AEF Celebrates Music in Our Schools!

AEF is thrilled to announce its spring fundraiser: Music in our Schools!

Emceed by Performing Arts Department Chair John Bechtold and State Representative Solomon Goldstein-Rose, the evening will be filled with tributes, performances, and wonderful food and drink.

AEF will be giving a special award to ARMS Chorus Director Dave Ranen and lifetime achievement recognitions to all of our district’s music educators, past and present, who have taught for more than 20 years in the schools.

AEF has invited all music educators to be our guests at our event, and is pleased to announce that we will be joined by Fort River Music Teacher Anne White, Crocker Farm Music Teacher Eleanor Lincoln, Wildwood Music Teacher Jacob Brownell, ARHS Chorale teacher Todd Fruth, and retired Band Leader Sue Dunbar. The list is still growing!

Proceeds will support AEF's 2017 excellence grants, with a portion going directly to the ARPS music program.  Tickets can be purchased online at : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aef-celebrates-music-in-our-schools-tickets-30365825000#tickets or by clicking here.

The event will be held at:  Marriott Center, Campus Center, 11th floor, UMass-Amherst
1 Campus Center Way, Amherst, MA

Silver Chord Bowl 2017

The Silver Chord Bowl, the oldest and most respected collegiate a cappella show case in the region, hosted in John M. Greene Hall on the Smith College campus is happening soon. This years event will begin with a performance by Northampton High School’s very own Northamptones, followed by performances by 6 groups from colleges and universities around the Northeast. This year we will see the Dartmouth Aires, the Boston University BosTones, Tufts sQ!, the UMass Dynamics, the UMass Doo Wop Shop and the Smith College Noteables. The Silver Chord Bowl 2017 will be hosted by Smith College President Kathleen McCartney and Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz.
When: Sunday, February 5th – 2:00 PM Showtime, Doors Open at 1:30 PM

Where: John M. Greene Hall - Smith College, 63 Elm Street Northampton, MA 01063 Google Map Link
Tickets: http://silverchordbowl.brownpapertickets.com for Premium Assigned & G.A. Tickets; State Street Fruit Store in Northampton, Cooper's Corner in Florence, AJ Hastings in Amherst, and Elmer's in Ashfield for G.A. Tickets.

Premium Assigned Seating-All Ages: $35, available online only

General Admission-All Ages: $15, available online and at one of our ticket outlets

Save the Date! 7th Annual Daffodil Fun Run on April 30th!

On your mark, get set…

Save the date for April 30, 2017!

It’s the 7^th Annual Daffodil Run to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and there is big news... in addition to the 5k walk/run there will be a 10k run!

Register before April 1, 2017 for early bird rates and to be guaranteed an event t-shirt. Celebrate spring and enjoy pre-race warm up activities for all ages, music by DJ Matt Peterson, bounce house, games, barbecue by The Pub and more! All levels of participation are welcome. 

Register today on RaceWire.com:

https://racewire.com/register.php?id=7340

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast Tomorrow

Join this Annual Celebration this Saturday at the Amherst Regional Middle School.  The event starts at 8:30 a.m. in the cafeteria with coffee and socializing. Between 9 and 10 a.m., people will enjoy a breakfast and music from the Amherst Regional High School Jazz Band, directed by Kara Nye, and the chorus of Wildwood Elementary School, directed by Jake Brownell.

At 10 a.m., the event moves to the auditorium for the performances and award presentations that follow an invocation by the pastor at the Amherst Chinese Christian Church and the benediction by the pastor at Wesley United Methodist.

State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg and retired State Rep. Ellen Story will be the masters of ceremonies for the event.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for children 12 and under, and proceeds support the scholarships. They can be purchased at A.J. Hastings, 45 South Pleasant St., the Jones Library, 43 Amity St., and Global Cuts, 460 West St.

PGO Meeting Next Week

Our next PGO meeting will be on Wednesday, January 18, at noon at The Works on North Pleasant Street in Amherst.  Hope to see you there!

Host Families Needed

Host Families Needed for Students for our 

Cultural  Exchange  Program from our 

Sister City in  Kanegasaki, Japan
March 22nd- March 26th, 2017

Amherst Regional Middle School is once again hosting students from Kanegasaki, Japan March 22nd- 26th .  Host families are needed for this visit.   Students from Kanegasaki  have been coming to Amherst for over  20 years.  This cultural exchange program has been the core of the long standing relationship that has linked our two Sister Cities. If your family is interested in hosting, please pick up an application from Ms. Boyd, Guidance Counselor or email boydd@arps.org.

Mark Your Calendars

Jan 16th- MLK JR. Day- School is Closed
Jan 18th- PGO Meeting- Noon @ The Works

Jan 19th- Early Release Day

Jan 20th- Early Release Day

Jan 23rd- Teacher Curriculum Day- No School

Jan 24th- Quarter 3 and Semester 2 Classes Begin
Feb 1st- Term 2 Progress Reports Sent Home
Feb 8th- Early Release
Feb 20th-24th- Winter Break- No School