More Volunteers Needed!

We urgently need more people to sign up to help assemble 3 picnic tables for the playground this coming Saturday, Aug 23rd (time to be determined based on volunteer availability). So far we’ve had ONLY two volunteers. If we don’t get more volunteers we will have to cancel, and the picnic tables won’t been in before early September. PLEASE contact Catherine Sanderson (casanderson@amherst.edu, tel. 256-4977) ASAP if you can help! Also, please plan on bringing drills and other tools that will be useful. We also have an additional volunteer position open for someone who would like help out with the Staff/Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. This is a great way to say “thank you” to all the people who take care of our kids. This committee finds a restaurant and works with the manager to set a date and menu, sends invitations to all staff asking for menu choices, collects RSVPs and gives meal counts to the restaurant, and keeps in contact with the restaurant to make sure that everything is on track! A Spring Event. We need a co-coordinator to work with Jacquie Juras. Contact Parent Council President Sue Borden at 253-0140 or frpc.sborden@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Volunteers Needed for 2008-09

We are still in search of some important volunteers for the upcoming school year. Please remember parent council is run entirely by volunteers, and we can't do it all -- we need your help! Please contact our new Parent Council President, Sue Borden, at 253-0140 or frpc.sborden@gmail.com if you have questions and/or are willing to help out. Coordinators are needed for the following events: Cultural Enrichment Committee: This committee notifies teachers of cultural events at U Mass, orders tickets that teachers request, and confirms the date and time of the performance for teachers. Most of the work happens in early fall. Holiday Gift Wrap Sales: This is one of our biggest fundraisers! This committee works with the gift wrap company to select items to sell, distributes brochures to each family, collects order forms and places orders with the company, and distributes orders when they arrive. A Fall event. Beach Party: This is a fun evening social event for families featuring live music, dancing and ethnic foods from around the world (and sometimes colorful tropical clothes and accessories). Committee members advertise the event, decorate the cafeteria in a beach theme, order food, and of course help with set up and clean up. A Spring event. Book Fair: This is a great opportunity for students to purchase quality books at affordable prices (and provides important funding for our school library). This committee contacts the book companies (usually Scholastic and one local book store), makes arrangements to have the books delivered to the school, staffs the book fair, and handles the final payment to the book companies. A co-coordinator is needed to run this event with Diane Caraker. A Fall event. Fort River Lost and Found / Hand Me Downs: This committee maintains the Hand-Me-Down closet (so that items can be found!), and organizes a twice-yearly event in which lost clothes are placed on tables in the lobby to be retrieved by kids/parents. Remaining items are donated to the Survival Center. Coffee With a Principal: This committee organizes a monthly morning coffee with Principal Sharick and/or Vice-Principal Suarez-Werlein. This committee coordinates with the principal’s office to choose dates, publicizes the event, makes coffee, provides light food, and handles set-up and clean-up. Saving Makes “Cents”: This program strives to encourage savings habits and goal setting. Children can open a bank account with Florence Savings Bank and bank weekly in the cafeteria (before school) with help from parent volunteers (or directly at the bank). Only $1.00 is needed to open an account, and any amount can be deposited—and after 10 deposits, the Bank will deposit $1.00 into the account. Coordinator: Barbara Morse (253-9160: bmlmorse@comcast.net). Two weekly volunteers needed. Resource Coordinators are needed for the following committees: Same-sex parent – families Single-parent – families Child with special needs – families English as a second language – families ALANA families: (African-American, Latino(a)/Chicano(a), Asian/Pacific American, and Native American). Room Parents: Room parents are needed for all classrooms. Room parents check in with the teacher monthly to see what is be needed (e.g., snacks for an event, field trip volunteers, etc.), plan a class pot-luck, and assist with planning a grade-wide event. They may organize a class gift in December and/or June. Once again, please contact Fort River Parent Council President Sue Borden at 253-0140 or frpc.sborden@gmail.com, if you would like to take on one of these jobs.

Welcome to Fort River Dessert Party, Tuesday, Aug. 26th 6-7:30 pm.

Parent Council is gearing up for the new year by hosting a “Welcome to Fort River Dessert Party” (with popsicles!) on Tuesday, August 26th, from 6 to 7:30 pm. This is an informal get-together for all the families who will be new to Fort River this year. Invitations to these families have already been mailed out. We'd also love some current families to come and meet the new families, so please bring your kids and plan to socialize! Weather permitting, the party will be held outside on the playground, so park in the lot nearest to the playground (the area straight ahead as you drive into the parking lot) and come around to the back of the school. (If it rains, we will hold the party in the cafeteria located adjacent to the playground, so please also come to the back of the school).

Wecome Back Event for Faculty and Staff -- Donations Needed

A "Welcome Back" event is planned for our incredibly dedicated and fabulous Fort River faculty and staff on Wednesday, August 27. Help is needed! Donations of baked goods, fresh fruit, lunch salads, snacks, and beverages (e.g. juice, flavored creamers for coffee, fancy tea bags!) would be greatly appreciated. Fresh cut flowers from your garden would also be great; lots of families brought flowers in last year and many teachers commented on how lovely all of the arrangements were (any drinking glass, can, recycled bottle, etc., will do for a creative vase!) Let's make this a beautiful morning as the faculty and staff return for the upcomingschool year! Items can be dropped off in the teacher lounge between 8:30 am and 9:30 am, but if these times are not convenient please call me to make other arrangements. Refrigeration is available. Serving dishes can be retrieved on the first day of school. Please respond directly to Michele Spirko if you are able to help or have further suggestions or questions. Email: spirko@pol.net Phone: 253-6412 Thanks so much, and enjoy/cherish these last few weeks of summer with your kids! Sincerely, Michele Spirko (Mom to Colton - 3rd grade)