Preschool Volunteers Needed: The Child Learning and Development Lab at Amherst College

Do you have a child between 3 and 5 years of age? Professor Carrie Palmquist, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Amherst College, is conducting a series of studies at the Child Learning and Development Lab that investigate how children learn from others and about the world around them.

Our research is designed to be fun and engaging for your child, while also allowing you to learn more about your child’s development. Study visits are short, and take place in a comfortable, quiet setting located conveniently on the beautiful campus of Amherst College. We have reserved parking for you and your family.

By participating in one of our 30 minute studies, you and your family will contribute significantly to our knowledge of child development. If you are interested in volunteering for a study, contact the CLAD Lab at  413-542-5652, email cladlab@amherst.edu

Wildwood School Building Project - Why It Matters to Fort River Families

The Wildwood School Building Project could affect ALL elementary school children in Amherst, including current and future students attending Fort River.

In March 2013 ARPS submitted a "Statement of Interest" to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on behalf of both Wildwood and Fort River to address systemic physical plant concerns, mechanical upgrades, and renovation needs. MSBA invited Wildwood into the eligibility period in November 2013. A "Statement of Interest" on behalf of Fort River was resubmitted. Amherst Town Meeting approved funding for the Wildwood Feasibility Study in May 2014, and MSBA invited the Town of Amherst to launch the Feasibility Study in September 2014.

The Wildwood School Building Project is examining three options to address needs in the building. One option involves a grade reconfiguration resulting in two town-wide elementary schools, one for pre-K through 1st grade at the Crocker Farm School, and one for grades 2-6 at a new larger school (site not yet determined). Under this option, the current Fort River and Wildwood schools would no longer be used as elementary schools by the district and could be repurposed or demolished. The project timeline indicates that any new/reconstructed school is proposed to open in September 2019, just four years from now. All current Amherst students grades 2 and below would be affected. 

Public forums on the Wildwood School Building Project study are scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 at 3:30 pm & 7 pm in the Middle School auditorium. The same information will be presented at both forums. The district has also created a Facebook page here where the latest information will be shared with families and the community.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris attended a PGO Coffee in June to present details about this project and take questions. He will return on Thursday, October 15 to provide an update to Fort River families. The PGO Coffee will begin at 9 am and all are welcome to attend.

Dalai Lama to Speak at UMass Amherst on October 25

from UMass News & Media Relations

Dalai Lama

AMHERST, Mass. – Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, will give a public lecture on Oct. 25 at the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to cap a three-day visit to the Pioneer Valley hosted by the Hadley-based Mind & Life Institute.

According to organizers, the purpose of his visit is to focus on ethics and education and specifically an approach to incorporating care and compassion into the framework of education from K-12 through postgraduate education worldwide. The Dalai Lama will also make visits to Amherst and Smith colleges during his stay. The campus visits will include dialogues and presentations with faculty, national experts and students.

“We are very honored to bring His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the area, and we are especially pleased to partner with our colleagues at Amherst, Smith and UMass on a topic that is so important to education at all levels, namely how to bring altruism and compassion more fully into the heart of our collective work,” said Arthur Zajonc, president of the Mind & Life Institute.         

Details of the public lecture at the Mullins Center are in the process of being finalized.

Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Low-Stress Homework

When: Thursday, September 17, 2015

Where: Amherst High School Library
Time: 6:30P.M.-7:30P.M.
Hosted By: The ARPS Family Center
Facilitated By: Dr. Denise Green, ARHS Psychologist
Homework:  No one loves it, but it's an essential part of educational success.  We'll review the reasons for homework and discuss strategies for making it a part of the home routine.  Talk about things that get in the way and trouble-shoot possible solutions.  There will be lots of opportunity for conversation and discussion on this important topic!

NERD Summit at UMass this weekend - includes FREE workshops for kids7 & up

The NERD (New England Regional Developers) Summit is a three day conference of talks, workshops, coding challenges, and fun with the local tech community!

More details about the conference are available at nerdsummit.org We are offering a number of workshops for kids and teens at NERD Summit 2015.  The details are here:

https://nerdsummit.org/news/kids-can-be-nerds-too

Saturday, September 12th

  Build a webpage with HTML & CSS 

  Draw in 3D with SketchUp!

  Game Programming with Construct 2

  JavaScript is Everywhere!

  Got an App for That?

  Graphics Programming with Processing

  Scratch Programming

  Green Screen Video Fun

  Minecraft

  Programming in Python

Sunday, September 13th

  EV3 Robotics

  Rube Goldberg chain reaction - WeDo Robotics

  Makerspace with Arduino

You can find the full list of workshops on our website. All workshops are free, but space is limited, so please register to let us know you are coming.

Mission
The New England Regional Developers, Inc is a registered US 501(c)(3) non-profit whose purpose is to organize, educate and advance the skills of web designers and developers in the New England region. It seeks to do this primarily through nurturing a self-sustaining mentoring community for its local IT industry.

NERDs has identified and defined the major issues facing its community and industry today. The most visible symptom of these issues is the growing talent gap in the field of IT.

NERDs believes that our IT teams are not as strong as they could be due to irrationalities lingering from society's past. Using proven techniques to achieve better diversity and inclusion in IT, the NERDs project identifies areas of the population that have a harder time making it into IT careers and works to remove those challenges or barriers.

Saving Makes “Cents” Starts Tuesday, September 15 at Fort River

Help your child learn about the importance of saving with their own bank account!  

Saving Makes “Cents” is a state-sponsored program that teaches children in grades K-6 about banking and saving.  Your child can make weekly deposits and earn fun stickers and a preferred interest rate.  At Fort River, the program is supported by Florence Savings Bank and the PGO.  

Every Tuesday morning before school, PGO volunteers are at the Saving Makes “Cents” table in the Fort River lobby where students can make their deposits.  Monthly account statements are mailed to the children’s homes. There are no monthly fees for depositors under the age of 19.

To open a new account, please complete the form available here and have your child bring it with an initial deposit of at least one dollar to the Saving Makes “Cents” table any Tuesday morning.  For further information contact Nat Larson (230-3453, nateliz.larson@gmail.com) or Traci Hess (traci_ej@yahoo.com)

PGO Coffee with Fort River Administrators presenting "Safety in our Schools" - Tuesday, September 15

Please join us on Tuesday, September 15 at 9am for coffee, donuts, and friendly conversation! 

Our administration will discuss recent ARPS and Fort River specific safety initiatives and take questions. Families are also invited to brainstorm PGO sponsored social and community events and fundraising ideas. In addition, the PGO board will present the annual budget for approval. 

Monthly coffees will take place on or about the 15th of each month. There will be some evening coffees. Specifics will be available on the blog, FB, and Twitter as well as on the PGO calendar. Your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are always welcome!

Please share with your Fort River friends!