Fort River Parent Council Calendar

Fort River Parent Council Calendar Click the link above to view the Parent Council Calendar with all Parent Council events. The calendar also includes other school events of interest to the Fort River Community. This calendar is updated frequently and every effort is made to keep it up-to-date. Please notify Ann McLaughlin at damclaughlin@comcast.net if you spot an error. This is not an official school calendar. Thanks! P.S. You can also view this calendar by clicking the "Fort River Parent Council Calendar" link on the right-hand side of the page.

Upcoming Events

*Family Fair, Tuesday, September 11th, 5:30 pm, Fort River fields. *Parent Council Meeting, Thursday, September 13th, 8:30 to 9:30 am (in the cafeteria). Please join us for our first meeting of the year. *Coffee With a Principal, Friday, September 21st, 8:30 to 9:15 am. Please join Principal Russ Vernon-Jones and/or Vice-Principal Lianne Suarez-Werlein for coffee (obviously!), light breakfast foods, and casual conversation in the cafeteria. Younger siblings are welcome to attend. *Parent Council Meeting, Wednesday, October 17th, 6:30 to 7:30 pm (in the library). Babysitting will be provided (free).

Volunteers Urgently Needed

Room Parents – Room parents check in with their teacher monthly to see what he or she might need (e.g., help with an event, field trip volunteers, etc.), organize a class potluck at the start of the year, and work with their grade representative to plan one grade-wide event. They might also organize a class gift in December and/or at the end of school. We need room parents for Eigner in 2nd Grade, Fournier in 3rd grade, Davis in 4th Grade and Morris and Wallace in 6th grade. School Council Members - Several seats will open this year at the Fort River School Council, a state-mandated elected body of parents and staff that help define the policies and procedures of the school. It meets monthly to work on the development of the budget, develop a school improvement plan, and make recommendations to the principal. If you are interested in running for one of the vacant seats (this is a two year commitment), please contact Catherine Sanderson.

On-Going and Upcoming Fundraisers

Box Tops for Education: Did you know that for every Box Tops for Education coupon that we submit, Fort River receives ten cents in cold hard cash? Instead of just throwing away product boxes, cut off the little coupons on the top, put them in an envelope, and send it in to the box in the office. Last year we received $500 for the school – and we want to increase that amount this year! Here is a partial list of products that have the coupons: Ziploc bags and containers; Chex, Cheerios, Kix, and Total cereals; Pillsbury cookie dough; Betty Crocker cake mixes and frosting; Yoplait yogurt; Nature Valley Granola Bars. Cellphones and ink jet cartridges: This one is a REAL winner – There’s nothing to buy. We are simply asking you to protect the environment by donating your used digital cell phone(s) and ink jet cartridge(s). Your used cell phone(s) will be recycled in accordance with EPA regulations or refurbished and sold. 100% of the proceeds will help fund Parent Council—so, you save the environment while helping our school. Just bring your used cellphone and/or ink jet cartridges to the box in the main office. Gift Wrap Sales: Once again, the parent council will sponsor a gift wrap sale this fall. This year the sale will take place between September 28 – October 26, 2007, with items delivered soon after Thanksgiving. This is one of the parent council's larger fundraisers. So, look out for the information and catalogs that will come home on September 28. For more information call or email Karen Zilberstein (ekaren@comcast.net, 253-7072).

Parent Council Executive Board 2007-2008

PARENT COUNCIL EXECUTIVE BOARD 2007-2008 President: Catherine Sanderson (256-4977; casanderson@amherst.edu) Vice Presidents: Sue Borden (szborden@yahoo.com) Elly Hosea (259-1334; elly_hosea@yahoo.com) Secretary: Ann McLaughlin (256-3768; damclaughlin@comcast.net) Treasurer: Lynn Hayes (253-7207; hay3bay@comcast.net)

Big Thank Yous to...

Lianne Suarez-Werlein and Afranio Torres-Neto (for translating the Parent Council Welcome Letter into Spanish and Portuguese), Jeanine Gonzales and family (for setting up at the New Family Welcome Reception), Michelle Spirko (for coordinating the Welcome Back Staff Day Event), and ALL of the following parents who brought in food for the Welcome Back Staff Day event: Diane Caraker, Rebecca Fricke, Catherine Sanderson, Sheri Schmidt, Marian Parker, Jeanine Gonzalez, Shari Abbott, Janet Kannel, Andra Rose, Anne Duffy, Sue Cairn, Ellie Skinner, Robin Corder, Carrie Turkot, Debbie Gabor, Eileen Marasco, Caroline Goutte, Ann McLaughlin, Elly Hosea, Jenny Reynolds, Monica Wisnieski, Lisa Oram, Sue Borden, Amy Rose, Michele Spirko.

Annual Family Donation Fund

Last week you received a letter (and an envelope!) describing our Annual Family Donation Fund, in which we ask all families at the start of the year to make a donation to support Parent Council activities (field trips, cultural events, books for the library, scholarships for children in need, etc.). Although we suggest $20 a child, larger and smaller amounts are welcome – and all contributions are tax deductible (and anonymous). Checks (made out to Fort River Parent Council) or cash can be sent to the Parent Council mailbox in the main office or to Catherine Sanderson, 23 Alyssum Drive, Amherst, MA 01002.