Pioneer Valley Regional School Bernardston Leyden Northfield Warwick 97 F. Sumner Turner Road Northfield, Massachusetts 01360 Phone 413-498-2931 Fax 413-498-0184

Pioneer Family Newsletter September – October 2016

Jean Bacon Principal Jen Albert Perry Assistant Principal Cathy Hawkins-Harrison Dean of Students

Principal’s Message I’m delighted that students and staff have finally joined me back at Pioneer. I began work at PVRS on July 1st and had a busy summer getting up to speed and meeting with many students, parents, and staff to discuss their hopes and dreams for Pioneer. Based on what I learned in those summer meetings, there are a few things we have decided to work on right from the start of the school year: Honor Code During their Advisory periods in September students are giving us input for a PVRS Honor Code that will expand upon some elements in the Student Handbook to clearly define for staff, students, and administration what we expect of each other in terms of academic honesty and the culture of mutual respect and trust that are so important to Pioneer’s identity as a school. Study Halls and Electives In order to help students maximize the learning that they experience during the school day, we have decided to run study halls as true study halls where students have quiet time to get their work done. If students do not want or need that time during the school day to keep on top of their work, we have encouraged them to enroll in our many electives, and have created three-day versions of several electives so that they can take advantage of these opportunities opposite their required two-day physical education course. On-line Learning We are working now to open an on-line learning lab by the beginning of the second quarter. The learning lab will give students access to on-line courses that our staff can customize to meet their individual needs for creditrecovery (if they failed a class), extra support (SAT prep for example), access to courses that we do not offer (Chinese), or courses that we cannot fit into their schedules. Parent/Student Portal To facilitate student success we are in the process of opening a parent/student portal so that each student and his/her parents can check the student’s grades and attendance record at any time. Our goal is to improve home/school communication about students’ academic progress. We expect the portal to be open to parents by the beginning of second quarter. We look forward to a safe and productive school year with your students. Please feel free to contact me, Jennifer Albert Perry, our Assistant Principal, or Cathy Hawkins-Harrison, our Dean of Students with any questions or concerns. Our goal is to build effective relationships with each family so that we can work together to ensure your students’ success at Pioneer. [email protected]

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Guidance Department News & Updates Our Team: First and foremost, we would like to welcome and introduce a new member of our Guidance team, Charlie Guimond. Charlie will be working solely at Pioneer this year, providing support to students as a School Adjustment Counselor in our building. The other members of the Guidance team are Erica Masson, School Adjustment Counselor, Matthew Soycher, School Guidance Counselor, Peggy Fallon, School Guidance Counselor, and Janice Towne, Administrative Assistant. We look forward to meeting new families and continuing our work within the community. Here’s our contact information: Janice Towne (Guidance Administrative Assistant) Peggy Fallon (Guidance Counselor Class of 2018-2020-2022) Charlie Guimond (School Adjustment Counselor) Matt Soycher (Guidance Counselor Class of 2017-2019-2021) Erica Masson (School Adjustment Counselor)

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 2

New Student Transition Groups: We will be supporting all incoming new students by offering transition groups for students that are transitioning from other school districts. The goal of these groups is to provide a structured setting to welcome and provide students with helpful information as they enter our community. Topics of the group will include class schedules, school culture and resources to support them through their time at PVRS. We also hope to address any challenges that come up and provide skill building (organization, planning, etc.) that might be necessary for a smooth transition. The students will be divided by grade level. This program will take place during a lunch period. It will be facilitated by our School Adjustment Counselors, Charlie Guimond and Erica Masson. We are aware that finding effective methods for dealing with the transition to a new school is an ongoing process, and we hope these groups will provide some education and support to complement other services and supports that we provide all students. Training Active Bystanders (TAB): TAB is a program for students and teachers to learn how to interrupt harmful situations with a variety of safe intervention techniques. Student-led trainings help students and teachers have the competence and confidence to intervene in negative situations and create a safer environment in the school. Each year our high school trainers lead the 7th Grade through a six lesson curriculum. This year the TAB trainers will be in the 7th Grade classrooms on: October 17, 18, 24, 25, 31, and November 1st, 2016. Bicycles! There has been a buzz around the school during the last week about the bicycle on display in the Guidance Department. We are excited to announce that with really hard work, and tireless hours, we were awarded the Riding for Focus grant sponsored by Specialized Bicycles. What does this mean? We have 30 bicycles for students to ride during the school day, in order to prove that riding bicycles improves focus in the classroom. Our goal? To ride bikes, have FUN! and provide data to Specialized Bicycles showing that riding bikes is, indeed, supporting student attention and focus, and consequently, improving academic success. What can you do as a student? Sign up to be a part of the research project, or just join us after school as part of the bike club. What can you do as a parent? Volunteer some time to ride with our groups, help clean and maintain bikes, and bring our students snacks...you name it and we will find something that will be helpful! Either way, you should come into the Guidance Office to check out what the new bikes look like, and then spread the word! Seeking Community Volunteers! Are you a parent, guardian or community member looking for a fun and creative way to get involved within the Guidance Office? If so, we have just the project for you! In an effort to boost our college-going community conversations, we would like to create a map that identifies the colleges and university that our faculty, staff and alumni have attended. We are seeking volunteers to help gather this information, as well as build this interactive map for our office area. Please call us at 413-498-2931, and press 3 to talk with us about the details. Attention College-Bound Students! Senior meetings have started! Please be sure to let the Guidance Office know of any early decision/action deadlines that you have for college applications. If you are requesting letters of recommendation from teachers, please be sure to give them at least two week notice to write for you. Remember, doing this is in your best interest!

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Fall College Visits to Pioneer: September • •

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September 14—High Point University @ 10:45 September 16—Western New England University @ 8:30 September 19—Keene State @ 9:15 September 19—UMaine Farmington @ 1:00 September 20—Greenfield Community College @ 8:30 September 20—University of New England @ 10:45 September 21—Salem State University @ 9:30 September 26—Southern New Hampshire @ 8:30 September 26—UMaine @ 10:45 September 27— Assumption @ 8:30 September 27—UMASS Boston @ 10:45 September 28—Bentley College @ 10:30 September 29—Fisher College @ 1:00

October • • • • •

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October 3—Fitchburg State @ 1:00 October 4—UMASS Amherst @ 11:00 October 5—Lyndon State @ 8:30 October 11—Endicott College @ 11:30 October 12—American International College @ 9:30 October 13—Gettysburg College @ 11:30 October 14—Lasell College @ 8:30 October 17—Westfield State @ 1:00 October 20—UMASS Lowell @ 8:30 October 24—Unity College @ 9:00 October 26—Elms College @ 8:30 October 27—Framingham State @ 9:30 October 31—Worcester State @ 1:00

November •

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November 1— Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts @ 10:30 November 2—Long Island University @ 9:30 November 7—St. Anselm College @ 9:45 November 8—Hartwick College @ 9:00 November 8—Castleton State College @ 10:00 November 9—Suffolk University @ 9:30

Guidance Evening Program for Students and Parents/Guardians Financial Aid Night- Wednesday, September 28th at 6:30pm in the KIVA This seminar demystifies financial aid. Families will learn what’s involved in the financial aid application process, which factors determine eligibility for aid, how colleges determine the amount of aid to offer, and how to understand financial aid award letters. This presentation also covers the many resources that MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) offers to help students and families along the way. This is a free event and is open to the entire PVRS community. Students and families in grades 11th and 12th grade are strongly encouraged to attend! College Admissions Night- Thursday, October 6th at 6:30pm in the KIVA A panel of college admission representatives from area private and public colleges and universities will be present to discuss the admissions process and answer any college application questions. This is a free event 4

and is open to the entire PVRS community. Students and families in grades 11th and 12th grade are strongly encouraged to attend! College Admissions Tests 2016 PSAT Test Registration and Administration at Pioneer WHAT: PSAT/NMSQT Test WHO: Any 10th or 11th Grade College-Bound Student interested in getting practice before taking the SAT test. Also, 11th graders interested in qualifying for a National Merit Scholarship. WHEN: Wednesday Oct. 19, 2016, 8AM-11:30am (Pre-Testing Registration work session will be scheduled prior to test date-TBD) Deadline to Sign up for PSAT: Wednesday September 21st in the Guidance Office WHERE: PVRS (you will need to bring two #2 pencils and a calculator) WHY: 1. Better understand and prepare for the SAT test, including personalized SAT online practice from Khan Academy and practice managing your time for any standardized test. 2. Determine if the SAT is the college readiness test that best shows your skills and abilities (the ACT is the other option for colleges that require an admission test. There are test optional colleges that don’t require either- check out www.fairtest.org for more information). 3. Measure your readiness for AP classes 4. Get entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program (11th Grade) HOW: Sign up in the Guidance Office with Mrs. Towne. $15 cash or check will reserve your test spot. Checks can be made payable to PVRS. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, September 21st. If you have financial limitations, please speak with your school counselor regarding your specific concern. 2016-17 SAT & ACT Test Registration Deadlines and Test Dates Attention 11th Grade Students! If you are planning to apply to college, now is the time to start preparing for the SAT or ACT college admission tests. Don’t forget that the library has a ton of resources to help you prepare for the test. Taking your admissions tests early in your 11th grade year will give you the opportunity to determine which college admissions test is the best way to show your skills and abilities (ACT or SAT). Starting early in the junior year will also provide you with insight into the subject areas where you may need to sharpen up some skills in order to prepare for a retest. Here are the upcoming testing dates for the SAT and ACT tests. 2016-17 SAT Registration and Test Dates: • Register by October 7th for the November 5th Administration of the SATs. • Register by November 3rd for the December 3rd Administration of the SATs. • Register by December 21st for the January 21st Administration of the SATs. • Register by February 10th for the March 11th Administration of the SATs. • Register by April 7th for the May 6th Administration of the SATs. • Register by May 9th for the June 3rd Administration of the SATs. To register for SAT tests, one must go to www.collegeboard.org and submit payment to the College Board via credit card. Please note, there are late registration deadlines beyond what is listed above, but you will pay a late fee. The official timeline of tests can also be found on the website. 2015 ACT Registration and Test Dates: •

Register by September 16th for the October 22nd Administration of the ACTs. 5

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Register by November 4th for the December 10th Administration of the ACTs. Register by January 13th for the February 11th Administration of the ACTs. Register by March 3rd for the April 8th Administration of the ACTs. Register by May 5th for the June 10th Administration of the ACTs.

To register for ACT tests, one must go to www.act.org and submit payment to the ACT via credit card. Please note, there are late registration deadlines beyond what is listed above, but you will pay a late fee. There are additional dates on the website for Spring test administrations. Students who are eligible for free/reduced lunch can request an SAT/ACT test fee waiver, please stop into the Guidance Office for more information.

PVRSD Safety and Security Update from Assistant Superintendent Gail Healy: During the week of October 10-14 2016 lock down drills will conducted at all five district schools. State police troopers Jim Carmichael and Rick Gawron lead the drills at each school. The Franklin County Safety and Security Task Force has been working with schools and local officials in Franklin County for a number of years now, making recommendations in order to make our schools as safe and secure as possible. They have been on site for the past three years making recommendations regarding our facilities, meeting with faculty/staff and practicing lock down drills. The Franklin County Safety Task Force members include MA State Police personnel, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office personnel, local emergency officials in each town, and PVRSD personnel. After the October drills, the next set of drills conducted by the MA State Police will be unannounced. The districts and towns continue to implement safety measures for our students and faculties. Last year windows in many buildings were covered with a product that allows light in, but does not allow people outside to see in. Locks have been updated or changed in some buildings so classroom doors may be locked. A new gun violence prevention bill signed into law two years ago stated that all schools have specific two-way radio systems to communicate with local fire and police departments. These radios were purchased and there is one at each of the five schools that communicates directly with state police, local fire and police officials. One school not equipped with radios for communication within the building and on the playground purchased five. Window shades in all buildings were installed and/or continue to be repaired. This fall a School Resource Officer will join the faculty, with an office at Pioneer. Resource officers were also a recommendation from the violence prevention bill. Igor Komerzan, Northfield Police Officer is our district resource officer. He recently participated in school resource officer training. Many other Franklin County Schools are also adding this position if they do not already have one. Thank you to all PVRSD faculty and staff for working together in the practice of these drills.

Homework Requests If your child is absent and would like to know what s/he is missing that day (or for several days), it is best to contact the teachers directly via email. Many teachers also post homework on their websites. If your student will be absent for three or more days, please have them request a planned absence form from the main office. If you do not have access to email, you may contact the Guidance office for assistance at (413) 498-2931 Ext. 506 It generally takes 24 hours for Guidance to collect homework assignments. 6

Contacting Us Pioneer email for all staff can be found on the school website in the Staff Directory on the homepage. Staff email is generally: [email protected] (i.e. [email protected]).

PVRSD Nutritional Services Programs REMINDER: Children need healthy meals to learn! Your child may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Free and reduced lunch forms are only good for one school year, so please be sure to update your information by filling out a new form for this school year! Breakfast costs: $1.75 Reduced breakfast costs: $.30 Lunch costs: $3.00 Reduced lunch costs: $.40 Milk costs: $.60 WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS? • • • • •

All children in households receiving benefits from MA SNAP or MA TANF are eligible for free meals. Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals. Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals. Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals. Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.

FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year 2016-2017 Household size Yearly Monthly 1 $21,978 $1,832 2 $29,637 $2,470 3 $37,296 $3,108 4 $44,955 $3,747 5 $52,614 $4,385 6 $60,273 $5,023 7 $67,951 $5,663 8 $75,647 $6,304 Each additional person: $ +7,696 $ +642

Weekly $423 $570 $718 $865 $1,012 $1,160 $1,307 $1,455 $ +148

Messages to Students Getting messages to students during the day can be disruptive to classroom teaching and learning. To minimize these disruptions we ask that you plan your afternoons ahead of time. It is also helpful if you plan ahead for dismissals (for doctor appointments). Please send your student to school with a note that identifies the time you would like your student dismissed from class. This way we will not need to call classrooms and interrupt. 7

A+ School Rewards and Price Chopper Tools for Schools Just a reminder: If you shop at either Stop and Shop or Price Chopper you can sign up for these programs and the school receives points towards school supplies. Please ask at the register how to sign up when you are checking out. Our school code for Stop and Shop is 05104 and the school code for Price Chopper is 44004.

Box Tops for Education The Middle School Learning Center at PVRS collects Box Tops for Education. A collection box can be found in the Main Office. Thank you for your support.

PANTHER SPORTS NEWS Our fall is off to a great start. We had an excellent turn out for our Team Night in August which led to an amazing amount of our students participating in athletics. Our golf team is currently 7-0. Both the varsity and middle school football teams won their season opener. Field Hockey is currently second in the league. We have a separate middle school boys and girls soccer teams and the girls are oh so close to being able to have the three levels again . Our athletes are representing the school, their families and themselves in a very positive way on the playing fields. Keep it up Panthers! I would encourage everyone to come out to watch our teams play. Schedules can be found on www.schedulestar.com simply search for Pioneer Valley Regional School to get to all our schedules. We continue to charge admission to night games and Varsity football games. Prices are $5 for Adults, $3 for seniors and all Students. Students who are on a fall team are free. Believe it or not the winter season is just around the corner. Keep your eyes and ears open to when blue cards will be out. We start November 28th. As always thank you for your support. Go Panthers!

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Family Cheer With the start of our new school year, we are beginning to think about families in need. The season will soon change to cooler weather and the worries about shelter, heat, food, proper clothing, and gifts will be there too. Each year we at Pioneer try to address some of these needs through a program we call Family Cheer. Our wonderful community helps us in many ways to meet some of these diverse wishes/needs. We are asking for your assistance again this year. If you have any questions about this or ideas about how you can help, please contact Karin Browning at [email protected] or Valerie Fontaine at [email protected].

Pioneer welcomes two New Teachers! Gregory Caswell comes to Pioneer after being a stay at home dad for the last two years. He is co-teaching with Betty Whitcomb and with Dianne Stefanini. Previously, Greg has taught math at Chelsea High School and was an AmeriCorps*VISTA for two years. As a VISTA he worked with Middle and High Schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to support robotics teams and tournaments. He is a proud graduate of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA and UMass Amherst. Greg grew up in Central Massachusetts and is now very happy to call Greenfield home.

We welcome Genevieve Garanin to our Pioneer Valley Regional School! Ms. Garanin is the 8th grade science teacher and is highly enthusiastic about being a part of our community. She brings with her twelve years of teaching experience, as well as, experience in middle school administration. Ms. Garanin has an impressive resume’ that not only notes her teaching expertise, but also valuable experience leading extra-curricular clubs, activities, and middle school community building activities. She enjoys the outdoors, tennis, and skiing, just to name a few of her interests. We are very excited to have Ms. Garanin join our community!

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Class of 2021 Fundraisers The 8th grade class will be holding our Fall fundraiser selling frozen Braid Breads and cookies that are ready to thaw and put in the oven. These are perfect for that special occasion or an unexpected celebration. The purpose for this fundraiser is to help pay for the buses for our end-of-year trip to Six Flags New England. Funds could also help reduce the overall entrance cost to Six Flags, depending on how much we raise. We will be handing out the sales sheets to students on October 17 and will need to collect them by October 31. Distribution will be November 15. This is a great item to have on hand for Thanksgiving! The 8th class thanks you for your support! ********************************************************************************* The 8th grade team will be selling class t-shirts as a fund raiser. We will be providing students with more information in the coming weeks. Monies from t-shirt sales will be used for 8th grade events throughout the year.

Our Web Site http://www.pvrs.pvrsdk12.org/ Please be sure to check out our new website for valuable information on school events and meetings!

Student Accident Insurance Cover your child against medical and dental injuries, whether at home or at school with voluntary student accident insurance. Brochures can be picked up in the main office.

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SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED Want to work the same hours that your children are in school?

Become a Substitute Teacher! Visit www.schoolspring.com to fill out an online application • • • • • • • • • • • •

Social Studies Special Education English Health & Wellness PE Math Band Tech Ed Science Business Foreign Language Paraprofessional

Contact Susan Anthony via email at [email protected] Call 413-498-2931 Ext 501 for more information! 11

Come support the PVRS Chorus Program! Calliope Café Friday October 28th, 2016 In the Cafeteria at 7:00 PM $5.00 Admission This is the chance to see Pioneer’s talent in the performing arts!!!

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Pioneer Important Dates Late Buses Have Started! Every Monday & Thursday

4:00 PM

School Council Meeting

Monday, September 19

4:30 PVRS Thursday October 6

Columbus Day, No School

Monday, October 10

Progress Reports Distributed

Tuesday, October 11

PSAT Administration

Wednesday, October 19

Homecoming Events

Saturday, October 15

School Picture Retake Day

Tuesday October 18

School Council Meeting

4:30 PVRS Thursday October 20

Full Day Staff In-service-No School

School Committee Meeting

NO SCHOOL

Friday October 21

NO SCHOOL

7:00 NES Thursday, October 27

Calliope Café 7:00

Friday, October 28

Scarecrow in the Park

Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23

8th Grade Fall Night of Fun

6:30-8:00 PM Thursday November 10

Veteran’s Day-No School

Friday November 11

Report Cards Distributed

Monday November 14

NO SCHOOL

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