Amherst PTA
January 2023
President's Message
Happy New Year!
I hope you had a chance to enjoy the holiday break with family and friends. Now that we're getting back into the swing of things for 2023, there's lots of information to share!
>Please continue reading for the Press Release regarding the PTA Play.
>During this time of the year, the SAU and Amherst School Board are heavily involved in budgets for the 2023-2024 school year. This year, they are also searching for a new Superintendent. We've gathered some useful information and dates regarding these, so please see that information below.
>We can always use more volunteers!
As always, you can reach out to us at any time at amherstptanh@gmail.com.
Katie Fantasia
PTA President
PTA Play Press Release
The Amherst PTA regrets to announce that the annual PTA play for the spring of 2023 has been postponed until next year (2024).
The PTA Play Team has faced a logistical challenge surrounding the implementation of the SAU39 district and New Hampshire State policy requiring all adult volunteers to pass a background check. The PTA fully supports this policy, as the safety of participating children is always our number one priority. However, it taking 6-8 weeks for background approvals to come back would greatly impact both auditions and cast selection. We will use this time to plan, coordinate, and implement a solution that allows all individuals who would like to participate in the PTA Play to start this process.
The PTA would like to send a special and sincere apology to all our local, tight-knit play community members. We sincerely regret the need to postpone this long-standing event. You all have become a dedicated and energetic family that commits time and effort each year to bring to life the stories and writings that entertain and amaze us at each and every performance! Your talent and artistry bring joy and wonderment to our entire community.
The district policy is something we feel is essential to comply with to ensure that our students are safe at all times. While requiring background checks for volunteering adults may seem like a hassle, it should provide peace of mind to parents and all volunteers. These measures help ensure that trustworthy and reliable people participate in activities within our district, thus contributing positively towards student development and well-being while protecting their interests from potential harm. Going forward, this will be a requirement for all who would like to participate. This postponement will help ensure our ability to implement this process successfully, creating an atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable and secure while engaging in activities at school.
Once again, we regret having to postpone the annual play until 2024. Rest assured, the PTA will continuously work to provide safe and enjoyable experiences within our school community without compromising on quality or standards during future events. We appreciate your understanding and, like you, look forward to next year's play.
The PTA Executive Board Members
SAU 39 Superintendent Search - Meet The Final Candidates!
*EDITED 01/09/23 to add rescheduling information*
The SAU 39 Board is pleased to announce the rescheduled event date/time for parents & community members to meet with Brian O’Connell, finalist candidate for Superintendent of Schools. This event was originally scheduled for Friday, January 6, 2023.
The new date will be this Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 5:00 pm at Souhegan High School (Room 126/127).
The meetings with finalists Mike Berry and Robert Gerardi for this Friday, January 13, 2023 remain unchanged.
Please join these events to meet the finalists and share your questions and feedback with the SAU 39 Board.
This is a great opportunity for community members and parents. Note that there are three meetings, one for each of the final candidates. See the message and flyer from the SAU below:
The SAU 39 Board is pleased to invite you to a meeting with the final candidates for the SAU 39 Superintendent of Schools. Community members and parents are invited to meet the final candidates, ask questions, and provide feedback to the SAU 39 Board.
PTA Annual School & Town Budget Discussion - February 22nd
This year's meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:00pm, in the Wilkins School Library. (Please note that this meeting will also serve as our General Meeting for the month of February. We will use the first 10 minutes of it to discuss PTA business, and get right into the presentations and discussions.)
There will be short presentations from the school side and town side, followed by an opportunity to ask questions. It's the perfect opportunity to ask questions in a small setting.
We are looking forward to seeing you there! We invite you to bring a family member, friend, neighbor...anyone that would like to come!
School Board Meetings, Budgets and Voting Information - DATES
We will be devoting a good amount of space to this topic in January, February, and March! There is a lot of information to share, and we will do our best to give you the resources that you need to be an informed voter!
Dates. There are SO MANY.
You can find all district meeting information (ASB, SCSB, MVSB, SAU Board, information sessions, etc.) by using this link: https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar
Here is a list of the ones pertaining to the Amherst School District, in particular:
Amherst School Board Meeting
Thursday, January 19th at 6:00pm
This is the regular monthly meeting for January.
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D160134855
District Info Night: Hosted by the SAU Administration and ASB
Tuesday, January 24th at 6:00pm
Topic: Education and Instruction
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D164040510
District Info Night: Hosted by the SAU Administration and ASB
Wednesday, January 25th at 6:00pm
Topic: Safety and Town Benefit
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D164040532
District Info Night: Hosted by the SAU Administration and ASB
Wednesday, February 1st at 6:00pm
Topic: Financing
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D164040541
Amherst School District Deliberative Session
Monday, February 6th at 6:00pm
This is the first session of our Town Meeting, under SB 2, where discussions about proposed warrant articles takes place.
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D162064795
Amherst School Board Meeting
Thursday, February 16th at 6:00pm
This is the regular monthly meeting for February.
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D160134856
Town Elections (Voting Day)
Tuesday, March 14th
This is it - VOTING DAY!
https://www.sau39.org/administration/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D162064881
School Board Meetings, Budgets and Voting Information - LINKS
Amherst School District Budget
You can find the entire budget here, along with supporting documentation (embedded in the document).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wNwIvUwO6DmVyLZxfT7VQiTlwOlqaDXnouemHdlbffs/edit#gid=0
SAU District Budget
You can find the entire budget here. This budget is allocated out amongst the school districts, and is not voted on separately.)
Amherst School District Office Openings
Here you can find a listing of vacancies that will be voted on on Voting Day, and what you need to do if you'd like to be a candidate.
https://www.sau39.org/school_boards/district_office_vacancies
Joint Facilities Advisory Committee
The SAU 39 Joint Facilities Advisory Committee was appointed and tasked by the SAU 39 School Board with conducting an analysis of the state of public education facilities in Amherst and Mont Vernon. Find all of the information here.
New Hampshire Municipal Association
You can find lots of information about the Town Meeting format here.
General Meetings
Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00pm at Clark-Wilkins.
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Upcoming meetings:
1/17 Wilkins
2/22 Wilkins*
3/21 Wilkins
4/18 AMS
5/16 Wilkins
6/20 AMS (tentative)
*Please note that this meeting date has been changed to Wednesday, February 22nd, and will be held at CW.
Membership/Upcoming Events
Become an Amherst PTA Member!
Join an amazing group of parents, teachers, grandparents, and community members, that help make our schools great.
The Amherst PTA relies on it's strong community of members to make wonderful things happen in our schools. Our school programs and community events are made possible by your annual school year membership dues.
Here are just a few events we're working on for the rest of the year:
- Family Fun Night
- Math and Science Night
Please, won't you consider joining the Amherst PTA this year?
Even if your schedule doesn't allow you to volunteer at events, the simple act of joining is a great way to show your support for the work that we do. It's easy to join. Here's the link:
Wilkins Art Volunteers
We are so excited to be able to bring back art classroom volunteers! You will be able to sign up to help out in your student's class! Duties will include some set up, helping Ms. Anderson with the lesson, helping students, and clean up.
Email the PTA at art@amherstnhpta.org if you are interested.
When emailing, please put your student's teacher's name in the subject line. Please also include your availability (every week, once a month, etc.). If you do not know the date and time of your student's art class, we can let you know that. Please note if you have already completed your background check. (We can't schedule you until that is complete.) If you haven't, you can read about how to do that in the VOLUNTEERS NEEDED section of this newsletter.
We have a volunteer working on this for us, so please give us a few days to respond to your emails. There are 27 art classes every week, we're anticipating that it will take a bit of time to get the schedule up and running. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Wilkins Library Volunteers
- Hours: Monday - Friday, 1:00-2:00pm. You can do multiple days a week, one day a week, or whenever it works for your schedule. If you aren't able to volunteer during that time slot, some morning time would be helpful, too. Let us know your availability.
- Duties: Checking out books for students, shelving books, organizing shelves, processing new library books, helping with the Book Fair, and various other projects.
- Contact: Email the PTA at library@amherstnhpta.org if you are interested. Please note if you have already completed your background check. If you haven't, you can read about how to do that in the VOLUNTEERS NEEDED section of this newsletter.
AMS Library Volunteers
- Hours: Monday - Friday, during the school day (8:30am-3:30pm). Morning hours would be especially helpful, but any time you can give is appreciated. You can do an hour or several hours..once a week, several times a week, or whatever suits your schedule.
- Duties: Assisting students with book checkout, shelving books, organizing shelves, and various other projects.
- Contact: Email the PTA at library@amherstnhpta.org if you are interested. Please note if you have already completed your background check. If you haven't, you can read about how to do that in the VOLUNTEERS NEEDED section of this newsletter.
Volunteers Needed!
If you would like to volunteer, we encourage you to begin the process as soon as possible. The process does take some time. If you have already completed this process though SAU39, you do not have to do it again.
Here's what you need to do:
1. Pick up a packet at the SAU office (the Brick School), and fill out the requested information. Summer hours may change, so please call before you head over (603-673-2690).
2. Stop by the Amherst Police Department to have your fingerprints taken. No appointment is necessary.
3. Get your application notarized. The SAU office does have someone on staff that is a notary, but they are not in the office every day. You can call 603-673-2690 to find out their availability. The Amherst Town Library and some local banks also have notary services.
4. Bring everything back to the SAU office with a check made out to the State of New Hampshire for $21.25. Upon approval, the PTA will be notified, and you will be able to be scheduled for volunteer shifts.
**The PTA does not get notifications when a person is cleared. We regularly check a list to see if people have cleared. In order for us to check for your name, we need to know that you have submitted your paperwork, so please email us when you have done so. You can also call the SAU at 603-673-2690 after 6-8 weeks to ask about your status. If they tell you you have been cleared, email us so we can get you on the schedule faster.**
The direct email to our Volunteer Coordinator, Nathan Greer, is aptavolunteer@gmail.com. If you'd like to be a lunch volunteer, please drop him a line and let him know!
(In July 2020, the Amherst School Board adopted a new Volunteer Policy which requires potential volunteers to have a background check and be fingerprinted before being scheduled for volunteer duties. You can find the full policy here: https://www.sau39.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=4016&dataid=10231&FileName=IJOC_Amherst%20Only.pdf)
Clark-Wilkins Spiritwear!
Our store at Varsitee is open year-round! You can see the cool spiritwear items, and order here:
Wish Lists
https://www.amherstnhpta.org/teacher-wish-lists-2022-23.html
Keep checking back for updates and new lists!
#supportateacher
Recycling Signs
At AMS, you can leave the sign on the porch. At Wilkins, you can leave them in the foyer. Thanks for helping us recycle!
Ways to connect with Amherst PTA
Email: amherstptanh@gmail.com
Website: amherstnhpta.org
Location: Amherst, NH, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amherstpta