Learning is public
Students produce high-quality work for presentation to audiences within and beyond the school. They reflect on what and how they learn with peers, teachers, and community members. Hallways and classrooms are filled with evidence of learning and beautiful student work. ~from the EL Education Core Practices
Message from Head of School and Principal
As the days begin to grow longer and we settle into the rhythm of late winter, there is a strong sense of momentum across our school. Classrooms are active with reflection and goal-setting, student leadership is on display, and the creative and academic energy that defines Four Rivers is fully alive.
March brings one of the most powerful expressions of our school model: Student-Led Conferences. Across divisions, students will step forward to share reflections on their goals and accomplishments, respond thoughtfully to mid-year report card feedback, and chart a purposeful path for the remainder of the year. These conferences are responsibility and ownership in action, with students articulating their growth and next steps as learners and community members.
At the same time, joy and spirit are alive and well. Our Crew Council–organized Spirit Week after break will fill the building with creativity, laughter, and connection, reminding us that belonging and fun are essential parts of deep learning.
We are also looking ahead to our annual Admissions Lottery on February 27th. Interest in Four Rivers continues to grow, and much of that is fueled by the authentic stories shared by our students and families. Thank you to the many teachers and student ambassadors who have generously given their time to host information sessions, lead tours, and speak about their experiences. Word of mouth remains our most meaningful invitation.
The arts are shining brightly as well. Our Drama Club, stage crew, and set-building teams have been hard at work preparing for the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It. We look forward to gathering at the Shea Theater to celebrate their talent and collaboration. We hope to see you at the Shea.
As we move toward the end of March, we will also begin MCAS testing. While MCAS is no longer tied to the state competency determination, it remains an important measure within our broader accountability system. We triangulate this data alongside our internal assessments and other data sets to determine where students may need acceleration, support, or extension. Our focus remains steadfast: ensuring every student meets the standards that guide our courses and graduates prepared for college and career.
And as spring approaches, invitations to Celebrations of Learning will begin to arrive. Eighth grade has launched Liveable Franklin County for All, tenth grade has begun Do Something, and our seniors are deep in their documentary process. There is much meaningful work unfolding that grounds us in our mission, and community in powerful ways.
There is a great deal to celebrate at Four Rivers. Thank you for being part of our purposeful community..
Warmly,
Jenni
Please enjoy this slideshow from our incredible Variety Show!
Quick Links
2025-2026 ACADEMIC CALENDAR • SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR
SPORTS CALENDAR • APPAREL STORE
HEALTH INFO TO FAMILIES • MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL HEALTH RECORD Health Care Provider’s Examination
MEDICATION ORDER FORM – completed by healthcare provider
AY25-26 FOUR RIVERS AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES
FAMILY COUNCIL MAILING LIST • CHARTER ADVOCACY INTEREST
NEW LINKS FROM THIS EDITION
TICKETS FOR OUR MUSICAL PRODUCTION
NEXT YEAR COMMITMENT FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
HOW TO APPLY – FOR NEW STUDENTS (INCLUDING SIBLINGS)
LINKS FOR CURRENT ATHLETIC OFFERINGS
Intramural Running & Fitness Fun • Volleyball
Upcoming Events
Please refer to the online School Events Calendar for the most current information.
Fri 2/13
- Div 1 & 2 Sledding at GCC
Mon 2/16 – Fri. 2/20
- February Break!
Wed. 2/25
- AY26-27 Application Deadline at 3pm – for all new students
- Joanna Morse’s Crew – Service at the Arbors
- High School Information Session for Current 8th Grade Families (5-6pm) in the Common Room – more detailed info was sent to 8th grade families
Thurs. 2/26
- Black Excellence Month Speaker – Kallis Smith of New England Public Media
- 9th Grade Science – Greenfield Floodplain Work
- 10th to WEB Dubois Library (UMass Amherst)
- Family Council Meeting via Zoom (7-7:45pm)
Fri. 2/27
- AY2026-2027 ENROLLMENT LOTTERY
In Otter News…
ALL THINGS DRAMA!
Musical Tickets Now On Sale
The Four Rivers Drama Club proudly presents Nice Work If You Can Get It, a screwball musical comedy of Gershwin tunes set in the Prohibition era of roaring 20’s New York.
Shows will be Friday, March 6th at 7pm and Saturday, March 7th at 2pm and 7pm at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and children under 5 are free. Families of cast members who wish to attend all three productions can contact director Leah Plath at Lplath@frcps.org for information about a special rate.
You can order your tickets online at https://events.humanitix.com/frdrama26 , and tickets will also be on sale through the front office starting February 23rd.
Props and Costumes Wanted
Can you help us with any of these items? We need the most items in the small/medium size range, but if you have other sizes, please reach out as well.
- Dresses, preferably drop-waist or straight-cut, that hit at or slightly below the knee (these can be very dressy “flapper-style” or more basic “day dress” style)
- Wide-leg or straight-leg dress trousers for men
- Button-down shirts in solid colors or pinstripes
- Suit jackets (double or single-breasted)
- Suit vests
- Sweater vests
- 1920s-style hats (for men and women)
- Suspenders
- Neck ties, bowties
- Decorative scarves or belts for dresses
- Chef jacket
For props, we’re looking for the following:
- Wooden crates
- A metal ladle
SENIOR EX WISH LIST: SUPPORT OUR SENIOR EXPEDITIONS!
Senior expedition is our capstone project, where all graduating seniors create an independent year-long solo expedition in a topic of their choice, culminating in a final product and presentation. This year, we’re inviting the Four Rivers community to support senior expeditions through purchasing items on seniors’ wish lists. These items will be given directly to students for use in their final senior ex products. Four Rivers also has funding reserved in our budget to support student projects, but the wish list allows us to stretch that funding to reach more students.
Many items on the wish list have already been purchased! Thank you so much to our generous benefactors. You can see the current list now at https://DreamList.com/for/seniorex26 . Any items you purchase will ship to the school so we can deliver them to students. To learn more about the projects behind these wish list items, visit https://tinyurl.com/SeniorEx2526 .
Thank you for your support! If you have any questions, please reach out to Leah Plath at Lplath@frcps.org .
NEXT YEAR COMMITMENT FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
As we plan for the next academic year, it is helpful for us to know which students will be staying with us and if others will be transferring to other educational institutions or pathways. We, of course, would love for all of our students to stay with us, but we know needs and plans change for some students and families. Open communication is really helpful for us to also be prepared to support any transitions.
Please complete this form by Thurs. 2/26/26, at noon, to let us know if your student will be returning to Four Rivers next year.
LINK TO FORM: NEXT YEAR COMMITMENT, AY 2026-27
This information was also sent in a separate email.
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR NEW STUDENTS FOR AY2026-2027 IS WEDNESDAY 2/25/26
In order for students to be entered into the lottery for the 2026-2027 academic year, their application needs to be complete and submitted by 3pm on Wednesday, 2/25/26.
CURRENT FAMILIES WITH SIBLINGS APPLYING MUST COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FOR YOUR NEW STUDENT BY THIS DEADLINE. Siblings of current students DO receive priority when the lottery is run, but the application process is the same as all other interested famlies.
We welcome and appreciate your support with student recruitment! Your help spreading the word and sharing your family’s experience at Four Rivers is truly invaluable. Below are a couple of easy ways you can contribute.
Related links that can be shared:
Four Rivers Website: https://fourriverscharter.org/
How To Apply: https://fourriverscharter.org/how-to-apply/
- Share and repost our posts on Facebook and Instagram to your social media accounts to inform friends and family about the opportunity to join our school community.
- Copy and paste the post below or edit it to reflect your voice.
- Our family is a part of the Four Rivers Charter Public School community, and the school is now accepting applications for students in grades 7-12 for next school year. You can learn more and apply at https://fourriverscharter.org/how-to-apply/. Be sure to submit your application by Tuesday, Feb. 25th, 2026, at 3pm. Feel free to message me to learn more about my family’s experience!
SPIRIT WEEK 2026
March 2 – 6
Monday, March 2: Merch Monday: Wear your favorite band, team, college, camp or Four Rivers attire.
Tuesday, March 3: Style Swap: Dress in a style that is completely different than your regular look.
Wednesday, March 4: Pajama Day: A Spirit Week Classic. Remember that you might need to be outside and/or active for part of the day.
Thursday, March 5: Crewformity Day: Everyone in your Crew dresses/looks the same.
Friday, March 6: Roaring 20’s Day – in celebration of the Drama Club’s premier of Nice Work if You Can Get It that night. Check out the 1920’s FASHION slideshow for inspiration and guidelines
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES – WEDNESDAY, 3/11 and THURSDAY, 3/12
We will be scheduling for 2nd semester Student Led Conferences for 7th through 11th grade, starting Wed., Feb. 25th.
For 12th graders – Student Led Conferences in March are optional. You will receive an email if your student’s advisor would like to meet with you and your student.
PARKING LOT REQUESTS
We would like to ask that if dropping off or picking up your student requires additional steps – i.e. unloading or loading the trunk, waiting on additional students, etc., to please find a parking spot, versus being in the pick up line. We need the pick up line to move at a pretty consistent pace.
Please pull up as far as you can when dropping students off in the morning. Stopping right in front of the high school causes a back up in the drop off line.
If your student is not ready and you do not have a parking spot, we ask that you exit and then re-enter the pick up line.
It has also been noted that cars parked along the entrance at pick up time can make the roadway pretty narrow as cars are still needing to enter and exit.
Current Employment Opportunities
- Substitute Nurse
Full job description - Substitute Teacher
- Full job description
Charter School Advocacy
Advocate for Four Rivers Charter and Massachusetts Charter Schools!
We are seeking parents and guardians to help us share the story of our school and the amazing work our students, alumni, and teachers do every day.
What makes you a good fit for the Family Ambassador role? This might be the perfect opportunity for you if you:
- Love Four Rivers Charter School.
- Enjoy talking with others and building new relationships.
- Are excited to share how Four Rivers has made a difference for you, your child, and your family.
Sign up to receive advocacy updates and announcements — we’ll share simple ways you can take action and make a difference for our students all year long.
Email elehan@fourriverscharter.org for more information.
From Family Council
Variety Show & Raffle An Enormous Success!! A big THANK YOU to the Four Rivers Community for making the 2026 Variety Show & Raffle a huge success. There were 53 raffle items (56 winners!) and 18 incredible acts, featuring our talented students and faculty. After expenses, the Family Council is proud to report that we raised just under $5,000!! Director Megan Healey would like to express their gratitude to everyone involved on behalf of the Family Council, especially the students and staff who made their transition as director seamless.
YOU CAN WATCH THE VARIETY SHOW HERE: https://www.youtube.com/live
What is the Family Council? The FRCPS Family Council is a parent, caregiver and Four Rivers community organization that builds community!
We sponsor and host fun gatherings during the school year and run an annual raffle fundraiser that supports school enrichment activities.
Next meeting via zoom: Thursday February 26, 2026 at 7 PM via Zoom.
Join in, pitch in, or just check in—Family Council is for everyone
*To get on the Family Council email listserv and keep up to date on the happenings fill out this form: LINK: Join the Family Council Mailing List
Athletics
BASKETBALL
Our basketball season is in the final stretch and RVAL Playoff Week is here for Varsity Basketball! Seeded #2 entering the playoffs, our Varsity team earned a strong semifinal win over St. Michael’s last night and now heads to Eagle Hill on Thursday 2/12 for the Championship game! It should be a tight and exciting matchup!
Middle School Basketball also wraps up its season this week with a final game today against Eaglebrook. This team has had a great season of growing and learning together, building skills, confidence, and teamwork!
Tuesday night’s semifinal game was Senior Night for Varsity Basketball. Our five seniors were celebrated by the Booster Club and their coach and teammates with special recognition and banners. Four of them have played basketball every year since middle school! Thank you seniors for your leadership and dedication to our basketball program! Our seniors are: Cooper Whitney, Russell Herbert, Miles Retzlaff, Kolin Broderick and Oliver West.
WINTER INTRAMURALS & VOLLEYBALL
We’re excited to offer a great lineup of additional Athletics opportunities this winter, including a running & fitness intramural, indoor ultimate frisbee, and volleyball. Sign ups opened on January 29th and there are just a few spaces left in Volleyball and Intramural Ultimate. There is still plenty of room in Intramural Running, which began February 2 and has a rolling start — join anytime. Click the links to learn more about each offering and to sign up:
Intramural Running & Fitness Fun Mondays and Fridays, February 2 – March 20
Volleyball Mondays/Tuesdays/Thursdays/Fridays, February 25 – March 18
Intramural Ultimate Frisbee Session 2 Wednesdays, February 25 – March 18
SPRING ULTIMATE FRISBEE INTEREST FORM
We’re also beginning to plan for our spring ultimate frisbee season, and we ask that all families please complete this short interest form to help with our planning and scheduling: Ultimate Frisbee Interest Form
Reach out to Athletic Director Erin Klett with any questions!
BOOSTER CLUB
All athletics families are welcome and invited to join the Boosters! Boosters promotes and supports our athletic programs and fundraises for senior banners. Reach out to Sharon McGuinness for more information or to get on the email list.
Reminders
ORDER IN TIME FOR ULTIMATE SEASON – FOUR RIVERS APPAREL
A friendly reminder that our school store is up and running 24/7 and carries a lot of options!
LINK: FOUR RIVERS APPAREL STORE
KEY CARDS
Students should bring their key card to school each day to avoid being locked out of buildings. If a key card is lost or not working please report it to katijosephs@fourriverscharter.org as soon as possible. Students who require more than two replacement cards will be billed $5 for each additional card. Clear protective sleeves are available in the front office.
Community Corner
ANNUAL POET’S SEAT POETRY CONTEST
LINK: https://www.friendsofgpl.org/poet-seat-poetry-contest.html
Four Rivers Alumni are among some of the previous winners!
CREATIVE WRITING FOR TEENS
Weekly, each Tuesday, 4:00-5:00 pm
Artspace Community Arts Center, 15 Mill Street, Greenfield
For students 13-18yo Instructed by Eloise Michael
This class will provide structure for students to develop a writing routine. As they begin to see themselves as writers, students will learn to translate their ideas into words on the page and develop their unique voices. The class will be a safe space for students to share their writing. The focus will be on creativity and self-expression, not spelling and grammar.
Register for single-day time slots or 6 weeks at a time!
www.artspacegreenfield.org/event-details/creative-writing-teens
Winter Break Camp and Spring Sessions
