North Adams Public Schools -

Join Us at the 13th Annual Teen Invitational at MASS MoCA! Thursday, April 17 | 6:00–9:00 PM This year’s Teen Invitational is an especially meaningful one for our Early College Art & Society students, who had the unique opportunity to serve as both art installation specialists and curators. Together, they designed our gallery display featuring 50 works of art selected by fellow student artists! These 50 Drury High School artists will have work on view all weekend, including film, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, and more. Plus, don’t miss a special performance by the Drury Performing Arts Center House Band: School of Rock, playing live during the awards ceremony in the Hunter Center. Celebrate the creative talent of Drury High and student artists from across Berkshire County!

💙 Mother’s & Father’s Day Events at Gillette Stadium 💙 Hosted by Empower, a nonprofit supporting kids & young adults who have experienced the loss of a parent. Mother's & Father's Day can be tough, so Empower is creating a space to connect, reflect, and find relief from grief through fun, community, and healing. 🎉 Activities, games, food & surprise guests 📍 Gillette Stadium 🎈 Open to youth & young adults (ages up to 24) who’ve lost a parent 🎟️ FREE to attend 📅 Mother’s Day Event 🗓️ Sunday, May 11 | ⏰ 11am–4pm 📅 Father’s Day Event 🗓️ Sunday, June 8 | ⏰ 11am–4pm 📲 RSVP now at weareempower.org (Youth 14+ can register themselves; caregivers should register younger kids.) Have questions? 📧 sam@weareempower.org 📞 419-290-3651

Tell the City of North Adams what new businesses, activities and changes you’d like to see by taking this brief survey at https://www.discovernorthadams.com/survey

The AYJ Fund is holding their annual Once Upon A Dream Children's Concert, May 17th. See flyer for details.

Youth Leadership Camp sign-up announcement.

🌟 This week, Dr. Callahan, Ms. Bergeron, and Ms. Quinto traveled to Washington, D.C. with fellow reps from the Berkshires Portrait of a Graduate Collaborative for an Inspiration Convening funded by the BARR Foundation! ✨ They visited schools in Fairfax County, VA, where they connected with students, teachers, and school leaders to see how Portrait of a Graduate learning comes to life in grades K-12. 🎓📚 Now, they’re bringing that energy and insight back to North Adams to help shape our own Portrait of a Graduate experiences and school-wide showcase events! 🚀

🧟‍♀️💃 IT’S ALMOST SHOWTIME! 💃🧟‍♂️ Get ready to rock and rise from the dead with Zombie Prom – the electrifying 21st Century and Drury Performing Arts Center production you do not want to miss! 📅 TOMORROW – April 11 at 7 PM 📅 Encore Shows – April 12 at 2 PM & 7 PM It’s a blast-from-the-past, radioactive romance packed with killer songs, big laughs, and high-energy fun. Think 1950s high school meets nuclear zombie twist. 💥🎶 Don’t miss it! 🎟️ Tickets at the door: 🎫 $5 – Students & Seniors 🎫 $10 – Adults Bring your family and friends to cheer on this outrageously talented cast! 🎭✨

🌱 Exciting news! Our new mobile museum unit (or MOMU) from the Berkshire Museum is here! 🚐✨This unique exhibit spotlights founder crops and their vital role in our history. 🌾🌍 The piece has already sparked curiosity and engagement among students! 🚀

April break programming at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Berkshire Family YMCA is hosting "Healthy Kids Day" on Saturday April 19th from 12 - 2 pm at the MCLA Church Street Center, 265 Church St, North Adams. This event is FREE and they will have information about upcoming summer programs as well. See flyer for more details.

Upcoming Family Center programming

🎉 On April 4th, several of our school and district administrators had the incredible opportunity to attend the Institute for Women's Leadership Conference in Holyoke, MA, alongside 100–120 inspiring women school leaders from across the Commonwealth. 💪🏽✨ This powerful day was filled with connection, reflection, and empowerment — a celebration of the leadership, strength, and vision women bring to education in Massachusetts. We're proud to be part of a community that uplifts and invests in women leaders at every level. 💼📚🌟

📢 MCAS Season is Here! 🎓✏️ It’s that time of year again—MCAS testing has begun! 💡 Stay prepared with these quick tips! 🌟

🎉 It’s Official! 🎉 We’re excited to announce that Dr. Tim Callahan has officially signed his contract to become the next Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools! ✍️📄 Dr. Callahan’s dedication to our students, staff, and community has been evident in his leadership, and we look forward to the future under his guidance. Join us in congratulating Dr. Callahan on this milestone! 👏🎊

🌟 Drury's Own Bradley Chapman Shines at All-State Music Festival! 🌟 Congratulations to Bradley Chapman, who not only secured the top spot for jazz guitar in Massachusetts but also led the All-State Jazz Ensemble at Symphony Hall in Boston! 🎸🎶 Bradley’s dedication and talent earned him the #1 Chair with an outstanding score of 161/196, proving once again that hard work and passion create incredible music. Check out these moments from the festival, where Bradley represented Drury High School and wowed audiences alongside some of the best young musicians in the state! 📸✨ 👏 Let’s hear it for Bradley and all the talented musicians who make our school and community proud! #WeAreDrury

We are excited to share that Williams College will be holding two Special Olympics spring programs - a swim clinic (held for 3 weeks in April, two Sundays and one Saturday) and a one-day track event on Saturday, May 4th. Swim is limited to 10 athletes, registration is on a first-come, first serve basis. Both programs are for athletes ages 6 to 18. The track event is limited to 20 athletes and also on a first-come, first serve basis. Here are the registration pages and full details with the dates and times: Swim Registration: https://www.specialolympicsma.org/program/2025-williams-college-spring-swim-program Track Registration: https://www.specialolympicsma.org/program/2025-williams-college-spring-track-and-field-event

The North Adams Route 2 Overpass Study (R2OS) will host its second community engagement event on Saturday, April 05, 2025 from 10am until noon. This event, referred to as the Community Visioning Session, will take place in person at the Berkshire Innovation Center on the Mass MoCA campus. The community is invited to join the project team for a presentation of project updates and to share their thoughts and questions. Participants are encouraged to visit the new online project platform for further information at https://www.rt2overpass.info/. For those unable to attend the Community Visioning Session, interactive activities and opportunities for input can be found on the project website.

📚✨ Last week, some of our faculty and District Literacy Coordinator attended the Massachusetts Reading Association's 54th Annual Conference! The theme, Literacy & Language: Words Empower, Inspire, and Transform, set the stage for an inspiring few days of professional growth. At the conference, educators engaged in insightful workshops, explored the latest literacy research, and gained practical strategies to bring back to their classrooms. They connected with literacy leaders and discovered new ways to support diverse learners. We’re excited to implement what we’ve learned and continue empowering our students through the power of literacy! 📖✨

🎭🧟‍♂️ Drury Students Bring ‘Zombie Prom’ To Life! 🎶✨ The students of Drury Stage Company are bringing the electrifying off-Broadway hit Zombie Prom to life at the Drury Performing Arts Center! With heart, resilience, and unstoppable energy, these talented students are taking the lead both on and off the stage—acting, directing, managing tech, and more! Set in a 1950s high school where teen love meets radioactive chaos, Zombie Prom is a high-energy, fun-filled musical that you won’t want to miss! 🗓️ Showtimes: 📅 Friday, April 11 – 7 PM 📅 Saturday, April 12 – 2 PM & 7 PM 🎟️ Tickets at the door: 🎫 $5 – Students & Seniors 🎫 $10 – Adults Come support these incredible students and experience the magic of live theater! #WeAreDrury 🎭💀🎶

A message from mass.gov: Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit: With the Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit (https://tinyurl.com/y7feawde), families may be eligible for $440 for each child under age 13, dependents who are age 65+ or have a disability, or a spouse who needs care. Families do not need to have earned income in 2024 or have a Social Security number to qualify. There is no income cap or limit to the number of dependents. This does not impact public benefits. FindYourFunds has outreach materials available in 11 languages to encourage families to file taxes this year. Learn more and find free tax help at findyourfunds.org/dese: (https://tinyurl.com/yhzkpyuf)