Meet the Candidates for School Committee on March 13 at 5:30

Please join the candidates for School Committee for an informal get together at Fort River on March 13 at 5:30 pm. 

The candidates on the ballot are Benjamin Herrington, Allison McDonald, and Kerry Spitzer. They will arrive prior to our Title 1 Math and Pi Night which begins at 6 pm. Everyone is welcome to this public candidate event. 

Crocker Farm PGO Hosts "Meet Your School Committee Candidates" on February 15 at 6pm

Missed the PGO Coffee last week? Come spend an hour getting to know this year’s School Committee candidates in the Crocker Farm cafeteria on Thursday, February 15 from 6 - 7pm. This event is open to the community. Special thanks to the Crocker Farm PGO for hosting this inclusive event.

Click for flyer in Spanish

Click for flyer in English

PGO Coffee with the Principal and Candidates for School Committee on February 9

Please join your friends on Friday, February 9 at 9 am for coffee and informative conversation!

Candidates for School Committee have been invited to this Coffee. The March 27 town wide election ballot will have two open seats for School Committee. Hear from the candidates and ask your questions at this casual event. We will meet in the library but guests MUST first sign in at the Main Office. Campaigns/candidates may contact the PGO at ftriver@gmail.com with questions. 

PGO Coffees with the Principal take place every month or so. Your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are always welcome at PGO Coffees! Families with future Amherst Elementary school children are welcome and encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!

PGO Coffee with the Principal plus School Committee Candidates on February 9

Please join your friends on Friday, February 9 at 9 am for coffee and informative conversation!

Candidates for School Committee have been invited to this Coffee. The town wide election ballot on March 27 will have two open seats for School Committee. Hear from the candidates and ask your questions at this casual event. We will meet in the library but guests MUST first sign in at the Main Office.

PGO coffees with the Principal take place every month or so. Your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are always welcome at PGO Coffees! Families with future Amherst Elementary school children are also welcome and encouraged to attend. We are a welcoming community - join us! We hope to see you there!

Spanish Dual-Immersion/Magnet Survey Deadline November 13 - Please Complete

Reminder From the Enrollment Working Group:

The subgroup studying Spanish dual-immersion/magnet options is seeking feedback from pre-K-6 parents in the district! If you haven’t already, please consider completing the following survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7JNX  by Monday, November 13. Thank you for your help! Your responses can help our district envision the future of our schools!

Recordatorio del grupo de trabajo de inscripción:

¡El subgrupo que estudia las opciones de doble inmersión en español / especializada está buscando comentarios de los padres de pre-K-6 en el distrito! Si aún no lo ha hecho, considere completar la siguiente encuesta en https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7JNX antes del lunes, 13 de noviembre. ¡Gracias por su ayuda! ¡Sus respuestas pueden ayudar a nuestro distrito en visionar el futuro de nuestras escuelas!

Members Sought for Fort River School Building Committee

At their September 25 meeting, the Amherst School Committee approved the mission statement (available here) for the Fort River  School Building Committee.  The committee also voted to include the following voting members on the Fort River School Building Committee:

Fort River Principal or Designee

Fort River Teacher

Fort River Staff Member

Facilities Director or Designee

School Committee Member

Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Designee

Fort River PGO Appointee

Town Finance Representative

Community Member with Green Energy Expertise and Architectural Background

At-Large Parent/Guardian/CaregiverAt-Large Community Member #1

At-Large Community Member #2

In addition, the committee voted to formalize their commitment to having a minimum of 50% of the voting membership of the School Building Committee composed of women and persons of color.

FORT RIVER COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERESTED IN SERVING AS THE FORT RIVER PGO APPOINTEE SHOULD COMPLETE THIS FORM BY 12 NOON ON OCTOBER 13. The Fort River PGO Board will select a representative from the pool of applicants. The appointee will be expected to provide School Building Committee updates to the Fort River PGO on a regular basis. *

Here is the URL for the Fort River PGO appointee application: https://goo.gl/forms/kdg07j59K66mmJ632

There are other ways to apply to join the Committee; please read on for details or visit arps.org.

Community members are encouraged to complete the application available here for the following positions:  

1) Community Member with Green Energy Expertise and Architectural Background; 

2) At-Large Parent/Guardian/Caregiver; 

3) At-Large Community Member (2 positions).

Community members interested in serving as the SEPAC representative should email Nancy Stewart, SEPAC President at sepac@arps.org.  Please include your name, contact information and brief description (two paragraphs or less) explaining your interest in serving.

The deadline for applications is 12:00 Noon on Friday, October 13. All applications will be considered; however, preference may be given to women and people of color, parents/guardians/caregivers, and those with Amherst town government experience.

Fort River Building Site/Feasibility Study 2nd Listening Session on September 11

Please join the Amherst School Committee and Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Morris on September 11, 2017 at 6:00 PM in the Amherst Regional High School Library to share your ideas and learn more about The Fort River Building & Site Feasibility Study, School Building Committee.

In May 2017, Amherst Town Meeting appropriated funds to conduct a feasibility study about the Fort River Elementary School building and site. Please attend the listening sessions to learn more about the feasibility study process and the responsibilities of the School Building Committee (the body charged with overseeing the feasibility study), share your ideas about membership and public engagement, and ask your questions.

This will be the second session. The first session took place on Thursday August 8th, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the Town Room. The PGO is not hosting this event but rather is helping to promote it to the community. We hope to see you there!

Click here for the flyer in Spanish
Click here for the flyer in English

POSTPONED: Fort River Building & Site Feasibility Study School Building Committee Public Listening Session

The September 14th Public Listening Session has been postponed.  A new date will be announced soon. Please follow PGO news for updates.

Meet the School Committee Candidates before Pi and Math Night on Wednesday, March 15th

The Fort River Parent Guardian Organization (PGO) has invited the four candidates for School Committee to meet and mingle with our families before our annual community Pi and Math Night on March 15th (RESCHEDULED FROM MARCH 14th due to snow).  Families are invited to meet and ask questions of the candidates from 5:30-6:00 and to learn about their goals for our schools.  While there will not be formal presentations, the candidates may bring campaign materials to distribute.

The League of Women Voters is also promoting two additional opportunities to meet candidates. There are many competitive races, especially in Town Meeting.

Candidates Night for 2017 Amherst Elections 

March 16, 7-9 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium

Candidates for town-wide office in Amherst will speak. Hosted by Amherst LVW.

Meet Your Town Meeting Precinct Candidates

March 18, 10 am to 1:30 pm, Amherst Regional Middle School

Ninety minute sessions Town Meeting Candidates to meet with their neighbors. Hosted by the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee. Facilitated by Amherst LWV moderators.
Precincts 1-5 at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Precincts 6-10 at 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

SEPAC Meet the Candidates Event on March 20 at 6pm

Invite from Special Education Parent Advisory Board

Please consider attending an informal meeting to connect with others. A light dinner will be provided, so an RSVP would be helpful! 

When:  Monday, March 20th 6:00pm-7:00pm

Where:  Amherst Regional Middle School, Professional Development Room

From 6:00pm-6:30pm:  We will have an opportunity to connect with some candidates running for school committee.

From 6:30pm-7:00pm:  We will continue to explore ways we can support each other in the community.  Dr. Brady and SEPAC board will also be in attendance.

Again, please RSVP if possible to sepac@arps.org or 413-687-4255. 

____________________________

Invitación de la Junta Consultiva de Padres de Educación Especial

Por favor, considere asistir a una reunión informal para conectar con los demás. Se ofrecerá una cena ligera, por lo que una confirmación de su asistencia sería de gran ayuda!

Cuándo: Lunes, 20 de marzo 6:00 pm-7:00 pm

Dónde: Amherst Regional Middle School, Salón de Desarrollo Profesional

De 6:00 pm -6:30 pm: Tendremos la oportunidad de conectar con algunos candidatos que corren para el Comité Escolar.

De 6:30 pm-7:00 pm: Continuaremos explorando maneras en que podemos apoyarnos mutuamente en la comunidad. El Dr. Brady y la junta de SEPAC también estarán presentes.

Una vez más, por favor confirme su asistencia si es posible sepac@arps.org o 413-687-4255. 

School Committee Candidates Invited to Fort River on March 14 at 5:30pm

The Fort River Parent Guardian Organization (PGO) has invited the four candidates for School Committee to meet and mingle with our families before our annual community Pi and Math Night on March 14th.  Families are invited to meet and ask questions of the candidates from 5:30-6:00 and to learn about their goals for our schools.  While there will not be formal presentations, the candidates may bring campaign materials to distribute.

The League of Women Voters is also promoting two additional opportunities to meet candidates. There are many competitive races, especially in Town Meeting.

Candidates Night for2017 Amherst Elections 

March 16, 7-9 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium

Candidates for town-wide office in Amherst will speak. Hosted by Amherst LVW.

Meet Your Town MeetingPrecinct Candidates

March 18, 10 am to 1:30 pm, Amherst Regional Middle School

Ninety minute sessions Town Meeting Candidates to meet with their neighbors. Hosted by the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee. Facilitated by Amherst LWV moderators.
Precincts 1-5 at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Precincts 6-10 at 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Comprehensive ARPS Water Update

A comprehensive update on the district-wide water testing and repairs was presented to the Regional School Committee on November 29, 2016.  Video of the meeting will be posted on the Amherst Media website, and the Powerpoint presentation is available here.

Volunteers Needed for School Committee - Deadline to Apply is October 6

A vacancy on the Amherst School Committee will be filled on Thursday October 13, 2016 at a joint meeting of the Select Board and the remaining members of the Amherst School Committee. Interested candidates must submit a Letter of Interest to the Select Board office by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2016.

Letters of Interest may be submitted by email to selectboard@amherstma.gov (preferred) or via hard copy to Select Board, Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave. Amherst MA 01002. Please include a summary of your reasons for wishing to serve on the Amherst School Committee and your qualifications and experience. All submissions will be distributed to Select Board and Amherst School Committee members as they are received, and will be available to the public on the Town web site in the Select Board’s packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting. Certain personal information will be redacted upon request. Please note that while candidates are welcome to make the public aware of their interest, members of the Select Board, Amherst School Committee, and staff will not release the number of candidates, or candidate names or other identifying information, until after the Letters of Interest appear in the Select Board packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting.

Candidates who have submitted a Letter of Interest will need to attend the Thursday October 13, 2016 joint meeting at 5:00 p.m. The joint meeting will be held in the Town Room on the second floor of Town Hall and will be broadcast live by Amherst Media on channel 17.

Vacancies in elected Town-wide office are governed by MGL Chapter 41 Section 11. A roll call vote of both bodies is required, and at least five positive votes must be made for the selected individual, regardless of how many members of the Select Board and Amherst School Committee are present.

The person elected on October 13, 2016 will serve until the next Annual Town Election, to be held on March 28, 2017, and has the option to seek election on the Town ballot through the standard nomination process. The Amherst School Committee term that ended with resignation on September 26, 2016 will be on the March 28, 2017 Town ballot as a two year term. The new Amherst School Committee member also serves on the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee, and must be sworn in at the Amherst Town Clerk’s office prior to participating in meetings of either body. Visit http://www.arps.org/administration/school_committee to learn more about the committee.

If you have questions please contact Debra Puppel in the Select Board/Town Manager’s Office at 259-3001 or puppeld@amherstma.gov.

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

URGENT! School Committee Election March 29

Do you know the candidates for Amherst School Committee? 

Read on for more information. All three candidates have made recorded statements at Amherst Media that are available online.  Links below. 

(Candidates listed alphabetically)

Laura Kent

For the past three years I have volunteered and served on the board of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools. Through my work with SEPAC and navigating the special education process, I believe firmly in the importance of family engagement to support our schools in a positive collaborative way, focusing on the needs of all students. To School Committee I bring strong interpersonal skills, leadership and commitment to each diverse learner in our community. I come with the objectivity needed and ameagerly willing to devote the time in fulfilling my duties as a member of this committee on behalf of our community.

Campaign Website: www.kentforamherst.org and www.facebook.com/KentforAmherst

Amherst Media statement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx6KOXq9Htg

Vincent O’Connor

As a school committee member, I'll work to renovate/replace Fort River and Wildwood, and maintain three K-6 elementary schools; expand revenue and revenue sources, not increase fees or cut programs and student-contact staff; promote aligned but diverse curricula, instead of teacher supervision directed toward classroom uniformity; keep separate the Middle School and its team- teaching approach; subject significant High School scheduling/building changes to thorough evaluation pending finalization or adoption of other important changes. 

Amherst Media statement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DEBEqNsBjI

Anastasia Ordonez 

Anastasia Ordonez is the mother of a first-grader at Fort River Elementary, and a soon-to-be kindergartner, and she's running for one of two open seats on the Amherst School Committee. Anastasia believes it’s important to have parents with a direct stake in our children’s future serve in positions of leadership in our community. But she also has worked for more than 15 years to help communities get tools and information about early literacy and brain development, healthcare reform, workers’ rights and many other issues so they can make change happen for the better. Now, she wants to use her communications, budget and project management skills to help Amherst parents and residents have a voice in the decision-making process that affects our public schools. 

You can read more about Anastasia on her campaign website, www.voteanastasia.org, or on her Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/VoteAnastasiaforAmherstSC. 

Amherst Media statement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeQbqJEWd5o

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a Town Candidates Forum on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:00pm in the Town Room at Amherst Town Hall.

The local election for the Amherst School Committee and other elected positions will be held on Tuesday, March 29th. Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.

Library Paraprofessional position to be cut from 2016-2017 Budget

‼️‼️‼️‼️URGENT! ‼️‼️‼️‼️

The following letter is from our librarian, Fran Ludington. PLEASE share this letter with your friends. This is an urgent budget situation that will affect every elementary student in Amherst. Please discuss with your neighbors, friends, and family ... there are no easy answers! 

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

"Dear Fort River Families,

I know how very busy you all are, but the elementary school libraries need your support.

The school committee will be presented with the proposed 2016 - 2017 budget on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 6 PM in the ARHS library. That proposed budget will eliminate the one full-time paraprofessional position in each of the elementary libraries, including Fort River. Each school has been asked to cut $35,000 to help meet the $500,000 deficit in the 2017 Budget. The library paraprofessional is 70% of this cut. 

The library team meets with each class every week for 40 minutes. During that time, there is a story or directed lesson and then book checkout. Teachers also come with their classes for additional integration and research projects at other times. Throughout the day, students come to get additional books and some stay to read.

We always supervise the large comfortable space to make sure it is safe and orderly. Daily, we retrieve and shelve hundreds of books. Each book pulled and shelved is a precise act. If it isn't, the library can quickly become useless if each book is not in the right place. A huge thanks to our volunteers who often help with this job. 

Many of you know, directly from your students, that our large, rich library is an active place that nurtures children's literacy as well as their developing individual interests. Presently, with an open library, they have time for browsing and sampling all kinds of books; however, this would have to change.  In our busy lives, the school library is often a child's only library. Providing regular access to all students is simply a matter of equity.

For decades, Amherst has funded our great elementary libraries. We do have thousands of books and help students find them. A wonderful library without adequate staffing quickly becomes a mess, less and less accessible, soon useless.

 

If you can, please come support our request for the School Committee and the Amherst Administration to find cuts to the budget that have less direct impact on students. We do not advocate that some other professional or paraprofessional positions be reduced. We have to believe there are alternatives to cutting those with direct contact with students.

The Amherst School Committee meeting is at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, February 9th at the Amherst Regional High School library. The time for public comment is 6:05-6:20 PM.  

We hope that a good turnout will be the spark to compel administrators to find other ways to balance the budget.

Thank you,

Fran Ludington

Librarian

ludingtf@arps.org

413.362.1215

Fort River"

Weekly Message from our Superintendent including School CommitteeMeeting Information

Weekly message from our Superintendent:

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Happy New Year!  We’re happy to have your children back after the nice, long break.  

Next week will be a busy one for our School Committees.  The Regional School Committee will meet on Tuesday for the first presentation of the FY2017 budget, an update on IMP Mathematics and continuing discussion of the potential Pre-K to grade 12 expansion of the Region. On miércoles and jueves, the Amherst School Committee will meet, with the Amherst Elementary Schools Building Project being the focus of both meetings.  Members of the community are encouraged to attend to hear more about these important topics.  You are also encouraged to participate in the survey regarding the options under consideration for the elementary building project.

On February 1, Amherst will welcome Interim Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner when Dave Ziomek returns to his permanent position.  I am excited to work with Mr. Hechenbleikner in the interim role and to participate in the selection process for a permanent Town Manager.  Amherst community members are also encouraged to participate by attending one or more of the three community forums scheduled for January 19and 20.  More information about the forums is included in my weekly newsletter.

Have a great weekend!
Maria

1-8-16 Superintendent Newsletter.pdf 

Estimados padres y Encargados:

¡Feliz año Nuevo! Estamos felices de tener a sus hijos de vuelta después del agradable, y largo descanso.

La semana que viene será una ajetreada para nuestros Comités Escolares. El Comité Escolar Regional se reunirá el martes para la primera presentación del presupuesto FY2017, una actualización sobre la IMP de Matemáticas y la discusión continua de las posibilidades expansión de la Región Pre-K hasta el grado 12. El miércoles y el jueves, el Comité Escolar de Amherst se reunirá, siendo el Proyecto de Construcción de las Escuelas Elementales de Amherst el foco de ambas reuniones. Se anima a los miembros de la comunidad a asistir a escuchar más sobre estos temas importantes. También se le anima a participar en la encuesta sobre las opciones bajo consideración para el proyecto de construcción de escuela elemental.

El 1 de febrero, Amherst dará la bienvenida a la ciudad a Peter Hechenbleikner, Director Municipal Interino, cuando Dave Ziomek regresa a su posición permanente. Estoy muy emocionada de trabajar con el Sr. Hechenbleikner en su rol interino y de participar en el proceso de selección de un Director Municipal permanente. También se anima a los miembros de la comunidad de Amherst a participar asistiendo a uno o más de los tres foros comunitarios programados para el 19 de enero y 20. Más información acerca de los foros se incluye en mi boletín de noticias semanal.

Que tengan un buen fin de semana!
Maria

Amherst Elementary School Building Project - Decision about Grade Reconfiguration Coming Soon

Thank you to everyone who attended the PGO Coffee with the Principal last Friday! We had a great turnout of concerned parents and lots of dialogue about the future of our elementary schools. Special guests Superintendent Maria Geryk, Assistant Superintendent Michael Morris, and Amherst School Committee chair Katherine Appy presented information about the current and future status of the Amherst Elementary School Building Project, formerly known as the Wildwood School Building Project. Superintendent Maria Geryk will be presenting recommendations to the Amherst School committee this Tuesday, October 20th about grade configuration. Should Amherst have three K-6 elementary schools or a single district wide pre-K/K/1 at Crocker Farm, and a single district wide grades 2-6 school somewhere else? Should the new elementary school building be a smaller grades K - 6 school, essentially replacing Wildwood's current building but with some necessary redistricting, or should it be a larger grades 2 - 6 district wide school, allowing the district to cease usage of both the Wildwood and Fort River buildings?

The meeting is open to the public, and will be held at the Amherst High School at 6 pm. Parents are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts. Please consider delivering concise remarks on Tuesday night or emailing the School Committee members with your thoughts.  The Committee members' contact information is found on this district webpage. 

If you need to get up to speed quickly, please visit the Amherst Elementary School Building Project Facebook page.