Watch the budgets, and Region One students

As municipal and education budgets come together, this is the time for citizens of the Northwest Corner to be acutely aware of where the painful cuts are happening (or not happening where they should) in each budget that affects their lives and be sure their voices are heard when the final votes occur. This newspaper will keep track of meeting times for our readers; just be sure to take advantage of the knowledge and make an appearance when final votes on budgets are happening.Even as the budget discussions are sucking up a lot of the attention around Region One schools right now, it’s nice to know that students at those same schools continue to go over and above what is expected of them to achieve good things. With challenging academic schedules that take more than just classroom time, it is to the credit of these students that they also take on projects that are extracurricular. Such activities expand their horizons, giving them the opportunity to do something they feel can make a difference in the world around them, whether through sheer shared fun or to support a cause or to create something never before seen.For instance: At the Tri-State Chamber’s “Buy Local” festival at Housatonic Valley Regional High School March 27, members of the high school’s Rotary Interact Club spent the day selling cookies and collecting donations to raise money to send to those suffering in Japan in the wake of the recent earthquake, tsunami and ongoing radiation crisis. The high school’s robotics team, Who’sCTEKS of Housatonic, made it to the quarter finals at the regional competition in Rochester, N.Y., the beginning of March, and they’ll be competing in Hartford this weekend (March 31 through April 2). (Good luck, Who’sCTEKS!) A large cast of Housy characters put on a very successful Housatonic Musical Theatre production of “Guys and Dolls” last weekend, and about 35 Region One students are working hard to prepare for a Falls Village Children’s Theater production of “Seussical,” which will be performed at Housatonic on April 1, 2 and 3. (Break a leg, “Seussical” cast!) These are just a few examples of the activities students take part in that teach them real-world lessons of cooperation and the value of taking positive action. They’re beginning to understand the importance of working with a team to accomplish a mutual goal. Such lessons will be just as important as the academic knowledge being imparted in the classrooms and will give them skills that will make their lives fuller as they enter adulthood. These same young people will be the ones who, as adults, may well volunteer their time to share the knowledge they’re garnering now with the next generation of students.