Fall Festival Postponed Indefinitely

Hi Everyone,

Here is the text of Ray Sharick's message regarding the Fort River fall festival and Halloween parties at school tomorrow (Oct. 30).

Ann

Dear Fort River Families,
Over the past two days, our absence rate at Fort River has dropped somewhat (from 86 to 61 from Tuesday to today). This is still three to four times higher than our normal absentee rate. As Mark Jackson, the Middle/High School Principal has noted, it is not in our best interest to assume that we are out of the H1N1 woods just yet. So, given what is happening around us locally and nationally, we need to remain vigilant.

As a result, I am writing to inform you of my decision to change how we will conduct our Halloween festivities in school tomorrow, October 30th. While children may still follow their classroom teacher's guidelines and wear costumes, all halloween celebrations will have to remain in the classrooms. That is, we will not be having children parade around the school. I am also asking that you do not send treats to share, as we are trying to reduce the amount of contact that children have with each other.

Also, the Parent Council's Fall Festival, scheduled for the evening of October 30th, is postponed indefinitely. More news will follow about the possibility of rescheduling, but it is very difficult to predict if/when this may happen.

I realize this is likely disappointing news for children, families, and teachers. However, Health Care Providers and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are recommending that we increase social distances in schools and reduce opportunities for direct contact.

These decisions are made in what I believe is the best interest of all children and adults. I truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Sincerely,
Ray Sharick

Upcoming School Events

Original Works Order Forms Due, Friday, Oct. 30. DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd. See below for more information.

Fall Festival and Winter Sports Swap, Friday, Oct. 30. 6:00-7:30 pm. FR Cafeteria (Sport Swap in the school lobby). See below for more info and online sign-up sheet. FALL FESTIVAL POSTPONED INDEFINITELY.

Fort River Roasters Order Forms Due. Friday, November 6. Click here for form. 

Coffee With A Principal. Friday, November 6, 8:30 am. FR Cafeteria.

Veteran's Day. Wed., Nov. 11. No School.

Parent Council Meeting. Wed. Nov. 18, 8:45-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria.

Teacher Curriculum Workday, Fri., Nov. 20. No School.

Thanksgiving Recess. Nov. 26-27. No School.

*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Annual Fund Update

At the start of this year Parent Council decided to shift its focus toward student events and community building and away from fundraising.  To do so we challenged the Fort River community to help us raise a significant portion of our $13,000 budget in September, through our Annual Fund. 

So far, this year's Annual Fund has raised $6150 from about 30% of Fort River families.  Thank you to all those families who donated.  Because of this great start to our fundraising, Parent Council feels confident enough to eliminate one fundraiser.  Therefore, this year we will NOT be running the Holiday Gift Wrap Sale!

However, we are still counting on continued Annual Fund donations to get us through the year. If you have not yet donated, there is still time!  Our goal continues to be 100% participation of all Fort River families.  The suggested donation is $25-$50 a child, but donating more will help the families who cannot afford as much.  And, contributions of any size can help us reach our goal.

Once again, THANK YOU to all the families who have already donated.  If you have not, please do so.

Send cash or check (payable to "Fort River Parent Council") to the Fort River Office
(mail it or send it to school with your child to give to his/her teacher)

OR

Donate online using the PayPal link on the top right-hand column of this page!

Thanks for all your support !

SCHOOL PICTURES ARE HERE!

Students will bring home school pictures at the end of the week.

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 10th  from 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 (please keep the class photo). If your child was absent on picture day, send in the original order form with payment. Some teachers may have held on to the order forms.

If you would like to order more photos or have any other concerns about your order, please contact Grynn & Barrett Studios at 413-532-9406 or 800-639-2104 or www.grynnandbarrett.com. Please do not contact the school.

Questions? Contact Pam Rietkerk at pamrietkerk@gmail.com.

Update on School Redistricting

The Amherst School Committee voted on Elementary School Redistricting during the Tuesday, October 27th School Committee meeting.  The Committee voted 4 to 1 for Redistricting Map Rendition #5. (Click here to view Map 5). 

Superintendent Rodriguez announced that his office will now begin planning for implementation of this map.

Thanks to the School Committee and the Redistricting Subcommittee for all its hard work and getting the vote done!

Original Works: Deadline Extended to Mon., Nov. 2nd

Don't forget to have your kids get to work on their Original Works projects! The order deadline has been extended to Monday, Nov. 2nd.

Click here to see the products: Original Works.

You can download an order form here: Order form

OR

Pick one up in the school lobby by the Parent Council bulletin board in the front hall (right-hand side wall by the art room). 

Amherstopoly Volunteer Needed

A volunteer is needed for Amherstopoly, a collaborative fundraiser undertaken by all of the Amherst Elementary School to raise funds for student enrichment programs.  If you are interested in joining this committee please contact Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com) or Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net).

Also, don't forget that copies of the game are now available for purchase in the Fort River office. Games are $25 each, cash or check (payable to “Amherstopoly”). If you have any questions, please contact Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net). 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.

Upcoming Community Events

  The AEF 15^th Annual Trivia Bee

The Amherst “not to miss” event of the year!

Thursday October 29^th at 7:00 p.m.

Amherst Middle School Auditorium

Join us for trivia, laughs, costumes, refreshments and raffles.

Admission is free with donations to AEF welcome.

See our website for details: http://amhersteducationfoundation.org/

   or contact Mary Donoghue at 253-7016  Aj.donoghue@verizon.net.
All proceeds benefit the public schools of Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury

Underwriting generously  provided by Northampton Cooperative Bank

***********************************************************************************

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Fort River Parent Council 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 Thursday during the school year. Please send your announcement no later than 5pm Wednesday for inclusion in the week's updates. Also 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.

Easy Ways to Earn $$ for Fort River!

Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program
Use your Stop & Shop card and Fort River earns a percentage! Your A+ Bonusbucks have started accumulating as of Friday Oct. 9th. It's not too late to sign up!  If you sign up by Oct. 31st, ALL your October purchases will be counted toward Fort River's total. This is an easy way to raise money with absolutely no cost to you. However, for Fort River to receive credit you need to re-designate Fort River each year. Call 1-877-366-2668 or visit www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Fort River ID # 05218. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up. We already have 106 participants. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. Also, don’t forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. We need your support! Contact Ann McLaughlin if you have any questions or problems.

Big Y Education Express
Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying much needed equipment and supplies! Just visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card (School ID # 5947). Or go to www.bigy.com/education and sign up from your computer! Whenever you use your card to purchase items designated with the “Education Express” logo, youʼll earn points for our school. 


Target Take Charge of Education
If you have a Target REDcard (credit card), you can designate Fort River to receive up to 1% of the value of your purchases on the card. Go to www.Target.com/tcoe to designate Fort River (School ID # 58645).

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. Atkins provided us with one card per family last year, and new cards for new families will be coming soon-- stay tuned! Just show the card when you are checking out. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. 


Box Tops for Education
In case you are not familiar with Box Tops this is an easy way to earn money for Fort River--just take your scissors and clip! Last year we earned over $500. For each Box Top clipped the school receives 10 cents. Just look for the Box Tops logo on products in you already have in your kitchen, cut it out and deliver your box tops to the school's main office. If you would like to learn about the other ways you can make a difference sign up for the Box Tops website at boxtops4education.com. It’s easy, free and you’ll learn about new ways to help our school earn the extra cash it needs.

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. Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.

Report from the October 22nd Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee

The Redistricting Subcommittee reviewed the redistricting process and maps with the Amherst School Committee. A slide presentation and handouts were provided. This information is available on the ARPS website at the following link: http://www.arps.org/node/1039 (Click on "Redistricting presentation10-22-09.pdf" to download the maps.) After the presentation School Committee members commented and asked questions, followed by one hour of public comment.

Two new maps were presented: Rendition 5 and Rendition 6. Rendition 5 has children living in South Amherst apartment complexes divided between Wildwood and Fort River, resulting in a % FRL (free/reduced lunch) range of 1%. Rendition 6 has all these children attending Fort River, resulting in a % FRL range of 6%. See the chart below.

All 6 maps are presently under consideration for the School Committee Redistricting vote next Tuesday (Oct. 27). Any thoughts or questions regarding the last two renditions of the redistricting maps, or any of the other versions, can be directed to the School Committee at
schoolcommittee@arps.org.

*******************************************************

Redistricting Map: Rendition 5

School                # Students            %FRL*             % Struggling
Crocker Farm           330                     35.5%                22.1%
Fort River                 437                     34.8%                21.7%
Wildwood                 476                     34.7%                22.3%


Redistricting Map: Rendition 6

School                  # Students           %FRL            % Struggling
Crocker Farm             336                   36.3%                22.9%
Fort River                   460                   37.4%                21.3%
Wildwood                   447                   31.5%                22.1%

*Free/Reduced Lunch

Ford Children Education Fund Established

It is with sadness that we share with you that the father of one of our K-3 students passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, October 8th. Phoenix Ferreira Ford's father, Julius Ford, left his wife, Debora Ferreira Ford, newly born baby son Onyx, Phoenix and a community of loving family and friends. His family and community celebrated his life and mourned his loss on Tuesday, October 13th. (You may have seen his very accomplished and deeply impacting presence highlighted in the obituary offered in the Gazette.)

A scholarship fund has been established for the children. If you would like to contribute, you can send donations to The Ford Children Educational Fund, c/o Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities, 489 Whitney Ave., Suite 201, Holyoke, MA 01040.

Upcoming School Events

Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee to Discuss Redistricting. Thursday, Oct. 22. 7pm. High School Library. See below for more information.

Early Dismissal Day. Tuesday, October 27, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

School Committee Meeting. Tuesday, Oct., 27th, 7pm. High School Library. The School Committee will be voting on elementary school redistricting.

Original Works Order Forms Due, Friday, Oct. 30. More information here.

Fall Festival and Winter Sports Swap, Friday, Oct. 30. 6:00-7:30 pm. FR Cafeteria (Sport Swap in the school lobby). See below for more info and online sign-up sheet.

Fort River Roasters Order Forms Due. Friday, November 6. Click here for form. 

Coffee With A Principal. Friday, November 6, 8:30 am. FR Cafeteria.

*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee: TONIGHT Thurs. Oct. 22, 7pm.

The Amherst School Committee will have a special meeting on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the Amherst Regional High School library. The purpose of the meeting is for the Redistricting Subcommittee to review the redistricting process and maps with the Amherst School Committee.  After the full School Committee has time for deliberation and discussion of the recommendation, there will be an opportunity for public comments.  The School Committee will not take any action on the subcommittee's recommendation at this meeting.  The vote is scheduled for the regular Amherst School Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 27th.

You can see the agenda for the meeting here: http://www.arps.org/node/1039.

Please note: a "Redistricting Presentation" pdf file has been posted on the ARPS.org website which shows a bunch of proposed maps to be discussed at the meeting tonight. The presentation can be downloaded here: http://www.arps.org/node/1039.

Send In Your Box Tops!!

The first submission for Box Tops is approaching quickly.  Please bring in all clipped Box Tops no later than next Wednesday October 28.  In case you forget there is a Box in the front office. Remember every Box Top is worth 10 cents for Fort River and they add up quickly.  Last year we earned $500!

Fall Festival and Sports Swap 2009, Friday Oct. 30th, 6-7:30 pm.

Fort River Fall Festival & Sports Swap

Don't forget that Parent Council will be holding this year's Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. 30th from 6-7:30pm. This is one of Parent Council's most popular and fun events, complete with a costume parade, games and crafts, and of course, food. The kids (and some parents!) wear their Halloween costumes.

Volunteers are still needed! 
We currently only have about 1/2 the number of volunteers needed to run this event. If we don't have enough volunteers by Monday, Oct. 26, the Fall Festival may have to be cancelled. So please don't delay--sign up now!

To volunteer to work and/or make food, click here for the online sign-up sheet.

Or, contact Diane Caraker at dianec711@comcast.net to volunteer or for more info.

A reminder: the Fall Festival is NOT a drop-off event! All children must be supervised by a parent/guardian.

Sports Swap: At the same time as the Fall Festival, we will also be holding a Fort River Sports Swap. Please bring your unwanted clean and usable winter clothes and sporting equipment to the school lobby on your way into the Fall Festival. This is a take-it-or-leave-it event without money or obligation. Possible items include but are not limited to dance clothes/shoes, skates and skating clothes, soccer equipment, hats, gloves, coats, snowsuits, and skiing equipment. Bring your items to the Family Fair and drop them off in the school lobby. Please note: There is no obligation to bring anything in order to take something. Contact for Sports Swap: Peter Wood cpwolfwood@hotmail.com.

Original Works Order Deadline Oct. 30

Don't forget to have your kids get to work on their Original Works projects! Orders are due October 30th.

Click here to see the products: Original Works.

Order form here. 

Amherstopoly On Sale in the School Office

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. Copies of the game are now available for purchase in the Fort River office. Games are $25 each, cash or check (payable to “Amherstopoly”). If you have any questions, please contact Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net) or Liz Larson (nateliz.larson@gmail.com). 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.

Report from the Crocker Farm Redistricting Forum

A new version of the Amherst Elementary School Redistricting Map was presented at the Crocker Farm Forum held on October 14th.   Changes were made specifically in the area of East Leverett Road that resulted in a change in the statistics of the proposed elementary school districts.  These statistics are tabulated below for easy comparison.  Click here to see the newest version of the map.

Superintendent Rodriguez also stated that clustering students by ethnicity/second languages was a remnant of older policies, not legal and would not be done in the future.  

Public comments and questions were taken.  All presentations and comments were translated into Spanish for the duration of the forum.
____________________________________________________


Redistricting Map from October 2, 2009


    School              # Students       % FRL*         % Struggling
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Crocker Farm      350                 33.4  %             21.4  %

    Fort River           450                 36.0  %             22.8  %
    Wildwood           446                 34.8  %             22.6  %



Redistricting Map from October 13, 2009

   
  School              # Students      % FRL           % Struggling
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Crocker Farm       350              33.1  %          21.4  %
    Fort River             452              39.8  %          22.6  %
    Wildwood             444              30.9  %          21.8  %


*% FRL= % of children who receive Free/Reduced Lunches.

Currently, Crocker Farm has 50.8% low-income students, Fort River 32.2%, Mark's Meadow 31.4%, and Wildwood 24.4%.
            
Please direct any comments or questions to the School Committee. To contact the school committee as a whole, send email to: schoolcommittee@arps.org

Upcoming School Events

Parent Council Meeting. Thursday, October 15, 7pm. In the school library. All parents/ guardians are welcome to attend.

Early Dismissal Day. Thursday, October, 22, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

Early Dismissal Day. Tuesday, October 27, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

School Committee Meeting. Tuesday, Oct., 27th, 7pm. High School Library. The School Committee will be voting on the proposed new elementary school district map.
 
Original Works Order Forms Due, Friday, Oct. 30. More information here.

Fall Festival and Winter Sports Swap, Friday, Oct. 30. 6:30-7pm. FR Cafeteria (Sport Swap in the school lobby). See below for more info and online sign-up sheet.

Fort River Roasters Order Forms Due. Friday, November 6. Click here for form. 

Coffee With A Principal. Friday, November 6, 8:30 am. FR Cafeteria.

*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Elementary School Redistricting News

The map of the proposed redistricting of the elementary schools has been changed once again. The changes will have an impact on Fort River. Click on this link to see the latest map. The school committee will be voting on the new elementary school districts at the Oct. 27th School Committee meeting in the High School Library at 7pm. Please check the Amherst Bulletin website for the latest news about this topic (this should be posted by tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 16). -- Ann McLaughlin.

October Parent Council Meeting Tonight at 7pm in the School Library

The October Parent Council meeting will take place TONIGHT, Thursday, Oct. 15th at 7pm in the school library. Limited babysitting available. Please contact Sue Borden at frpc.sborden@gmail.com.

All Fort River parents/guardians are welcome to attend!

Parent Council Directory

We are finishing solicitations for ads that will appear in the directory.  Anyone who is interested in buying advertising space in the directory, please click here for ad order form. 

Contact Hana Rivkin at hrivkin@yahoo.com with any questions.

Library Help Wanted!

The school librarian is still in need of volunteers to help re-shelve returned library books. Please contact Sue Borden (frpc.sborden@gmail.com) if you would like to help, or just swing by the library and offer to pitch in!

Easy Ways to Earn $$ for Fort River!

Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program
Use your Stop & Shop card and Fort River earns a percentage! Your A+ Bonusbucks have started accumulating as of Friday Oct. 9th. It's not too late to sign up!  If you sign up by Oct. 31st, ALL your October purchases will be counted toward Fort River's total. This is an easy way to raise money with absolutely no cost to you. However, for Fort River to receive credit you need to re-designate Fort River each year. Call 1-877-366-2668 or visit www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Fort River ID # 05218. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up. We already have 95 participants. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. Also, don’t forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. We need your support! Contact Ann McLaughlin if you have any questions or problems.

Get Extra Bonusbucks: Feel like earning an extra 500 Bonusbucks points? Try to answer this BONUS TRIVIA QUESTION: What day would tomorrow be if yesterday was five days before the day after Sunday's tomorrow? Do you think you know the answer? …. Think again….for 500 points!! The first 5 correct entries will win 500 points for the registered school of their choice. The answer MUST be submitted via e-mail at askaplus@cranecommunications.com.

Big Y Education Express
Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying much needed equipment and supplies! Just visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card (School ID # 5947). Or go to www.bigy.com/education and sign up from your computer! Whenever you use your card to purchase items designated with the “Education Express” logo, youʼll earn points for our school. 


Target Take Charge of Education
If you have a Target REDcard (credit card), you can designate Fort River to receive up to 1% of the value of your purchases on the card. Go to www.Target.com/tcoe to designate Fort River (School ID # 58645). 



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. Atkins provided us with one card per family last year, and new cards for new families will be coming soon-- stay tuned! Just show the card when you are checking out. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. 



Box Tops for Education
In case you are not familiar with Box Tops this is an easy way to earn money for Fort River--just take your scissors and clip! Last year we earned over $500. For each Box Top clipped the school receives 10 cents. Just look for the Box Tops logo on products in you already have in your kitchen, cut it out and deliver your box tops to the school's main office. If you would like to learn about the other ways you can make a difference sign up for the Box Tops website at boxtops4education.com. It’s easy, free and you’ll learn about new ways to help our school earn the extra cash it needs.


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. Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.

Amherstopoly On Sale in the School Office

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. Copies of the game are now available for purchase in the Fort River office. Games are $25 each, cash or check (payable to “Amherstopoly”). If you have any questions, please contact Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net) or Liz Larson (nateliz.larson@gmail.com). 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.

Upcoming School Events

Elementary School Redistricting Meeting. TONIGHT! Thursday, Oct. 8. 7-9pm. At the Marks Meadow School Auditorium. The School Committee will be taking public comments on the proposed new school districts. See below for more info.

Columbus Day. Monday, October 12. No School.

Elementary School Redistricting Meeting. Wednesday, October 14, 7-9 pm. At the Crocker Farm cafeteria. The School Committee will be taking public comments on the proposed new school districts.

Parent Council Meeting. Thursday, October 15, 7pm. In the school library. All parents/ guardians are welcome to attend.

Early Dismissal Day. Thursday, October, 22, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

Early Dismissal Day. Tuesday, October 27, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

Fall Festival. Friday, Oct. 30.

Coffee With A Principal. Friday, November 6, 8:30 am. FR Cafeteria.

*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Amherst Elementary School Redistricting Meetings

Elementary School Redistricting Meetings. The School Committee will be taking public comments on the proposed new elementary school districts. Childcare provided.

• Thursday, Oct. 8. 7-9pm. At the Marks Meadow School Auditorium.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14, 7-9 pm. At the Crocker Farm cafeteria.

 

A copy of the proposed map can be seen on School Committee member Catherine Sanderson's blog at the following link: http://is.gd/45w4e. Click on the map to enlarge.

Original Works

We are pleased to announce that FORT RIVER ELEMENTARY has selected Original Works to run a very special program at our school.

Through the Original Works program, you have the opportunity to purchase a variety of high quality products featuring your child’s very own artwork.

Click here to see the products: Original Works.

Please click here for order form. 

Parent Council Directory

We are finishing solicitations for ads that will appear in the directory.  Anyone interested in buying advertising space in the directory, please contact Hana Rivkin at hrivkin@yahoo.com.

October Parent Council Meeting

The October Parent Council meeting will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15th at 7pm in the school library. Limited babysitting available. Please contact Sue Borden at frpc.sborden@gmail.com.

All Fort River parents/guardians are welcome to attend!

School Council Election Results

Congratulations to our two recently elected School Council representatives: Tammy Rahhal-Schulkind and Mike Jacques.

Fall Festival 2009: Friday, Oct. 30

Fall Festival

Friday, October 30th 2009

The annual Fall Festival (AKA the "Halloween Party") will take place on Friday, Oct. 30th. Kids (and parents, too!) wear costumes and take part in a costume parade. There will also be lots of games and prizes, crafts, and face painting! Please keep a lookout for a Fall Festival sign-up sheet and more information next week on this website.

Library Help Needed!

The school librarian is in urgent need of volunteers to help re-shelve returned library books. Please contact Sue Borden (frpc.sborden@gmail.com) if you would like to help, or just swing by the library and offer to pitch in!

Celebrate Latin American Culture at Fort River

Catalina Arrubla is organizing a display of items from Latin America in the Fort River school lobby. She would like to invite families to share some items that represent their culture. For example: Catalina has a flute from Ecuador, a Llama from Peru, some molas and a beautiful book with pictures from all over Latin America. We will be using the glass display at the entrance next to the art room. She would like families to bring in items by Tuesday. They will be displayed for 1 to 2 weeks. Contact Catalina at carrubla@gmail.com.

Easy Ways to Earn $$$ for Fort River!

Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program
Use your Stop & Shop card and Fort River earns a percentage! Your A+ Bonusbucks will start accumulating on TOMORROW Oct. 9th, so hurry and register your card ASAP.  Last year Fort River earned $2198.43 and had 135 participants! This is an easy way to raise money with absolutely no cost to you. However, for Fort River to receive credit you need to re-designate Fort River each year. Call 1-877-366-2668 or visit www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Fort River ID # 05218. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up. We already have 87 participants. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. Also, don’t forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. We need your support! Contact Ann McLaughlin if you have any questions or problems.

Big Y Education Express
Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying much needed equipment and supplies! Just visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card (School ID # 5947). Or go to www.bigy.com/education and sign up from your computer! Whenever you use your card to purchase items designated with the “Education Express” logo, youʼll earn points for our school. 


Target Take Charge of Education
If you have a Target REDcard (credit card), you can designate Fort River to receive up to 1% of the value of your purchases on the card. Go to www.Target.com/tcoe to designate Fort River (School ID # 58645). 



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. Atkins provided us with one card per family last year, and new cards for new families will be coming soon-- stay tuned! Just show the card when you are checking out. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. 



Box Tops for Education
In case you are not familiar with Box Tops this is an easy way to earn money for Fort River--just take your scissors and clip! Last year we earned over $500. For each Box Top clipped the school receives 10 cents. Just look for the Box Tops logo on products in you already have in your kitchen, cut it out and deliver your box tops to the school's main office. If you would like to learn about the other ways you can make a difference sign up for the Box Tops website at boxtops4education.com. It’s easy, free and you’ll learn about new ways to help our school earn the extra cash it needs.


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. Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.

Don't Forget: Amherstopoly Is Still On Sale!

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. Copies of the game are now available for purchase in the Fort River office. Games are $25 each, cash or check (payable to “Amherstopoly”). If you have any questions, please contact Sue Cairn (scairn@verizon.net) or Liz Larson (nateliz.larson@gmail.com). 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.

Annual Family Donation Fund: Deadline is TOMORROW, Friday, Oct. 2nd

Parent Council is still seeking donations to the Annual Fund. Our goal is to raise a significant portion of our $13000 annual budget TOMORROW FRIDAY October 2nd. There are two easy ways to donate:

 Cash or checks (made out to "Fort River Parent Council") can be sent to the main office

OR

donate online using PayPal. Just click on the "Donate" button on the top of the right-hand column of this web page.

If you have already donated THANK YOU!

Upcoming School Events

School Council Ballots Due. Friday, October 2.

Fort River Roasters Coffee Orders Due. See below form more info and forms.

Coffee With the Principals. Friday, October 2, 8:30-9:15am. In the school cafeteria. Parents are invited to share coffee and light refreshments with Principal Ray Sharick and Asst. Principal Susan Kennedy Marx. Younger siblings are welcome.

Elementary School Redistricting Meeting. Thursday, Oct. 8. 7-9pm. At the Marks Meadow School Auditorium. The School Committee will be taking public comments on the proposed new school districts. More info here.

Columbus Day. Monday, October 12. No School.

Elementary School Redistricting Meeting. Wednesday, October 14, 7-9 pm. At the Crocker Farm cafeteria. The School Committee will be taking public comments on the proposed new school districts.

Parent Council Meeting. Thursday, October 15, 7pm. In the school library. All parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

Early Dismissal Day. Thursday, October, 22, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

Early Dismissal Day. Tuesday, October 27, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.


*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Fort River Roasters by Dean's Beans, Orders Due Friday, Oct. 2nd!

Help support Fort River by buying something that we all love...COFFEE!

Dean’s Beans coffee is not only delicious, but it’s also organic and kosher. Not to mention, Dean’s Beans is committed to Fair Trade, which make every sip worth while. No need to come to school to pick up your order. Coffee will be sent home with your child (unless you otherwise specify). The price of the coffee is cheaper than if you purchased it at the grocery store. WOW! Not only are we saving you a trip to the store, but we’re also saving you money. Your friends, co-workers, and family members can save money too. Ask them if they’d like to buy some delicious coffee at a cheaper price.

If this sounds good to you, fill out this order form and send it in with a check made out to Fort River Parent Council to the Parent Council mailbox in the main office. Questions or comments? Contact Libby Stanforth (bstanforth@comcast.net) or Hana Rivkin (hrivkin@yahoo.com).

Orders are due the first Friday of every month (October 2nd, November 6th, December 4th, January 8th, February 5th, March 5th, April 2nd, May 7th, June 4th), and the coffee will arrive within approximately two weeks.

REMINDER: Make checks payable to Fort River Parent Council.

Upcoming Community Events

Hampshire Young People's Chorus. Bring a Friend to Choir Day. When: Tuesday, October 6, 4:00-5:00 (Junior Choir, grades 2-4), 5:30-7:00 (Concert Choir, grades 5-7), Where: Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Who: Anyone who loves to sing! Come visit and sing with us. Find out what YPC is all about! Questions? Call 253-7346. http://www.hampshireypc.org

Please note that these events are not sponsored by Parent Council. Fort River Parent Council 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 Thursday during the school year. Please send your announcement no later than 5pm Wednesday for inclusion in the week's updates. Also 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.

Easy Ways to Earn $$ for Fort River!

Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program
Use your Stop & Shop card and Fort River earns a percentage! Your A+ Bonusbucks will start accumulating on Oct. 9th, so hurry and register your card ASAP.  Last year Fort River earned $2198.43 and had 135 participants! This is an easy way to raise money with absolutely no cost to you. However, for Fort River to receive credit you need to re-designate Fort River each year. Call 1-877-366-2668 or visit www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Fort River ID # 05218. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up. We already have 66 participants. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. Also, don’t forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. We need your support! Contact Ann McLaughlin if you have any questions or problems.

Big Y Education Express
Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying much needed equipment and supplies! Just visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card (School ID # 5947). Or go to www.bigy.com/education and sign up from your computer! Whenever you use your card to purchase items designated with the “Education Express” logo, youʼll earn points for our school. 


Target Take Charge of Education
If you have a Target REDcard (credit card), you can designate Fort River to receive up to 1% of the value of your purchases on the card. Go to www.Target.com/tcoe to designate Fort River (School ID # 58645). 



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. Atkins provided us with one card per family last year, and new cards for new families will be coming soon-- stay tuned! Just show the card when you are checking out. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. 



Box Tops for Education
In case you are not familiar with Box Tops this is an easy way to earn money for Fort River--just take your scissors and clip! Last year we earned over $500. For each Box Top clipped the school receives 10 cents. Just look for the Box Tops logo on products in you already have in your kitchen, cut it out and deliver your box tops to the school's main office. If you would like to learn about the other ways you can make a difference sign up for the Box Tops website at boxtops4education.com. It’s easy, free and you’ll learn about new ways to help our school earn the extra cash it needs.


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. Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.