No School Tuesday 3/19/2013

All schools are closed.

All Amherst-Pelham Regional, Amherst Public and Pelham Elementary Schools will be closed today, Tuesday March 19th.

MCAS composition test scheduled for Tues posted until next Mon (3/25)

Due to the weather forecast, the MCAS composition test scheduled for Tuesday, March 19 has been POSTPONED until Monday, March 25th (per Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). (posted on the arps.org web site)

Jones Library Spring Fling party!

Bring your family to the Jones Library on Saturday from 3-5 

for a Spring Fling party with light refreshments.  

Winning basket raffle tickets will be drawn.

(click on image to enlarge)

Gentle Reminder

If your child has MCAS tests this week - we kindly ask that you send them in to school with some snacks to share with their classmates.  It benefits the entire class and makes testing days end with a smile.  Thanks, in advance, for your generous contributions.  Thanks again for supporting our kids, our teachers and our school.

You may have missed this in the local paper...

Dear Editor of the Hampshire Daily Gazette, 
Once again we find ourselves in a position to thank our fantastic community.  During the month of January, The Amherst Lions Club hosted a Ski and Skate sale at Crocker Farm Elementary.  In this, our second year of the event, we are happy to announce that we surpassed our initial sales goal.  The proceeds from the two-day event help support the "We Serve" motto of the Lions Club -- and directly helps the Crocker Farm Elementary Literacy Closet - a treasure trove of leveled reading materials that helps our children thrive.

We applaud the efforts of the hard working Amherst Lions Club members and we send our heartfelt thanks to all of the Crocker Farm families who helped with the set-up, sale, and clean-up.  So many wonderful people shared their smiles and their time -- all to help support our teachers, our children, and our beloved school.

We are fortunate to live in a community that values learning and celebrates Winter's bounty,
Justyne Ogdahl and Angela Mills
Co-Chairs of the 2012-2013 Crocker Farm PGO 

LSSE Spring Offerings

Help out local families

Hello everyone.  

We are coordinating a collection of home goods and clothing for the Bigelow family.  They lost much of their property in the recent fire at Rolling Green Apartments.  Donations of used items in good, working condition are welcome!  Please help in any way you can, whether offering a donated good (see instructions below) or forwarding this entire email to your local friends.  Also, both funds that serve the Amherst families that were affected by fire are listed at the end of this email.  

Bigelow Home Goods Collection: Sunday 3/17 - Noon on Wednesday 3/20

We're using VolunteerSpot (the leading online signup and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming activity.

Please sign up for Bigelow Home Goods Collection - here's how it works in 3 easy steps:   1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/ykaBGE
   2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)
   3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Please sign-up with your name, email and phone number so we can get in contact with further information.

Thank you for your generosity,

Shannon Borrell 

Rolling Green Fire Fund 
Florence Savings Bank
385 College Street

Amherst, MA 01002  

Peshkov Fire Fund 
c/o UMass Five College F.C.U.
200 Westgate Center Drive
P.O. Box 1060
Hadley, MA 01035-1060

SEPAC meeting - Sat, March 16th, 8:30, Rao's

 

Special Education Parents Advisory Council Meeting

 By Birdie Champ

All are welcome to attend a Special Education PAC meeting to be held this coming weekend.
WHEN:  Saturday, March 16th, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: Raos Coffee, 17 Kellogg Ave, Amherst MA.
WHO: Open to the general public.
WHAT: The agenda is as follows:

1. Updates needed to the SEPAC brochure – to be made after May elections
2. Review of Bylaws – suggested changes/edits to be made at April meeting
   • Process for communication with the District – contact and protocol
   • Meeting attendance requirements for Board membership
   • Responsibilities and approvals process for minutes, web postings, newsletter articles and SC statements
3. Meeting Dates times for April and May
4. Agenda Items for 3/18 meeting with Faye Brady, Director of Student Service
5. Status of the newsletter this year (no Fall newsletter agreed upon)
   
    For more information, please visit the SEPAC blog (http://arpssepac.wordpress.com/) or main SEPAC web site (http://arps-sepac.info/)
   

Regionlization: 3-town elementary district (Amherst, Pelham, Leverett) still being explored

web site:  http://RegionalSchoolPlanning.com

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Andrew Steinberg
Chair, Regional School District Planning Board (RSDPB)


RSDPB votes to develop three-town pre K-6 elementary regional school district

Three of four towns in current 7-12 region will pursue additional preK-6 elementary region to present to voters in the fall

Amherst, MA – March 12, 2013

The twelve member Regional School District Planning Board (RSDPB) of Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury agreed unanimously on Saturday, March 9, 2013 to propose a regional school district for the preK-6 elementary schools in Amherst, Leverett and Pelham. The RSDPB will develop a plan for the three-town preK-6 elementary regional school district during the next three months and then present it to the voters in those three towns in the fall.

The RSDPB, which is composed of three members from each town, has been working since June 2012 to understand the educational and financial benefits and consequences of changing from the present structure. Currently all four towns participate in a 7-12 regional school district for Middle School and High School. That 7-12 regional school district will continue, with a change to the existing 7-12 regional agreement in the composition of the its regional school committee. Currently, each town also has a School Committee for its preK-6 elementary schools. Because it is not feasible for small towns to hire their own Superintendent and maintain an administrative office, all of the towns participate in School Unions created in 1901. Amherst and Pelham are School Union 26, which hires and shares a Superintendent with the four-town 7-12 secondary regional school district. Leverett and Shutesbury are in School Union 28 and share their Superintendent with Erving, Wendell, and New Salem elementary schools. Andrew Steinberg, RSDPB chair, said, “This structure was created in 1901 and served well for the 20th century. A new structure to support our schools is needed for the 21st century.” 

School enrollment is declining, and three of the four towns now accept elementary school choice students. Costs are increasing at a greater rate than the 2 ½% annual increase in property taxes that is allowed by state law without an override. The 1993 State Education Reform Act diminished the role of School Committees, a trend that continued with new federal education laws and initiatives since 2001. In the past months the RSDPB has studied the relative administrative efficiencies, the ongoing need to coordinate elementary curriculum for the local elementary schools bringing students together in the 7-8 regional middle school, and the advantages of more effectively sharing specialized staff such as administrative support, special education teachers, and teachers who focus on special programs, such as 
art, music, technology, and world language. The RSDPB also considered the short-term and long-term financial benefits to creating a regional school district for elementary schools. A multi-town regional school district will be more financially stable because of the ability to share resources among more students, teachers, and buildings.

A primary benefit of a regional school district is that member towns share one School Committee, develop and administer one budget, and provide one set of reports to the State. There are challenges to creating a regional school district because there must be a fair and lawful way to compose and elect a multi-town School Committee, and a means to allocate both operating and capital costs acceptable to all member towns. Throughout the process, RSDPB members consistently considered both the needs of their own towns and the four towns collectively. Although Shutesbury RSDPB members determined that their town is not yet ready to join an elementary regional school district, they will remain members of the RSDPB so as to craft a Regional Agreement that also meets the needs of their town should they decide to request admission to the elementary regional school district at a future time. In the next months, the RSDPB will develop a Regional Agreement that addresses these and other issues to present to voters in the fall. Leverett and Pelham voters will do so at Special Town Meetings with printed ballots. Because Amherst has a Town Meeting with elected representatives, a special election will be required. The RSDPB will continue to hold meetings and forums to include residents in planning a three-town elementary regional school district.

For more information: http://RegionalSchoolPlanning.com

Crocker Farm raises funds via Hillside Pizza

Hillside pizza fundraising forms arrived in your home yesterday or today (via your child's backpack) -- if you have questions or would like help placing your order just leave a voicemail message for Angela Beatriz Mills (413-219-6344) - Thanks for raising funds for our school's community garden and for class field trips!  All orders must be received by March 28th at 1pm.  Pick-up is on April 4th at parent pick-up doors from parent pick-up until 6pm.