Looking Ahead to Next Year

As we are winding down this school year, Parent Council is already planning ahead for September. While many of the volunteers coordinating Parent Council Events are continuing, we are still looking for coordinators for the positions listed below. It would be helpful to have these positions filled before September – particularly for the fall events: Family Fair, New Family Welcome, and Cultural Enrichment Volunteer.

We are also looking for volunteers to help with the directory in early fall.

A brief description of each coordinator position can be seen when you click on the "Read More" link at the bottom of this post.

If you are interested in taking over any of these positions please contact Sue Borden.

Thanks for a great year!


Coordinators needed:

Family Fair (5th & 6th grade parent)
Cultural Enrichment Volunteer

New Family Welcome

6th Grade Graduation

Box Tops for Education

Lost and Found

Parent Council Secretary

*Picture Day

*Blog Editor


*Co-coordinator needed.


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!). This coordinator arranges for pizza delivery, purchases drinks for sale, requests food from families, and organizes parents at the fair (set up, clean up, helping the kids serve food). One 5th grade parent and one 6th grade parent volunteer is needed. This is a short term, early September job.

Cultural Enrichment Volunteer. 
This volunteer notifies teachers of local cultural events (U Mass, Shea Theatre, etc), orders tickets that teachers’ request, and completes (easy) paperwork for grant reimbursement. This is a September / early October job.

New Family Welcome. 
The week before school starts, this volunteer organizes the popsicle party for families new to Fort River. The goal of this event is to give every new student a chance to meet a classmate before school starts.

6th Grade Graduation. 
This committee is in charge of making sure this day is special for all the children. The coordinator(s) of this event organize the sixth grade parents to decorate the gym and set up all the other events surrounding graduation (slide show, food for the reception, class gift.)

Box Tops for Education. 
Families can save Box Tops from General Mills products and bring them in to the office. The coordinator of this event periodically empties the collection canister in the main office, and counts/bundles/mails the Box Tops for cash for our school twice a year.

Lost and Found. 
Twice a year this coordinator places the contents of the Lost and Found on tables in the lobby to be retrieved by kids/parents. Remaining items are donated to the Survival Center.

Parent Council Secretary
.The Secretary attends monthly Parent Council meetings and takes the meeting minutes.


*Picture Day.
 The coordinator works with the photographer to have pictures taken of all Fort River student by arranging schedules with teachers, getting order forms home with children, and organizing parent volunteers to help the photographers on Picture Day. A co-coordinator is needed to work with Pam Rietkirk this year, and eventually take over.

*Blog Editor. 
Ann McLaughlin, our current blog editor, will have 6th graders next year and will be leaving for the Middle School the following year. We are looking for a volunteer interested in taking on the blog in the future, who would be willing to work with Ann next year to learn the job.