WESTHAMPTON — A Westhampton native has been awarded a $500 scholarship from the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation in honor of the bureau’s former information and public relations director, Gregory Finn.
Erin Norris, who grew up on a dairy farm in Westhampton, is studying animal science and pursuing minors in agribusiness management and food science at the University of Connecticut, according to a statement from the MFBF.
On Nov. 30, she received the Gregory Finn Scholarship.
Norris, who has a “passion for cows,” started the Agriculture Advocacy Club at UConn to help bridge the gap between farmers and people who know next to nothing about agriculture.
BOSTON — The Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board has landed a state grant that will help it increase paid internship opportunities for high school students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
The Baker-Polito Administration and the STEM Advisory Council awarded $200,000 in two-year grants to five workforce development boards. Each board will receive grants worth $40,000 per year. Funds for the grants come from the STEM Advisory Council’s STEM Pipeline Fund.
Franklin Hampshire’s Collaborative for Educational Services formed the STEM Employer Action Group two years ago.
The STEM Employer Action Group provides workshops, career support and some internships for students. Franklin Hampshire intends to increase these opportunities by expanding the number of schools, students and employers served.
NORTHAMPTON — Teams from Northampton High School took first and second place at a regional one-day student stock market event in Springfield.
More than 130 student teams from 24 area schools completed to amass the highest net-worth by the end of the 60-day investment period. The catch was that each day was only 60 seconds long. Just like in a real trading day, the student teams had to access the tips and news that impacted the market and influenced whether they should buy or sell.
The first place team, Team Sidewalk Shakehorse, included Eli Christopher, Henry Dunn, Max Weisenthal and Brett Laverdiere.
The team’s strategy involved buying early and holding onto their portfolio throughout the event.
The second place team, Team Trinomials, included Megan-Rose Missien and Joaquin Flores.
The teams from Northampton High were sponsored by Florence Banks.
13 win Shining Star awards in Amherst
AMHERST — The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District recently recognized 13 employees with a Shining Star award.
The award is presented to any employee throughout the district who exemplifies the schools’ core beliefs of equity, social justice, continuous improvement, collaboration, excellence and respect for diversity. Shining Stars display these believes through their interactions with students, families, colleagues and the community. The award also goes to those employees who go above and beyond the scope of their duties.
Each staff member was awarded a small trophy and a description of why they were nominated as a Shining Star. We would like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication they have shared with the district.
Local schools
kickoff WGBY
quiz show
A new season of WGBY’s quiz show, “As Schools Match Wits,” kicked off last weekend with a team from Easthampton High School defeating Gateway Regional High School, 165-155.
Action for the 57th consesecutive season continues this weekend with a matchup between Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School in Adams against The MacDuffie School in Granby.
The show airs on WGBY Saturdays at 7 p.m.
Easthampton’s team included junior Kristin Hartley, sophomore Madison Rinker, junior Aidan Chappuis and sophomore Joseph Hwang.
Gateway students who competed last weekend include junior Grace LeBarron, junior Robert Austin, junior Kilee Holmes and freshman Joseph Holmes.
Each season, up to 50 schools go head-to-head in qualifying matches to see which team can earn the greatest number of points. The eight highest-scoring teams of the season then compete in playoff matches to determine the season’s champion, which is then awarded the coveted Collamore Cup, named for the show’s creator.
“As Schools Match Wits” pits teams of western New England public and private high schoolers against each other.
The show, hosted by local TV journalist Beth Ward, was created by Leonard J. Collamore for WWLP-TV 22 in 1961. Twelve years ago, WWLP handed production of the show over to local PBS and public television station WGBY and Westfield State University.
AMHERST — The Common School is commemorating its 50th anniversary by challenging the school community to engage in acts of kindness and community service through June 1.
The goal is to reach 50 acts — large or small, one-time or ongoing, in groups or individual — that are focused on making the difference in the lives of others.
Acts so far have included:
Relief for Puerto Rico goods drive. School parents Becky and Adam Quenneville initiated a schoolwide effort to help families in devastated communities in the western part of Puerto Rico, and distributed many items collected with help from family contacts in Rincon.
Student Eli Hunter is making a donation to the Hawassa Skate Park in Ethiopia in lieu of his birthday gifts.
School student Wiley James is selling pumpkins and donating a portion of the proceeds to a small community in Guayana.
Mystic Pinball fundraiser for Puerto Rico by Mystic Pinball owners and school parents Corina and Mark Hankowski.
Forty loaves of family-made pumpkin breads, along with potatoes the children harvested, were distributed to seniors at the Amherst Senior Center.
Students Eva Hankowski, Willa Hudson and Charlotte Honig are creating multicultural cloth dolls, mosaic cards, and handmade bead jewelry to sell at the School’s Biggest Ever Carnival as a fundraiser. The money will help other students attend the school, the students explained.