NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — School officials are pleased with the engagement they're seeing from the student population. 

 

"I been talking to some other principals, and it's encouraging," Principal Justin Kratz told the School Committee on Thursday. "A lot of the other principals in Berkshire County and other parts of the state are all kind of saying the samet thing — the energy in the schools is coming back. That's encouraging and we're seeing it here too ... So COVID was tough but we're clawing our way out."

 

Kratz offered examples such as recent Swarm Club activities and the turnout and performances for the fall sports teams.

 

"All of our fall sports wrapped up ... It was a successful season, in my opinion, across the board," he said, pointing to the girls soccer team and the golf team winning championships and the phenomenal attendance at the McCann-Drury football game, won of the two last games of the season that the Hornets won. 

 

"This place is absolutely moth that night it was so we let students in free that night. I think we sold over 500 tickets," he said, estimating some 800 people were there, including lining the hill above the field. There were students from Hoosac Valley (cheering McCann) and Mount Greylock (cheering Drury). "I'm glad we won, but it would have been a fun night either way, just to have all these teenagers from all four schools down here having fun."

 

Some of the students were urged on by the Swarm Club, which hosted a pizza tailgate party that drew about 75 parents, students and staff before the game and then sited themselves on the field where "Swarm" was stenciled on the ground. 

 

Christopher Carr, adviser to the Swarm Club, talked about some of the other activities at the school designed to engage students, including starting off the freshmen with a breakfast and pub trivia to introduce them to the school. Kratz said it was a "huge shift" in how to start the school year.