Box Tops Collected Throughout the Year! A simple way to support Fort River!

                                

Did you know each Box Top coupon you clip and donate to Fort River School is worth 10 cents that will go straight towards funding events to benefit our students and staff?

Visit www.btfe.com for a complete list of participating brands. It’s fun to involve your whole family and be sure to ask grandparents or friends to clip and share too! A collection container is always available in the main school office, and Box Tops will be collected in the cafeteria during Open House.

Please keep a bag in your kitchen so it’s easy to collect the Box Tops you clip. Children can be taught at a very young age to identify, clip, and count Box Tops. The coupons can be found on many quality products from brands like: 

• General Mills
• Ziploc
• Progresso
• Cascadian Farms
• Pillsbury
• Hefty
• Kleenex
• Scott
• Betty Crocker
• Yoplait

Thanks so much for your support!!

Student and Family Directory … IMPORTANT CHANGES!

The PGO will be publishing a Fort River Student and Family Directory and hopes to include our entire community. The directory will be made available for free and is intended to help families arrange playdates and gatherings outside of school. 

For privacy reasons the PGO does not have access to contact information that families provided to the ARPS District or to Fort River Elementary School. Each family must submit their own information in order to be included in the directory. 

Please supply the information you would like to be included in the directory by filling out the form here or clicking the URL here: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eZvcxTMES-o3PnNUeTOcdWFu1X1OieSrxSNIwUogb5o/viewform

Paper copies of this form will be send home later this week, however the volunteers producing the directory appreciate the help with data entry (and it's probably more efficient and accurate for you as well).

Please fill out one form per family. The deadline is Friday, October 16th. Please submit any questions to fortriverdirectory@gmail.com

The Fort River Student and Family Directory is an internal resource that is private and is not disseminated to any persons, vendors, or businesses outside of the Fort River community. The directory should not be used to solicit business. 

Help is eagerly welcomed from anyone possessing experience with databases, layout/formatting, and production of small scale publications. Please contact sarah.fortriver@gmail.com to volunteer. Thank you!

Girls Try Hockey for Free Day on October 10th from 2 - 4 PM at Mullins Community Rink

Fall Bulb Sale Ongoing! Send in Your Orders THIS Week!

ONE WEEK REMAINING! SUBMIT YOUR ORDERS THIS WEEK OR BY THE OCTOBER 5TH DEADLINE.

Spread the word! With the Fort River PGO’s help, your child will be selling Dutch Mill Bulbs as part of our fall fundraising efforts. It’s a great way to beautify our community and help fund the curriculum mini-grants that allow Fort River teachers to enhance our children’s educational experience. Plant the bulbs this fall, and in the spring, they will bloom and chase those winter blues away!

Our goal is to raise $600.00. The Fort River PGO will earn at least 50% profit on every package of bulbs sold. Economically priced and guaranteed by Dutch Mill Bulbs to grow and bloom, it’s an easy sell. Payment should be requested at the time of sale with cash or check made payable to Fort River PGO. Please be sure to turn your order in to your classroom teacher or the Main Office no later than Monday, October 5th. Thanks in advance for your support and participation!

• Each bulb package option is conveniently priced at $8. We keep 50%!
• Checks should be made out to "Fort River PGO.” Cash is also accepted!
• Orders should be returned to your classroom teacher or the Main Office by October 5th.
• Orders will be delivered to school at the correct planting time (October). Students will then distribute packages to their supporters. 
• Questions can be sent to Stacey: sbeganny@gmail.com
• Our custom Fort River online fundraising link is available for supporters outside of the local area: http://groups.dutchmillbulbs.com/fortriverelementaryschoolpgo.php

Be sure to let out-of-town friends and relatives know that they too can participate in our flower bulb fundraiser by using our custom link. The link will prompt your out-of-town supporters to select from 17 items (all guaranteed to grow and bloom!), provide billing and shipping information, and choose a secure method of payment (either credit card or PayPal).  Be sure they add your student’s name during the check-out process! Online orders are shipped directly to the customer based on the appropriate planting time for the state in which they live. A minimal shipping fee may apply (sorry - no shipments to Alaska or Hawaii). Online orders will be accepted through October 16th.

A template letter found here can be customized and sent by email to friends, family, and any other potential Fort River supporters. Thanks for participating and remember to thank all of your generous customers for supporting our school!

FORT RIVER OPEN HOUSE is Thursday, October 1 from 6:00-7:30 PM

FORT RIVER OPEN HOUSE will be held on Thursday, October 1st from 6:00-7:30 PM

A brief meeting of Room Parent volunteers will take place in the Library at 7:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Click here for the Schedule in English  
Click here for the Schedule in Spanish   

Bus Transportation is available!

4:50 PM pick up at 500 Mill Valley

5:05 PM pick up at middle PVTA bus stop at Colonial Village

5:15 PM pick up at the Office at Rolling Green

Childcare is available! Please call the school to reserve space.

LWV presents "Let's Talk About It" - an overview of the Secondary Schools Re-Visioning & Wildwood Building Project

In their recent video production, the League of Women's Voters offered an excellent overview of the extremely important decisions and potential changes facing our public schools. Produced by Amherst Media, LWV member Joan Temkin hosts "Let's Talk About It" featuring Superintendent Maria Geryk, Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris, and Director of Human Resources Kathryn Mazur for an enlightening discussion of the possible Grade 7 -12 consolidation and the possible elementary reconfiguration.

The program is about 40 minutes long and can be found here on Amherst Media.

There are multiple opportunities for families and the community to become engaged and provide feedback on these very important topics. Please make an effort to become informed by watching the video above, attending a forum, visiting the ARPS Wildwood School Building Project Facebook page, or contacting district leaders directly with your feedback. The community survey about Grade 7 -12 consolidation is available through September 25th.

Dates for all forums are at http://www.arps.org and the Fort River PGO Google calendar.

September Principal Newsletter

The following is from the Fort River Elementary School September Newsletter ... find the entire content of the letter here

_____________

"Welcome back!

I hope everyone had a restful and fun-filled summer break and a GREAT first couple of weeks back at school! It was wonderful to see so many Fort River students at the popsicle party, and at the opening day assembly. I can speak for the entire Fort River staff and share how excited we are to finally have our school filled with students! We are all eager to learn with and from another!

This summer I worked with Mrs. Chamberlain and interview committees to hire a number of new teachers. We did an outstanding job hiring new high quality educators to join Fort River. We welcome the following staff members:

Ms. Pam Novinsky- Reading Coach

Mr. Omar Almodovar- 6th Grade

Mrs. Trish Lagrant- Special Education Teacher

Mrs. Carolina Rothkegal- Special Education Teacher

Mr. Brian Kline- Special Education Teacher

Ms. Vera Goodwin- Brown- Special Education Teacher

Mr. David Rutherford- School Psychologist

Ms. Melanie Collins- Autism Specialist/ Behaviorist

Mrs. Kelly Gowan- Building Blocks Special Education Teacher

Ms. Abby Crouse- Paraeducator

Ms. Anne Gage- Paraeducator

Mr. Brian Mackey- Paraeducator

Ms. Molly Cooksey- Paraeducator

Mr. Aaron Jenson- Paraeducator

Ms. Diane Bradway- Paraeducator

Ms. Mary Lee Austin- Physical Therapist

Fort River is committed to providing rich learning opportunities for all students.

Specifically, we commit to maintaining the integrity of the Arts Immersion (AI) project, provide access points for all students in an effort to both support and challenge learners, and teach students the importance and power of a growth mindset!

Students will praised for effort and perseverance and they are expected to take academic risks and make mistakes! Mistakes are essential to the learning process! Over the next few weeks of school Fort River staff will teach classroom routines necessary for a safe and productive classroom learning environment. Students will review and practice Fort River’s core principles, the WAVE. To ride the WAVE means to Work hard, Act responsibility, be Very respective, and keep Everyone safe. Additionally, Fort River believes in “filling buckets.” Everyone carries an invisible bucket that holds our good thoughts and feelings. When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad. There are things that we can do and say that either fill or dip others’ buckets. When we fill others’ buckets, we fill our own!

I look forward to partnering with every family to make this the best school year yet for every student!

Sincerely,

Ms. Finocchio, Principal"

____________________

“¡Bienvenido de vuelta!

Espero que todos hayan tenido unas vacaciones de verano tranquilas, llenas de diversión durante las varias semanas de regreso a la escuela! Fue maravilloso ver a tantos estudiantes de Fort River en la fiesta de helado y la asamblea de regreso a la escuela la semana pasada! Yo puedo hablar por el personal de Fort River y compartir lo emocionados que estamos de finalmente tener nuestra escuela llena de estudiantes! Todos estamos ansiosos por aprender con y de cada uno!

Este verano he trabajado con la señora Chamberlain y comités de entrevistas para contratar a varios nuevos maestros. Hicimos un trabajo excepcional en la contratación de nuevos educadores de alta calidad para unirse a Fort River. Damos la bienvenida a al siguiente personal:

Sra. Pam Novinsky- Entrenador de Lectura

Sr. Omar Almodovar- Maestro de 6to grado

Sra. Trish Lagrant- Maestro de Educación Especial

Sra. Carolina Rothkegal- Maestro de Educación Especial

Sr. Brian Kline- Maestro de Educación Especial

Sra. Vera Goodwin- Brown- Maestro de Educación Especial

Sr. David Rutherford- Psicólogo de Escuela

Sra. Melanie Collins- Especialista en Autismo / Conductista

Sra. Kelly Gowan- Maestro de Educación Especial Bloques de Construcción

Sra. Abby Crouse- Paraeducador

Sra. Anne Gage- Paraeducador

Sr. Brian Mackey- Paraeducador

Sra. Molly Cooksey- Paraeducador

Sr. Aaron Jenson- Paraeducador

Sra.Diane Bradway- Paraeducador

Sra. Mary Lee Austin- Fisioterapeuta

Fort River se compromete a proporcionar ricas oportunidades de aprendizaje para todos los estudiantes. En particular, nos comprometemos a mantener la integridad del proyecto Artes de Inmersión (AI), proporcionar puntos de acceso para todos los estudiantes en un esfuerzo por apoyar y desafiar los alumnos, y enseñar a los estudiantes la importancia y el poder de una mentalidad de crecimiento!

Los estudiantes elogiados por el esfuerzo y la perseverancia y se espera que tomen riesgos académicos y cometan errores! Los errores son esenciales para el proceso de aprendizaje! Durante las próximas semanas de escuela el personal de Fort River enseñará rutinas de clase necesarias para un entorno de aprendizaje en clase seguro y productivo. Los estudiantes revisarán y practicar los principios básicos de Fort River, la OLA. Montar la ola significa trabajar duro, actúar de manera responsable, ser muy respetuosos, y mantener a todos a salvo. Además, de Fort River cree en "cubos de llenado." Todo el mundo lleva un cubo invisible que mantiene nuestros buenos pensamientos y sentimientos. Cuando nuestros cubos están llenos, nos sentimos felices y cuando nuestros cubos están vacías, nos sentimos tristes. Hay cosas que podemos hacer y decir que, o bien llenar o sumergir cubos de los demás. Cuando llenamos cubos de los demás, llenamos nuestra propia cubeta!

Espero poder colaborar con cada familia para hacer de este el mejor año escolar para todos los estudiantes!

Atentamente,

Sra Finocchio, Principal”

Amherst Committee for A Better Chance holds 44th Annual Fall Foliage Event on Saturday, October 17, 2015

The Amherst Committee for A Better Chance will hold its 44th Annual Fall Foliage Event on Saturday, October 17, 2015, including the 3-mile Family Style Walk, and the 5k Competitive Run. An Amherst tradition, the event has annually brought together hundreds of residents and school children to admire the diverse colors of the foliage while they walk or run for diversity in the community.

The Fall Foliage Event is Amherst ABC's biggest fundraiser, providing living and school expenses for the ABC scholars: young men of color identified by the national ABC program for their leadership potential. They board at the ABC House on North Prospect Street under the tutelage of Resident Director Talib Sadiq while they attend Amherst Regional High School. Operating costs for the program total the equivalent of a middle class family income, about $100,000.

Register here for this wonderful community event supporting an incredible cause!

School Governance Council Volunteers Needed

The state-mandated Fort River School Governance Council reviews the annual budget for Fort River and helps prepare the School Improvement Plan. The School Governance Council is comprised of parent/guardians, teachers, community members, and Principal Finocchio (finocchiob@arps.org). A two year term commitment is optimal, and there are three parent/guardian vacancies this year.

Three (3) parent/guardian will be elected representatives at the Fort River Open House on Thursday, October 1, 2015. If you are interested in serving on the School Governance Council, please fill out the nomination form and return it to the Fort River main office or email the requested information to sarah.fortriver@gmail.com no later than Tuesday, September 29, 2015.   

Candidate information will be made ​​available to the Fort River community prior to the election at the Open House.

Questions about serving on the School Governance Council or the election process can be directed to Principal Finocchio.

___________________________

El mandato estatal Consejo de Gobierno de la Escuela de Fort River revisa el presupuesto anual para Fort River y ayuda a preparar el Plan de Mejoramiento Escolar. El Consejo de Gobierno de la Escuela está compuesto por los padres / tutores , maestros, miembros de la comunidad, y el directora Finocchio (finocchiob@arps.org). Un termino de compromiso de dos años plazo es óptima, y hay tres vacantes padre/tutor de este año .

Tres representantes ( 3 ) padre/tutor serán elegido en Fort River Open House 1 de octubre de 2015. Si usted está interesado en servir en el Consejo de Gobierno de la Escuela, por favor llene el formulario de nominación y devolverla a la oficina principal de Fort River o correo electrónico la información solicitada a sarah.fortriver@gmail.com a más tardar 29 de septiembre 2015.

Candidato información se pondrá a disposición de la comunidad de Fort río antes de la elección en la Open House.

Preguntas sobre servir en el Consejo de Gobierno de la Escuela o el proceso de elección pueden ser dirigidas al Directora Finocchio.

Savings Makes "Cents" Continues Each Tuesday

Help your child learn about the importance of saving with their own bank account!  

Saving Makes “Cents” is a state-sponsored program that teaches children in grades K-6 about banking and saving.  Your child can make weekly deposits and earn fun stickers and a preferred interest rate.  At Fort River, the program is supported by Florence Savings Bank and the PGO.  

Every Tuesday morning before school, PGO volunteers are at the Saving Makes “Cents” table in the Fort River lobby where students can make their deposits.  Monthly account statements are mailed to the children’s homes. There are no monthly fees for depositors under the age of 19.

To open a new account, please complete the form available here and have your child bring it with an initial deposit of at least one dollar to the Saving Makes “Cents” table any Tuesday morning.  For further information contact Nat Larson (230-3453, nateliz.larson@gmail.com) or Traci Hess (traci_ej@yahoo.com)

Fall Youth Conditioning Clinic

The fall sports season has begun. For many kids (and parents), the exercise is a necessary way to cross train and prevent overuse injuries.  For others, it may mean preseason conditioning or a way to begin or maintain healthy fitness levels. Our youth fitness clinics combine strength, agility, teamwork and fitness. 

Join us for a Fall Youth Conditioning Clinic on Sunday evenings beginning October 4 for youth age 8-16.  Sessions will be at Saint Brigid's Church Parish Hall on North Prospect Street in Amherst; 10 sessions through December 13 (no class November 29) for $150.  Each one-hour session will focus on exercises and games that are challenging, creative and fun!

Please register today! Registration and payment can be submitted online at: http://goo.gl/forms/07eE8YwffL

Classroom Parents Still Needed for Many Rooms!

Congrats to the first, second, and fifth grade families for ensuring that each 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade classroom has Class Parents! Thanks to everyone else who has already volunteered! The list and contact emails can be found on the Class Parent Page. 

Volunteers are STILL needed to serve as Classroom Parent for the following classrooms:



K - Shea
3 - Bhowmik
3 - Griswold
3 - Lott
4 - Keins
4 - Sheehan
4 - Sautter
6 - Austin
6 - Almodovar

Grab a friend and share the fun! If you can't personally volunteer please help us find someone for your child's class. Ask your friends and neighbors if they'd be willing to help. Choosing to become a class parent ensures that you will get to know your school community and most of the tasks can be done from home in your PJs! 

Thank you for considering this fun opportunity! Contact Michele michele.fortriver@gmail.com to volunteer or suggest someone. 

Athletic Swap Collection Ongoing

Christine & Tom St. Laurent (Fort River parents & UMass Kinesiology educators) are once again collecting new and gently used athletic equipment from community members. All collected equipment will be available (for FREE) to all ARPS families.

When: October 3 from 9 am to 12 pm
Where: ARHS Back Gym, 21 Mattoon Street

Collection boxes are available at all school offices. EVERYONE can attend the swap and take what they need FOR FREE. If you have questions, please contact Christine at cwstlaurent@gmail.com  

Support Fort River with your Atkins Farm Country Market Purchases!

Did you know that Atkins Farm Country Market supports our schools with their customer loyalty program? 

It's easy! 

Simply tell the cashier at checkout that you want to support Fort River Elementary School with your purchases. There is a brief signup process and once established you can simply provide your phone number when checking out to credit Fort River. Thanks Atkins for this great program! 

Fall is For Planting! Bulb Sale Going on Now!

Spread the word! With the Fort River PGO’s help, your child will be selling Dutch Mill Bulbs as part of our fall fundraising efforts. It’s a great way to beautify our community and help fund the curriculum mini-grants that allow Fort River teachers to enhance our children’s educational experience. Plant the bulbs this fall, and in the spring, they will bloom and chase those winter blues away!

Our goal is to raise $600.00. The Fort River PGO will earn at least 50% profit on every package of bulbs sold. Economically priced and guaranteed by Dutch Mill Bulbs to grow and bloom, it’s an easy sell. Payment should be requested at the time of sale with cash or check made payable to Fort River PGO. Please be sure to turn your order in to your classroom teacher or the Main Office no later than Monday, October 5th. Thanks in advance for your support and participation!

• Each bulb package option is conveniently priced at $8. We keep 50%!
• Checks should be made out to "Fort River PGO.” Cash is also accepted!
• Orders should be returned to your classroom teacher or the Main Office by October 5th.
• Orders will be delivered to school at the correct planting time (October). Students will then distribute packages to their supporters. 
• Questions can be sent to Stacey: sbeganny@gmail.com
• Our custom Fort River online fundraising link is available for supporters outside of the local area: http://groups.dutchmillbulbs.com/fortriverelementaryschoolpgo.php

Be sure to let out-of-town friends and relatives know that they too can participate in our flower bulb fundraiser by using our custom link. The link will prompt your out-of-town supporters to select from 17 items (all guaranteed to grow and bloom!), provide billing and shipping information, and choose a secure method of payment (either credit card or PayPal).  Be sure they add your student’s name during the check-out process! Online orders are shipped directly to the customer based on the appropriate planting time for the state in which they live. A minimal shipping fee may apply (sorry - no shipments to Alaska or Hawaii). Online orders will be accepted through October 16th.

A template letter found here can be customized and sent by email to friends, family, and any other potential Fort River supporters. Thanks for participating and remember to thank all of your generous customers for supporting our school!

Volunteering at Fort River: CORI Checks Required

If your school or PGO volunteer opportunities bring you into contact with students at school or on a field trip, you must have a CORI* check on file.  This includes all field trip chaperones and classroom volunteers (e.g. grandparents, aunts & uncles, adult siblings).  CORI checks must be done on individual volunteers every three years and are valid for all schools within our district.   If you would like to check to see if you are current on your CORI status, please call the Central Office at 362-1810.

To request a  CORI check, bring your current driver's license into the Main Office at Fort River or to the district's Central Office (located at the middle school) for photocopying and complete the required application well in advance of any volunteer obligations.  Questions about the CORI process can be directed to the FR Main Office at 362-1200 or the Central Office at the number above.

*Criminal Offender Record Information

PGO Budget 2015-2016

The operating budget for the PGO was approved at the general open meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. The budget can be viewed here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfOU5jbVE0LUNoMm8

Timely Emails from the PGO

Want to stay informed about your child's school? Subscribe to the Fort River PGO email list! A summary of the blog will be delivered to your inbox about once a week. You will also receive occasional reminders about school events. Click here to sign up ... And thanks!

Read-athoners! Time to Count Your Miles!

Did you try to read to Chicago, New Orleans, or San Francisco this summer? How about Paris, Tokyo, or Adelaide? Now is the time to celebrate all of our 2015 Summer Readathon participants! Add up the total number of pages that you read during summer break, convert them to miles, and let's figure out how far we traveled! Maybe Fort River "Read Around the World!"

Please bring lists in by Friday, September 18th. Thanks! 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Classroom parents are still needed for most classrooms. Please consider this fun and rewarding opportunity! Check here to see if a volunteer is still needed for your child's class. If you are interested in volunteering as a classroom parent, please email michele.fortriver@gmail.com ASAP.

Classroom parents serve as a vital link between teachers and families. Each classroom teacher has one to three room parents. Individual teachers utilize classroom parents in a manner that is comfortable for them and their classroom.

These volunteers support classrooms in a variety of ways, depending upon the teachers’ preferences. Examples include:

• Communicating with the teacher regularly to determine classroom needs
• Keeping families informed of classroom events via email (or occasionally printed flyers)
• Creating and updating online “Wish Lists” for the teacher and classroom
• Helping to plan classroom events and parties
• Recruiting field trip volunteers

Additionally, the school administration and the PGO both utilize classroom parents as a very important added means of communication with families. Room parents will be periodically asked to send email reminders to families about upcoming school-wide events and opportunities. Finally, classroom parents often organize a group class gift for the teacher at the end of the school year.

PGO Coffee on Tuesday, September 15th at 9am featuring "Safety in Our Schools" from the Principals and Vote of the PGO Budget

Please join us and your friends on Tuesday, September 15 at 9 am for coffee, donuts, and informative conversation! 

Our administration will discuss recent ARPS and Fort River specific safety initiatives and take questions. Families are also invited to brainstorm PGO sponsored social and community events. Several fundraising initiatives that are underway will be described, however new ideas and volunteers are always welcome. Finally, the PGO board will present the proposed PGO budget for the current school year. The budget can be accessed via this link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfN3hzV1ZqUDg3MUk

Monthly coffees will take place on or about the 15th of each month. The dates can be found on the PGO calendar which is on the right side of the blog home page. Some coffees will take place in the evening. There will usually be a presentation for families and specifics will be available on the blog, FB, and Twitter. Your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are always welcome!

Please share with your Fort River friends!

Celebrate Amherst Block Party – 9/17

On September 17th, 2015, the streets of downtown Amherst are closed to traffic and open to a night of fun from 5-9pm for the Celebrate Amherst Block Party! In its fourth year, this event brings people together for a lively street fair environment including food vendors, multiple main stages with music – don’t miss ARHS students in the rock band Without A Doubt. The Amherst Block Party is an event that you won’t want to miss!

Local Dance Lessons