Things Happening This Week.

Don't forget: RECYCLE DAY, SATURDAY FEB 28th TOMORROW! 10 AM to 1 PM WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE COME TO THE MARK'S MEADOW GYM TO HELP RECYCLE, CELL PHONES, RECYCLE INK AND LASER CARTRIDGES. Come for 1 hour or more, all help is appreciated. In just 3 hours we can earn as much as $1000. If you can, please bring:

• Any dead cell phones
• Any empty Ink or Laser cartridges. NO COPIER CARBONS
• Plastic shopping bags,
• Bubble wrap,
• Large empty boxes for shipping,
  

PLEASE LET TRACY KNOW IF YOU WILL BE THERE TO HELP BY REPLYING TO marksmeadow@gmail.com

Don't forget your rockin' chairs. Bring them in Friday 2/27 for the big day Monday 3/2.

March 2nd : PGG Meeting Mark's Meadow Library 6:30 to 8 PM. Childcare is provided for this event.

March 2nd: An announcement of who has the #1 Choice from the Superintendent Candidates. 7:30 High School Library

March 3rd: Special Amherst Elementary School Committee Meeting. 7 PM High School Cafeteria.
From Nick: Andy Churchill, Chair of the Elementary School Committee, has announced that there will be an extra meeting of the Amherst School Committee "to discuss the feedback we have received, at our last meeting and since from the public, and the next iteration of budget information from staff." This meeting will take place on March 3 at 7pm in the High School cafeteria. There was no mention of childcare. It is very important for the MM community to mobilize and speak up. Attending every School Committee meeting will be important. Also, writing letters to the School Committee would be helpful also.I am going to reach out to the instrumental music teachers to see if we can come up with some alternative scenarios. We can discussed some options at the Wed. SGC meeting. Please let me know your thoughts.
Andy and the school committee asked that the School District provide the following information :
1. The impact on our budget gap of the stimulus package/state aid - as much as is known by that time.
2. A list of the "non-cut" options for closing a budget gap - fees, reserves, override, employee givebacks, etc.
3. Updated class size and redistricting information for the "close MM" options.
4. What a revised cuts list would look like if instrumental music weren't on it - we have heard a LOT about this. Also, any ideas you might have for running the music program differently, in a way that preserves the instrumental music option for all children (especially low-income), but that might address some of your concerns about academic disruption, cost, etc.
5. A sense of how class sizes affect the budget - how much do class sizes go up if we cut, say 3 teachers? 6 teachers?
6. A list of the costs involved in providing Amherst "extras": intervention, subject area coaches, art, music, PE, computer, instrumental music. Also, an estimate of costs to provide an expanded language program for all the schools building on the WW Chinese program.