Coffee for new Wildwood families

The Wildwood PTO invites all parents/guardians of children attending Wildwood next year (2010-2011) to meet at Rao's Coffee from 8:30-9:30 am on Wednesday January 20th. Buy your own coffee and meet some new friends. We want to start the dialogue going on ways to help all the kids & families transition to their new environment next year, whether that means a different building and/or different faces in the classroom. This event is purely social, there will be no formal agenda.

Redistricting Informational Meetings Scheduled

WHAT? A MEETING ABOUT REDISTRICTING AND NEXT STEPS

ABOUT? TO SHARE OUR PLAN TO SUPPORT STUDENTS/ FAMILIES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS

WHERE? YOUR CHILD’S CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DATES? December 7, 2009 – Wildwood
December 14, 2009 – Crocker Farm
December 17, 2009 – Mark’s Meadow
December 21, 2009 – Fort River

TIME? ALL MEETINGS WILL BE FROM 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Thinking about holiday gifts? Here are two great ideas.

Thinking about holiday gifts? Here are two great ideas.

AMHERSTOPOLY: The Elementary School PGO's have sent order forms home to all the Amherst Schools. Please order your Amherstopoly Game by December 18th to receive your copy before school lets out. See attached order form. Or email Tracy Hightower at tracy@waterfieldfarms.net. Games will be sold at both the Mark's Meadow Concert today at 2 PM and at 7:30 PM Wednesday Night.

AMHERST EDUCATION FOUNDATION: Three Cheers for our Teachers and Staff.
You can honor a teacher or staff member AND strengthen our schools with a gift to Amherst Education Foundation (AEF). We will deliver a personalized Thank You card to the person you wish to honor during the last week
of school in December, and your contribution will be used for grants to schools next year.

Gifts must be received by December 18 to guarantee delivery on December 21. Your gift to AEF will convey an important message of support to our teachers and staff members.

See attached Three Cheers Contribution Form
Thanks to our many generous donors AEF Amherst Education Foundation, Inc.
granted almost $40,000 for projects supporting students this year in areas like:
* Restoring after school clubs at ARHS
* Professional development at ARMS, Crocker Farm and Wildwood
* Library books for Pelham Elementary School
* Support for a new enrichment program at Fort River
* Math and reading materials at Marks Meadow

Internet Safety for Children

INTERNET SAFETY for our Children

WHERE: Marks Meadow auditorium

WHEN: January 7, 6:30 PM

Cindy Boyle, a community educator from the Northwest DA’s office, will be at our schools to facilitate a session with our 5^th and 6^th graders on Internet Safety. She will hold an evening session for parents of all elementary students on January 7th at 6:30 in the Mark’s Meadow auditorium. Her focus with our students will be Internet safety and cyberbullying.

Cindy is a former Pittsfield police officer and a victim’s assistance advocate for Berkshire County. She is currently the Director of Community Education and Outreach at Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. Northampton, Massachusetts. Her primary responsibility is providing training to local elementary, middle, and high schools, community agencies, faith based organizations, and law enforcement agencies. Trainings topics include but are not limited to: internet safety, bullying/cyberbullying, suicide prevention and prevention of child sexual abuse. Additional duties include chairing the District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, cultivating and coordinating relationships with community partners, and assisting in all aspects of planning and presenting conferences.

Please come join us for this informative evening. There will time for questions

and answers.

Amherst 250th Gala

Amherst Youth Basketball

Amherst Youth Basketball (AYBL)
Games begin Saturday January 9, 2010

It’s not too LATE...
Teams are being formed!!!

Coed League - $99
Grades K-2 Instructional Division (Players in this division practice but play no formal games)
Practices will be held at Fort River and Wildwood on Saturdays or Sundays.

Boys’ Divisions - $129
Grades 3 & 4 Sundays - Wildwood/Hadley Elementary
Grades 5 & 6 Saturdays - Middle School/Hadley Elementary
Grades 7 & 8 Saturdays - Middle School
Grades 9 - 12 Saturdays - High School

Girls’ Divisions - $129
Grades 3 & 4 Sundays - Wildwood/Hadley Elementary
Grades 5 & 6 Saturdays - Middle School/Hadley Elementary
Grades 7 & 8 Saturdays - Middle School
Grades 9 - 12 Saturdays - Middle School

Fee Reductions Available
up to 75%

To register, call Amherst Leisure Services at 259-3065, visit lsse.org,
or stop by our office in the Bangs Community Center.
Amherst Youth Basketball (AYBL)
*Not a school sponsored event.

More H1N1 Vaccination Clinics

H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinics

University Health Services and the Town of Amherst are hosting walk-in H1N1 flu vaccination clinics Wednesday, Dec. 2, noon - 6 p.m. at the UMass Campus Center Auditorium; and Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

at the Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst. Clinics are open to ages 6 months - 65, while supplies last. There is no cost to you

for vaccination.

To save time, follow these steps:

Download the registration form and vaccine information from from

www.umass.edu/uhs or www.amherstma.gov.

Photocopy both sides of your insurance card.

Bring the completed form, your insurance card and card copies to the clinic.

Forms and information will also be available at the door.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommend vaccination for everyone in the target groups, including those who have had a recent flu-like illness. However, anyone who is currently ill and has a fever cannot be vaccinated.

Maintaining excellent schools meeting

Please attend an organizational meeting to harness parent energy in addressing the current Amherst/Amherst Regional budget crisis.

When: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 7 p.m.

Where: At MJ Viederman's home, 150 Blackberry Lane, Amherst. Long driveway at the end of the street -- park at the circle and walk into the long driveway, or drive in and park along the left side of the roadway.

Who: Everyone interested in maintaining excellent schools in our community.

Why: The budget situation this year has the potential of making all of our schools unrecognizable. If we work together to utilize the wealth of skill, creativity, and knowledge as a community, then we can build a cooperative plan for all students to continue to excel.

Bring: A smile, your calendar, and all of your ideas.

Enthusiastically supported by the ARMS FSP
Amherst Regional Middle School Family School Partnership

H1N1 vaccinations

At the Select Board meeting tonight the town announced that there will be H1N1 vaccinations offered at the Middle School on Wednesday 11/11 9am-1pm for children under age 17 or pregnant woman or those caring for infants under 6 months.

Submitted by Town Meeting member Clare Bertrand

Amherst 250th Parade DVDs for sale

DVDs of Amherst's 250th Parade on September 27th are now available for $10. Full coverage of the event includes the group who marched for Amherst Elementary Schools. Produced by ACTV, these DVDs make a great souvenir of the event!
Contact Catherine Stryker on 413 695 7124 to place your order.

And

A DVD produced by the 250th Celebration Committee is on sale. It is a 90 minute video with all marching units in the parade and footage of the Clydesdales in downtown shot earlier in the week. A tremendous souvenir of the 250th parade. Parade was filmed by Patrick Serio a professional videographer from neighboring Hadley. for more information click on this site. http://www.amherst250.org/index.php?id=65