🌱 Sunderland Elementary tackles barriers keeping students out of class
Sunderland, Massachusetts Patch AM: a 4 min readHello again Sunderland! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- Sunderland Elementary tackles barriers keeping students out of class
- Angel Tree gift drive comes to Sunderland's Co-op branch
- Sunderland's Buttonball Tree stands among New England's giants
Also on today's calendar: Present Power and 2 more events.
Today's riddle: What are the two sides of a circle? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
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- Wednesday: Intervals of clouds and sun, with a high of 57 and low of 42 degrees.
- Thursday: Cloudy and cooler; p.m. rain, temps: high: 49, low: 40.
- Friday: Cooler with occasional rain, with a high of 42 and low of 34 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Most Franklin County school districts saw attendance gains in 2025-26 (recorder.com) — Sunderland Elementary has launched “Every Day Counts at Sunderland” after attendance slipped slightly in the 2025-26 school year. Principal Benjamin Barshefsky says the initiative works with families to address barriers to getting children to school. The local decline contrasts with attendance gains across most Franklin County districts and supervisory unions. 
• Greenfield Co-op Invites Community to Give Back Through Angel Tree Program (businesswest.com) — Sunderland residents can help provide holiday gifts for local children through Greenfield Cooperative Bank's Angel Tree program with the Salvation Army. Participating branches, including Sunderland, have tags listing children's wishes and clothing sizes through Dec. 10. Donors should return unwrapped gifts by the deadline posted at the branch.
• American sycamore: Titan of the tree world (adirondackexplorer.org) — Sunderland's Buttonball Tree may be New England's largest American sycamore, a distinction it shares as a contender with Connecticut's Pinchot Sycamore. These giants offer more than striking bark and enormous trunks: their seeds feed birds, while hollow interiors shelter wildlife without necessarily signaling a dying tree.
📸 Around Sunderland
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Sunderland
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
Chestnut farm stand @ Big River →
Chestnut growers, 195 River Road, Sunderland
10:00 am
Saturday November 14
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
-
Present Power →
Cadence Yoga Center, 289 Amherst Road, Sunderland
10:45 am -
Drop-In Fall Craft: Ear of Harvest Corn & Mini Pumpkin
Sunderland Public Library - Children's Programs, 20 School Street, Sunderland
1:00 pm -
Sound Healing Meditation →
Cadence Yoga Center, 289 Amherst Road, Sunderland
6:00 pm -
Chestnut farm stand @ Big River →
Chestnut growers, 195 River Road, Sunderland
10:00 am
Saturday November 14
Friday November 20
Saturday November 21
📣 Sunderland Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
-
Veterans Day (Town Offices Closed) →
Town of Amherst Calendar Amherst, MA 01002
8:00 am -
30 Minute Reiki Session →
Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst
9:00 am -
Veterans Day Breakfast and Ceremony →
Town of Amherst Calendar, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst
9:45 am -
Wednesday Market →
Bangs Community Center > Large Activity Room, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst
10:00 am -
Oyster Night →
Champney's Restaurant & Tavern, 81 Old Main Street, Deerfield
11:30 am -
Architecture, You, & Me →
Bangs Community Center > Large Activity Room, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst
11:30 am -
Wednesday – Oyster Night →
Champney's Restaurant & Tavern, 81 Old Main Street, Deerfield
11:30 am
Wednesday November 11
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Circle K posted a job opening for Team Member in South Deerfield. Apply here.
- Pelican Products, Inc. posted a job opening for Quality Assurance Inspector - 3rd Shift in Deerfield. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Sunderland here.
🗞 Nearby News
South Deerfield
- MIAA boys soccer: Frontier offense comes alive in second half in 3-0 shutout against Excel Academy Charter in Div. 4 (recorder.com)
- Where to celebrate Veterans Day in Franklin County (recorder.com)
- 10 Massachusetts Farm Markets Where You Can Stock Up For Thanksgiving (takingthekids.com)
Leverett
- ‘Don't give up on your local store.' Small grocers across New England struggle with empty shelves, low supplies as strike drags on. (bostonglobe.com)
Deerfield
- ‘Voices of Young Peacemakers' event in Greenfield shares stories of courage, kinship (recorder.com)
Ok Sunderland! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What are the two sides of a circle?" — The inside and the outside ! (Thank you James M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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