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Schools
COVID-19: School In Hampshire County Closes Due To Increase In Cases COVID-19: School In Hampshire County Closes Due To Increase In Cases
Covid-19: School In Hampshire County Closes Due To Increase In Cases A school in Western Massachusetts is the latest to go remote for the remainder of 2021 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases amid the arrival of the Omicron variant. In Hampshire County, school officials announced late on Monday, Dec. 20 that the R.H. Conwell Elementary School in Worthington will be closed for the rest of the week due to a spike in confirmed cases of the virus within the building. Schools Superintendent Gretchen Morse-Dobosz and Worthington School Nurse Samantha Pease issued the alert after the district identified 33 close contacts within the elementary school that spanned betwee…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week COVID-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week
Covid-19: Cornell University Reports Nearly 900 Student Cases In Past Week Confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to increase at Cornell University a day after the university announced it was moving to Alert Level Red. According to Cornell's COVID-19 dashboard, 276 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, bringing the total number of students to test positive for COVID-19 between Tuesday, Dec. 7, and Monday, Dec. 13, to 883. Earlier report - COVID-19: Cornell Shutting Campus, Moving To 'Alert Level Red' After Rapid Spread Of Virus On Tuesday, Dec. 14, Cornell University President Martha Pollack said the university would be implementing new safety measures, includin…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
School Board Member In Region Punched During Hearing On Mascot Name School Board Member In Region Punched During Hearing On Mascot Name
School Board Member In Region Punched During Hearing On Mascot Name A school board member in Connecticut was punched during a contentious meeting meant to be about a high school mascot. In Hartford County, a man punched a board of education member during a special meeting held in Glastonbury to discuss the high school’s mascot, which was changed from the Tomahawks to the Guardians last year, much to the dismay of some. During the meeting, tensions rose, and a fight broke out between someone in attendance and a board of education member during a break in the mascot discussion. It is unclear what caused the fight. Last year, the district moved to change the …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Social Media Threat Under Investigation At High School In Western Mass Social Media Threat Under Investigation At High School In Western Mass
Social Media Threat Under Investigation At High School In Western Mass An investigation has been launched at a Western Massachusetts high school after threats were reportedly made targeting the building on social media. In Hampden County, officials said that there were multiple posts made on social media that could be perceived as threats to Westfield High School, prompting an investigation at the building. Parents have reportedly been notified of the situation, which is under investigation by school and police authorities. The nature of the threats - which were made on Instagram - has not been disclosed. “We are aware of the social media posts regarding We…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Staffing Shortage Causes School Closure In Franklin County Staffing Shortage Causes School Closure In Franklin County
Staffing Shortage Causes School Closure In Franklin County A school in Western Massachusetts was forced to temporarily shut down due to staffing shortages. In Franklin County, Mohawk Trail/Hawlemont Regional School Districts Superintendent Sheryl Stanton announced that the Hawlemont Regional School will be closed on Monday, Nov. 22 due to staffing shortages. “Due to staffing shortages, Hawlemont Regional School will be closed on Monday, Nov. 22,” the district posted on the school’s website. “We will be assessing the staffing situation throughout the day today, so please listen carefully for updates regarding tomorrow. Thank you for your patience!” …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Police Increase Presence Around High School In Region After Threat Police Increase Presence Around High School In Region After Threat
Police Increase Presence Around High School In Region After Threat There was an increased police presence outside a Connecticut high school after there were allegations that a student made threats against the school, police said. In Hartford County, extra officers responded to the Howell Cheney Technical School in Manchester after a student reportedly expressed a desire to commit a school shooting, though it was later determined that it wasn’t related to a firearm, and instead a knife was recovered from the teen. According to State Police, a family member of the student contacted them shortly before 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, stating that a student in an…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: University In Region Sees Spike In New Cases COVID-19: University In Region Sees Spike In New Cases
Covid-19: University In Region Sees Spike In New Cases An area college has seen a small spike in new COVID-19 cases as it continues to push students and staff to get vaccinated against the virus. Quinnipiac University, located in Hamden, in New Haven County, Connecticut, is reporting 30 new cases in the past seven days, bringing the total to 32 active cases health officials are monitoring. There have been a total of 81 cases since the semester started in August. Earlier story - COVID-19: University In Region To Fine, Limit WiFi To Unvaccinated Students Officials noted that Quinnipiac required all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: College Enrollment Saw Biggest Two-Year Drop In Half A Century COVID-19: College Enrollment Saw Biggest Two-Year Drop In Half A Century
Covid-19: College Enrollment Saw Biggest Two-Year Drop In Half A Century Student enrollment in colleges across the United States continues to decline with no signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic-related decline in 2020, according to a new report.  This year's fall undergraduate enrollment numbers were down 3.2 percent nationwide, National Clearinghouse Student Research Center said in a report on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The previous fall, enrollment fell by 3.4 percent, the research center said.  According to CNBC, this is the largest two-year enrollment drop the country has seen in 50 years.  While undergraduate enrollment fell across all sect…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
New Mural Honors Slain College Football Player From Massachusetts New Mural Honors Slain College Football Player From Massachusetts
New Mural Honors Slain College Football Player From Massachusetts Gone, but not forgotten. Pace University in Westchester County unveiled a mural in their Kessel Student Center to commemorate the memory of Danroy “DJ” Henry, Jr., a student-athlete who was shot and killed by a police officer more than a decade ago. Henry, a junior defensive back on the football team at Pace University's Pleasantville campus, was at a sports bar in neighboring Thornwood with teammates when a fight broke out after their homecoming game in 11 years ago. Danroy "DJ" Henry, 20Justice for DJ Henry Facebook page Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess remained at the scene,…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Amherst College Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni Amherst College Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni
Amherst College Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni Amherst College in Massachusetts announced it is ending a longstanding admission policy that gives preference to applicants who are children of alumni. The college, located in Hampshire County, said legacy students previously accounted for about 11 percent of each class. Moving forward, the college said legacy status will no longer factor into the admissions process, in an effort to give opportunities to more applicants. “Now is the time to end this historic program that inadvertently limits educational opportunity by granting a preference to those whose parents are graduates of the Colleg…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
Massachusetts School District Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Says Massachusetts School District Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Says
Massachusetts School District Held Racially Segregated Events, Lawsuit Says A national parent-led organization that aims to “reclaim our schools from activists promoting harmful agendas” is suing a New England school district for alleged discrimination against white students. The Parents Defending Education organization in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, is accusing Wellesley Public Schools of discrimination by creating certain affinity groups for communities of color. It is further alleged that Wellesley held segregated events for students where some were invited but white students were excluded. 
“It is appalling that an American public school has consciously im…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says COVID-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says
Covid-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the agency will continue to recommend that children wear masks this winter while in school, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.  CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky made the announcement on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at a news briefing.  She said once COVID-19 vaccinations are authorized for children ages 5 to 11, the CDC will work to scale up pediatric vaccinations, but she added that this will take some time. "And as I just noted, as we head into these winter months, we know we cannot be complacent,"…

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by Nicole Valinote