Pittsfield Goes Back to School With Tighter Cell Phone PolicyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:13PM / Saturday, August 24, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee has tightened the district's cell phone regulations but some recognize that it may not be enough.
On Wednesday, a revised policy was passed that holds students' phones in the main office on a second infraction. By the fourth, the student is assigned Restorative In-School Education (RISE) and a caregiver must pick up the device.
A tiered cell phone policy was accepted last summer and after more than 6,300 infractions occurred in the subsequent school year, administrators went back to the drawing board.
Over the past month, teachers, families, and committee members helped inform a refined policy that interim Assistant
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BCC Theatre Program Gets at Boost With Grant | 11:15AM / Thursday, August 22, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), thanks to a federal Carl D. Perkins Grant, will install new equipment and hire a full-time faculty member this fall. The grant covers expenses for a new LED lightboard, which complements a recently upgraded mixing board. In addition, a new full-time Assistant Professor of Theatre, Jack Golden, will join BCC in the fall semester. "We are so pleased to have been awarded Perkins Grant funding for a new state-of-the-art LED lightboard, which will allow us to train students on the most up-to-date technology used in the field," said Matthew Muller, Dean of Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences. >> Read More |
BCC Extends One Stop Enrollment Center Hours | 10:51AM / Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — In preparation for the fall semester, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 3, Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces a temporary extension of One Stop Enrollment Center hours. In addition to its normal hours of 8 am – 4 pm Monday through Friday, One Stop will be open until 6 pm Monday through Thursday from Aug. 19 through Sept. 10. On Thursday, Aug. 29, Student Orientation Day, One Stop will be open until 8 pm. The One Stop Enrollment Center is a full-service operation for incoming and prospective students, who can view an admission checklist and apply, browse a course catalogue, file a financial aid form or schedule a tour without an >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee to Review New Cell Phone RegsBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff
05:46AM / Monday, August 19, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to consider the appointment of a new special education director and learn about updated cell phone regulations for the district. Interim Deputy Superintendent Matthew Bishop gave the committee a preview of the new rules at its meeting last week. He said the administration had planned a meeting with the district's principals to finalize the new plan to address infractions. Under the plan presented last Wednesday, students would be subject to a five-step series of measures based on the number of times they violate the policy. The first infraction would result in the student >> Read More |
PIttsfield School Committee Endorses 'Aggressive' Timeline to Decide on Middle School ConfigurationBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, August 15, 2024 | |
Superintendent of School Joseph Curtis addresses the School Committee on Wednesday night in City Council chambers. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee on Wednesday approved an ambitious timeline that could see the city's middle school reconfiguration implemented as soon as the 2025-26 academic year. On a vote of 6-0 with one member, Diana Belair, absent, the committee accepted the proposal of Superintendent Joseph Curtis that would see a Middle School Restructuring Committee organized later this month. That committee would continue studying possible grade configurations, assess data on student performance and gather feedback from stakeholder groups >> Read More |
Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better WagesBy Katherine von Haefen , Guest Column
02:04PM / Wednesday, August 14, 2024 | |
 As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners. Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families. Berkshire United Way has invested in >> Read More |
BCC's EMT Training Course Fills Need in Berkshire County | 10:48AM / Monday, August 12, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) reports that of the 13 students who completed its Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, nine took the required psychomotor test, and all nine passed the exam. Once they pass the written exam, they will be ready for immediate employment as EMTs in Berkshire County, filling an urgent workforce need. EMTs work alongside paramedics to help assess injuries, provide emergency medical care and transfer patients to medical facilities. A psychomotor test measures proficiency in hands-on skills, including patient assessment and management, ventilatory assistance, oxygen administration, cardiac arrest >> Read More |
Super Explains Changes in Pittsfield Schools' Central OfficeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Monday, August 12, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With a new school year looming, Superintendent Joseph Curtis has explained staffing changes in the central office.
The fiscal year 2025 budget said goodbye to the deputy superintendent and director of curriculum positions. Last month, the district's former special education director Jennifer Stokes was appointed assistant superintendent for school transformation and accountability and former Taconic High School principal Matthew Bishop was tapped as the interim deputy superintendent.
Eyebrows were raised, as the position was eliminated for this fiscal year.
"Unfortunately, the interview committee did not feel confident advancing any candidate for
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Pittsfield: UNCO Chapter Awards Scholarships| 10:46AM / Wednesday, August 07, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Chapter of UNICO National held its scholarship awards ceremony on July 23 at the Italian American Club. Since 1987 UNCO has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to students from Berkshire County high schools. This year The UNICO Scholarship Committee, chaired by Julia Salatino, awarded $19,000 in scholarships to local high school graduates who are continuing their post secondary education. Alexandra Bills of Wahconah RHS received the The Gloria Powers Scholarship. The daughter of Mark and Teresa Bills, she will be attending UMass Amherst, Isenberg School of Management. Dominic Carnevale of Mt. Greylock RHS >> Read More |
CBRSD Mulls Vocational Transport in Regional AgreementBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:45AM / Tuesday, August 06, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School District is considering adding vocational transportation to the draft regional agreement. School Committee Chair Richard Peters said at last month's meeting that the district received an email from Cummington inquiring if it could add vocational transportation to its regional agreement, similar to what is happening in the Mohawk Trail Hawlemont Regional School District. "[The Mohawk District] actually documented in the regional agreement that the school district arranges the transportation for the students going to vocation for the towns. And then we bill the towns for that transportation," >> Read More |
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