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Date: 4/12/2022
HADLEY – The Greater Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) will soon be opening the Hadley Support Center, a full-time in-person learning center for GCVS students, the school announced in a press release at the end of March.
Hadley Support Center Coordinator Kris Provost said the center will provide a safe and welcoming space for students, families and professionals. The center is designed to provide an alternative learning environment for students who require a more hands-on approach to a non-traditional school setting.
Provost said students will go through their typical class schedule while at the center and engage in developmental activities in between classes. Students will learn and practice mindfulness and develop a personal learning plan that incorporates career goals as well as the foundational classes needed to achieve them.
“We will introduce the my career and academic plan and career technical education programs to tailor the best approach for each individual student,” Provost said. “We are also collaborating with MassHire to set up internship opportunities for students to get firsthand experience in environments that they wish to pursue. We will also expose students to professionals, who will provide insight in their areas of expertise through workshops and career day settings. We will also be partnering with local community colleges and universities to provide students with information on post-secondary opportunities and dual enrollment.”
The center will split days with middle schoolers going on Tuesday and Thursday while high school students can go on Monday and Wednesday. Attendees will have access to in-person teachers and counselors. Any GCVS student within a commutable distance is eligible to attend.
GCVS introduced a one-year pilot program for satellite support in Leydon prior to the pandemic. That space and location weren’t optimal, so the school jumped on the building at 1 Mill Valley Rd. in Hadley when it became available. Special Education Director Darlene Thorpe said they couldn’t be happier with the space and the proximity to the Five Colleges is a bonus to make future work with college interns easier.
“We hope to make the space very inviting, as it’s just as important for students to feel welcome and secure physically and emotionally as it is to have a place where they can learn,” Provost said. “The goal is for students to make the space their own. A lot of what we are trying to accomplish is to get students to take ownership of the space, as part of them ultimately taking ownership of their overall education. This will allow them to understand what it is they need to do to achieve their goals in life, no matter what those goals may be.”
Provost added that the center is incorporating life centered education curriculum which will teach daily living skills, budgeting and finances, interpersonal skills and employment skills. The center is scheduled to officially open sometime in April.