Job Posting - Recorder Needed for Fort River School Building Committee Meetings

The Fort River School Building Committee is seeking a recorder to take and maintain minutes of their meetings. These minutes will serve as the official record of this appointed body, as required by Massachusetts General Law. The qualified applicant must be able to write a complete and accurate record of the meeting, including meeting date, time and location; who was in attendance; a summary of the discussions for all agenda items; a record of documents used at the meeting; and a record of all official votes taken. Minutes may be taken by attending the meetings of the Fort River School Building Committee or viewing a video of the meeting after the fact. Meeting videos are typically available for viewing on www.amherstmedia.org a few days after the meeting. All minutes must be completed in a timely manner and made available for the Committee’s approval at their next scheduled meeting.

The Fort River School Building Committee typically meets for two hours, one to two times per month. The recorder will be paid for the hours of the meeting plus time to develop meeting notes into completed minutes. The rate of pay will be $25 per hour.

For more information or to apply please click here:
http://www.arps.org/about_us/district_offices/human_resources_/career_opportunities

Early Release on February 7 at 1:20 pm

Next Wednesday, February 7, is an Early Release Day for all ARPS students. Faculty and staff will spend the time in professional development activities. 

Elementary students will be dismissed at 1:20pm. 

Chili Night for a Chilly Night 2018 - Thanks and Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who helped make the 2018 PGO Chili Night the best ever! We raised over $400 and had a total of 18 chilis! Attendance was fantastic and the food was fabulous. Congrats to ALL cooks for their tasty entries and to our winners on their success!

Best Name
"May the Chili be with You" by Lisa Solowiej

5-alarm
"Sweet Heat n' Meat" by Angela Russo

Kid Pleasin'
"Hot Chili in the City" by Steph Jones

Golden Ladle
"Turktacular Chili" by Nate Cartel 
(with a 1 vote margin over Craig Albertson's "Green Chicken Chili")

General PGO Meeting on February 1 at 9 am - All Welcome!

General PGO Meeting
Thursday, February 1
9 - 10 am

Please join the PGO Board for our monthly meeting. All current Fort River parents and guardians are welcome! Budget, fundraising plans, and volunteer needs will be discussed. Sign in at the Main Office to get directions to our meeting location.

Small children are always welcome! We need more volunteers and help! Several Board members have 6th grade students and will not be here next year. Thanks for considering! 

PGO Coffee with the Principal plus School Committee Candidates on February 9

Please join your friends on Friday, February 9 at 9 am for coffee and informative conversation!

Candidates for School Committee have been invited to this Coffee. The town wide election ballot on March 27 will have two open seats for School Committee. Hear from the candidates and ask your questions at this casual event. We will meet in the library but guests MUST first sign in at the Main Office.

PGO coffees with the Principal take place every month or so. 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!

LSSE’s WinterFest Amherst from February 3 to 10

WinterFest Amherst is the largest winter festival in Western Massachusetts, featuring over 40 events including music, food, sports, recreation and community activities. 

Among this year’s highlights are 10 events on the first day, including a Luminaria, sponsored by the Amherst BID, on the Town Common. Other highlights include the WinterFest Ice Hockey Challenge Cup, 5K Indoor Run, Men and Women’s Amateur Basketball, Food Demonstrations, Nature Hikes, Lectures and Discussions, Figure Skating, Winter Crafts for Kids, Painting for Children, Live Music, Winter Farmers’ Market, Movies and more. 

WinterFest concludes on February 10, with fireworks, beauty queens, and more at the Grand Finale at the Cherry Hill Golf Course. 

Click here for details or for the very latest updates visit WinterFest Amherst on Facebook.

Important Information about the Flu

Our ARPS (ARHS) Nurse shares this important information about influenza: 

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. This information is from the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

PLEASE READ: If your child develops symptoms of the flu, PLEASE keep them home from school. They must be fever free without the use of medication (Tylenol or Ibuprofen or generic equivalent) for 24 hours before their return to school. If they have had diarrhea or vomiting, they must be free of this for 24 hours before they return to school. Remind your children to cover their cough and wash their hands. Contact your child’s health care provider with any questions or concerns.

Signs and Symptoms of Flu

People who have the flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms that usually start suddenly, not gradually:

Fever* or feeling feverish/chills

Cough

Sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Muscle or body aches

Headaches

Fatigue (very tired)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in young children than in adults.

How Flu Spreads 

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

Period of Contagiousness

You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Although people with the flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins, some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others with flu viruses for an even longer time.

Onset of Symptoms

The time from when a person is exposed to flu virus and infected to when symptoms begin is about 1 to 4 days, with an average of about 2 days.

Complications of Flu

Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

MULTI-ARTS February Vacation Camp

MULTI-ARTS 

Art. Theater. Music. Dance. Mime. and more

February Vacation Camp, 19-23
Join us for One day, Two or more days, or the WHOLE WEEK!

February 19-23   8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Full Week/Full Day:  $310 for member/$355 for non-member

For non-members a $45 registration fee will apply

Full Week/Half Day:  $200 for non-member/$160 for member 

Two options: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m

One-day option: $85 for non-member/$75 for member

AMHERST: 

Immanuel Lutheran Church

869 North Pleasant Street

NORTHAMPTON: 

Northampton Community Music Center

139 South Street

Brought to you by Multi-Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching THE ARTS to children ages 4-12.

SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY 

"Where artists bring their passion and joy to their teaching"
"Our children ... had a chance to experience being artists"

http://www.multi-arts.org/winter-camp-2018.html
413-584-7951

UMASS Employees can Donate to Fort River PGO through the UMACC

The annual UMass-Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC) is underway. 

The UMACC program lets UMass employees donate to charitable organizations via paycheck, as little as $1 per pay period. Did you know that UMass employees can donate to the Fort River PGO through the UMACC? Hurry - the deadline is January 31st!

You can choose the amount, and if you opt for payroll deductions, you can split it among several payrolls. The Fort River PGO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible. The Fort River PGO UMACC number is 15301. UMass employees can signup with their their UMass NetID at http://www.umass.edu/umacc/login.

Bravo!! Congrats to Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Students on Recent Concerts

Thanks to everyone who attended recent concerts held to celebrate the work of our students in Band, Orchestra, and Chorus. Guests were treated to lively shows from talented and hardworking Fort River students. Kudos to parents and guardians for supporting students with home practice.

A small but mighty group of 12 sixth grade Chorus students sang "Flashlight" and "Lean on Me" last weekend during the MLK Jr. Breakfast held annually at the ARMS. Please see coverage of the event, including mention of our singers, in this Gazette article: http://www.gazettenet.com/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Breakfast-in-Amherst-14878981. Special congrats to Fort River alumnus Kayara Hardnett-Barnes who was one of three recipients of the 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award honoring aspiring defenders of social justice. 

Bravo!

6th Annual CHILI NIGHT for a CHILLY NIGHT on January 24

BRRRR! Are you looking forward to steaming hot chili next week? 

The Fort River 6th Annual CHILI NIGHT for a CHILLY NIGHT is just days away! Don't forget to add your chili ingredients to your grocery list! Many, many more cooks are needed! (There are 15 openings on the sign up list!) We have extra crockpots if you need one - email Stacey - stacey.fortriver@gmail.com

Don't do chili? How about making some cornbread? At least 10 volunteers are needed to bake or purchase cornbread! Sign up NOW! 

Donations of tortilla chips and beverages (no soda!) are also needed! Please sign up! 

Don't cook at all? You can donate your time helping to set up! Follow this link to sign up: http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/iMSHyEFLb80

YOU HEARD ABOUT THE PRIZES, RIGHT??? Everyone votes for their favorite chili with prizes for 5-Alarm, Kid-Pleasin', and the Golden Ladle! 

Dinner is $1 suggested donation per bowl. All funds raised support our teachers and learners! We hope to see you there! 

Wednesday, January 24

6 - 7:30 pm
Fort River Cafeteria

Book Donations Needed NOW for School Book Share

The book share is back! Please bring your donations in during January so we can have a successful Book Share right before February break. 

What is the Book Share? It's a wonderful school-wide event that celebrates reading and giving. Families donate books they've finished and free up more space for more books in home libraries. Once volunteers organize the gifted books every student has a chance to "shop" the collection (with help!) All students generally leave with multiple "new to them" books!

Free up some shelf space, give a book another chance to be loved, and support literacy all at once!

Nonfiction, puzzle books, chapter books, picture books  — we want it all! We always seem to especially need chapter books for the higher grades.

There is a donation bin near the entrance to the office at Fort River. Thanks to Deb Leonard for once again coordinating this event! Contact Deb dleeleonard@gmail.com if you would prefer your donations to be picked up. Thank you!

Jan Brett Free School and Library Visit Contest - HELP NEEDED

The school or library that has the most parents, teachers, friends, or supporters who enter the contest will win a free school or library visit from Jan in the 2018-2019 school year.  Contest ends April 2, 2018. 2nd to 10th prizes of 10 Jan Brett books. 11th to 100th prize of a signed Jan Brett poster.

Please click here to enter your name and the information of the school or library you would like to win a free Jan Brett visit. One email address entry per person. Duplicate email addresses will be removed. All emails will be verified before the winning entry is announced. If you are under the age of 13, please use your parent's email address.

"Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" at Smith College

"Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" at Smith College allows middle-school-aged girls to get a fun introduction to engineering and computer science! This year the event will be held on March 3rd in Ford Hall at Smith College.

This event is held annually at Smith College and is completely student run. It consists of a number of activities that are focused on engineering and computer science that girls can participate in to get a feel for what these fields are like to encourage them to pursue STEM fields as they grow older and help close the gender gap and increase diversity in science!

The link to the registration form can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/TFh0xUD2D9YCbU0m2

There are only 120 spots available, so register early!

Questions?

Megan McGahren

Smith College

mmcgahren@smith.edu

(908)432-1409

Dangers of Tide Pod Challenge

ARHS Principal Mark Jackson would like parents to be aware of the following information:

What is the Tide Pod Challenge?

• The Tide Pod Challenge is where students attempt to consume a plastic laundry detergent pod
• At first the challenge started as a joke but now poison control centers are warning parents about this dangerous activity
• The risks of this viral dare include: choking on the liquid by inhaling it, vomiting, change in blood pressure/heart rate, having seizures, or losing consciousness
• Ingredients in the detergent can burn the mouth, digestive system, and stomach
• When students partake in the challenge, they upload videos of themselves eating laundry detergent capsules and post them to social media for validation

Tide Pod Challenge in the news

• The so-called ‘Tide Pod challenge,’ which reportedly began as a joke, has become enough of a thing that it has garnered responses from a government watchdog, poison control centers, and Tide’s parent company, Procter & Gamble. Now YouTube is weighing in too. –Fast Company
• Children who have been exposed to the [Tide Pod] capsules have been hospitalized with vomiting, breathing difficulties and loss of consciousness. –Washington Post
• Thirty-nine reports of teenagers intentionally misusing laundry pods came in during the first 15 days of 2018 alone. –Time

Why should parents care?

• The Tide Pod Challenge is incredibly dangerous. It’s essentially ingesting poison
• Even if a student doesn’t eat the entire laundry detergent pod, just ingesting a tiny bit can lead to serious health repercussions
• If detergent makes its way into the bloodstream and organs, the effects could be fatal
•  With so many teens posting videos of this dangerous challenge, YouTube has issued a statement that it will remove any videos that show students partaking in this challenge
• YouTube is also taking further steps to completely terminate channels that have any videos of people eating laundry detergent capsules

What can parents do?

• If your student has eaten a laundry detergent pod, call 911, or contact the poison control center 1-800-222-1222 or a doctor immediately
• Consider reading Tide’s safety protocol to learn how you can protect your family and home
• Talk to your children about the Tide Pod Challenge and explain the serious health repercussions associated with it
• Monitor your student’s digital footprint to see if they are watching, liking, or creating posts about the Tide Pod Challenge
• Consider contacting your teen’s school. If your child has engaged with anything like the Tide Pod Challenge, other students might be engaging with it too
• Urge your child to report any misbehavior they encounter online and on social media

Northampton Area Pediatrics Parenting Workshop on January 21

Marijuana and Vaping: Are They Really Harmless?

Parents and teens are welcome to come hear a presentation and open discussion on these two subjects. Among the topics covered will be: how does THC effect the developing brain, what are the current medical uses of marijuana in the pediatric population, what are the latest vaping devices, what do we know and what don’t we know about the health consequences of vaping.

Presenters will be Jonathan Schwab, M.D., Medical Director of Northampton Area Pediatrics and Melinda Calianos, Director of Hampshire Franklin Tobacco Free Community Partnership.

New time (for this workshop only)!

Sunday, January 21st

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

193 Locust St., Northampton

RSVP by calling 413-517-2226 or email contactus@napeds.com

Parenting workshops are open to the community and free of charge.

Final District Logo Survey Closes Today

Thank you everyone who participated in the district logo survey that was released on December 1st. We received over 900 responses many of which contained very helpful comments. We have redesigned the logo according to the feedback we received  and have come up with three final options. Please participate in this Final ARPS District Logo Survey. The most chosen image from this survey will become the new district logo.

The survey will close today, January 19th at 12:00 pm.

Thank you again for sharing your feedback.

Buenas tardes,

Gracias a todos los que participaron en la encuesta de logotipo del distrito que se lanzó el 1 de diciembre. Recibimos más de 900 respuestas, y muchas comentarios muy útiles. Hemos rediseñado el logotipo de acuerdo con los comentarios que recibimos y hemos presentado tres opciones finales. Por favor participa en esto Encuesta final del logotipo del distritoARPS. La imagen más elegida de esta encuesta se convertirá en el nuevo logotipo del distrito.

La encuesta se cerrará el viernes, 19 de enero a las 12:00 p.m. 

Gracias de nuevo por compartir tus comentarios.

AEF Save the Date: Champions for Our Schools 2018! on March 17 at UMass Student Union Ballroom

Join Amherst Education Foundation for an evening of celebration, fun, and food as we honor the 9 principals of the Amherst Regional Public School District and community champion Florence Bank.

Principal honorees are Mark Jackson, Patty Bode, Diane Chamberlain, Derek Shea, Lisa Desjarlais, David Slovin, Margot Lacey, Jackie Mendonsa, and Nick Yaffe.

Doors open at 6:00pm with a cash bar followed by dinner and entertainment, including music and trivia.

Proceeds support AEF-funded grants in our public schools. If you are interested in sponsoring the event or being a Table Ambassador, please email AEF at amherstedfound@gmail.com. 

Overdue Fines Waived in January at The Jones and Branch Libraries

Throughout the month of January 2018, return your overdue library books, DVDs, etc. to The Jones, Munson Memorial, or North Amherst Library, and you will not be charged overdue fines! Instead, the libraries will be collecting nonperishable food items for the Amherst  Survival Center. Please consider making a generous donation to help out those in need.

ARPS Notice Regarding Temporary Protected Status for El Salvadorian Immigrants

[On] January 8 it was announced that federal Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be ended for El Salvadorian immigrants beginning in 2019. Many members of our community immigrated from El Salvador under TPS. These are valued individuals who enrich our ARPS community in countless ways.

Since the announcement that TPS will be ending, we have heard from families who are concerned about their children’s status in our district. We want to ensure families that, consistent with our past practice, our core beliefs, and established law, we will continue to enroll and serve every child living in our district who chooses to attend our schools, without regard to their immigration status.

The case law on this topic is very clear and can be found in the United States Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe from 1982. Stemming from that decision, federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education states that:

All children in the United States are entitled to equal access to a basic public elementary and secondary education regardless of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or the status of their parents/guardians.

Nothing in yesterday’s announcement alters our policy of providing equal access to all students or our commitment to providing all children with the academic and emotional support that will allow them to flourish and become contributing members of our community.

Sincerely,

Michael Morris

Superintendent of Schools

Jean Fay

Amherst-Pelham Education Association President

Big Y Education Express® is Back! Sign Up NOW!

Education Express is a Family Program to help local schools get FREE, much needed supplies & equipment! 

Through previous Big Y Education Express programs, local schools have been given approximately $14 Million Dollars worth of much-needed supplies and equipment.

Click Here to sign up: https://www.bigy.com/rs/educationexpress

• Everyone can participate! Does your child have grandparents, uncles, aunts, or even neighbors who would be willing to support our school? Everyone can support Fort River by signing up for Education Express.
• From February 1 through April 25, 2018, for every 500 Education Express Points earned, you get a GOLD COIN!
• Just shop Big Y stores and look for the participating items marked with the Education Express logo. Each item will have a point value and savings on top of that!