Upcoming Events

Teacher Curriculum Workday. Friday, Nov. 21st. NO SCHOOL. Hillside Pizza Fundraiser Order Forms Due. Tuesday, Nov. 25th. Get order form here. See below for more information. Thanksgiving Recess. Thurs. Nov. 26-Fri. Nov. 27. NO SCHOOL. Fort River Book Fair. Tuesday, December 2 through Friday, December 5, 9am-12noon. There will be after school hours on Friday, December 5 from 3-7pm. See below for more information. Coffee With the Principals. Friday, Dec. 5, 8:30-9:15am. In the cafeteria. Join Principal Ray Sharick and Asst. Principal Lianne Suarez-Werlein for coffee and light refreshments. Younger siblings welcome. Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Dec. 5. Click here for order form. Hillside Pizza Fundraiser--Pizza Pick-Up Day. Friday, Dec. 5. Pick up your pizza orders and shop at the Book Fair after school. **Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Have YOU Ordered Your Hillside Pizza?

Please Support the Final Push to Finish the New Playground!

Hillside Pizza samples will be available after school on Tuesday, November 25. The deadline for order forms is Wednesday, November 26.

Order forms are available HERE. Pizza pick-up day in Friday, Dec. 5th. Pick up your pizza and shop at the Book Fair after school!

Fall 2008 Book Fair

The Fall Book Fair will take place from

Tuesday, December 2 through Friday, December 5th

9:00am-12:00noon Extended hours during Pizza Pick-Up Day, Friday, Dec. 5th from 3:00pm-7:00pm.

It's a great time of year to pick up some books for the holidays, special occasions and of course winter vacation, all while helping to support the many activities offered by the Fort River Parent Council. Families are always welcome to visit the Book Fair with their child's class or at any other time that we are open. If you can't make it to the fair, you can send your child with cash in an envelope or a check made payable to Fort River Parent Council. If you choose to send a check, please designate on the memo line a maximum amount available for book purchases. (5% sales tax is added to the price of all purchases.) Credit/debit cards are also accepted. If you are interested in making a purchase for a specific teacher or for the Fort River Library, wish lists will be at the Cashier's Table to help with your selection. Also, anybody who would like to donate to the Scholarship Fund can leave money at the Cashier's Table. (This fund is used to assure that every Fort River student goes home from the book fair with a least one book.) Also, Scholastic Books, Food for Thought Books, and Ellare Books (a local home run book store) provide an excellent selection of books for both children and adults--fiction and non-fiction, science fiction, multicultural, educational, and activity books all at very reasonable prices! VOLUNTEERS: If you would like to volunteer to work at the book fair, please contact Diane Caracker at Dianec711@comcast.net. Thank you all for making the Fort River Book Fair a success year after year and continuing to foster your child's love for reading!

Help Us Win a Florence Savings Bank Customer's Choice Grant!

Florence Savings Bank’s annual $50,000 Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program is now accepting votes for non-profit organizations. Florence Savings Bank gives awards up to $5000 and this year they will also be distributing $500 grants to 6 non-profit organizations randomly selected from the pool of non-profits which receive less than 1% of the vote. Voting is limited to Florence Savings Bank customers and last year’s winners needed only 68 votes to win. We urge all of you who are FSB customers to cast your vote for the Fort River Parent Council by completing a ballot sheet (available at FSB branches) or by visiting their website www.florencesavings.com. There is only one vote per customer and all ballots must be completed and submitted by December 31, 2008. The grant awards will be announced in March. Please help us win a Customers’ Choice Community Grant!

Annual Family Donation Fund: Update

Thanks to all the families who have already contributed to our Annual Family Donation Fund. This fund supports all Parent Council activities and gets each student a free Fort River directory and yearbook! We have now raised $4,450 from 124 of our 347 families (36% of families), and are still hoping for contributions from ALL families; even a $1.00 donation helps increase our goal of 100% family participation ! Although we suggest $20 a child, contributions of any size are welcome ¬ and all contributions are tax deductible (and anonymous). Checks (to Fort River Parent Council) or cash can be sent to the Parent Council mailbox in the main office. FYI, we are running behind compared to our donations from last year, so if you have forgotten, please send your donations in!

Stop & Shop A+ Bonus Bucks: Reminder

Here's another reminder to sign up for the Stop and Shop Bonus Bucks program. If you already shop at Stop & Shop and have a Stop & Shop card, please sign up ASAP! If you sign up before the end of the month, ALL of your November grocery purchases (including your Thanksgiving feast!) will be counted towards this program. It's incredibly easy to sign up: all you need to do is GET UP RIGHT NOW, GRAB YOUR STOP & SHOP CARD, COME BACK TO YOUR COMPUTER and CLICK HERE: http://www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Then all you need to do is click on "Register Your Card." When you enter your Stop & Shop card number, you have to include 13 digits. Start with the small numbers to the left of the bar code, then the 10 digits under the bar code, then the digit to the right of the bar code. Fort River's school code is 05218. Please register your card ASAP. The program only runs until the April 2nd, so the sooner you do it the more money Fort River will get. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you need to re-register this year. It is simple and painless! Click here for more info and more ways to register: http://ftriver.blogspot.com/2008/09/stop-bonus-bucks-easy-fundraiser.html. Thanks, Ann

Volunteers Needed

• “Amherst-opoly” Fundraiser: Fort River Parent Council has been asked to participate in a Amherst Elementary School fundraiser, where a group is designing an "Amherst-opoly" monopoly game. If you are interested in this joint school endeavor please contact Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).
• Gardening Committee: We are nearing the final phase of the playground renovation, which will include work on planting and landscaping (thanks to a lovely design by Carol Pope) and painting games (hop scotch, four square) on the blacktop! If you’d like to be involved in this final phase of the playground, please contact Catherine Sanderson (casanderson@amherst.edu).
• Yearbook: Photos and Help Wanted: Are you interested in learning about publication layout and graphic design? Do you enjoy digital photography? Then come help with the Fort River Yearbook! Parent Council provides a parent/guardian designed yearbook for every student at the end of each school year. Contact: Mary Zyskowski (m.zyskowski@comcast.net).
• Resource Coordinators for Same-Sex Parent Families and for Single-Parent Families: act as a contact for families with questions about Fort River and the community. Contact: Sue Borden(FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).

Editor's Note: Happy Thanksgiving!

I will be taking next week off from the website. I'll update again in two weeks. In the meantime, you will still receive email reminders before the various Parent Council events coming up in the next couple of weeks. If you are not currently receiving Fort River Parent Council emails and would like to be added to the list, please send me an email at damclaughlin@comcast.net and I'll add you to the list. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ann McLaughlin Fort River Parent Council Secretary

Upcoming School Events

Picture Retake Day. Tues. Nov. 18th. 9am-12noon. See below for more information. School Committee Meeting. Tuesday, Nov. 18th, 7pm. High School Library. Parent Council Meeting. Wed. Nov. 19, 8:30-9:30am. In the cafeteria. Social Justice and Diversity Committee Meeting. Wednesday, November 19, 8:45 am, Library. Teacher Curriculum Workday. Friday, Nov. 21st. NO SCHOOL. Hillside Pizza Fundraiser Order Forms Due. Tuesday, Nov. 25th. Get order form here. Click here for more info. Thanksgiving Recess. Thurs. Nov. 26-Fri. Nov. 27. NO SCHOOL. Fort River Book Fair. Tuesday, December 2 through Friday, December 5. There will be after school hours on December 5. More info soon. Coffee With the Principals. Friday, Dec. 5, 8:30-9:15am. In the cafeteria. Join Principal Ray Sharick and Asst. Principal Lianne Suarez-Werlein for coffee and light refreshments. Younger siblings welcome. Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Dec. 5. Click here for order form. Hillside Pizza Fundraiser--Pizza Pick-Up Day. Friday, Dec. 5. **Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Come to the Next Parent Council Meeting on Wed. Nov. 19, 8:30am

Parent Council Meeting, Wednesday, November 19, 8:30 am (in the cafeteria). Please join us for a discussion of the state of our budget followed by a focus group led by consultants from the Amherst Educational Foundation (AEF). AEF is seeking input from many sources around town as part of its strategic planning process. AEF consultants will be focusing on the challenges at Fort River and how we think AEF should focus its resources.

Help Us Win a Florence Savings Bank Customer's Choice Grant!

Florence Savings Bank’s annual $50,000 Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program is now accepting votes for non-profit organizations. Florence Savings Bank gives awards up to $5000 and this year they will also be distributing $500 grants to 6 non-profit organizations randomly selected from the pool of non-profits which receive less than 1% of the vote. Voting is limited to Florence Savings Bank customers and last year’s winners needed only 68 votes to win. We urge all of you who are FSB customers to cast your vote for the Fort River Parent Council by completing a ballot sheet (available at FSB branches) or by visiting their website www.florencesavings.com. There is only one vote per customer and all ballots must be completed and submitted by December 31, 2008. The grant awards will be announced in March. Please help us win a Customers’ Choice Community Grant!

Help Wanted

Fort River Parent Council has been asked to participate in a Amherst Elementary School fundraiser, where a group is designing an "Amherst-opoly" monopoly game. If you are interested in this joint school endeavor please contact Sue Borden for details (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).

School Pictures are Here!

Dear Fort River Families, We hope you are pleased with the results of this year’s school pictures. If you did not order a picture package, your child still receives a free class photo. RETAKE DAY: If you are dissatisfied with the photograph or your child was absent on the original picture day, PICTURE RETAKE DAY is scheduled for: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th 9am-12pm A photographer from Grynn & Barrett will be at Fort River to re-photograph your child at no extra charge. Please have your child return their entire picture package to the photographer on retake day (you may keep the class photo). If your child was absent on picture day, please send in the original order form with payment. OTHER CONCERNS: If you would like to order more photos or have any other concerns about your order, please call: Grynn & Barrett Studios 413-532-9406 or 800-639-2104 Please do not contact the school. Thank you, Pam Rietkerk pjrietkerk@aol.com

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Support ACAC AND the Amherst Survival Center. Saturday, November 15th RAIN OR SHINE! 10am-3pm on the Amherst Town Common North. ACAC is holding a fundraiser during the last Amherst Farmer's Market of the season. Food donations* will go to Amherst Survival Center (ASC) and donations of loose change will support Amherst Community Arts Center. In addition to making donations, families, children, and individuals of all ages can make holiday cards for ACS families and individuals, contribute to a "Give Thanks" board, and have a free face painting. Please support two wonderful non-profits this holiday season! For further information, please contact Hillary Milens at ACAC. http://www.amherstarts.org/ *Suggested food donations: Stuffing mix, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cranberry sauce, soup, gift certificiates to grocery stores, or anything non-perishable. Northampton Family Dance. Please come to the Family Dance! Our first dance of the new season will be held on Sunday, November 16. The dance takes place 3:00 - 5:00 PM at First Churches, 129 Main Street, Northampton (use the Center Street entrance across from the Iron Horse). Come enjoy a variety of folk and contra dances geared to children and families. All dances are taught, and all ages are welcome--no dance experience is necessary. Live music! Admission is $4 per person for ages 3 and up, $15 maximum per family. For more information, please call Judy Stern at 256-2613 or email judystern44@yahoo.com Multi-Arts Electronic Magazine. Allow yourself to be surprised, delighted, and inspired. Children's creativity and depth of thinking can be mesmerizing. Take a look at Multi-Arts Electronic Magazine: http://www.multi-arts.org/newsletter/10-08/index.html. A note from Parent Council. We will publish information about non-Parent Council sponsored events with the following conditions: 1. The event should be of interest to Fort River families.

2. The information should be sent to Ann McLaughlin at damclaughlin@comcast.net in the form of a short description. 3. Contact information (website or name, telephone and/or email address) must be included. We add new information to the blog every Friday during the school year. Please note that we do not accept announcements of items or services for sale (with the exceptions of children's classes/lessons). Inclusion in this section does not imply any guarantees or endorsements by Fort River Parent Council or Fort River School.

Upcoming School Events

Veteran's Day. Tuesday, Nov. 11th. No School. Parent Council Meeting. Wed. Nov. 19, 8:30-9:30am. In the cafeteria. School Committee Meeting. Tuesday, Nov. 18th, 7pm. High School Library. Social Justice and Diversity Committee Meeting. Wednesday, November 19, 8:45 am, Library. Teacher Curriculum Workday. Friday, Nov. 21st. NO SCHOOL. Hillside Pizza Fundraiser Order Forms Due. Tuesday, Nov. 25th. Thanksgiving Recess. Thurs. Nov. 26-Fri. Nov. 27. NO SCHOOL. **Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Parent Council Meeting--Date Change!

The next Parent Council meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 19, 8:30 am in the cafeteria. Hope to see you there.

Annual Family Donation Fund

Thanks to all the families who have already contributed to our Annual Family Donation Fund. This fund supports all Parent Council activities - field trips, cultural events, library books, scholarships for children in need, etc. - and gets each student a free Fort River directory and yearbook! We have now raised $4,200 from 120 of our 347 families (35% of families), and are still hoping for contributions from ALL families; even a $1.00 donation helps increase our goal of 100% family participation! Although we suggest $20 a child, contributions of any size are welcome -- and all contributions are tax deductible (and anonymous). Checks (to Fort River Parent Council) or cash can be sent to the Parent Council mailbox in the main office. FYI, we are running behind compared to our donations from last year, so if you have forgotten, please send your donations in! Thanks!

Stop and Shop A+ Bonusbucks

I have just looked up the Stop & Shop Bonus Bucks totals. We have 34 people signed up and have made $128 in the first month (October)! I have also been informed by Stop & Shop that if you enroll before November 31st, ALL your purchases in November will be credited! It's incredibly easy to sign up all you need to do is GET UP RIGHT NOW, GRAB YOUR STOP & SHOP CARD, COME BACK TO YOUR COMPUTER and CLICK HERE: http://www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Then all you need to do is click on "Register Your Card." When you enter your Stop & Shop card number, you have to include 13 digits. Start with the small numbers to the left of the bar code, then the 10 digits under the bar code, then the digit to the right of the bar code. Fort River's school code is 05218. Please register your card ASAP. The program only runs until the April 2nd, so the sooner you do it the more money Fort River will get. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you need to re-register this year. It is simple and painless! Click here for more info and more ways to register: http://ftriver.blogspot.com/2008/09/stop-bonus-bucks-easy-fundraiser.html. Thanks, Ann

The Book Fair Is Coming!

The annual Fort River Book Fair is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2 through Friday, December 5. There will be after school hours on December 5 for parents interested in purchasing books. Be on the lookout for the schedule and volunteer opportunities in the next couple of weeks !

Election Day Bake Sale: Update

Thanks to Lynn Logan and Cathy Cullen for organizing the Election Day Bake Sale which made $454 for the Parent Council! Thanks also to: Janet Kannel, Libby Stanforth and Sue Borden for helping staff the Bake Sale, Catalina Arrubla and Multi-Arts for donating student decorated notecards for sale, and to all the Fort River Parents who contributed the DELICIOUS goodies !

Fort River Playground/Hillside Pizza Fundraiser Back by Popular Demand !

The Parent Council is very excited to announce another Hillside Pizza Fundraiser! Thanks to everyone who participated last year we made over $850 for picnic tables and benches. Let’s try to beat our record this fall and make a larger contribution to the planned landscaping around the playground. Up to $4 of every pizza and cookie tub sold goes to the Fort River Playground Fund. The more product we sell the more Hillside gives back to Fort River. Order forms will be available soon and due on November 25. Pizza pick-up will be Friday, December 5. Keep an eye out for the order form and start planning your pizza party! Questions? Contact Pam Rietkerk at pjrietkerk@aol.com or 256-2605.

Volunteers Needed

Gardening Committee. We are nearing the final phase of the playground renovation, which will include work on planting and landscaping (thanks to a lovely design by Carol Pope) and painting games (hop scotch, four square) on the blacktop! If you’d like to be involved in this final phase of the playground, please contact Catherine Sanderson (casanderson@amherst.edu, 256-4977). Yearbook: Photos and Help Wanted. Are you interested in learning about publication layout and graphic design? Do you enjoy digital photography? Then come help with the Fort River Yearbook! Parent Council provides a parent/guardian designed yearbook for every student at the end of each school year. Contact: Mary Zyskowski (m.zyskowski@comcast.net or 256-1971). Resource Coordinators for Same-Sex Parent Families and for Single-Parent Families. Act as a contact for families with questions about Fort River and the community. Contact: Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Northampton Family Dance. Please come to the Family Dance! Our first dance of the new season will be held on Sunday, November 16. The dance takes place 3:00 - 5:00 PM at First Churches, 129 Main Street, Northampton (use the Center Street entrance across from the Iron Horse). Come enjoy a variety of folk and contra dances geared to children and families. All dances are taught, and all ages are welcome--no dance experience is necessary. Live music! Admission is $4 per person for ages 3 and up, $15 maximum per family. For more information, please call Judy Stern at 256-2613 or email judystern44@yahoo.com Multi-Arts Electronic Magazine. Allow yourself to be surprised, delighted, and inspired. Children's creativity and depth of thinking can be mesmerizing. Take a look at Multi-Arts Electronic Magazine: http://www.multi-arts.org/newsletter/10-08/index.html. A note from Parent Council. We will publish information about non-Parent Council sponsored events with the following conditions:

1. The event should be of interest to Fort River families. 2. The information should be sent to Ann McLaughlin at damclaughlin@comcast.net in the form of a short description. 3. Contact information (website or name, telephone and/or email address) must be included. We add new information to the blog every Friday during the school year. Please note that we do not accept announcements of items or services for sale (with the exceptions of children's classes/lessons). Inclusion in this section does not imply any guarantees or endorsements by Fort River Parent Council or Fort River School.