Free Meals for Kids this Summer

The UMass BabyBerk food truck will be providing FREE meals at the following locations every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from June 25 to August 10 (excluding the 4th of July). Click here for a printable flyer to post and share.

Rolling Green
10:30 - 10:45 am

Colonial Village
11:00 - 11:20 am

Butternut
11:40 - 11:50 am

South Point
12:10 - 12:35 pm

Village Park
1:00 - 1:30 pm

Olympia Oaks
1:55 - 2:05 pm

North Village
2:20 - 2:45 pm

Mill River recreation area
3:10 - 3:30 pm

Youth Writing Summer Programs at UMass

Still looking for summer camp options? Here is some info about youth writing programs available at UMass Amherst. Offerings include Poetry, Journalism, and Creative Writing. https://www.umass.edu/wmwp

Zero Energy Building Tour Hosted by Mothers Out Front on June 9

Mothers Out Front, Climate Action Now, and Sustaining Amherst have organized a tour of the four Zero Energy buildings in Amherst on June 9:

Zero Energy Building Tour
Saturday, June 9, 2018
9 - 3PM

Amherst, MA adopted a Zero Energy Municipal Building Bylaw that mandates all new Town owned buildings be built to the Zero Energy standard.  The public is invited to learn about large Zero Energy buildings through guided site visits of four buildings in Amherst.  The tours are free and open to the public and attendees are welcome to drop-in/drop-out as their schedules allow.

Tour Schedule:

9AM , Crotty Hall, UMass Campus 

10:30, Hitchcock Center , Hampshire Campus

12:00, Kern Center, Hampshire Campus  

1:00, Lunch break (bring your own or go to Atkins nearby)

2:00, South Congregational  Church

The event is sponsored by Amherst Mothers Out Front, Climate Action Now, and Sustaining Amherst.  Please visit zeroenergyamherst.weebly.com for additional information. 

UMass "New 2U" Collection of Household Items for Fall Sale

From May 7^th – May 10^th at Southwest Circle, UMass is collecting used and unwanted items to either sell in the fall or recycle. They are accepting a large variety of things, from furniture, electronics, household items, and clothing to non-perishable food and cleaning supplies. All of the items should be in decent shape- not broken, ripped, or stained.

Note - they are not accepting appliances, and they cannot pick up - all items must be brought to the collection event.

Mini Minutes Youth Field Hockey Program Hosted by UMass Field Hockey

Head Coach Barb Weinberg and the University of Massachusetts field hockey coaching staff and team will be hosting the first-ever annual Mini Minutes Youth Program in the spring of 2018.

Mini Minutes is a FREE fun and interactive program intended for youth ages 5-13 years (Kindergarten through 8th grade), and is designed to introduce girls and boys to the sport of Field Hockey and team play.

All sessions will be played at the Gladchuk Sports Complex at UMass (next to the football stadium). Participants are divided into groups based on their grade and experience level.

Each coach has about 8-10 kids to allow for more personal instruction and game play.

Click here to register: http://wmasshky.com/miniminutes/

Check out our website information on the Mini Minutes program to find a stick sizing chart and a couple of links to purchase a junior/youth starter stick for ~$30.

Click here for details and a printable flyer.

UMASS Employees can Donate to Fort River PGO through the UMACC

The annual UMass-Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC) is underway. 

The UMACC program lets UMass employees donate to charitable organizations via paycheck, as little as $1 per pay period. Did you know that UMass employees can donate to the Fort River PGO through the UMACC? Hurry - the deadline is January 31st!

You can choose the amount, and if you opt for payroll deductions, you can split it among several payrolls. The Fort River PGO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible. The Fort River PGO UMACC number is 15301. UMass employees can signup with their their UMass NetID at http://www.umass.edu/umacc/login.

UMass Pediatric Physical Activity Laboratory Seeks 3rd and 4th Grade Participants for Recess Study

The UMass Pediatric Physical Activity Laboratory is looking for third and fourth graders to join the Smart Minds with Aerobic and Resistance Training during Recess (SMART Recess) Pilot Study! Children in either the third or fourth grade at Fort River School or Crocker Farm School in Amherst, MA are invited to participate in an 18-week study. This 18-week study includes three weeks for baseline measures, followed by a 15-week program.

What you and your child will do:

-You will be asked to complete a brief demographic questionnaire.
-Before and at the end of the programs, your child will be asked to participate in some measures (i.e., height/weight, brief cognition tasks, fitness, and classroom behavior).
-Your child will be asked to wear a physical activity and a heart rate monitor at times throughout the study.

Depending on what school your child attends, your child will either:

-Participate in a 15-week fitness program during school recess, -OR-
-Participate in a 15-week health and academic tracking program (Note: this school will receive the fitness program after the study ends) 

Click here to express your interest in the study by completing our interest form!

Families can call us at 413-545-6104 or email us at kinpedlab@umass.edu with any questions.

"Ready, Set, React" UMass Chemistry Demo Show on June 16

"Ready, Set, React" Chemistry Demo Show 

The Department of Chemistry invites students and their parents or guardians to our 4th Annual Chemistry Demonstration Show. There will be exciting explosions, colorful chemistry, and cool experiments! 

Click here to see the opening of last year's show!

Friday June 16, 2017 

7:00-9:00 pm 

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Integrated Sciences Building Room 135 

661 North Pleasant St 

Amherst MA 01373 

FREE and open to the public (not a university or school sponsored event).

To RSVP or to inquire for more information, please email rkittilstved@chem.umass.edu website: www.chem.umass.edu

ARMS Science Club in the News

The ARMS Science Club, under the direction of Team Y Science Teacher Jennifer Welborn, was featured in the Amherst Bulletin and Daily Hampshire Gazette last week. The club is modeled on UMass Amherst’s Integrated Concentration in Science program and is co-facilitated by a Fort River parent. UMass students serve as mentors. To read the article, click here: http://www.amherstbulletin.com/Amherst-middle-schoolers-asking-complex-questions-at-science-club-10268014

UMass Pediatric Physical Activity Laboratory (PPAL) Recess Study

The UMass Pediatric Physical Activity Laboratory (PPAL) is excited to announce that we are conducting a recess study at Fort River for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. All students in those grades will be invited to participate in fun and active games that our team will be leading during recess periods, but we will only collect data on students that have officially signed up for the study. To determine if your child is eligible and to learn more about the study, complete the bottom portion of the flyer that will be sent home with your child and return it to his/her teacher, or visit this link: 

https://umassamherst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tIX1XDKld8bRwF

PPAL team members will be available after school at parent pick-up to answer questions on Monday, 2/13 and Tuesday, 2/14 and at the Hillside Pizza pick-up on Thursday, 2/16.

Baseline measurements (for students that enroll) will be taken between March 6 and 10 (during your child's recess period). The games will be offered 3 days per week for 4 weeks starting March 20.

Spanish Flyer

English Flyer

Feel free to contact our team at kinpedlab@umass.edu!

-- 

Christine St. Laurent, MS, CSCS

Doctoral Candidate

Pediatric Physical Activity Laboratory

Department of Kinesiology

University of Massachusetts Amherst

http://www.umass.edu/kinpedlab/

UMASS Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC) - Prizes Plus Donations to the PGO

UMASS Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC)

If you work at UMASS, you can help support the Amherst Regional Public Schools PGOs through the University’s UMASS Amherst Community Campaign (UMACC).  The program allows UMASS employees to donate to nonprofit organizations via payroll deduction, or check/credit card. Employees choose which organizations they would like to support (out of a list of more than 400), and how much they would like to give.You can sign up online at http://www.umass.edu/umacc/login, using your UMASS NETid & password.Anyone who signs up by December 18 will be entered into a drawing for prizes, including a $300 Amazon gift card, hockey and basketball tickets, Fine Arts Center tickets and more.The Fort River Parent Guardian Organization has UMACC code 15301.

3rd Annual UMass Chemistry Demo Night on May 13

The UMass Amherst Department of Chemistry is hosting it’s 3rd Annual Chemistry Demonstration Night. It is sure to be full of exciting chemical phenomenon!

When: Friday May 13th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Where: UMass Amherst Campus, Integrated Sciences Building Room 135
Cost: Free and open to the public.

Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Fort River Elementary School students benefit from collaboration between UMass scientists and Amherst art teacher"

Did you see this wonderful feature in the Daily Hampshire Gazette about the incredible collaboration between the UMass Amherst Center for Evolutionary Materials and our own Art teacher Nicole Singer? Thanks to Fort River parent Jenn Green for coordinating this amazing experience for our students! Please read the article … this is 21st century education in action … "STEAM"!

Fort River Elementary School students benefit from collaboration between UMass scientists and Amherst art teacher

GAZETTENET.COM