ARPS Update - Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools

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gun control, sent to him by ARMS eighth grade students, on the house floor. Our ARMS students joined together in the wak
A RPS U p d at e M ar ch 2, 20 18 A M essage f r om M ich ael M or r is, Su per in t en den t of Sch ools Tomorrow will be an exciting and fun day as we partner with Tinkergarten for an event designed for children aged two to 11. Tinkergarten, which was co-founded by Amherst parents Meghan and Brian Fitzgerald, teaches activities that "help kids develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green spaces." Tomorrow's event will take place at Fort River beginning at 3:00 p.m. Participants will meet in the gym, but most of the activities will take place outside, so be sure to bring warm clothing! On Tuesday, the Middle School received word that Congressman Jim McGovern would be reading a letter concerning school safety and gun control, sent to him by ARMS eighth grade students, on the house floor. Our ARMS students joined together in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting to take action by sharing their concerns with their elected officials. The Congressman?s remarks were shown on C-Span and you can view them here. On February 9, the new ARMS Debate Club, which is advised by ARMS teacher Claire Cocco, had the opportunity to hone their skills in front of a live audience when they participated in two debates in Susan Radtke?s fourth grade class at Crocker Farm. Students debated two topics: ?Which is better? a plant-based diet or one with meat?? and ?Video Games: Do they cause young players to become violent?? Ms. Radtke?s class is currently working on argument essays, in which they chose a controversial question, researched their topics using online text sets, took a stance on the topic and wrote an essay arguing their

position. Fourth graders worked on including specific information, facts and figures to back up their reasons and weaving in the counterargument and their response. Both the fourth graders and the ARMS Debate Club members found the experience to be useful and fun! Yesterday, 18 ARPS students participated in the Special Olympics School Day Games at South Hadley High School. The games for the day focused on basketball and bowling. ARHS Teacher Crystal Cartwright, who coordinated the district's participation, reported that everyone had a really wonderful experience! Come to the Bee! ARHS is excited to present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, this year 's winter musical,March 8-10. Featuring the work and leadership of over 130 of our students, this is the single biggest performing arts endeavor of the year. The Tony Award winning musical comedy explores the lives of 6th graders navigating the challenges of their personal lives and early adolescence under the pressure of a high stakes spelling Bee. With special pre-show scenes to be discovered and guest audience spellers each night, this one's not to be missed! Tickets and info available at bit.ly/arhsbee. The latest episode of A Window Into ARPS has been posted on the Amherst Media website. It features Derek Shea, Crocker Farm Principal, and Diane Chamberlain, Fort River Principal, discussing the exciting things happening in our elementary schools. Some of the topics they discussed included what a ?typical? day is like for an elementary school principal, what exemplary programs and courses are offered in their schools, and how their schools address the unique learning styles of students. Have a great weekend,

Superintendent

Updat e f r om t h e Am h er st Sch ool Com m it t ee Ch air an d Vice-Ch air M u lt ist at e Associat ion f or Bilin gu al Edu cat ion (M ABE) Pr esen t at ion : The Amherst School Committee welcomed Executive Director Phyllis Hardy and Board Member Bertha Elena Rojas of the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast (MABE)at our February 27th meeting. MABE is a non-profit organization that supports schools throughout the Northeast in developing and implementing bilingual education programs. As a follow-up to the Enrollment Working Group?s dual-language report (presented to the School Committee on February 5), Dr. Morris and the School Committee invited Ms. Hardy to present research-based information that could help us understand how we might implement a Spanish-English dual-immersion program in our elementary school district. Ms. Hardy provided background on dual-language education programs across the country, and demonstrated benefits for students. Ms. Hardy also responded to questions and comments from community and School Committee members. The presentation can be streamed on Amherst Media beginning at minute 9:48. M SBA St at em en t of In t er est Su bm ission s: At a special meeting scheduled just before the March 7th Regional School Committee Meeting, the Amherst School Committee will vote to submit applications, or Statements of Interest (SOIs), to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for the renovation or replacement of the Wildwood and Fort River school buildings. While both buildings suffer from similar problems, one must be given priority as funding will be granted for only one district building in a given cycle. Facilities Director Jim McPherson has recommended that the district designate Fort River as the priority based on the urgency of challenges to working and learning conditions. Upcom in g Sch ool Com m it t ee Bu sin ess: The following agenda items are scheduled for the Amherst School Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 13th: -

The Enrollment Working Group subgroup focused on preschool access will present their report; Dr. Morris will share a formal response to the Enrollment Working Group presentations; The School Committee will vote the FY19 Budget.

Questions or comments for the Amherst School Committee can be emailed to [email protected]. For posted meetings, agendas, and meeting minutes, please visit www.arps.org. Phoebe Hazzard, Chair

Anastasia Ordonez, Vice-Chair