Easy Ways to Earn $$ for Fort River!

Stop & Shopʼs A+ BonusBucks Program
Use your Stop & Shop card and Fort River earns a percentage! Your A+ Bonusbucks have started accumulating as of Friday Oct. 9th. It's not too late to sign up!  If you sign up by Oct. 31st, ALL your October purchases will be counted toward Fort River's total. This is an easy way to raise money with absolutely no cost to you. However, for Fort River to receive credit you need to re-designate Fort River each year. Call 1-877-366-2668 or visit www.stopandshop.com/aplus. Fort River ID # 05218. Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up. We already have 106 participants. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. Also, don’t forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same. We need your support! Contact Ann McLaughlin if you have any questions or problems.

Big Y Education Express
Use your Big Y Express Savings Club card and Fort River can earn points for buying much needed equipment and supplies! Just visit the Big Y customer service desk and fill out a form that will link Fort River with your card (School ID # 5947). Or go to www.bigy.com/education and sign up from your computer! Whenever you use your card to purchase items designated with the “Education Express” logo, youʼll earn points for our school. 


Target Take Charge of Education
If you have a Target REDcard (credit card), you can designate Fort River to receive up to 1% of the value of your purchases on the card. Go to www.Target.com/tcoe to designate Fort River (School ID # 58645).

Atkins Farms Country Market
Use your Atkins card when you shop at Atkins Farms Country Market, and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to Fort River School. Atkins provided us with one card per family last year, and new cards for new families will be coming soon-- stay tuned! Just show the card when you are checking out. There is an expiration date on the card, which is the date that youngest child graduates from Fort River. 


Box Tops for Education
In case you are not familiar with Box Tops this is an easy way to earn money for Fort River--just take your scissors and clip! Last year we earned over $500. For each Box Top clipped the school receives 10 cents. Just look for the Box Tops logo on products in you already have in your kitchen, cut it out and deliver your box tops to the school's main office. If you would like to learn about the other ways you can make a difference sign up for the Box Tops website at boxtops4education.com. It’s easy, free and you’ll learn about new ways to help our school earn the extra cash it needs.

Cellphones & Ink Jet Cartridges
Protect the environment and raise money for Parent Council by donating used digital cellphones and ink jet cartridges. Please deliver to the Main Office. Cellphones will be recycled, according to EPA regulations, or refurbished and sold, with 100% of the proceeds going to Parent Council.

Report from the October 22nd Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee

The Redistricting Subcommittee reviewed the redistricting process and maps with the Amherst School Committee. A slide presentation and handouts were provided. This information is available on the ARPS website at the following link: http://www.arps.org/node/1039 (Click on "Redistricting presentation10-22-09.pdf" to download the maps.) After the presentation School Committee members commented and asked questions, followed by one hour of public comment.

Two new maps were presented: Rendition 5 and Rendition 6. Rendition 5 has children living in South Amherst apartment complexes divided between Wildwood and Fort River, resulting in a % FRL (free/reduced lunch) range of 1%. Rendition 6 has all these children attending Fort River, resulting in a % FRL range of 6%. See the chart below.

All 6 maps are presently under consideration for the School Committee Redistricting vote next Tuesday (Oct. 27). Any thoughts or questions regarding the last two renditions of the redistricting maps, or any of the other versions, can be directed to the School Committee at
schoolcommittee@arps.org.

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

Redistricting Map: Rendition 5

School                # Students            %FRL*             % Struggling
Crocker Farm           330                     35.5%                22.1%
Fort River                 437                     34.8%                21.7%
Wildwood                 476                     34.7%                22.3%


Redistricting Map: Rendition 6

School                  # Students           %FRL            % Struggling
Crocker Farm             336                   36.3%                22.9%
Fort River                   460                   37.4%                21.3%
Wildwood                   447                   31.5%                22.1%

*Free/Reduced Lunch

Ford Children Education Fund Established

It is with sadness that we share with you that the father of one of our K-3 students passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, October 8th. Phoenix Ferreira Ford's father, Julius Ford, left his wife, Debora Ferreira Ford, newly born baby son Onyx, Phoenix and a community of loving family and friends. His family and community celebrated his life and mourned his loss on Tuesday, October 13th. (You may have seen his very accomplished and deeply impacting presence highlighted in the obituary offered in the Gazette.)

A scholarship fund has been established for the children. If you would like to contribute, you can send donations to The Ford Children Educational Fund, c/o Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities, 489 Whitney Ave., Suite 201, Holyoke, MA 01040.

Upcoming School Events

Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee to Discuss Redistricting. Thursday, Oct. 22. 7pm. High School Library. See below for more information.

Early Dismissal Day. Tuesday, October 27, 1:20 dismissal. Parent/Teacher conferences will be taking place during the afternoon.

School Committee Meeting. Tuesday, Oct., 27th, 7pm. High School Library. The School Committee will be voting on elementary school redistricting.

Original Works Order Forms Due, Friday, Oct. 30. More information here.

Fall Festival and Winter Sports Swap, Friday, Oct. 30. 6:00-7:30 pm. FR Cafeteria (Sport Swap in the school lobby). See below for more info and online sign-up sheet.

Fort River Roasters Order Forms Due. Friday, November 6. Click here for form. 

Coffee With A Principal. Friday, November 6, 8:30 am. FR Cafeteria.

*Items in teal are sponsored by Parent Council.

Special Meeting of the Amherst School Committee: TONIGHT Thurs. Oct. 22, 7pm.

The Amherst School Committee will have a special meeting on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the Amherst Regional High School library. The purpose of the meeting is for the Redistricting Subcommittee to review the redistricting process and maps with the Amherst School Committee.  After the full School Committee has time for deliberation and discussion of the recommendation, there will be an opportunity for public comments.  The School Committee will not take any action on the subcommittee's recommendation at this meeting.  The vote is scheduled for the regular Amherst School Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 27th.

You can see the agenda for the meeting here: http://www.arps.org/node/1039.

Please note: a "Redistricting Presentation" pdf file has been posted on the ARPS.org website which shows a bunch of proposed maps to be discussed at the meeting tonight. The presentation can be downloaded here: http://www.arps.org/node/1039.

Send In Your Box Tops!!

The first submission for Box Tops is approaching quickly.  Please bring in all clipped Box Tops no later than next Wednesday October 28.  In case you forget there is a Box in the front office. Remember every Box Top is worth 10 cents for Fort River and they add up quickly.  Last year we earned $500!

Fall Festival and Sports Swap 2009, Friday Oct. 30th, 6-7:30 pm.

Fort River Fall Festival & Sports Swap

Don't forget that Parent Council will be holding this year's Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. 30th from 6-7:30pm. This is one of Parent Council's most popular and fun events, complete with a costume parade, games and crafts, and of course, food. The kids (and some parents!) wear their Halloween costumes.

Volunteers are still needed! 
We currently only have about 1/2 the number of volunteers needed to run this event. If we don't have enough volunteers by Monday, Oct. 26, the Fall Festival may have to be cancelled. So please don't delay--sign up now!

To volunteer to work and/or make food, click here for the online sign-up sheet.

Or, contact Diane Caraker at dianec711@comcast.net to volunteer or for more info.

A reminder: the Fall Festival is NOT a drop-off event! All children must be supervised by a parent/guardian.

Sports Swap: At the same time as the Fall Festival, we will also be holding a Fort River Sports Swap. Please bring your unwanted clean and usable winter clothes and sporting equipment to the school lobby on your way into the Fall Festival. This is a take-it-or-leave-it event without money or obligation. Possible items include but are not limited to dance clothes/shoes, skates and skating clothes, soccer equipment, hats, gloves, coats, snowsuits, and skiing equipment. Bring your items to the Family Fair and drop them off in the school lobby. Please note: There is no obligation to bring anything in order to take something. Contact for Sports Swap: Peter Wood cpwolfwood@hotmail.com.