Week of 2/22/16

Good afternoon and happy Friday!

I hope that all who participated in Parent/Teacher Conferences had an enjoyable and informative experience.  The Course Selection process is going well. Administrators and guidance counselors spent the week going into the English classes to make sure all students understood the process.

As a reminder the iStudent window will close on Saturday evening.  The iParent window for parent approval of courses opens on Sunday. Please go in to check off your approval of each course your student is choosing for next year.

Please take a few moments to read the important announcements below, especially our new "Social/Emotional Corner" written by community members who work in field of mental health awareness and support.  We are so excited to bring this information to you in order to continue to build our partnership with families.  Please reach out to any of our counseling staff if you have any questions or concerns about your child's mental health.  We can assist you in finding resources.

Come see an amazing HYPNOTIST show!  The senior class is hosting an all-ages Hypnotist show on Thursday, March 10th in the AHS auditorium at 7:00pm.  Students - both seniors and underclassmen - are volunteering to be hypnotized and participate in the show!  Tickets are only $7 at the door.  It is a great evening with a lot of laughs!

Tickets are now on sale for the AHSTS production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum!

Sondheim's joyous, musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga.

Broadway's greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. 

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum is a non-stop laugh-fest in which Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan named Philia, for his young master, Hero, in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors, and a showgirl or two.

Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 at 7PM, Sunday, March 6 at 2PM.

Patrons may buy tickets in advance online. AHSTS offers discounted tickets purchased online. All seating is reserved. For more information or tickets, visit www.ahsts.com.

Spring Sports Meeting:

I am reaching out to everyone today in regards to the Spring Sports Meeting.  Unfortunately we had to move the meeting to Monday March 7th in the High School Auditorium at 6pm.  Anyone who plans on trying out for a Spring Sport at the High School should attend this informational meeting.  At the end of the general meeting we will break down into individual team meetings where you will have a chance to hear from the coaches regarding the upcoming season.  If you have any questions regarding the meeting please do not hesitate to reach out. We also will be opening the registration portal for High School Spring Sports on Monday February 22nd at noon.  You can register by clicking onto the following link... https://www.familyid.com/organizations/ashland-high-school-athletic-department  

PROM 2016
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. 

If Prom is a financial challenge for you or your family, you are encouraged to contact Ms. Shilels at jpaviashiels@ashland.k12.ma.us.  Confidentially, Ms. Shiels may be able to assist you with resources available in the community.

ASHLAND RAISES HAPPY & HEALTHY KIDS

Welcome to a new addition to the principal’s weekly newsletters. We all want our children to be healthy and happy. This column will address a social-emotional health topic each week. We hope these will be a starting point for discussions, raise awareness, and/or be a reminder that kids can get stressed and need compassion and understanding. Since it is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, we chose eating disorders as our first topic.

• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses.Early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment is vitally important.
• Eating disorder behaviors (restricting, bingeing, purging, over-exercising, abusing laxatives) are usually not about weight loss. They are a way of coping with depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, or other emotional discomfort. Treating the emotional part is key to recovery, while also making sure your loved one becomes physically healthy.
• Preventing eating disorders includes promoting positive body image in our children as well as teaching them HEALTHY ways to cope with stress, failure, change, and disappointment. We will address these topics in future ‘Ashland Raises Happy Kids’ corners. In the meantime, for more information on the types of eating disorders and signs and symptoms to look for, please visit the National Eating Disorder Association website at: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
  
  
  
  

This coming weekend the Ashland Lions will be hosting a Chili Fest Fundraiser to raise money for local charities and scholarships throughout the Ashland community.   Please check out the Parent Flyers for more information.

The PTO has put together a brief survey for parents in the district.  Here is the link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVXKX6X


Have a wonderful weekend!

Back to school

Good afternoon-

I hope everyone had a wonderful February break.

As we get ready to return to school tomorrow I just want to remind families that the iStudent window for course recommendations is now open.  It will remain open through next Saturday, February 27. Students can view and approve teacher recommendations as well as enter elective choices.  Students should choose 6 electives and prioritize them in the comment boxes.  

Administration and counselors will be going into all English classes this week to make sure students complete this process.  Directions on how to approve and enter choices, as well as the Program of Studies with course descriptions, can be found on the AHS website.

The iParent window to approve teacher and student recommendations will open on Sunday, February 28 and will remain open until Saturday, March 12.  Parents should go into the portal to check off approval for courses.  If you and your student disagrees with a teacher recommendation please reach out to that teacher to discuss their recommendation.

A reminder that Parent/Teacher conferences are Thursday, February 25 from 6-8pm.  Please call Linda Chaney in the main office to make an appointment.   Guidance will also host College Night for Families of Juniors that evening in the auditorium at 7:30pm.

The latest edition of the OWL Newletter, updates from the Department of Student Services, can be found in the Parent Flyers.


The Ashland Documentary Film & Discussion Series will present the first episode, Family, Friends & Lovers, of a three-part mini-series from the PBS program, This Emotional Life, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Ashland Library, Community Room, 66 Front St., Ashland, Mass. The public is invited to attend.  Please be sure to check out full details in the Parent Flyers section of this blog. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.

Happy February Vacation!

Happy vacation!  I hope you all have a restful vacation week.

Course registration for the 2016-2017 school year has started!

I have included the course registration reminders again this week.  The Program of Studies for 2016-2017 is now posted and students should start reviewing it to choose the electives they are interested in taking.  We have also posted the Course Registration PowerPoint as well as Course "cheat sheets" to help with the process.  Administration and guidance will also be going into classes the week after vacation to assist students.

Here is the schedule for Course Recommendations for all 9th-11th grade students:

Teachers will finish making course recommendations by tomorrow.

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.

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.

Are you interested in leadership?  We have two upcoming student conferences that Ashland High will be sending students to:

On March 18 the Anti-Defamation League's Youth Congress "Voices in Leadership" will be held at the Boston Sheraton.  This is a free conference and a bus will be provided.  There are a few spots left! Email me ASAP as I will send the roster on Tuesday!

The MIAA is hosting a Teen Mental Health Summit "Creating Communities of Awareness and Support" on April 27 at the Doubletree Hotel in Westboro.  Please email Ms. St. Coeur if you are interested in attending.

Please join ASHPAC for the following dates in March in the AMS Activity Room at 7pm:

Tuesday March 1st - Monthly meeting:  All are welcome!

Monday March 14th - Workshop:
Ten Traits of Effective Parents:  Navigating the Special Education Process with Attorney Jeffrey M. Sankey
Topics to be addressed include understanding key special education rules and regulations, the importance of maintaining accurate and complete education records, hiring qualified experts and maintaining productive relationships with school staff.  Q&A will follow regarding parental rights and special education laws.


The ARC Summer catalog is now in the Parent Flyers. Check it out!

Week of 2/1/16

Good afternoon and happy snow day!

I hope everyone is shoveled out and ready for the fun activities scheduled at AHS this weekend.

Due to the snow day, grades will be available in iStudent and iParent on Monday, February 8th after 2pm.

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.

Ashland High School Make A Wish Club will be hosting its annual Jump For Joy event to benefit the Make A Wish foundation.  Please join us between 10am and 3pm tomorrow for this fun event. Admission is $10 per jumper which covers unlimited bouncing all day in the 6 bounce houses.  There will also be a Jump-A-Thon involving Make-A-Wish club members, a special performance by the Mendon-Upton Skippers at noon, teaching of jump rope skipping skills as well as items to purchase including pizza, cotton candy, bake sale and basket raffles.  

Ashland Music Associations presents a night of A Cappella on Sat Feb 6, 2016. An A Cappella workshop for students in grades 8-12 followed by a concert featuring several college A Cappella groups. During the workshop students will work with UMASS Lowell’s all male group Hawkappella and all female group the Hawkettes to learn a song and perform with the groups during the concert. Price for workshop is $12 which includes workshop, dinner and concert. Registration begins at 4pm, workshop 4:30pm-6:30pm. Concert starts at 7pm, Adults $10 students $5. For more information or to preregister for the workshop contact Marilyn Marsh at Marilyna618@gmail.com.Walkins welcome!!

Please be sure to join the Clocker Club at its 7th Annual Pancake Breakfast this Sunday, February 7th from 8am – 11am in the Ashland High School cafeteria!  We will be offering a gluten free pancake option and some amazing raffle items!  2 $50 Clocker Store Gift Certificates, a AHS Sports Fee Waiver and Ashland Youth Sports Fee Waivers for Basketball, Baseball/Softball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Football and Cheerleading.  All proceeds directly support the needs of the AHS Athletic programs to fund ongoing uniform, equipment, training, maintenance and technology requirements.

$7 per Adult in advance - $8 at the door

$5 per Senior or Student in advance - $6 at the door

$3 per child (ages 3-10) in advance - $4 at the door

Purchase tickets online (www.clockerclub.org), at the Clocker Store, or at the door.

Mr. Irvine, principal of Mindess School would like to invite all present juniors and seniors who were students in the Neighborhood program while at Mindess to meet with him on 2/10 at 2:00pm to discuss your perspective on the program​.This is a voluntary meeting. Pizza will be served.

We are looking forward to welcoming Susan Rivers, Deputy Director of the Yale Center for Social/Emotional Learning, on Thursday, February 11th.  She will speak to students and faculty during the school day and will do a parent presentation at 7pm in the AHS Auditorium. We hope to see many parents in attendance!

Are you interested in leadership?  We have two upcoming student conferences that Ashland High will be sending students to:

On March 18 the Anti-Defamation League's Youth Congress "Voices in Leadership" will be held at the Boston Sheraton.  This is a free conference and a bus will be provided. 

The MIAA is hosting a Teen Mental Health Summit "Creating Communities of Awareness and Support" on April 27 at the Doubletree Hotel in Westboro.  Please email Ms. St. Coeur if you are interested in attending.

Course registration for the 2016-2017 school year starts on Monday!

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 on Monday- students should start reviewing it ASAP to choose the electives they are interested in taking.  .

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.