The Mount Greylock Regional School District team held a webinar presentation and Q&A session on September 29, 2020. Please see the video and the Q&A set below, along with addition school-specific links to resources.
View the Webinar Questions & Answers
View a "back to school" video that is specific to Lanesborough Elementary School
September 18, 2020
Dear Mount Greylock Families and Staff Members,
The School Committee of the Mount Greylock Regional School District (MGRSD) and the Mount Greylock Educators Association (MGEA) agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding for the reopening of MGRSD schools on September 15, 2020 (link) and signatures were affixed to the document today. The agreement establishes timelines and conditions that are described in the following paragraphs.
PHASED IN REOPENING PLAN
Students in Grades K-12 will start the school year remotely and continue in that model through October 2, 2020. Students in PreK and students who have been identified as high needs will participate in in-person programs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and a remote program on Wednesdays. This schedule will continue throughout the school year regardless of the K-12 model, provided it is safe to do so.
Starting October 5, 2020, K-12 students will attend school in a hybrid model. The K-6 Hybrid Model will feature an in-person morning session for Cohort A and an afternoon in-person session for Cohort B on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The in-person portion of the day will be dedicated to instruction in the core subjects and the remote portion of the day will focus on specialist subjects (art, PE, music, technology), asynchronous assignments from classroom teachers, and additional help and practice in the core subjects supported by school staff. Wednesdays will be remote for all students.
The November 2, 2020 date for all K-6 students to begin full day attendance every day except Wednesday is no longer part of the plan.
The K-6 Reopening Plan includes a Remote Academy for families that have indicated a choice not to send their children to school for in-person instruction. As mentioned in an earlier email, the number of families opting for remote-only instruction dropped precipitously between the late July Family Survey and the late August Family Survey requiring a redesign. The schedule for the Remote Academy will mirror the hybrid schedule with core instruction during half the day by a remote teacher and the remaining portion of the day focusing on specialist subjects, asynchronous assignments from remote core teachers, and additional help and practice in the core subjects supported by school staff. A detailed description of the K-6 Remote Academy schedule will be distributed to relevant families on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, and will include the names of teachers assigned to each grade level.
The 7-12 Hybrid Model will feature full-day, in-person instruction for Cohort A on Mondays and Tuesdays and full-day, in-person instruction for Cohort B on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will be remote. Students will have a 9 period (including lunch and direct study) non-rotating schedule with guidelines for synchronous and asynchronous instruction. In-person students and remote students will participate daily.
The School Committee has scheduled monthly Special Sessions focused solely on educational issues related to implementation of the reopening plan. The next two meetings are scheduled for 6:00 pm on September 24 and October 22.
METRICS FOR DETERMINING IN-PERSON OR REMOTE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION
The MGRSD School Committee and the Mount Greylock Education Association agreed on using the following metrics for making decisions about in-person or remote instruction in the MGRSD.
The following metrics will result in remote instruction:
A. If guidance from the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) or the Williamstown Public Health official indicates that the district should move to remote learning.
B. Test Positivity Rates of 3% or greater in Berkshire County.
C. Test Positivity Rates of 3% or greater in the combined member towns.
D. Under the state’s new community COVID-19 ranking model (which is determined by the Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report), a rating of Yellow or Red in either of the member towns of Lanesborough and Williamstown for three (3) consecutive weeks. http://massgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=9f5b8ae8d0e24a1b98c55f704aaa24f3
a. Metric subject to State guidance on map interpretation.
E. Under the state’s new community COVID-19 ranking model (which is determined by the Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report), a rating of grey or green in either of the member towns of Lanesborough and Williamstown for three (3) consecutive weeks will result in a return to in-school instruction after school closure due to three (3) consecutive weeks of yellow or red.· http://massgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=9f5b8ae8d0e24a1b98c55f704aaa24f3
a. Metric subject to State guidance on map interpretation.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The MGRSD School Committee and the Mount Greylock Education Association agreed on the following safety precautions.
A. No snack times in the classroom during a.m. or p.m. sessions at the elementary schools, except if required by 504 Plan or IEP.
B. At the middle/high school, student lunches will not be in the classrooms for grades 7-12. Arrangements are being made for student lunches to be in several locations including the cafeteria, the gymnasium, and, weather permitting, outside under tents.
C. The district will work towards two (2) air exchanges per hour (ACH) and UV-C in all buildings.
D. A portable air purifier unit will be put in any rooms below 2 ACH.
MOVING FORWARD
Much more information will be forthcoming of the next two weeks. I will be reaching out with email and on the district website. Thank you for your patience over the past several months.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Putnam
Interim Superintendent
September 2, 2020 Reopening Presentation and Documents
View the Full Set of Slides
View the Back to School Questions & Answers
(Last updated: September 5, 2020 11:16pm)
September 1, 2020
Dear Mount Greylock Regional School District Families and Staff,
The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee has been in negotiations with the Mount Greylock Educators Association in regard to the 2020 Reopening Plan as is required by MGL ch. 150E. On September 1, 2020 the school committee voted to support a number of changes to the Reopening Plan originally presented on August 13, 2020. I will be explaining the changes to the reopening plan in a Zoom Meeting scheduled for 6:30 on Wednesday September 2, 2020. The meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to join the meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95618139659?pwd=TnhwUUlFZStsRG9VZEQ3WlRMMHJlUT09 Meeting ID: 956 1813 9659 Passcode: 584052 One tap mobile +13126266799,,95618139659# US (Chicago) +16468769923,,95618139659# US (New York)
The School Committee voted to approve the changes listed HERE.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Putnam
Interim Superintendent
Mount Greylock Regional School District
August 17, 2020
Dear Mount Greylock Regional School District Families,
The Mt Greylock Regional School District 2020 Reopening Plan voted at the August 13, 2020 meeting is available for review HERE. The following paragraphs describe the most important components of the plan and summarize the changes to the superintendent’s proposed plan.
The only significant changes from the superintendent’s proposal were:
· K-6 students attend 4 full days a week in class sizes of up to 16 students rather than K-6 students attending 4 half days in classes of 8-12 students.
· Starting in-person classes on September 16 rather than Oct. 1
Other than those two changes, the school committee voted to accept the superintendent’s proposal.
The Tuesday and Thursday presentations of the district reopening plan utilized remote-only learning during the period of September 16 through October 1. The School Committee’s vote expressed hope for 4 full days of in-person learning at the elementary schools (grades PreK-6) starting September 16 and immediate implementation of a hybrid schedule for grades 7-12 on September 16.
The significant adjustments made by the School Committee were based in aspirations to more rapidly introduce significant in-person learning time.
The school committee's decision was entirely consistent with the most recent guidance from the Department of Public Health and DESE that set an expectation for in-person attendance options for communities such as ours with a low prevalence of COVID. If conditions were to change, the reopening plans would change.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Putnam
Interim Superintendent
August 14, 2020
Please click Here for the Reopening Plan that was presented to the School Committee last night, August 13, 2020. Video Recording of the August 13, 2020 School Committee meeting can be found Here.
August 5, 2020
Dear Mount Greylock Regional School District Families,
This page provides you with the most recent information and guidance sent to the District by the Commonwealth and the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. The page also presents Covid-19 Research Studies compiled by members of our community. The Reopening Group folders are currently empty awaiting an opinion. The Reopening Groups are presented below.
The school committee will be meeting in-person at 4:00 on Thursday, August 6 to review the administration’s plan. The public can view the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLR0nrLhpZHIyPFUhaMxPSg .
In the event that the school committee requires more information or changes, another meeting will be scheduled.
You can read the summary of the three plans that were submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education here. The plan that will be discussed at the meeting has some changes but this can give you an idea of the direction of the administration.
Sincerely,
Rob Putnam
Interim Superintendent
REOPENING GROUPS
Technology- Mary MacDonald, Cody Scolforo(MGRS), Rebecca Leonard(WES), Juliann Haskins(LES) Pat Blackman (MGRS) Erik Forsberg (MGRS), Rob Mathews (MG parent), Jude Higdon-Topaz (WES parent), Rob Wnuk, Oscar Low(Gr. 12), Elisa Smith
Facilities- Tim Sears, Jim O’Brien (WES), Ryan Skrocki(MGRS) or Brandon Crouse(MGRS), Glen Storie (LES), Rob Wnuk, George Munemo (Gr. 9)
Instruction- Joelle Brookner, Jake Schutz(MGRS Principal), Kristen Thompson(WES Principal), Mary Angelo-Roberts, Anne Sulzman, Kathy Barnes, Dawn Stewart, Sean MacDonald, Cindy Sheehy, Patrick Priester (Acting Director of Pupil Services), Colleen Martin, Brandon Price, Chris Mastendino, Colin Shebar, Altan McIntosh, Sol Sutter, Andres Sanchez
Wellness-Nolan Pratt (LES Principal), Elea Kaatz (WES Assistant Principal), Kathy Larson (School nurse), Christy Viall (School Psychologist), Keith Jones (School Social Worker),Bethany Persing (School Social Worker), Nichole Russell (School Nurse), Geri O’Brien (School Psychologist), Beverly Maselli (MGRS Guidance Counselor), Jessica Casalinova( MGRS Guidance Counselor), PJ Pannesco (MGRS Guidance Counselor), Wendy Powell (School Psychologist), Carol Stein-Payne (School Nurse), Kim Shand (Paraprofessional), Dr. Childsy Art, Dr. Kathy Wiseman
Operations- Robert Putnam, Rob Wnuk, Joe Bergeron, Elissa Wong (Gr. 10), Nate Overbaugh, Callian Fippinger
Governance- Robert Putnam and Christina Conry (SC Chair), Patrick Priester, Rafa Mellow-Bartels (Gr. 8),
Parent/Community/Team- Molly Polk, Rob Matthews (School Council), Amie Hane (PAC), Jude Higdon-Topaz(DEI), Nichole Porther(DEI), Jose Constantine(DEI), Amy Mercier, Megan Renzi, Sarah Powell
Co and Extra Curricular, Athletics- Lindsey von Holtz (Athletic Director MGRS), Mike Williams (Wmstown), Jason Costa (Lanesborough)
MISSION: At Mount Greylock Regional School District, our mission is to create a community of learners working together in a safe and challenging learning environment that encourages restorative based processes, respect, inclusive diversity, courtesy, integrity and responsibility through high expectations and cooperation resulting in life-long learning and personal growth.
