Hillside Pizza Fundraiser

5th Grade Fundraiser - Collect orders now through February 4!

• Please collect Payment WHEN ORDER IS PLACED
• Checks preferred! Make out to "Fort River School"
• PLEASE WRITE YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER on the Order Form
• Submit orders to Main Office or 5th Grade Quad
• All funds raised support 5th Grade Field Trips
• Questions? Emily Ziomek at emilyziomek@gmail.com or 413-374-5113 

Distribution on Thursday, February 14
in Fort River Lobby
from 3 to 5:30 pm
** Pizzas and Cookie Dough will be frozen **

Singing Supper Fundraiser at ARHS

Come support the Amherst Regional High School Chorale by eating homemade lasagna and listening to them sing during their annual Lasagna Dinner on Thursday, January 31st! Seatings are at 5, 6, and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and cost $6 for students/seniors and $12 for adults. 

7th Annual Chili Night!!!

Save the Date! On Thursday, February 7th, the PGO is hosting its annual Chili Night for a Chilly Night. This year's prizes include Best Overall and Kid Pleasin'. We also will recognize the chili with the most creative name so get your thinking caps on!

Don't make chili? No problem! We need lots of cornbread, chips, drinks and volunteers! Click here to see what's needed: Chili Night 2019

Impact of the Federal Government Shutdown on SNAP (food stamp) benefits

Instead of getting SNAP in February, you will get it early – between January 17 & 20th.
DTA will NOT be issuing SNAP again in February: If you get SNAP on your EBT card early, you will not get SNAP again in February. Keep this in mind when you are making decisions about buying food. SNAP will stay on your card until you decide to use it!

More details here.

Jones Library - Mini Golf

PGO Coffee - Fort River School Building Committee

The PGO Coffee on January 18 at 9 am will be hosting Heather Sheldon and Jonathan Salvon from the Fort River School Building Committee where they will talk about the Feasibility study. We hope you can join us!

Jones Library - 3-D Owl Craft

Jones Library - Winnie the Pooh Day

Coaches needed for Girls on the Run

We are looking for coaches to support the start of GIRLS ON THE RUN  at Fort River.

Warm-up your spirit fingers, lace up your sneakers and inspire a group of girls to be strong and healthy. Teams of volunteer coaches facilitate an easy to follow curriculum with small groups of girls over the course of 10 weeks (typically twice per week after school, starting in March). Amidst the conversation, laughter, hugs and energy awards, you will witness a transformational change in the girls and don’t be surprised if you realize that you are positively changing as well!  The program culminates in a 5K event in the Spring. 

Ready to make a difference and encourage girls to realize their full potential? Please contact Diane or Renee at Fort River: 413.362.1200.

A day in the arts and creativity

Multi-Arts invites children to join us on January 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) in an exploratory day of the ARTS. Children will work with professional artists exploring different types of art, dance, creating stories, mime and more.

A day of immersion in the arts is valued at $75 but families can pay by DONATION!

For the families of children at the Amherst schools, Multi-Arts offers an extra day of immersion in the arts on January 22- curriculum day- fee $75. Financial aid is available

Limited space. Register now HERE: www.multi-arts.org

Place: Immanuel Lutheran Church, Amherst

Hours: 8:30-3:30

Barefoot and Balanced Lectures

Barefoot and Balanced Lectures 

with Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Author & TimberNook Founder
Angela Hanscom

Thursday, January 17, 6pm (snow date: Thursday March 14, 6pm) Friday, January 18, 1:30pm (snow date: Friday, March 15, 1:30pm)   Free, registration required    Angela Hanscom will present a lecture on her recent book, Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children. Today's kids have   adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need "rough and tumble" outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions.     Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses? Learn more...

Hosting a Student from Latin America

Interested in hosting a student leader from Latin America?

The Institute for Training and Development (ITD), a non-profit based in Amherst, has been hosting international students and professionals for the past 35 year for U.S. Department of State-sponsored programs. During their stay, participants are welcomed by local families for a homestay component of their program. In an upcoming program, ITD will welcome undergraduate students from Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay who study Business Administration, International Relations, Economics, Education, Law, Communication Studies, Accounting, and Social Work.  All participants speak English and are highly motivated individuals who have gone through a competitive application process to be selected to be a part of the program.

The homestay weekend for this program is scheduled for January 18-20, 2019.  Participants immensely enjoy their interaction with local families.  They particularly enjoy sharing their culture with American families and discussing the differences and similarities between the two.  If you are interested in hosting, and would like to share your weekend routine with one or two participants for an overnight, or would like more information about ITD, please call Kaye Sherwood at 413.256.1925 or email at:  kaye@itdamherst.org.  

This is an excellent opportunity to experience a cross-cultural exchange with great student leaders from Latin America.