Thursday, January 13, 2011

Family Sing Night

Please join Fort River's music teacher Anne White for
Family Sing Night
Thursday, February 17th
6:30-8:00 pm
Fort River Gym

Anne White and the Fort River PGO are pleased to announce two very special upcoming events. On March 2nd, the Latin musical group MarKamusic will conduct student workshops and give a school wide performance. On Thursday, February 17th, as a fundraiser to help bring MarKamusic to Fort River, you and your family are invited to the Fort River Family Sing Night where Mrs. White will be joined by parents and teachers to lead everyone in songs from around the world.

Please join us and make a suggested donation of $2.00 or whatever amount you like.
There will also be a student run bake sale to satisfy your sweet tooth!

We would like this event to represent the rich cultural diversity of our school community. As part of the music curriculum, Mrs. White will be working with students and parents to learn special songs to teach all families on this evening. Parents and other family members, we welcome your input and involvement. Please contact Mrs. White at whitea@arps.org, or 362-1238, if you want to help with the music.

A parent coordinator is also needed for the bake sale. If you would like to help with this event, please contact Pam Rietkerk at pam.fortriver@gmail.com or 256-2605.

This is going be a great community event!


MarKamusic performs traditional, folkloric and pop music of South and Latin American origin, fused with Latin jazz and western textures and instruments. The group has played its unique repertoire at international music festivals, educational events in schools, museums, and cultural institutions.

During its performances, MarKamusic accents the contributions of the four major cultural influences that have shaped modern Latin American music—the indigenous South American, the West African, the Euro-Iberian, and the contemporary North American. Traditional rhythms and melodic forms from these diverse cultures intermingled over the centuries, creating much of what is Latin American popular music today.

MarKamusic’s musical purpose is to drive home to its audiences that America is larger than just the United States: that America, in fact, extends from Alaska to the southernmost tip of Chile. The members of MarKamusic also feel that the diverse cultures of the Americas— tied by history and geography, but separated by politics and language—can effectively be reconciled by the sharing (indeed, by the merging) of their many musical expressions. MarKamusic’s musicians: one Peruvian, three Puerto Ricans, one Ecuadorian and one Guatemalan represent the potential of this harmonious exchange.

Chorus Concert Rescheduled

Dear family members of Fort River Chorus students,

I am pleased to announce that we have new dates for our winter choral concert. The evening concert will take place at 7 pm on Thursday, February 10th, in the Amherst Middle School auditorium. Student singers should arrive by 6:40 to take their places on the stage and warm up. As always, concert attire is white shirts and dark slacks for boys, dark skirts for girls. We will hold our daytime concert for Fort River on Wednesday, February 9th, at 10:30 am, in the Fort River gym. Thank you for your patience with our need to reschedule the concert date.

Thank you,
Anne Louise White

SIxth-Grade Potluck

A grade-wide potluck for the entire Sixth Grade has been scheduled for Jan. 27th at 6pm in the Fort River Cafeteria.

Multi-Arts Drama Group

Join the Multi-Arts DRAMA GROUP
Create your own play, sing, dance and perform!

Fridays 4:30 to 5:30

Place: Fort River School

Fee $120

Final show: Friday, March 18


To register visit: www.multi-arts.org

Tel. 413-584-7951


"The things I learned early in life through theater and music have brought me success, joy and happiness in everything I do."-- Matt Meers, Multi-Arts drama director.

Winter Fun With LSSE!

Amherst Leisure Services is currently registering kids for their winter classes. Please check the LSSE.org website to register on-line, or call Amherst Leisure Services at (413) 256-3065.

OR

CLICK HERE to download class descriptions and registration form.

Please note: not sponsored by the Fort River PGO. 

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Happy New Year and January Events

Hi Everyone,  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and are now back into the swing of things! I just wanted to remind you of a few upcoming Fort River events. -- Ann McLaughlin

Coffee with the Principals. Friday, January 7th at 8:30am.  All parents/guardians are invited to the monthly coffee, sponsored by the PGO. Acting Superintendent of Schools Maria Geryk and Interim Asst. Principal Karen Lowe are planning on attending. This coffee will be held in the conference room located in the Fort River Main Office.

Fort River Roasters Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 7. You can download an order form here.

Fort River 5th and 6th Grade Chorus  Concert. Thursday, January 13 at 7pm.  At the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium. EVENT POSTPONED--new date TBA.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Monday, Jan. 17th. NO SCHOOL.

Fort River PGO Meeting. Friday. Jan. 21st, 8:45-9:45am. Fort River Cafeteria. Please note date change.

Teacher Curriculum/Workday, Friday, Jan 28. NO SCHOOL.

Latika Roy Foundation Fundraiser

The following is a message from Fort River family The Rege-Colts: 

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, our family is embarking on another adventure to India on Feb 3rd. It will not be nearly as long as the last time (10 months) but we are grateful to be able to go for a full 6 weeks - and still maintain our standing at our jobs and in 6th and 9th grade! We will be visiting with family in Mumbai and Goa, exploring new territory down south in Kerala, and visiting the friends we made and the schools we worked at, way up north in Dehra Dun.


We'd like to invite you to join us
for a Send Off/ Fundraising Party!
Sat. January 15, 2011
Drop in anytime between 1:00-5:00 pm
at our home in Amherst, 22 Valley View Drive
413-259-2141

The Send Off is for us; the fundraising is for the Latika Roy Foundation in Dehra Dun that supports several projects, including Karuna Vihar and Latika Vihar, the schools we worked at when we lived there in 2003-2004. Please visit their wonderful website: latikaroy.org for more information.

We hope you will join us for a slideshow, some snacks and celebration! There will be some items for sale to raise money for the Foundation, including the beautiful Karuna Vihar calendars. We hope, if possible to purchase some video cameras for them - which was one of the most wanted items on their wish list. If you cannot attend, but would like to support the cause, please make checks out to:

Indians For Collective Action
3838 Mumford Place
Palo Alto CA 94306

please identify Latika Roy Foundation on your check or online donation page


We thank you in advance for your generosity.

With love & gratitude,
Maya, Nick, Leland & Manali Rege-Colt

Please note: this event is not sponsored by the Fort River PGO.