END OF THE YEAR TEACHER GIFT

Want to give a meaningful gift to your child's teacher that shows how much you care about a quality education? Let Amherst Education Foundation help you say how much you care and support them in the important job they do.
www.amhersteducationfoundation.org.

Art at the high school

Bring your family – come to AR[T]HS – an exhibit of outstanding artwork by students at Amherst Regional High School. This exhibit will showcase juried work from all of the Art Department’s areas of study: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Stained Glass. AR[T]HS will be on display in the Nacul Center Gallery, 592 Main Street, Amherst. The exhibit will run from June 9^th-June 20^th with an opening reception on June 9^th from 5-8 pm. If you are attending the opening reception, please park at the high school or car pool, if possible. Gallery hours are from 10am to 4pm, Monday through Friday. Free and open to the public.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Join the PGO this Wednesday, June 1st on the front playground for the annual Ice Cream Social/ End of Year Picnic. Bring your own picnic then get a cone or sundae.

Questions?  Contact Sue Bernier at 256-2103.

Interested in playing Travel Soccer for Amherst?

Tryouts are being held soon. Information and pre-registration forms (due May 28th) are on-line at http://www.amherstsoccer.org/

2011-2012 Travel Soccer Age Brackets:

U-9 – Born on or after August 1, 2002

U-10 – Born on or after August 1, 2001

U-11 – Born on or after August 1, 2000

U-12 – Born on or after August 1, 1999

U-13 – Born on or after August 1, 1998

U-14 – Born on or after August 1, 1997

2011 - 2012 Travel Soccer TRYOUT SCHEDULE

ALL TRYOUTS WILL BE HELD AT CROCKER FARM SCHOOL IN AMHERST

ATTENDANCE AT TRYOUTS IS MANDATORY

Tuesday May 31 - U9 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Wednesday June 1 - U9 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Thursday June 2 – U10 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Friday June 3 – U10 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Monday June 6 – U11 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Tuesday June 7 – U11 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Wednesday June 8 – U12 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Thursday June 9 – U12 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Monday June 13 – U13 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Tuesday June 14 – U13 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Wednesday June 15 – U14 BOYS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Thursday June 16 – U14 GIRLS 5:30 – 8:00pm

Coffee for 6th Grade families with students on IEPs

Please join ARMS Principal Mike Hayes and Assistant Principal Betsy Dinger for a 7th Grade Special Education Parent/Guardian Orientation discussion for families of students with special needs on Thursday, June 2th at 4:30 PM at the Middle School.  This will be an informal opportunity for parents to hear about ARMS, ask questions and meet other families.  Light refreshments will be served.  Questions?  Please contact Betsy Dinger at DingerB@arps.org.

Tag (You're it!)

(Click on images to enlarge.

Don't miss the guidelines. Important stuff in there.)

June is here- time for the Ice Cream Social

Questions?  Contact Sue Bernier at 256-2103.

The Read-a-thon is coming! The Read-a-thon is coming!

Get ready to read—the Crocker Farm Summer Read-a-thon is here! The Crocker Farm Summer Read-a-thon is fun, educational, and raises money for the school library. Kids find sponsors for their reading and keep a list of the books they read over the summer. If a child is unable to find a sponsor, the librarian will help find sponsors for them. Participants who turn in their book lists and money in the fall receive prizes for their efforts. The Read-a-thon helps kids keep their minds active over summer vacation. And, as an extra incentive, the grade with the most participants will also get to celebrate with a pizza party!

Keep your eye out for the Read-a-thon permission slips, which will be coming home soon. Folders will be available in the school library starting Monday, June 6. Please send the signed permission slip in to the school with your child by Friday, June 17, so they can receive their Read-a-thon folder from the library. In the fall, your child will receive a reminder to bring in his or her book list and collected pledges.

Summer camp offerings

Summer's fast approaching. Looking for activities for your kids? We've got two terrific ones! There's Oasis Amherst at Hampshire College and there are oodles of LSSE offerings with such CF celebrities as Mr. Shea or Ms. Schmitt.

Yay summer!

Human Rights Gathering

The Amherst Human Rights Commission invites you to our 8th annual Amherst Gathering
Honoring
The people of the Town of Amherst, in all our diversity, including our children

This gathering will be held at the Mill River Recreational Center Saturday, May 21, 2011 from Noon to 3.
Please bring a dish and beverage to share.
Hot dogs & Hamburgers provided by The HRC.
The annual HRC Young Heroes and lifetime Elders awards will be presented starting around 1:15 pm.
See You There!

Sponsors: The Amherst Human Rights Commission, LSSE, The League of Women Voters, Amherst Health Department, Ellen Story, State Representative, Amherst Public School, and the Family Fun Day Committee

Later school start times

As we mentioned back in March (click here to refresh your memory), the Amherst schools are discussing starting school later.

If you want to learn more about what the report found, click here.

NPR just had a segment on teens and sleep on Monday morning. If you'd like to hear their take on it, click here.

(What a font of information your PGO blog is!)

Last week to participate in the Energy Star Fundriaser

Parents, with the end of the fundraiser and Western Mass Saves referral program approaching, Crocker Farm is far away from achieving the target of 150 sign-ups on WesternMassSaves.com/HelpMySchool that, if achieved, will earn the students a prize of a bald eagle adopted in the name of the school... but not so far that we can't achieve the goal if we work together.  Here's what we can do:

1) Sign up your household first!  Go to WesternMassSaves.com/HelpMySchool and choose to join the Crocker Farm energy saving team. We can hit the target and win the prize for the students just by signing up our own households if we all do it. 

2) Help your children spread the word about helping Crocker Farm to others in the community. You can help them pass out the pages of the small tearpad which include a flyer for the Western Mass Saves referral challenge.  (Make sure you and your children enter in the name of Crocker Farm on the pages of the tearpad, so others know to join the Crocker Farm team when they go to WesternMassSaves.com/HelpMySchool.)

[insert tearpad image here?]

3) While they're spreading the word about Western Mass Saves, help them sell energy-efficient products to community members. Proceeds will go directly to the school, and our whole community will benefit from the increased energy efficiency. 

If you have questions, you can always email Adam of Western Mass Saves at Adam.Gerson@WesternMassSaves.com .

Boy Scout Open House

Come join Boy Scout Troop 500 Amherst to see how Scouting is evolving as it enters its 2nd century. We are having an Open House for prospective scouts and their families Tuesday, May 17 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the South Congregational Church, 1066 Southeast Street, Amherst. Troop 500 has a 50+ year history in Amherst working with school-age boys (grades 5-12). Troop activities are organized and run by the boys, including weekly meetings, monthly campouts, and projects in the community. Our Scouts learn practical outdoor skills and develop leadership skills while having a lot of fun.

For more information, contact Scoutmaster Peter Crowley at (413) 253-0964.

Energy Star Fundraiser!

Earth Day Fundraiser

Did you find the white envelop in your child's backpack last week?  It was filled with ways to help you save money on your electric bill.  The Crocker Farm PGO is partnering with Western Massachusetts Electric and Mass Save to sell Energy star light bulbs and power strips at a discount to students and their families with 100% of the proceeds going to Crocker Farm. Money from this fundraiser will help support Crocker Press.  After you have stocked up on those, don't forget to sign up for Mass Saves.  It is easy, fast and free!  Questions?  Contact Becky at beckydemling@yahoo.com or 230-3306.

Middle school event this Friday for 6th graders!

ARMS Family School Partnership is hosting a Club Showcase to highlight the fun of the after school clubs. It is this Friday, May 6th from 7-9pm in the middle school cafeteria. There will be a drama performance right at 7pm and club displays throughout the night. Meet other middle school families and see what might interest you for next year. Pizza slices and raffle tickets will be for sale to raise money for next year's clubs. Hope to see you there!

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Bronx Zoo Trip

Time to order coffee!

Crocker Java orders due this Wednesday!

Order some delicious, organic, fair-trade coffee and help the PGO raise some money! Get your order in by Wednesday May 4 and your coffee will come home in your child's backpack next week.

Whole bean or ground, decaf or not, hot chocolate also available! What a tasty way to help fund great activities for our kids!