PGO Meeting Minutes

The PGO does its best to publish a wrap up of its meetings in the Crocker Crumbs, but if you missed it or want to read the full minutes you can always find them hosted on the school's website.

Coming Up At Crocker Farm

Thurs. & Fri., Nov. 27 & 28: No school- Thanksgiving Break

Mon., Dec. 1 8:30-9:00am: Coffee with the Principal, CF Community Room

Wed., Dec. 3: Crocker Java Coffee Orders Due!

Wed., Dec. 3, 6:00 pm: School Governance Council @ CF

Fri., Dec. 5, 8:15 am: Community Breakfast, CF Cafeteria

Tues., Dec. 9, 7:00pm: School Committee Mtg, HS Library

Thurs., Dec.11, 6:30pm: PGO Mtg, CF Community Room

· Thurs., Dec. 18, 9:30am & 6:30 pm: All School Show, CF Cafeteria

Compost Credit

Ricci Mastroianni would like to thank Becky Demling, Lucy McMurrer, and Michelle Chandler for bringing in yummy treats for the High School EAC students last week. The students volunteered an afternoon to help clear out the area around the old compost bins behind Crocker Farm. They LOVED and truly appreciated the goodies. The EAC is looking forward to coming back probably one more time this fall to finish and level the ground....and in the spring to help build new compost bins!

Thanks also to Sylvia Keochackian and Becky for helping Ricci to rinse milk cartons each week.

Appreciation for Whole Foods

On behalf of the Homework Club, thank you to Whole Foods Market! The store recently made a donation of $320.00 to the Homework Club to help pay for healthy snacks for the students. This generous donation will help to fuel lots of brainpower! Let them know that Crocker Farm appreciates their gift the next time you shop in the store!

No School Friday

Remember that Friday Nov. 21 is a Teacher Curriculum Work Day. That means NO SCHOOL for the little ones!

Next week at Crocker Farm:
Thursday Nov. 27 & Friday 28th: NO SCHOOL (& Happy Thanksgiving!)

Warm Thanks

My kids & I had the great pleasure yesterday of delivering over 70 food items and 3 HUGE bags of winter clothing to the Amherst Survival Center thanks to donations from Crocker Farm families. The Survival Center staff was so happy as the bags kept coming in and thanked the school for the generous donations.

So thank you so much for sharing a little something from your pantry and from your closets to help keep our school and larger community warm and well fed this winter.

If you’re thinking of taking it one step further, the Amherst Survival Center is always looking for volunteers, and often needs extra hands when college student volunteers are on break (January, summer). Tracey Levy (549-3968, tracey@amherstsurvival.org) is the person to contact about the possibility of filling in during those times.

Another place to receive help or volunteer with your kids is Not Bread Alone. They offer free home-made hot meals and groceries to anyone in need. Hwei-Ling Greeney is the coordinator (413-253-4882, greeneyh@juno.como).

Quick Call for Cookies!!!

Tomorrow (Thursday) at 3:30 p.m. students from ARHS's EAC will come help clear the old composting site in back of the school to prepare for our new ones to be built. Ricci Mastroianni (a para in Mrs. Wilcox's class) will bring her camping stove to have hot apple cider and hot water for tea for them....but she is looking for someone who would be willing to donate a bag of apples, or a dozen brownies or cookies. Geoff Friedman, a math teacher and the EAC supervising teacher, will be there as well. Contact Ricci right away if you can help out! mastroiannir@ARPS.ORG

Please help us win a FSB Customer's Choice Community Grant!

Florence Savings Bank will donate $50,000 to local, non-profit organizations through it's Customer's Choice Community Grant program.

Any qualifying organization which receives more than 1% of the total vote, will receive a proportional share of the funds. Last year’s winners needed only 68 votes to win! You must be a customer to vote and there's just one vote per person, but if your child has an account both you and your child can cast your vote for Crocker Farm by completing a ballot sheet (available Wednesday mornings at Savings Makes Sense and at FSB branches) or by visiting their website. Voting ends December 31, 2008. Submit your vote today!

Classifieds: Games for Sale

My name is Zeke (5th grade @ Wildwood) and my family switched our computer to a Mac (yea!), so I've got all these PC Computer Games that you can buy for your kids for Christmas and save lots of money! All the games work, but I don't have the manuals - but you can probably get them online. Most of them cost $30 new for each one. But you can buy them from me for just $25. Just send an email to zeke@sweetmojo.com

The Sims2 / FIFA06 Soccer / Lego StarWars II (awesome!) / SIM City 3000 (Comes with SIM Theme Park) / Harry Potter & Chamber of Secrets / Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire / The Return of the Incredible Machine / Roller Coaster Tycoon2 / Harry Potter Quidditch / Mall of America Tycoon / SIM Copter / SIM Safari / SIM Golf

Kung Fu Thank You!

Thanks to all of the families who came out and made Crocker Farm's first movie night a big success! More than 75 movie-goers turned out to share a fun family evening, watching Kung Fu Panda in PJs and sleeping bags. In the process, we also donated more than 65 non-perishable food items to the Survival Center - great work everyone! Many thanks also to Don at Northampton Rental, for the use of their fabulous popcorn machine. We'll look forward to seeing everyone again at our next big-screen event - stay tuned!

Next Week at Crocker Farm

Tuesday, Nov. 18:
School Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm, HS Library

Tuesday, Nov. 18:
Picture re-take day *

Friday, Nov. 21:
No School (Teacher Work Day)

* Picture re-take day is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18. If your child is re-taking his/her picture, send back the original. Keep your class pictures. If your child is having their picture taken for the first time, send in the order form with your payment. Extra order forms are available in the main office.

Box Tops for Education

Marcia Turner (the new boxtops coordinator, mom to Mitchell- grade 3) sent in the BoxTops for Education for the October 31st deadline and the total was $121.00. The next deadline is in February. We have set a $500 goal, but she'd love to see Crocker Farm raise even more! So, please clip those little box tops and send them in. A collection box sits in the front lobby. Thanks Marcia!

It's SHOW TIME!

Friday Night is Movie Night!

Bring your family for Kung Fu Panda
(doors open at 6:30pm, movie at 7:00pm)

Admission is FREE, but we'll be collecting donations to the food pantry at the Amherst Survival Center. Bring some cans of tuna, peanut butter, beans, soups, etc.

Popcorn $1, Juice boxes & water $.50

This Week at Crocker Farm

Tuesday 11th:
NO SCHOOL! (Veteran’s Day)

Thursday 13th:
PGO Meeting 6:30 – 7:30pm
Winter Clothing Drive Pick up time 6:00 – 8:00pm

Friday 14th:
Winter Clothing Drive Pick up time 8:30 – 10:00am
MOVIE NIGHT (Kung Fu Panda) Doors open at 6:30, Movie at 7:00 (Bring a food donation for the Survival Center as your "admission fee". Water, juice & popcorn will be for sale).

Grocery Store Support Program Reports

This just in! So far Crocker Farm has earned $78.55 from the Stop&Shop A+ BonusBucks program. That's great news! However, only 27 households have signed up so far... It's time for you to take the 2 minutes to sign up! CF's id # is 05194. Get out your card & click now!

Big Y's Education Express reports that we've earned 77,700 points. Not sure what that means yet, but it sounds great! You can sign up for this program too here.

Remember that you have to renew your participation in these programs Every Year!

For even more easy no-cost ways to support CF Click Here.

Dates For Your Calendars

Mr. Morris has a few dates for you to put in your calendars:

December 18, Thursday: All School Show (snow date, next day)

January 15, Thursday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration (snow date, 1/22)

February 12, Thursday: Band and Orchestra Concert

April 16, Thursday, All School Musical

week of June 8: Goodbye Assembly (day still to be decided)

All calendar info can be found HERE.

Election day Bake Sale Tally!!

Wow! The Election Day Bake Sale earned $978.56!

An enormous and heartfelt thank you to everyone who baked something, helped to staff the table or bought some of the delicious treats, coffee and cider.

The PGO plans to put this money to good use by supporting student enrichment at the school. If you'd like a voice in these decisions join us at the next PGO meeting on Nov. 13th!

The Vote Is In

In case you missed it, here's a snippet of Barack Obama's speech last night in Chicago.

"This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."
http://www.cnn.com/

COFFEE ORDERS DUE!!

Crocker Java Coffee Orders are due this week! Get them to school by WEDNESDAY Nov. 5th. The PGO sells caf or decaf; ground or whole bean coffee from Deans Beans. It's organic, Fair Trade, kosher, and delicious. Just $8.50 for a pound! Click for your ORDER FORM.

Crocker Cares Warm Winter Clothing Drive

Here's a wonderful way to support your community!

To ensure all Crocker Farm children are toasty this winter season, we are collecting warm winter outerwear. Please take a look in your closets for any gently used items (ALL sizes, children and adults are needed).

We are looking for donations of: coats, snow pants, snow boots, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves & snowsuits

Drop off: During school, November 3rd – 14th in the school lobby. If Crocker Farm is your polling place bring your donation on Election Day!

Pick up: If you would like any of these clothes for your family or know someone in need, please plan to come by the school Thursday November 13th 6:00 – 8:00pm or Friday November 14th 8:30 – 10:30am.

Any left over items will be donated to the Amherst Survival Center. If you have any questions, please contact Erika Zekos (studiozed@comcast.net or 256-1045). The Winter Gear Drive is sponsored by the PGO. Thank you for your donation!

Coffee With a Principal Monday Morning

Monday Nov. 3rd brings you an opportunity to visit with Mr. Morris and Mr. Smith for coffee hour. Meet at 8:30am in the Community Room for a cup of coffee, a donut & casual conversation about whatever's on your mind. "Coffee With A Principal" happens the first Monday of each month! See you there!

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Remember to set your clocks back 1 hour on Saturday night!