Local News

Juuling in school: E-cigarette use prevalent among local youth

Posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Date: 11/13/2018
Link: Complete Article

NORTHAMPTON — Over the last decade, middle and high school students have been smoking cigarettes less — rates have dropped significantly since 2011. The bad news is that a new vice is on the rise with young people: Juuling. If you don’t know what that is, you’re not alone. Juul is a brand of e-cigarette that vaporizes a… [Read More]

PVRS students walk out in support of transgendered individuals

Posted on Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Max Marcus, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 11/6/2018
Link: Complete Article

NORTHFIELD — Ninety-three students walked out of class at Pioneer Valley Regional School Tuesday morning and stood in the rain to show support for transgender people, while the state voted on Question 3, a referendum on a law against discriminating on the basis of gender identity. “Let them be what they want to be!” said seventh-grader Emily… [Read More]

Rural School Aid awarded to local districts

Posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Diane Broncaccio, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 11/6/2018
Link: Complete Article

DALTON – State Sen. Adam G. Hinds and state education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced that 33 rural school districts will receive part of a new $1.5 million appropriation to help cash-strapped rural schools in sparsely populated communities. In Franklin County, the largest aid sums went to Ralph C. Mahar, Mohawk Trail and Pioneer Valley regional school… [Read More]

Smith Academy principal leaving for bigger school

Posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Date: 10/31/2018
Link: Complete Article

HATFIELD – Andrew Berrios is leaving his position as principal of Smith Academy for a job as a middle school principal in Connecticut. “There’s nothing negative to say about here and why I’m leaving,” Berrios said of the decision. “It’s strictly for growth.” With over a thousand students, John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, Connecticut is much larger than Smith… [Read More]

Raising the bar: Belchertown elementary school to provide piano education to all students

Posted on Monday, October 29th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Jacquelyn Voghel, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Date: October 28, 2018
Link: Complete Article

BELCHERTOWN — A new piano lab set to be installed at Swift River Elementary School will provide all students with a basic piano education by the time they finish third grade. The collegiate level piano lab, which is planned to open at the school in February, will include 12 Yamaha Clavinova CLP-635 pianos. The pianos… [Read More]

Crocker Farm teacher awarded 2018 Roger L. Wallace Excellence in Teaching Award

Posted on Friday, October 26th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Lauren Mattone, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Date: 10/25/2018
Link: Complete Article

AMHERST — On Tuesday afternoon, Crocker Farm Elementary third grade teacher Lauren Mattone pointed to three photos on the board: a forest, a beach and a landscape. You just arrived here and this is what you see, she tells her students. “What do you think?” she asks the group. As part of a social studies… [Read More]

Jackson steps down as Amherst Regional High School principal

Posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Gazette Staff, The Gazette
Date: 10/18/2018
Link: Complete Article

AMHERST — After 15 years working in the district, Mark Jackson announced Thursday that he would retire as principal of Amherst Regional High School on Nov. 1. Because he will be using accrued vacation time, Thursday was his last day, according to an email announcement from Superintendent Michael Morris. “Although the timing may seem less… [Read More]

Collaborative for Educational Services Begins Statewide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Project

Posted on Friday, October 12th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Collaborative for Educational Services
Date: 10/12/2018

Northampton, MA — The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) Healthy Families and Communities department has received federal funding for a three year project that will provide Youth Mental Health First Aid training to educators, administrators and parents across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) will fund the project… [Read More]

$1M to fight youth opioid addiction

Posted on Saturday, October 6th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Joshua Solomon, Hampshire Gazette
Date: 10/5/2018
Link: Complete Article

GREENFIELD — Six communities across the country received word this week from the Department of Justice that they will receive money to further study the causes and effects of the opioid crisis among young adults. One of the six: a western Mass. collective spearheaded by the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North… [Read More]

‘We don’t come with the house’ FCTS students built Erving home with help from GSB Foundation

Posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Domenic Poli, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 10/4/2018
Link: Complete Article

ERVING – Dozens of Franklin County Technical School students huddled together for a photograph around 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, but it was no ordinary school photo. They stood in front of 26 Central St., a house they built with their own hands. Greenfield Savings Bank set up the Franklin Technical School Building Society Inc. to finance the project, and students in the… [Read More]