6th-Annual Brookfield Farm Full-Belly Benefit Dance Party

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Brookfield Farm is co-sponsoring a terrific benefit dance party to support our region's local food security.  The Full-Belly, Benefit Dance Party was created five years ago to capture the incredible outpouring of support and community involvement during the Obama campaign and turn that attention to our local community.
  
The sponsors of this event are local farmers, educators, and food purveyors who recognize the importance of strengthening food security, both at the immediate level, through the work of Amherst and Northampton Survival Centers, and through Kestrel Land Trust's long term efforts to protect local farmland.  Those who attended last year's event at the JCA can attest that we had one walloping good time dancing the night away -- and we raised over $4,500!  This year The No-No's (yes, that's MY band!) will once again provide us with toe tapping dance tunes, our co-sponsors will provide us with snacks, and Valley Malt will provide us with a cash bar featuring local libations.  There will be great gifts raffled off during the night and we will do our best to raise as much money for our recipients as possible.

So please join us at the JCA Social Hall (742 Main St, Amherst) from 8pm - midnight as we dance to some great music and raise money for a pressing cause.  Attached is a .jpg of the Full-Belly poster with all the details.  And here is the Facebook event page  please share this on your wall and invite all of your friends. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and family. 

- Brookfield Farm

Pre-School Seeks Puzzle Donations

The preschool at Crocker Farm is accepting donations of puzzles for ages 3-5 (and higher) that are intact and in good condition. The children enjoy puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty including those with knobs (inset), interlocking, large floor, and interlocking pieces of up to 40 pieces. Look for our donation box in the preschool entryway.

Hillside Pizza Fundraiser Reminder

A gentle reminder:
Orders are due for the Hillside Pizza fundraiser this Friday (tomorrow). 
The school earns money on each pizza, cookie dough package, and gift certificate we sell, & the more we sell, the more we earn on each item.  

Orders should be submitted with payment and will be available for pickup on Friday, March 21st from 3-6 pm at Crocker Farm.

PRIZES will be awarded to the 3 top sellers.  Each will awarded a book of their choice from Barnes & Noble.

Extra order forms can be downloaded HERE    (http://tinyurl.com/q2gvfgz) 

Any questions, please feel free to contact justyneogdahl@gmail.com. 

Family Engagement Survey

A message from the ARPS administration: 

Families...We want to hear from you!

Each year the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) surveys parents in select school districts to determine how well your child’s school is communicating with you and promoting your engagement in your child’s education. It’s our district’s turn this year.

Your opinion matters! Make your voice heard!

• You can complete the survey online at http://maparentcohort2.com
• Ask your child’s school principal if you need help in accessing and completing the survey.

Your participation in this survey is important in helping both the DESE and our local school district in improving educational programs for all students and in enhancing your participation in your child’s education.

For questions about the survey, please contact Martha Daigle at (781) 338-3366 or mdaigle@doe.mass.edu

 The survey closes on March 21st.  

Encuesta de compromiso familiar

Familias, ¡queremos oír de ustedes!

Cada año, el Departamento de Educación Primaria y Secundaria (DESE, por sus siglas en inglés) de Massachusetts encuesta a los padres de familia en ciertos distritos escolares para determinar cuánto se comunica con usted y cuánto promueve su participación la escuela de su hijo en la educación de éste. Este año es el turno de su distrito.

¡Su opinión es importante! ¡Haga que su voz se escuche!

• Puede completar la encuesta en línea en  https://www.ashtonsurvey.net/cgi-bin/rws5.pl?FORM=MADESECohort22014SP  

• Si necesita ayuda para tener acceso a la encuesta y completarla, pídasela al director de la escuela.

Su participación en esta encuesta es importante para ayudar, tanto al ESE como a su distrito escolar local, a mejorar los programas educativos y su participación en la educación de su hijo.

Encuesta de compromiso familiar
Del 13 de enero al 21 de marzo de 2014

Si tiene preguntas sobre la encuesta, comuníquese con Martha Daigle al (781) 338-3366 o

mdaigle@doe.mass.edu

Coffee with School Committee candidate Katherine Appy!

Please come join us this Friday morning from  8:50-9:50!

Spring swimming lessons at Amherst College update

Greetings from the pool at Amherst!

 

Classes are filling quickly so we've created a table below that indicates what has limited space or is wide open at the time this email is sent. All registrations as of the mail today are in and set.  If you have submitted your registration and we have NOT contacted you, you are registered for the day and time you requested.

"Limited" means that there are very few spots available so if you intend to sign up for one of these times, please indicate a second choice on your registration and we will contact you with what we can make work.

Please do not email requests to "reserve" spots - we can only register children when we have the paperwork and payment.

See you soon!

Nick and Erin

	Levels 1-2	Levels 3-6	Diving
W 3:40	Limited	Limited	Available
W 4:30	Limited	Available	Available
W 5:20	Available	Available	Available
S 9:00	Limited	Available	Available
S 9:50	Available	Available	Available
S 10:40	Available	Available	Available

Nick Nichols
Amherst College Swimming
amherstcollegeswimlessons@gmail.com
--------------------------

Registration forms & more info can be downloaded HERE
(http://tinyurl.com/ngvcdtx)

Family Workshop on Eating Disorders

How to Determine if Your Child is Developing an Eating Disorder 

When should you worry if your child has an eating disorder?

• What are the behaviors which lead to eating disorders? 
• How do you determine if your child has developed an eating disorder?
• What’s the best treatment for your child?

Families are invited to a free presentation by Claire Norton which will provide beneficial information regarding a healthy lifestyle and methods to develop a positive relationship with food.

Claire Norton is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist in the State of Massachusetts. Ms. Norton holds a M.S. in Nutrition Science from Trinity College, Dublin Ireland and is currently a UMASS Nutrition Department faculty member. She is the Clinical Nutritionist at the Adolescent Health Clinic, which uses a family-based treatment approach in the treatment of adolescent eating disorders.

March 31, 7 p.m.
Amherst Regional High School Library, 21 Mattoon Street
For more information please contact burnsj@arps.org or 413-362-1875

Odyssey Bookshop Writing Contest

Contest for students in grades 1-5

Contest Writing Prompt
You find a letter written by someone from the past. Where did you find it? Who wrote it? What does it say? When was it written? What do you do? Does it tell you anything, the history books don’t? Get creative! It may or may not be based on a historical character. For example: You find a time capsule with a letter written by someone who lived in your house long ago. Or you find a lost letter written by Anne Frank.

Best Story prizes will be awarded at each grade level as follows:
1st Prize — $20 Odyssey Gift Certificate
2nd Prize — $15 Odyssey Gift Certificate
3rd Prize — $10 Odyssey Gift Certificate


Link for more info and entry forms: 
http://www.odysseybks.com/spring-writing-contest

Entries Due:  Thursday, April 10th by 7 pm
at The Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, South Hadley, MA
 

Crocker Farm & ARPS Events This Week & Upcoming

This Week @ Crocker Farm
Wed, 3/12, before school:  Savings Makes Cents Savings Deposit Day
     through Florence Savings Bank  (signup form here)

Fri, 3/14:  Deadline for Hillside Pizza fundraiser orders  (link)
Fri, 3/14, 8:50 am:  PGO Coffee with Special Guest Katherine Appy,
        Amherst School Committee Member & Candidate

Upcoming @ Crocker Farm
Fri, 3/21, 3-6 pm:  Hillside Pizza Fundraiser order pickups, Crocker Farm
Wed, 3/26, 6-7:30 pm:  Family Math Night (link)
Fri, 3/28, 8:50 am:  PGO Coffee with the Principal & Special Guest
          Superintendent Maria Geryk

Crocker Farm MCAS schedule (link)