Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am updating you on the status of our response to the Covid-19 coronavirus and I am following up Mr. Kratz’s all-call with this letter.  McCann Technical School will be closed for the remainder of they year, as will all Massachusetts schools.    The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has provided relief from the 180 day school year requirement and has amended it so that schools are not to go beyond their “185^th” day and can provide "credit" for days counted during the April break that we were in session.   Consequently, our school year will now end on June 19th.    We are currently working on plans to bring the school year to a close as successfully as we can in all it's different aspects.  As these details are developed they will be shared with students and families. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has mandated that all spring sports are cancelled for this year.   We realize these are disruptive measure and have implications that will ripple through the community but also recognize the gravity of the situation and look to do our part during this pandemic by adhering to state directives around keeping people healthy and safe.  We look forward to seeing our students return once the Governor has reauthorized schools to open.

Sincerely,

 

James J. Brosnan

Superintendent

Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District

For the transcripts of the all-call messages from Mr. Kratz during the Covid-19 closure click here.  

Details on the remote learning plan as provided by Mr. Kratz click here.  

For the Commissioner of Education's latest update to families click here.  

Dear Northern Berkshire County Families,

In partnership with our pediatricians, Town Managers and Town Health Inspectors,  Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional District implores students, families and our wider community to combat the spread of the Coronavirus 2019 Disease (“COVID-19”) by practicing "social distancing" most effectively by STAYING HOME.

COVID-19 presents an unprecedented health crisis and public health emergency.  The virus is easily transmitted, and it has the demonstrated ability to infect substantial sections of the community. While the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk, all people, young and old, can contract, carry, and transmit this virus.  By interacting and socializing with others we put people at risk for infection.  Regardless of whether we feel ill or well, we have the potential to spread the virus by interacting.  There is a single response:  STAY HOME.

Other countries already grappling with the spread of the virus have seen their health care systems overwhelmed by ill patients. Without the capacity to care for such large numbers, these health care systems have watched thousands of patients die and now the rampant spread of this virus threatens to overwhelm our community's health care system if we, as a community, do not act proactively and responsibly by distancing ourselves from each other and STAYING HOME. 

The letter shared below from County Boards of Health, Berkshire Health Systems and our largest Berkshire County cities articulates succinctly the threat COVID-19 presents to our community, its health services, and health care workers fighting this virus and caring for the ill.  This is our critical health problem, and it is our responsibility to act to eliminate it.

Sincerely,

Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District Administrative Team______________________

AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE BOARDS OF HEALTH OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY, THE CITY OF PITTSFIELD, THE CITY OF NORTH ADAMS, THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN AND BERKSHIRE HEALTH SYSTEMS (March 23, 2020)

The Coronavirus 2019 Disease (“COVID-19”) presents our community with a public health emergency of unprecedented severity. This virus is easily transmitted, especially in group settings. In other parts of the world it has already demonstrated the ability to infect large segments of a population and overwhelm the capacity of health care systems to care for ill patients. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands of individuals. It now threatens the health of our community, particularly those most vulnerable to the virus and our health care workers.

The most effective tool we have available to combat the spread of this disease is to rigorously follow a straight forward strategy. That strategy is to STAY HOME. Experience in other parts of the world has already demonstrated that effective “social distancing” is an effective way to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Since the first cases of COVID-19 were recognized in Berkshire two weeks ago, we have witnessed an alarming increase in patients requiring hospital care by our health care system. If as a community we fail to implement an effective STAY HOME strategy, the increasing number of ill patients will overwhelm our ability to provide the care necessary for many of them to survive this infection.

Given the presence of the COVID-19 virus in the Berkshires, even with effective social distancing, the number of cases of COVID-19 in Berkshire County will continue to rise for some weeks as we STAY HOME. Among the steps to protect the health of the public and prevent the further spread of COVID-19, as cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed, public health nurses and other health care professionals will be determining the need for some of us to be placed under “Quarantine” and in some circumstances ”Isolation.”

Again, full participation by the citizens of Berkshire County is vital to our success in combating COVID-19. Ultimately, it will not be the acute care resources of the health system but our ability to prevent the spread of this disease that will turn the tide in this battle. We all have the responsibility to do what we can to reduce the risk to ourselves, to our families and to our communities. We will only be successful if all of us, not just some of us, adhere to the requirements for social distancing as well as Quarantine and Isolation when indicated.

If we all do our part, together we will save lives and beat this virus.

 

Mayor Linda Tyer, City of Pittsfield

Mayor Tom Bernard, City of North Adams

Town Manager Jason Hoch, Town of Williamstown

James Lederer, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Berkshire Health Systems

Laura Kittross, Director, Berkshire County Boards of Health Association, on behalf of the 32 Boards of Health in Berkshire County

Students and families- Maintaining health through appropriate nutrition is important over the next couple of weeks.  In an effort to try and help ensure our student’s well-being we are offering the following list of resources available to students to ensure access to meals.   The resources are broken down by town and indicate how to access these meals depending on where you live.  If you have any questions about these resources please feel free to email me at jkratz@mccanntech.org and I will try to help you the best I can. 

FOOD ACCESS AND DISTRIBUTION UPDATES:

McCann Technical School-   is participating in the Emergency Feeding Food Service program.  Grab and go supper and breakfast will be provided to all children at no charge Mon-Fri starting April 6th through May 1st from 4PM to 5PM.  Drive through grab and go at the front entrance on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Menu June 1-5

North Adams Public Schools is participating in the Emergency Feeding Food Service Program. Grab and Go style meals will be provided to all children without charge. Meals will be provided, on a first come, first serve basis, at the sites and times as follows: 

Brayton Elementary School, Breakfast and Lunch    11:00-12:00

Colegrove Park Elementary School,  Breakfast and Lunch    11:00-12:00

Mohawk Forest Apartments,  Breakfast and Lunch, 11:00-12:00                            

Greylock Valley Apartments,  Breakfast and Lunch 11:00-12:00    

Uno Center Parking Lot,  Breakfast and Lunch  11:00-12:00

North Adams Dinner Option Now Available (added on 5/1/2020)

Curb side grab and go meals are available daily from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, M-F, at the following location: Greylock Elementary School Pick up your weekend meals on Fridays. Children must be present to receive a meal.

 

Hoosac Valley Elementary School:  

Students can pick up a Grab and Go breakfast and lunch package between 9:00-11:00am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the Hoosac Valley Elementary School cafeteria.  Please go to the back door of the cafeteria near the playground to pick it up. This will be available for free for all children 18 and under, no questions asked.  Caregivers for district students can also pick-up, but will need to provide the child’s name in order to do so.

On Saturday’s, there is now a drive-up service for meals from 10:30-11:30am at Hoosac Valley Elementary School.  These meals are available to anybody in the community and are provided on a first come, first serve basis until we run out.  The drive-through is on the side of the building, near the McDonald’s entrance.

 

Lanesborough/Williamstown

The community recognizes that our families may be challenged to provide nutritious meals for their children during this unexpected time away from school. As such, the Mount Greylock Regional School District will be offering access to grab-and-go lunches Monday through Friday for the next three weeks. Meals will be available for pick-up at the Lanesborough Elementary School and Williamstown Elementary School main entrances between 9:30 and 10:30 each day.  In an attempt to assist the district in planning, you are asked to:

Call or email the food service department the day before using the following:

·  Phone: (413) 458-9582 x1195

·  Email: lunches@mgrhs.org

·  Leave a message that includes the number of lunches you need and which school will be your pick-up location: Lanesborough Elementary School or Williamstown Elementary School 

·  Please identify the student name(s) for whom you are picking up meals.

·  In order to assist us in advance planning, please indicate whether you will be accessing this meal service over the remaining days.

Event	Status	Details
McCann Technical School	Closed until May 4th	No Day or Evening Classes
BPA Nationals	Cancelled
SkillsUSA State Competitions	Cancelled
SAT Tests May 2nd	Cancelled	Full refund available-Contact Ms. Atutis if you have any questions
SAT Tests  June 6th	Cancelled	More information on new dates to come
Spring Sports	Cancelled
Cooperative Work Program (COOP)	Cancelled	For remainder of the year.
Advanced Manufacturing Night Courses	Postponed	Until further notice
Journeyman & Masters Electrical Evening Classes	Postponed	Until further notice
Gould Construction Classes	Postponed	Until further notice
6 Hour Electrical Calc. Class 3/21	Postponed	Until further notice
15 Hour Code Update 3/23-3/26	Postponed	Until further notice
15 Hour Code Update 4/4 & 4/5	Postponed	Until further notice
Tea Room/Cosmetology	Closed

UPDATED TUESDAY MAY 5th, 2020

McCann AP Student Zoom Meeting Slideshow - May 5, 2020 

Hello AP Students,

 

I hope this message finds you and your families well.  The schedule for online AP Exams the week of May 11th.  Now that we are very close to the testing dates, the College Board has provided important updated information that I would like to review with you in regards to AP courses and exams.  Please read the information below carefully and take some time to explore the links included for more detailed information.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me through phone or email.  I am checking my messages regularly at the school so I will get back to you if you leave me a voicemail.

 

I will be hosting an online ZOOM session on Tuesday, May 5th at 10am for all AP students that are currently registered to take an AP Exam.  Please be on the lookout for a ZOOM invite from me next week to join this session to review all AP Exam related information.

 

Take Care,

Mrs. Steiner

AP Coordinator

Director of Student Services

McCann Technical School

ksteiner@mccanntech.org

413-663-5383 x109

 

Important Action to Take Now: 

• YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR ONLINE AP EXAM IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR COLLEGE BOARD ACCOUNT.

• Please CLICK HERE to follow the steps on the College Board “Confirm your email address” page to be sure you update your College Board account with accurate email and text contact information.

• You should also whitelist the following email domain the College Board is using to send the e-ticket you will use to access your online AP Exam: collegeboard@e.collegeboard.org

• CLICK HERE to review the 2020 AP Exam Day Checklist.  Your McCann AP instructors will be going through this checklist with you next week.

• CLICK HERE to watch “Explainer Videos” the College Board has created to give students quick, easily accessible information about their test day experience, what they need to do to prepare, exam security, and more.

 

Reminders About This Year’s AP Exams:

• Please CLICK HERE to view the College Board’s AP Coronavirus Updates Page for more detailed information regarding all topics in this email.

• Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.  Students that have registered for an exam will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.

  • Exams will be given from May 11 - 22.  Please CLICK HERE to see the full exam schedule.  Further information for AP courses offered at McCann can be seen in this email below.

• The College Board will continue to support students with free resources through exam day.

  • Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, the College Board began offering free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country.  To access the live classes and on-demand recordings, visit the AP YouTube channel.  

    • The College Board will be offering an Online AP Classes and Review Sessions Prep Week: The week before exams, online AP classes will focus on the exam day experience and sample exam questions.

    • Please see detailed live class information below for each AP subject taught at McCann or CLICK HERE, for direct links to the schedule and videos.

  • Additional resources are also available by logging into your College Board AP Classroom.  Your AP instructor may have been using this platform with you this school year already.  Visit myAP to sign in to your College Board account and access these resources.  Contact Mrs. Steiner asap if you need help accessing your College Board account or AP Classroom.

    • The College Board has now unlocked secure free-response questions in AP Classroom so teachers can digitally assign relevant practice questions students can take at home.

  • Your McCann AP course instructor will also have additional resources for you to continue preparing for your AP exam.  Your McCann AP course instructor will be able to provide you with more course/exam specific information if needed.  Please stay in contact with your McCann instructor to help support your exam preparation.

• CLICK HERE to review the 2020 AP Testing Guide, which explains in great detail the exam day process, the steps students need to take before exam day, and provides details about the e-tickets students will need to participate.  We will be reviewing this guide in Tuesday’s online Zoom session.

• While we are still encouraging students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.

  • There is no deadline set at this time to have this decision made by.  Once a date is set for a final decision regarding taking an AP Exam, you will be notified.  Please notify Mrs. Steiner if/when you have decided to NOT take an AP Exam you are already registered for to ensure a full refund of AP fees that have already been paid.

 

Detailed AP Course and Exam Information:

 

Please CLICK HERE to see VERY IMPORTANT course specific information from the College Board.

 

AP Subject	Exam question(s) will only cover:	Exam question(s) will NOT cover:	Regular Exam Date:	Makeup Exam Dates: (In order to test on this date you will need approval from Mrs. Steiner)	Live AP Review Class Schedule: CLICK HERE, for direct links to the videos
Calculus AB -  Mr. Euchler	Units 1-7	Unit 8	Tuesday,  May 12  Time: 2 PM	Monday,  June 1 Time: 4 PM	Daily from 2-2:45 PM
English Literature and Composition - Mrs. Hadley	Units 1-7	Units 8-9	Wednesday, May 13 Time: 2 PM	Tuesday, June 2 Time: 12 PM	Daily from 12-12:45 PM
Physics 1: Algebra-Based - Mrs. Mucci	Units 1-7	Units 8-10	Thursday, May 14 Time: 4 PM	Tuesday, June 2 Time: 2 PM	Daily from 12-12:45 PM
Statistics -  Mr. Sondrini	Units 1-7	Units 8-9	Friday, May 22 Time: 2 PM	Friday, June 5 Time: 4 PM	Daily from 2-2:45 PM

 

 

 

 

Updated 4/14/2020

The College Board will  be hosting a parent webinar on Thursday, April 16 at 7pm with pertinent information for parents regarding AP online testing.  CLICK HERE to register for this parent webinar.  

 

McCann AP Student Zoom Meeting Slideshow - April 8, 2020  

UPDATED FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

 

Hello AP Students,

 

I hope this message finds you and your families well.  The College Board has provided important updated information that I would like to review with you in regards to AP courses and exams.  Please read the information below carefully and take some time to explore the links included for more detailed information. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me through phone or email.  I am checking my messages regularly at the school so I will get back to you if you leave me a voicemail.

 

I will be hosting an online ZOOM session on Wednesday, April 8th at 10am for all AP students that are currently registered to take an AP Exam.  Please be on the lookout for a ZOOM invite from me next week to join this session to review all AP Exam related information.

 

Take Care,

Mrs. Steiner

AP Coordinator

Director of Student Services

McCann Technical School

ksteiner@mccanntech.org

413-663-5383 x109

 

About This Year’s AP Exams:

• Please CLICK HERE to view the College Board’s AP Coronavirus Updates Page for more detailed information regarding all topics below.

• Please CLICK HERE to view a presentation given by Trevor Packer, the College Board’s Senior Vice President for AP and Instruction.

• Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.  Students that have registered for an exam will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.

  • Exams will be given from May 11 - 22.  Please CLICK HERE to see the full exam schedule.  Further information for AP courses offered at McCann can be seen in this email below.

  • Most exams will have one or two free-response questions, and each question will be timed separately. Students will need to write and submit their responses within the allotted time for each question.

  • Students will be able to take exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. They'll be able to type and upload their responses or write responses by hand and submit a photo via their cell phones.

  • For most subjects, the exams will be 45 minutes long, plus an additional 5 minutes for uploading. Students will need to access the online testing system 30 minutes early to get set up.

  • If you will have difficulty accessing the technology needed at home to complete your AP Exam, please contact Mrs. Steiner asap.

  • In late April, the College Board will provide AP students and educators with information on how to access the testing system on test day, and video demonstrations so that students can familiarize themselves with the system.  Please CLICK HERE for more detailed information regarding taking AP Exams online, including considerations for ensuring exam security.

• To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others in various parts of the country, the College Board will structure the exams to only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.

  • Please see detailed exam information below for each AP subject taught at McCann.

• The College Board has been collaborating with higher education institutions about this and are communicating that  colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year to earn.  Colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies in the past.

• The College Board will continue to support students with free resources through exam day.

  • Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, the College Board began offering free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country.  To access the live classes and on-demand recordings, visit the AP YouTube channel.  

    • Please see detailed live class information below for each AP subject taught at McCann or CLICK HERE, for direct links to the schedule and videos.

  • Additional resources are also available by logging into your College Board AP Classroom.  Your AP instructor may have been using this platform with you this school year already. Visit myAP to sign in to your College Board account and access these resources.  Contact Mrs. Steiner asap if you need help accessing your College Board account or AP Classroom.

    • The College Board has now unlocked secure free-response questions in AP Classroom so teachers can digitally assign relevant practice questions students can take at home.

  • Your McCann AP course instructor will also have additional resources for you to continue preparing for your AP exam.  Your McCann AP course instructor will be able to provide you with more course/exam specific information if needed. Please stay in contact with your McCann instructor to help support your exam preparation.

• While we are still encouraging students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.

  • There is no deadline set at this time to have this decision made by.  Once a date is set for a final decision regarding taking an AP Exam, you will be notified.  Please notify Mrs. Steiner if/when you have decided to NOT take an AP Exam you are already registered for to ensure a full refund of AP fees that have already been paid.

 

Detailed AP Course and Exam Information:

 

Please CLICK HERE to see VERY IMPORTANT course specific information from the College Board.

 

AP Subject	Exam question(s) will only cover:	Exam question(s) will NOT cover:	Regular Exam Date:	Makeup Exam Dates: (In order to test on this date you will need approval from Mrs. Steiner)	Live AP Review Class Schedule: CLICK HERE, for direct links to the videos
Calculus AB -  Mr. Euchler	Units 1-7	Unit 8	Tuesday,  May 12  Time: 2 PM	Monday,  June 1 Time: 4 PM	Daily from 2-2:45 PM
English Literature and Composition - Mrs. Hadley	Units 1-7	Units 8-9	Wednesday, May 13 Time: 2 PM	Tuesday, June 2 Time: 12 PM	Daily from 12-12:45 PM
Physics 1: Algebra-Based - Mrs. Mucci	Units 1-7	Units 8-10	Thursday, May 14 Time: 4 PM	Tuesday, June 2 Time: 2 PM	Daily from 12-12:45 PM
Statistics -  Mr. Sondrini	Units 1-7	Units 8-9	Friday, May 22 Time: 2 PM	Friday, June 5 Time: 4 PM	Daily from 2-2:45 PM

 

 

To access a complete list of community resources please click here to view a folder put together by our School Counselors.  

The 2020 Census  results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year.  Especially this year, as budgets across the country are tightened due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is more important than ever for Berkshire County to have an accurate count of the number of residents who live here in order to ensure the levels of funding needed to support our towns, governments, roads, construction projects, and schools.  For a fact sheet on how the US Census works and how you can participate click here.   

 

 

Hello seniors! This survey must be completed by every student in order to graduate! 

Senior Graduate Survey Link