Friday, January 29, 2016

Week of 1/25/16

Good afternoon-

Mid-term exams have wrapped up and we are ready to kick off the second half of the year on Monday! It is quiet here during mid-term week so we will welcome the energy next week.

As a reminder, grades will be available in iStudent and iParent on Friday, February 5th after 2pm.

Students will start the day picking up their new schedules in homeroom Monday morning.  Most students will have a new schedule as half year electives start and study halls may have changed.

Just a reminder that we have a 10-day add/drop period to change classes for any new class in a schedule.  Students should see their counselors for an appointment immediately if they would like to change or add a new class.  The add/drop period ends on January 12, 2016.

We enjoyed hosting the 8th grade students for tours on Wednesday and the parents that attended our coffee this morning.  Course recommendation time is here!

Here is the schedule for Course Recommendations for all 9th-11th grade students:
February 1- February 13- AHS teachers will make course recommendations

February 10- class meetings will be held to show/remind students how to choose electives and approve their courses

February 14-February 27- course selection window is open in iStudent.  All students must approve teacher recommendations and choose electives.  Students can choose up to 6 electives and can make notes to rank order them.

February 28- March 12- course selection window is open in iParent.  All parents should approve their student course recommendations/elective choices.

The updated Program of Studies will be posted within the next week so students can start looking at the electives they are interested in.

Any student/parent who disagrees with a teacher recommendation should speak to the recommending teacher and then the guidance counselor.

Parent/teacher Conference Night           February 25 : 6-8pm  
Please call Linda Chaney at 881-0177 to schedule an appointment.  If you are questioning a teacher recommendation this is a good time to have that conversation.

We have a lot of great events coming up over the next couple of weeks- Please be sure to check out the Parent Flyer's!



Friday, January 22, 2016

Week of 1/18/16


Good afternoon and happy Friday!

The year keeps flying and Semester 1 wraps up next week with mid-term exams. 

The schedule is posted in the parent flyers section and on our website.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  As a reminder exams begin on Tuesday, January 26. and do not begin until 8:30am.  It is our hope that the later start time will allow students to arrive well-rested and ready for each exam.  The school is open at the regular time for students who ride the bus or get dropped off.  Those students can enjoy breakfast in the cafeteria, see their teachers if they have last minute questions, or to use the library or other common spaces to study.  Our gym will also be open for any students wishing to burn off some energy before exams.  

The term officially closes next Friday and grades will be posted on iPass on Friday, February 5 after 2pm.  

After mid-terms we will begin the scheduling process for the 2016-2017 school year.  Stay tuned for more details. 

Have a wonderful weekend and Go Pats!

Please check out the important information below as well as the parent flyers section for information on happenings around town.  

The Class of 2017 has received a new order of custom Ashland bracelets that are now available for purchase at $12 each through class officers or class advisor, Ms. Twomey. 


Prom tickets will go on sale for $75 each starting Monday, March 1st in the AHS cafeteria during lunch.  Class dues must be paid through junior year ($30 total) in order to purchase a prom ticket; payments may be made to class officers or to the class advisor, Ms. Twomey.  Checks should be made payable to AHS Student Activities.  Prom will be held on Friday, May 13th at the brand new Lakeview Pavilion in Foxboro from 6:00 - 11:00 (http://lakeviewpavilion.com).  Prom will be preceded by the Grand March in the AHS gym from 5:00 - 5:30, to which the public is welcome.  If you have questions or concerns regarding prom tickets and class dues, please contact Ms. Twomey at  jtwomey@ashland.k12.ma.us.




Tickets are now on sale for the AHSTS production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. The production runs Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th at 7PM,Sunday, March 6th at 2PM. Patrons may buy tickets in advance online at ahsts.com. AHSTS offers discounted tickets purchased online. All seating is reserved. For more information or tickets, visit ahsts.com.
ASHPAC Hosts Executive Function Workshop



On February 11 we are very excited to welcome Susan Rivers, Ph.D. to Ashland Public Schools for the day. Susan is the co-founder and deputy director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a research scientist in the Department of Psychology at Yale University where she earned her doctorate. An alum of Ashland High School (class of '93), Dr. Rivers studies the importance of emotions and emotional intelligence in the lives of children and adults. She is the author of multiple training programs and curricula designed to help educators enhance their emotional intelligence and teach children how to improve their skills.  She lives in Newton Upper Falls with her husband and three children.   Susan will speak to our 9th and 10th grade students that morning and will do a community presentation that night at 7pm in the AHS Auditorium.  Save the date!


Please join ASHPAC for our next workshop on Wednesday night, February 3rd at 7pm in the AMS Activity Room.





Jackie Stachel, MS, CCC-SLP, Executive Function Coach at Beyond BookSmart, will discuss how IQ and Executive Functions differ and how specific Executive Function skills allow students to be successful.  Via case-studies, parents will learn tools and strategies to support students with a variety of learning profiles.





ASHPAC Monthly Meeting


Will be held Wednesday, Feb. 3rd at 6pm (prior to the workshop) in the AMS Activity Room.  All are welcome to attend this meeting as well.  


Please note, snow date for both meeting and workshop is Wed, Feb 10th.


I received information on the following upcoming presentation and thought I would pass it along:

“The Secret Life of a Massachusetts Teen”

I am writing you regarding a dynamic (and fun!) 90-minute exciting program for parents which actively focuses on what teens are really thinking, what they fear, why they do not share their fears, and how parents can more effectively support their teens.

•    New ways of understanding teens;
•    Specific language to better elicit productive conversations;
•    Innovative techniques for engaging teens; and
•    Confidence, courage, and new perspectives. 
If you would like to see me present live, I will be in Natick on February 24th, in Hingham on March 1st, and in Newton on March 7th.

In recent years I have presented programs in Melrose, Stoughton, Norwood, Westwood, Braintree, Arlington, Wellesley, Sharon, Bellingham, Ludlow, Westford, Belmont, and many, many other communities.  After my presentation in Belmont, the Belmont High School PTO President had this to say: “Jon's many years of working with teens become quickly apparent by the insightful information he presents, in a very funny and right-on-target way. His connection with the audience was visible by the many heads shaking in agreement and the flurry of questions parents were anxious to ask. My only advice is to reserve a big room - we had close to 150 parents attended on a cold and snowy night!"



Friday, January 15, 2016

Week of 1/11/16



Good afternoon-

I hope this email finds many of you enjoying a relaxing long weekend.  The faculty and staff at AHS have had a wonderful day and a half of Professional Development.  We spent time on curriculum development as well as discussing concerns around youth substance use prevention.

Please be sure to check out the Parent Flyers area for information about happenings around town.



Last Chance to Personalize!
The 2016 yearbook is currently being designed and touched up. Now is also the final chance for students of any grade to order a yearbook with a namestamp personalization. On January 24th, this option will be closing for the year. What is personalization? Students can have their name stamped on the front cover of the book for a small additional fee. Visit the Herff Jones ordering site and enter our school code 13046 to place your online order for a book and a namestamp. https://www.yearbookordercenter.com

Attention Senior Parents
For the past 18 years you have watched your child grow into a young adult. Capture the moments for a lifetime by placing an ad in the 2016 yearbook to acknowledge their accomplishment. Ads can be 1/4 page to a full page. Include your own photos, quotes and message of love that will last for all time. To order an ad, visit the Herff Jones website https://www.yearbookordercenter.com and use school code 13046. The website will guide you through the process and make it easy for you to express yourself. Questions? Contact Chad McGowan, cmcgowan@ashland.k12.ma.us, or Chris Scott, cscott@ashland.k12.ma.us.


Parents, there is still time to order an Exam Care Package for your child!  Each exam care package costs $10 and includes such items as pencils, erasers, crayons, candy, stress balls, and other types of little items.  Most importantly, it includes a note from you!  All proceeds benefit the Senior Class.  Order forms can be found on the high school website, or by e-mailing Cory McGann at cmcgann@ashland.k12.ma.us. Orders must be received by the end of the day on Tuesday, January 19th.


Please join ASHPAC for our February Workshop:

Executive Functions: Fit the Strategy to the Learning Profile

by Jackie Stachel, MS CCC-SLP, from Beyond BookSmart

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016 at 7:00 PM, Ashland Middle School Activity Room

In this presentation, parents will learn how IQ and Executive Functions differ, as well as some of the specific Executive Function skills that students need to be successful. Using a case-study approach, parents will see a dozen tools and strategies selected to support students with a variety of learning profiles. 

Also note, the ASHPAC Monthly Meeting will be held prior to the workshop, starting at 6 pm.  All are welcome. 




Is your son/daughter interested in being a surgeon some day?  Please see the message below.

Dear High School Student or Teacher:

SAGES (the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons) is the national surgical society focused on laparoscopic surgery (abdominal surgery through little incisions).  Our national meeting is in March 2016, and it is in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center.  On Saturday, March 19 from 7:30 am to 2 pm, we are hosting our Mini Med School.  This is a chance for high school students to spend the day learning about what it is like to be a laparoscopic surgeon and have fun in the process.  The experience promises to be interactive, with students playing games and practicing on surgical simulators.  

Now for the details.  The day is free.  Students need to apply, and be supported with a recommendation by a teacher or counselor.  Limited spots are available.  For more information and to apply, go to the website:  http://www.sages2016.org/program/mini-med-school/.
  
Thanks, and we hope to see you or your student at SAGES in March 2016.




Friday, January 8, 2016

Happy New Year


Good afternoon and happy new year!

We are off and running with 2016 and had a great first week back.  This month will undoubtedly fly and we will be at the half way mark for the year.  

A few important dates to remember:

Tuesday, January 12 is the Community Book Read at the Ashland Public Library with Superintendent Adams.  I hope to see many of you there.

  Thursday, January 14 is an early release day.  Students will be dismissed at 11:45am.  Lunch will be served.

   Friday, January 15 is a Professional Day.  Students will not attend.

On Wednesday, January 20 we will host 8th grade students and their parents for the Academic Orientation to AHS.  We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2020!

The last full day of classes for the semester is Monday, January 25.

Mid-year exams begin Tuesday, January 26.  Exams will begin at 8:30am.  If students ride the bus in the morning or would like to be dropped off at the regular time they can use the time to prepare for exams, eat a good breakfast, or relax.  


MIDYEAR EXAM SCHEDULE
Students only need to be in attendance during exam times.  If they do not have a class they do not need to attend and you do not need to call the attendance line.

Tuesday, January 26– B and C Period Exams
B Period (Exam)         8:30-10:00
C Period (Exam)         10:15-11:45
Dismissal                    11:45
E Period                       11:45-12:45 (Lunch Block)
F Period                      12:48-1:55

Wednesday, January 27– G and A Period Exams
G Period (Exam)        8:30-10:00
A Period (Exam)         10:15-11:45
Dismissal                    11:45
C Period                       11:45-12:45 (Lunch Block)
D Period                     12:48-1:55

Thursday January 28 – E and F Period Exams
E Period (Exam)         8:30-10:00
F Period (Exam)         10:15-11:45
Dismissal                    11:45
A Period                       11:45-12:45 (Lunch Block)
B Period                      12:45-1:55

Friday, January 29 – D Period and Make-up exams
D Period (Exam)        8:30-10:00
Dismissal                    10:00
Make-up Exams        10:15-11:45
G Period                      11:45-12:45 (Lunch Block)
A Period                      12:45-1:55


Buses will run on a regular schedule.

There will be no hot lunch but sandwiches and salads will be available starting Tuesday, January 26.
**LUNCH SCHEDULE
1st Lunch 11:45-12:15
2nd Lunch 12:15-12:45

Grades for Term 2 will close on Friday, January 29, 2016

Report cards will be available after 2:00pm on Friday, February 5, 2016


Please check out the Parent flyer's section for important information about exciting happenings around town!

Lego Drive
With the new year here and all of the new toys and gadgets filling your home, maybe there is an opportunity to clear some of the old and do a good deed at the same time. The Robotics club is collecting used Legos for a future fundraiser. If you and your family have any you would like to donate, simply bring them to the high school and drop them in the office. from one small baggie to buckets full, all donations are gladly welcomed.