Mt. Greylock Regional School District

Mount Greylock High returns today to high energy

By Meghan Foley, North Adams Transcript Posted: 08/29/2012 02:10:30 AM EDT

The original article in the Transcript can be found here.

Wednesday August 29, 2012

WILLIAMSTOWN -- When students return to Mount Greylock Regional High School today, they'll be greeted by a new principal, four new teachers and a lot of school spirit.

Rose Ellis, superintendent of Williams town and Lanesbor ough Public Schools, said Monday that there is a lot of energy and excitement in the school in preparation for opening day, and students can expect a very warm welcome.

"Members of the PEP [Positive Energy People] Club have been working with some of our teachers to put up signs all over the building with wonderful and encouraging messages," she said.

There is a strong commitment to continue work, which was begun last year to build relationships and make sure students feel welcome and safe while at school, she said.

"We're going to continue to work and expand on the 'Three Rs: Rigor, Relevancy and Relationships.' We're also going to go more deeply into our core values as presented in 'The Greylock Way,' " she said. Those values are ac countability, respect, integrity, stewardship and excellence.

"The Greylock Way" was established at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year as part of an effort to reset the school's culture.

In addition, Mount Greylock will work with the Multicultural BRIDGE (Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Groups and Education) program for a third consecutive year, Ellis said.

John "Jack" Kurty, a native of Westfield, will join Mount Greylock's staff as the school's new principal, replacing Timothy Payne. Kurty, who holds a doctorate in education from Harvard Uni versity's Graduate School of Education, was ap pointed to the position in June. At the time, he was interim director of curriculum and instruction at the International Community School in London, England.

Luke Polidoro and Kristina Kovacs have been hired to teach math, while Daniel Louis will teach physics. Kate Caton will be the school's new choral teacher.

Ellis said the principal's office has now become the main office and has been moved to where the guidance suite used to be in order to be better centralized in the building.

"We tried to locate it in the middle of a facility with a very challenging layout," she said.

Besides the principal, the main office will house office space for the assistant principal, the curriculum instruction and assessment coordinator, the school psychologist and the athletic director, she said. The guidance offices are now where the principal's office used to be, she said.

"We're also creating new entrances and exits to the building so that we can ensure greater safety and efficiencies," she said.

To reach Meghan Foley, email mfoley@thetranscript.com.