Fall pot luck

 

Please join us at Fort River as we celebrate the start of the new school year by bringing a dish to share and mingling with your school community! This will kick off our fundraising for the school year, which goes to support events throughout the year, school supplies for each classroom, our mini grants for student enrichment, yearly educator grants, and much more!

When: Tuesday, September 17 , 2024
Fall into a Potluck: 5:30-7:00
Location: Fort River Gym and Blacktop area

Please share with other Fort River families! Thank you for your support! See you there!

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A4A82FAAFCC07-5119050...

Mums fundraiser

 

$10 for 9 inch potted mums. Color will be chosen at pick up. Quantity is limited.

Pick up will be on Tuesday,
September 17th, 4:30-7:00pm. 

 Order forms are coming home this week - send a check to reserve.

Welcome back popsicle party

 Join us for our annual Welcome Back Popsicle Party on Thursday, September 5th from 5:30-6:30 on the black top area!  This is a great time to mingle with other Fort River Families and the Principal! We hope to see you then!

¡Únete a nosotros en nuestra fiesta anual de helados de bienvenida el jueves 5 de septiembre de 5:30 a 6:30 en el área superior negra! ¡Este es un buen momento para mezclarse con otras familias de Fort River y el director! ¡Esperamos verte entonces!

 

First day coffee and donuts

Here we go!!! Welcome back! Please join us in front of the school for 1st Day Coffee and Donuts:
- 8/26/24 8:10 - 8:45 for parents/guardians of 1st-6th graders
- 8/28/24 8:10 - 8:45 for parents/guardians of Kindergarteners

¡¡¡Aquí vamos!!! ¡Bienvenido de nuevo! Por favor, únase a nosotros frente a la escuela para el primer día de café y donuts:
- 26/08/24 8:10 - 8:45 para padres/tutores de alumnos de 1o a 6o grado
- 28/08/24 8:10 - 8:45 para padres/tutores de niños de jardín de infantes

Missoula Theater Auditions

 

Amherst Lacrosse

 

Chili Night

 

Thursday, Feb 29, 6-8pm

Eat, have fun and raise money for the PGO. We are asking for donations per bowl.

Compete for prizes in the chili cook-off! We also need plenty of non-chili items.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A4A82FAAFCC07-4772447...

Amherst Baseball/Hadley Softball

 

Proposed calendars for 2024-25

 

The school committee will likely be voting on the school calendar at their next meeting on February 6. The two viable options are below - main difference is length of winter break.

	Current 23-24 (Labor Day Sep 3)	24-25 Option #2 (Labor Day Sep 2)	24-25 Option #3 (Labor Day Sep 2)
First day of school (grades 1-12)	Aug 30	Aug 26	Aug 28
First day of school (preK and K)	Sep 5	Aug 28	Sep 3
Winter break	Dec 23-Jan 1	Dec 21-Jan 6	Dec 21-Jan 1
Last day of school (depending on snow days)	Jun 14-24	Jun 17-25	Jun 17-25

If you have comments/concerns, email any member of the school committee or the entire Regional School Committee at RegionalSchoolCommittee@aprs.org

If you would like your comment included as public comment, send it to SCPublicComment@arps.org with “Public Comment” in the subject field.

Fundraiser at the Thunderbirds

 

Superintendent Search Committee

 

The Regional and Union 26 School Committees (“the joint committees”) are embarking on a search process for a permanent superintendent. A key part of the process is a 20-member Search Committee which will be composed of parents/guardians, community members, ARPS employees and bargaining unit members, ARHS students, and School Committee members. The Search Committee will review all applicants to the position, select candidates to interview, conduct interviews of those candidates, and decide on a number of finalists to recommend to the joint committees. The joint committees have the ultimate decision-making authority for the superintendent position.

The Search Committee will be made up of a diverse group of people from all backgrounds, walks of life, and identities, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic background and more!

If you are interested in being considered for the Search Committee, please fill out the interest form. Form submissions are due by 4:00 pm on January 15, 2024. They may submitted online or by returning a paper copy to any of the school offices.

You can access the online forms, and other information about the search process, on the Superintendent Search page of the ARPS website. Paper forms are also available at the main offices of Crocker Farm, Fort River, Wildwood, Pelham Elementary School, Amherst Regional Middle School, and Amherst Regional High School, as well as the District central office in the Middle School Building.

Seussical the Musical

 

AEF Stars in our schools

 

AEF's December Stars In Our Schools Is Now Open!

Is there a teacher or staff member that has made a difference in your child's life this year? Make a donation to the Stars In Our Schools Campaign in their honor and the Amherst Education Foundation will send a note of gratitude on your behalf, thanking them for all their hard work and dedication.

We grant an average of $30,000 annually to teachers and staff in our public schools and all the money raised this month will help us fund the next round of initiatives and programs. In April, we awarded funding for the Bridge To Resilient Youth In Transition Mindful Gardening Project at the High School, Combating Sexual Harassment at the Middle School, the Fort River Table & Project-Based Development Initiative, and the Revitalize Elementary Music Instrument Education Project. We need your help so that we can continue to fund initiatives that teachers will be applying for in the upcoming months.

Last December we honored over 200 teachers and staff and raised $5,000; please help us do the same this year! 

Visit amhersteducationfoundation.org/stars by December 31st to make your online gift or click on this link for the form to print out and mail it with a check.

 

 

Site Council Vote

 

Vote for the Fort River School Site Council Representative!

Thank you to the parents who put themselves forward:

• Alex Hebert-Markiewicz

• Yuhwa Hong

• Liz Anette Perez Leboeuf

• Paul Leboeuf
  

• Grover Wehman-Brown

Ballots will be sent via email on Monday, December 18. Votes are due on Thursday, December 21 at noon.

What is the School Site Council?

• Created by the state's education reform law (Public Act 10-111) to enable parents, school staff, students, and community leaders to work together to improve student achievement in the state's schools.

This is the LINK to the full description of the School Site Council.

Spirit Week

 

Learning Study at MGH

 

School Site Council

 Volunteers needed for School Site Council

What is the School Site Council?

• Created by the state's education reform law (Public Act 10-111) to enable parents, school staff, students, and community leaders to work together to improve student achievement in the state's schools. 

Role of School Improvement Planning Team

• To represent the voices of stakeholders and provide diverse perspectives

• To help identify workable opportunities for the greater community to engage in

• To represent the planning process within the community, providing ongoing two-way communication about progress

Main Areas of Responsibilities:

1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards

2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school

3. Reviewing the annual school building budget

4. Formulating a school improvement plan 

This is the LINK to the full description of the School Site Council. Please let Maria Torres (torresm@arps.org) know if you are interested in being on the council; once we have a list of interested parents and guardians, the PGO will facilitate an election in December, following DESE guidelines.

Last year, the School Council developed the School Improvement Plan. This year, the School Council will review the Family Handbook. Once elected,  this School Council  Team will meet on the following dates (tentative) from 3:00-3:45 pm in the Principal's Office: 

• January 24, 2024

• March 13, 2024

• April 24, 2024

• May 22, 2024

In Collaboration, 

Tammy

Room parents wanted!

 

 

We still need room parents before the room parent kick-off ! Are you interested in being a room parent and helping to encourage community events and organize getting supplies? If so, please sign up by Friday, December 1st!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A4A82FAAFCC07-46271629-room

 

The PGO is looking for bakers and volunteers for our Voting Day Fundraiser on Tuesday, November 7th!

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/10C0E45A4A82FAAFCC07-45496733-voting

Fort River Apparel

The Fort River Apparel store is open and ready to go! Show your school spirit and support the PGO at the same time. This year we are offering 3 colors and 3 styles in both youth and adult sizes. Orders will be back to us and ready for delivery around Thanksgiving. If we receive the order from soundscape during the week of Thanksgiving we will set up pick up times the following week. 

Place your orders by November 1st. Thank you for your support!