Learning is collaborative.
~EL Education Core Practices
School leaders, teachers, students, and families work together to create a culture of
respect, responsibility, and joy in learning. The school community is a place where all students and adults feel that they belong, support each other to succeed, and are inspired to be their best selves.
Jenni’s Corner
Our Stepping In Ceremony was a resounding success, thanks to the collaboration of our seniors and their crew advisors.. This cherished tradition of welcoming new members into our community and setting the tone for the school year was a joy to celebrate. A special highlight this year was the intentional pairing of seniors with our new 7th-grade students as buddies, creating a meaningful connection that reinforces the idea of belonging from day one. As we enter our 22nd year as a school, we remain committed to honoring the traditions that ground us while embracing new ones that reflect the unique talents and passions of our community.
At the heart of this event—and indeed, our entire school year—is the sense of belonging that we work to cultivate. This year’s senior class has also modeled the importance of being your true self and leaning into the joy of participating in community meetings, clubs, and athletics—especially our ultimate frisbee program. Our community thrives on the connections we make with one another, and we believe that every student, teacher, and family member plays an essential role in building and sustaining these bonds. In the weeks ahead, as we dive into the rhythm of life at Four Rivers, we’ll continue to create moments where students feel connected to their learning, to each other, and to the world around them.
In the coming weeks, our students will embark on fieldwork that takes them into the history, resources, and beauty of our county. They’ll apply their learning in novel, meaningful ways and often invite you to join in celebrating their achievements. Whether through service, expedition work, or community gatherings, our students and teachers will contribute to creating a better world.
Our first community event is Back to School Night on September 19th). This Currents newsletter is published every other week, so please feel free to send us any contributions you’d like considered for the Community Corner. We look forward to building an even stronger sense of connection with all of you as the year unfolds.
~Jenni
Quick Links
2024-2025 ACADEMIC CALENDAR • SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR • SPORTS CALENDAR • COLLEGE VISIT CALENDAR • ALMA DIRECTIONS • Join the FAMILY DIRECTORY AY24-25 • GENERAL PERMISSIONS • FALL SPORTS REGISTRATION • SEPTEMBER MENU • WELCOME BACK LETTER
Upcoming Events
This list represents everything planned as of the date of this letter. Please refer to the online School Events Calendar for the most current information. College Visits are specific to Juniors and Seniors.
- Mon. 9/16
- College Visits: Bucknell (11am). URI (11:30), Plymouth State (2:30)
- Tues. 9/17
- 9th Grade – Deerfield History Fieldwork
- College Visits: UMass Amherst(11am), Rhode Island University(2pm)
- Wed. 9/18
- 9thGrade Farm Fieldwork
- Ridge Crew Outing
- College Visits: University of New England (1pm)
- Thurs. 9/19
- Back to School Night (6:30-8:30pm) more info below
- Fri. 9/20
- College Visits: UNH (11:30am), St. Lawrence University (12:45pm)
- Mon. 9/23-26
- 10th Grade to Washington D.C.
- Mon. 9/23
- College Visit: Clark University (11am)
- Tues. 9/24
- 9th Grade to Wissatinnewag, Turner’s Falls
- College Visit: University of Maine at Farmington (11am)
- Wed. 9/25
- MacNeish Crew Outing
- College Visit: Beloit College (12:30pm)
- Thurs. 9/26
- 9th Grade to Quabbin Reservoir
- Family Council Meeting Rm 101 & via Zoom (7-7:45pm) more info below
- Fri. 9/27
- College Visit: Westfield State (11am)Thurs. 10/3
- Liv Lohmeier’s Crew Outing
- Eliza Beardslee’s Crew Outing
- Nikki Crosby’s Crew Outing
- College Visit: Endicott College (2pm)
In Otter News…
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT – Thursday September 19th – 6:30-8:30 (with optional 5:45 Special Sessions)
We hope to see you at our annual event welcoming caregivers and parents in to see the classrooms and some of the work products students have been polishing, meet teachers and staff, and mingle with other caregivers and parents. This event is for caregivers and parents only.
| Four Rivers Back to School Night Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm |
| 5:45 -6:25 – Special Sessions COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSION FOR DIV 3 PARENTS (and any other interested families) – Leah Plath in the High School Common Room ALMA OVERVIEW FOR NEW FAMILIES – High School Room 101 FOUR RIVERS FAMILY COUNCIL – Drop in and learn about the Family Council and how you can be involved to help foster community at Four Rivers. – Project Room (our Art Room attached to the farmhouse) |
| 6:30 – 8:10 – Visit Acaademic Classrooms A more detailed schedule, with classroom locations, will be printed and given out in person. Event docents will be outside of the buildings handing out agendas and giving directions |
| 8:10 – 8:30 Meet other Four Rivers Caregivers and enjoy Refreshments in the HS Common Room hosted by Jenni Manfredi (Head of School and Principal), Alex Wilson (Instructional Guide), Matt Leaf (Assistant Principal of Crew and Culture) Members of our Board of Trustees will also be present to greet caregivers and parents. |
| ACADEMIC SUPPORT INFORMATION: Andy Stenson, Director of Student Services will be available in HS rm 102 to discuss questions and concerns related to Special Education, 504 Accommodation Plans or Title 1 services. Katie Johnson, Learning Specialist for Div 1 (Rm M201), Anna Heidenreich, Learning Specialist for Div 2 (Rm 213), Catherine Zacchilli, Learning Specialist for Div 3 (Rm 111) will be available for brief conversations. |
HISPANIC/LATINX HERITAGE MONTH
Shout out and Gratitude to Elizabeth Rodriguez Salas and Alison Rheingold for planning and organizing our special community event to celebrate the rich heritage and culture of our hispanic community. Our entire school came together in the courtyard to hear Madison Curbelo share parts of her story as a Latina musician, including her recent experience competing on The Voice. We also heard a couple of her songs, one was an original. Students prepared questions in Spanish classes and were a very engaging audience asking questions and dancing along to Madison’s amazing voice and guitar. Here is the LINK to the 22 News coverage of this event.
ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG AT FOUR RIVERS
Last week, we had a couple people on our property from Heritage Consultants who are working on the archaeological dig related to the Battle of Great Falls that took place in 1676. Our property may be important in helping understand the scope and details of the battle. They did some preliminary work to test the waters and found some musket balls. So cool! Alex Wilson and Alison Rheingold are working on the academic connections and exciting opportunities to engage students in research, artifact finding and data collection!
Here is some background information if you’d like to know more:
2. Greenfield Recorder (recent article)
INTERIM ENROLLMENT LOTTERIES
We are actively recruiting students and families for open spots in our school. Please help us amplify the call for applications for our interim lotteries. This is posted on our Instagram and Facebook pages and will be in Valley Kids as well.
MYSCHOOLBUCKS PAYMENT PROGRAM and PAYING FOR PROGRAM FEES
Fees owed to the school will be invoiced through a platform called MySchoolBucks. Families are welcome to pay online, or by cash or check (made out to Four Rivers Charter School) in the front office. Payments made by cash or check will be applied to your online invoice. Payments cannot be made online until an invoice has been created. Please contact Robin Sidel (frontoffice@fourriverscharter.org) if you need any assistance with the online payment system.
FREE SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
ALL Four Rivers students eat for FREE through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). However a charge will apply for any additional meals or milk from the cafeteria. Pricing for additional meals is as follows:
Additional Breakfast costs $2; Additional Lunch costs $3.75; Milk costs 0.60 cents. Fees for additional meals or milks will be invoiced through MySchoolBucks.
NOTES ABOUT PICK UP
If you have other people you would like added as approved folks during early dismissal, that are not already in Alma as a parent/guardian, or emergency contact, please let Robin know by emailing frontoffice@fourriverscharter.org. Please provide first name and last name and relationship to the student. This only applies to early dismissal and not after-school pick-ups.
PARKING LOT UPDATE
Thank you for the feedback and suggestions regarding the messaging that has gone out about our parking lot procedures. We are taking all suggestions into consideration, as well as creating a visual representation of how the process can work.
In summary:
- There should be two lanes of movement through the parking lot; both traveling counter-clockwise. No one should be parked in either lane.
- The outer lane, closest to the barn, the field, and then the school, is for picking up and dropping off. Pull forward as far as you can, and keep pulling forward as the car in front of you moves. You may have to exit and re-enter the lot if your student is not ready in time. Do not park and wait.
- The inner lane is for exiting the parking lot and leaving school. You would only be in this lane if you are done dropping off or picking up, and are ready to leave. Please do not drop off and pick up from the inner lane.
- Please use extreme caution when changing lanes to exit the parking lot.
- We ask that all pedestrians only use the crosswalk but realize this may not always happen. Please continue to use extreme caution.
ATTENDANCE, 8 IS LATE POLICY, and SIGNING OUT EARLY
- To report your student late or absent please email attendance@fourriverscharter.org, or call 413-775-4577 and leave a message.
- 8 is LATE – If your student arrives at 8am or later, they need to come to the main office to sign in and get a late pass. Caregivers are not required to accompany them into the office.
We can take their school lunch order if they arrive before 9:30am. If arriving later and they need a school lunch, please email frontoffice@fourriverscharter.org.
- If you are picking your student up early you ARE required to come into the office to sign them out. If your student is being picked up by someone that is not listed in Alma as a parent/guardian or emergency contact, please email or call the office in advance.
AFTER SCHOOL HELP WITH FACULTY
Students are encouraged to attend after school help sessions whenever they would like extra support, or even as a time and place to get homework done. There may be times when faculty specifically requests that a student come for after school help in any particular subject.
| After School Help Schedule* ends at 4:15 | |||
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | THURSDAY | |
| Div 1 | English Spanish | Science | Math Social Studies |
| Div 2 | English Science Spanish | Math | Learning Center History Math |
| Div 3 | English Math | Learning Center | Social Studies Science |
*Please note that this schedule is subject to change and that faculty will keep students notified in person of such change
College and Career Corner
Leah Plath, here! I’m excited to be working as the College and Career Coach for Four Rivers. I’m going to be sending information directly to junior and senior families throughout the year, but every so often, I’ll post more general interest info right here in the College and Career Corner.
Back-to-School Night is right around the corner, and I’ll be presenting that night about college preparation at Four Rivers and what you can expect from our Div 3 program.
If you have any specific questions or concerns, please email me! Lplath@frcps.org.
From Family Council
Family Council First Meeting ~ September 26th 7pm ~ in the Room 101 in the High School & on Zoom
The FRCPS Family Council is a parent & caregiver organization that builds community at Four Rivers! We sponsor and host fun gatherings during the school year and run an annual raffle fundraiser that supports school enrichment activities. We also host a back-to-school breakfast and end-of-year lunch to celebrate our wonderful teachers and staff.
| ~ Family Council Events ~ * Fall Spirit Week Bonfire * * Variety Show & Raffle * * Spring Picnic * * Teacher & Staff Appreciation * We need YOU! |
Volunteering with the Family Council is fun and easy! There are lots of ways to help out, and you can choose your level of involvement. It is also a great way to meet other parents and caregivers in our community. Here are some ways to participate:
- Set up, clean up and other help for our seasonal gatherings and our annual Variety Show. You can help with just one event, or more.
- Gathering donations for our Variety Show Raffle, and helping to run the raffle at the event.
- Publicizing our events, through social media and flyering at school.
- Or just get on our email list to know what’s going on!
This year we are also hoping to have a few more people involved with our leadership. Several of us on the Steering Committee have juniors or seniors, and we want to start building a next generation of Family Council leaders!
Come to our first meeting on September 26th at 7pm to learn more! The meeting will be held in the Common Room, with a Zoom call-in option.
Hope to see you there!
*Contact Marc Guillaume (solarmarc@gmail.com) to get on our email listserv and keep up to date on the happenings!
Handbook Highlight
3.1 CHARACTER VIRTUES
School culture is shaped by the accumulation of thousands of day to day interactions. How students are with each other, how teachers are with students, how students are with teachers, and much more all contribute to creating culture.
We intentionally try to weave examples of and conversations about these character virtues into our lessons. There is a particular emphasis on doing this at the start of the year. Throughout the year we try to be sure to “catch students being good” each week and recognize those students with a Polaris Award (see glossary) at Community Meeting. Additionally, as advisors, we report on the character development of each of our advisees using Crew Standards.
Responsibility: Students take responsibility for their own behavior, they demonstrate responsibility for learning, and they act responsibly as members of the school community.
Respect: Students show respect for self, they act respectfully toward other students and adults, and they treat personal and school property with respect.
Courage: Students act with confidence and good judgment, they are willing to try new or challenging experiences, and they hold to their own best values despite pressure from others.
Compassion: Students demonstrate kindness, they show interest in others’ views and experiences, and they encourage and help others.
Perseverance: Students show effort in pursuit of excellence, they persist in the face of difficulties, and they complete their tasks.
Integrity: Students act in an honest and trustworthy manner, they show commitment to developing strong character values, and they set positive examples for the school community.
From the Health Office
For important information about health forms, Covid-19 updates, immunizations and physical exams, and medications at Four Rivers, please view the letter sent by school nurse Jazmin Miller to families/caregivers through Alma on Friday, August 23th.
Reminders
- Please submit your student’s Annual Health History and Permissions Form if you have not done so already.
- The Community Health Center of Franklin County is offering free dental services. Here is the registration form. I have printed copies as well, if anyone would prefer those. Please fill them out and return to me by Monday, September 23rd. If you would prefer a hard copy sent home please reach out to me through email, jmiller@fourriverscharter.org, or phone, (413) 775-4577 ext. 3.
Athletics
FALL SPORTS:
Our seasons have started, and we have had some great results. Boys Varsity soccer started with an impressive 2-2 draw against a very strong PVCICS team and then followed that up by easily handling Charlemont 10-0. They were led by captains Russell Herbert and Kolin Broderick and top scorers Cooper Whitney with 3 goals and Jasper Greninger with 2. The Middle School team also drew in their first game, with 2 goals from Silas Kopera, finishing 2-2 against a strong Turners Falls team. The Girls Varsity has their first game coming up next week.
The most impressive team this last week was our Cross Country team. Seneca Smith and Oliver Bartus both came from behind to finish first in their respective divisions, Oliver winning convincingly and Seneca needing to outsprint her opponent to the finish line. The Girls team as a whole did well, but didn’t have enough runners to qualify. It was the Four Rivers Boys team that really stood out. They won first place, behind excellent performances from Bartus, Will Polatin, Logan Blais, Hendrick Carew, and Eli Stewart. But it doesn’t stop there! Four Rivers actually ended up in a tie with Putney, and it was Eamon Flannelly’s 18th (overall) finish that secured the victory! Four Rivers really ran as a team, there were 8 first time racers out there on the course, and everyone was able to finish the race.
It’s not too late to join in! We still have some openings on all our teams, but this is the last chance to sign up! You can use this link to register: Fall Sports Registration
We love having fans at our games, so if you can, come out and support our teams!
Upcoming Events:
Soccer
- Tuesday, 9/17 – (Away) GV @ Stoneleigh-Burnham at 4:00
- Tuesday, 9/17 – (Home) MS v Hopkins at 4:00
- Wednesday, 9/18 – (Away) BV @ Vermont Academy JV at 3:15
- Wednesday, 9/18 – (Away) GV @ Vermont Academy JV at 3:15
- Thursday, 9/19 – (Away) MS @ Mahar at 3:30
- Monday, 9/23 – (Home) GV v Bement at 4:00
- Monday, 9/23 – (Home) MS v Smith at 4:00
- Tuesday, 9/24 – (Away) BV @ Hartsbrook at 4:00
- Wednesday, 9/25 – (Home) BV v Putney at 2:30
- Thursday, 9/26 – (Home) BV v BART at 4:00
- Thursday, 9/26 – (Away) MS @ Greenfield at 3:30
Cross Country
- Wednesday, 9/18 – Cross Country Meet at Hartsbrook at 3:30
- Wednesday, 9/25 – Home Cross Country Meet at GCC at 3:30
Practice Cancellation:
In general it is expected that practice will happen as scheduled. Sometimes coaches will choose to cancel a practice (usually due to injury, need for rest, or low numbers), and they will communicate that to the team and parents. If there is very bad weather (usually only thunderstorms, heavy rain, or snow) the AD will make the decision whether or not to cancel the day of the practice or game.
Everyone on the sports email list will be emailed by 1:00 on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or 11:00 on a Wednesday, and kids should be picked up after school ends. If bad weather comes up during a practice, we will just move inside until it passes. If it looks like the weather will continue, we may allow kids to leave early if they have a ride, but there will always be a coach available to take care of any kids until the normally scheduled end time for practice.
Cleat Swap:
We are collecting cleats, and we currently have some available. If you need cleats for soccer, please contact the athletic director and we will see if there are any that fit. We are still collecting, so if you want to drop off any cleats, you can put them in the box by the front office.
Reminders
BEGINNING OF YEAR FORMS AND INFORMATION
There are still some outstanding forms from caregivers that we do need on file. Please see WELCOME BACK LETTER (Part 1) and WELCOME BACK LETTER (Part 2) for reminders of what information we are looking for. Let Robin (frontoffice@fourriverscharter.org) know if you have any questions or would like anything printed.
The following form is required to be filled out for all students as soon as possible. This is in addition to the required medical/health forms.
- GENERAL PERMISSIONS : This form addresses the general permissions needed during the school year. Please complete ONE form for each student that you have enrolled at Four Rivers.
ALMA – our Student Information System and Caregiver Portal
Read through our ALMA directions doc to get access and please update your contact Information as needed.
HOMEWORK CLUB
Homework Club runs 3:15-5:00pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there is no cost to participate. Students that join the Homework Club will meet in the Farmhouse library.
Any student that has not been picked up by 3:15 on a day that Homework Club is running, will be asked to join, and can be signed out from there.
This is separate from and in addition to specific after school help that is offered by our faculty.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES RECRUITMENT
We are actively recruiting for Board of Trustees members from our community. If you are interested in supporting our school for a term on our board, please review this document detailing BoT representatives’ roles and responsibilities.
Feel free to amplify our call for members by sharing this document with your network. We are in need of members at large as well as members of our committees, including the Trustees and Personnel Policy Committee and our Finance Committee.
~In gratitude, Four Rivers Board of Trustees
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
We are also looking to add educator substitutes to our pool of available people. THIS is the job posting link on School Spring.
Community Corner
POLICY 101 WORKSHOP FOR YOUTH!
This interactive virtual workshop will give you the basics about what policy is, why it’s important, and how you can make policy change happen! Youth between the ages of 13-18 that are interested in advocacy, law, policy, etc. are encouraged to register and join in!
Link to register: Policy 101 Workshop for Youth
FAMILY DAY – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd
The Communities That Care Coalition along with their PEER Ambassador Host Sites CAPV Family Center, The Recover Project, Valuing Our Children and The Brick House would like your help in spreading the word. Family Day is a day to encourage families to have dinner or spend other quality time together. Family Day was created to celebrate simple, everyday things parents do to connect with their kids, and to spread the word about the power of family connection.
Spending quality time together regularly helps kids feel connected to their families. This feeling of connectedness is considered a “super-protective factor” that helps kids avoid risky behaviors and promotes their healthy development. Family Day helps remind busy families to work to prioritize regular, quality family time.
In celebration of Family Day, local parent leaders in the Coalition’s PEER Ambassador program worked with Greenfield Community Television to create a video Public Service Announcements – check out the version in English and the one in Spanish!
For more information about national Family Day visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org.
For wonderful family dinner resources visit www.thefamilydinnerproject.org.
For more information about the Communities That Care Coalition visit www.communitiesthatcarecoalition.org
AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The non-profit, Rural Development, Inc., is currently accepting applications for a 3-bedroom home in Greenfield that is being sold to an income-eligible, first-time homebuyer.
More information can be found here: https://fcrhra.org/affordable-homeownership/