Coffee Coffee Coffee

Your Crocker Java Coffee Orders are Due Wednesday April 1! Print your order form HERE. Thanks!

Town Election Tuesday March 31

For information about candidates for School Committee, Town Meeting & other positions check out the Amherst Bulletin.

MCAS Starts Monday

MCAS testing begins next week for grades 3 - 6. Please make sure that your student gets to bed early, has a good breakfast & comes to school on time.
Grade 3: Monday and Thursday
Grade 4: Tuesday and Friday
Grade 5: Friday
Grade 6: Thursday and Friday

One World Festival Next Thursday Night!

Come for the food - Come for the talent - Come for the community... The One World Festival is Thursday April 2!!

Schedule:
6:00–6:45 p.m. Tastes of the World, a delectable sampling of finger foods and desserts from other cultures prepared by Crocker Farm folks.

7:00–8:00 p.m. Sounds of the World, a concert of dance, music and poetry from around the world, featuring the talents of Crocker Farm’s own students and families.

Earth Hour

Saturday, March 28 8:30 - 9:30 pm: Join millions around the world as they turn out and take action by participating in Earth Hour 2009. Have fun in the dark and do your part to stop global climate change by turning off your lights for one hour this Saturday night!

Ants in Their Pants Workshop

Don't forget to sign up for this wonderful and fun parenting workshop being offered by the PGO and CF mom Becca Green Van Horn! It's on Monday April 6 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the CF Library.

It's free to attend (and childcare is free too). Register by April 1.

Click the image for a larger view

You + Wednesday = Math Night!

Make sure you're planning to attend Math Night, all you families of students in grades Preschool - 3! Much fun is planned & your children are the teachers at this annual Crocker Farm event!

Open Discussion Evening Event

The Mark’s Meadow Diversity Committee invites you to: “RACE -THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION”:
Wednesday, March 25 from 6:30-8:00 in the Mark’s Meadow Auditorium Join fellow parents/guardians for excerpts from the PBS series “Race- The Power of Illusion” and discussion regarding diversity related concerns. This forum is intended for adults only. Childcare will be provided. Refreshments will be served. What is Race? Is Race for real? We all know that people look different, but are these differences racial? What does race mean? Race is a modern idea. It has no genetic basis. There's less - and more - to race than meets the eye.

Next Week At Crocker Farm

Important, not to be missed event!
March 25: Family Math Night, 6:00 - 7:30 pm (for kids in grades K - 3 & their families).

& Coming Up... More Dates for your Calendars:
April 2: One World Festival, 5:30 - 8 pm
April 3: Coffee and Conversation 8:15 - 8:45 am
April 6: Coffee with a Principal 8:30 - 9:00 am
April 6: Ants in Their Pants Workshop, 6:00 - 7:30 pm (preregister by April 1)
April 7: PGO Meeting (NOTE NEW DATE!)
April 16: School Play (the Harlem Renaissance) 9:30 am & 7:00 pm
April 19: JC Penny/ Crocker Farm Community Playground Clean Up
April 20 - 24: April Vacation Week
May 4: What to Read When Workshop, 5:30 pm
May 6: Scholastic Book Fair 6:30 - 8:00 pm
May 22: Ice Cream Social & Movie Night
June 6: Crocker Farm Tag Sale

Don't Forget...

The One World Festival is on April 2! Spread the word...

Lego Contest

Got a Lego inventor at home? Check out this competition sponsored by the Connecticut Science Center! Click Here.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Lauren Mattone, a second grade teacher at Crocker Farm, has been awarded the MATHWEST Teacher of the Year Award. The award recognizes a teacher in Western Massachusetts for outstanding contributions to the advancement of mathematics education and training.

One World Festival

On April 2 Crocker Farm PGO will host its annual multicultural night. The One World Festival is a real treat - an evening set aside to celebrate our many cultures and traditions through food and talent! We need people to volunteer to cook for the potluck part of the night and we also need people to perform! In the past we've had folks sing songs, read poetry, dance, hula hoop, play drums, guitar, tell stories... you name it! Is there a talent that someone in your family could share? Please get in touch with Jose Gerena (josegerena@gmail.com) if you'll step up!

Next Week At Crocker Farm

Mon. March 16: No School, Teacher Work Day
Tues. March 17: School Committee Meeting (High School Library) at 7:00 pm
Wed. March 18: No Wednesday Clubs this week!

& Coming Up... More Dates for your Calendars:
March 25: Family Math Night, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
April 2: One World Festival, 5:30 - 8 pm
April 3: Coffee and Conversation 8:15 - 8:45 am
April 6: Coffee with a Principal 8:30 - 9:00 am
April 6: Ants in Their Pants Workshop, 6:00 - 7:30 pm (preregister by April 1)
April 7: PGO Meeting (NOTE NEW DATE!)
April 16: School Play (the Harlem Renaissance)
April 20 - 24: April Vacation Week
May 4: What to Read When Workshop, 5:30 pm
May 6: Scholastic Book Fair 6:30 - 8:00 pm
May 22: Ice Cream Social & Movie Night
June 6: Crocker Farm Tag Sale

Meet The Candidates Opportunity

Reminder that you can meet the three candidates for School Committee this Thursday night in the Crocker Farm Library from 7:15 - 8:15pm. Irv Rhodes, Steve Rivkin and Meg Rosa will all be there. Remember that there are only two open seats and voting day is March 31! Oh - this program is open to all Amherst residents, feel free to invite your friends!

Meet The Candidates Opportunity

The League of Women Voters will hold a Candidates' Night on Wed. Mar. 18 in the Middle School auditorium. There will be light refreshments at 7:00 pm and the program will begin at 7:30 pm. The forum will include candidates for both contested and uncontested positions.

Uncontested races (Uncontested candidates will make an opening statement only.):
Town Meeting Moderator: Harrison Gregg
Select Board: Aaron Hayden
Housing Authority: Peter Jessup

Contested races:
School Board -- 2 positions: Irvin Rhodes / Steven Rivkin / Megan Rosa
Redevelopment Authority -- 1 position: John Coull / Robert Kusner
Jones Library Trustee -- 2 positions: Carol Gray / John McDonald III / Sarah McKee / Lucy McMurrer
Oliver Smith Elector -- 1 position: John Coull / David Farnham

Contested candidates will make an opening statement, followed by a question period and closing statements. Joan Temkin will serve as moderator. All those interested in meeting and questioning candidates are urged to attend. Please note that political advertisements, including campaign buttons, signs, t-shirts, etc. are not permitted inside the auditorium.

The forum will be taped and broadcast on ACTV Channel 17 several times before the election on Mar. 31. Check your newspaper or the community calendar on ACTV Channel 12 for viewing schedule. For more information call 253-0633.

Next Week At Crocker Farm

Thursday March 12:
6:30 - 7:15pm: PGO Meeting
7:15 - 8:15 pm: The 3 candidates for School Committee will participate in an informal community forum in the Crocker Farm Library. They will share with us who they are, why they're running and answer questions you may have. The town election on March 31st will give us the opportunity to vote for 2 people to be on that 5 member committee. Please be an informed voter, come out and meet these wonderful people who are willing to serve our community in this way.

& Coming Up... More Dates for your Calendars:
March 16: No School, Teacher Work Day
March 25: Family Math Night, 6 - 7:30 pm
April 2: One World Festival, 5:30 - 8 pm
April 6: Ants in Their Pants Workshop, 6:00 pm
April 7: PGO Meeting (NOTE NEW DATE!)
April 16: School Play (the Harlem Renaissance)
April 20 - 24: April Vacation
May 4: What to Read When Workshop, 5:30pm
May 6: Scholastic Book Fair

Atkins Cards

Crocker Farm would like to give a big thanks to Atkins Farms for extending their Shoppers Card program to us this year. Have you used your card yet? Just show it to the cashier at check out and Atkins will donate a percentage of your purchase back to the school. We could earn up to $400 a year this way!

We have a few extra cards available on a first-come, first-served basis. Email studiozed@comcast.net if you didn't receive one yet or want another card for your family.

Amherstopoly Update

We have finished making the Amherstopoly game, and sent it in for production. A group of us from all four elementary schools (Tracy Hightower, Megan Rosa, Becky Demling, Erika Zekos, Jessica Payne, Sue Cairn, Liz Larson and Vivian Liu) have raised $22,000 in advertisements from Amherst businesses to cover all production costs of the Amherstopoly game. So, when we sell the games in late April, all proceeds will be profit, to be split equally amongst the four schools.

Here is where we need your help. We have been working really hard and are frankly, a little burnt out. We would like someone to help us with figure out the best way to sell the games in our schools, manage the inventory, set up a website to sell games over the internet, how to deliver the games, and how to handle the money/checks. We are also planning a party to roll out the game - so we will need help here too. So please email me at studiozed@comcast.net if you can offer your services to get the second half of the Amherstopoly project underway. I'll put you in contact with the Amherstopoly committee.

Yeah!

Crocker Farm shoppers have earned a whopping $1353.19 with Stop&Shop's A+ BonusBucks program! With only one month left in the program to earn money for the school just by grocery shopping - make sure you're signed up (ask your friends & families too - just go to the website & remember that CF's ID # is 05194.)

Town Election for School Committee

There will be a town-wide election on Tuesday 3/31. Two seats on the School Committee are up for grabs between three candidates. The School Committee creates the policies and budgets for all of our Amherst schools. It's important that parents get to know these candidates and get out and vote!

Here are the candidate's websites:
Irv Rhodes http://www.irvrhodesforschoolcommittee.org/
Steve Rivkin http://www.home.comcast.net/~s.rivkin/
Meg Rosa http://meganrosa.blogspot.com/

And plan to attend the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum at the Middle School on March 18th (we'll let you know the time when we find out!). It'll be filmed by ACTV in case you can't get there.

Amherst Schools online suggestion box

During this time of budget review, the school system has set up a way for you to offer feedback. Budget info can be found here: http://www.arps.org/node/471 Any ideas, comments or concerns about the FY10 budgets will be reviewed and considered during the planning process
http://www.arps.org/budget/suggestion Cool online feedback!

Alberto Rodriguez hired as next superintendent

Tonight the School Committee voted to hire Alberto Rodriguez from Florida to be our next Superintendent starting July 1.

Zumbyes Music

Did your kids come home raving about the Zumbyes on Friday? Maybe you heard something about a guy in a banana suit & their fun, lively music? If you're interested in hearing more, check out their website! They even have CD's available! Just send an email to zumbyes@amherst.edu or contact CF mom Lucy McMurrer at llmcmurrer@hotmail.com & she can hook you up.

Superintendent Update

In case you haven't heard, the Interim Superintendent's have resigned for health reasons and Maria Geryk has been appointed Interim. Some of us know Maria because she has a daughter at CF, but we may not know is that she has her superintendent certification and is ably prepared to take this job on.

In other news, the Regional School Committee will meet Monday, March 2 at 7:30 pm in the ARHS library to vote on its top pick for School Superintendent. By law, their deliberations must be made in public. All nine members of the Regional School Committee, which includes five Amherst School Committee members, will be voting.

If you would like to share your personal impressions about the candidates and your recommendations please consider contacting the members of the School Committee schoolcommittee@arps.org . You can also find contact information for the individual committee members at this link.

It's important that you contact the members of the school committee, even if you filled out the forms at the various public sessions. Also, please plan on attending the meeting on Monday evening.

Info about the candidates is at the ARPS website. You can also watch the evening sessions with each of the candidates online at the ACTV website .

It's a Snow Day!

Let the kids sleep in and relax with a quiet cup of your favorite hot beverage! See you on Tuesday!