Jones Library Holiday Programs

 

ARPS Family Center needs donations for holidays

 Greetings from all of us at the ARPS Family Center!  We hope you and your families are doing well. It is that time of year in which we appeal for your help to support some of our students in need during the holiday season.  It is the case that many of our students and their families continue to face harsh realities related to loss of housing,  employment and physical/mental health issues due to the pandemic and life in general.  We are asking for donations for our McKinney Vento (Homeless Act) students and others experiencing significant challenges.  

As in past years, we continue to respond to requests for help with rental/ utilities assistance, food, warm clothing, personal items and other necessities from student's and their families in all of our schools. 

For the last three years, our drive to ask for donations has been successful thanks to all of you who contributed gifts and gift cards.  Gift cards continue to be the preferred donation and, ideally, we would collect $25 for each child in need, but you can choose to send any denomination gift card you wish. We recommend getting these from stores that offer an array of items, such as Target, Walmart, Marshall’s, T J Maxx, supermarkets or generic, Visa/MasterCard ones.  Gift cards can be sent to us via inter school (ARPS Family Center, Holiday Donations), they can be dropped off at our center in the Middle School or we can pick them up at your school. We will be collecting your donations until December 9, 2022 so we have enough time to deliver them and families can use them before the holidays, as they wish. 

Please call Mildred (362-1871) if you have any questions or wish to drop off your gift Cards at our Center or want us to pick them up at your school. Thanks, in advance, for your generosity and care.

 

ARPS Biliteracy information session

 

ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85391694073
Interpretation Available: Request Here
Questions: clementsa@arps.org

Try Hockey for Free and Learn to Skate

Register for Try Hockey for Free here.

Skate and gear sale starts at 12:30pm.

Skating starts at 1:30pm.

The Amherst Hockey Association has a variety of programs for children of various skating abilities. Learn to skate, learn to play and girls' house programs start on November 12. More information and registration can be found here: http://www.amhersthockey.org.

Election Day Bake Sale

The PGO is looking for bakers and volunteers for our Voting Day Fundraiser on Tuesday, November 8th!

Baked goods should be wrapped individually. Please label the container or each item so our customers know what they are buying. Drop-off information will follow closer to the date.

The bake sale stand will be open from 9am-2pm.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e45a4a82faafcc07-voting

PGO Gift Card Fundraiser

The PGO will be selling gift cards that you can use for your normal weekly purchases at the grocery store or for Holiday shopping. This is money that you would already be spending, but if you use our gift cards, you will be earning money for Fort River! You pay full face value, but the PGO buys the gift cards at a discount (from 2-16% depending on the retailer.)

Use the cards for:

• Purchases that you already make on a regular basis like groceries (eg. Stop & Shop, Whole Foods)
• Holiday shopping (ex. Athleta, L.L. Bean, Old Navy)
• To give as gifts to teachers, mail carriers and bus drivers (eg. Starbucks, Panera) 

Fill out the order form and send it to school with a check.

Gift cards will be distributed the week of Thanksgiving, orders are due November 14. 

Participate in research studies at MGH

The Cognitive Neuroscience Group at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston is recruiting children between the ages of 8 and 11 years to participate in research studies funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Health (NIH).  

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the learning patterns of children with typical and atypical language development. The study will involve 3 visits to the lab at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. During the visits, children complete a battery of cognitive and language-based assessments, play several games on the computer and complete several language/memory tasks. The lab visit includes safe and noninvasive EEG recording.  A visit will last about 3 hours. We are looking for children who were late to develop language, and who still receive services for language or learning difficulties. More information can be found at: Rally | Learning Differences in Children (massgeneralbrigham.org)

Payment is $50 for each in-person visit to the lab ($150 total). We provide free all-day parking at the Navy Yard. We will mail you the scores of your child on the cognitive and language tests/subtests. Please email us at cnglead@mghihp.edu or call us at (617) 643-4821 if you are interested or if you have any questions.

 

Volunteers needed at the Amherst Survival Center

The Amherst Survival Center is recruiting new volunteers to help deliver their growing services to the community! If you can make a weekly commitment of a 2-3 hour shift for 3-4 months, they'd love to hear from you. Volunteers are required to have a COVID vaccine and at least one booster. Please email or call  Lisa, our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at volunteer@amherstsurvival.org or 413-549-3968 x111 for information about upcoming new volunteer orientations.

African Heritage Reparation Assembly: Community Engagement Campaign

Latino/a/x Heritage Month Celebration

 

2nd Annual Apple Cider and Doughnut Halloween Parade

Where: Fort River School under the white tent
When: Sunday, October 30 at 1:00

Get ready for Trick-or-Treating with a parade around Fort River!
We will have Cider and Doughnuts from Atkins available!
This event is sponsored by the Fort River PGO, donations are appreciated.
All funds raised directly benefit the school and classroom activities.

AEF Trivia Bee

The Amherst Education Foundation is hosting its 28th Annual Trivia Bee on Thursday, October 27 at 6:30pm in the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium. Put together a Trivia Bee Team (4 people max) and test your knowledge against other community members, businesses and organizations during a super fun event! Teams are encouraged to come in their best Halloween costumes and participate in a costume contest. There will also be a raffle for gift cards from area restaurants and businesses, and pizza and refreshments for purchase.

The Trivia Bee is our biggest fundraiser of the year and proceeds will go towards funding critical programs and projects created by public school teachers and staff in Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury. You don't have play to participate; come watch all the fun for free and support all the players!

You must pre-register to play. Please visit bit.ly/trivia-bee22 to sign up your team or enter the raffle.

 

Room Parents Wanted

Want to help teachers in the classroom? Room Parents are a vital communication link between the teacher, the parents and the PGO.  They coordinate volunteers, organize wish lists for class supplies, maintain email and phone trees and organize classroom social events.

Sign up for your child(ren)s classes here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e48aca92aa5fac70-2022

Fort River Student Directory

The PGO will be preparing a directory of all students, including class lists and contact information. The directories will be distributed to all students. 

Please fill out this form to have your contact information included. 

Deadline to be included is Friday, Sept. 23.

Multilingual Parent Advisory Council Meeting

 

Popsicle party

 

Please join us for our annual Popsicle Party and The Mural Unveiling!

¡Únase a nosotros para nuestra fiesta anual de paletas heladas y la inauguración del mural!

 

Tuesday, September 20th, 2022

martes, 20 de septiembre de 2022

5:30- 7:00

AEF Dine to donate

 

Mad Science/Art Ventures after school programs

Mad Science and Art Ventures after school programs are now opening for registration. Classes feature themes, take home projects, and run for 6 weeks. Please visit https://westnewengland.madscience.org/parents-afterschoolprograms.aspx for details and locations.

UMass Dance Marathon fundraisers

UMass Dance Marathon is the largest student led philanthropic organization on campus that fundraises year-round for Baystate Children’s Hospital. Their goal is to get the next generation involved and excited about our organization. 

 

https://www.umassdm.org/

Auditions for The Little Mermaind

Amherst Community Theater (formerly ALSCT) is creating a fabulous, large-scale musical, with lavish sets and costumes, a full live orchestra, and enthusiastic audiences to fill the 600-seat UMass Bowker Auditorium for nine performances in January. With great fanfare, they’re thrilled to finally be presenting Disney’s The Little Mermaid. A hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages, this timeless fable has a broad scope for a host of actors in incredible roles, and the extravagant production gives student actors an unparalleled stage experience. Actors, singers, and dancers ages 7-107 are encouraged to audition! As an added note, we at Amherst Community Theater are committed to inclusive casting. In addition, Covid-19 precautions will be in place to help guard the safety of all participants, including a requirement that those auditioning be fully vaccinated and masked.

All audition information is at www.amherstacts.org

AUDITIONS: Friday, Sept. 9^th, Saturday, Sept. 10^th, Sunday, Sept. 11^th

Callbacks Monday, September 12^th

 

Bus routes

 

Here are the bus routes (look for the ones for Fort River): 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZjkTOi1Yv1QThbsWpHdiVjlRHmqPxaEG

First Day Parent Coffee and Donuts

Please join the PGO for coffee, donuts, cheers and (maybe even tears) on the first day of school! It is a chance to meet other parents and learn about ways to get involved in the Fort River Community. We will be under the tent in the basketball court.

August 25, 8:10am (1st - 6th grade parents and caregivers)

August 30, 8:10am (Kindergarten parents and caregivers)

Por favor, únase al PGO para tomar café, donas, vítores y (tal vez incluso lágrimas) en el primero día de clases! Es una oportunidad para conocer a otros padres y aprender sobre formas de involucrarse en la comunidad de Fort River.

Physical Arts and Cultural Education Workshops by Amherst Ballet

AEF Stars in Our Schools

As the school year comes to a close, we reflect on how proud we are of all our teachers, staff, students, and parents. Public schools are a critical part of our community, and their funding is imperative. With that in mind, the Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) is excited to announce our Spring Stars in Our Schools fundraiser.

Show your favorite teacher or staff member in the Amherst-Pelham School District your gratitude by making a contribution in their honor! Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated and will go towards helping AEF continue to provide grants toward amazing educational programs developed by teachers and staff. Say 'Thank You!' to a teacher, principal, coach, aide or other staff member by making a donation and we will send them a note letting them know how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication. 
 

Visit amhersteducationfoundation.org/stars and make your gift by Wednesday, June 15 to honor teachers or staff in Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury, or Leverett, and we will send them a recognition card.

Field Day - Volunteers wanted!

Fort River Field Day is June 8 (rain date of June 9)!

We need help with the following tasks:

- Set up

- Leading one of the 12 teams (you will not be alone, you will be with (a) teacher(s))

- Running one of the activity stations (2 volunteers per station)

More details and the exact times will be communicated closer to the date.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49A4A828AAFBC43-frfield

 

Drinks wanted!

Fort River teachers and staff will be celebrating retirements and the end of the year. The PGO is looking to help with these celebrations by providing drinks (seltzer, soda, juice, water).

Please consider donating!

Drinks can be dropped off at 48 Linden Ridge Rd (please do not send to the school at this time, contact the PGO if you would like to donate but cannot get them to this address).

Summer ARPS and Culture

 

Fort River Book Swap - Books wanted!

The Fort River Book Swap is back this year!

If you have any books to donate, please send them to school or put them in the big box by the front door of the building.

All students will be able to choose new-to-them books during their library period the week of June 6.

Contact Ms Lani (blechmanl@arps.org), Fort River Librarian, for more information.

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week!

Ask your students to make a card, write a letter or do something nice for their teacher this week, or through the entire month of May. We love our teachers!

AEF Excellence Grants for 2022-23

 Congratulations to the 2022-23 Excellence Award Grant recipients! In its 28th year, the Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) is thrilled to announce a total of $35,269 in grants have been awarded in support of programs spread throughout the Amherst Regional Public Schools. These grants are funding the following projects: Dash Robots for the Technology Lab, PBL School Leader Network Participation, Restorative Justice Leadership Program, and Theater For All. To learn more about these and previous grants , or to help us continue to support our teachers and staff, please visit amhersteducationfoundation.org 

You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Amherst Invitational Ultimate Tournament

The Amherst Invitational, the country's oldest Ultimate tournament, returns May 7-8. Watch 25 regional teams compete after the pandemic hiatus in Girls and Open Divisions. 

 

All games will be played at the MacDuffie School, 66 School St., Granby. Free! 

For updates, follow us on Facebook, @amherstinvitational. 

Thank you to our sponsor, Spin Ultimate.

 

ALSO: Ultimate Showcase features professional athletes!

Players from the women’s professional teams Portland Rising and NY Gridlock will play with Amherst girls in this first-ever showcase event. Come watch the action on Friday, May 6. 7:00 p.m. at the Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, 21 Mattoon St. Free!

 

Parent Input Regarding MA Civic Education

Are you a parent or caregiver of a student at a Massachusetts public school? The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education wants to hear from you! We are looking for your thoughts and opinions about preparing young people to be active and engaged members of their communities. After completing the survey, you will be entered into a raffle for one of five $40 Amazon gift cards.  

To take the survey, please visit the link below!  

https://tufts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ikl73bcd54puLQ

Fort River Shirts and Hoodies

 Fort River apparel is now available to order!

https://fortriverelementary.itemorder.com

The online store is open until April 18. Orders will be processed after that date, if minimum quantities are met. Expect to receive apparel in early May. All proceeds benefit Fort River.

 

Baystate Textiles

 

Recipes Wanted!

To celebrate April - Linguistic Heritage Month - the ELL team is trying to create our own Fort River Cook Book!

We need your help! Please send your favorite recipe, handwritten or typed, by April 12. If you have a picture or a story to add to it, that will make it even better. 

Bon Appetit!

Sylvia, Adriana, Christina and Kyle

AEF Mini Golf

The Amherst Education Foundation is hosting its second annual Mini-Golf Fundraiser! Join us on Saturday, May 21st for a fun event that will also have raffles and refreshments. All proceeds will go towards funding valuable education grants to public school teachers and staff in Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury. 
Register to play or purchase raffle tickets at https://bit.ly/minigolf2022

Jones Library Youth Programing Survey

 

Want to influence kids and teen programming at the Jones library?

This short (5 question!) survey will help inform the programs the Jones Library plans to offer for kids and teens this spring and summer. We value your feedback! This survey will also be accessible on the Kids and Teens webpages until the end of March. We look forward to hearing from you!

Unicef for Ukraine

 

Dear Fort River Community,

The war in Ukraine keeps raging. However, our support for the wonderful people of this amazing country must stay unwavering. Please join us in this fundraiser for Unicef for Ukraine. We will be collecting $ donations starting this Monday, 3/21/22-and will continue through Friday, 3/25/22. Any money collected during this time will be supporting Ukrainian children and their families.

Estimada comunidad de Fort River,

La guerra en Ucrania sigue haciendo estragos. Sin embargo, nuestro apoyo a la gente de este increíble país debe seguir siendo inquebrantable. Por favor, únanse a nosotros en esta recaudación de fondos para Unicef para Ucrania. Estaremos recolectando donaciones en dólares a partir de este lunes, 21/3/22-y continuará hasta el viernes, 25/3/22. Todo el dinero recaudado durante este tiempo se destinará a apoyar a los niños ucranianos y sus familias.

 [Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor www.DeepL.com/Translator]

Author Storywalk

 Register here: https://linktr.ee/themilldistrictna

Missoula Children's Theater

 

Auditions will be held for the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) musical production of RUMPELSTILTSKIN Monday, April 4th at the Amherst Middle School Cafeteria from 4:00 pm to 6:15 pm. All those auditioning should arrive no later than 4:00 and plan to stay for the full two hours. Some of those cast in the show will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the auditions.

Students from Kindergarten to 12th grade are encouraged to audition. Assistant Directors will also be cast to aid in rehearsals throughout the week, and to take on essential backstage responsibilities. There are 50-60 roles available, with parts in every age group. This is a group audition, and no advance preparation is necessary--though a smile always helps! There is a $55 Registration Fee due at the audition for all those who are cast—additional siblings are $30 (fee waivers are available!).

The Missoula Children’s Theatre touring productions are complete with costumes, scenery, props and makeup. The MCT Tour Actor/Directors will conduct rehearsals throughout the week from 4:00-8:30 Monday, April 4th – Friday, April 8th. Not everyone will need to be present at every rehearsal.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN will be presented on Saturday, April 9^th at 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm at the Amherst Middle School Auditorium. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students under 18 and seniors.

For more information, go to “Children’s Theater” at www.amherstacts.org, or call Susan at 413-461-6722.

Amherst Baseball / Hadley-Amherst Softball Registration

 

2022-2023 Community Development Priorities Survey

 

The Town of Amherst's Community Development Block Grant Committee, known as the CDBG Advisory Committee, is charged with overseeing the public process to identify social service priorities targets areas for Community Development Block Grant funds received annually from the Federal Government. The Committee would like to hear from Amherst residents, employees, and service providers about the most pressing and urgent needs for low and moderate income residents. 

Take the survey

Amherst Community Theater Auditions

 

Math curriculum review update

The update below was presented to the Amherst and Pelham School Committees about the math review. 

Video slides for Math Review - Google Slides - 31 January 2022 - Watch Video

Fort River Directory is ready!

Thank you for all who filled out their family information to be included in the directory this year!! 

The directory can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ASjwwQcqXHv1Qs792NR1WK050sVU0woX/view?usp=sharing (password required). We know how important it is to find ways to stay and feel connected during another Covid school year, especially if you are new to our community.  

Since we have been communicating almost only through emails, we wanted to also make sure that anyone that did want to be included  has one more opportunity. We have reopened the link to the google form through Friday, February 4, 2022.  You will find that here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhhTqDUZDIJtJhmrBNo50tZF8cltS7mwqJr1knus_CswQCew/viewform?usp=sf_link

We will send out the final copy on Sunday, February 6th.  

Thank you for being such a special part of our Fort River Community!

 

====================

 

¡Gracias a todos los que completaron la información de su familia para ser incluidos en el directorio este año! 

 

El directorio se puede encontrar aquí: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ASjwwQcqXHv1Qs792NR1WK050sVU0woX/view?usp=sharing (se requiere contraseña). Sabemos lo importante que es encontrar formas de mantenerse y sentirse conectado durante otro año escolar de Covid, especialmente si es nuevo en nuestra comunidad. 

Dado que nos hemos estado comunicando casi solo a través de correos electrónicos, también queríamos asegurarnos de que cualquier persona que quisiera ser incluida tuviera una oportunidad más. Hemos reabierto el enlace al formulario de Google hasta el viernes 4 de febrero de 2022.  Lo encontrarás aquí:   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhhTqDUZDIJtJhmrBNo50tZF8cltS7mwqJr1knus_CswQCew/viewform?usp=sf_link
 

Enviaremos la copia final el domingo 6 de febrero. 

¡Gracias por ser una parte tan especial de nuestra comunidad de Fort River!

School Garden Update

 

Check out the latest edition of the School Garden Newsletter!

 

Multi-Arts Vacation and Summer Camps

Registration for IN-PERSON February, April & Summer Camps is now open.
 
For over 22 years, Multi-Arts, an innovative arts program, has fulfilled its mission of inspiring, guiding, and delighting children in the performance and visual arts. There is no other organization in the Pioneer Valley that does what we do so effectively, recognizing children’s talents, engaging and encouraging them to immerse and succeed in the arts.
  
Fun and active, this program just might be what you are looking for!

Don't  wait, register now! 
February Camp
April Camp
Summer Camp

For more info, visit Multi-Arts, email info@multi-arts.org or call 413-584-7951 or (413) 345-5310‬
Space is limited.