Activities still in need of coordinators are highlighted.
Please note that many other volunteers will be needed to help the coordinators of each activity throughout the year, so if you are interested in helping out as a volunteer, contact the coordinator(s) or Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).
Please note that many other volunteers will be needed to help the coordinators of each activity throughout the year, so if you are interested in helping out as a volunteer, contact the coordinator(s) or Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com).
Room Parents
Please scroll down the page to the next post to see a separate listing of teachers and room parents. We still need volunteers to be room parents in 11 classrooms!
SUMMER ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
Student Directory
The student directory is an invaluable resource! This committee solicits local businesses to place advertisements, compiles student data, and arranges for the directory to be copied and distributed at school. Coordinator: Hana Rivkin (hrivkin@yahoo.com), Dror Schmerling (dschmerling@yahoo.com) and VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Staff Welcome Back Day
This event welcomes back our great teachers and staff by providing assorted “goodies” on their first day back at work (the day before our children return to school). The coordinator recruits families to send in a food item for staff to enjoy, and coordinates set up and clean up. Coordinator: Michelle Spirko (spirko@pol.net).
FALL ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
Family Fair
The Family Fair helps welcome everyone back to school. The 6th graders create and run games, and/or sell food. The 6th grade teachers work the fair into the beginning of the year assignments, and help on the day of the fair (Mr. Wallace is a key contact!). Volunteers organize the activities, request food from families, and work at the fair (set up, clean up, helping the kids serve food). This is the first major Parent Council event of the Fall and it is coming up SOON!! (In September!) Please contact Sue Borden if you are interested ASAP. Coordinator: VOLUNTEER NEEDED !
Cultural Enrichment Committee
This committee notifies teachers of cultural events at U Mass, orders tickets that teacher’s request, and confirms the date and time of the performance for teachers.
Coordinator: VOLUNTEER NEEDED !
School Pictures
This chair works with the photographer to have pictures taken of all Fort River students. The chair works out schedules with teachers, arranges for order forms to be sent home with children, and assists the photographers on Picture Days. Coordinator: Pam Rietkerk (PJRietkerk@aol.com)
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. Coordinator: Jen Wellman (ajwellman@comcast.net)
Book Fair
This is a great opportunity for students to purchase quality books at affordable prices (and provides funds for our library). This week-long event will take place in early December. This committee makes arrangements to have the books delivered, staffs the book fair, and handles the final payment to the book companies. This project needs many volunteers!. Coordinator: Diane Caraker (253-4191; dianec711@comcast.net) and Co-Coordinator NEEDED !
Fall Festival (the “Halloween Party”)
This event, which is usually held the Friday before Halloween, is a fun-filled evening featuring a costume parade, games and crafts, and food. This committee recruits and coordinates volunteers to help plan and run the events, and work on set up and clean up. Coordinator: Ann Becker (annmbecker@comcast.net) and Jean MacKimmie (ahlstran@gw.housing.uass.edu).
Winter Activities/Events
Book Swap
This event is held every other year in Jan or Feb. Books (outgrown, used, etc) are collected from the Fort River community, organized and set up in the library. Teachers then bring their students who are able to choose book(s) to keep. Volunteers are needed to help collect and sort books, and help the students make their choices. Coordinator: Pam Rietkerk (PJRietkerk@aol.com)
SPRING ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
MultiCultural Fair
New Event. This event is planned as a potluck community building event in late May featuring Fort River students. Planning will occur this fall/winter. Coordinator: Rebecca Fricke (Fricke@crocker.com). Co-Coordinator and VOLUNTEERS Needed
6th Grade Graduation
This committee is in charge of making sure this day is special for all the children. Sixth grade parents decorate the gym and set up all the other events surrounding graduation (slide show, food for the receptions etc). This committee also organizes the class gift. Coordinators: Lynn Logan (lynnlogan@comcast.net) and Gloria McCann (gloriamccann@comcast.net).
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! Coordinator: Catalina Arrubla (carrubla@gmail.com) and Co-Coordinator NEEDED !
Field Day
This event takes place on a school day in June, and involves the entire school. The committee works closely with physical education teachers to plan lots of fun physical activities for kids of all grades, including the limbo, water play, etc. Volunteers help plan, set up, and run the various “stations” that day, and clean up at the end of the day. Coordinators: Sarah Murphy (saraha.murphy@comcast.net) and Tammy Rahhal Schulkind (trahhal@psych.umass.edu).
Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast
This is a great way to say “thank you” to the people who take our kids to and from school safely each day. This committee recruits families to send in breakfast items for the bus/van drivers, greets and visits with drivers to let them know how much they are appreciated, and cleans up behind them! This event occurs in late May/early June. Coordinator: Jen Wellman (ajwellman@comcast.net)
Summer Read-A-Thon
This is a great way to encourage children to read over the summer--and (by getting people to sponsor them) to raise money for our school at the same time! In the spring, folders are given to students who want to participate, and in the fall the folders are collected and small prizes are distributed to all who turn in a booklist. Coordinator: Jacqueline Kang (jacquelynreilly@hotmail.com)
YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
Yearbook
Although much of the work involved in putting together the yearbook doesn’t happen until the spring, this committee works throughout the year enlisting people to take pictures and making arrangements for a printer. Once materials have been gathered, this committee works on laying out the book , printing, and distribution during last week of school. Coordinators: Joy Sullivan (joyrrs@comcast.net), Kathy Niedzielski (stonyhill4@verizon.net), & MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !
Coffee With A Principal
A morning coffee with Principal Ray Sharick and/or Vice-Principal Susan Kennedy Marx occurs the first Friday of every month. This committee makes coffee, provides light food, and handles set-up and clean-up. Coordinator; VOLUNTEER NEEDED !
Newsletter transcription
Volunteer needed to compile Fort River Parent Council website entries to a paper format every 2 weeks to make available to parents who do not have email access. VOLUNTEER NEEDED.
Celebrate With A Book
This program seeks books to be donated to the Fort River Library in honor of a special occasion. A bookplate, indicating the name of the donor and the person being honored, is placed in the donated book. This committee publicizes this program, maintains lists of books wanted by the library, and writes thank you notes to acknowledge donations. Coordinator: NEEDED !
Savings Makes “Cents”
This program encourages savings habits and goal setting. Children can open a bank account with Florence Savings Bank and bank weekly in the cafeteria 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 (bmlmorse@comcast.net) and Nat Larson (nateliz.larson@gmail.com).
Diversity and Social Justice Committee
This committee promotes and celebrates diversity at Parent Council sponsored projects, events and meetings, and recommends educational programs on bias issues for students, teachers and parents. Diversity is defined as based on race, nationality, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion and/or disability. Coordinator: NEEDED !
Lost and Found
Twice a year the contents of the Lost and Found are placed on tables in the lobby to be retrieved by kids/parents. Remaining items are donated to the Survival Center. Coordinator: Kathy Niedzielski (stonyhill4@verizon.net)
Box Tops for Education
Families can save Box Tops from General Mills products and bring them in to the office. This person periodically empties the collection canister in the main office, and counts/bundles/mails the Box Tops for cash for our school twice a year. Coordinator: Jan Kelly (jankelly@jkellycollegeconsultants.com)
Printer Cartridge/Cell Phone Recycling
Families can bring in used printer cartridges and cell phones (and batteries) to the box in the office. We then pack and mail them to the company – and they give us cash! Coordinator: Mikey Cutting (neebish@comcast.net)
Fort River Roasters by Deans Beans
Organic Fair Trade Coffee by Deans Beans is available through Fort River. Orders can be placed monthly – due the first Friday of the month. Coffee will then be sent home with your child unless you specify otherwise. Order forms are available online. Coordinators: Libby Stanforth (bstanforth@comcast.net) and Hana Rivkin (hrivkin@yahoo.com).