Drury High School Awarded 21st Century Grant for Afterschool Programming

Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams Public Schools is the recipient of a federally-funded, competitive 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, in the amount of $200,000. 
 
This grant award will support afterschool and summer enrichment programs for Drury High School students in grades 7-12, which will offer students additional opportunities for academically enriching learning. 
 
North Adams Public Schools is the only district in Berkshire County to have been selected for this grant award in order to open a new 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool site. 
 
Opening a new site at Drury High School will allow the district's students to access afterschool programming across the entirety of their K-12 education.
 
Similar to the Brayton Elementary School afterschool program site for the district's K-6 students, the Drury site will offer a variety of programs all five days of the school week, and provide transportation home for grade 7-12 North Adams students. 
 
"We're delighted to be able to extend our afterschool programming up to the secondary level, which will allow us to have continuity of programming throughout the district. This site will allow students to access prosocial experiences through hands-on academic and enrichment programs during out-of-school time," Program Director Annie Pecor said.
 
This program is free and a healthy snack for each student will be provided each day.
 
The program slated to begin on Oct. 23 promises a wide variety of options including reviving the Drury High School student newspaper The Devil's Disciple, yoga and wellness activities, a book discussion group, and math-focused puzzle crew called Absurd Math.
 
Each of the three school-year sessions will run for 10 weeks, and one summer session will be offered following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year. Some offerings will remain the same across all three school-year sessions, while new programs will also be introduced. 

Tags: after school programs,   NAPS,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

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. 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories