School Council Meeting Date Changed

The date for the next meeting of the School Council has been changed to Thursday, Jan. 27th. 

Amherst Survival Center Food Drive

The Amherst Survival Center is conducting a food drive in the schools until Jan. 28th. All elementary school children are asked to donate rice, pasta, beans or cereal. The food collection box is in the lobby of the school.

Thank you for your support of our community members who have food needs!


Cynthia Brubaker
Food Drive Chair
tel. 253-6679

Revised Schedule for Superintendent Candidate Interviews

Visits by two of the three finalists for the position of School Superintendent have already taken place this week. The visit and interview of Maria Geryk has been rescheduled to Tues., Feb. 1st.

The schedule for that day is as follows (events open to the public are in bold):

8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria

9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council

10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)

Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood

3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library

4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.

Discussion and Selection of New Superintendent of Schools will take place on Sunday, February 6 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location to be determined.

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!

About MarKamusic

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.

http://www.markamusic.com/

Superintendent Search

WEATHER UPDATE: Due to the inclement weather on Tues. Jan. 18, the schedule of candidates has been adjusted: 


Candidate #1 John Bayless
Wednesday, January 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library


Candidate #2 Gerald Kohn
Thursday, January 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library


Candidate #3 Maria Geryk
(date to be scheduled) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
at Amherst Regional High School Library.


Followed by Selection of New Superintendent of Schools


Community members and parents are also invited to a Community Coffee to meet each candidate from 8:00 am-9:00 am in the Middle School Cafeteria at 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst on each date listed above.

Please come hear the candidates talk about their personal experiences and visions for our schools. Note that the 6-8 p.m. interviews in the high school library are open to the public.

******************

John Bayless will visit on Wed, January 18.

Gerald Kohn will visit on Thurs, January 19.

Maria Geryk's visit will be rescheduled.

On each day, the schedule will be as follows:

8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria


9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council

10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)

Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood

3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library

4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.



We hope to see you there!

IT'S NOT TOO LATE to make your PGO Annual Fund Donation!

The PGO is grateful to the 82 families who have contributed $4,400 to the PGO Annual Fund so far this year. (Last year at this time the Annual Fund had already raised $6700, so we have some catching up to do!) The goal of 100% participation is a yearlong effort and EVERY donation in ANY amount is appreciated.

Your Fort River PGO is very active and supports teachers, students, and families in many ways (see below). This support requires a healthy Annual Fund—and our hope is that every family will contribute. With a successful Annual Fund, our PGO can focus time and energy on teacher and student support, events, and community building. Please support the Annual Fund by making an annual donation.

You may send cash or check, payable to Fort River PGO, to the Main Office or click here to donate online using PayPal.

Thanks so much for supporting the Fort River PGO Annual Fund!

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Take a look at what the Fort River PGO is up to this year:

EVENTS
• New Family Welcome (Aug)
• Staff Welcome Back Day (Aug)
• Family Fair (Sept)
• Book Event & Community Marketplace (Dec)
• Family Sing Night (Feb)
• MarkaMusic workshops and performance (March)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (April)
• International Fair (May)
• Staff/Teacher Appreciation Luncheon (May)
• Bus/Van Driver Appreciation Breakfast (May)
• Field Day (June)
• 6th Grade Graduation (June)

PROGRAMS & SERVICES
• Providing all teachers with $50 for classroom set up
• Organizing room parent program
• Producing and providing a FREE student directory to all families
• Offering all teachers $100 for classroom enrichment from Amerstopoly profits
• Providing principal and assistant principal each with $200 discretionary fund
• Providing guidance councilor with $1,000 discretionary fund
• For grades 3-6, providing $700 per grade to subsidize major field trips
• Applying for and providing PASS grants to teachers for field trips
• Friday hosting of Coffee with the Principal
• Supervising the Savings Makes “Cents” program
• Coordinating Lost and Found
• Producing and providing a FREE yearbook to all students (in May)

FUNDRAISERS
• Summer Read-A-Thon
• Fort River Roasters by Deans Beans
• Box Tops for Education
• School Pictures
• Scholastic Book Fair

Fort River PGO January Meeting Agenda

Please note: the next PGO meeting is sceduled for FRIDAY, Jan. 21st in the FR Cafeteria at 8:45am.

Meeting Agenda/January 21, 2011
8:45-9:30am

1. Introductions 5 min

2. Treasurer’s Report 5 min
• Discussion

3. Book Fair/Event & Community Marketplace 10 min
• Review of sales totals
• Event feedback

4. Upcoming Events 10 min
• Family Sing Night with Ann White (Feb 17)
• Movie Night (March)
• Science Night (March or April)
• International Fair (May)

5. New Business 15 min
• Staff Appreciation Luncheon
• Other new business