COLRAIN — The Colrain Historical Society will hold its annual meeting and election of officers on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at the home of Bill Cole, located at 31 Jacksonville Road. Then, at 7:30 p.m., Prentice Crosier will discuss the history of the G. William Pitt House, whose former tenants included Crosier himself as well as Ken Noyes.
The meeting is open to the public and refreshments will be served. For more information, call Belden Merims at 413-624-3453.
CHARLEMONT — The Charlemont Federated Church will host a concert by the New England Swing Orchestra on Saturday, Nov. 19, beginning at 4 p.m. The orchestra is led by local music teacher Ted Wirt.
The church will also serve refreshments, hold a bake sale and host a silent auction. All proceeds will benefit the church. All are welcome.
BUCKLAND — During the week of Dec. 12, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont regional school districts.
The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. According to a notice from Mohawk Trail Communications Consultant Justin Martin, areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, discipline and equal access to programs for all students.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report.
During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews with district staff and administrators, reviews of student records and onsite observations.
Parents and other individuals may call Marc Oldenburg, public school monitoring chairperson, at 413-314-6703 to request a phone interview. Accommodations, such as translation services, are available.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide a report outlining how the school districts meet or exceed regulatory requirements, as well as areas in which they need to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports.