional. Six of those teacher retired: Dana Danforth, Anne Dunham, Bill Girard, Peter Pannesco, Will Pommy, and Kenneth Swierad. Five teachers moved out of the area: Sunny da Silva, Kevin Gill, Brooke Mead, Laurie Sigloch, and Amanda Wall. Paraprofessional Lisa St.Pierre bid us adieu as she moved into the business sector. Allison Glover took a year's leave of absence to study in Spain, Christiana Salem returned to full-time homemaking, and Beth Singer accepted appointment as principal of Northampton High School. We wished them all well in their new adventures. We did not replace all of the departing teacher/counselors. We were able to consolidate classes, thereby replacing the departing personnel with eleven teachers, one counselor, and one Paraprofessional. In September we welcomed the following individuals to our school. Margaret Anderson in the special education; Lydia Batten in Latin; Sue Ellen Kelly in French; Sandra Olszewski in guidance; Lynn Quadrozzi in physical Education; Kathy Rinehart in biology; Alberto Tapia in mathematics; Rebecca Tattersall in business; Sharyn Dupee and Phillip LeFavre in middle school English; and Christina Fernandez, Amy Freeman, and Robert Ross in Spanish. In addition to these changes we welcomed back Spanish teacher, Jessica Storey from a year's leave of absence, and we decreased out guidance staff by one counselor, moving Randy Sherwood to English. 2002 was a noteworthy year. Our students made us proud, faculty continued to improve programs and grow professionally, the SEE Fund enhanced education for out students, and we made significant progress in defining our graduation proficiencies for students. We welcomed additions to our faculty and staff, even as we honored those who had served Mt. Greylock and its students for so many years. The year marked beginnings of significant cuts to Mt. Greylock's budget and its programs. As we made these reductions we prepared for further financial challenges in FY2004. Friends of the Arts Notes from January meeting: Many thanks to all the parents and faculty who attended our January meeting with Superintendent Mark Piechota and Principal Russ Norton to discuss our concerns about arts programming and support. Expected budget cuts for next year cast a long shadow over the discussion and the recommendations the FOA would like to make and took up most of the evening. The guiding principle of budgetary priorities will be: "what cuts will cause the least harm to students?" In response to our concern about developing a policy for governing the display of art, Mark Piechota is working on such a policy. Seizing this opportunity for a forum on citizenship, civil rights, and freedom of expression, there was a student debate about guidelines for displaying student artwork. Input from the community is welcome. Unfortunately, the Piano Lab must be packed away to accommodate the teach needs. A number of ideas were generated, e.g., creating a space within the Orchestra room, allowing the Lab to be accessible both semesters. The intention is to re-erect the Lab next year. Please let us know if you are interested in helping with a permanent solution. Middle School Play Progress has been made towards staging a Middle School production. Rehearsals are projected to begin in May and the production scheduled for June 15-16. This is a great opportunity to showcase the exceptional talents of our Middle School students, but it can't happen without parent involvement. If you can lend a hand with anything - fundraising, costumes, sets, backstage - please contact Marge Chamberlain (458-9177; SKLinden@aol.com) or Lisa Hiley (458-3077; lisahhiley@adelphia.net). Field Trips The Friends of the Arts would like to remind al faculty that field trips are still possible, despite the budget cuts. Both the Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art admit students for free and they reimburse busing costs. Moreover, the Friends of the Art may be able to help with other field trips. Please contact us with your ideas. Come to our next meeting! We will increasingly have to rely upon voluntarism and a generous spirit to help compensate for the predicted losses ahead. We are encouraged by the show of support form parents for the Middle School Production. There is so much talent in this community: please consider donating time, effort, ideas, or dollars. Please join us at our next meeting, Tuesday, February 11th at 7:30 PM in the School Library. Also, we would encourage you to attend the School Committee meetings, especially in the next two months, and be in touch with your local legislators and representatives to protest the budget cuts in school financing. Be a Star! Bring you creativity and energy to an FOA meeting (and we can always use your money too!) if you hate meetings but are willing to help a specific event, call Michelle Moeller Chandler (458-8106; chandler@bcn.net) to get on our list of helpers.

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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:57PM / Friday, December 19, 2025

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.) The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few. All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house. New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house. New paver patio in the back yard.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

What do the current owners love about this home?

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

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