SteepleCats Seeking Host Families

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams SteepleCats are seeking host families to house players for their upcoming 2018 baseball season.

The host family commitment is to house a SteepleCats player from June 2 through the beginning of August. Players should have their own room and families provide their meals. Players will arrange their own transportation.  

In exchange, host families receive a "Golden Ticket" that allows them to attend any game throughout the league – and never expires. They also receive a discount on SteepleCats merchandise and are able to build a relationship which can last a lifetime.

For more information on hosting a player, email Pat Decker. volunteer@steeplecats.org.  

The SteepleCats play in the prestigious New England Collegiate Baseball League, which has sent more than 100 players to the Major Leagues over the past 20 years. This year over 100 NECBL players were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Home games are played at the historic Joe Wolfe Field on Route 8.

Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:45PM / Friday, August 30, 2024

Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. 

 

Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.

 

"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."

 

Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause. 

 

"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."

 

Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance. 

 

Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.