Reminder: Sign up for TOMORROW's Curriculum Day Staff Brunch

TOMORROW Friday, January 27, is a Teacher Curriculum/Work Day, and there is NO SCHOOL for students.  A casual brunch buffet is being planned for Fort River faculty & staff. Let's show our appreciation for these incredibly dedicated and talented professionals! Volunteers can cook or purchase items and drop off at Fort River after 8:30 am. Teachers will drop in throughout the day to enjoy the feast! Any help is greatly appreciated. Here are some suggestions for the yummy meal:

• fresh whole fruit
• fruit salad
• hot morning entrees
• baked breads/muffins/bagels
• quiches or similar egg dishes
• K Cup coffee and tea refills for their Keurig coffee maker
• juice
• milk
• creamers and sweeteners

Click here to sign up at Please Bring It.

Please contact Michele Spirko with questions: michele.fortriver@gmail.com.

Junior Achievement Program “It's My Business!” is Coming to Fort River!

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts provides age appropriate programs that teach kids about business, economics, entrepreneurship, and personal finance using hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life. Principal Monica Colley has arranged to bring JA to Fort River as an after-school program for grades 4-6 starting the week after February break. It will be held once a week for six weeks from 3:05-4:15 and transportation home will be available. This program is free for all participants and students will receive sign up information through their classroom.

We are looking for Parent Volunteers to facilitate the lessons and be a part of this exciting opportunity. Information and training sessions will be held for volunteers before the start of the program. It is critical to the success of the program to have enough parent facilitators, we hope you will consider helping out.

Please contact Karen Bonneau in the Main Office (362-1200,bonneauk@arps.org) to volunteer or ask questions about the commitment. We are very lucky to have JA come to Fort River and hope our parent/guardian community will support this effort!

Annual Fund Reminder - PGO Budget year-to-date

Don't forget to send in your annual fund check!    Every little bit helps Fort River.  Donate online via PayPal (on the right-hand side of this page) or send a check to the PGO mailbox in the school office. 

You can review the year-to-date PGO Budget here.   The PGO needs your support.  We can't do it without you!  Thanks for all of your support.

CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) Reminder

Attention all Parent Chaperones and Volunteers! As always, there are lots of field trip opportunities coming up this spring. If your volunteer opportunities bring you into contact with students on a field trip or at school, you need to have a CORI on file. CORI checks must be done on individual volunteers every three years. All PGO and classroom volunteers must be CORI'd.

For the CORI check, bring your current driver's license into the Main Office for photocopying and complete the required application well in advance of any volunteer obligations. The process takes about two weeks to complete. Questions about the CORI process should be directed to Paula Mangiaratti in the Main Office at 362-1200. 

More details are available on the district website at: http://www.arps.org/policy/ADDA

Donations of winter gloves needed!

Nurse Karen is in need of new or used gloves and mittens to keep in the health room for Fort River students who need them.  She could also use extra hats, socks and sweatpants.  Thanks for your generosity!

Common School Geller Diamond Series presents Rachel Simmons

Geller Diamond Speaker Series presents Rachel Simmons, February 9th, 7:00 pm at Stirn Auditorium, Amherst College.  Rachel is the co-founder of the Girls Leadership Institute and author of “Odd Girl Out”.  She develops programs for girls, parents and educators that empower girls to be emotionally intelligent, assertive young adults.  Find out more about the event at:  http://www.facebook.com/events/323586234341086/

The talk is free and open to the public, though seating is limited and reservations are suggested by emailing mainoffice@commonschool.org .

This event is not sponsored by the FR PGO.

Jones Library Fundraiser

Help support our local library with their annual Valentine's Basket fundraiser:

This event is not sponsored by the FR PGO.

Teacher Support Opportunity - Curriculum Day Brunch Donations Needed

This Friday, January 27, is a Teacher Curriculum/Work Day, and there is NO SCHOOL for students. 

A casual brunch buffet is being planned for Fort River faculty & staff. Let's show our appreciation for these incredibly dedicated and talented professionals! Volunteers can cook or purchase items and drop off at Fort River after 8:30 am. Teachers will drop in throughout the day to enjoy the feast! Any help is greatly appreciated. Here are some suggestions for the yummy meal:

• fresh whole fruit
• fruit salad
• hot morning entrees
• baked breads/muffins/bagels
• quiches or similar egg dishes
• K Cup coffee and tea refills for their Keurig coffee maker
• juice
• milk
• creamers and sweeteners

Click here to sign up at Please Bring It.

Please contact Michele Spirko with questions: michele.fortriver@gmail.com.

Last Chance for Lost & Found!

All lost and found items are on a table in the FR Lobby. Please check the table to claim your items. Leftover items will be donated on Monday.

It's not too late to make your PGO Annual Fund Donation!

The PGO is grateful to the 37 families who have contributed $2,535 to the PGO Annual Fund so far this year. (Last year at this time the Annual Fund had already raised $4,400 from 82 families, 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. 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 on the PayPal icon to the right to donate online.

Thanks so much for supporting the Fort River PGO Annual Fund!

Fort River Book Swap - Coming Soon!

Start saving your gently used books for grades K-6!

The Fort River Book Swap will take place soon. Every student will be able to choose books to bring home without spending a dime!! The number of books they receive depends on your donations.

Keep in mind that we always have a shortage of books for 5th and 6th graders. Adult level books are often great for the older kids, but please be sure they are appropriate.   Reference books, dictionaries, thesauruses are also welcome.

Collection boxes will be out soon!  Volunteers will needed for sorting, setting up, and working the Swap.  Contact Libby Stanforth at bstanforth@comcast.net to volunteer.

This is a fun event and many hands make light work!

LSSE School's Out Trip Jan 27

Don't forget, there's no school on Friday, January 27 for Amherst elementary schools.  LSSE is sponsoring a day-long School's Out Trip for kids ages 6 and up.  Go to http://www.lsse.org/ for more information.

This event is not sponsored by FR PGO.

Lost and Found - Missing anything?

Did your child only come home with one mitten last week?  See if it's still at Fort River!  All Lost and Found items will be displayed in the lobby next week, Tues - Fri (Jan 17-20).  Unclaimed items will be given to the nurse or donated.    

4th Grade Potluck

Attention 4th grade families:  Plan to join all 4th grade classes at a pot luck dinner on Tuesday, January 24 in the cafeteria from 5:30-7:30 pm.   Sign up to bring a dish to share here (http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/55vOblFhntg).  This is a great opportunity to meet your child's friends and their families!

5th & 6th grade chorus concert

The fifth and sixth grade choruses will present a winter choral concert on Thursday evening, January 19^th, at 7 pm in the Amherst Middle School auditorium. Parents of chorus students: please have your child report to the auditorium by 6:40 that night to warm up. The concert will begin at 7:00 pm. Concert attire for boys includes white shirts or sweaters and dark slacks. Girls should wear a white blouses or sweaters and dark skirts or slacks.

If your child is unable to participate in this event, it is important that you send an note in advance. If you are unable to attend the evening concert, we will also be presenting a daytime performance for the school in Fort River cafeteria #1 on Wednesday, January 18^th at 10:15 am.

Later Start Time Community Forums

Are you interested in the ongoing discussion about possibly changing the Amherst Schools' start time?  There are 3 upcoming meetings for the public to participate in the Later Start Time Community Forums. Students, parents, guardians, and residents from Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury and Leverett are invited to attend these informational meetings. ARMS Principal Mike Hayes will facilitate the community discussions.

• Wednesday, January 25 from 7 to 9pm at Bangs Community Center (Large Activity Room)
• Tuesday, January 31 from 7 to 9pm at Crocker Farm Elementary School (Auditorium)
• Tuesday, February 7 from 7 to 9pm at Amherst Regional Middle School (Auditorium)

 Feel free to attend and find out more information about the different options being considered.

Support our schools - Consider running for Town Meeting

JOIN TOWN MEETING!  All seats in Town Meeting are up for election this year.  Town Meeting approves the schools, library, and town budget as well as all our local laws and zoning.  We need parents to be represented in Town Meeting!  It's only about 10 nights/year and is a great way to learn about what's going on in town with your friends and neighbors.  Low impact and high value!  Just stop by Town Hall and sign the form.  The deadline is February 14th.

This is not sponsored by the FR PGO

Amherst Youth Lacrosse - Register Now!

Registration has begun for Amherst Youth Lacrosse.  Click here or visit the league's website at http://www.amherstyouthlacrosse.org/ for more informaiton.

This is not sponsored by the FR PGO.

New Music Classes: Ukelele and Movement

Wednesday group ukelele classes for 3-6th graders are forming now.  For more information, click here.
In addition, Saturday music and movement classes are available for children up to first grade.  Visit the website at http://missleticia.com for more information.

This is not sponsored by the FR PGO.

Thank You to the Class of 2011!

The Fort River Class of 2011 donated generously to our school!  To thank them for funding the repairs and improvement to the art display case, art teacher Teri Magner has written them a letter.  Please click here to read the full letter.   Thank you to the Class of 2011 for helping to improve Fort River!

Yearbook Club

The Fort River yearbook club will be meeting Wednesdays 1/11 and 1/25 from 1:30-3:00pm in the Fort River Computer Room.   The individual proofs are in so we will input photographs and continue cover design.  If you are interested in the club and have not been able to attend, it is still possible to join, contact Kathy Niedzielski at stonyhill4@verizon.net.

REMINDER: SEND IN PHOTOGRAPHS TO THE YEARBOOK via CD in the PGO Mailbox or EMAIL yearbook.fortriver@gmail.com

Reminder: No School on Monday, January 16

Mark Your Calendars!  Fort River will be closed for two days in January:

• Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) 
• Friday January 27 (Elementary Teachers' Work Day

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Amherst Ski/Skate Sale

Amherst Lions Club and the Crocker Farm PGO are sponsoring a Ski and Skate Sale this weekend!

Need to get rid of some gently used equipment?
Skis, ski boots, snowboards and boots, skates will be accepted on consignment or donation basis on Friday January 6th from 3pm – 5pm ONLY.  Shop Fri January 6 from 6-9 pm and Sat. January 7 from 9 am - 2 pm.

Over 1500 items for kids and adults!

This event is not sponsored by the Fort River PGO.