BUCKLAND — When the four schools in the Mohawk Trail Regional School District welcome students back on Sept. 2, they’ll find new curricula and recreational activities, including new playgrounds for some of western Franklin County’s youngest residents.
Despite budget cuts and the loss of 21.5 positions across the district heading into the 2026-2027 school year, the majority of programs that were offered to students remain.
Mohawk Trail Regional School
Some new academic “flex” blocks will be in effect this year at Mohawk Trail Regional School, along with the expansion of some special periods to the high school level and the addition of German to the language curriculum.
According to Principal Chris Buckland, another change is the introduction of mandatory homework. Buckland said that during the first week of the school year, the teacher teams for each grade will meet and work out a schedule for homework that will be shared with the students during their advisory period.
“We really want to … double down on academics and supporting students be[ing] the best that they can,” Buckland said. “The homework is really trying to build on some of the practices we started to implement last year. We started to set some reading, and we looked at how we could help teachers be more rigorous in the summative assessments. … One of the things we wanted to do was mandate that for students across the board.”
He added that the flex blocks were added for students to receive extra help from teachers during the school day, as Buckland said keeping students after school isn’t quite feasible with some of the commutes students have.
“That speaks to one of the challenges of a regional school,” Buckland said. “We can’t always ask students to stay behind because of transportation, so it’s [a question of] where else are we going to try and provide support during the day.”
Also new this year is the extension of woodshop, culinary arts and baking to the high school level. Previously, these specials were offered exclusively to middle school students, but now the classes will consist of a mix of middle and high schoolers.
Available to sophomores is CPR, first aid and ServSafe training, which the school can provide after receiving a $450,000 grant from the Barr Foundation in 2023. In middle school, Buckland mentioned the seventh and eighth graders “will get a taste of German,” in addition to French and Spanish.
Elementary schools
A pair of playgrounds and some new history curriculum is what tops the list for new additions at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School.
On the non-academic side, construction of two new playgrounds came in a two-phase process. In the summer of 2025, the first playground was completed, and the second phase finished construction in early August.
“The most exciting things are the new playgrounds we put in over the summer,” said Hayley Gilmore, principal at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School. “We had two new playgrounds that were fundraised completely by community support. They were installed and are ready to be used by the students this year.”
Outside of recess, the new history curriculum that will be taught in grades three through six is called “Investigating History.” Developed by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this curriculum asks students to dig deeper into history and the context surrounding it, rather than the typical memorization of key dates and figures.
“[It] helps students really dig into history and try to investigate and consider what could have happened and why it happened that way, and develop critical thinking,” Gilmore explained. “They’re working with each other to try and solve the problems or figure out what happened in history.”
While not much has changed over the summer at Sanderson Academy in Ashfield, Principal Emma Liebowitz said that in the past, the elementary school “hasn’t really highlighted” some of the programs that it offers.
In addition to the regular specials — those being physical education, art, music and library — Sanderson Academy also offers a mindfulness and yoga program that is available to all grade levels. According to Liebowitz, older students are able to use weights and kettlebells, while younger students focus on breathing and yoga poses.
Liebowitz shared that the school has found the breathing techniques taught in class improve focus and attention, and that students have used the techniques when they’re feeling stressed and dysregulated. Twice a month, Sanderson Academy holds an all-school assembly where they all take a moment to practice mindful breathing.
Some new faces will populate the halls and classrooms in Ashfield this academic year, with a new sixth grade teacher and speech language pathologist joining the staff. A school adjustment counselor was also added, though this position will be shared between Sanderson Academy and Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School.
Outside of academics, Sanderson Academy is inviting its students to join the “100 Mile Club.” Liebowitz said students can join this club by arriving before the start of the school day and walking the perimeter of the campus with staff members. During the winter, the students will walk in the gymnasium instead. The students who walk 100 miles by the end of the school year will be recognized.
At Colrain Central School, a 5K and fun run throughout Colrain, which has not been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic, is raising money to send the fifth and sixth grade classes to Nature’s Classroom, a nonprofit that provides a one-to-five-day field trip for students in second through eighth grade.
Nature’s Classroom offers a plethora of educational subjects while students are with the organization, ranging from chemistry to learning the history of early America through activities such as colonial cooking and woodland ceramics.
Starting at the Town Offices at 55 Main Road, those participating will have the option of a competitive 5K or a 0.7 Fun Run/Walk. Registration for the 5K costs $30, while the fun run costs $20. To register, visit runreg.com/13737. The race starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, and all registration fees go directly toward covering the cost of the trip.
