6 –6:30 p.m. Meet in the library for a conversation with Nick about creating a framework for the Wildwood Vision and Identity. Together we will explore who we are, what we value and what we want our school to become!
6.30-6:45 p.m. PGO Updates and Opportunities
6:45-7:00 p.m. Meet and Greet, Questions
To help everyone stay warm this winter, the Amherst School PGOs are collecting winter clothing for distribution to school and community families. We are seeking donations of clean, gently used winter clothing for students (pre-k through 12th grade) & families.
* coats * snow pants * snow boots * hats * mittens * gloves * scarves * snowsuits
For Wildwood Elementary:
Collection: During school hours, Now thru Nov 17 in the lobby.
Distribution: Nov 20th and December 20th (School days only).
Taxes and State Filings (including new rep payee)
Group Fundraisers
UMACC (United Way)
Giving Tuesday
Florence Bank
Amazon Smile
Other Business not anticipated by the chair
Adjourn
The Amherst Survival Center will hold a job fair on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. at the center, 138 Sunderland Road, North Amherst. There will be no lunch, food pantry, food distribution or store on this day.
Our MCBA PLAY DAY making is underway. We need your help! Please donate any of the following items to Librarian Susan Wells.
Oct 15: All-School PGO Meeting
Oct 17: Early Release (1:20 pm dismissal) for parent/teacher conferences
Oct 18, 19: 12 noon dismissal for parent/teacher conferences
Oct 20: ABC Fall Foliage walk/5K run
Nov 6: Curriculum Day- No School. State and Local Elections
Nov 12: Veterans Day (Observed) (No School)
Nov 21-23: Thanksgiving Break
Dec 24- Jan 1: Thanksgiving Break
Please join us for the 47thAnnual Amherst-A Better Chance Fall Foliage 5Kwalk/run on Saturday, October 20th. The course begins on the Amherst town common and will include beautiful vistas during peak foliage! This is a family event with lots of great post run entertainment including drumming, dancing, DJ and Amherst’s own rap artist.
This year we are hoping to create elementary school teams so if you are interested in joining Team Wildwood, please contact -Chelsea Holabird, holabird12@gmail.com. There will be prizes, free t-shirts, food and lots of school spirit to support A Better Chance.
Also, we need adult volunteers so let the captain know if you are interested.
Click here to registerhttps://www.amherstabetterchance.org/fallfoliagewalkrun/ or go to our FB page https://www.facebook.com/ABCfall.foliage.walk.run/
This is not a school sponsored event.
Please assist the Jones Library in planning for the North Amherst Library’s future by taking 10 minutes to fill out their survey at https://www.joneslibrary.org/northsurvey
Printed copies of the survey are available at the Jones, Munson Memorial, and North Amherst Libraries, Town Hall, Bangs Center, Survival Center, Family Center, and Atkins North.
Once they’ve collected and analyzed the results, they will present our findings to the community in a North Amherst Library Long Range Plan.
If you have any additional questions or thoughts, please contact Library Director Sharon Sharry at 413-259-3106 or sharrys@joneslibrary.org. Thank you!
The Munson Library survey is available at
https://www.joneslibrary.org/munsonsurvey
More details are at http://www.friendsofthejones.org/2018/10/library-branch-surveys.html?m=1
Your are invited to the Basic Rights Workshop hosted by the APRS SEPAC on Monday, October 22nd from 6-8 PM in the ARHS Library.
The last day to register to vote in the general election on November 6th is Wednesday, Oct 17.
REQUIRED EARLY VOTING SITE
Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave – October 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, November 1 & 2 from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
ADDITIONAL EARLY VOTING SITES and DATES
UMass Amherst Student Union Building – October 24, 25 and 26 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St – Saturday* October 27, 2018 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
North Fire Station, 603 East Pleasant St –Saturday* October 27, 2018 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE OR UPDATE YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION IS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17TH BY 8:00 PM IN PERSON OR BEFORE MIDNIGHT ONLINE
Amherst Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall 1st Floor will be open until 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 17th to assist with registrations.
Registration, updates and information verification can also be completed online by visiting: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/
Questions? Contact the Town Clerk’s Office
Phone: (413) 259-3035
E-mail: townclerk@amherstma.gov
In Person: M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
Over the summer, the Fort River School Building Committee has continued to make progress with its feasibility study.
The results of the indoor air quality study performed by ATC Group Services of West Springfield showed that the levels of asbestos, bacteria, mold, and radon are within acceptable levels and similar to or below background/outside concentrations.
The designers,TSKP Studio, have been attending the committee’s meeting and a working subgroup has joined in meetings with the Amherst School District to understand programming needs of the school in order to produce a range of options for a school building to serve PreK-6 students attending the Fort River Elementary School.
Community meetings will be scheduled over the upcoming months and public input sought as plans develop. A timeline for the committee and designer’s work, along with other documents, can be found at https://www.amherstma.gov/3379/Fort-River-School-Building-Committee . If you would like to be notified about upcoming meetings and receive press releases directly to your in-box, you can join our list serve by signing up through our web page.
The next meeting of the Fort River School Building Committee will take place on October 10th from 6:00- 8:00pm in the Amherst Police Department Community Room. The public is welcome to attend and can also contact the committee at fortriversbc@amherstma.gov.
Each year, Florence Bank gives away $100,000 to community non-profits through its Community Choice grants program. Florence Bank customers vote for the non-profit of their choice & all non-profits getting at least 50 votes receive a grant. The non-profits receiving the most votes get up to $5,000(!) through this program.
In 2017, the ARPS PGO received almost 100 votes & $1,413. Yay! The grant money went towards classroom support, special projects, field trips & more.
This year, the PGOs of the ARPS PGO (Crocker Farm, Wildwood, Amherst Middle School, & Amherst High School) are campaigning jointly again to maximize our votes.
** Each Florence Bank account holder is eligible to vote once for the community organization of their choice. **
** The ARPS PGO is urging people to vote (at least please consider voting for) for the “Amherst Regional Public Schools PGO”, the name of our joint non-profit. **
There are 2 easy ways that people can vote:
(1) Online – Visit https://www.florencebank.com/vote to view the online voting site & can cast a vote online for the “Amherst Regional Public Schools PGO”.
(2) Paper Ballot. Ballot for printing attached. Ballots are also available at any Florence Bank location. Ballots should be submitted at the bank or turned into your PGO.
Voting is open until December 31st.
Thank you for your support!
The Amherst Center Recreation Working Group is excited to announce a Public Forum on Wednesday, October 3rd in the ARHS Library from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Come see the proposed design for the renovation of the Amherst Middle and High School athletic fields and track, Community Field, and War Memorial pool house/basketball courts/playground!!
Over the past 18 months, the Recreation Working Group has assessed and reviewed the current and projected demand on our athletic fields and recreation areas, in terms of organized school and town athletic teams, events, and use by the general public. The assessment considered options for reuse and reorganization of the fields/facilities, for current and future programs and activities, and to address the changing demographics of the community and school-aged population.
This informational forum will go over the Recreation Working Group’s preferred schematic design plan for the focus area and serve as a reference document for capital planning purposes. The landscape architects from Weston & Sampson, who developed the design in conjunction with the Rec Working Group, will be in attendance to go over the plan and answer questions.
Come out and help us get this project up and running!!
Jones Library presents Monster Mash, A family-friendly dance party for kids of all ages!
We’ll have spooktacular tunes, crafts, and photo opportunities. Costumes welcome!
When: Friday Oct 19th from 5:30 – 7:30pm
Where: Woodbury Room at the Jones Library
The Amherst Hockey Association is hosting a Girls Try Hockey for Free Day at the UMass Mullins Center Community Rink Saturday, October 6 from 1-3 p.m. For girls ages 4 and up. No skating experience required. Free skate rentals; bring winter gloves and a bicycle or hockey helmet. To save time at the door, register in advance at: http://tryhockeyforfree.com/8815. For more information, visit the Amherst Hockey Association website: www.amhersthockey.org.
The Amherst Boys & Girls Club is dedicated to making a difference in your life by giving you access to great programs, activities, and social experiences in a fun and structured environment. Our Club is open to all young adults, ages 9-18, looking for a place where they can meet up with other kids to relax, play games, and even get some extra help with school. But the most important thing you’ll do at the Amherst Boys & Girls Club is learn about yourself and the kind of person you’re capable of being.
Our club accepts grades 1-12 and there is a membership application form and financial assistance form 
for each member to complete. There is a one-time annual fee of $50. We offer a range of payments plans, as well as scholarships. This is outlined in the financial assistance form linked below.
Our club is open during the school year 2:30pm – 5:30pm. On half days and days when school is closed we open around midday. We also run programs during school vacations, and usually open from 1:00pm to 5:30pm.
Link to Membership registration form
Link to Financial Assistance form
Treat yourself to an unforgettable slideshow as Peter Christoph shares his experiences looking for wildlife, by land and by boat, at the beautiful and pristine Quabbin Reservoir. The photographic presentation will take place at 2:30 pm at the Jones Library in Amherst on Saturday, October 13, 2018.
A rich diversity of birds call the Quabbin their home, the main attraction being the common loon and bald eagle families that nest here. Several winters ago, Peter built a rustic cabin along a river in an area known as the North Quabbin Woods. It was from this base camp that Peter discovered the Magic of the Quabbin and became intimately familiar with its intricate network of channels, coves and islands. He will also discuss the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, including a glimpse into the lost towns which gave way to this unlikely wilderness area.
Peter Christoph is a well-known wildlife advocate, naturalist and award-winning bird photographer based in Lancaster, MA. He has a great respect for wildlife and through his presentations seeks to raise awareness of the need to conserve bird habitat. Peter has presented for a variety of organizations, including the Photographic Society of America (PSA), New England Camera Club Council (NECCC,) and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). He has been the recipient of many prestigious national and international awards and medals recognizing his photographic talent. Peter is also responsible for publishing three bird photography books, including his latest, The Art of Bird Photography.
Free and open to the public. For more information about this event, please contact Janet Ryan at 413-259-3223. This event is made possible with support from the Friends of the Jones Libraries and the Woodbury Fund.
Dear Wildwood Families/Estimadas Familias de Wildwood:
WE HAVE ONLY RECEIVED 118 RESPONSES. PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR DIRECTORY FORM TODAY! / SOLAMENTE HEMOS RECIBIDO 118 RESPUESTAS. Necesitamos más familias por favor.
In our effort to be more green and save paper please complete this form online rather than receive a paper copy. Your responses are sent to Susan Wells, librarian and PGO parent and co-editor of the Wildwood School Directory. You may direct questions to Susan Wells @ WellsS@arps.org. / En nuestro esfuerzo por ser más ecológicos y ahorrar papel, favor completar este formulario en línea en lugar de recibir una copia en papel. Sus respuestas se envían a Susan Wells, Bibliotecaria, madre del PGO y coeditora del Directorio de la EscuelaWildwood. Puede dirigir sus preguntas a Susan Wells @ WellsS@arps.org
Here is the link on our NEW website / Aquí encuentra el enlace:
By completing this form with your family address, phone number and email you are agreeing to be included in the student directory. If you do not wish to be included in the directory but would like to complete the photo release portion of this webform please do so by leaving the address, phone number and email of your family blank. If you do not complete this form electronically a paper copy of the directory form and the photo release will be sent home with your student. / Al completar este formulario con la dirección, número de teléfono y correo electrónicode su familia, acepta estar incluido en el directorio de estudiantes. Si no desea ser incluido en el directorio, pero desea completar la parte de publicación de fotos de este formulario web, hágalo dejando en blanco la dirección, el número de teléfono y el correo electrónico de su familia. Si no completa este formulario electrónicamente, se enviará a casa con su estudiante una copia en papel del formulario del directorio y el relevo de fotos.
Many thanks/ Muchas Gracias:
Susan Wells and/y Jennifer Haugsjaahabink
Once again, A
mherst Leisure Services Community Theater (ALSCT) is creating a fabulous, large-scale musical, with lavish sets and costumes, a full live orchestra, and enthusiastic audiences fill the 600-seat UMass Bowker Auditorium for nine performances in January. This year, we’ll be presenting PETER PAN, the beloved Broadway musical that has transfixed audiences for over one hundred years. We’re excited to present a version that is both true to the story and also speaks to contemporary audiences in the Pioneer Valley. Actors, singers, and dancers ages 7-107 are encouraged to audition!
AUDITIONS: Friday, Sept. 14th, Saturday, Sept. 15th, Sunday, Sept. 16th
Callbacks Monday, September 17th
Join the fun and Celebrate Amherst!
September 20th from 5 – 9 pm
North Pleasant Street in Amherst
Live Music • Street Food • Show Circus Acrobats • Entertainers • Dancers • UMass & Amherst College Basketball Teams • Children’s Activities • Community
Learn more here: amherstdowntown.com • New BP Poster 2018 B
Please join us Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at The Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002, as we gather to support struggling families in Amherst. Warm Up the Night! transforms a festive and warm tent at the Lord Jeffery Inn into a strolling culinary extravaganza. Join our guests as they wander the tent enjoying bites, sip and tastes from an eclectic mix of local restaurants and food artisans. The event raised over $16,000 which helped us help keep over 400 families in our area stable. This year we hope to raise $20,000!This event has something for everybody, which in the past included:
For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Nik Krauchi at nkrauchi@chd.org or visit our website: https://chd.org/child-adolescent-and-family-services/educational-developmental-support-services/family-outreach-amherst/family-outreach-events/warm-up-the-night-2018/
Enjoy a fun evening that includes costumes, raffle prizes, refreshments, an audience trivia game, and prizes.
Admission is FREE but we encourage donations benefiting Amherst Education Foundation and our public schools.
DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 PM
THE YOUTH ROUND!
It’s back! We will have a youth-only Trivia Round before the main competition. Teams of players 14 years of age and younger will answer age-appropriate questions. Starts at 6 pm.
SPONSORSHIPS
We are looking for businesses to sponsor our teams. Many businesses send their own teams, but we can also match your business with a team. Youth and Adult team sponsorships are $300, sponsoring a round is $600 and Event Underwriter is $1200.
TEAMS
If you’d like to play and don’t have a sponsor, we can help you out. We can match your team to a sponsor and we can even build a team for you to compete with. Our teams have a lot of fun! Contact Ken and Meg below.
WHO SHOULD COME?
Everyone! Even if you’re not competing, it’s a lot of fun to come and watch and you can participate in the fun audience round! The Youth Round is a great way to start off the night! We hope to see you there!
Ken LeBlond, kenleblond7@gmail.com
Meg Rosa, megrosa78@gmail.com
Trivia Bee Co-Chairs
Volunteers with the Wildwood PGO had a lot of fun celebrating all the Wildwood staff this week!
On Monday, our hard-working custodians and bus drivers were treated to donuts and coffee, and on Tuesday morning we helped bid farewell to five much-loved, retiring staff members at the Goodbye Assembly, and gave a small plant and gift card as a token of appreciation from the parent and guardian community.
On Tuesday afternoon, the “WOOT WOOT WAGON” made its debut, traveling around the school bringing treats*, cool drinks, classrooms supplies and smiles to the dedicated staff that make Wildwood such a special place. As Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” played from a speaker on the wagon, the assembled parents hooted “Woot Woot” and invited staff to enjoy a treat and pick out supplies as a small gesture of the immense appreciation the parent community feels toward the entire school staff.
At the end of the school day, the “Woot Woot Wagon” appreciation station left the station, and hopefully left many smiles and goodwill inside the painted doors.
As kids lined up for their buses outside the building, Wildwood’s longtime bus driver of bus #18, Bill Glucksman, was presented with retirement gifts from the Wildwood PGO – a baseball cap embroidered with “Driver Bus #18, Amherst MA”, and a personalized camp chair. For many years, families along Bill’s route have enjoyed his friendly demeanor and the great care he took of his precious cargo. Bill will be deeply missed, and the Wildwood PGO wishes him and all the 2018 retirees a long and happy retirement.
* Thank you to Henion’s Bakery for the generous donation of baked goods!
When you give to the PGO, you help create memorable learning opportunities for the children of Wildwood. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Where:
Wildwood Elementary School (Basketball Court area/playground)
When:
Wednesday, June 20th (rain date… Tuesday, June 19th)
5:15 – Ribbon cutting for 5th and 6th grades art installation at front door of
school
5:30- Picnic, Dunk Tank, Student Performances
What to bring:
Food and drinks for your family
Reusable/disposable cups and plates
Blanket / Chairs to sit on
Plenty of excitement
Request to the 5th grade parents:
Please plan to meet on the metal playground at 6:15 to discuss making your kids sixth grade year special.
On behalf of the PGO Leadership team, thank you for your generous time, donations and support in making it another great year at Wildwood. On Thursday, June 21 the PGO blog and newsletter takes a break for the summer. Have a restful and restorative summer!
| Amherst Copy & Designworks |
| Amherst Red Barn Music School |
| Artressa Salon |
| Boyden & Perron |
| Jones Properties |
| LSSE Amherst |
| Miss Leticia Music School |
| Northampton Pediatric Dentistry |
| Osteria Vespa |
| Place Alliance [Northeast] |
| Robert L Stern Financial Services |
| Stakeholders Capital |
| Zanna |
