Homework Inquiry Group - Feedback Requested

In late June, a team of nine educators and three parent/guardians, representing all of the elementary schools in Amherst and Pelham, spent three mornings together drafting a document intended to ensure that homework is aligned with best practices and research and is consistent both across our schools and between grade levels. The work was contextualized with an ongoing conversation about the role of homework in our schools that began last winter. This Homework Inquiry Group reviewed research about elementary-level homework and shared their experiences to ensure that both scientific and experiential data sources contributed to the draft report, which can be viewed at https://goo.gl/wLkxfW (English) and https://goo.gl/aHWca3 (Spanish).

The resulting report identifies the purposes of homework, the grade-level expectations, and the responsibilities of different stakeholders. This draft report will undergo a few rounds of feedback from different stakeholder groups. To offer feedback, please click on this link. We also plan to have a feedback session next month. Once feedback has been collected and considered, the homework policy will be finalized and an implementation date will be set to begin by January 2018. 

THANK YOU Classroom Parents! Welcome Meeting on October 11 at 5:30pm

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to serve as a Classroom Parent! We are thrilled to have several new volunteers this year and look forward to meeting all of you. Thanks so much to the many parents who have been volunteering in this capacity for years and chose to continue doing so. We are so grateful!

Click here to see who has volunteered in your child's room: https://ftriver.blogspot.com/p/room-parents.html. 

We are still in need of a PGO Volunteer Coordinator to lead the Class Parent group. This can be done from home as it mainly involves forwarding emails. The tasks could even be largely automated through email forwarding. No experience needed - the PGO Board will happily mentor new volunteers.

If it works for your schedule, a great way to meet other volunteers is at our PGO Coffees with the Principal. The first one is this Friday, September 29 at 8:45 am in the library. In addition there will be a Meet & Greet for Classroom Parent Volunteers at 5:30 pm prior to Open House. The PGO Board will provide more details about Classroom Parent roles and answer your questions. Neither of these events are required. Details will be forthcoming via email. In the meantime, please introduce yourself to your child's teacher and let them know that you have volunteered. Contact information for families will be available once the Family Directory is distributed (within the next two weeks).

As a reminder, all volunteers in the ARPS district must have a current CORI on file. Please check with Suzanne in the Main Office to confirm that yours is valid or to complete the application; a valid license is required. The CORI lasts for three years.

Fort River Family Fun Fair hosted by 6th Grade on Wednesday, September 27 at 5:30pm

THIS WEDNESDAY! 

Please join the Fort River community in celebrating the start of the new school year at the Fort River Family Fun Fair hosted by 6th Grade. The event will be held on the Fort River playground on Wednesday, September 27 beginning at 5:30pm. 

Food will be available. Our 6th grade students will be selling pizza, drinks, and dessert and have also organized fun games for younger students. All proceeds will help to support their activities throughout the year. You may bring a picnic dinner for your family if you prefer.

NEW THIS YEAR! Halloween costume store - all costumes are FREE! Please bring costumes that you'd like to donate - it's great for Planet Earth and your wallet to reuse costumes. Families may take what they can use from the store for FREE! No donation is required to take costumes. All sizes will be accepted (including adult) but please no weapons.

All 6th grade families should try to bring a dessert or drink contribution. Desserts should be nut free and please attach an ingredient list if possible. In addition, we also need parent volunteers for help on the night of the fair. Help is needed for set up, clean up, and general supervision of the games. Parents are also needed to supervise the students while they are serving food. Thanks in advance for all your help! 

6th Grade Families ... Please sign up to help at: http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/2zivAPlGJ7Y

Free Halloween Costume Store at the Family Fun Fair on September 27

The PGO is excited to offer a selection of FREE gently-used costumes available during the 6th grade Family Fun Fair.

If you wish to donate to the costume store, please either bring your gently-used costumes to the Family Fun Fair, or make prior arrangements with Deb Leonard (dleeleonard@gmail.com, 413-320-1216). 

Youth Round Debuts at 23rd Annual AEF Trivia Bee on October 26

The Amherst Education Foundation has added an exciting new twist to their wildly popular Trivia Bee ... a Youth Round! If you've never attended the Trivia Bee you've been missing a highly entertaining evening! Here's a message from AEF about how your kids can participate ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) is hosting its 23rd annual Trivia Bee on October 26 in the Middle School auditorium and is thrilled to announce that we have added a new round for kids ages 14 and under. State Representative Solomon Goldstein-Rose will emcee the event, and we will have local community leaders act as judges for the prizes. 

As with the adult rounds, participants will compete in teams of four and are encouraged to come up with a team name and wear costumes. We will have special prizes for best costumes, best spirit, and more. The Kids Round will run from 6:00pm-7:00pm.

AEF is a nonprofit organization that gives grants to teachers and administrators in the ARPS district, and the Trivia Bee is one of our most fun and successful events. We are actively seeking business sponsorships to fund the teams. However, interested parents are invited to fund a team as well. 

To register a team, please email Meg Rosa at megrosa78@gmail.com. For sponsorship information, please see the attached form.

Thank you for supporting AEF, and we look forward to seeing you on October 26.

Thank you, 

Becky Michaels 

Co-President, Amherst Education Foundation 

Trivia Bee Sponsor Letter

Fort​ ​River​ ​School Open​ ​House on October ​11,​ ​2017​ ​​from 6:00​ ​-​ ​7:30pm (ELL begins at 5:30)

Fort​ ​River​ ​School Open​ ​House ~ You’re​ ​invited!

WEDNESDAY,​ ​OCTOBER​ ​11,​ ​2017​ ​ ​6:00​ ​-​ ​7:30pm**

We hope all families can attend this special night at Fort River! This is an evening to meet school staff and learn more about our educational programming and available resources. Below is the schedule for the night. The three blocks of grade specific times will allow everyone the opportunity to connect with a larger cross section of our school, including: Administration, English Language Learner Teachers, Guidance Counselors, Intervention Teachers, Special Education Service Providers, and Specials Teachers. We​ ​are​ ​looking​ ​forward​ ​to​ ​seeing​ ​you​ ​very​ ​soon! 

**5:30-​ ​6:00 ELL Parent Orientation in the Library (translators will be on site) Room parent orientation in the Cafeteria __________________________________________________________________ 

6:00-​ ​6:30

Kindergarten, 1^st, and 2^nd grade: Classroom Presentations

3rd and 4th grade: Presentation in the cafeteria

5th and 6th grade: Visit with Specials Teachers (Art, P.E., Technology, Music, Library), Special Education, ELL, intervention, guidance and adjustment counselors. __________________________________________________________________

6:30-​ ​7:00

Kindergarten, 1^st, and 2^nd grade: Visit with Specials Teachers (Art, P.E., Technology, Music, Library), Special Education, ELL, intervention, guidance and adjustment counselors.

3rd and 4th grade: Classroom Presentations

5th and 6th grade: Presentation in the cafeteria __________________________________________________________________

7:00-​ ​7:30

Kindergarten, 1st , and 2nd grade: Presentation in the cafeteria

3rd and 4th grade: Visit with Specials Teachers (Art, P.E., Technology, Music, Library), Special Education, ELL, intervention, guidance and adjustment counselors.

5th and 6th grade: Classroom Presentations __________________________________________________________________

If​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​free​ ​childcare,​ ​please​ ​call​ ​to​ ​reserve​ ​a​ ​spot,​ ​413-362-1200 TRANSPORTATION​ ​PROVIDED.​ ​ ​PICK​ ​UPS​ ​WILL​ ​BE:​ ​5:20​ ​Mill​ ​Valley​ ​office,​ ​5:35​ ​Center​ ​of Colonial​ ​Village,​ ​5:45​ ​Rolling​ ​green​ ​office.​ ​ ​Drop​ ​offs​ ​will​ ​begin​ ​after​ ​the​ ​event​ ​at​ ​7:30.

Fort​ ​River ¡Estas​ ​invitado​ ​a​ ​la​ ​Casa​ ​Abierta! Jueves,​ ​11​ ​de​ ​octubre​ ​de​ ​2017 **6:00​ ​-​ ​7:30pm

Esperamos que todas las familias puedan asistir a esta noche especial en Fort River. Esta es una noche para conocer al personal de la escuela y aprender más acerca de nuestra programación educativa y los recursos disponibles. A continuación se muestra la programación para la noche. Los tres bloques de horarios específicos por grado, permitirá a todos la oportunidad de conectarse con mas personal de nuestra escuela, incluyendo: Administración, profesores de aprendices del Idioma Inglés, Consejeros, maestros de intervención, los proveedores de servicios de educación especial, maestros especiales. ¡Esperamos​ ​su​ ​visita​ ​muy​ ​pronto! **5:30-​ ​6:00​ Orientación para Padres de ELL en la Biblioteca (habrá traductores presente) Sala de orientación para los padres en la Cafetería __________________________________________________________________

6:00-​ ​6:30 

Kindergarten, 1 er y 2 do grado: Presentaciones Salones de Clases 

3 ro & 4 to grado: Presentación en la Cafetería 

5 to & 6 to grado: Visita con maestros especiales (arte, educación física, tecnología, música, biblioteca), Educación Especial, ELL, Intervención, Orientación y los Consejeros de Ajuste. 
__________________________________________________________________ 

6:30-​ ​7:00 

Kindergarten, 1 er y 2 do grado: Visita con maestros especiales (arte, educación física, tecnología, música, biblioteca), Educación Especial, ELL, Intervención, Orientación y los Consejeros de Ajuste. 

3 ro & 4 to grado: Presentaciones Salones de Clases 

5 to & 6 to grado: Presentación en la Cafetería __________________________________________________________________

7:00-​ ​7:30 

Kindergarten, 1 er y 2 do grado: Presentación en la Cafetería 

3 ro & 4 to grado: Visita con maestros especiales (arte, educación física, tecnología, música, biblioteca), Educación Especial, ELL, Intervención, Orientación y los Consejeros de Ajuste. 

5 to & 6 to grado: Presentaciones Salones de Clases __________________________________________________________________

*Si​ ​desea​ ​cuidado​ ​de​ ​niños​ ​gratis,​ ​por​ ​favor​ ​llame​ ​al​ ​413-362-1200​ ​para​ ​reservar​ ​su​ ​espacio *​ ​Los​ ​autobuses​ ​se​ ​ofrecerán​ ​para​ ​el​ ​transporte​ ​5:20​ ​Mill​ ​Valley​ ​office,​ ​5:35​ ​Center​ ​of​ ​Colonial​ ​Village, 5:45​ ​at​ ​the​ ​office​ ​of​ ​Rolling​ ​green.

Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS)

Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS)

A Partnership Between the University of Massachusetts Amherst School Psychology Program and the ARPS Family Center

The ARPS Family Center is working with the University of Massachusetts School Psychology program to offer ARPS parent/guardian a unique opportunity to sign up for a 7-session workshop to improve family interactions, decrease stress, and build parenting skills! 

HOT DOCS is a parent/guardian education program for families of young children (2-7 years of age) who have some challenging behaviors. This program is appropriate for caregivers and parent/guardian of all children, including those with disabilities.  During the (7 week) 2-hour group sessions, you will be able to connect with other parent/guardians to learn specific strategies and parenting tips to prevent and manage your child’s problem behaviors. 

HOT DOCS Course Preview:

Week # 1 – Early Childhood Development.

Week # 2 – Routines, Rituals, and Development.

Week # 3 – Development and Behavior.

Week # 4 – Developing Preventions.

Week # 5 – Teaching New Skills.

Week # 6 – Planning New Responses.

Week # 7 – Reducing Stress the HOT DOCS Way

This program has been used with thousands of families who report improvements in family well-being and decreased parent stress.  Together with other parents, you will learn more about child development, engage in hands-on activities, watch and discuss videos, and practice applying HOT DOCS problem-solving approach to real-world parenting scenarios.

At home, you will complete brief daily activities with your child to practice the skills learned in class. After you complete the training, you will be able to figure out why your child misbehaves, and have the tools necessary to help your child be more successful at home and at school.

We will offer HOT DOCS in two seven-week session on Tuesdays.  Each session will last for 2 hours.  Light refreshments will be served.

The first session will meet on Tuesday mornings from 9:00am – 11:00am on:  9-26-2017 / 10-3-2017 / 10-10-2017 / 10-17-2017 / 10-24-2017 / 10-31-2017 / 11-7-2017

The second session will meet on Tuesday evenings from 5:30pm – 7:30pm on:  11-14-2017 / 11-21-2017 / 11-28-2017 / 12-5-2017 / 12-12-2017 / 12-19-2017 / 1-3-2018

Coffee with the Librarian and Principal plus PGO Meeting and Board Elections on September 29

Please join your friends on Friday, September 29 at 8:45 am for coffee and informative conversation!

New this year! Our new librarian, Lani Blechman, has offered to host coffees in the Fort River library. We are excited to see parents have another opportunity to visit the library! At our first Coffee we will have an opportunity to meet Lani and hear about new activities in the Fort River Library. Lani is also looking for library volunteers and will explain what is involved. 

This Coffee will be preceded by a brief PGO Meeting which will include Officer Elections for the current year. All Fort River parents and guardians are automatically members of the PGO, and ALL are welcome at PGO meetings. 

PGO coffees with the Principal take place every month or so. Some coffees may take place in the evening, depending upon community feedback. There will usually be a presentation for families and specifics will be available beforehand. 

Your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are always welcome at PGO Coffees! Families with future Amherst Elementary school children are also welcome and encouraged to attend. We are a welcoming community - join us! We hope to see you there! 

Fort River Family Fun Fair on September 27 at 5:30pm hosted by 6th Grade

Save the Date!

Please join the Fort River community in celebrating the start of the new school year at the Fort River Family Fun Fair hosted by 6th Grade. The event will be held on the Fort River playground on Wednesday, September 27 beginning at 5:30pm. 

Food will be available. Our 6th grade students will be selling pizza, drinks, and dessert and have also organized fun games for younger students. All proceeds will help to support their activities throughout the year. 

We are asking all 6th grade families to bring a food contribution. In addition, we also need parent volunteers for help on the night of the fair. Help is needed for set up, clean up, and general supervision of the games. Parents are also needed to supervise the students while they are serving food. Thanks in advance for all your help! 

Please sign up to help at: http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/2zivAPlGJ7Y

Please bring a dessert for the Bake Sale.  Desserts should be nut free and please attach an ingredient list if possible.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Not Bread Alone

message from Not Bread Alone ...

Amherst’s free community meal program, Not Bread Alone, seeks volunteers with vehicles and a willingness to pick up groceries outside Whole Foods on Saturday mornings.

It is about a two hour job. The volunteers go to the loading dock behind the store and load up the groceries that Whole Foods has put outside on their loading dock. Then the volunteers bring the groceries to the First Congregation Church in the center of Amherst where other volunteers will help them to bring the groceries into the dining room. Usually, the volunteers arrive at Whole Foods at 9:15 or 9:30 am and they have left Not Bread Alone by 10:30. A larger vehicle is very helpful but some volunteers have done it regularly with two sedans. The volunteers need to be able to lift and carry boxes of produce and large bags of loaves of bread, etc.

A willingness to do this one Saturday a month would be ideal but a willingness to do it once to see what it is like would also be helpful.

Thank you for considering doing this service for our community!

Not Bread Alone

RStover@CHD.ORG

Family Outreach of Amherst Hosts 6th Annual Warm-Up the Night!

message from Family Outreach of Amherst ...

You won’t want to miss the party of the year! 

Join us as we transform the tent at The Lord Jeffery Inn into a strolling culinary extravaganza! Enjoy delicious small bites, sips and tastes from an eclectic mix of local food vendors. Years past have included local restaurants such as 30 Boltwood, Food 101, Blue Heron, Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar, The Pub, Osteria Vespa, Johnny’s Tavern, Penyew Catering, Sutter Meats, Black Sheep Deli, Banh Mi Spot, Ginger Garden, and many more! We will have live music, special tastings, and more!

If you have any questions or are interested in partaking as a food vendor/contributing as a sponsor, please contact Rachel Condry at (413) 548-1272 or rcondry@chd.org.

Date and time: Thursday, October 19, 5:30 – 8:30pm

Location: The Lord Jeffery Inn (30 Boltwood Ave, Amherst)

Event URL: http://chd.org/child-adolescent-and-family-services/educational-developmental-support-services/family-outreach-amherst/family-outreach-events/

Classroom Parent Volunteers STILL Needed in Many Rooms

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to serve as a Classroom Parent! We need many more volunteers! 

Click here to see who has volunteered in your child's room: https://ftriver.blogspot.com/p/room-parents.html. Volunteers are STILL needed for these classrooms: Felix, Hickson, King, Early, Keins, Ackroyd/Kline, Doggett, Schwartz, Almodovar, Austin/Sullivan-Daley.

We are also in need of a PGO Volunteer Coordinator to lead the Class Parent group. This can largely be done from home. 

Thank you for considering these fun opportunities! Please complete the attached form to volunteer or email ftriver@gmail.com.

Classroom Parent Volunteer Sign-Up

to recap:
Each classroom teacher has one to several 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 monthly to determine classroom needs
• Keeping families informed of classroom events via email (or printed flyers)
• Creating and updating online “Wish Lists” for the teacher and classroom (if desired)
• Helping to plan classroom events and parties
• Recruiting field trip volunteers 

Additionally, the school administration and the PGO both utilize classroom parents as an 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 may organize a group class gift for the teacher at the end of the school year.

Volunteers are needed to serve as Classroom Parent for every classroom! 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! No experience needed - the PGO Board will happily mentor new volunteers.

A Drop-off Playgroup for Children Ages 3-5

The Amherst Early Education Center at Crocker Farm Elementary School introduces a drop-off playgroup for children ages 3-5 on Friday mornings. The playgroup is led by Crocker Farm Preschool staff and provides a variety of social and play opportunities in a group setting. Snack is provided. 

When: Fridays from 9:00-12:00 
Where: Crocker Farm Elementary
Starting: September 2017 
Cost: Sliding fee scale

No playgroup during school vacation weeks or winter school closings. For registration information contact: Michele Regan-Ladd at reganladdm@arps.org or 413-362-1610.

Click for details and a printable flyer: Early Childhood Playgroup

Amherst Tritons New Swimmer Try-Outs on September 24 at 11am

Calling all future Katie Ledeckys and Caeleb Dressels!!! 

We are preparing for the upcoming winter season and looking for new swimmers ages 5-18! The Amherst Tritons Swim Team (ATST) is an non profit, competitive swim team dedicated to building the love of the sport or swimming while gaining fitness and confidence. We offer tiered, ability based practices after school in our fall/winter season (September-January) and a spring/summer season (April-July). Our coaches are certified through US swimming and have provided a terrific atmosphere for youth swimming since 1972. Interested families must pre-register by visiting www.atst.org and selecting the “contact us” button on the webpage. We hope to see you at the pool! 

Click for flyer: 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfMFdKd2lTWWRlYWs

Beatles Scholar Aaron Krerowicz Presents "The Beatles: Band of the Sixties" on October 3 at the Jones

BEATLES SCHOLAR AT JONES LIBRARY

Author to Speak about Fab Four

Beatlemania comes to the Jones Library on Tuesday, October 3 when professional Beatles scholar Aaron Krerowicz will present The Beatles: Band of the Sixties.  This event will be held at 7 pm in the Woodbury Room.

Krerowicz graduated from Butler University with a Bachelor's of Music in 2008, then earned a Master's of Music from Boston University in 2010, and a Graduate Artist Diploma from the University of Hartford in 2012. While still a student in Connecticut, he won a research grant through the University to study The Beatles. Since then, he has made a full-time career of presenting his research and analysis of the band's music and their place in history, having presented his findings more than 350 times throughout the US and England.

Krerowicz has authored six Beatles books, most recently the two-volume encyclopedia of analysis BEATLESTUDY. All of his books are available for purchase on Amazon. 

When not writing, Krerowicz maintains a busy travel schedule in order to present his findings. In 2015, he visited 14 states, delivering 86 presentations. Additionally, he made his first English lecture tour in July 2015, during which he spoke twice in London and thrice in Liverpool, the band's hometown. In 2016, he visited 24 states, delivering 151 presentations.  In 2016, he also launched a series of videos on YouTube titled THE BEATLES MINUTE, which showcase his Beatles analyses.

For more information – including his complete upcoming schedule, and to register for his free monthly email newsletter – visit his website: www.AaronKrerowicz.com.

This event is generously funded by the Friends of the Jones Libraries and the Woodbury Fund. Free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Janet Ryan, Head of Programming & Outreach at 413/259-3223.

Classroom Parents Still Needed

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to serve as a Classroom Parent! We need many more volunteers - click here to see if more volunteers are needed in your child's room: https://ftriver.blogspot.com/p/room-parents.html. We are also in need of a PGO Volunteer Coordinator to lead the Class Parent group. This can largely be done from home. 

Thank you for considering these fun opportunities! Please complete the attached form to volunteer or email ftriver@gmail.com.


Classroom Parent Volunteer Sign-Up

to recap:
Each classroom teacher has one to several 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 (if desired)
• Helping to plan classroom events and parties
• Recruiting field trip volunteers 

Additionally, the school administration and the PGO both utilize classroom parents as an 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 may organize a group class gift for the teacher at the end of the school year.

Volunteers are needed to serve as Classroom Parent for every classroom! 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! 

Community Feedback Wanted about Consideration of Superintendent Appointment

Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 Committee Statement on Consideration of Permanent Appointment of Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Morris

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 School Committee voted at their September 6th meeting to consider the appointment of Interim Superintendent Michael Morris to the post of permanent Superintendent of Schools.

“At the end of the summer, the chairs learned that Interim Superintendent Morris had reconsidered his interest in being a candidate to be permanent superintendent,” said Eric Nakajima, Chair of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee. “Given his strong track record as Interim superintendent, the committees felt it worth exploring his appointment through a process that offers extensive opportunities for public discussion and input.”

"Many community members, educators and staff have approached us in recent months to express their interest in our discussion of this topic, and to express their support for Dr. Morris's work this past year," said Anastasia Ordonez, Chair of the Union 26 School Committee. "He's worked hard for our district and shown an ability to deftly manage district budgets, community needs, and student achievement. We're looking forward to formally considering his candidacy."

The committees have scheduled a discussion to officially consider the appointment at the September 26th joint Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 meeting with a vote anticipated at either that meeting or on October 10th. The Committees expressed a strong interest in robust public engagement and input into the decision prior to taking that vote. Interim Superintendent Michael Morris will make a presentation at the September 26th meeting that will respond, in part, to questions submitted by the public and the school committees.

The Committees plan extended public comment periods at the beginning of both the September 12th and September 26th school committee meetings to be held at the Amherst Regional High School Library beginning at 6:30 PM.

Please provide the School Committee feedback on the potential appointment of Dr. Morris as permanent Superintendent. We welcome your questions or topics that may be included in a future presentation by Dr. Morris on September 26. The deadline for submissions is September 19. Please email schoolcommittee@arps.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comité de la Escuela Regional de Amherst-Pelham y Unión 26 Declaración del Comité sobre la Consideración de la Nombramiento Permanente del Superintendente Interino Dr. Michael Morris

El Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham y el Comité Escolar de la Unión 26 votaron en su reunión del 6 de septiembre para considerar el nombramiento del Superintendente Interino Michael Morris al puesto de Superintendente de Escuelas Permanente.

"Al final del verano, los presidentes de comités escolares se enteraron que el superintendente interino Morris había cambiado de opinión y estaba interesado en ser candidato superintendente permanente", dijo Eric Nakajima, Presidente del Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham. "Dado su sólido historial como Superintendente Interino, los comités consideraron que valía la pena explorar su nombramiento a través de un proceso que ofrece amplias oportunidades para la discusión pública y el aporte".

"Muchos miembros de la comunidad, educadores y el personal se han acercado a nosotros en los últimos meses para expresar su interés en nuestra discusión de este tema, y para expresar su apoyo a la obra del Dr. Morris el año pasado", dijo Anastasia Ordonez, Presidenta del Comité Escolar de la Unión 26. "Ha trabajado duro para nuestro distrito y ha demostrado su habilidad para manejar hábilmente los presupuestos del distrito, las necesidades de la comunidad y el logro de los estudiantes, y estamos deseando considerar formalmente su candidatura".

Los comités han programado una discusión para considerar oficialmente el nombramiento en conjunto el Comité Escolar Regional Amherst-Pelham y la Unión 26 en la reunión del 26 de septiembre con una votación anticipada ya sea en esa reunión o en la del 10 de octubre. Los Comités expresaron un gran interés en una participación pública sólida y contribución en la decisión antes de tomar esa votación. El superintendente interino Michael Morris hará una presentación en la reunión del 26 de septiembre que responderá, en parte, a las preguntas presentadas por el público y los comités escolares.

Los comités planifican extender los periodos de comentarios públicos al comienzo de las reuniones de comité escolar los días 12 de septiembre y 26 de septiembre, que se llevarán a cabo en la Biblioteca de la Escuela Regional de Amherst comenzando a las 6:30 PM.

Proporcione al Comité Escolar comentarios sobre la posible designación del Dr. Morris como Superintendente Permanente. Damos la bienvenida a sus preguntas o temas que pueden ser incluidos en una presentación futura por el Dr. Morris el 26 de septiembre. La fecha límite para las presentaciones es el 19 de septiembre. Por favor envíe un correo electrónico a schoolcommittee@arps.org.