Soup for Syria Events Next Week at ARMS

Oct 3^rd  Monday. ARMS will hold an all-school assembly 10:00-11:00 AM on Understanding the Syrian Refugee Experience. Featuring a visit and slide-talk from Barbara Abdeni Massaad, photographer of portraits in the book SOUP for SYRIA (see soupforsyria.com). See the CNN interview with Barbara Abdeni Massaad here. We are fortunate that Mr. Michel Moushabeck, publisher of Interlink books (and whose kids are alumni of Amherst schools ) is sponsoring this opportunity to have this world renown photographer at ARMS.  In the assembly, in addition to hearing Barbara's slide talk, some of our students will present their understandings, research and artistic expressions. We are doing some curriculum prep to help all our students engage in and understand the global situation that has created the crisis around Syrian families living in refuge.

Oct 6^th Thursday. Soup for Syria night in the ARMS Cafeteria 5:30-6:45 (so you can go to the high school Open House on time, if your have high school kids). Free to all ARMS families, and we will collect suggested donations.  Here’s how it works: many "soup cooks" are invited to cook a pot of soup,  making soup at home, bringing it to our kitchen and then we serve it to anybody who attends. Dinner will be free, and we will also collect suggested donations $  per bowl - just a suggestion - soup can be free to anybody. The book SOUP for SYRIA will be available for purchase that night too, to fundraise for the cause. Barbara Abdeni Massaad will give a talk and slide show during dinner, too. We will also have a brief film showing from SAMS (Syrian American Medical Relief) with a representative from SAMS. All proceeds support Syrian refugees through the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees).

If you want to help make soup, or eat soup, or clean up, or help host the event...contact PGO parents Josie DeAngelis <josiedeangelis3@gmail.com>

Photo Credit:  Barbara Abdeni Massaa

Next PGO Meeting

Our next PGO meeting will be on Tuesday, October 18, at 6:30 pm in the ARMS library. Please join us to hear about upcoming events and activities and learn how you can get involved with the PGO.

No Glass Waterbottles, please

NO glass containers at ARMS, please. Please do not allow our students to bring glass beverage containers to school. We have had several beverage bottles break in hallways, classrooms and cafeteria. Thank you for keeping our school safe and clean.

Mark Your Calendars

Sept 26th - 30th- Scholastic Book Fair
Sept 27th: Picture Day
Sept 29th: ARMS Open House 6:30 PM
Oct 6th: Soup for Syria Night at ARMS
Oct 10th: No school
Oct 19th: Early Release Day, 12:00 pm dismissal; Team 1 Progress Reports Issued
Oct 24th: SMILES Dentist At ARMS
Nov. 1st: Picture Retake Day
Nov 6^th: 8^th Grade Field Trip to UMass Fine Arts Center
Nov 7th: Quarter 2 Classes Begin
Nov 8th: All Teacher Curriculum Day- No School
Nov 9th: 7th Grade field trip to UMass Fine Arts Center
Nov 11th: Veteran's Day- No School
Nov 23^rd – Nov 25^th:  Thanksgiving Break (No School)

ARPS SEPAC Families supporting families!

MONTHLY MEETINGS

The board meets with Dr. Faye Brady, Director of Student Services the first Friday of every month at rotating schools.  You are welcome to attend!

WORKSHOPS

 Workshops are held at various locations during the school year.  Let us know if there is a topic you’d like to learn more about.

FACEBOOK

“Like” us on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/arps.sepac

We post resources, events and tools to support all students and families.

EMAIL US

sepac@arps.org

Feel free to reach out to us if you need any assistance!

Blog

https://arpssepacblog.wordpress.com

Check out our blog as well for information!

Volunteer

Please consider reaching out to us if you can make time to help out!  Together we can make a difference!

SEPAC= Special Education Parent Advisory Council

 

Meet Special Education Parent Advisory Council and others…

This meeting is open to all community members!  

Date:  Monday, 10/17/2016 

Location:  Wildwood Elementary School, Library  71 Strong Street, Amherst,

Time:  5:30pm-6:30pm          

RSVP:  Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Nancy Stewart  sepac@arps.org 413-687-4255ARPS

 We are fortunate to host this informal gathering and plan to do the following:

·        Introduce you to some members of staff that help support your child on an IEP or 504:

o    Dr. Faye Brady, Director of Student Services

o    JoAnn Smith, Student Services Administrator

o   Some members of Wildwood Staff

·        Learn more about how the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) supports families on an IEP or 504.

·        We will share basic special education information to help you advocate for your child.

·        Network with other families in the district!

Childcare can be provided if given notice one week ahead of time.

Next Amherst Charter Commission Listening Workshop

Your Charter Commission is pleased to meet you! We are nine Amherst residents elected to propose possible changes to Amherst’s form of government. 

 

Our first step is to hear from you. Please join us Monday, October 3, from 7pm–9pm, at the Crocker Farm Elementary Cafeteria, where we will be having honest, direct conversations about diversity, inclusion, and landlord-tenant issues. These face-to-face discussions will help us to understand these issues more fully and will be of great influence in shaping Amherst’s Charter. 

 

We’re listening.

 

We look forward to working with you and fellow Amherst residents over the next year to design an alternative municipal charter that reflects Amherst’s ideals and values.  Keep updated through our website (www.amherstma.gov/charter) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/amherstcharter) for meeting times and more public events. Be heard!

 

Thank you so much,

 

Your Charter Commission

Amherst School Committee Vacancy Announcement from the Amherst Select Board

A vacancy on the Amherst School Committee will be filled on Thursday October 13, 2016 at a

joint meeting of the Select Board and the remaining members of the Amherst School

Committee. Interested candidates must submit a Letter of Interest to the Select Board office by

4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2016.

Letters of Interest may be submitted by email to selectboard@amherstma.gov (preferred) or via

hard copy to Select Board, Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave. Amherst MA 01002. Please include a

summary of your reasons for wishing to serve on the Amherst School Committee and your

qualifications and experience. All submissions will be distributed to Select Board and Amherst

School Committee members as they are received, and will be available to the public on the Town

web site in the Select Board’s packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting. Certain

personal information will be redacted upon request. Please note that while candidates are

welcome to make the public aware of their interest, members of the Select Board, Amherst

School Committee, and staff will not release the number of candidates, or candidate names or

other identifying information, until after the Letters of Interest appear in the Select Board

packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting.

Candidates who have submitted a Letter of Interest will need to attend the Thursday October 13,

2016 joint meeting at 5:00 p.m. The joint meeting will be held in the Town Room on the second

floor of Town Hall and will be broadcast live by Amherst Media on channel 17.

Vacancies in elected Town-wide office are governed by MGL Chapter 41 Section 11. A roll call

vote of both bodies is required, and at least five positive votes must be made for the selected

individual, regardless of how many members of the Select Board and Amherst School

Committee are present.

The person elected on October 13, 2016 will serve until the next Annual Town Election, to be

held on March 28, 2017, and has the option to seek election on the Town ballot through the

standard nomination process. The Amherst School Committee term that ended with resignation

on September 26, 2016 will be on the March 28, 2017 Town ballot as a two year term. The new

Amherst School Committee member also serves on the Amherst-Pelham Regional School

Committee http://www.arps.org/administra tion/school_committee, and must be sworn in at

the Amherst Town Clerk's office prior to participating in meetings of either body.

If you have questions please contact Debra Puppel in the Select Board/Town Manager’s Office

at 259-3001 or puppeld@amherstma.gov.

Amherst ABC Fall Folliage Walk- October 15th

The Amherst Committee for A Better Chance will hold its 45th Annual Fall Foliage Event on Saturday, October 15, including the 3-mile Family Style Walk and the 5k Competitive Run. An Amherst tradition, the event has annually brought together hundreds of members of the community together to admire the diverse colors of the foliage while they walk or run in support and celebration of diversity in our community.

Since 1968, Amherst ABC has played a critical role in changing the face of leadership in American society, selecting high qualified young men of color from disadvantaged school districts whose families envision a brighter future for their sons outside of their home environments. These ABC Scholars live at the ABC House in downtown Amherst under the guidance of Resident Directors Sid and Isabel Ferreira while they attend Amherst Regional High School.
For more information as to how to participate and/or donate to the ABC Fall Foliage Event, go to the Amherst A Better Chance website http://amherstabetterchance.org/

"Slavery in the Valley: Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted", a lecture by Robert Romer on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 2:30 pm at the Jones Library

The Jones Library Presents:

Slavery in the Valley: Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted

The OCTOBER 15 EVENT IS PART OF NATIONAL LECTURE SERIES ‘THE BIRTH OF A NATION: SLAVERY, RESISTANCE & ABOLITION,’ TIED TO AWARD-WINNING FILM

Amherst, MA, September 22, 2016 – The Jones Library announces Slavery in the Valley:  Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted, a lecture by Robert Romer on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 2:30 pm.

Slavery was widespread in the Connecticut Valley in colonial times, where most of the “important people” – including most of the ministers – owned two or three black slaves.  By no means did all of the enslaved people in the valley, some born in Africa, some born into slavery in America, passively accept their status as the property of white owners.  Romer will tell what is known of the stories of five who, in various ways, actively resisted and explain why it is important to remember those who lived here in slavery, the “invisible men and women” of our colonial past.

Robert H. Romer, physicist and historian, is Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Amherst College, where he taught from 1955 to 2001, serving as editor of the American Journal of Physics from 1988 to 2001.  He is the author of Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts(Levellers Press, 2009) and The History of Hope Church in Amherst (2013), a manuscript held at the Special Collections Departments of Jones Library and Amherst College’s Frost Library. He was the 2012 recipient of the Amherst Historical Society’s Conch Shell Award, for distinguished contributions to the history of the town of Amherst.

Romer’s presentation is part of the national lecture series and community-building initiative ‘The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition.” The series is presented in conjunction with the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services at the American Library Association (ALA), The United Nations’ Remember Slavery Programme, Fox Searchlight Pictures and BazanED.

Inspired by actor and director Nate Parker’s acclaimed film The Birth of a Nation, the series will run August 21 through October 30, 2016, commemorating the history-changing slave rebellion launched by the film’s subject, Nat Turner, on August 21, 1831, through his capture on October 30, 1831. The lecture series marks the 185th anniversary of Turner’s rebellion, as well as The United Nations’ International Day for the Remembrance of The Slave Trade and its Abolition, observed annually on August 23. 

“We are honored that libraries will be the primary venues for these vitally important conversations across the country, and thankful that the Jones Library came on board to bring this series to its local community,” said Jody Gray, director of the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services at the American Library Association. “Libraries are not just about housing books; they have always been about learning, exchanging ideas, and transforming lives — characteristics that this series perfectly reflects.”

About ‘The Birth of a Nation: Slavery Resistance & Abolition’ National Lecture Series

“The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition” lecture series is taking place in libraries, museums, institutions of higher education, and community centers around the nation during the period of August 21st and October 30th 2016. Each free public event features a local educator or historian addressing the topic of slavery, resistance and abolition, and will provide an opportunity for individual communities to engage in a timely and coordinated national discussion. 

About The Birth of a Nation movie

Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities — against himself and his fellow slaves — Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom. The film won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Fox Searchlight Pictures will release The Birth of a Nation on October 7, 2016. The company acquired the film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it received rave reviews and won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. 

About The American Library Association

The ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876, during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of the ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

About The United Nations Remember Slavery Programme

The Remember Slavery Programme, managed by the Education Outreach Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information, was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/122 of 17 December 2007 to honour the memory of the victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  It also aims at raising awareness of the dangers of racism and prejudice today with activities held and educational materials produced throughout the year. To learn more about the United Nations 'Remember Slavery' programme, please contact Kimberly Mann, Chief, Education Outreach Section, at education-outreach@un.org or visit www.rememberslavery.un.org

            

About Fox Searchlight Pictures

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by 20th Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of 21st Century Fox.

About BazanED

BazanED is a free teacher resource offering free materials for narrative films and documentaries, as well as curriculum guides and so much more to K-12 and College educators throughout the U.S. BazanED partners with entertainment, cultural, scientific and financial organizations to provide teachers with engaging, grade-appropriate content to supplement and support classroom instruction and enhance student learning.

A full high-school and college-level educational curriculum about Nat Turner’s rebellion that meets Common Core state standards will be available for teachers at BazanED.com, pegged to the major motion picture The Birth of a Nation. BazanED provides free curriculum materials to educators, and has previously launched successful educational initiatives on behalf of the 2014 Academy Award®-winning film Selma, the Jesse Owens biopic Race and Davis Guggenheim’s feature-length documentary film Teach.

# # #

Contact:

Janet Ryan, Head of Programming & Outreach

Jones Library, Amherst, MA

ryanj@joneslibrary.org  or 413/259-3223

Auditions for the Hampshire Young People’s Chorus

Does your child like to sing? The Hampshire Young People’s Chorus (YPC) is an award-winning

youth choir, currently accepting new members. YPC offers children the opportunity to

experience choral singing in a comfortable and encouraging atmosphere. Healthy vocal

technique and fundamental music skills are taught through singing a wide range of music from

many styles and traditions. The choir’s roster includes more than 45 children in two age

divisions – Concert Choir (grades 3-6) and Chamber Singers (grades 6-10). Rehearsals take place

on Tuesdays in Amherst. For more information, please visit www.hampshireypc.org or call the

director, K.C. Conlan, at 413-530-9337

Do you shop at Stop & Shop? Register your card to support ARMS!

Stop and Shop will donate money to the Amherst Regional Middle School every time you shop there – AT NO COST TO YOU!  During the 2015-2016 school year, this program raised $1,300 for ARMS, which we will use to fund enrichment programs for students through the Faculty/Staff Grant Program.

All you need to do is register your Stop & Shop card for the A+ Rewards Program by following these simple steps:

1. Click here (or visit https://stopandshop.com/aplus/register-card/)*
2. Enter the first three letters of your last name and your 13-digit Stop & Shop card number, and click the “Look Up” button.
3. On the next page where it says “school 1,” enter “05171” (the ARMS ID), then click “Register.” (Please note: You can register up to two schools per card, so if you are already registered for another school, you can add ARMS, and the two schools will each receive half the benefits.)
4. And finally, on the next page, click “confirm my registration.”

Once your card is registered, purchases made from all Stop & Shop stores will benefit ARMS, including purchases from stores in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island!  So please encourage family and friends to support our school by registering their cards!  

¿Va de compras a Stop & Shop? Registre su tarjeta para apoyar ARMS

Stop and Shop donará dinero a la escuela media regional de Amherst cada vez que compre allí

sin costo alguno para usted! Durante el año escolar 2015-2016, este programa recaudó $ 1,300

para armas, que vamos a utilizar para financiar los programas de enriquecimiento para los

estudiantes a través del programa de subvenciones para Maestros /Personal.

Todo lo que necesita hacer es registrar su tarjeta Stop & Shop para el programa A + Rewards

siguiendo estos sencillos pasos:

1. Haga clic aquí (o visite https://stopandshop.com/aplus/register-card/)*

2. Introduzca las tres primeras letras de su apellido y su número de tarjeta Stop & Shop de

13 dígitos, y haga clic en el botón Look up ("mirar hacia arriba).

3. En la siguiente página, donde dice "escuela 1," escriba"05171"(ID de ARMS)), a

continuación, haga clic en "Registro.":(Tener en cuenta: puede registrar hasta dos

escuelas por tarjeta,por lo que si que ya se ha abonado a otra escuela, puede agregar

ARMS y las dos escuelas recibirán cada uno la mitad de los beneficios.)

4. y, por último, en la siguiente página, haga clic en "confirmar mi registro.

Una vez que ha registrado su tarjeta, las compras realizadas en Stop & Shop beneficiarán a

ARMS, incluso las compras en las tiendas en Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Nueva

Jersey, Nueva York y Rhode Island! Así que por favor anime a sus amigos y familiares para

apoyar a nuestra escuela mediante el registro de sus tarjetas! Vamos de compras a Stop & Shop!