Family Communication from the Superintendent, 1-28-25

Superintendent's Update January 28, 2025 Dear CBRSD Families, As we head into February, please be aware that it is cold and flu season. We are seeing cases of flu, strep throat and norovirus (stomach bug). School nurses are sending letters home to classrooms where multiple students are affected to help you with identifying the cause of your student's symptoms. If you have any questions or concerns about your student's illness and wellbeing, please call your school nurse.  I have received questions and concerns regarding immigrant and refugee student and family rights.  I wanted to keep you informed of our response. The state is offering training to provide school districts in Massachusetts with guidance from both the Attorney General's Office and the Office of Refugees and Immigrants. All district administrators will participate and follow-through with communication to their staff members. We will be adhering to all state recommendations and guidelines which include a comprehensive understanding of all official documentation as well as ensuring all instances of this nature are handled through school principals and me (Central Office). I will manage any inquiries that come up in consultation with our legal counsel. Additionally, we will call any families involved if a situation comes up.  Enjoy the remainder of your week! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Information/Links:  Bus Route s Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High Scho ol   DEIB  & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Tuesday, Jan 28 2025

Chapter 70 Presentation by Tracy Novick

At the January 23rd School Committee Meeting, Tracy Novick from MASC presented 70 (minutes) on (chapter) 70. You can view the recording of the presentation  here . View the PDF of the presentation slides here .

Friday, Jan 24 2025

CBRSD Family Communication from the Superintendent, ...

Superintendent's Update January 16, 2025 Dear CBRSD Families, Friday, January 17 , marks the end of the second quarter . Time is flying! This means that report cards will be sent home a week from this Friday,  January 24 .  If you have questions or concerns about your student's report card, please contact your student's teacher(s) or the building principal.  The Chair of the CBRSD School Committee, Rich Peters, is facilitating a Superintendent Search for the upcoming school year 2025-26. If you are interested in serving on this committee as a parent/caregiver please email him at: rpeters@cbrsdk12.org Additionally, he will be sending a survey shortly  to the CBRSD Community soon to gather information that will assist in choosing a new CBRSD Superintendent. T hursday, January 23 , School Committee will host a Public Hearing focused on the FY26 Budget with Tracy Novick from MSBA; specifically how Chapter 70 is determined as well as how contributions from our 7 Member Towns are determined. All are invited to attend. It will be held at Nessacus Middle School in the auditorium at  6:00 PM. Monday,  January 20, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there is no school for students. Have a great weekend! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Information/Links:  Bus Route s Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High Scho ol   DEIB  & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Thursday, Jan 16 2025

CBRSD Family Communication from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Update January 8, 2025 Dear CBRSD Families, I wanted to update you regarding yesterday's communication about the PowerSchool data breach. While PowerSchool does include a field for social security numbers, please be reassured that Central Berkshire does not store this information in our PowerSchool database. Additionally, we have successfully changed all student passwords. Thank you! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Information/Links:  Bus Route s Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High Scho ol   DEIB  & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Thursday, Jan 09 2025

CBRSD Family Communication from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Update January 8, 2025 Dear CBRSD Families, Yesterday afternoon, PowerSchool, our student information system, disclosed a data breach that affected schools across Massachusetts and the nation. From our perspective, this breach necessitates some precautionary measures to maximize student information security. As a result, in collaboration with our technology director, we will be changing all student passwords.  Please be reassured that our most sensitive student data such as IEPs and health records are stored in systems other than PowerSchool.  At this time, we believe that the scope of this data breach is limited and consists primarily of demographic data. Our action steps at this point are of a precautionary nature as we continue to investigate and receive information from PowerSchool. I will continue to monitor the situation. We anticipate receiving more information this afternoon. I will update all affected community members if additional steps are necessary.  Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Information/Links:  Bus Route s Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High Scho ol   DEIB  & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Wednesday, Jan 08 2025

12-3-24 CBRSD Family Newsletter

 Superintendent's Update FAMILY NEWSLETTER December 3, 2024 Superintendent’s Message Dear Central Berkshire Families, I wanted to follow-up yesterday's message with two additional important items.   Similar to the elementary schools, Nessacus Middle School has scheduled a a family engagement evening focused on literacy that promises to be a fabulous night! It will include a story walk, crafts, games, raffle prizes, and more!! Please consider setting aside time to attend this evening to help us continue to stress the importance of literacy through community engagement! *A more detailed agenda can be found here .* The Berkshire County Superintendent's  Roundtable recently met to develop a statement that supports a sense of belonging for our athletes and community members to maximize welcoming and inclusive settings. As a collective group, we agreed to share this message with our communities to continue to uphold high expectations for all to ensure positive sports experiences for all community members. Please see below for communication that represents a collective message regarding the values this body upholds. Statement on Behalf of Berkshire County Superintendents, High School Principals, and Athletic Directors                           Berkshire County superintendents, principals, and athletic directors feel that there is a need to address fan behavior and sportsmanship at high school athletic contests that are not in keeping with our schools’ core values and beliefs. We believe it is imperative that all participants and attendees experience a sense of belonging at these events. This means all student-athletes, coaches, and officials should be able to carry out their duties on the field of competition without fear of verbal or physical attacks. Behavior by students, coaches, fans, or other attendees that is unwelcoming or hostile will not be tolerated. All of our schools strive to provide inclusive and family-friendly events. In an effort to maximize the value of educational athletics, we have agreed upon the following priorities as we head into the winter athletic season: All superintendents have committed to providing comprehensive communication to community stakeholders to ensure consistency in messages regarding conduct at sporting events. All superintendents have committed to providing appropriate staffing at each event to supervise and monitor participants and fans. All coaches, student-athletes, and administrators will model the expectations for good sportsmanship at each event. All schools have agreed upon a minimum 2-week suspension period for fans removed from an event.  All schools will continue to reinforce and model MIAA guidelines. Finally, we appreciate our school communities for supporting our athletic programs. All fans should feel welcome in all venues. Sportsmanship is the expectation. Let the players play, let the coaches coach, and let the officials officiate! Have a great rest of the week! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Information/Links:  Bus Route s Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High Scho ol   DEIB  & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Tuesday, Dec 03 2024

12-2-24 CBRSD Family Newsletter

 Superintendent's Update FAMILY NEWSLETTER December 2, 2024 Superintendent’s Message Dear Central Berkshire Families, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  This Thursday evening 12-5-24 , our three elementary schools will be hosting a family literacy evening at  Craneville School, from 6-7:30.  The evening will include a lite dinner (6:00-6:30 pm first come, first served), crafts, and stories read by some of our community members. Please find a more detailed agenda here . We are excited to host this event for our families to highlight the importance of literacy!  I hope to see you there! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent   Have a great week! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Reminders... Wendy Provencher, the CBRSD Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement has arranged for a 4 Part Series for our families of young children focused on the following topics: JANUARY 30, 2025 7-8 on zoom • The Foundations of Self-Regulation in Young Children FEBRUARY 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Navigating Big Emotions and Challenging Behavior in Young MARCH 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Setting Effective Boundaries with young children, and Our speaker, Christine D'Agostino has an area of expertise in the field of relational neuroscience, and is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and emphasizes self-compassion and self-care as we learn and grow as parents. If you are interested in attending please complete the survey below to register: https://forms.gle/pQC7yer6wtWzUtJd6 Important Dates   Event Date Half-Day for Students Dec. 13  Half-Day for Students Dec. 20 Holiday Break Dec. 23-Jan. 1 Back-To-School! Jan. 2 ParentSquare   Parents—Getting Started Video Important Information/Links:  Bus Routes Lunch  is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High School DEIB & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Monday, Dec 02 2024

11-7-24 CBRSD Family Newsletter

 Superintendent's Update FAMILY NEWSLETTER November 7, 2024 Superintendent’s Message Dear Central Berkshire Families, I hope you are enjoying the unusually warm weather! If you are scheduled for Parent/Caregiver Conferences today you will notice that there is a designated area in each school to participate in a District Survey about our instructional programming. You should find both QR codes and Chrome books set up. You can take this survey in multiple ways including your phone, personal computer or school Chromebook Station. Please see below for both the QR code and link to the survey.    The link to the survey can be found  here. Thank you ahead of time for participating. This will provide us with valuable information regarding your student's instructional programming. I wanted to also address the recent change regarding MCAS as a graduation requirement as we have recently received several inquiries.  What we know right now, based on communication from the MA Acting Commissioner, is that the earliest the law would take effect is December 5, 2024. However, there are still several unknowns. I will be participating in upcoming electronic calls with the MA Commissioner alongside statewide superintendents, to clarify expectations over the next few weeks and will include this information in my upcoming communication.  I hope you have an opportunity to schedule a conference with your student's teachers as these partnerships are key to our success as educators. Thank you, Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Reminders... Our first Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)  meeting will be held on on Tuesday, November 19 at 6pm via ZOOM.  T hese meetings are intended to serve CBRSD Families whose students receive services through the Special Education Department. The director of this department is Mr. Nathan Loux. He will set a yearly schedule at this first meeting and identify important topics such as the new strengths-based IEP process.  Join Zoom Meeting:   https://cbrsd-org.zoom.us/j/83469055984?pwd=Vd0sJEGXbCrXyb1bc33fxjv5RRBat2.1   Meeting ID: 834 6905 5984  Passcode: 692595 Wendy Provencher, the CBRSD Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement has arranged for a 4 Part Series for our families of young children focused on the following topics: JANUARY 30, 2025 7-8 on zoom • The Foundations of Self-Regulation in Young Children FEBRUARY 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Navigating Big Emotions and Challenging Behavior in Young MARCH 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Setting Effective Boundaries with young children, and Our speaker, Christine D'Agostino has an area of expertise in the field of relational neuroscience, and is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and emphasizes self-compassion and self-care as we learn and grow as parents. If you are interested in attending please complete the survey below to register: https://forms.gle/pQC7yer6wtWzUtJd6 Important Dates   Event Date Half-Day/Parent/Caregiver Conferences November 7 Report Cards November 8 Veterans Day November 11/No School Thanksgiving Break November 27/Half-Day November 28/No School November 29/No School ParentSquare   Parents—Getting Started Video Important Information/Links:  Bus Routes Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High School DEIB & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Thursday, Nov 07 2024

10-20-24 CBRSD Family Newsletter

 Superintendent's Update FAMILY NEWSLETTER October 20, 2024 Superintendent’s Message Dear Central Berkshire Families, Despite the warm weather predicted for this week, I am working on our procedures for inclement weather days. This year we will utilize ParentSquare to inform our families, staff, and community of any changes to the school day schedule due to weather. This means you will receive notifications in the same manner that you currently receive ParentSquare messages. Like in years past, you will also receive a phone message. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in PowerSchool. If you are not sure, you can call your student's school and the administrative assistant can check for you. Our first Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)  meeting will be held on on Tuesday, November 19 at 6pm via ZOOM.  T hese meetings are intended to serve CBRSD Families whose students receive services through the Special Education Department. The director of this department is Mr. Nathan Loux. He will set a yearly schedule at this first meeting and identify important topics such as the new strengths-based IEP process.  Join Zoom Meeting:   https://cbrsd-org.zoom.us/j/83469055984?pwd=Vd0sJEGXbCrXyb1bc33fxjv5RRBat2.1   Meeting ID: 834 6905 5984  Passcode: 692595 Wendy Provencher, the CBRSD Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement has arranged for a 4 Part Series for our families of young children focused on the following topics: OCTOBER 24, 2024 7-8 on zoom • Nervous System Regulation for Parents and Caregivers JANUARY 30, 2025 7-8 on zoom • The Foundations of Self-Regulation in Young Children FEBRUARY 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Navigating Big Emotions and Challenging Behavior in Young MARCH 27, 2025 7-8 on zoom • Setting Effective Boundaries with young children, and Our speaker, Christine D'Agostino has an area of expertise in the field of relational neuroscience, and is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and emphasizes self-compassion and self-care as we learn and grow as parents. If you are interested in attending please complete the survey below to register: https://forms.gle/pQC7yer6wtWzUtJd6 Have a great week! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Dates   Event Date 1st Quarter Closes October 30 Half-Day/Parent/Caregiver Conferences November 7 Report Cards November 8 Veterans Day November 11/No School Thanksgiving Break November 27/Half-Day November 28/No School November 29/No School ParentSquare   Parents—Getting Started Video Important Information/Links:  Bus Routes Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High School DEIB & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Monday, Oct 21 2024

10-1-24 CBRSD Family Newsletter

 WELCOME BACK TO THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR! October 1, 2024 Superintendent’s Message Dear Central Berkshire Families, I hope you are enjoying the fall weather! We have a busy month ahead. The first DEIB/Parent/Caregiver Advisory is scheduled for  Monday, October 7 at Wahconah Regional High School (Learning Commons) at 6:30pm. Even if this is not something you have attended before, please feel free to join us. It is open to all! We will be discussing student achievement results from an equity lens, Title I Services at Central Berkshire, as well as our upcoming family engagement evening. The agenda can be found here . I wanted our CBRSD families to be aware of new guidelines regarding attendance at our after-school sporting events. Central Berkshire values and promotes all after-school sports events as a way for our community to support our students and enrich their school experience. We make every effort to ensure safe and family-friendly settings by providing refreshments and having on-site supervision by CBRSD staff, EMTs, and a police presence. Recently, we have noticed that unattended elementary and middle school-age students have created safety concerns for those responsible for supervising the event. As such, we are asking that all elementary and middle school attendees be accompanied by a parent/caregiver, or an adult in a supervisory role.  Students who attend without this supervision will be asked to remain at the entrance gate until a parent/caregiver or adult (in a supervisory role) can be reached to join them in watching the game. Please understand that our intention in implementing these guidelines is to maximize a safe and family-friendly setting for all. We very much appreciate and value the support we receive from our families. Thank you! Leslie Blake-Davis Superintendent Important Dates   Event Date In-Service for CBRSD Staff October 11/No School Indigenous Peoples' Day October 14/No School 1st Quarter Closes November 1 Half-Day/Parent/Caregiver Conferences November 7 Report Cards November 8 Veterans Day November 11/No School ParentSquare   Parents—Getting Started Video Important Information/Links:  Bus Routes Lunch   is free for all Students. Please find links to all menus below: Elementary Schools Middle/High School DEIB & Parent/Caregiver Advisory Meeting Dates Central Berkshire Instagram CBRSD Health Services Family Calendar District Calendar Bullying Incident Reporting Form Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan 2024  

Tuesday, Oct 01 2024