From the Principal’s Desk… PERSEVERANCE AND MINDSET

Welcome to the school year. We hope things have started off well for all of you. From my spot, I’ve just been thrilled with our teachers and our students as they’ve gotten rolling. The three days of orienta-tion had great energy and spirit. Returning students were kind and welcoming to new students. New teachers worked hard through much of the summer to be ready for their classes and they jumped into everything we do here. Seniors led the Stepping In ceremony, setting a tone for the year with their song and their words of wisdom. I, too, want to help set a tone for the year.

As almost all of our students and families who came to the New Family Orientation know now, I am on a campaign this year to teach everyone about an idea called THE GROWTH MINDSET. I gave presentations to every grade in the school, telling them that understanding this one idea could make a huge difference in their success as a student. So here’s the idea created by Stanford University psy-chologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success, distinguishing between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset:

“In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success – without effort. They’re wrong.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.”

We want all of our students – and ourselves – to become smart, knowledgeable, capable people able to contribute to their families and communities. Dr. Dweck found that simply delivering the following information to students could improve their effort and achievement in school:

“Many people believe that a person is born either smart, average, or dumb – and stays that way for life. But new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle – it changes and gets stronger when you use it. When you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more your brain cells grow. Then, things that you once found very hard or even impossible – like speaking a foreign language or doing algebra – seem to become easy. The result is a stronger, smarter brain.”

Now in my fifth year at Four Rivers, I can say without hesitation that every student who has worked hard and tried his or her best has been successful here.

The character virtue we’ve chosen to focus on this year is PERSEVERANCE – well chosen for this mindset campaign. One of our seniors put a nice spin on this word when he said perseverance is when you connect to what you’re doing in such a way that keeps you working at it even when you hit obstacles.

These are the two messages I want to convey to everyone as this year gets started. Have a great one! Peter Garbus ~ Principal

September 2011

Four Rivers Currents

Grade 7 News

PAGE 2 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

OPENING DAYS

The wild weather changed the opening day plans for several Four Rivers divisions, but Division 1 was lucky to find Wendell State Forest open and ready for our first day. Spirits were high (as was the water in the pond, making for a few muddy moments) as we hiked with our crews and spent the morning sharing facts and arti-facts about ourselves on the trail. Each 7th grade crew had the op-portunity to meet one 8th grade crew and use their artifacts to learn a little bit about each other. It is always amazing to see the change from nervous and quiet energy on the bus on the way to Wendell compared with the more excited, exhausted and connected feeling on the way back to school.

After that exciting opening, 7th graders kicked off their first expedi-

tion of the year: Mini-Me, an expedition guided by 4 big questions:

1. What is Expeditionary Learning?

2. Who am I? Who are We?

3. How do I transition from ME to WE?

4. Who do we want to be as a 7th grade community?

While most expeditions take many weeks of intensive study, this mini-expedition asks students to produce six little products: a mini-survey, a mini-essay, a mini-graph, a mini-timeline, a mini-spanish-alphabet, and a mini-me (a 1/8 scale drawing of themselves). While the products may be small, this expedition gives students a big opportunity to get accustomed to the ways and workings of seventh grade at Four Rivers.

Throughout the first few weeks, students learn to use their planners to record their daily homework so they can meet deadlines. A few have also learned that when their homework is left incomplete or they are unprepared for class, the responsibility falls directly back on them; students can expect to make a tele-phone call home explaining to their parents what homework is missing, why it is missing, and what they plan to do in order to make it up.

Coming from so many different school settings, the students all come to Four Rivers wondering who will become their friends, how they will fit in, and if they will be able to keep up. The Mini-Me expedition gives the students and teachers a chance to get to know each other, since all of the products are focused on the subject that we know the most about…ourselves. As they struggle to remember how to do mathematical operations with fractions, they are encouraged to help each other find and correct their measuring and cal-culating mistakes. As they stress about how to draw a hand or face on their mini-me drawings just right, they depend on artistic students to help them learn how. As they edit and revise their mini-essays, they learn who has a talent for spelling and who has the knack for grammar. They all took a learning styles summary, and little by little, they are learning to identify ways of working that match their particular learning preferences (if you would like to compare learning styles with your favorite seventh grader, we used the survey from http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/). The “What Shape Is Your Brain?” bulletin board in the back of Ms. Locke’s room is full of every conceivable shape of learning style graph. And, little by little, the seventh graders are learning to appreciate the difference between asking, “How smart are you?” and asking instead, “How are you smart?”

Students in Ms. Beardslee’s crew attempt one of team-building challenge activities designed to help them open the conversa-tion about communication, leadership and perseverance.

PAGE 3 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

Grade 8 News

Clockwise from Left:

Students are quizzed on School guidelines Family Feud style

Matt Freeman, portraying Mr. Garbus, cracks down on scooters and skateboards on campus.

A Jeopardy game warns students about using inap-propriate language

Eighth Graders Building Community

In the opening week of school the 8th grade has been exploring the question: How can we create an 8th grade commu-nity where all people feel safe, respected, and welcome?

We have shared personal interests and talents through mini-projects like "This I Know" lessons, Nameplates, and "Where I'm From" poems. We have worked in crews and as a whole grade to describe how we want to be treated and how we want to learn and play together. We have also begun to learn and practice classroom procedures that support the good work of learning.

We look forward to sharing signs of our community building on Parent's Night, Sept. 21st. We hope we'll see you all there. For now, we leave you with our 6 Guidelines for behavior in our 8th grade community:

1.) Treat each person with dignity and respect.

2.) Be safe: Use materials appropriately and take care of the people around you.

3.) Pay attention: Listen fully and follow directions the first time they are given. Respect this time to learn: Check that your words and actions support the work of yourself and others.

5.) Leave no trace: Keep your space clean by putting borrowed things back where they belong and taking your things with you when you go.

6.) Follow all classroom procedures and all policies in the Four Rivers Handbook.

PAGE 4 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

DIV II NEWS

ENGLISH

Whose story is the story? This is a central question in 9th grade English, where we are beginning a unit on per-spective through an analysis of classic literature. Drawing from ideas in To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm and Twelfth Night, students will explore the complexities of this question and develop a response. Along the way, they will engage in skill-building that leads them towards focused, clear essays that draw from key ideas in literary works.

What matters? This is the question 10th grade students will explore in English this semester. Students will dis-cuss the contributions Americans have made to society and culture through reading essays by Emerson and Thoreau as well as contemporary literature of their choice. They will undertake narrative and research writing projects to express personal beliefs and significant social issues, and will join with history class to complete an action project on a social issue of great importance to the grade.

SOCIAL STUDIES

9th U.S. History I: Students are beginning their investigation into U.S. agricultural systems and the 9th grade's own food culture. They are taking a survey that attempts to capture some of the grade's habits, routines, and values in regards to the what, how, when, and why of the food they eat. They will be examining and analyzing results. Also, they will be looking at portraits of their refrigerators and the contents therein in an effort see what interesting questions arise from such an exercise. We will be heading to farms in two weeks as students gather material for their documentary projects.

10th U.S. History II: Students have begun a rigorous examination of the concept of identity. Shortly, they will transition into readings, conversations, and activities that explore the history of segregation in America, with an emphasis on the legacy of the Plessy v Ferguson Supreme Court Case of 1896. Moving forward from there, students will investigate the ways in which individuals and groups responded to racial prejudice and institution-alized racism in the early to mid 20th c. in the United States.

Tenth graders rest and take in the view at the top of Mount Watatic on their orientation trip.

Ms. Haxo’s 9th grade crew making a fashion statement!

DIV III NEWS

PAGE 5 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

On the Rocks!

The senior class began their year on the rocks at Star Island, a retreat center on a very small island off the southern-most coast of Maine. The trip focused on preparation for the coming tasks of senior year, all of which are about sen-iors preparing to leave Four Rivers for college, work or gap-year adventure. They took part in a Senior Expedition lesson and did some Senior Ex planning with Ms. Durkee and Mr. Wilson. They met with Mr. Stenson to discuss their post-Four Rivers plans, got a start on designing a senior wellness project and joined Mr. Hornick doing work in the Star Island garden. Mr. Hornick also worked with the grade to design this year’s Stepping In ceremony, which in-volved a lot of singing. There was also time for team-work, as evi-denced by the Great Crew Rowboat Challenge, during which each crew had to get all its members across a small harbor in small row-boats. This was a new skill for many of our kids and they went at it with all of the commitment one could hope for – with varying re-sults. The sight of very motivated seniors rowing vigorously in cir-cles was really not to be missed. Sorry everyone missed it! There was time for reflection, as well. Every senior and advisor gave thought to the question: In order to have the best possible year, what might I leave behind on Star Island and what is it important to take back with me? As students shared their answers, we were struck by how deeply thoughtful, self-aware and simply amazing our students are and how extraordinary this year can be.

Junior Orientation

It was not back-to-school as usual for Four Rivers juniors, who started their school year with a camping trip at Otter River State Forest. We had originally anticipated heading to Savoy, the location of previous years’ trips, but Hurri-cane Irene dictated otherwise! Thus, we headed to Otter River, which turned out to be wonderful… and not just be-cause it shares a name with our mascot. We camped on the bank of the river and participated in some individual re-flection and crew discussion time, a goal-setting session, and a healthy dose of outdoor fun. We cooked our hamburg-ers and veggie burgers over an open fire and enjoyed snacks generously donated by some junior class parents, includ-ing a near-endless supply of Jiffy Pop. Sunset brought campfire time. Ms. Roll’s crew went on a night hike, including a solo in the dark. Mr. Acton’s crew spent time stargazing. Mrs. Plath’s crew told riddles and ghost stories. Eventu-ally, everyone crawled into tents for some rest… or in a few cases, a sleepless night trying to get comfortable on tree roots and pine cones.

In the morning, after breakfast, we gathered by the lake for a closing circle with artifacts that represented one aspect of our trip. For some students, it was their first time camping, and they told of overcoming fears of the dark – and spi-ders – and multiple trips into the forest for firewood. From Otter River, we headed to Just Roots’ community farm in Greenfield, where the juniors did community service helping clear a field for future planting. We moved over twelve tons of rocks in just an hour and a half! Finally, dirty, exhausted and satisfied with our work, we headed back to Four Rivers.

Things weren’t over yet, though: on Friday, students went to UMass Amherst and Amherst College for an on-campus scavenger hunt. Can you find UMass’s Stonehenge? Or the entrance to the Amherst bike path? Can you learn to use the microfiche machine? The winning team found 37 items on our challenging scavenger hunt list and returned trium-phant. We suspect, though, that everyone’s favorite part of the day was the all-you-can-eat $6 buffet at UMass’s Berkshire Dining Hall.

Having conquered Orientation, we headed home for a long weekend, ready to take on academic classes the following week.

Seniors hang out on Star Island with some Duda guitar

More Scenes from Opening Week

Here are some photos from the first days of 7th grade Spanish. There is a Spanish component of the Mini-Me expedition this year that is all about the alphabet. One of the things Ms. Beardslee’s Span-ish students did the first few days was actually form the letters they were speaking with their bodies! What does this spell?

JUNIORS AT OTTER RIVER STATE FOREST

Jiffy-Pop for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Otter River Ninja Setting Goals for the coming year; crew dis-cussion time

Above and right are more senior scenes from Star Island. The setting was beautiful (above). Students did service work, such as re-caning chairs as demonstrated by Susanna Lowry (above right). And someone even snapped a photo of this passing boat named “Perseverance,” which also just happens to be the character virtue the school is highlighting this year in activities and community events.

Perseverance: To persist in an under-taking in spite of difficulties.

DO YOU HAVE USED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS LOOKING FOR A HOME?

The Music department at Four Rivers is in need of working and playable musical in-struments. Drums, percussion, guitars, keyboards, amplifiers, woodwinds, brass; you name it, we will use it. Please, only offer equipment that you know to be in good working condition. Thank you!!

Contact Dan Lederer

SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

Four Rivers is committed to providing quality education to all students. If for any reason you would like to request information about eligibil-ity for special education or 504 services please contact Kate Conant, Special Education Coordi-nator. Kate will be coordinating the referral process, evaluations and students on Individual-ized Educational Plans and 504 Plans. Ms. Conant will be available to speak with any interested parent on “Back to School Night” on September 21st, and at subsequent parent gather-ings.

FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

PAGE 8

STOP & SHOP POINTS BENEFIT FOUR RIVERS

Once again Stop and Shop is kicking off it’s A+ School Rewards Program! Begin-ning October 7, parents and school supporters can help Four Rivers earn CASH just by shopping with their Stop and Shop card. The school receives a point for every dollar spent. The number of points earned by the end of the year determines Four Rivers’ share of the $2.5 million that Stop and Shop will donate to schools this year.

Our school code is 05436. Sign up at Stop and Shop at the check-out register OR online: Stopandsop.com/aplus! Sign up today; points begin accruing October 7th!

NURSE’S NOTES

Flip flops are footwear with no support. Though they may be styl-ish; there is NOTHING safe about them. Please make sure your child has athletic shoes with them every day.

Jeanne Milton, RN, 775-4577 OR

jmilton@fourriverscharter.org

VOLUNTARY STUDENT

ACCIDENT INSURANCE Once again, Four Rivers is offering additional voluntary stu-dent accident insurance to supplement the limited coverage

maintained by the school. The brochure is available electroni-cally this year, as well as printed. This electronic PDF file can be found on our website under “Links and Documents” or call

the school and we will send you a copy of the brochure. OR send an email request to Harlan Smith at

hsmith@fourriverscharter.org.

web site: www.fourriverscharter.org

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Wednesday, September 21

6:30 pm This evening is a great way for parents to meet their child’s teachers and learn what is happen-

ing in their classrooms.

Leave the kids at home, and spend the evening getting to know how the school works, and

meeting other parents.

We end the evening with refreshments and cof-fee in the Common Room in the High School.

Bring a dessert or a snack to share.

See you there!

ALERT!

STUDENT DRIVERS! ALL students who plan to drive a car to school MUST register their car and get a parking per-mit from Ms. Taylor. So far, only the following students are in compliance:

Allman-Wales, Armitage, Graves,

Porter, Waite, White, Wilson

NO other students currently have permission to bring a car on campus. See Ms. Taylor immedi-ately if you would like to drive and park at school.

THIS MEANS YOU!

PAGE 9 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

;

FAMILY COUNCIL NEWS First meeting of the new year:

Wednesday, Sept. 14 ~ 7:30 pm—in the Farmhouse Please join us for an exciting year and listen to what’s happening, what’s new and what we do! Feel free to share your ideas, suggestions and concerns. If you are unable to attend and want to submit items for discus-

sion, please email them to FamilyCouncil@fourriverscharter.org

We hope to see you there!

Vicki Fiske-White and Laurie Arruda, Family Council Co-Chairs

EVENT Saturday, Oct 1 ~ Family Council Community Day Meet Four Rivers Families, Activities and Games, Movie Night in the Blue Barn.

Check the Four Rivers Flash for more details as the date draws near. Contact Vicki or Laurie at the Family Council email address above if you can help with this event!

STILL ENROLLING STUDENTS As good as the start to this year feels, we have 1 open space in 9th grade and no students on waiting lists for 8th through 10th. It is important that we keep all of our enrollment slots filled, so we need to have viable waitlists through the middle of the year. If you know families who have been interested in our school or who might be, please encourage them to get in touch with us. They should call and talk with Ms. Taylor.

IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, PICK UP AND DROP OFF CAN BE SMOOTH The one thing that slows down our parking lot at its busiest times is when you stop to pick up in the left hand passing lane. Please try not to do that. Park right to pick up or drop off – and pass to the left. Thanks, everyone.

WELLNESS Please make sure your student wears or brings appropriate footwear and clothing for Wellness and for Four Rivers Sports. This year, Division I and II students need to be prepared to be outdoors every day except Wednesday. Juniors have Wellness on Wednesdays. Thanks!

One of our primary missions at Four Rivers is to prepare each student to be ready for college. We recognize that the strength of the academic program each student undertakes is a primary factor for college admission. We have a strong academic program, and colleges tell us that they can see that. We also look to provide opportunities for students to pursue courses in their areas of individual interest. Through our associations with GCC and VHS we are able to broaden the range of courses we can offer. A shift in the college counselor’s role this year is to take over responsibility for enrollment in these programs; we think this will allow us to provide even better support to our students as they plan a course of study aligned with their post high school plans.

Each month in the Currents you will find information relating to upcoming events, deadlines and college planning activities. College information is also posted on our Naviance website. Look for an email providing login directions, or ask your child to show you their Naviance page.

Testing Dates and Deadlines:

SAT

Go to the college board website, www.collegeboard.org, to register, as well as for more information and study guides.

ACT: Dates and deadlines are available at: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html

PSAT: The PSAT will be given at Four Rivers on Wednesday, October 12th. We expect all juniors to participate, and sophomores are also encouraged. By taking the PSAT students get a sense of how they might perform on the SAT, as well as gaining access to tools to support them in preparing for future tests. Information and registration details will be in the mail soon.

FEE WAIVERS are available for those on free or reduced lunch, or who meet income guidelines. See http://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/pdf/sat-fee-waivers-guidelines-for-students.pdf for details. If you are eligible for a fee waiver, see Mr. Stenson.

Test Date Register by Late Registration Deadline

October 1 ** September 21

November 5 October 7 October 21

December 3 November 8 November 20

January 28 December 30 January 13

College Counseling & Guidance News

PAGE 10 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

College Fairs

College fairs are a great way to gain exposure to a number of colleges in one setting. In addition, it’s an opportunity to talk to representatives from colleges in parts of the country you might not be able to visit. A couple of upcoming local offerings are:

• Western New England University, Springfield. September 18, 4:00 – 6:00

• Hampshire County College Fair. September 27, 6:00 – 8:30 at Williston Northampton School.

College Visits

Four Rivers will be hosting a number of college visits this fall. These are typically toward the end of the school day and are posted on the college information board in the high school and announced at community meeting. Ask your child about these.

GPA: Student GPAs are now available in Focus. If you look under grades and choose “All Quarters” you will see a cumulative GPA. We encourage all families to look through their historical grades and to contact us if there is a discrepancy or omission.

Questions, concerns, or need to speak to someone about college? Contact Andy Stenson by email at astenson@fourriverscharter.org or call 413 775 4577 ext.222

FIRST PARENT WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON COMMUNICATION

Amanda Griffith, wellness teacher and advocate – otherwise know as Coachie, led a great workshop last week focused on communicating with our teens about issues involving tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and sexual activity. We looked at data from the Teen Health Survey conducted annually in the Franklin County/North Quabbin area and talked through ways we as parents can talk about these subjects with our kids. Keep your eyes on the Flash for similar events – but if you want to mark your calendars, they will be held 11/30/2011 and 3/28/2012. One topic came up that we’d like to say something more about. In her role as Wellness Advocate, Ms. Griffith provides a confidential setting for students to talk to her about what’s going on in their lives. She’s under clear requirements of mandatory reporting, which she tells students up front, to report any issues of self harm, harm to others, or abuse. She typically does not inform parents directly of what she hears – that would significantly undermine the confidential setting she provides. But she does work hard to help students themselves find ways to talk with their parents about what is going on. We trust Ms. Griffith a great deal to use her best judgment to manage these complicated situations, and we hope you do as well. Please contact her directly if you have further questions about her role.

PAGE 11 FOUR RIVERS CURRENTS

More...College & Guidance News

SOCCER SEASON OFF TO A GREAT START The soccer season is just beginning and sign-up has been high. We are fielding 4 teams - Varsity and Junior Varsity teams for both boys and girls. The boys JV (formerly known as the middle school) team has a lot of players on it. We have hired a second coach, Charlie Olchowski, to as-sist Dave Garappolo. We also plan to add a few more games for that team. We are doing this be-cause not every player is going to be able to go to every game, and there would not be enough playing time to feel satisfying. On game days, when a player is not scheduled to play they will still practice with the other coach. E-mails will be sent out to let parents know if their son is scheduled to play that day or you can check with the coach or the office.

Barring cutting players from the team, this seems to be the best solution to a pleasant problem of too much interest. This applies only to the boys JV team. You are all invited to come out and watch some good soccer games. Rain and other factors will see the schedule change as the season moves along. The updated schedule is always on highschoolsports.net.

Coach Plotkin

Four Rivers Charter Public School

248 Colrain Rd., Greenfield, MA 01301

Four River Charter Public School is dedicated to educat-ing young people for lives of learning and service. The school offers a rigorous academic program aligned with the Massachusetts cur-riculum frameworks and an emphasis on character develop-ment for moral and social responsibility. Three central themes – nature, technology and community – pervade the teaching and learning at the school. Four Rivers works closely with parents and seeks both to serve and learn from the many resources of Franklin County.

“This institution is an equal opportunity provider. To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20294”