SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The team from Lenox Memorial High School is the champion of the 62nd season of "As Schools Match Wits."
The season ended on Saturday, June 24, with the broadcast on New England Public Media TV of the championship match between Lenox and Westfield High School.
Lenox will proudly take home the Collamore Cup.
"As Schools Match Wits" pits teams of western New England high schoolers against each other in a fun but competitive game of academic performance. The competition is open to both public and private high schools throughout western New England.
The show was created by Leonard J. Collamore in 1961 to showcase local students in an engaging format. Today, "As Schools Match Wits" is co-produced by NEPM and Westfield State University and hosted by award-winning local TV journalist Beth Ward. The show is produced using Westfield State facilities and students in the Department of Communications serve as the production crew. NEPM supplies professional production, broadcast, marketing, and technical support. It is one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the nation.
Four teams participated in the semifinal rounds, which were broadcast on NEPM. On Saturday, June 10, Lenox Memorial was pitted against the Academy at Charlemont. On Saturday, June 17, Westfield High competed with Amherst Regional High School. Lenox and Westfield won their semifinal matches and advanced to the championship.
After two seasons of special procedures to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a return to normal for Season 62 with teams and host Beth Ward interacting in a single studio together. Faculty advisers play an important role in the process and many jumped at the opportunity to sign up their school's teams this year. Then, they spent countless hours working with their students to get them ready.
"It was a great season with 36 schools participating," said Mark St. Jean, Westfield State University producer. "We were able to expand the schedule again to include four quarterfinal matches in addition to the semifinals and the championship. The teams seemed very motivated and that was apparent in every match. I commend all of the coaches for getting their teams prepared and I congratulate Lenox Memorial High School for their championship win in a down-to-the-last-question match against a very strong Westfield High team."
"As we draw the curtain on the 62nd season of ASMW, I want to congratulate this year's champions, Lenox Memorial, on their hard-fought victory, and thank all of the teams that participated for sharing their academic skills with us," said
Tony Dunne, NEPM content director and the show's executive producer congratulated the Lenox team "on their hard-fought victory" and thanked the other teams for participating.
"My thanks as well to Mark St. Jean and our colleagues at Westfield State University for being such wonderful production partners," he said. We look forward to welcoming students from across the region once again this coming fall when we kick off the historic 63rd season of 'ASMW!'"
The championship match and all matches of the 62nd season are available for streaming at video.nepm.org.
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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages
By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
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 improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field.
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning.
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households.
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs.
A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend. Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath.
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The last estimate for construction was overly optimistic because, at the time, it was unclear how long obtaining the two easements would take, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said.
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Full cost estimates have not been completed but based on recent repairs made to the Clapp Park splash pad, it is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $450,000.
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King Kone had a soft opening at the end of the week, offering the frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
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