Mill Town Foundation and Pittsfield Public Schools Announce Core Impact Awards

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Mill Town Foundation, in partnership with Pittsfield Public Schools and with support from the Feigenbaum Foundation, has announced the inaugural Core Impact Awards.
 
The Core Impact Awards will recognize educators and school staff members in the Pittsfield Public School District who have demonstrated a significant impact on student learning, innovation in education, and community engagement.
 
The awards will honor one full-time teacher or staff member from each of the 14 schools in the Pittsfield Public School District.
 
The nomination period will close March 21, 2025. Nominations can be submitted by community members, students, parents, and colleagues using a nomination form.
 
An independent Selection Committee of community members will review the nominations. Nominees will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
  • Student Impact: Evidence of inspiring or improving student outcomes.
  • Innovation in Teaching: Creative teaching approaches and technology integration.
  • Community Contributions: Engagement with the school and broader community.
  • Nomination Quality: Thoughtfulness and depth of the nomination.
The Core Impact Award recipients will be announced in April 2025 and honored at an award ceremony in late May. Honorees will receive a recognition package.
 
More information on the Core Impact Awards, including how to submit a nomination, can be found at www.milltownfoundation.org.
 
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Molly at the Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – There's a young lady looking for a nice place to run and play tug of war with at the Berkshire Humane Society.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri said Molly is a little over a year old and is a Terrier and Pitbull mix.

Molly was brought to the Humane Society back in March.

"She was actually brought into a vet office by her previous owner," Olivieri said. "She was sick, just had stomach upsets, and unfortunately they were unable to pay for her vet care. So they did sign her over to Pittsfield Vet, and then they brought her over to us."

Molly is an active dog who loves to run and play with toys, especially tug of war. Since she is very active, the Humane Society suggests kids who are older.

"A perfect home would be a very active family. We would ask that kids are teenagers, like 13 and up, just because she can get a little exuberant, and a family who is going to get her out for exercise," she said. "We want, like, at least an hour to two hours a day of a combination of physical exercise, play time, training."

Molly can't be with other dogs or cats but does have playdates.

"She will do best as the only dog, no cats for certain. She does do play dates here at the shelter, but they're very controlled, and it has to be with a very specific dog. She gets along with male dogs pretty well, but she is very rough and tumble, very rowdy, very vocal, so it takes a certain dog to kind of match her energy. So she might be able to do some play dates here and there with some friends dogs, family dogs, but she's not going to be like a dog park dog," she said.

Molly has been healthy since being at the shelter and is on a special food diet for her stomach.

"She's on a limited ingredient, food, sweet potato, salmon. She's been doing great. It's been great for her skin, her coat, her overall health, and she's very healthy."

Molly is a very vocal dog and will vocalize how she is feeling. 

"She kind of lets all of her feelings out through her her voice when she barks at other dogs, her feelings are like, 'Oh, I'm a little frustrated because I'm on this leash, and I can't go say hello to that other dog,' which is normally what she wants to do as soon as she sees another dog. But it can come out as kind of very forward. Barking can be a little bit intense, but she also will bark sometimes when she's a little uncertain about a new person," she said.

But Molly is ready for her forever home with a backyard and will make you very happy.

"She's very sweet, she's very affectionate, very cuddly, loving, loving dog, just looking for that, that right match. And I think she's gonna give you the world once you work with her," she said.

You can visit Stella at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.

The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

 
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