Fort River PGO, Fort River School, Amherst, Massachusetts. Your source for Fort River news and events. Sponsored by the Fort River Parent Guardian Organization. All Fort River families are automatically members of the PGO.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Next PGO Meeting: February 16
The next PGO meeting will be on Wednesday February 16 at 8:45am. The agenda will be posted on the blog the week prior to the meeting. Please join us!
Attention 6th Grade Parents: Graduation Volunteers Needed!
1/27/11
Dear 6th Grade Parents/Guardians;
It’s hard to believe it, but the Fort River Class of 2011(!) will soon be on their way to middle school!
We (Steve Brown and Lisa Oram – parents of Isabel Oram-Brown) have agreed to be the graduation coordinators, and we want to make it a special time for all our kids. We need your help, and we hope all 6th grade families will be involved in some way. We have detailed information from the parents, who have done this in the past, and the more people who help out, the easier and more fun it will be for all of us.
We will need volunteers to help out in the following areas:
Dear 6th Grade Parents/Guardians;
It’s hard to believe it, but the Fort River Class of 2011(!) will soon be on their way to middle school!
We (Steve Brown and Lisa Oram – parents of Isabel Oram-Brown) have agreed to be the graduation coordinators, and we want to make it a special time for all our kids. We need your help, and we hope all 6th grade families will be involved in some way. We have detailed information from the parents, who have done this in the past, and the more people who help out, the easier and more fun it will be for all of us.
We will need volunteers to help out in the following areas:
- Slide Show: take and/or find photos, work on presentation. Need 1 – 2 people per class.
- Class Gift: work with the school administration and the kids to decide on gift, keep track of money, purchase/order gift, present gift at graduation. Need 1 – 3 people.
- Decorations: balloons, flowers, tablecloths, etc - make the gym and cafeteria look festive; work with school maintenance staff and donation committee; help the kids make memory boards. Need 10 – 15 people.
- Food: coordinate donations from parents and community, find 5th grade parents to staff reception. Need 1 person/class
- Community donations: solicit help from local businesses i.e. flowers, cake, helium, etc. We have sample letters and lists of previous year’s donations. Need 2 – 4 people.
- Program/Invitations: design, print, and distribute. Need 2 – 3 people.
Bake Sale Coordinator STILL Needed!
NEEDED: Bake Sale Coordinator--Ann White and the PGO are looking for a parent(s) to coordinate and staff a bake sale at the Family Sing Night on Thursday, February 17. This is a fundraiser to help bring musical group MarKamusic to Fort River in March.
Duties include: setting up/monitoring a sign up sheet for donated baked goods, getting a few other parents and students to help sell goods, set up/clean up. Piece of cake!!
Please contact Pam at pam.fortriver@gmail.com to volunteer.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FAMILY SING NIGHT and MARKAMUSIC.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Bake Sale Coordinator Needed!
NEEDED: Bake Sale Coordinator--Ann White and the PGO are looking for a parent(s) to coordinate and staff a bake sale at the Family Sing Night on Thursday, February 17. This is a fundraiser to help bring musical group MarKamusic to Fort River in March.
Duties include: setting up/monitoring a sign up sheet for donated baked goods, getting a few other parents and students to help sell goods, set up/clean up. Piece of cake!!
Please contact Pam at pam.fortriver@gmail.com to volunteer.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE OR CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FAMILY SING NIGHT and MARKAMUSIC.
Duties include: setting up/monitoring a sign up sheet for donated baked goods, getting a few other parents and students to help sell goods, set up/clean up. Piece of cake!!
Please contact Pam at pam.fortriver@gmail.com to volunteer.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE OR CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FAMILY SING NIGHT and MARKAMUSIC.
Big thanks to PGO Cultural Enrichment Coordinator
Thanks to Dorie Goldman and many Fort River teachers, the Amherst Cultural Council (a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council) funded four grant proposals for the following:
2nd grade: $500, storyteller Eshu Bumpus
3rd grade: $350, Habitat Studies at the Hitchcock Center
4th grade: $455, Shangri-La Dance Troupe at the Fine Arts Center, UMass
5th grade: $525, Local Ecology at the Hitchcock Center
Also congratulations to Linda Castronovo who secured an additional $1600 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council STARS program for an artists-in-residency program with storyteller Eshu Bumpus for 2nd graders in March and April.
2nd grade: $500, storyteller Eshu Bumpus
3rd grade: $350, Habitat Studies at the Hitchcock Center
4th grade: $455, Shangri-La Dance Troupe at the Fine Arts Center, UMass
5th grade: $525, Local Ecology at the Hitchcock Center
Also congratulations to Linda Castronovo who secured an additional $1600 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council STARS program for an artists-in-residency program with storyteller Eshu Bumpus for 2nd graders in March and April.
January PGO Meeting Postponed Due to Snow Day
Due to the snow day, the next Fort River PGO meeting has been postponed until sometime during the week of Jan. 24th. I will post the new date ASAP. -- Ann McLaughlin
The agenda will be as follows:
Meeting Agenda
1. Introductions 5 min
2. Treasurer’s Report 5 min
• Discussion
3. Book Fair/Event & Community Marketplace 10 min
• Review of sales totals
• Event feedback
4. Upcoming Events 10 min
• Family Sing Night with Ann White (Feb 17)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (March or April)
• International Fair (May)
5. New Business 15 min
• Staff Appreciation Luncheon
• Other new business
School Council Meeting Date Changed
The date for the next meeting of the School Council has been changed to Thursday, Jan. 27th.
Amherst Survival Center Food Drive
The Amherst Survival Center is conducting a food drive in the schools until Jan. 28th. All elementary school children are asked to donate rice, pasta, beans or cereal. The food collection box is in the lobby of the school.
Thank you for your support of our community members who have food needs!
Cynthia Brubaker
Food Drive Chair
tel. 253-6679
Thank you for your support of our community members who have food needs!
Cynthia Brubaker
Food Drive Chair
tel. 253-6679
Revised Schedule for Superintendent Candidate Interviews
Visits by two of the three finalists for the position of School Superintendent have already taken place this week. The visit and interview of Maria Geryk has been rescheduled to Tues., Feb. 1st.
The schedule for that day is as follows (events open to the public are in bold):
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria
9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council
10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)
Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.
Discussion and Selection of New Superintendent of Schools will take place on Sunday, February 6 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location to be determined.
The schedule for that day is as follows (events open to the public are in bold):
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria
9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council
10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)
Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.
Family Sing Night
Please join Fort River's music teacher Anne White for
Family Sing Night
Thursday, February 17th
6:30-8:00 pm
Fort River Gym
Anne White and the Fort River PGO are pleased to announce two very special upcoming events. On March 2nd, the Latin musical group MarKamusic will conduct student workshops and give a school wide performance. On Thursday, February 17th, as a fundraiser to help bring MarKamusic to Fort River, you and your family are invited to the Fort River Family Sing Night where Mrs. White will be joined by parents and teachers to lead everyone in songs from around the world.
Please join us and make a suggested donation of $2.00 or whatever amount you like.
There will also be a student run bake sale to satisfy your sweet tooth!
We would like this event to represent the rich cultural diversity of our school community. As part of the music curriculum, Mrs. White will be working with students and parents to learn special songs to teach all families on this evening. Parents and other family members, we welcome your input and involvement. Please contact Mrs. White at whitea@arps.org, or 362-1238, if you want to help with the music.
A parent coordinator is also needed for the bake sale. If you would like to help with this event, please contact Pam Rietkerk at pam.fortriver@gmail.com or 256-2605.
This is going be a great community event!
About MarKamusic
MarKamusic performs traditional, folkloric and pop music of South and Latin American origin, fused with Latin jazz and western textures and instruments. The group has played its unique repertoire at international music festivals, educational events in schools, museums, and cultural institutions.
During its performances, MarKamusic accents the contributions of the four major cultural influences that have shaped modern Latin American music—the indigenous South American, the West African, the Euro-Iberian, and the contemporary North American. Traditional rhythms and melodic forms from these diverse cultures intermingled over the centuries, creating much of what is Latin American popular music today.
MarKamusic’s musical purpose is to drive home to its audiences that America is larger than just the United States: that America, in fact, extends from Alaska to the southernmost tip of Chile. The members of MarKamusic also feel that the diverse cultures of the Americas— tied by history and geography, but separated by politics and language—can effectively be reconciled by the sharing (indeed, by the merging) of their many musical expressions. MarKamusic’s musicians: one Peruvian, three Puerto Ricans, one Ecuadorian and one Guatemalan represent the potential of this harmonious exchange.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Superintendent Search
WEATHER UPDATE: Due to the inclement weather on Tues. Jan. 18, the schedule of candidates has been adjusted:
Candidate #1 John Bayless
Wednesday, January 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library
Candidate #2 Gerald Kohn
Thursday, January 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library
Candidate #3 Maria Geryk
(date to be scheduled) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library.
Followed by Selection of New Superintendent of Schools
Community members and parents are also invited to a Community Coffee to meet each candidate from 8:00 am-9:00 am in the Middle School Cafeteria at 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst on each date listed above.
Please come hear the candidates talk about their personal experiences and visions for our schools. Note that the 6-8 p.m. interviews in the high school library are open to the public.
******************
John Bayless will visit on Wed, January 18.
Candidate #1 John Bayless
Wednesday, January 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library
Candidate #2 Gerald Kohn
Thursday, January 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library
Candidate #3 Maria Geryk
(date to be scheduled) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library.
Followed by Selection of New Superintendent of Schools
Community members and parents are also invited to a Community Coffee to meet each candidate from 8:00 am-9:00 am in the Middle School Cafeteria at 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst on each date listed above.
Please come hear the candidates talk about their personal experiences and visions for our schools. Note that the 6-8 p.m. interviews in the high school library are open to the public.
******************
John Bayless will visit on Wed, January 18.
Gerald Kohn will visit on Thurs, January 19.
On each day, the schedule will be as follows:
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria
9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council
10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)
Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.
We hope to see you there!
9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council
10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)
Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.
We hope to see you there!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
IT'S NOT TOO LATE to make your PGO Annual Fund Donation!
The PGO is grateful to the 82 families who have contributed $4,400 to the PGO Annual Fund so far this year. (Last year at this time the Annual Fund had already raised $6700, so we have some catching up to do!) The goal of 100% participation is a yearlong effort and EVERY donation in ANY amount is appreciated.
Your Fort River PGO is very active and supports teachers, students, and families in many ways (see below). This support requires a healthy Annual Fund—and our hope is that every family will contribute. With a successful Annual Fund, our PGO can focus time and energy on teacher and student support, events, and community building. Please support the Annual Fund by making an annual donation.
You may send cash or check, payable to Fort River PGO, to the Main Office or click here to donate online using PayPal.
Thanks so much for supporting the Fort River PGO Annual Fund!
Take a look at what the Fort River PGO is up to this year:
EVENTS
• New Family Welcome (Aug)
• Staff Welcome Back Day (Aug)
• Family Fair (Sept)
• Book Event & Community Marketplace (Dec)
• Family Sing Night (Feb)
• MarkaMusic workshops and performance (March)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (April)
• International Fair (May)
• Staff/Teacher Appreciation Luncheon (May)
• Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast (May)
• Field Day (June)
• 6th Grade Graduation (June)
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
• Providing all teachers with $50 for classroom set up
• Organizing room parent program
• Producing and providing a FREE student directory to all families
• Offering all teachers $100 for classroom enrichment from Amerstopoly profits
• Providing principal and assistant principal each with $200 discretionary fund
• Providing guidance councilor with $1,000 discretionary fund
• For grades 3-6, providing $700 per grade to subsidize major field trips
• Applying for and providing PASS grants to teachers for field trips
• Friday hosting of Coffee with the Principal
• Supervising the Savings Makes “Cents” program
• Coordinating Lost and Found
• Producing and providing a FREE yearbook to all students (in May)
FUNDRAISERS
• Summer Read-A-Thon
• Fort River Roasters by Deans Beans
• Box Tops for Education
• School Pictures
• Scholastic Book Fair
Fort River PGO January Meeting Agenda
Please note: the next PGO meeting is sceduled for FRIDAY, Jan. 21st in the FR Cafeteria at 8:45am.
Meeting Agenda/January 21, 2011
8:45-9:30am
1. Introductions 5 min
2. Treasurer’s Report 5 min
• Discussion
3. Book Fair/Event & Community Marketplace 10 min
• Review of sales totals
• Event feedback
4. Upcoming Events 10 min
• Family Sing Night with Ann White (Feb 17)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (March or April)
• International Fair (May)
5. New Business 15 min
• Staff Appreciation Luncheon
• Other new business
Meeting Agenda/January 21, 2011
8:45-9:30am
1. Introductions 5 min
2. Treasurer’s Report 5 min
• Discussion
3. Book Fair/Event & Community Marketplace 10 min
• Review of sales totals
• Event feedback
4. Upcoming Events 10 min
• Family Sing Night with Ann White (Feb 17)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (March or April)
• International Fair (May)
5. New Business 15 min
• Staff Appreciation Luncheon
• Other new business
Family Sing Night
Please join Fort River's music teacher Anne White for
Family Sing Night
Thursday, February 17th
6:30-8:00 pm
Fort River Gym
Anne White and the Fort River PGO are pleased to announce two very special upcoming events. On March 2nd, the Latin musical group MarKamusic will conduct student workshops and give a school wide performance. On Thursday, February 17th, as a fundraiser to help bring MarKamusic to Fort River, you and your family are invited to the Fort River Family Sing Night where Mrs. White will be joined by parents and teachers to lead everyone in songs from around the world.
Please join us and make a suggested donation of $2.00 or whatever amount you like.
There will also be a student run bake sale to satisfy your sweet tooth!
We would like this event to represent the rich cultural diversity of our school community. As part of the music curriculum, Mrs. White will be working with students and parents to learn special songs to teach all families on this evening. Parents and other family members, we welcome your input and involvement. Please contact Mrs. White at whitea@arps.org, or 362-1238, if you want to help with the music.
A parent coordinator is also needed for the bake sale. If you would like to help with this event, please contact Pam Rietkerk at pam.fortriver@gmail.com or 256-2605.
This is going be a great community event!
About MarKamusic
During its performances, MarKamusic accents the contributions of the four major cultural influences that have shaped modern Latin American music—the indigenous South American, the West African, the Euro-Iberian, and the contemporary North American. Traditional rhythms and melodic forms from these diverse cultures intermingled over the centuries, creating much of what is Latin American popular music today.
MarKamusic’s musical purpose is to drive home to its audiences that America is larger than just the United States: that America, in fact, extends from Alaska to the southernmost tip of Chile. The members of MarKamusic also feel that the diverse cultures of the Americas— tied by history and geography, but separated by politics and language—can effectively be reconciled by the sharing (indeed, by the merging) of their many musical expressions. MarKamusic’s musicians: one Peruvian, three Puerto Ricans, one Ecuadorian and one Guatemalan represent the potential of this harmonious exchange.
Chorus Concert Rescheduled
Dear family members of Fort River Chorus students,
I am pleased to announce that we have new dates for our winter choral concert. The evening concert will take place at 7 pm on Thursday, February 10th, in the Amherst Middle School auditorium. Student singers should arrive by 6:40 to take their places on the stage and warm up. As always, concert attire is white shirts and dark slacks for boys, dark skirts for girls. We will hold our daytime concert for Fort River on Wednesday, February 9th, at 10:30 am, in the Fort River gym. Thank you for your patience with our need to reschedule the concert date.
Thank you,
Anne Louise White
I am pleased to announce that we have new dates for our winter choral concert. The evening concert will take place at 7 pm on Thursday, February 10th, in the Amherst Middle School auditorium. Student singers should arrive by 6:40 to take their places on the stage and warm up. As always, concert attire is white shirts and dark slacks for boys, dark skirts for girls. We will hold our daytime concert for Fort River on Wednesday, February 9th, at 10:30 am, in the Fort River gym. Thank you for your patience with our need to reschedule the concert date.
Thank you,
Anne Louise White
SIxth-Grade Potluck
A grade-wide potluck for the entire Sixth Grade has been scheduled for Jan. 27th at 6pm in the Fort River Cafeteria.
Multi-Arts Drama Group
Join the Multi-Arts DRAMA GROUP
Create your own play, sing, dance and perform!
Place: Fort River School
Fee $120
Final show: Friday, March 18
To register visit: www.multi-arts.org
Tel. 413-584-7951
"The things I learned early in life through theater and music have brought me success, joy and happiness in everything I do."-- Matt Meers, Multi-Arts drama director.
Winter Fun With LSSE!
OR
CLICK HERE to download class descriptions and registration form.
Please note: not sponsored by the Fort River PGO.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Happy New Year and January Events
Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and are now back into the swing of things! I just wanted to remind you of a few upcoming Fort River events. -- Ann McLaughlin
Coffee with the Principals. Friday, January 7th at 8:30am. All parents/guardians are invited to the monthly coffee, sponsored by the PGO. Acting Superintendent of Schools Maria Geryk and Interim Asst. Principal Karen Lowe are planning on attending. This coffee will be held in the conference room located in the Fort River Main Office.
Fort River Roasters Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 7. You can download an order form here.
Fort River 5th and 6th Grade Chorus Concert.Thursday, January 13 at 7pm. At the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium. EVENT POSTPONED--new date TBA.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Monday, Jan. 17th. NO SCHOOL.
Fort River PGO Meeting. Friday. Jan. 21st, 8:45-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Please note date change.
Teacher Curriculum/Workday, Friday, Jan 28. NO SCHOOL.
Coffee with the Principals. Friday, January 7th at 8:30am. All parents/guardians are invited to the monthly coffee, sponsored by the PGO. Acting Superintendent of Schools Maria Geryk and Interim Asst. Principal Karen Lowe are planning on attending. This coffee will be held in the conference room located in the Fort River Main Office.
Fort River Roasters Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 7. You can download an order form here.
Fort River 5th and 6th Grade Chorus Concert.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Monday, Jan. 17th. NO SCHOOL.
Fort River PGO Meeting. Friday. Jan. 21st, 8:45-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Please note date change.
Teacher Curriculum/Workday, Friday, Jan 28. NO SCHOOL.
Latika Roy Foundation Fundraiser
The following is a message from Fort River family The Rege-Colts:
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, our family is embarking on another adventure to India on Feb 3rd. It will not be nearly as long as the last time (10 months) but we are grateful to be able to go for a full 6 weeks - and still maintain our standing at our jobs and in 6th and 9th grade! We will be visiting with family in Mumbai and Goa, exploring new territory down south in Kerala, and visiting the friends we made and the schools we worked at, way up north in Dehra Dun.
The Send Off is for us; the fundraising is for the Latika Roy Foundation in Dehra Dun that supports several projects, including Karuna Vihar and Latika Vihar, the schools we worked at when we lived there in 2003-2004. Please visit their wonderful website: latikaroy.org for more information.
We hope you will join us for a slideshow, some snacks and celebration! There will be some items for sale to raise money for the Foundation, including the beautiful Karuna Vihar calendars. We hope, if possible to purchase some video cameras for them - which was one of the most wanted items on their wish list. If you cannot attend, but would like to support the cause, please make checks out to:
We thank you in advance for your generosity.
With love & gratitude,
Maya, Nick, Leland & Manali Rege-Colt
Please note: this event is not sponsored by the Fort River PGO.
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, our family is embarking on another adventure to India on Feb 3rd. It will not be nearly as long as the last time (10 months) but we are grateful to be able to go for a full 6 weeks - and still maintain our standing at our jobs and in 6th and 9th grade! We will be visiting with family in Mumbai and Goa, exploring new territory down south in Kerala, and visiting the friends we made and the schools we worked at, way up north in Dehra Dun.
We'd like to invite you to join us
for a Send Off/ Fundraising Party!
Sat. January 15, 2011
Drop in anytime between 1:00-5:00 pm
at our home in Amherst, 22 Valley View Drive
413-259-2141
We hope you will join us for a slideshow, some snacks and celebration! There will be some items for sale to raise money for the Foundation, including the beautiful Karuna Vihar calendars. We hope, if possible to purchase some video cameras for them - which was one of the most wanted items on their wish list. If you cannot attend, but would like to support the cause, please make checks out to:
Indians For Collective Action
3838 Mumford Place
Palo Alto CA 94306
or donate online at http://www.icaonline.org/donate.shtml
please identify Latika Roy Foundation on your check or online donation page
We thank you in advance for your generosity.
With love & gratitude,
Maya, Nick, Leland & Manali Rege-Colt
Please note: this event is not sponsored by the Fort River PGO.
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