Season's Greetings from the Parent Council Secretary

Dear Fort River Families and Friends, I just wanted to take this opportunity to send Season's Greetings to you all and to wish you a wonderful and restful break from school. Please remember that school will start up again on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008. I will be taking a break from the website until the beginning of January. My best wishes to all of you for a peaceful and happy New Year! Sincerely, Ann McLaughlin Fort River Parent Council Secretary

Upcoming Events

School Vacation. December 24-January 1, 2008. School reopens Jan. 2, 2008. Fort River Roaster's/Deans Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 4, 2008. Please send orders in to the Parent Council mailbox in the front office. Order forms are available for download in the "Parent Council Forms" section on the right-hand side of the page or at the Parent Council bulletin board in the school lobby. Parent Council Meeting. Monday, January 7th, 2008, 6:30-7:30pm. Library. Babysitting will be available.

AboutAmherst: A Local Amherst Blog by Mary Carey

AboutAmherst: School day

This is an adorable picture of some of our Fort River kindergarteners who were selling homemade ornaments yesterday to raise money for charity. This picture appears on the "AboutAmherst" blog by Mary Carey, a reporter who covers the Amherst schools for the Daily Hampshire Gazette and the Amherst Bulletin. Click on the link to check it out!

Teacher Wish Lists

At this time of year some parents like to make gifts to their children's classrooms and the school. The Parent Council therefore asked teachers what they would like if someone wanted to give something to the classroom, and received the following requests: Maurisa Davis – art supplies (various colors of yarn, foam, glitter, cotton balls, feathers, pipe cleaners), Target or Wal Mart gift cards, “classic” color markers, electric pencil sharpener Sally Imbimbo & Nettie Harrington – Bean Bag chair, big pillows, lamps, post-its, glue sticks Kris Griswald – non-fiction books (at the 3rd/4th grade level – especially on animals, weather, force & motion, cities, Cambodia, Russia, Romania, Japan, Africa), tissues, snacks. Roger Wallace – pencils, spiral bound notebooks, a new electric pencil sharpener, Scrabble games, dish rack for our mugs, powdered hot chocolate (individual or bulk), 8 ½” X 11” line paper, gift cards to stores where these items could be purchased. Laurie Hickson – instrumental CDs, tissues, stickers, Purell or other hand cleaner Trish Farrington – playground balls (rubber, about 81/2” to 10”), Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix (ideally the scoop kind), gift certificates for area bookstores Linda Yeh - paper towels, markers, rolls of tape, pencils, pencil eraser tops, gift certificates to Target and Barnes & Noble Kim Thrasher – gift certificates to Barnes & Noble

Upcoming Events

Diversity and Social Justice Committee. Friday, December 21, 8:40am. Library. School Vacation. December 24-January 1, 2008. School reopens Jan. 2, 2008. Fort River Roaster's/Deans Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 4, 2008. Please send orders in to the Parent Council mailbox in the front office. Order forms are available for download in the "Parent Council Forms" section on the right-hand side of the page or at the Parent Council bulletin board in the school lobby. Parent Council Meeting. Monday, January 7th, 2008, 6:30-7:30pm. Library. Babysitting will be available.

Early Dismissal on Thursday, Dec. 13, Due to Snow

Amherst and Pelham ELEMENTARY Schools will DISMISS EARLY today at 12:45. Also, The Amherst-Regional MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS will be CLOSED today.

Upcoming Events

Fort River Roasters Orders Due. Friday, December 7th. Please send forms in to the Parent Council mailbox in the school front office. Order forms are available on the right-hand side of this webpage under "Parent Council Forms" or at the Parent Council bulletin board in the school lobby. Coffee With a Principal. Friday, December 14th, 8:30 to 9:15am. Join Principal Russ Vernon-Jones and/or Vice Principal Lianne Suarez-Werlein for coffee, light breakfast foods, and casual conversation in the cafeteria. Younger siblings are welcome to attend. Diversity and Social Justice Committee. Friday, December 21, 8:40am. Library. School Vacation. December 24-January 1, 2008. School reopens Jan. 2, 2008. Fort River Roaster's/Deans Beans Coffee Orders Due. Friday, Jan. 4, 2008. Please send orders in to the Parent Council mailbox in the front office. Order forms are available for download in the "Parent Council Forms" section on the right-hand side of the page or at the Parent Council bulletin board in the school lobby. Parent Council Meeting. Monday, January 7th, 2008, 6:30-7:30pm. Library. Babysitting will be available.