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.

A quick reminder from the Parent Council President

Hi Fort River Families, Just a quick reminder that we are hosting the New Family Welcome on Monday, August 27th, from 6 to 7:30 -- we'd love some current families to come and meet the new families, so please come if you can (and RSVP so we can plan popsicles appropriately). We have new kids (as of now) in ALL grades except 5th. Also, we are still in search of some important volunteers for the upcoming school year! Please remember Parent Council is run entirely by volunteers, and we can't do it all -- we need YOUR help! Please contact Catherine Sanderson (256-4977; casanderson@amherst.edu) ASAP if you can help in any of these ways. Family Fair Coordinator: The Family Fair is the school's way of welcoming everyone back to school, and helping fund the 6th grade camping trip at the end of the year. The 6th graders work to create fun games for the fair, run the game booths, and/or sell pizza. The 6th grade teachers work the fair into the beginning of the year assignments, and work shifts on the day of the fair (Mr. Wallace is a key contact!). A few people are needed to set things up and write announcements and letters before, and work the day of the fair to help get pizzas to the kids from the ovens, and do set up and clean-up. This event is coming up in September and we urgently need one or two people to coordinate it! 6th Grade Graduation: We need many parents to help in various ways: organizing the spring musical/play; the camping trip; the class gift; plus the decorations, program, and reception for graduation. We need volunteers to take on small tasks PLUS one or two brave and organized coordinators (and we have a huge binder with very detailed information about what to do/when/how, so there is much guidance). Resource Coordinators - Resource coordinators provide information/support to families with particular needs (this position takes little time and provides a valuable service). We need coordinators for: single-parent, same-sex parent, and ALANA [African-American, Latino(a)/Chicano(a), Asian/Pacific American, Native American] families. Grade Representatives: Grade representatives find a room parent for each of the teachers in your grade, contact new families to welcome them to the school, and work with the room parents to organize one grade-wide event (which brings together all kids in a grade during an out-of-school time, such as Story Night, Game Night, a Science Fair, or a picnic at Groff Park). We need grade representatives for Kindergarten, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades. 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 all the kindergarten classes, Davis in 2nd grade, Davis and Fournier in 3rd grade, Jackendoff in 4th grade, Cantillo and Klass in 5th grade, and all the 6th grade classes. Savings Makes Sense Program: Volunteer Ron Miller has agreed to coordinate this program (which is designed to encourage savings habits and goal settings in children--anyone can open a bank account with Florence Savings Bank and bank weekly in the cafeteria, and only $1.00 is needed to open an account). However, we could use one volunteer to come to school some Tuesday mornings from 8:20 to 8:40 to assist kids in depositing their money. Thank you in advance for your assistance, and I look forward to another great year. Best, Catherine **************************** Catherine A. Sanderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Psychology Amherst College Amherst, MA 01002-5000 413 542-2438 (phone) 413 542-2145 (fax)

August Fort River Update!

Hello Fort River families, Now that we are only a month away from the start of school, I'm writing to let you know about an event for new Fort River families (that I hope some current families can attend), and to seek some volunteers! First, we are planning on "Welcome to Fort River Party" on the evening of Monday, August 27th, and we'd love to have a few CURRENT Fort River families (including kids) attend to meet the new families. We already have 3 new first graders, 2 new second graders, and 1 new child in 3rd, 4th, and 6th, and more will get added in the next month. We also have many new kindergarteners (of course), so if you are the parent of a kindergartener, please plan to come as well! Please let me know if you are able to attend -- the time will be 6:00 to 7:30 pm (and popsicles will be served) in the cafeteria. Second, we are still in search of many volunteers for next year -- please help if you can with any of the following: Fall Family Picnic (this is very important -- because it happens in September!) Grade Representatives (all grades EXCEPT 1st and 2nd) Room Parents (especially those of kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) Resource Coordinators (single-parent families, ALANA families, same-sex parent families) One volunteer to assist with Savings Makes Sense (some Tuesday mornings), Graduation Coordinator (we have lots of volunteers willing to help and much material, but we need one or two organized people to coordinate it all) Please contact Catherine Sanderson (casanderson@amherst.edu) if you can assist with any of these or have any questions about these positions. Last, but not least -- as we prepare this fall for the second (and we hope final) phase of the playground installation, please let me know if you, or anyone you know, would be willing to assist with landscape design (placement of our brick walkway, trees, benches, etc.) and/or laying down our brick walkway. We hope to get most of the work done in September -- including the addition of several cool new satellite playground pieces, two new benches, and our great new brick walkway. Best wishes for a relaxing August! Catherine