Crocker Farm PGO Bookfair at Barnes & Noble - next Sat, Nov 7th

Hadley Barnes & Noble, all day

10 am: Music with Miss Leticia (Crocker Farm parent) & her students
11 am: Storytime with Amy Coulthard (Crocker Farm Preschool Teacher)

Enjoy a day of shopping while supporting the Crocker Farm PGO!
Mention "Crocker Farm" when checking out to earn money for our school. 

Stop by our table in-store to enter our FREE kids & adult raffles. 

Explore Barnes & Noble’s first-ever Mini Maker Faire. Events throughout the day.
* Make & Collaborate - Hands-On Activities at Noon, 4 pm, & 5 pm; different activities for ages 5+, 8+, & teens/adults

* Demonstrations of tech/gadget products at 11 am, 3 pm, & 6 pm including a 3D printer, and a Meccanoid personal robots.  

Mini-Maker Faires are being held at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, Nov 6th-8th.    Learn more about the events for the Hadley store HERE.

Crocker Farm PGO: Bookfair ID 11714474  

Crocker Farm Gardens - Seeking Gardening Gloves for Kids & Adults

The new garden beds installed by the district are looking good, & classes have started planting fall crops (Spinach) & spring/summer ones (garlic).   The new garden shed from the district is a huge help.

MANY THANKS to the 2nd grade classes for weeding the older beds, & to volunteer extraordinaire Sylvia K. for the long hours she has spent on weeding & garden cleanup.

The 2nd grade teachers (Ms. Mattone, Ms. Carson, & Mr. Lefebvre) are jointly sharing the job of being Crocker Farm's garden coordinator.   If you are interested in helping with the garden, please let the PGO or one of the 2nd grade teachers know.

The 2nd teachers are currently seeking donations of gardening gloves (kid size & adult size), as they have none.  Used gloves are fine.  Thanks in advance! 

Online Feedback Form from Wildwood PGO on the Disrict's Recommendation for Elementary School Consolidation

At this week's public forum on the elementary school building project, Wildwood PGO board member Laura Quilter spoke & mentioned an online feedback form that she has created to encourage input from parents, teachers, school staff, & community members about the district's recommendation to consolidate the current three K-6 Amherst public elementary schools into two schools: a K-1 school at Crocker Farm (which also houses the district's preK program) & a grades 2-6 school at a location still tbd. At the forum, the Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris thanked Laura for her efforts.

The link to the Wildwood PGO's online feedback form is below, & the form is available in both English & Spanish. Those wanting to give feedback to the district about its recommendations can also email the Amherst School Committee at schoolcommittee@arps.org.

Like the Wildwood PGO, the Crocker Farm PGO is taking no position on the building study & the district's recommendations, & is providing information on the project & the feedback form link only as a service to help our families learn more about the project & help them give an easy way to provide feedback should they care to do so.

Link to form:  http://wildwoodpgo.com/reconfiguration-feedback-form/

To learn more about the Wildwood/elementary school building study, you can visit the study's web site: http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com/

District-SEPAC Meetings for Parents on the District's Recommendations for the Elementary Schools & Proposed School Consolidation

The district & SEPAC (the Special Education Parents Advisory Council)  will be holding meetings next Mon, Nov 2nd, at Crocker Farm (9 am) & Fort River (5:30 pm) to discuss the impacts of the district's recommended elementary school changes on students with IEPs or 504 Plans.

All families with children on an IEP/504 Plan are welcome to attend.

The meetings will include:
Maria Geryk, Superintendent
Mike Morris, Assistant Superintendent...
Faye Brady, Director of Student Services
Katherine Appy, Amherst School Committee Chair
Nancy Stewart & Laura Kent; SEPAC Executive Board Members

Workshop for Parents of Children on IEPs - RSVPs due Oct 29th

** This workshop is free & open to all but reservations are required **   

RVSP to Nancy Stewart, by October 29th
(413)687-4255  * sepac@arps.org 

Family TIES of Massachusetts            

 Let’s Get Organized

Wed, November 4th, 2015

6:30-8:30 pm

Amherst Regional High School Library

Do you wish you had a way to keep track of your child’s IEPs, evaluations, progress reports, doctor reports, test results, and more? Western Parent Coordinator will offer effective ways for parents to organize and manage paperwork, building a customized binder for your child - plus general ideas on “keeping it together” and tips for developing community connections for your child. This workshop is free and open to the public.

Family TIES of Massachusetts is a project at the Federation for Children with Special  Needs, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family and Community Health, Division for Perinatal, Early Childhood & Special Health Needs.

 

Amherst Educational Foundation Trivia Bee Tonight

The Amherst Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization committed to promoting students’ educational equity, supporting diversity, stimulating excellence, & mobilizing broad community support for the public schools of Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, & Shutesbury.

AEF has been raising & distributing funds to support community schools since 1994. TONIGHT is the AEF's Trivia Bee, one of the AEF's major annual fundraisers. The Trivia Bee is wonderful community event in which teams match wits for trivia glory, all to benefit our public schools.

 

Thank you, AEF, & thanks AEF supporters for helping our public schools! 

Amherst School Winter Coat Share - collecting now, distributions starting soon

(click to enlarge)

The Crocker Farm PGO is partnering with the parent groups in the other Amherst public schools again this year for our annual Warm Winter Clothing Share.  

As the temperatures are getting lower, we are seeking coats & other warm winter clothes of all sizes to pass along to school & community families. 

At Crocker Farm, the collection boxes will be out in the main lobby & at the preschool/afterschool pickup door until Fri, Nov 6th.

The Crocker Farm PGO is seeking volunteers to help with distributing the collected clothes, including helping set everything up on Fri, Nov 6th afterschool & on Mon & Tues, Nov 9-10th during the day.   If you can help, please signup HERE or email Tracy at tmz23@zafian.com. 

The Crocker Farm PGO is also looking to borrow a coat rack for the distribution days.  If anyone has one they can lend out, please let us know.   Thank you!  

Pumpkin Catapult supplies & Class parent for Mr. Hughes needed

The third grade classes are seeking donations of wooden craft sticks (tongue depressors) and little pom-poms for their Pumpkin Catapult project.

The PGO is still seeking a class parent for Mr. Hughes' & Mr. Borell's fifth grade class. 

If you can help, please let us know  crockerfarmpgo@gmail.com,
or just drop off the craft supplies at school.

Thanks in advance! 

Public Forums on Elementary School Building Study, today, 3:30 & 7:00 pm

Today @ 3:30 & 7:00 pm, the Amherst school district is holding public forums on the Wildwood/elementary school building study & potential reconfiguration. Forums at the HS auditorium.   Childcare is available at the forums, & transportation to the forum is available upon request.

The district's recommendation is for the 3 elementary schools to change to 2: (1) Crocker Farm would become a preK-1st grade townwide school, & (2) a new townwide school would be constructed for grades 2-6.  The School Committee is scheduled to vote on the project next week. 

You can learn more about the study on the project web site:  http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com/ or the FB page for this project (https://www.facebook.com/Amherst-Elementary-School-Buildin…/).

Spanish translation and editors needed!

Can you help translate PGO information into Spanish?

Many flyers are updates from past years, so it’s a quick job to check over the Spanish version and make sure the current info is correct. Turn-around within 1-2 days preferred.

Longer translation tasks include the PGO 1 page newsletter and flyers for new events.  Turn-around within 3-5 days preferred; a week possible.

To help, please email CrockerFarmPGO@gmail.com

Volunteers Needed Crocker Farm Bookfair at the Hadley Barnes & Noble Sat 11/7 10-3

Saturday, November 7^th 10 am – 3 pm

(Store open 9 am to 10 pm)

Parents are needed to staff a table at the front of the store and hand out bookmarks/flyers with our book fair number for shoppers to use when they check out. 

Please follow this link to sign up for a volunteer shift between 10am-6 pm on Saturday 11/7.

When shoppers give the Crocker Farm Book Fair Number at check out, a percentage of purchases will go to support our school.  Funds raised support school events like field trips and mini-grants for our teachers and classrooms. 

Volunteers needed: winter coat and clothing share Fri 11/6, Mon 11/9 & Tue 11/10

The Amherst Public Schools winter coat & clothing drive is underway! Schools and businesses around town are collecting coats and warm clothing for school families.

Crocker Farm volunteers are needed for

Set Up (Fri 11/6)

Distribution (Mon 11/9 & Tues 11/10) and

Pack Up (Tues 11/10)

SET UP Friday November 6 3:10 – 6:00:  sorting coats and clothing by size, is a great project to do with your older elementary child!  The more hands, the more quickly the work is complete.

DISTRIBUTE Monday Nov 9 and Tuesday Nov 10 during school hours: help with distribution of winter gear to children and families.

PACK UP Tuesday November 10 2:00 – 4:00: This year, Crocker Farm is working together with other ARPS schools to share warm winter clothes among as many students and families as possible. Volunteers are needed to help pack up the remaining items to pass on to the next school.

Please follow this link to sign up for your 1.5 or 2 hour shift.

Free writing workshop for children ages 12+

(click on image to enlarge)

(not a school sponsored event)

3 free activities at the Jones Library for your 3rd-5th grader!

(Click on images to enlarge. Not school sponsored events.)

This week at Crocker Farm & ARPS

Crocker Farm:
Wed, Oct 21st:  Fundraiser at the Toy Box store, extended hours 6-8 pm, % of sales will go to the Crocker Farm PGO.

Fri, Oct 23rd:  Deadline for submitting Box Tops. Send them in, in your child's backpack, or drop them off in the collection box in the Crocker Farm lobby.

Amherst Regional Public Schools:
Mon, Oct 19th:  ARHS public tours, 5:30 pm, followed by a listening session on the proposed merger of the ARMS & ARHS, 6:30 pm at the ARHS library

Tues, Oct 20th:  Amherst School Committee meeting, 6:00 pm, ARHS Library, includes a presentation by the ARPS administration on their recommendations regarding the Wildwood/Elementary School Building Study, & the 3 options being studied for the elementary schools. 

Wed, Oct 21st:  Forum on the proposed preK-12th grade regionalization of the Amherst schools, with Pelham, Leverett, & Shutesbury, 6:30 pm, Leverett Elementary School.

Ongoing through Nov 6th:collection of winter coats & other winter clothing for sharing with other school & community families.  The collection boxes will be out in the Crocker Farm main lobby & at the pre-K entrance/afterschool pickup until Nov 6th.  All sizes wanted.  Thank you.

Fundraiser at The Toy Box for Crocker Farm - Wed, Oct 21st

This Wednesday, the TOY BOX toy store in downtown Amherst (201 North Pleasant Street) will have extended evening hours 6-8 pm for a Crocker Farm Fundraiser.

Members of the Crocker Farm community and others are invited to join the TOY BOX team for this event. There will be snacks, music, and staff on-hand to show families toys and games.
 
A percentage of sales from the evening will be given to the Crocker Farm PGO as a check, and the PGO will then use those funds to support Crocker Farm and fund events, field trips, and more. Thank you to THE TOY BOX for their support of Crocker Farm & other schools in the area. 

 

Winter Coat & Clothing Collection & Distribution - Collection Boxes Now in the School Lobby

The Crocker Farm PGO's annual winter clothing collection starts this week.  Now is a great time to go through closets & find coats/jackets, snowpants, boots, mittens, scarfs, & hats that your family has outgrown or you no longer need. Please drop off clean items in good condition in the collection box in the CF lobby now through Nov 6th. All sizes (kids & adults) wanted.

Collected clothes will be available for the taking in the CF lobby on Mon, Nov 9th & Tues, Nov 10th. All school & community families are welcome to come in on these days to pickup whatever they need. 

This year, Crocker Farm is working together with other ARPS schools to share warm winter clothes among as many students and families as possible, and we also have community partners assisting with the clothing collections.  Look for a flyer in backpacks soon with more details on the other collection & distribution sites & dates.  

Thank you!

Drop off Box Tops by Oct 23rd

Have Box Tops been collecting in your house in a drawer, kitchen counter, or elsewhere?  

The Crocker Farm Open House this Thurs is a perfect time drop off Box Tops.    We'll have the collection box out at the PGO's table.  

Other times, the collection box is out in the school lobby, or you can drop off Box Tops in the PGO's mailbox in the office.

All those 10 cent labels really do add up!  Thank you. 

For more information on the Box Tops program or which products have Box Tops, please visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/.  

Most Likely to Succeed - Film Showing Tonight, Oct 14th

Most Likely to Succeed - An educational documentary

See the trailer for the film here. 

Free showing Oct 14th, 6:30 pm
at the ARHS Auditorium
 
The screening will include an introduction by educator/architect David Stephen, & a Q&A afterwards by author/producer Ted Dintersmith.

Here is a link to the web site for David Stephen's architectural firm, New Vista. 

Here is a link to Ted Dintersmith's blog, Educating for the 21st Century.

School Governance Council - Parent/Guardian Nominations Still Being Accepted - Due Wed, Oct 14th

The Crocker Farm School Governance Council (SGC) is a great way to get involved at Crocker Farm.  The SGC meets regularly with Principal Derek Shea and is comprised of parents/guardians, teachers/staff, and the Principal. The SGC acts as an Advisory Board to the school administration on issues such as school policy, the school budget, and helps with the creation of the annual School Improvement Plan.  Meetings are typically held once a month. Some former SGC members have gone on to serve on the Amherst School Committee. 

There are three parent/guardian vacancies on the SGC this fall.  If you are interested in serving on the School Governance Council, or would like to nominate someone else, please fill out the form below and return it to the Crocker Farm main office or email it to Cathy Aldrich (aldrichca@arps.org) by Wed, Oct 14th, at 3 pm.   The deadline has been extended to Oct 14th from Oct 8th in order to encourage additional nominations.   Parents/guardians can nominate themselves or someone else.   

New parent/guardian representatives to the School Governance Council are typically elected at the Crocker Farm Open House/Curriculum Night, this year scheduled for Thurs, Oct 15th.  Candidate information will be available to the Crocker Farm School community prior to any election. Questions about serving on the School Governance Council or the election process can be directed to Principal Derek Shea (SheaD@arps.org).   Under state statute, a school's parent & teacher association has the responsibility to hold elections to elect new SGC representatives. 

2015/2016 Crocker Farm School Council Nomination Form
Name of Nominee
E-Mail
Phone Number(s)
Child(ren) at Crocker Farm 
Statement of interest (2-3 sentences)  

Please indicate if you are nominating someone other than yourself so we may contact that person to confirm acceptance of the nomination.

This form can also be downloaded here 

Crocker Farm Open House, Thurs, Oct 15th

Open House Schedule, Grades K-6

6:15 pm - Mr. Shea & Ms. Conklin: Welcome Remarks in Cafeteria

6:30 pm -
Classroom Presentations (Grades K, 1, & 3)
Grades 4-6 visit with Specials Teachers (Art, Music, P.E., Library, Computer/Technology) ELL, Special Education, Guidance, Reading/Math Intervention (Title I) in individual rooms

7:00-7:05pm (Transition to next portion of the evening)

7:05 pm -
Classroom Presentations (Grades 4, 5, & 6)
Grades K, 1, 2 and 3 visit with Specials Teachers (Art, Music, P.E., Library, Computer/Technology, ELL, Special Education, Guidance, Reading/Math Intervention (Title 1) in individual rooms

7:35 pm - End of presentations-Have a good evening!

CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT WITH THEIR FAMILIES. There will be no childcare available. Children will go to classrooms with a parent/guardian.

BUS TRANSPORTATION. Bus transportation for Open House is available for families living in housing complexes off East Hadley Road & Butternut. The bus will stop at Butternut at 5:00 pm, Southpoint entrance at 5:10pm & The Brook entrance at 5:15 pm. Transportation will also be provided for going home from Crocker Farm leaving Crocker at 7:30 pm.

THE CROCKER FARM PGO will have a table set up in the school lobby during Open House.  Stop by & say hello. All Crocker Farm parents & guardians are automatically part of the PGO. 

Regional School Committee Meeting, Tues, Oct 13th

ARHS Library, 6 pm
The agenda indicates that the School Committee will go into Executive Session at 6 pm, & that the open part of the meeting will begin at 7 pm.

Topics on the agenda include:
* Discussion & update on the MS-HS consolidation
* Superintendent's performance goals & evaluation for the 2015-16 school year
* Vote on the solar energy contract discussed at the last School Committee meeting

The full agenda is available here. 

Meetings this Week on the Wildwood/Amherst School Building Study - School Committee Vote Planned for Nov 3rd

For people who are interested, there are a number of information sessions & discussions scheduled this week regarding the Amherst Elementary School Building Study (aka the Wildwood Building Study) & possible reconfiguration/consolidation of the 3 public Amherst elementary schools.  

The Amherst School Committee is expected to vote at its Nov 3rd meeting on which of the study's options to move forward with. The options are to (1) renovate Wildwood, (2) build a new school on the Wildwood site that this similar is size to the current building, and (3) to build a new townwide school for grades 2-6 (for 750+ students) on a site still tbd. Under this 3rd option, the current Wildwood & Fort River buildings would no longer be used as elementary schools, & Crocker Farm would become a townwide school for preschool, Kindergarten, & 1st grade. Whatever option is selected, it will impact the district's elementary schools for decades. 

There are a number of ways & opportunities to learn more about this project & to express your opinions if any about the project. The district is maintaining a web page (http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com/) and a Facebook page on the project. These sites contain the latest information on the project.

The district recently updated its FAQ document for the project & added additional questions & answers.   It is available at this link/
   
There are a number of upcoming PGO & district events where the study and options will be discussed. 

**Tuesday, October 13th, 10 - 11 AM
Informational Session for Families with Preschool & Young Children
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Young children welcome
Hosted by ARPS Administrators

**Tuesday, October 13th, 7 PM
Parent Led Discussion about Proposed Elementary School Plans
ARPS District representatives may be present
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Moderated & hosted by the Wildwood, Crocker Farm & Fort River PGOs

**Thursday, October 15th, 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Update
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Hosted by the Wildwood PGO

**Friday, October 16th, 9 AM
Fort River Coffee with the Principal
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Fort River Cafeteria
Hosted by the Fort River PGO

**Monday, October 26th, 3:30 & 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Public Forum
two similar sessions (attend either)
in the ARHS Library
Hosted by the ARPS
The forum will be recorded & the recording will be available through Amherst Media later.

Joslin Lesser of Watertown, MA is the Project Management company coordinating this project. The Wildwood Joslin Lesser Community page is here: http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com. To see other K-12 projects coordinated by Joslin Lesser visit here: http://www.joslinlesser.com/projects/k-12/

If you missed the public forums held on September 29th, the district and Amherst Media have made content available. The video from the public forums are here.  The slides shown during the forums are here.

Still seeking Class Parents for Ms. Coley's & Mr. Hughes' classes

Just two classes remaining .....

The Crocker Farm PGO is still looking for class parents for:
* Ms. Coley/Ms. Dougherty (4th grade)
* Mr. Hughes/Mr. Borrell (5th grade)

Class parents work individually with their child's teacher to determine the best way for them to help the class.  If you are interested in being a class parent for one of these classes or for another class, please email Amanda, the PGO's Class Parent coordinator, at amandanlawall@gmail.com, or otherwise contact the PGO.   Thank you.  

The other 17 classes now have class parents.  We will be posting the class parent list soon. 

Thank you to everyone who has signed up to be a class parent or to volunteer with the PGO in other ways.  If you have been meaning to signup to volunteer & haven't yet, you can access our online volunteer signup form here. 

Parent Led Discussion on Proposed Elemtary School Plans Tuesday 10/13 at 7pm

Parents! Do you have questions, ideas, concerns or feedback about the Amherst Elementary School Building Project?

Please join a facilitated discussion by parents for parents.

The purpose of this parent-led discussion forum is to identify common questions and concerns shared by elementary parents in order to constructively share this feedback with the school building committee.

What:           Parents discussion of Elementary Restructuring proposals

When:       7:00 pm Tuesday October 13 – yes, that’s this Tuesday!

Where:      Wildwood Cafeteria

The discussion is being facilitated by PGO members, but the PGOs themselves do not endorse or express opinions on any of the proposals. 

As a reminder, there are multiple upcoming PGO & district events where the study and options will be discussed. 

**Tuesday, October 13th, 10 - 11 AM
Informational Session for Families with Preschool & Young Children
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Young children welcome
Hosted by ARPS

**Tuesday, October 13th, 7 PM
Parent Led Discussion about Proposed Elementary School Plans
ARPS District representatives may be present
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Facilitated by district PGO members

**Thursday, October 15th, 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Update
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Hosted by the Wildwood PGO 


**Friday, October 16th, 9 AM
Fort River Coffee with the Principal
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Fort River Cafeteria
Hosted by the Fort River PGO

**Monday, October 26th, 3:30 & 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Public Forum
two similar sessions (attend either)
in the ARHS Library
Hosted by the ARPS
The forum will be recorded & the recording will be available through Amherst Media later.

Amherst Elementary School Building Study - upcoming meetings & opportunities to learn more

**** This morning, Fri Oct 9th, 8:45 am, Coffee with the Principal & Special Guests Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris & Amherst School Committee Chair Katherine Appy. The topic will be the Amherst Elementary School Building Study (aka the Wildwood Building Study) & possible reconfiguration/consolidation of the 3 public Amherst elementary schools. Please join us to talk about this important issue. ****

The Amherst School Committee is set to vote in early Nov on which of the study's options to move forward with. The options are to (1) renovate Wildwood, (2) build a new school on the Wildwood site that this similar is size to the current building, and (3) to build a new townwide school for grades 2-6 (for 750+ students) on a site still tbd. Under this 3rd option, the current Wildwood & Fort River buildings would no longer be used as elementary schools, & Crocker Farm would become a townwide school for preschool, Kindergarten, & 1st grade. Whatever option is selected, it may impact the district's elementary schools for decades. 

There are a number of ways & opportunities to learn more about this project & to express your opinions if any about the project. The district is maintaining a web page (http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com/) and a Facebook page on the project. These sites contain the latest information on the project.
--
There are a number of upcoming PGO & district events where the study and options will be discussed. 

**Tuesday, October 13th, 10 - 11 AM
Informational Session for Families with Preschool & Young Children
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Young children welcome
Hosted by ARPS

**Tuesday, October 13th, 7 PM
Parent Led Discussion about Proposed Elementary School Plans
ARPS District representatives may be present
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Facilitated by district PGO members

**Thursday, October 15th, 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Update
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Wildwood Cafeteria
Hosted by the Wildwood PGO


**Friday, October 16th, 9 AM
Fort River Coffee with the Principal
with special guests Mr. Morris & Ms. Appy
in the Fort River Cafeteria
Hosted by the Fort River PGO

**Monday, October 26th, 3:30 & 7 PM
Wildwood School Building Public Forum
two similar sessions (attend either)
in the ARHS Library
Hosted by the ARPS
The forum will be recorded & the recording will be available through Amherst Media later.

Joslin Lesser of Watertown, MA is the Project Management company coordinating this project. The Wildwood Joslin Lesser Community page is here: http://wildwood.projects.joslinlesser.com. To see other K-12 projects coordinated by Joslin Lesser visit here: http://www.joslinlesser.com/projects/k-12/

If you missed the public forums held on September 29th, the district and Amherst Media have made content available. The video from last week's public forums is here: https://archive.org/details/WildwoodForum092915 The slides shown during the forums are here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By0mz4P0v3bWanliV0RUalBVRUgwbG9QSnp0MUdMT0M1R0dJ

Coffee with the Principal & Special Guests, Oct 9th. Topic: the Wildwood building study & the future of our elementary schools

Crocker Farm 2019:    PreK-1 or PreK-6?

What’s all this about the possible restructuring of the elementary schools in Amherst?

What does this mean for the Crocker Farm community and families?

Please join us for an opportunity to talk about this important issue with Mike Morris, Assistant Superintendent of Amherst Schools and Katherine Appy, Chair of the Amherst School Committee

Friday, October 9th, 8:45-9:45 am

in the Crocker Farm Foyer

Coffee, tea, and baked goods will be provided.

Small children are always welcome. 

Coffee with the Principals:  Hosted by the Crocker Farm Parent and Guardian Organization (PGO).

Public Forum on Regionalization Tues, Oct 6th

Public forum tonight on the potential K-6 regionalization of the Amherst elementary schools with the Pelham, Leverett, & Shutesbury schools.

6:30-8:30 pm, ARHS Library

Each town may be voting on the K-6 regionalization early next year. The 4 towns already share the MS & HS.

An ARPS powerpoint presentation on the regionalization is here

& here is the most current FAQ document on regionalization.

Public Forums on regionalization are also scheduled for:
Leverett: Oct 21st, 7 pm, Leverett Elementary School library
Shutesbury: Nov 18th,  6:30 pm, Shutesbury Elementary School library
A date/time for a forum in Pelham is still TBD. 

Harvest Fest tomorrow - 6 pm

The forecast for Friday now looks better, but we'll still be in the cafeteria. 

The Harvest Fest & Potluck start at 6 pm.

Hope to see you there!  

SC meeting Oct 1st, discussion of solar energy proposal & upcoming forums on regionalization

At today's Regional School Committee meeting (6 pm, ARHS Library), the School Committee will consider an agreement to receive some of the MS & HS's future energy needs via a solar energy source to be developed in Deerfield.  Slides providing an overview of the proposal are included in the meeting's agenda packet, link here. 

At the meeting, the SC will also discuss the upcoming public forums on K-12 regionalization.  The first forum is scheduled for next Tues, 10/6, at 6:30 pm, at the ARHS Library.

Dental services visiting Crocker Farm on Thurs, Oct 8th

Signup deadline: Fri, 10/2

from ARPS central office:
The ARPS Family Center is partnering with The Mobile Dentist once again to provide dental care to our district families of Amherst. Smile Programs…the mobile dentists are innovative, on-site, school based, dental outreach providers. Their mission is to bring state of the art dental care to those students in need, in the most comfortable & effective way possible. Dental care remains the greatest unmet health need among U.S. children. Over 50% of children have a cavity, which can cause pain leading to missed school. 

Together, we can keep our children healthy, in school, and learning. Please call the Crocker Farm office at 362-1600 if you did not receive a registration form in your child’s backpack, & you are interested in signing your child up.

ARPS PGO 501(c)3 meeting

The ARPS PGO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization consisting of the PGOs of Crocker Farm, Wildwood, Amherst Regional Middle School, & Amherst Regional High School.

One representative from each of the above PGOs serves on the ARPS PGO board. 

The Fort River PGO is a separate 501(c)3.  

The ARPS PGO was created to help joint fundraising efforts among the school PGOs, & to enable that PGOs to apply for grants & other funds that are only available to 501(c)3 non-profits.  

The ARPS PGO holds one business meeting in the fall, & one in the spring, & additional meetings when needed.  These meetings are open to the public. 

  

ARPS PGO

Fall Public Meeting

October 14, 2015

4:00-5:30 PM

Crocker Farm Lobby

Meeting Agenda

Introductions

Voting on new representatives and officers

Fall Tax Filings

Paypal on Websites

Processing Large Donations/ Matching Gifts Protocol

Grant Writing Protocol

Valley Gives, Giving Tuesday, Whole Foods & future other joint fundraising opportunities

Sales Tax Exemption Use

Other new business not known at the time of the posting of this meeting