Fall 2016 GCC Class Offerings in Amherst

There will be multiple opportunities to take GCC classes in Amherst next year.

Four evening courses will be held at ARMS in the fall and open to both students and community members:

• ENGLISH 101 (English Composition I: Expository Writing)
• ESL 114 (Spoken English-High Intermediate Level)
• PSYCHOLOGY 101 (Principles of Psychology)
• SPANISH 102 (Elementary Spanish II)

We anticipate that four additional evening courses will be offered in the spring.

For high school juniors and seniors only, two classes will be held during the school day at the high school during the spring semester:

• ENGLISH 101 (English Composition I: Expository Writing)
• ANTHROPOLOGY 104 (Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States and the Global System)

An information session and an opportunity to take the Accuplacer placement test (a requirement for the English, Psychology, and Anthropology courses) will take place at ARHS at 2:30 on Tuesday, June 7th.  Students planning on taking the Accuplacer must arrive no later than 3 p.m.  This information session is for ARHS students only.  There will be a similar information session/Accuplacer testing session for community members in July.

Students interested in taking the GCC courses offered at the high school next spring must meet with their guidance counselor as soon as possible after attending the information session (and before the school year ends) to adjust your course requests.  For students planning to take both ENG 101 and ANT 104 or just ENG 101, you will be scheduled for college class E, F, and G periods in 2nd semester.  For students planning to take just ANT 104, you will be scheduled for college class F and G periods in 2nd semester.

GCC is committed to waiving the tuition and fees for students taking their first college-level GCC class.  Students not eligible for the tuition and fee waiver can expect the cost for a 3-credit class to be approximately $700.

For more information please contact the GCC Office of Admission at (413) 775 -1801 or admissions@gcc.mass.edu.

PGO Book Share June 6 - 10: DONATIONS NEEDED!

PLEASE send in any books that your child(ren) are finished with and would like to donate!!!   We need enough books for every student in Fort River to select a book to take home, to keep, to start their summer reading fun!!  The 5th and 6th grade reading level books are especially needed.

There is a collection box in the front lobby, by the office door, for the donations.   

PARENT VOLUNTEERS are needed to staff the Book Share event!   

Volunteers just cover a time slot when a class comes in to the library, help students select books from the tables designated for that class, make sure the books out on the tables look orderly.

See below for the schedule of when each class will be attending the event, in the Fort River Library.  Each class will only take about 20 minutes, not the whole hour time slot.  You may want to come during your child's class' time to be there with your child, so look for their teacher's name on the schedule.

To sign up to volunteer, email Mary Beth Meade  callfonmeade@comcast.net  or Deb Leonard dleeleonard@gmail.com      --just tell us the time you will be there. 

Click here for a printable copy of the schedule:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfSzNvMHF2WUdzdTQ

Multi-Arts Opens New Art Exhibition of 3D Cardboard Sculptures at theJones Library June 1- 30

Multi-Arts, a non profit arts educational program of the Pioneer Valley, proudly presents an art exhibition of 3D CARDBOARD SCULPTURES made by the Multi-Arts children under the guidance of Titus Neijens, professional artist, illustrator, and the Multi-Arts art teacher.  The children artwork will be exhibited at the central hallway of the Jones Library during the entire month of June. On Thursday, June 2^nd, as part of the Amherst Art walk, Titus Neijens will be offering a demonstration of the creation process of 3D cardboard objects. 

Multi-Arts cultivates a vibrant and stimulating working environment that nurtures children’ self-esteem and confidence. Children learn the value of hard, focused work and the joy of collective creation. Its Outreach Program connects the children creations with the community through permanent and rotating art exhibitions and open family art events, hence contributing to the vital and rich artistic life of the Pioneer Valley.

“A vital, nourishing & supportive forum for young ones to experience many forms of the arts. Through personal one to one appreciation & instruction by true artists in the fields I saw tremendous stretches of ability, confidence & skill take place in a few short weeks.”  Parent, 2015

During the program children work daily with a faculty of 7 professional artists with teaching experience, assisted by highly educated teaching assistants. They participate in all the artistic activities and work on integrating them into a single production. The activities include theater; creative writing; music; art –which involves not only painting and exploring different materials and techniques, but also book making and cardboard animals creation; custom and stage design; black-light-theater and mime; and flamenco and funk dance.

Multi-Arts SUMMER PROGRAM starts on June 20 and goes until August 12. There children can learn the art of 3D CARDBOARD SCULPTURES and much more. Visit website at multi-arts.org

Co-Teaching Survey - Please Complete - It's Very Brief!

PLEASE FILL OUT THE BRIEF CO-TEACHING SURVEY! 

The survey is very short. If you have a student in a co-taught class this feedback is very important. Fill out one survey for each student in this learning environment. The survey takes only a couple of minutes. See message from Dr. Faye Brady below:

Dear parents/guardians,

This year the district has been developing our co-teaching instructional model to provide specialized instruction services for students with IEPs in the general education classroom. The design of this model utilizes two licensed professionals with different areas of expertise (most commonly, a general education teacher and special education teacher). They teach together in one classroom.

 

We are interested in feedback from families who have children in co-taught classrooms. This will help inform our future practice. 

 

Below is a link to a survey to provide us with your feedback:  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CoteachingFamilySurvey16

 

We would appreciate you completing this short survey no later than June 7th.  

 

If you do not have access to a computer, feel free to go to the main office of your child’s school and ask to use a computer at the school to complete the survey.  

 

Thank you,

Faye Brady

Director of Student Services

 

Estimados padres / encargados,

 

Este año, el distrito ha estado desarrollando nuestro modelo de instrucción de co-enseñanza para proporcionar servicios de instrucción especializada para estudiantes con Programa de Educación Individualizada (IEP siglas en inglés) en la clase de educación general. El diseño de este modelo utiliza dos profesionales con licencia con diferentes áreas de especialización (por lo general, un profesor de educación general y maestro de educación especial). Ellos enseñan juntos en un salón de clases.

 

Estamos interesados en la opinión de las familias que tienen niños en las aulas de co-enseñanza. Esto ayudará a informar nuestra práctica futura.

 

A continuación se muestra un enlace a una encuesta que nos proporcione sus comentarios:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CoteachingFamilySurvey16

 

Le agradecemos que complete esta breve encuesta a más tardar el 7 de junio.

 

Si usted no tiene acceso a una computadora, no dude en pasar por la oficina principal de la escuela de su hijo/a y solicite usar una computadora en la escuela para completar la encuesta.

 

Gracias,

Faye Brady

Director de Servicios Estudiantiles

Opioid Awareness and Treatment Resources

On Wednesday, May 25, the ARHS PGO and Principal Jackson hosted Robbin Suprenant, the head nurse for Amherst public schools, and Julie Federman, the Health and Community Services Director for the Amherst Health Department to discuss Adolescents and Substance Abuse including school, town and state initiatives to raise awareness and discuss resources available. Heather Warner, Coordinator of the SPIFFY Coalition (Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth) provided information about alcohol, marijuana and other use rates at ARHS from a survey conducted in 2015.

This fall, ARHS and the Amherst Health Department and the SPIFFY Coalition will outline a series of initiatives to address youth substance use including alcohol, marijuana and opioid use and misuse locally. Speaker Dr. Ruth Potee is scheduled to present to parents on September 22, 2016. To view one of her presentations on Addiction, please click here.

Additionally, handouts from Hampshire Hope were presented. Hampshire Hope is a collaboration of individuals, health care organizations, community groups, social service agencies, government agencies, local health departments, Office of Northwestern District Attorney, law enforcement agencies, first responders and others who have joined together in a comprehensive effort to reduce and prevent opiod use and abuse in our region. Their website (www.hampshirehope.org) offers facts to build awareness and information to prevent Opioid use and misuse, signs for recognizing abuse as well as treatment resources.

More information about The SPIFFY Coalition can be found at: sspiffycoalition.org. SPIFFY is a coalition of over 80 community partners working together to improve outcomes for youth in Hampshire County. Together we promote strong families and create a local culture where youth are supported to make healthy choices.

Bus/Van Driver and Crossing Guard Appreciation Breakfast on June 6th -Volunteers and Pot-Luck Items Needed

The Fort River PGO will host the annual Bus/Van Driver and Crossing Guard Appreciation Breakfast on Monday, June 6th.  The Breakfast will take place in the cafeteria after the morning bus routes are completed, beginning at approximately 8:45am. 

The PGO asks for contributions of baked goods, quiches, fruit, and hot breakfast items to be brought in that morning. 

Signups are now available: 

http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/QpO9umRft7o

Please mark your calendars if you will be able to contribute food for this festive event. Let's show our appreciation for those who help our students travels safely to and from school! Thank you!

PS - The annual PGO officer elections and general end-of-year business/planning meeting will take place the same morning at 9am. Please join other parents for coffee and conversation at this important PGO meeting. All are welcome! 

Fort River Garden Party and Tour on May 31 at 5:30pm

The PGO invites you to learn more about the Fort River School Garden

 

El PGO le gustaría invitarle a aprender sobre el jardín de la escuela de Fort River

 

Tuesday, May 31st at 5:30 in the Garden

(located at the northeast corner of the playground)

 

31 de mayo a las 5:30 en el Jardín

(Situado en la esquina noreste del patio de recreo)

 

• Jane Costello will give a garden update and tour

• Jane Costello le dará información sobre el jardín

• Learn how students are using the garden

• Aprende cómo los estudiantes están utilizando el jardín

 

• Find out how you may be able to use the garden

• Averigua cómo se puede utilizar el jardín

• A Spanish translator will be present

• Un traductor español estará presente

 

Light Refreshments will be served

Se servirán refrescos

Eversource Fundraiser Recap - THANK YOU!

Thanks so much to the 14 families (and one administrator!) who participated in the Eversource fundraiser. Eversource kindly returns 100% of the purchase price of light bulbs and energy efficient power strips. This year Fort River earned $832!

ALL of this money will be used to purchase recess equipment and playground accessories! 

Thank you so much to those who participated in this green fundraiser 💚💚💚💚 It was healthy for our planet and for our kids! 

25th Annual Puffer’s Pond Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, June 4

The 25^th Annual Puffer’s Pond Pancake Breakfast will take place on Saturday June 4.  Please join us for multigrain pancakes made from ingredients donated by local farms. There will also be gluten-free pancakes and local sausages! And, as usual, we’ll have real maple syrup, live music, fabulous raffle prizes, and tons of community spirit! 

Click for printable flyer: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfUlhKcjFLb1JGaUE

Please share widely! 

FIELD DAY IS COMING ON JUNE 15! Most Fun Volunteer Event of the Entire Year!

FIELD DAY IS COMING!!!!!!!

Mark your calendar for a day of fun at Fort River School, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.  Field Day is a school wide event that allows the children to get outside for sun and fun. This year, Kids in grades 1-6 will participate in field day together (from 9-11:30am) in multi-aged groups to build school unity across grades.  

Kindergarteners will have their own special stations from 10-10:45 am.  

Groups will rotate through a variety of outdoor activity stations on the fields/playground where kids will work together and have fun.

The day will work like this:

9-11:30 Grades 1 – 6 (for the entire morning)

10-10:45 Kindergarteners join in the fun

11:30 Picnic lunch (bring your own or purchase cafeteria lunch)

We will need lots of parent volunteers to make field day a huge success. Parents can volunteer as an activity station worker or a group leader; parents can help set up or clean up.  Volunteers can sign up on the “Bring It” section of the Ft. River blog (http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/l5SYxUf+Qt4) or by filling out the form linked below and leaving it in the PGO mailbox, or by emailing Rebecca Kennedy at rbershadker@yahoo.com or Tim Hope at Timothylhope@outlook.com

Field Day Volunteer Sign Up

Name_________________________

Phone____________________

Email_______________________

I can: 

____Set up equipment before school (7:30-8:30 am)

____Run an activity station (____8:45-10:15, ____10-11:30am; ____both)

____Serve as a Parent Group Leader (___8:45-10:15; _____10-11:30 am; ____both)

____Work a kindergarten station (9:45-10:45 am)

____Clean up and put away equipment (12:00pm-1pm)

____Do anything you need me to do

Printable form available here

Annual Staff and Teacher Appreciation Celebration - Thanks for your support!

Thank you Fort River Families!  

Your unprecedented support for the staff and teachers at Fort River brought in almost $1,800! 

Thanks also to Whole Foods for the donation of reusable lunch bags for every staff member, which were filled with a note of gratitude from the PGO and the hundreds of beautiful appreciation notes collected from children in all grades.  On Friday, May 20, almost 70 staff enjoyed a wonderful after-school gathering at the The Hangar Pub & Grill. Thanks to the support of Fort River families, we more than covered the costs of the celebration, and staff were so grateful at the outpouring of generosity of our community. It really shows how much our families care about the staff and teachers of Fort River!  Leftover funds will go back to supporting the staff of Fort River.

Thank you everyone for your support!  Special thanks to Suzanne Severin, Karen Bonneau and the front office team, and parents Stacey Beganny, Deb Christakos, Sarah Cohen Polak, Tim Hope, Rebecca Kennedy, Deb Leonard, Liz Markovits, Allegra Osborne, Michele Spirko, and our student helpers for making the day a success.  Special thanks to former Fort River parent Dawn Lepere and her company, Round the Corner Brownie Company for providing the delicious dessert!

Summer Youth LSSE Programs

Upcoming Jones Library Activities and Events for Kids and Teens

Stay up to date at www.JonesLibrary.org

Teen Laser Tag

Friday, May 27

5:30 - 7 pm

You've read The Hunger Games. You've seen The Force Awakens, You've researched surveillance strategy and stealth maneuvering. But do you have what it takes to survive... the library? Teens are invited to join us after hours when Jones Library becomes a laser tag landscape like no other.

Please pre-register in the Kids' Room or at 413-259-3091/kids@joneslibrary.org

Afternoon Preschool Storytime

Tuesday, May 24

2 pm - 2:45 pm

This interactive preschool storytime is open to all kids from birth to age 5-- but especially designed for kids who attend morning programs or school sessions. Come hear stories, sing songs, learn rhymes, and do a simple craft.

Lego WeDo Club

Tuesday, May 24

4 - 5 pm

Learn about coding, building and engineering with Lego WeDo! For ages 7-up. Please pre-register in the Kids' Room or at 413-259-3091/ kids@joneslibrary.org

Makerspace

Saturday, May 28

2 - 3:30 pm

Join us for our ongoing Makespace (do-it-yourself spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn).

We will have creative tools and equipment from robotics and coding programs to modeling clay and craft supplies.

For ages 8-12. Please pre-register in the youth room or call 413-259-3091

An Introduction to American Indian Music on June 7 at the Jones Library

Learn more about the history of music of the native people of the United States in a presentation at the Jones Library.  Join us in the Woodbury Room on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 pm for a presentation by percussionist and educator Craig Harris.

Craig Harris,  author of Heartbeat, Warble, and the Electric Powwow: American Indian Music (University of Oklahoma Press, May 2016), leads an exciting multimedia journey into Indigenous North America’s vibrant soundscape and conjures an aural tapestry in which powwow drums and end-blown woodwinds resound alongside operatic and symphonic strains and Native-infused jazz, reggae, country music, blues, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. Copies of Heartbeat, Warble, and the Electric Powwow: American Indian Music will be available following the presentation.

Percussionist/author/educator Craig Harris has spent more than four decades interviewing and photographing musicians. His articles, reviews, and photographs have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and music-oriented websites and he is the author of The New Folk Music, The Band: Pioneers of Americana Music, and Heartbeat, Warble and the Electric Powwow: American Indian Music. A skilled hand drummer, Harris has played in concert and/or on recordings with Rod MacDonald, C.J. Chenier, Jonathan Edwards, Greg Brown, Rick Danko (The Band), Merl Saunders, Melanie, and Standing Bear. Possessing a masters’ degree in education, he taught music in public and charter schools for a quarter of a century before launching his multicultural and participatory Drum Away the Blues program in 2009.

Free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

Film Screening & Discussion: "What’s Race Got to Do with It?" on June 9at the Jones Library

Join us on Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Woodbury Room for the next film in this ongoing film and discussion series that may education, touch your heart, and inspire you to action to help dismantle racism.  A facilitated discussion will be held after the screening.

What's Race Got to Do with It? is documentary film that goes beyond identity politics, celebratory history and interpersonal relations to consider social disparities and their impact on student success in today's post-Civil Rights world.  

Free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223. 

This film series is co-sponsored by the Jones Library and Coming Together.  More information about Coming Together can be found at http://www.coming-together.org/.

Volunteers Needed for Field Day on June 15th

FIELD DAY IS COMING!!!!!!!

Mark your calendar for a day of fun at Fort River School, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.  Field Day is a school wide event that allows the children to get outside for sun and fun. This year, Kids in grades 1-6 will participate in field day together (from 9-11:30am) in multi-aged groups to build school unity across grades.  

Kindergarteners will have their own special stations from 10-10:45 am.  

Groups will rotate through a variety of outdoor activity stations on the fields/playground where kids will work together and have fun.

The day will work like this:

9-11:30 Grades 1 – 6 (for the entire morning)

10-10:45 Kindergarteners join in the fun

11:30 Picnic lunch (bring your own or purchase cafeteria lunch)

We will need lots of parent volunteers to make field day a huge success. Parents can volunteer as an activity station worker or a group leader; parents can help set up or clean up.  Volunteers can sign up on the “Bring It” section of the Ft. River blog (http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/l5SYxUf+Qt4) or by filling out the form linked below and leaving it in the PGO mailbox, or by emailing Rebecca Kennedy at rbershadker@yahoo.com or Tim Hope at Timothylhope@outlook.com

Field Day Volunteer Sign Up

Name_________________________

Phone____________________

Email_______________________

I can: 

____Set up equipment before school (7:30-8:30 am)

____Run an activity station (____8:45-10:15, ____10-11:30am; ____both)

____Serve as a Parent Group Leader (___8:45-10:15; _____10-11:30 am; ____both)

____Work a kindergarten station (9:45-10:45 am)

____Clean up and put away equipment (12:00pm-1pm)

____Do anything you need me to do

Printable form available here

AR[T]HS Art Show June 9 through 15

AR[T]HS is an exhibit of outstanding ARHS student artwork from the 2015-2016 Academic Year. This exhibit will showcase juried work from all of the Art Department’s areas of study: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, 2D & 3D Foundations, Printmaking, Art Portfolio and Sculpture.


AR[T]HS will be on display at The Eli Marsh Gallery, 105 Fayerweather Hall, Amherst College. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm.  

The opening reception is on Thursday, June 9th from 5-8 pm, and the show runs through June 15th. The opening is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Come check out what our high school students have been up to in Art Class this year!