The annual Spring Lyonnaise sponsored by the Mary Lyon Foundation was held this year on Sunday afternoon, May 18 from 2-5 pm at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center on Main Street in Shelburne Falls. This free event, a celebration of excellence in local education, is open to the public. There was music, awards, raffle prizes, student exhibits and a presentation by the 2014 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, Anne Marie Bettencourt. The very first Massachusetts Teacher of the Year was Roy Frude, a beloved Arms Academy science teacher. Awards were presented as follows:

Outstanding Mohawk Graduate Award – Kevin Hollister

Spirit of Adventure Award – Leslie and Eddie Grinnell

Business Award – Berkshire East

Career Award – John Sloan, former head of a division of Chrysler Corporation

Harper Gerry Student Assistance Fund

The Mary Lyon Foundation has recently provided eyeglasses, lunch money, food vouchers, warm winter clothing, prescriptions and other basic necessities for Mohawk students and their families. Grants from Brookfield Community Foundation, People’s Community Foundation and the
Cleveland Dodge Foundation as well as generous contributions and staff payroll deductions have maintained this important service.

Music Program

This year the Mary Lyon Foundation donated a very large gong to the music department at Mohawk. It will be used in a wide variety of presentations as well as sounding the end of each round in the annual Community Spelling Bee.

Ron Bailey, Guest Speaker

Sponsored by a pro-active grant from the Mary Lyon Foundation, President of the Black History Civil War Museum in Gettysburg, Ron Bailey was a charismatic guest speaker at an assembly program at Mohawk recently, also visiting classrooms and meeting with students. Erik Doty, close friend of the speaker, was instrumental in bringing him to our school. That evening the foundation sponsored a reception for Mr. Bailey and hopes to continue a close relationship with the museum.