Volunteers Needed to Staff Office on Wed. June 3rd.

We need volunteers to staff the office during the Teacher/Staff Appreciation Lunch on Wednesday June, 3rd. We need people there from 1:30-4pm. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Sue Borden at frpc.sborden@gmail.com. We can split the time up into shifts if you can't stay for the whole time. Thanks!

Upcoming School Events

Fort River Night at the Pub. Monday, June. 1st. See below for more info. Staff Appreciation Lunch. Wed., June 3rd. Band and Orchestra Concert. Thursday, June 4th. 7:30pm. Fort River Gym. Coffee With the Principal. Friday, June 5. 8:30-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Field Day. Tues., June 9. See below for more information. Parent Council Meeting. Friday, June 12, 9am. Fort River Cafeteria. (Please note delayed time.) We will be discussing next year's budget. 6th Grade Camping Trip. Mon-Wed., June 8-10. Sixth Grade Graduation. Friday, June 19th 1:30pm. Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Fort River Night at the Pub: Monday, June 1st

Don't forget to mark your calendars for a fun night out at The Pub in downtown Amherst (15 E. Pleasant St). Fort River Night at the Pub is this coming Monday, June 1st. Come enjoy an evening dining out with family or friends, and The Pub will donate 15% of the proceeds from your meal to Fort River School. Just don't forget to mention that you are there to support Fort River--otherwise we won't get the money! Anyone who mentions Fort River will get the donation, so tell your friends and co-workers to come out to support Fort River as well!

Field Day: June 9th--Volunteers Still Needed

Field Day is coming up soon: Tuesday, June 9th. Don't forget to volunteer for this very fun (and wet) event! It's easy to sign up: just click here for the online signup sheet. Lots of people have already signed up, but there are still plenty of open slots.

Bus/Van Drivers Appreciation Breakfast: A Smashing Success!

Dear Families of Fort River, I want to thank all the parents very much who contributed food to the Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast this year. There were plenty of delicious things to eat, and the drivers were able to bring some goodies back to those who weren't able to attend. They were all so appreciative. We had a great time talking with each other, and it was wonderful to see some parents come in just to shake the hand of their child's bus driver. This small gesture means alot. Again, many thanks to all who made this event a huge success!!! Also, a few parents brought their food items on a plate from home. I washed up everything, and left the plates in the teacher's lounge right next to the sink. With gratitude, Jenn Wellman

End of the Year Gift for Teachers

Honor a teacher or staff member by making a donation to the Amherst Education Foundation (AEF). They'll deliver a personalized Thank You card to the person you wish to honor during the last week of school and your contribution will be used for grants to schools next year. Click image for form.

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Amherst Travel Soccer Teams. For girls going into grades 2-5. Amherst is in danger of losing some travel soccer teams. Please consider joining travel soccer. We carpool so the driving isn't so bad and we have many home games. The girls love it; they learn new skills and have fun. The emphasis is not on keeping score, although it is a bit more competitive than rec soccer. If your daughter is interested PLEASE contact Diane Caraker at Dianec711@comcast.net or 253-4191 or 687-8833 immediately! Registration is due 5/30 and it's less than $160 for the whole season including full uniforms! Tryouts start next week and more than likely anyone who shows up will be placed on a team. So please call right away. Info can also be found at http://www.amherstsoccer.org (Amherst Youth Soccer.) Thank you- let's keep girls soccer in Amherst! A Can and Bottle drive is being held at 15 Indian Pipe Lane (the Kelly's) tomorrow (Saturday 5/30) from 9am-1pm. This is being held to help with funding a trip to Washington DC for a Girl scout troop (many of the scouts are from Fort River) in later June. Sugarloaf Youth Track League. Come be a part of Amherst's youth track and field league. The first meet is Sunday, May 31 at the ARHS track. Bring a picnic and make it a family night at the track! It's not too late to sign up! We will take additional athletes at any time. Below is a link for the entry form, just print it out and bring it with you on Sunday. http://sugarloafmac.org/regforms/smac_amherst.pdf. Who: Boys and Girls currently in grades 1-8, Fee: $42/person by 5/8; $52 after 5/8 --- A $10 non-resident fee will be added to any participant who is not an Amherst resident. Location: Amherst Regional High School Track. Meets: Sundays, May 31, June 7, 14, 21, 28 (awards night) (Make-up date: June 25) Time: 5:15-8:15 p.m. Sponsored by the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club and the Town of Amherst Leisure Services. Music Together For Valley Families offers summer classes for young children and their parents/caregivers. Through May 29, 2009: Free sample classes offered celebrating 10 years of Music Together® for Valley Families, an internationally recognized parent/child music enrichment program. Eight week Summer session begins June 23 and registration deadline is June 8. Locations are in Amherst at Immanuel Lutheran Church, at The Congregational Church Parish House in Belchertown, The Children’s Museum at Holyoke and All Saint’s Episcopal Church in So. Hadley. Call (413) 259-9400 or see www.valleymusicgroup.com for more information. Please call for available class times and to reserve a space. Multi-Arts Financial Aid. On June 1, Multi-Arts will be assigning Financial Aid to families who applied for assistance to attend camp in summer 2009. To apply for financial aid, visit www.multi-arts.org and download the financial aid form from the program page. Forms should be received by Multi-Arts on or before June 1. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, carrubla@gmail.com. Attention Parents of Twins and Multiples! The Multiples Family Festival, presented by the Hampshire/Franklin County Mothers of Twins Club, will take place on Sunday, May 31, from 2-5pm at the Florence Civic Center, Park St., Florence (right off of Rt. 9). Bring your multiples and their siblings for an afternoon of fun! Face painting, free raffles, games, cookie decorating, Ed Popalarczyk Magic (from 2:30-3:30pm). For more info contact Sam at promogirl73@yahoo.com. 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.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Atkins Farms Country Market. Use your Atkins card when you shop at Atkins Farms Country Market, and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to Fort River School. Just show the card when you are checking out. Atkins has provided us with one card per family, which should have come home in an envelope with your youngest Fort River child. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. It's another easy way to earn money for your school! Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program. This program has ended for the year: Fort River has earned $2,198.43!! Please keep in mind that you will have to re-register your card next fall for the next school year. Thanks to everyone who participated. Box Tops For Education. Keep clipping and bringing the Box Tops to the office! Even though have made our last submission for this school year, we will hold all additional box tops clipped this year and over the summer for submission next October. Big Y Education Express. Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying equipment and supplies! Visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card. Fort River ID # 5947. Target Take Charge of Education. Designate 1% of the value of your purchases to Fort River every time you use your Target REDcard (credit card). Visit www.Target.com/tcoe . Fort River ID 58645. Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges. Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office.

Upcoming School Events

Amherstopoly Games Pick-Up. Previously ordered games can be picked up on Friday, May 22 between 3-4:30 at the Fort River lobby. There will be extra games available if you haven't ordered yours yet! Please bring a check or cash. ($25) Memorial Day. Monday, May 25. No School. Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast. Wednesday, May 27, 9:30-10:30am. Click here for more info. Scholastic Book Event. Buy One Get One Free! Wed May 27 & Thurs May 28. 3:05-6pm. See below for more information. Grade 4 Event: Potluck Dinner & $1 Yard Sale. Thursday, May 28 at 5:30pm. Fort River Playground. See below for more info. Fort River Night at the Pub. Monday, June. 1st. More info here. Staff Appreciation Lunch. Wed., June 3rd. Please note date change. Band and Orchestra Concert. Thursday, June 4th. Time and location TBA. Coffee With the Principal. Friday, June 5. 8:30-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Field Day. Tues., June 9. More info will be coming home in the backpacks soon. Parent Council Meeting. Friday, June 12, 9am. Fort River Cafeteria. (Please note delayed time.) We will be discussing next year's budget. 6th Grade Camping Trip. Mon-Wed., June 8-10. Sixth Grade Graduation. Friday, June 19th 1:30pm. Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Amherst Elementary Budget and School Redistricting

During the Tuesday, May 19th meeting the Amherst School Committee voted unanimously to close Marksʼ Meadow and redistrict the elementary schools for the 2010-2011 school year. For more details please see this weekʼs Amherst Bulletin. The Superintendent's office has also issued a request for parent volunteers who are interested in assisting in the transition period. More information is available from the Superintendent's office at the following link: http://www.arps.org/node/881.

Parent Council Officers Elected

The Parent Council officers for the 2009-2010 school year were elected at the May 13th Parent Council Meeting. Next yearʼs officers are: President: Sue Borden Vice President for Fundraising: Libby Stanforth V.P. for Events: Liza Cunningham V.P. for Teacher Outreach: Suzanne Schilling V.P. for Grade Events: Navneet Marwaha V.P. for Website/Blog: Ann McLaughlin Treasurer: Lynn Hayes Secretary: Jennifer Green

Scholastic Book Event

On Wednesday, May 27 1:20-5pm and Thursday, May 28, from 3:05 - 6 pm, there will be a Buy One Get One Free Scholastic Book Event at Fort River next week. It will be going on after school only on Wednesday and Thursday. Stock up on summer books !

4th Grade Potluck & $1 Yard Sale

4th Grade Families: join us for a potluck dinner celebrating the accomplishments of the Fourth Grade classes at Fort River. The dinner will be held at the playground and we ask that parents bring dishes, preferably reflecting their cultural heritage. Also we will have "Your $1 YARD SALE." Bring items in good shape: clothes, toys, games, books, and collect your OWN money, $1 for each item. At the end of day you can offer a donation to Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, the Fort River Parent Council, or buy a new book from our Book Fair!

Field Day: June 9th

Field Day is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th. Parent Volunteers will be needed for this very fun (and wet) event ! Watch for a flyer coming home in backpacks this week to sign up. Click here for the online signup sheet. This is a really fun easy event for parents to participate in.

2nd Grade Event: Big Thanks to Sponsors

The garden & ice cream party was a wonderful community-building event. Kids and parents entered in and made it a huge success. We are truly grateful to our business sponsors who donated all garden supplies and ice cream toward the event: Amherst Farmer's Supply, Andrew's Greenhouse, Annie's Garden Store, Hadley Garden Center, Big Y, and Wagner Wood.

Parent Council Meeting - Friday, June 12, 9 a.m.

The Parent Council Budget for the next school year will be discussed. We will be deciding on next yearʼs fundraisers and events at this time.

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Music Together For Valley Families offers summer classes for young children and their parents/caregivers. Through May 29, 2009: Free sample classes offered celebrating 10 years of Music Together® for Valley Families, an internationally recognized parent/child music enrichment program. Eight week Summer session begins June 23 and registration deadline is June 8. Locations are in Amherst at Immanuel Lutheran Church, at The Congregational Church Parish House in Belchertown, The Children’s Museum at Holyoke and All Saint’s Episcopal Church in So. Hadley. Call (413) 259-9400 or see www.valleymusicgroup.com for more information. Please call for available class times and to reserve a space. Travel Soccer Team Tryouts. Does your child want to play travel soccer for Amherst in the next school year? If so, you need to preregister your child by May 30th for the tryouts which are held in June. There are boys teams and girls teams for rising 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Tryouts for the Amherst Travel Soccer teams will be held between May 31 and June 17. Mandatory pre-registration forms are due May 30th. The pre-registration forms, the tryout schedule, and more detailed information about Amherst Travel Soccer can be found on the Amherst Youth Soccer Association website http://www.amherstsoccer.org/. The 7th edition of "Your Amherst Government" in honor of the Town’s 250th Anniversary and the League of Women Voters' 70th birthday has been published by LWV Amherst. This 72-page booklet provides information about Amherst town government - its history, structure, programs and services, finances, and its relationship to other units of government. This free publication is available at the Amherst town libraries, the Amherst Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall and on the League’s website, www.lwvamherst.org. A copy can also be obtained by contacting the League at 253-0633. Multi-Arts Workshop: “Disaster Awaits!” Saturday, May 23,11:00 a.m. at the Jones Public Library, Amherst. Disaster awaits! Your mother-in-law calls and says she's moving in for a month..."Broken Hips" Written by Amherst local Savannah Stutie. Come and watch this hilarious one-act play performed by young Amherst actors. Afterwards, Multi-Arts drama teacher Ilana Meredith will lead children through a short storymaking workshop. For children ages 6-12. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, Director, www.multi-arts.org. Multi-Arts Financial Aid. On June 1, Multi-Arts will be assigning Financial Aid to families who applied for assistance to attend camp in summer 2009. To apply for financial aid, visit www.multi-arts.org and download the financial aid form from the program page. Forms should be received by Multi-Arts on or before June 1. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, carrubla@gmail.com. Attention Parents of Twins and Multiples! The Multiples Family Festival, presented by the Hampshire/Franklin County Mothers of Twins Club, will take place on Sunday, May 31, from 2-5pm at the Florence Civic Center, Park St., Florence (right off of Rt. 9). Bring your multiples and their siblings for an afternoon of fun! Face painting, free raffles, games, cookie decorating, Ed Popalarczyk Magic (from 2:30-3:30pm). For more info contact Sam at promogirl73@yahoo.com. 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.

Fun Stuff

Savings Makes Cents Is continuing in the Main Hall on Tuesdays, 8:15-8:45 am. Please remind students to bring in their deposits. Materials to open a bank account with Florence Savings Bank are also available. Only $1.00 is needed to open an account, and any amount can be deposited. After 10 deposits, the Bank will contribute $1.00 to the account. Contact Barbara Morse (253-9160; bmlmorse@comcast.net) for more information. Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones1 and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office. 1 Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Atkins Farms Country Market. Use your Atkins card when you shop at Atkins Farms Country Market, and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to Fort River School. Just show the card when you are checking out. Atkins has provided us with one card per family, which should have come home in an envelope with your youngest Fort River child. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. It's another easy way to earn money for your school! Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program. This program has ended for the year: Fort River has earned $2,198.43!! Please keep in mind that you will have to re-register your card next fall for the next school year. Thanks to everyone who participated. Box Tops For Education. Keep clipping and bringing the Box Tops to the office! Even though have made our last submission for this school year, we will hold all additional box tops clipped this year and over the summer for submission next October. Big Y Education Express. Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying equipment and supplies! Visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card. Fort River ID # 5947. Target Take Charge of Education. Designate 1% of the value of your purchases to Fort River every time you use your Target REDcard (credit card). Visit www.Target.com/tcoe . Fort River ID 58645. Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges. Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office.

School Committee Meeting: May 19

At the next Amherst School Committee meeting on this coming Tues., May 19th, a vote on closing Marks Meadow School and redistricting of the elementary schools will take place. The agenda for this meeting can be found on the ARPS.org website here: http://www.arps.org/node/877. Documents about the potential redistricting can be found here: http://www.arps.org/node/815.

Upcoming School Events

Grade 3 Event: Potluck and Games at Mill River Park. Friday, May 15th, Time: 5-7pm. School Committee Meeting. Tues., May 19, 7pm. High School Library. T-Shirt Orders Due. DEADLINE EXTENDED to Wednesday May 20. See below for more information and order forms. Amherstopoly Orders Due. Wed. May 20. Games can be picked up on Friday, May 22 between 3-4:30 at the Fort River lobby. Click here for more information and order form. Grade 2 Event: Spring Garden Planting & Ice Cream Party. Wed. May 20, 4-6 pm at Fort River school grounds. Rain date is 5/27/09, same time. More info here. Memorial Day. Monday, May 25. No School. Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast. Wednesday, May 27, 9:30-10:30am. See below for more info. Grade 4 Event: Potluck Dinner. Thursday, May 28 at 5:30pm. Fort River Playground. Fort River Night at the Pub. Monday, June. 1st. More info here. Staff Appreciation Lunch. Wed., June 3rd. Please note date change. Band and Orchestra Concert. Thursday, June 4th. Time and location TBA. Coffee With the Principal. Friday, June 5. 8:30-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Field Day. Tues., June 9. More info will be coming home in the backpacks soon. Parent Council Meeting. Friday, June 12, 9am. Fort River Cafeteria. (Please note delayed time.) We will be discussing next year's budget. 6th Grade Camping Trip. Mon-Wed., June 8-10. Sixth Grade Graduation. Friday, June 19th 1:30pm. Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Parent Council Officers Elected

The Parent Council officers for the 2009-2010 school year were elected at the last Parent Council meeting on May 13. Next year's officers are: President: Sue Borden Vice Pres. for Fundraising: Libby Stanforth V.P. for Family Outreach: Liza Cunningham V.P. for Teacher Outreach: Suzanne Schilling V.P. for Grade Events: Navneet Marwaha Treasurer: Lynn Hayes V.P. for Website/Blog: Ann McLaughlin We are still looking for a Secretary for next year. The main responsibility of this position is to attend the Parent Council meetings and take the minutes. The Secretary DOES NOT have to maintain or work on the Parent Council website! This position has a relatively light workload. It's a great way for a new person to learn about the workings of Parent Council! Please contact current Secretary Ann McLaughlin (damclaughlin@comcast.net) or Sue Borden (frpc.sborden@gmail.com) if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Fort River T-Shirts and Bags--ORDER DEADLINE EXTENDED

Don't forget to order your Fort River t-shirts and bags! Samples of t-shirts and bags (without the Fort River logo) are now on display in the Fort River lobby. The online order form is available here. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, May 20th! Please be sure to send in your forms by Wednesday, since the final order will be placed the next day. Here's the logo: T-Shirt colors: Celedon (top) and Navy. Eco-Bags (available in Olive and Black):

Sixth Grade Graduation Gift: Last Chance to Donate!

Attention 6th Grade Families: it's your last chance for donations to the sixth grade gift. We will be providing the sixth grade teachers with the donation amount next week, so if you would still like to make a donation please bring/send it in to your classroom teacher or Paula in the school office by next Wednesday, May 20th. Thank you to everyone who has given to date. We recognize how tight everyone's budgets are and are pleased to state that we have raised over $550!

Field Day is Coming! Tuesday: June 9th.

Field Day has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th. Parent volunteers will be needed. Watch out for a flyer coming home soon in the backpacks to sign up! This is an easy and fun event for parents to participate in.

Bus/Van Drivers Appreciation Breakfast--Wed. May 27

This year's Bus and Van Drivers Appreciation Breakfast will be held on Wed, May 27th from 9:30-10:30am, in the Ft. River Cafeteria. Please plan on helping Parent Council out by donating breakfast items such as fresh fruit, danish, casseroles, and any sort of baked goods. For more information, contact Jenn Wellman at ajwellman@comcast.net, or return the paper reminder which will come home in the kids' backpacks the Friday before the breakfast. Thanks!

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Massive 50+ Family Tag Sale this Saturday, May 16th from 8am-1pm at 86 High Street in Amherst, sponsored by the ARHS Girls Ultimate team. Toys, books, tools, linens, clothes, furniture, lamps, antiques, jewelry, shoes, kids stuff, and lots more! The sale will benefit the ARHS Girls Ultimate Program which is currently the #3 ranked high school team in the United States. Travel Soccer Team Tryouts. Does your child want to play travel soccer for Amherst in the next school year? If so, you need to preregister your child by May 30th for the tryouts which are held in June. There are boys teams and girls teams for rising 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Tryouts for the Amherst Travel Soccer teams will be held between May 31 and June 17. Mandatory pre-registration forms are due May 30th. The pre-registration forms, the tryout schedule, and more detailed information about Amherst Travel Soccer can be found on the Amherst Youth Soccer Association website http://www.amherstsoccer.org/. Free screening and discussion of: "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" Tuesday, May 19, 5:00—7:00pm, at Amherst Cinema. Presented by the Town of Amherst and the The Town of Amherst Department of Public Health. The screening will include a forum on the implications of inequality and health for the Amherst community and a dialogue among participants facilitated by Dr. Barbara J. Love and introductions by Amherst Public Health Director, Epi Bodhi. Light refreshments, provided by the Amherst Public Health Department will be served on site prior to the screening The Screening will be followed by a reception at Amherst Coffee. For more information, see http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com. The 7th edition of "Your Amherst Government" in honor of the Town’s 250th Anniversary and the League of Women Voters' 70th birthday has been published by LWV Amherst. This 72-page booklet provides information about Amherst town government - its history, structure, programs and services, finances, and its relationship to other units of government. This free publication is available at the Amherst town libraries, the Amherst Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall and on the League’s website, www.lwvamherst.org. A copy can also be obtained by contacting the League at 253-0633. Multi-Arts Workshop: “Disaster Awaits!” Saturday, May 23,11:00 a.m. at the Jones Public Library, Amherst. Disaster awaits! Your mother-in-law calls and says she's moving in for a month..."Broken Hips" Written by Amherst local Savannah Stutie. Come and watch this hilarious one-act play performed by young Amherst actors. Afterwards, Multi-Arts drama teacher Ilana Meredith will lead children through a short storymaking workshop. For children ages 6-12. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, Director, www.multi-arts.org. Multi-Arts Financial Aid. On June 1, Multi-Arts will be assigning Financial Aid to families who applied for assistance to attend camp in summer 2009. To apply for financial aid, visit www.multi-arts.org and download the financial aid form from the program page. Forms should be received by Multi-Arts on or before June 1. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, carrubla@gmail.com. Attention Parents of Twins and Multiples! The Multiples Family Festival, presented by the Hampshire/Franklin County Mothers of Twins Club, will take place on Sunday, May 31, from 2-5pm at the Florence Civic Center, Park St., Florence (right off of Rt. 9). Bring your multiples and their siblings for an afternoon of fun! Face painting, free raffles, games, cookie decorating, Ed Popalarczyk Magic (from 2:30-3:30pm). For more info contact Sam at promogirl73@yahoo.com. 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.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Atkins Farms Country Market. Use your Atkins card when you shop at Atkins Farms Country Market, and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to Fort River School. Just show the card when you are checking out. Atkins has provided us with one card per family, which should have come home in an envelope with your youngest Fort River child. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. It's another easy way to earn money for your school! Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program. This program has ended for the year: Fort River has earned $2,198.43!! Please keep in mind that you will have to re-register your card next fall for the next school year. Thanks to everyone who participated. Box Tops For Education. Keep clipping and bringing the Box Tops to the office! Even though have made our last submission for this school year, we will hold all additional box tops clipped this year and over the summer for submission next October. Big Y Education Express. Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying equipment and supplies! Visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card. Fort River ID # 5947. Target Take Charge of Education. Designate 1% of the value of your purchases to Fort River every time you use your Target REDcard (credit card). Visit www.Target.com/tcoe . Fort River ID 58645. Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges. Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office.

Upcoming School Events

Kindergarten Event: Family Dance Party, Friday, May 8th, 5-7pm, Ft. River Cafeteria. Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans Coffee Orders Due. DEADLINE IS TODAY! Friday, May 8th, is your last chance to order coffee for the school year. Don't forget to stock up for the summer! Parent Council Meeting, Wed. May 13th, 8:30am. Fort River Cafeteria. We will be holding elections for next year's officers. (Please note: this meeting has been postponed from the original date of May 7th.) Grade 3 Event: Potluck and Games at Mill River Park. Friday, May 15th, Time: TBA. T-Shirt Orders Due. Monday, May 18. See below for more information and order forms. School Committee Meeting. Tues., May 19, 7pm. High School Library. Amherstopoly Orders Due. Wed. May 20. See below for more info and order forms. Grade 2 Event: Spring Garden Planting & Ice Cream Party. Wed. May 20, 4-6 pm at Fort River school grounds. Please note the time change. Rain date is 5/27/09, same time. See below for more information. Memorial Day. Monday, May 25. No School. Grade 4 Event: Potluck Dinner. Thursday, May 28 at 5:30pm. Fort River Playground. Fort River Night at the Pub. Monday, June. 1st. Coffee With the Principal. Friday, June 5. 8:30-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Field Day. Tues., June 9. Parent Council Meeting. Friday, June 12, 9am. Fort River Cafeteria. (Please note delayed time.) We will be discussing next year's budget. Staff Appreciation Lunch. Wed., June 17th. 6th Grade Camping Trip. Mon-Wed., June 8-10. Sixth Grade Graduation. Friday, June 19th 1:30pm. Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast. TBA Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Fort River T-Shirt Fundraiser and Annual Fund Drive

Earlier this week a note from Parent Council came home in backpacks along with the order form for our Spring “Fort River T- Shirt” fundraiser. An electronic version of the form is available for download here. The t-shirt fundraiser was added this spring to help with our budget shortfall. Annual Fund donations and t-shirt order forms can be returned to the Parent Council Mailbox. Samples of t-shirts and bags (without the Fort River logo) will be on display in the Fort River lobby. The online order form will also have color samples for these items. The deadline for t-shirt orders is Monday, May 18th. Please help us make the budget and fund the events we had planned for the rest of the year:

• Yearbook
• Field Day
• Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
• Sixth Grade Graduation
• Bus Driver/Van Breakfast

Donʼt forget, you can donate to the Annual Fund online via PayPal right here through this website!

Amherst Elementary Budget and School Redistricting

A vote on the proposed closing of Marksʼ Meadow and redistricting the elementary schools will take place at the next Amherst School Committee meeting: Tuesday, May 19th, 7 pm at the High School Library.

Amherstopoly Is Here!

Ever dream of managing Town Hall? Well, your chance is finally here! Amherstopoly, the fantastic board game that is all about Amherst and its most beloved haunts, has arrived just in time to celebrate Amherst’s 250th Anniversary. Amherstopoly is a collaboration of the Parent Groups of Crocker Farm, Fort River, Mark’s Meadow and Wildwood schools to raise funds for student enrichment programs. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, 100% of the money raised through school sales of the game will go directly to benefit the students. Order forms have been sent home with your youngest student. To order your copy of Amherstopoly, please complete and return the bottom portion of the form along with payment in the attached envelop by May 20th. (Click here for order form.) Games must be paid for before they are picked up. Games will be available for pick up on Friday, May 22nd 3 – 4:30 in the lobby of Fort River School. For more information, contact Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net) or Liz Larson (lizinamherst@gmail.com).

Sixth Grade Graduation: Two Important Reminders

Powerpoint Presentation: We are still in need of photos for the PowerPoint presentation. Lynn Hayes coordinator would like to have photos of any sixth grader in activities or events over the years at Fort River. You can either e-mail them to her at hay3bay@comcast.net or burn a CD and put it in the Parent Council mailbox with Lynn’s name. The more photos we have the more choices we can make. Each student will have a current photo but to have more candid pictures will make for a memorable Powerpoint for our kids. Please forward any photos ASAP in order to give Lynn ample time to prepare the presentation. Sixth Grade Class Gift: Deadline for donations to the sixth grade gift is Friday May 15th. Donations may be given to Sixth Grade teachers or directly to Paula in the Main Office. Checks should be made out to Fort River Parent Council with Sixth grade Class gift in the memo section. We would like to have the amount raised by that time in order to give the students and teachers time to vote on their class gifts. Any donation large or small would be appreciated.

Fort River Night at The Pub: Monday, June 1.

The Pub in Amherst is offering special “Neighborhood Nights” to support local non-profit organizations. Monday, June 1 is Fort River’s special night. Come enjoy an evening dining out with family or friends, and The Pub will donate 15% of the proceeds from your meal to Fort River School. All you have to do is mention that you are there to support Fort River. Tell your friends and co-workers to come out to support Fort River, as well! The Pub has a kid-friendly menu and a fun atmosphere, and it’s right in downtown Amherst.

Second Grade Event: New Time

The 2nd grade Spring Garden & Ice Cream Party has a new time: 4 - 6 PM!!! It was originally slated for 2 - 4 PM, but changed to 4 - 6 PM to better accommodate families who work. This fun event will be held at the Fort River school grounds. Bring garden clothes, tools, and have fun. Parent volunteers should contact Ruthie Ireland at 4ireland@comcast. net Rain date is following Wed. May 27th, same time.

Final Two Parent Council Meetings of the Year

Upcoming Parent Council Meetings Elections! Wednesday, May 13th, 8:30 a.m. Parent Council Elections will be held during the May 13th meeting, 8:30 am.If you are interested in running for an office please contact Sue Borden FRPC.sborden@gmail.com. Budget Meeting! Friday, June 12th - 9 a.m. -- Please note the time. The Parent Council Budget for the next school year will be discussed. We will be deciding on next year’s fundraisers and events at this time.

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Music That's Amherst will be a wonderful evening in celebration of our Town's diverse cultures. Saturday, May 9 at 7PM, Amherst Regional High School Auditorium. Featuring Jumbo Jembo, an instrumental alternative rock trio of Amherst HS students, Julio Neijens Arrubla, Daniel Hegner and Aaron Noble; Las Chicas Flamencas, a dance group from Ines Arrubla's Flamenco Studio performing a colorful and passionate performance; Klezamir, New England's premier roots rockin' klezmer band with new takes on old Yiddish favorites and original Klezmer barnburners; Cambodian Dancers, composed of Ft. River students directed by Seiha Krouch, Tyda Ty & Sothaul Ding performing traditional dances and one in honor of the Cambodian New Year; The Nataraj Dance Company, unique and innovative dance by young Indian dancers based on traditional and contemporary themes, bridging East and West; and Conjunto de Bomba, Afro-Puerto Rican drumming and singing, in the tradition of music and dance of Santurce and Loiza, ARHS students directed by Tracy Vernon and Nick Shaw. Multi-Arts Financial Aid. On June 1, Multi-Arts will be assigning Financial Aid to families who applied for assistance to attend camp in summer 2009. To apply for financial aid, visit www.multi-arts.org and download the financial aid form from the program page. Forms should be received by Multi-Arts on or before June 1. Contact: Catalina Arrubla, carrubla@gmail.com. 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.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Atkins Farms Country Market. Use your Atkins card when you shop at Atkins Farms Country Market, and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to Fort River School. Just show the card when you are checking out. Atkins has provided us with one card per family, which should have come home in an envelope with your youngest Fort River child. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. It's another easy way to earn money for your school! Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program. This program has ended for the year: Fort River has earned $2,198.43!! Please keep in mind that you will have to re-register your card next fall for the next school year. Thanks to everyone who participated. Box Tops For Education. Keep clipping and bringing the Box Tops to the office! Even though have made our last submission for this school year, we will hold all additional box tops clipped this year and over the summer for submission next October. Big Y Education Express. Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying equipment and supplies! Visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card. Fort River ID # 5947. Target Take Charge of Education. Designate 1% of the value of your purchases to Fort River every time you use your Target REDcard (credit card). Visit www.Target.com/tcoe . Fort River ID 58645. Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans. Order forms are available here. Last order deadline for the year: Friday, May 8th! Stock up for summer! Please deliver forms and checks to Parent Council mailbox in the Main Office. Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges. Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office.

Upcoming School Events

Public Forum on Redistricting the Public Schools and the School Budget. Tues. May 5, 7pm: Middle School Auditorium. This is the last of the public forums about the proposed closing of Marks Meadow and redistricting the elementary schools. 4th, 5th & 6th Grade Chorus Concert, Thursday, May 7th, 7:30pm. Click here for more info. Kindergarten Event: Family Dance Party, Friday, May 8th, 5-7pm, Ft. River Cafeteria. Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans Coffee Orders Due. DEADLINE POSTPONED! Friday, May 8th, is your last chance to order coffee for the school year. Don't forget to stock up for the summer! Parent Council Meeting, Wed. May 13th, 8:30am. Fort River Cafeteria. (Please note: this meeting has been postponed from the original date of May 7th.) Grade 3 Event: Potluck and Games at Mill River Park. Friday, May 15th, Time: TBA. Grade 2 Event: Spring Garden Planting & Ice Cream Party. Wed. May 20, 2 to 4 PM at Fort River. Rain date is 5/27/09, same time. Grade 4 Event: Potluck Dinner. Thursday, May 28 at 5:30pm. Fort River Playground. Sixth Grade Graduation. Friday, June 19th 1:30pm. Note: Items in teal are sponsored by Fort River Parent Council.

Empty Food Containers Needed

5th graders will soon be using Microsoft Excel in the computer lab to graph and compare nutrition content in foods. We will look at the fat, salt, sugar and calorie content of many different kinds of foods. We need your help! To help with this unit could you send in a few clean, empty containers with the nutrition labels intact. Some ideas would be, soda cans, juice cans, cereal boxes, cookie wrappers, soup cans, snack bags (chips, pretzels etc) and any other prepared foods with nutrition labels that your family eats. Please make sure the containers are empty, clean and no sharp edges. Fifth graders will work in pairs to produce a spreadsheet and graphs of all the nutrition data. Each pair will have a bag of "groceries" with approximately 10-12 items in each bag. What this means is that we need about 100+ items, so that each pair will have enough data to compare. Thank you so much for your help with this project. Joan Gallinaro Technology Integration Teacher

Sixth Grade Graduation Information

To All Sixth Grade Parents and Guardians: First thank you to all who came out Thursday night to the planning meeting for Sixth Grade Graduation. It was long but productive and we are on the way to having a very special day for our children Two requests for all parents at this time. Powerpoint Presentation: Lynn Hayes coordinator of the Powerpoint presentation reported that she is in need of pictures as she has very few at this point. She would like to have photos of any sixth grader in activities or events over the years at Fort River. You can either e-mail them to her at hay3bay@comcast.net or burn a CD and put it in the Parent Council mailbox with Lynn’s name. The more photos we have the more choices we can make. Each student will have a current photo but to have more candid pictures will make for a memorable Powerpoint for our kids. Sixth Grade Class Gift. Again many donations have already been received. We would like to receive all donations by Friday May 15th. Donations may be given to Sixth Grade teachers or directly to Paula in the Main Office. Checks should be made out to Fort River Parent Council with Sixth grade Class gift in the memo section.

Kindergarten event: Family Dance Party!

The Kindergarten grade-wide event will be held on Friday May 8 from 5:30-7:30 pm in the Ft. River Cafeteria. Do you have a dance you want to teach? Do you have music your child loves to dance to? Bring your family and your dance moves and join us! Please return the volunteer-fliers that were sent home this week as soon as you can so we can have a good sense of who is coming and what everyone is bringing.

New Information about the H1N1 Virus from the Superintendent's Office

Principal Ray Sharick has sent out a special edition of his online newsletter. Attached to the email are two documents from the Superintendent's office with some of the latest information about the so-called "Swine Flu" and procedures that are in place for dealing with any possible outbreaks in the school system. Here are links to the two documents: http://is.gd/vWva http://is.gd/vWtk Also, you can check the ARPS.org website for updates as the situation develops.

Upcoming Community Events

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. There's lots of stuff to do this weekend in town! 18th Annual Amherst Ultimate Invitational Tournament, May 2-3, 2009. Hosted by Amherst Regional High School (ARHS). The Tournament will be held at the Ultimate fields at ARHS and Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Thirty high school teams from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts will compete in one of the largest and most prestigious Ultimate tournaments in the country. On Saturday, games will be played from 9:45am to 5pm at both venues; on Sunday, games will run from 8am to 4:30pm at ARHS. Combining the non-stop movement and athletic endurance of soccer with the aerial passing skills of football, a game of Ultimate is played by two seven-player squads with a high-tech plastic disc on a field similar to football. Amherst is steeped in the history of Ultimate, acknowledged to be to be the birthplace of the sport by an Amherst College student in 1967. Ultimate has grown precipitously over the following 40 years to over 4.9 million competitive Ultimate players around the world (2008). Amherst coaches Tiina Booth and Jim Pistrang formed some of the first competitive teams in the country in the 1970s. ARHS last won the national Ultimate championship in 2004. For schedules, times, locations, and much more information on the tournament, see: http://www.amherstultimate.org/ai/2009. The 62nd annual book sale of the League of Women Voters of Amherst opens on the Amherst Town Common at 9 a.m. Friday morning, May 1, and runs until Sunday, May 3. The hours are 9 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday. The sale attracts book lovers from all over New England, and bargain hunters can find thousands of books under the big tent at the area's largest and oldest book sale. League members and friends spend hundreds of hours processing the more than 30,000 donated books. The books are sorted into over 40 categories, and the wide variety assures that there will be books that appeal to all tastes and interests, from children’s books to books for scholars, homemakers, poets and all manner of light and literary reading. In addition to serving as a major effort in recycling affordable books for readers of all ages, the sale is the League’s primary fund raiser and helps to support projects and publications that encourage informed voting and citizen participation in government. For more information, call 253–0633. Award Winning author Jane Yolen reads “My Uncle Emily,” Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m, at the Emily Dickinson Museum. Join us for a reading and booksigning to celebrate Jane Yolen's new book, My Uncle Emily, a children's story based on the relationship between Emily Dickinson and her young nephew Gilbert. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/. Details of many other Emily Dickinson-related events in May here. JOIN MULTI-ARTS INTERACTIVE ARTS FESTIVAL. Performances & Workshops, Music – Dance – Art – Mime – Creative Writing. Where: Barnes and Noble, Hadley, When: Saturday, May 2nd. 11:00-12:00 for Little Ones, 3:00-6:00 for everyone. Music: Bring your instrument and join us in the performance of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and Haydn's "Toy Symphony." Art: Design & make your own 3-D cardboard dog. Dance: Watch "Las Chicas", a Flamenco dance show. Have a taste of Flamenco in a ten-minutes workshop. Try Funk and Break dance extravaganza. For little ones: Paint your face, learn basic juggling, Entertainment by clowns, mimes, and story tellers. Don’t miss it. See you there! Some Fort River first graders will have their writings read by WFCR's John Montanari! Click here for more information. May 2 - 7, Conversations with the Past. The West Cemetery Walk. Founded in 1737 West Cemetery was placed on the National Historic Register in the year 2000. As part of Amherst's 250th anniversary, walk along the avenues and boulevards of West Cemetery and explore Amherst's past. Come meet fourteen residents spanning three centuries who will come to life to tell their stories and answer your questions. The West Cemetery Walk is planned for the following dates and times:

• Saturday May 2, 10am - 1pm
• Sunday May 3, 1pm - 4pm
• Tuesday May 5, 9am - noon
• Wednesday May 6, noon - 2:30pm
• Thursday, May 7, 5 - 7pm.

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.