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!

Baby and Me 2017-2018 Home Visiting Program

September 13 is the deadline for enrollment in the Baby and Me 2017-2018 home visiting program. 

This free program includes home visiting for expecting parents or families with children 3 and under (at the time of enrollment), free books and toys during visits with an emphasis on reading, talking and playing and an 8 week parent education group.

Click here for a printable flyer: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2bHm-1AjRfVHJuVUxSbjdTZzQ

Library Volunteers Wanted

Lani Blechman is our new Fort River Librarian and she has an important message for families: 

"I want to put a call out for library volunteers. I'm hoping to find volunteers who will shelve books, and I am also always willing to work with volunteers on their skills/passions (book repair, reading with students, creating programming, sharing folktales, creating displays, etc.)."

This is a wonderful opportunity for adults who have some free time during the day. Historically library volunteers continue their work for years because they find it so enjoyable to be present and helpful during the school day. 

As a reminder, all school volunteers must have a current CORI check on file. Please see Suzanne in the Main Office for assistance. 

Amherst LWV Young Readers Day on July 26

The League of Women Voters Amherst is sponsoring a "Young Readers Day" at the annual book sale this summer on which all children who come will receive one free book. The 2017 Book Sale will be held at the Fort River School on South East Street.

Here are the important dates:

June 30 - July 18: Book donations at Fort River School ONLY

July 25: Children's Day for Summer Academy students at Crocker Farm School

July 26: Young Readers Day at Fort River School

July 28-30 (Friday-Sunday), 9-4: Sale open to the public

August 4-6 (Friday-Sunday), 9-4: Sale open to the public

Click here for a printable flyer.

OFF THE SHELF: FROM THE LIBRARY

urgent request from our library professionals ...

We need your help if you have some free time. Our wonderful library is in the heart of the school and BUSY most of the day. 

What we mostly need help with is shelving books. It is a crucial part of a circulating library, getting the books back on the shelf in the right place AND we will train you! If you like order and work that you can come do any time, please get in touch with me. It can be a relaxing job. We will train you in about 45 minutes and then you can come at a regular time, or when it works for you. We coincidently lost five of our shelving volunteers not too long ago and if you can spare some time, Anne Gage and I will have time for other library work.

Thanks,

Fran Ludington, Librarian

ludingtf@arps.org

413-362-1215

~SAVE THE DATE ~ Title 1 Family Literacy Night on March 23rd at 6:00 pm

An update from our Reading Interventionists:

                                                             

With winter assessments behind us, new literacy groups are set and running. Groups are working on skills such as decoding, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. This time is giving students extra literacy instruction during the school day to help improve overall reading skills. Many students may be coming home with books bags again from the intervention teacher. Please ask students about the books they are reading and maybe even ask them to read to a family member!

 ~SAVE THE DATE ~

 Title 1 Family Literacy Night

 March 23rd

 6:00 - 7:00

 ** More information to follow **

There are more ways to read now than ever with so much technology! Foster an interest in reading by introducing some digital reading using a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Check out some of these free online resources for reading!

http://www.starfall.com

http://speakaboos.com

http://storylineonline.net

Literacy Tip from the Fort River ELA Reading Intervention Team

Here's a literacy tip from the Fort River ELA Reading Intervention Team:

Pamela Barsalou, Rachmana Santorelli, Marie Webber, Andrea Lyons

This fall season we invite you to try out this word game with your child: 

Newspaper Words:  Give your child a word. Have them use a highlighter and find it in the newspaper (or magazine). Highlight it when they’ve found it. Count how many times they’ve found it.

Fort River Literacy Week! March 2 - 6

Special literacy events and ways to celebrate each day ... see flyer for details! 

"Oh the thinks we can think!"