Welcoming Families Relocating from Puerto Rico

From the Central Office:

Last week, Dr. Marta Guevara, Director of Student and Family Engagement, and I met with Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Health Director Julie Federman to plan a community event in support of those who may be relocating to our area from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. We anticipate that many families will come to the area with a range of needs, from help with concrete things such as health and housing, to help dealing with emotional trauma. On November 2, the community is invited to come together in a planning session from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Amherst Regional Middle School library. We want to plan, as a community, how we can best support our new neighbors who will be relocating to our area, either temporarily or permanently. The event is co-sponsored by the Town of Amherst and the Amherst Public Schools. For more information about the event, or if you know of a family with school-aged children that plans to relocate to Amherst, Pelham, Leverett or Shutesbury, please contact Dr. Guevara at 362-1871 or guevaram@arps.org so we can be ready to welcome them when they arrive.

"Moving Toward Zero Waste" Campaign Launch on October 19

Celebrate the launching of a Zero Waste Amherst public education campaign! 

Thursday, October 19 at 6 PM

Hitchcock Center for the Environment

845 West St., Amherst

Free, Registration Appreciated

6 PM – 7 PM: Refreshments and tour of Hitchcock Center

7 PM – 9 PM: Learn about what’s being planned and share your ideas for helping to reduce waste and promote recycling in Amherst.

Sponsored by the Amherst Recycling and Refuse Management Committee,
Amherst League of Women Voters, Sustaining Amherst,
and The Hitchcock Center for the Environment.

“If you’re not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?”

Contact the Hitchcock Center (413-256-6006) or the Recycling and Refuse Management Committee (rrmc@amherstma.gov) for further information. More details are available in this Gazette article.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event in Amherst on September 24

Registration from the Town of Amherst House Hazardous Waste Day is now open.  The event will be held on September 24, 2017 and is open to all Amherst, Hadley, Pelham and Shutesbury residents. Please click here to register or visit AmherstMA.gov for more details. Registration deadline is September 13.

Post-Building Project Presentation from Superintendent Morris

Dr. Morris has visited all three elementary schools to share thoughts and listen to feedback about the elementary building project and future steps.  If you missed these public meetings the Powerpoint presentation is available here.  

On Wednesday, May 3, Amherst Town Meeting approved funding for a Feasibility Study of the Fort River School and site. Click here for local news coverage. 

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.

New Local Blog of Note

Alison Donta-Venman, a Fort River parent who was on the Town's Facilitation of Community Choices Committee, which examined the town's future budget scenarios, has started her own blog, called Amherst By The Numbers. I recommend that you all check it out! -- Ann McLaughlin

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/

Recent Newspaper Articles about the School Reorganization

"School Closure Hotly Debated," by Mary Carey, Amherst Bulletin, Jan. 16, 2009. "Proposal to Reconfigure Amherst Elementary Schools May Be Delayed," by Diane Lederman, The Republican, Jan. 10, 2009.

Facilitation of Community Choice Committee: Report Available

Thank you to everyone who participated in the process of information gathering for the Facilitation of Community Choices Committee! We appreciate every response to the questionnaire, everyone who came out to a public forum, and everyone who helped spread the word about our work. I wanted to let you know that our complete report is now available on our web site at www.amherstchoices.org The full document is very long but well-worth the read as our elected officials now need to begin planning for our future. ...Alison Donta-Venman