Learning is self-assessed and peer-assessed.
~EL Education Core Practices
Teachers involve students in discussing and creating goals for learning and criteria for success. Students reflect on and track their progress toward learning targets based on meaningful data.
There is power in the practice of reflection. This edition of the Currents is coming to you a week after students facilitated their Student Led conferences with advisors and caregivers. For some, this was their first experience being part of such a conference with the practice of reflecting on strengths and challenges and setting goals being a completely new concept and for seniors it was potentially their last Student Led Conference. It is always a highlight for me to reflect on the growth that occurs over each students’ career at Four Rivers, especially when it comes to reflecting on themselves as learners. In learning how to give and receive meaningful feedback, all members of our community work to push themselves in new ways in pursuit of becoming the best versions of themselves. Kudos to the students for the work they put into their Student Led Conferences and the staff who engage in their own process of reflection and professional growth.
Highlighted in this edition of the Currents you will see examples of some of the amazing service work our students are supporting. Please be sure to see the details about the Climate Club’s bake sale, the Food and Supply Drive organized by the Food and Justice Club, and the sleeping bag drive that we are supporting as a community. Other exciting service opportunities lie ahead in Intensives, including participating in Monty Belmonte’s March for the Foodbank and working with Stone Soup Cafe and The Franklin County Community Meals Program.
Matt Leaf
Quick Links
2024-2025 ACADEMIC CALENDAR • SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR • SPORTS CALENDAR • COLLEGE VISIT CALENDAR • ALMA DIRECTIONS • Join the FAMILY DIRECTORY AY24-25 • GENERAL PERMISSIONS • NOVEMBER MENU • AFTERSCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES • UMBRELLA ORDERS • SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB SIGN UP FORM • FALL/WINTER INTRAMURAL SPORTS • BASKETBALL SIGN-UP • SUBMIT A QUOTE!
Upcoming Events
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Please refer to the online School Events Calendar for the most current information. College Visits are specific to Juniors and Seniors.
Fri. 11/15 – 7th Grade GCC Adventure Day
Mon. 11/18-Fri. 11/22 – Spirit Week! More info below
Mon. 11/18 – Climate Club to Climate Summit
Wed. 11/20 – College Visit: Merrimack College
– Climate Club Bake Sale Fundraiser (1:15-1:45 & 3:30pm) outside of high school
Thurs. 11/21 – Dow/Morse Crew Service at The Arbors
– Fall Fireside Fun Postponed Due to Fire Ban
Tues. 11/26 – Last day to register for Ski & Snowboard Club – space is limited!
– Variety Show Interest Meeting in the Common Room (3:15-4pm)
Wed. 11/27 – Early Dismissal at 12:30 – lunch served, one bus route
Mon. 12/2 – Picture Retake Day
– Basketball Practice Begins
In Otter News…
SPIRIT WEEK IS NEXT WEEK!
11/18 – 11/22
Monday: Matchy Matchy (coordinate with a group to dress the same)
Tuesday: Clashing Colors and/or Patterns
Wednesday: School Colors (Blue and White)
Thursday: Pajama Day
Friday: Formal Friday!
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW WEBSITE!!
Many thanks to Leah Plath for everything that went into putting this together!
LINK: https://fourriverscharter.org/
FOUR RIVERS CLUBS OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVING!
Climate Club Bake Sale Fundraiser – Wednesday, Nov. 20th, 1:15-1:45pm & at 3:30
From Climate Club:
The Four Rivers Climate Club has been active for the past 6 months, and with the wonderful accomplishments and impact we’ve made – we’ve come across a financial barrier with many of our projects. The aim of this bake sale is to fundraise money for future projects including the garden, the school wide Climate Day etc. Please help us fundraise, by buying some delicious baked goods from students on Wednesday November 20 after clubs- curbside pickup at the end of school, and after Intramural Ultimate (1:15-1:45 and after 3:30)!
Please remember to send your student with cash if they would like to buy some baked goods and support Climate Club’s many efforts! Families are welcome to purchase items at pick up time.
If you would like to donate items for the bake sale, please fill out this form. Baked goods can be dropped off in Eliza Beardslee’s classroom, rm 207, by Wed. morning.
Looking to collect 50 sleeping bags by Thanksgiving
Please help donate sleeping bags for the unhoused in Greenfield. Donation sites will be around town, including at the Front Office at Four Rivers. The goal is to collect the sleeping bags by Thanksgiving.
Flier by Jaida Bache
Flier by Jillian Bache
WELLNESS CLASSES, FIELDWORK AND OUTINGS HAPPENING OFF-CAMPUS
Please check with your student regarding their schedule, if you need to drop them off late or pick them up early. It is important to be aware if it will be during a time that their class is off campus for any reason.
Outings that are not part of the regular schedule are noted on the School Events Calendar.
Wellness classes going off campus becomes a weekly event starting in December and through the winter months. Once again we have the fortunate opportunity to use the gym facilities at Stoneleigh-Burnham School at 574 Bernardston Rd. in Greenfield, for all grades.
From Family Council
Fall Fireside Fun Postponed Due to Fire Ban
The Fall Fireside Fun event has been postponed due to an on-going fire ban in Massachusetts. A new date will be announced soon. Stay tuned!
Calling All Acts for the Variety Show 2025!
The Four Rivers Annual Variety Show is Friday, February 7, 2025 at the Shea Theater! The Show features singing, dancing, juggling, bands, skits, magicians, gymnastics, spoken word and more! New performers welcome! No experience necessary! We are here to support! There are also opportunities to participate in stage crew.
Please fill out this Google Form to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRv9obq0yvCESl4XHq1MPt6wvMpSPFTNp6v9XmtbBdqHQPOg/viewform
There will be an interest meeting for all students that would like to participate, on Tuesday, Nov. 26th from 3:15-4pm, in the Common Room.
If you have questions, please email the director, Stephanie Marshall-Meehleder at Stephmarshallmusic@gmail.com.
Raffle Volunteer Sign Ups!
With the Variety Show comes our really fun RAFFLE! This bucket raffle is the Family Council’s only annual fundraiser and provides funds for our school for fun community events we host, school dances, school trips and other requested things to support our community. The raffle features all kinds of wonderful donations from our community. WE NEED YOU to make this event a success! Click here to learn more about how you can help:
Next Meeting
The next Family Council meeting is Thursday, December 12th at 7 pm on zoom. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87919219613
All are welcome!
*Contact Marc Guillaume (solarmarc@gmail.com) to get on the Family Council email listserv and keep up to date on the happenings!
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.
Covid Tests
- Free Covid tests can be ordered and delivered to your house. They do have a limit for how many can be ordered per household.
- The Covid tests ordered for school have come in. There are 5 tests per box. Please contact the health office or front office if you would like a box.
As the weather is getting colder, or fluctuating for fall so far, illnesses are increasing in the community. Students and staff have been out with illnesses. One of the illnesses that is being diagnosed is pneumonia. Even the CDC has stated they are seeing an increase in pneumonia this year, especially in children. More information on pneumonia can be found here. Please reach out if you have any questions that I may be able to answer.
Screenings
Over the next few months I will be conducting screenings. Please read for information on screenings. It will go over what screenings are done and for what grades. There is also a form for opting your child(ren) out of screenings. The due date for the form is Monday, 12/2/24. Please let me know if you have any questions or would prefer a paper copy.
Dental Program at Four Rivers
The Community Health Center of Franklin County dental program was canceled for Tuesday, 11/5/24. I am waiting to hear back when they plan to reschedule, they are hoping for December. I have received back 6 registration packets so far. This program will happen again in the Spring. They come twice a year, typically Fall and Spring. Please let me know if you have any questions jmiller@fourriverscharter.org or (413) 775-4577 ext. 3.
Reminders
- Please submit your student’s Annual Health History and Permissions Form if you have not done so already. There are still a lot that I am missing.
- Covid and Flu vaccines can be done at various pharmacies . As of right now there is not a vaccine clinic happening at Four Rivers. You can always go to the website to stay updated on where you can receive Covid and Flu vaccines in the area. https://frcog.org/project/vaccine-information/
Athletics
Our Fall Sports Season has finished and there is a lot to celebrate!
Cross Country
Our Cross Country Team ran hard at Eagle Hill as the Girls took 4th place, and the Boys took 2nd. First overall for the boys was 8th grader Will Polatin, beating out all of the highschoolers. Unfortunately the cross country team will have to say goodbye to a number of runners. Loie Acton, Cedar Skinder, Charley Cormier, Skylar Guillaume, Meir Dragon, and Eamon Flannelly will all be graduating. The captains for Cross Country were Loie Acton and Logan Blais and the coaches were Marc Guillaume and Liv Lohmeier.
Middle School Soccer
There was a wrapup for the Middle School season in the last edition of the Currents, but here is a picture of the team. The captains were Aksel Kotright-Clark, Indira Wiles, and Emmitt Smith, and the Middle School was coached by Ursula Humphrey and Evan Dick.
Girls Varsity Soccer
Our Girls Varsity fell in a tough semifinal game to Eagle Hill 6-0. They grew a lot as a team, and capped off their season by winning the Spirit Award for the 4th year in a row! Seniors Tirzah Skelton and Rhea Sawicki finished off their last seasons (front, center). The captains for the Girls Varsity were Tirzah Skelton, Sylvia Guillaume, and Stella Langlands and the coach was Peter Johnson.
Boys Varsity Soccer
The Boys Varsity team was hoping to repeat its success of the previous year when it won the RVAL Championships, but it was not to be. They easily handled PVPA in the Quarterfinals, winning 8-1, and then faced a tougher challenge in St. Michaels in the Semifinals. It was a close first half, but they showed their quality as the game progressed and ended up with a comfortable scoreline of 5-1 behind 2 goals and an assist from Cooper Whitney. That win got them into the finals and they headed up to Putney to play a team they had split results with in the regular season. It was a hard fought game, but 14 saves from Keeper Miles Retzlaff (and 2 from defender Marley McConkey) weren’t enough to overcome a strong opponent as they fell 2-0. Second place is nothing to be ashamed of, and the boys return a strong core next season when they will try to win it all again. The senior on the Boys Varsity team was Eliot Sanborn (back row, third from left). The captains were Kolin Broderick and Russell Herbert, and they were coached by Ryan Gahagan.
Soccer Feedback
Do you have any thoughts to share about our fall sports season? Anyone who played on one of our teams can use the link below to fill out our feedback form.
Returning Jerseys
A lot of jerseys have been returned, but there are still a lot more that need to come in. Please return all jerseys to the box by the front office in the Farmhouse. Jerseys should be clean and in a Ziploc bag. Don’t forget to return shorts and socks as well. For Cross country jerseys please also include your name.
Booster Club
We are working on improving the access and participation of parents with our sports program. We had our meeting on Thursday, 11/14 and left with a lot of good ideas and a plan for going forward. We are compiling a list of people who are interested in being involved, but weren’t able to make the meeting. If you would like to be on that list (and think that you aren’t already) please email Peter Johnson.
athletics@fourriverscharter.org
Intramural Sports
This is your last chance to sign up for Intramural Sports! Besides our regular sports, Four Rivers also offers intramural sports. These take place on the Four Rivers campus, and do not normally include competition against other schools. This Fall/Winter we have two options: Intramural Ultimate and Intramural Running. Both are great for those new to the sport as well as those more experienced. Running also has the option of participating in local races. Use the link below to sign up for one (or both).
Basketball
Our winter sport at Four Rivers is basketball. Our season runs from after Thanksgiving to February break. Use this link to sign up for basketball. Basketball Sign-up
Disc Design Contest:
Thanks to everyone who participated in our disc design competition, we received some really great designs from Logan Blais, Saylor Winchell, and Leith Sadoway but the winner of our contest is 8th grader Bea Mickus. We will be ordering our new discs soon. Once they arrive you can buy them in the front office.
Reminders
SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB REGISTRATION IS LIVE – LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!
We are almost at our capacity of 65 students for our Ski & Snowboard Club. The deadline to register and pay the club fee is Tuesday, Nov. 26th.
Please fill out the following form which goes over all of the required information for both the school and for Berkshire East.
Please do not register until you are sure your student can participate. If we reach our cap, students will be placed on a waitlist.
LINK: Ski & Snowboard Club Sign Up Form AY24-25
Returning chaperones or interested in chaperoning? Please email skiclub@fourriverscharter.org. These emails will go to club leader, Daryl Beck, and logistics coordinator in the front office, Robin Sidel. We will get back to all interested chaperones in early November.
If you have any questions, please email skiclub@fourriverscharter.org
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.
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM REVIEW
During the 2023/2024 school year, the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education conducted a program review of the special education program at Four Rivers. The review included an audit of all special education files, a review of policies and procedures, as well interviews with staff members, students and caregivers. While the review was overwhelmingly positive, the review did find that there were two areas where the school received “PARTIAL COMPLIANCE” and both were related to timelines. The full report can be found here: https://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/#f. If you have questions about any aspect of special education at Four Rivers, please contact Andy Stenson at astenson@fourriverscharter.org
Community Corner
FALL ARTeens AT THE ART GARDEN – APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN, TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE! Please see this letter that was emailed out to families on 10/8 in regards to transportation: ARTeens Transportation
ARTeens is an afterschool program where teens play, work, make art, and create a supportive creative community! ARTeens is a weekly after school program at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls open to middle and high school teens (ages 12-19).
Our Fall sessions begin the week of October 22nd and run for 7 weeks.
For more info and our participant interest form go to theartgarden.org/for-teens!
