PGO Meeting on May 23 at 9am

General PGO Meeting

Wednesday, May 23
9 - 10 am

Please join the PGO Board for our monthly meeting. All current Fort River parents and guardians are welcome! Parents of registered Kindergarteners or other newly enrolled students may also attend. Sign in at the Main Office to get directions to our meeting location.

New officers will be elected for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. Please come if you'd like to be more involved in your child's school. Co-Officers can be appointed to a single position so that responsibilities are able to be shared. Budget, fundraising, grant proposals, and volunteer needs will also be discussed. The current Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications person (blog + social media + emails) are stepping down due to student graduations.

Small children are always welcome! We REALLY need more volunteers and help! Thanks for considering! 

No School on November 8th and 11th

School will be closed on Tuesday, November 8 due to Election Day and the use of school buildings as polling locations.

School will be closed on Friday, November 11 in observation of Veterans' Day. 

Fort River PGO Election Day Bake Sale Tuesday, November 8th

The Fort River PGO will be hosting an Election Day Bake Sale on Tuesday, November 8th. There is no school on Election Day. 

Children are welcome to volunteer. Please help by baking or donating items and by buying yourself some treats when you come to vote! Our sale will be at Fort River which is Precinct 6. Crocker Farm is hosting a bake sale at Precinct 7: Crocker Farm School and Precinct 8: Munson Memorial Library.

Here are the links to sign up:

To donate baked goods:
http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/+zqVnpdKWcE

To volunteer to sell:
http://frpc.pleasebringit.com/public/9OVAaNLulP0

Voter Resources: Amherst Elementary School Building Project and Question 5

The PGO hosted Town Meeting Moderator Jim Pistrang last week for an informative conversation about Amherst's Representative Town Meeting. Mr. Pistrang also spoke at length about the role that Town Meeting plays in the Amherst Elementary School Building Project. Thanks to all who attended and to Mr. Pistrang for his excellent presentation!

The PGO has received many questions about Question 5. The Town of Amherst provides multiple voter resources on the Town's homepage; see below:

For information about this election and as well as results and related documents about prior elections:

https://www.amherstma.gov/650/Upcoming-and-Past-Election-Information

To see the official ballot (including all six questions):

https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36148

To see details about the Ballot Question (5) Committees:

BOLD: Building Opportunities for Learning and Diversity 

https://www.boldamherstschools.org/

https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/35412

SASS: Save Amherst's Small Schools

https://saveamherstssmallschools.wordpress.com/

https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/35699

All public documents submitted to the state as well as agendas and minutes from all Building Committee Meetings are available on the ARPS homepage (bottom right of page or see below on this page): www.arps.org

Amherst Elementary School Building Project's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Amherst-Elementary-School-Building-Project-968374979880827/?fref=ts

Amherst Elementary School Building Project's website hosted by NV5:

http://wildwood.projects.nv5.com/?doing_wp_cron=1463682371.9666869640350341796875

Amherst Elementary School Building Project's FAQ's:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By0mz4P0v3bWdnpkZ2FRa3l6M0k/view

Amherst Town Elections on Tuesday

On Tuesday, March 29, 2016, the Town of Amherst will hold their annual election.  This year, there is a contested school committee race (3 candidates for 2 open seats).

In addition, there is an important Yes/ No question about forming a Charter Commission to examine our form of government.  Simultaneously, there is vote on candidates to serve on the Charter Commission should the question pass.  There are 19 candidates vying for 9 seats.

The League of Women Voters has detailed election guides available online:

2016 Voting Guide - Town Meeting, School Committee and Select Board

Charter Commission Candidate Statements

Let's Rock the Vote! Local Elections are on March 29

Attention Fort River Families! 

Make your voice heard! Use the many resources available to inform yourself about important upcoming contested races in our local elections and a ballot initiative regarding our town government structure.

In addition to the contested school committee and town meeting votes, there is also a very important Yes/No question at the bottom of the ballot about whether to elect a charter commission to review our current town government structure. Don't miss this question!

If the charter question passes, then 9 out of 19 candidates in the hotly contested charter commission race will be elected. All 19 candidates answered a questionnaire about their positions; their responses are posted in their own words on www.amherstforall.org. 

The League of Women Voters provides excellent resources to our community residents in preparation for elections.

Check out their election guides:

Town Wide Office Candidates (including School Committee)

Charter Commission Candidates 

Town Meeting Candidates 

Amherst Candidates Night March 22

Amherst League of Women Voters hosts a meeting with candidates for town wide office on TUESDAY, March 22 from 7 to 9 pm at Amherst Town Hall. 

Town of Amherst Nominating Papers

As of December 1, nominating papers for town-wide offices, including School Committee, will be available at the Town Clerk’s office. Nominating papers (with at least 50 voters supporting) are due February 9, and the election will be March 29, 2016. More info at: http://www.amherstma.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1630

Nomination papers for Moderator, Select Board, School Committee, Housing Authority, Jones Library Trustee, Redevelopment Authority, Elector of the Oliver Smith Will, Charter Commissioners and Town Meeting Member will be available at the Town Clerk’s office beginning December 1, 2015.

All voters registered to vote in Amherst are eligible to run for town office and town meeting member.

Town-wide office and charter commissioner nomination papers must be signed by at least fifty registered voters in Amherst. Candidates are advised to collect more than fifty signatures to ensure the requisite number of certified signatures.

Town meeting member nomination papers must be signed by at least one registered voter of the precinct in which the candidate resides.

Nomination papers for all of the above offices must be filed at the Town Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2016. 

Voters in each precinct will elect eight town meeting members for three years, and elect other members as necessary to fill existing vacancies for two or one year terms. Amherst residents must be registered voters by Wednesday, March 9, 2016 to vote in the March 29, 2016 Annual Town Election.

http://www.amherstma.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1630

Final PGO Meeting of the year and Elections - Thurs. June 14

The final PGO meeting of this school year will be held next Thursday, June 14 at 8:45-9:15am in the FR Cafeteria.  The Fort River PGO will be electing the officers for the 2012/13 school year at this meeting.  So far, the following people have indicated interest in running for an officer position:

President: Liz Larson
Vice President: (open)
Treasurer: Erin Cherewatti
Secretary: Maria Polino
Blog Editor: (open)

Any parent/guardian wishing to stand for election is welcome to attend the meeting to nominate yourself or be nominated.   Younger siblings are welcome to attend, and refreshments will be provided.  If you are interested in serving as an officer but are unable to attend the meeting please contact Pam Rietkerk (pam.fortriver@gmail.com or 256-2605).

Final PGO Meeting of the Year: June 14

The final PGO meeting of this school year will be held on Thursday, June 14 at 8:45-9:15am in the FR Cafeteria. The Fort River PGO will be electing the following officers for the 2012/13 school year at this meeting: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Blog Editor. Any parent/guardian wishing to stand for election is welcome to attend the meeting to nominate yourself or be nominated.  If you are interested in serving as an officer but are unable to attend the meeting please contact Pam Rietkerk (pam.fortriver@gmail.com or 256-2605).

Time to Assemble the Parent Council Board for Next Year!

This past year the Parent Council Board minimized the number of fundraisers held and instead concentrated on the rest of what we do: 

Providing the Student Directory, Yearbook, Fort River Blog. Book Swap.

Organizing events such as the Family Fair, Multicultural Fair, Science Night and Field Day.

Supporting Teachers through funding, volunteers and the upcoming Staff Appreciation Luncheon.

Supporting Student Enrichment activities and field trips through funding and grant requests and much much more. 

This year many of Parent Council's veteran parent volunteers are "graduating" to the Middle School.  If we want to continue to support our teachers and sustain the events and programs we have provided in the past, we need new blood!

There will be many openings on the Parent Council Board for the coming year.  Please let us know if you are interested.  Better yet, grab a friend and volunteer together!  Parent Council is a great way to meet other parents, get to know teachers and staff and see what's going on in your child's school life. Every parent/guardian at Fort River is a member of Parent Council.  Board members steer the direction of the various projects.

Next year's Parent Council Board will be assembled  during the May 11th meeting at 8:45 am. Please contact Sue Borden or any Parent Council officer for further information and consider nominating yourself for one of the board positions.  Decisions about the following year's activities and budget will be made during the June 2nd meeting.  

Thanks for getting involved !

Sue Borden
Parent Council President


Here's a contact list of the current board officers:

President: Sue Borden (FRPC.sborden@gmail.com)

Vice Presidents:

Fundraising: Libby Stanforth (bstanforth@comcast.net)

Teacher outreach: Suzanne Schilling (patsueschilling@comcast.net)

Room parents: Navneet Marwaha (marwaha.navneet@gmail.org)

Website: Ann McLaughlin (damclaughlin@comcast.net)

Secretary: Jenn Green (peachy-green@comcast.net)

Treasurer: Lynn Hayes (hay3bay@comcast.net)

Town Election Information

The next town election will take place on TUESDAY March 23rd.  

In addition to voting on the Proposition 2 1/2 Override, there are candidates running for many town offices.

There are several ways of learning more about the candidates:

Thursday 3/11, Noon - 1pm @ ARMS - The Family-School Parntership is hosting a Meet The School Committee Candidates Brown Bag Lunch at ARMS.

Thursday 3/11 7-9pm - League of Women Voters host the candidates for all town offices at ARMS.

Here is a list of candidates and issues (I have included links to campaign websites, when I have found them!--AFM):


Proposition 2 1/2 Override:
YES - http://voteyesforamherst.org

NO - http://nomoreoverrides.com

Amherst Select Board: 

Alisa V. Brewer

James J. Wald

Amherst School Committee:

Kathleen Dequence Anderson

Ernest J. Dalkas

Richard Blake Hood

Vincent J. O'Connor

Robert A. Spence

Jones Library Trustee:

Emily G. Lewis

Kathleen Wang

Town Meeting Moderator: Harrison L. Gregg

Oliver Smith Will Elector: John W. Coull

All 10 precincts will be electing at least 8 Town Meeting Members to 3 year terms as well. You can view sample ballots on the Town of Amherst website here: http://www.amherstma.gov/index.aspx?NID=650.

Town Election Results

Congratulations to Fort River parent Steve Rivkin, who won one of the two open seats on the school committee this past Tuesday. Irv Rhodes won the other open seat. Thanks to all three candidates (Meg Rosa was the third) for being willing to serve on this important town committee in this difficult time! Congratulations also to the following Fort River parents who won seats in the contested town meeting race in Precinct 6: Mike Jacques, Rob Spence, Alison Donta-Venman, and Jim Brissette.

Election Update

Don't forget that the next Town Election is coming up soon--on Tuesday, March 31st! Three candidates are vying for the two open seats on the Amherst School Committee. Given the dire budget outlook for the schools, this election will prove to be very important for the future of our schools. Today's Amherst Bulletin has published statements from all three candidates, as well as numerous other articles, opinion pieces and letters regarding the candidates and the schools. You can view the ballots for each precinct on the Amherst Town website here: http://www.amherstma.gov/index.asp?nid=861 Please take the time to become informed about the issues!

Candidates' Night Wednesday, March 18th at the ARMS Auditorium

The League of Women Voters of Amherst will hold a Candidates' Night on Wed. Mar. 18 in the Amherst Regional Middle School auditorium. There will be light refreshments at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 7:30 p.m. The forum will include candidates for both contested and uncontested positions. Uncontested races: Town Meeting Moderator: Harrison Gregg Select Board: Aaron Hayden Housing Authority: Peter Jessup Uncontested candidates will make an opening statement only. Contested races: School Board -- 2 positions: Irvin Rhodes Steven Rivkin Megan Rosa Redevelopment Authority -- 1 position: John Coull Robert Kusner Jones Library Trustee -- 2 positions: Carol Gray John McDonald III Sarah McKee Lucy McMurrer Oliver Smith Elector -- 1 position: John Coull David Farnham Contested candidates will make an opening statement, followed by a question period and closing statements. Joan Temkin will serve as moderator. All those interested in meeting and questioning candidates are urged to attend. Please note that political advertisements, including campaign buttons, signs, t-shirts, etc. are not permitted inside the auditorium. The forum will be taped and broadcast on Channel 17 several times before the election on Mar. 31. Check your newspaper or the community calendar on ACTV Channel 12 for viewing schedule. For more information call 253-0633.

Candidate Forum--School Committee Candidates

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a Candidate Forum on Wednesday, March 18th, time TBA. This will occur at the Middle School and be televised by ACTV. Come or tune in to see the School Committee candidates Irv Rhodes, Steve Rivkin and Megan Rosa in action. Town elections will be held on Tuesday, March 31st. Each of the candidates has launched an election website detailing their positions. Please check them out and become informed on this very crucial election for our schools. Irv Rhodes: http://irvrhodesforschoolcommittee.org/ Steve Rivkin: http://home.comcast.net/~s.rivkin/ Megan Rosa: http://meganrosa.blogspot.com/

Don't Forget to Vote: Tues. Nov. 4th.

This coming Tuesday, Nov. 4th is election day. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm. Please be prepared to wait to vote: turnout is expected to be large! I would personally like to ask you to be aware of the issues raised by Ballot Question #1 about eliminating the state income tax. The outcome of this question could have a huge impact on our schools and our town. As parents of children in our public schools, it is important for you all to be informed when you step into the voting booth. Here's some voting information to get you started!

CLICK TO VIEW THE STATE/FEDERAL 2008 BALLOT CLICK TO VIEW THE AMHERST BALLOT

CANDIDATES AND BALLOT QUESTIONS

The 2008 Massachusetts ballot features state, national, and presidential elections, as well as three ballot questions.

• Candidates on the ballot
• Question 1: Eliminating state income tax
• Question 2: Change in marijuana laws
• Question 3: Prohibit dog racing for wagering purposes
• Download a voter information guide (PDF)

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

You can vote by absentee ballot if you:

• Will be absent from your city or town on election day
• Have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place
• Cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs

The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is noon the day before the election -- Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. You can fill out your absentee ballot at the clerk's office, request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you, or download an application below.

Absentee ballot applications:

• Absentee Ballot Application (PDF)
• Peticion de Voto en Ausencia (PDF)

Information for this guide was compiled from the Massachusetts secretary of state's office: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/. Sincerely, Ann McLaughlin, Parent Council Secretary. Thanks to the Wildwood PTO putting this information together.

Election Day Bake Sale--Tuesday, Nov. 4th During the Election

Click on picture to enlarge! 

School Council Ballot

Ballots for the School Governance Council are out. Please fill out the ballot in your child's backpack and return it to the Parent Council Mailbox by Friday, October 17th.

School Council Elections--Deadline Thurs. Sept. 18

Two seats will be open this year on the Fort River School Council. The School Council is a state-mandated elected body of parents and staff that help define the policies and procedures of the school. It meets monthly to work on the development of the budget and school improvement plan and makes recommendations to the principal. If you are interested in running for one of the two vacant two-year seats, please contact Parent Council President Sue Borden (tel. 253-0140, or FRPC.sborden@gmail.com). You will need to prepare a statement for the election ballot of 50 words or less. The deadline for these statements is THURSDAY, Sept. 18th. Election ballots will be sent out to all Fort River parents on Monday, Sept. 22nd.