December 23, 2020

Good morning and happy last day of classes for 2020! What a year it has been. I know how hard it has been for all of us. But despite that, every day I am impressed with our students and their incredible resilience, grit, and determination. Whether they are a full remote or hybrid (currently remote) they keep working and doing their best. That is all we can ask of students right now, to just keep trying. We will get through this together. I am so proud of them. I encouraged students to take time this morning to thank their teachers and then spend a restful break enjoying time with their household members. I hope we can be back to hybrid learning on January 4. Happy New Year to you all!

Please enjoy the Virtual Winter Concert from our choir. In these challenging times, the beautiful music and uplifting messages from these students are wonderful to see.

Here is the December issue of the Union Street Journal, Ashland High School's newspaper.

The following email was sent to all members of the Class of 2021. Please review and talk with your student about the opportunity to pursue the Seal of Biliteracy:

Seal of Biliteracy-

Ashland Public Schools is pleased to once again partner with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to offer the State Seal of Biliteracy as a means to recognize high school graduates who attain high functional and academic levels of proficiency in English and another world language. Specifically, proficiency means that students can function in both languages in authentic, real-life situations. The Seal of Biliteracy is a special state insignia that will be affixed to the graduate's diploma. We are inviting all members of the Class of 2021 to register their intent to test for the Seal by Friday, January 8, 2021. The test for language proficiency is computer based and will be administered beginning at the end of January (schedule TBD).

2021 Seal of Biliteracy letter (English)

2021 Seal of Biliteracy letter (Português)

2021 Seal of Biliteracy letter (Español)

2021 Seal of Biliteracy letter (русский)   

Finally, congratulations to Katie Machnik for her winning poster in the "Hopes and Passions for 2021" poster contest run by the Student Council! I hope we can spend 2021 focused on the positive.

December 18, 2020

Good afternoon-

Please see the attached letter(s) from our nurses regarding the new Influenza Vaccine requirement.

AHS Influenza requirement- English

Nuevo requisito de influenza - Influenza requirement- Spanish

Novo requisito para influenza - Influenza requirement- Portuguese

Picture retakes have been rescheduled to February 4 & 9, 2021. We hope to be able to distribute photos in January but please email me if you hope to have them sooner. Thank you for your patience with this. 

The Student Council's Game Show Night will air this Friday night, December 18th at 5pm on WACA-TV.  It will also be live-streamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/wacatvashland (and the recording will be available there, afterwards).  Tune in and watch the AHS Student Council's versions of Jeopardy and Family Feud!

Have a wonderful weekend!

December 11, 2020

Good afternoon-

A very Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate. 

It has been a whirlwind of a week and we hope students are settling into remote learning. We miss the students so much already and know how hard this is. Teachers will continue to reach out to students about times to pick up materials, books, etc. over the course of next week. Thank you for your words of encouragement and support for our teachers as well as your requests for reminders about screen fatigue and the pressures students are facing. 

In the midst of this crazy time AHS accreditation is scheduled for the coming week. A team of teachers volunteering through NEASC (New England Association of Schools & Colleges) will be observing classes virtually as well as meeting with teams of teachers and students on Monday and Tuesday. This visit typically happens every 10 years and the teachers spend a few days in the building observing teaching and learning. This new virtual experience will be one for the books and we look forward to what they have to share. 

We learned this week that the MCAS test scheduled for January, except for 12th grade students that need it for competency determination. We will determine the testing schedule for those students when we return.  All 11th grade/class of 2022 students will now test in May/June along with the 10th grade/class of 2023 students. 

Pictures have arrived and were due to be handed out this week. We will hold on to them until the we return in the new year. 

Please check out this newsletter from AREA, a group of people of color and their allies in Ashland working together to ensure that their voices are represented in local civic organizations, government, and the schools.

APL Library Drive By book sale

Stay safe and healthy weekend and don't hesitate to reach out with questions, comments or concerns.

December 4, 2020

Good afternoon-

I hope the first two of our full remote days went well for all. I understand there were some technical issues that are being addressed. As a reminder all students are expected to attend class, either synchronously or asynchronously, every day. Teachers will notify students of their expectations through the Google classroom. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Student Council News:

Game Show Night
This winter, Student Council is hosting a virtual game show night! On December 18th, WACA-TV will be broadcasting a live program of Jeopardy and Family Feud. If students are interested in participating, they should fill out this form (open until December 11th): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-YlNQH4yLWebSVFOIt_ZNFvQCPtvEDNFMADOR8bnCsX57rA/viewform?usp=sf_link. We have 6 spots for Jeopardy, and 8 for Family Feud. This is a schoolwide event, meant for the whole community to enjoy. We even have some special teacher guests participating! Spread the word!

Poster Contest:

To celebrate school spirit and competition, the Student Council is hosting a poster designing competition this December! The theme for this contest is Hopes and Passions for 2021. The winning submission will be remade into large sized posters to be displayed throughout the school, and the winner will be awarded a $25 amazon gift card. Both computer graphic and hand drawn designs are encouraged! Submissions can be sent as a photo to stuco.ashland@ashland.k12.ma.us. Designs are due by Friday, Dec. 18, 11:59 PM, and voting will be open the following Monday and Tuesday.   

Win a free 2021 Yearbook!

The AHS Yearbook is hosting a photo contest to get students to share 'What Ashland means to you' in a photo. The submission deadline is December 15th. To enter, students must submit a photo on the yearbook form provided, and explain what the photo means to them. The photo should capture the history, community, landscape, architecture, people, and/or essence of Ashland in a photo. It is not necessary for it to be school based. All entries, regardless of winning the contest, have an opportunity to be displayed prominently in the book along with a photo credit. Click here to submit an entry. One entry per form, no limit to the number of entries per person. Questions? Contact Chad McGowan @ cmcgowan@ashland.k12.ma.us

Parents: Don't forget to buy your 2021 yearbook! Go to coffeepond.com and use the password AHS01721. The price is $70 now but will go up to $100 at the end of January. Don't miss out on the savings!

Decisions at Every Turn Take a Break from Tech Week starts Sunday!  The planner to encourage families to step away from tech to focus on family connection.  The activities are appropriate for families with kids of all ages. 

See the message below from some AHS parents!

The Ashland community is hoping to celebrate our Class of '21 seniors in this unique and challenging year by delivering each student a little gift on the 21st of each month, January through May. If you would like your student to be included, please email the following to kerryluoma@gmail.com:

1. Your student's full name

2. Your student's home address

3. Where the gifts should be delivered. Mailbox is the preference but if you are in an apartment/condo, please indicate deck, front door etc. 

November 20, 2020

Good afternoon-

Congratulations to all on completing Term 1. Grades are now open in iStudent/iParent. A copy of the student report card is available under the My Document link in each. 

Because of the modifications to our schedule this year the attempted credits are not accurate which does result in GPA's being skewed. The term calculation is tied to attempted credits. They will be accurate at the end of the year but there is no way to adjust our course catalog currently to reflect an accurate GPA. Some Remote Only students may not have an updated GPA if no grades have been entered. Please note, GPA's are only available after the completion of grade 10. 

APS Travel Policy:
Attached are the links to the Ashland Public Schools - Student Travel Form as well as the Return from Travel Certification of Compliance that must be filled out before travelers can enter schools.
Ashland High School Student Travel Form

Return from Travel Certification

The School Committee Policy on COVID Travel again for your reference.  It is the intent of the School Committee Policy to have ALL travelers/students tested before returning to school.

The Virtual Homecoming Rally will air today (November 20th) at 5pm on WACA-TV.  You can also watch it here (https://youtu.be/ZMyphvRnZ94), premiering Friday, November 20th at 5pm.  Hear updates from the fall sports, learn what's been going on with your class and in various clubs, watch your classmates participate in virtual rally-activities, and don't miss the teachers-in-desk-chairs relay race!   Thanks to everyone who participated in the rally, to the Student Council Exec Board for organizing this, and especially to WACA-TV for putting everything together.

Please see the attached statement regarding the Tri-Valley League Statement on the 2020-2021 Winter Athletic Season

Please check out the information below from Decisions at Every Turn:
DAET Week of Gratitude

A message from the Ashland Emergency Fund:

Each holiday season in December the Ashland Food Pantry receives requests for assistance in the form of gift cards from families in need. Volunteers purchase cards from $25 to $50 from gas stations, grocery stores, Target, Walmart etc. so they may be used for the widest range of items.

 

This year there is a problem in many ways. Food pantry funds are low. The Ashland Emergency Fund Charter only allows expenditures for emergencies. Approximately 150 requests have been received which is far more than any other year. There is also a lack of volunteers.

 

We are asking individuals, businesses and organizations to fill this need by purchasing cards and getting them to Teri Wysor, 26 Riverview Dr, Ashland by December 2. Please identify with the card who is donating so the recipient may know. Cards will be distributed under the direction of Cara Tirell.

 

This year each of us has had our own problems and we have been asked to do so much and it never ends. I hope that you will consider this request and rise to the occasion. If you can help, fine. If not, thank you for listening. May you and yours have a safe season and may next year be brighter for all of us.

 

Bill Gath

Ashland Emergency Fund

November 13, 2020

Good evening-

It is so exciting to have made it through Term 1 of Hybrid and Remote learning. I'm am so proud of our students and staff. It has not been easy but everyone is working to keep us in school. 

Term 2 starts Monday! Students will start new classes, meeting with periods G(7), A(1), and B(2) as well as continuing with D(4) block. You can check a student schedule by looking at the schedule rotation and finding G day.

Please remember hybrid students are expected to be "in class" on out of school days. Teachers are teaching synchronously in some classes and providing work that is expected to be completed. Work is not an excuse to miss school. Remote students are expected to work on school assignments for the length of the school day in order to get through each course. 

Report cards will be released to students on Friday, November 20 at 3pm. Grades and progress reports are currently closed in iPass as teachers work on Term 1 grades. 

News from Student Council:

Spirit week is coming up! Even though this isn't the typical school year we hoped for, STUCO is happy to continue the tradition of Spirit Week! Mark your calendars for the week of November 16th! Make sure to email your Spirit Week photos to STUCO.ashland@ashland.k12.ma.us. These photos will be posted on the STUCO Instagram and will be used to make a homecoming video!

Spirit Day Schedule

November 16th-20th

Monday (11/16): PJ Day

    

Tuesday (11/17): Tourist Day 

Wednesday (11/18): Quarantine Outfits

       

Thursday (11/19):  Decade Day

Friday (11/20): Class Color Day 

We can't wait for you guys to bring the school spirit next week! Stay safe!

Best,

Ashland High School Student Council 

2020-2021

Ashland Youth Soccer registration flyer

November 6, 2020

Good afternoon-

I hate to continue to ask, but please help us with dismissal by encouraging your student to stay in their class until their dismissal group is called. We dismiss student drivers and their passengers first.

Parents should not be parking in the lot and driving out with the students. Students picked up by parents are dismissed after student drivers have left. At this time the line of parent cars will be dismissed. Our bus students are the final group dismissed. We need your assistance in following expectations so that all students can exist the school safely.

Please see the attached notice on Mass Health/Medicaid:

Cover Letter for Mass Health- English

Cover Letter for Mass Health- Spanish

Cover Letter for Mass Health- Portuguese

Medicaid Consent Form

Change in personnel:

Please join me in welcoming Joe Chimienti, school psychologist, to the AHS team. Jess Curran has moved on to another opportunity. Mr. Chimienti has worked for APS for the past few years with our younger students at Mindess. We are excited to have him join the AHS team of counselors.

The following information on a new social-emotional program was shared with students this week:

We are excited to be able to use the MyLife for Schools program this year. This program is available to all students to use both at school and at home to manage your stress and emotions. If you were not able to attend the presentation today, please view the attached recording, by logging in with a student school email.

If you do not have access to headphones please complete this google form and we will make sure that you get a pair. Here are written directions for how to login to the program.

PARENT ADS FOR YEARBOOK: It has certainly been a challenging year for all of our students, but our seniors in particular deserve some extra recognition for being great role models for our underclassmen. If you would like to acknowledge a special senior in your life with a recognition ad in the 2021 yearbook, please check out the attached flier. And get those cute photos ready for all to see!

October 30, 2020

 

Good afternoon-

Please review the attached letter regarding a new tool for social-emotional learning we are piloting at AHS: MyLife parent letter. Teachers will be trained on Tuesday and students have been invited to class meetings on Wednesday to learn about the tool. Class meetings will be held via Zoom and students will receive the link on Tuesday.

    Seniors: 11:45     Juniors:12:00     Sophomores:12:15     Freshman: 12:30

As a reminder, there is no school for students on Tuesday, November 3. Teachers will be involved in Professional Development that day. Wednesday, November 4 students will resume the regular schedule.

The end of the term is quickly approaching. Term 1 (which is essentially Semester 1 for all classes except D block) ends on November 13. Students should be checking iStudent and connecting with teachers if they are concerned about their progress. Remote Only students should be checking in with their teachers and support personnel at Educere as well. As always, reach out to counselors or administration with any concerns or questions.

Health Emergency Forms: Please return the forms sent in the mail before school started and shared in the recent Superintendent newsletter. It is important we have updated student information on file in the event of an emergency. 

Picture day at AHS has been scheduled for November 10 & 12. All students have their picture taken for their ID.  Forms are now available in the front lobby for families wishing to order pictures. All students will have their picture taken for a student ID.

Have a safe, socially distant Halloween. 

BC Splash is a 1-day event held at Boston College each semester where students in grades 7-12 can take fun, interesting, and engaging classes that are taught and designed by our undergraduates! 

In response to COVID-19 our event will be virtual this semester, but we have put together a great day and fantastic lineup of classes over zoom for the students. They can take classes such as The Economics of Friendship, The Physics of Airplanes, The Power of Positive Affirmations, and many others! 

BC Splash will be held virtually on Sunday, November 8th from 10am - 3:15pm. 

Students can register at our website, bcsplash.learningu.org

Registration closes on Friday, November 6th at 11:59pm.

Our mission is to build a love of learning and curiosity in our students by exciting them about a diversity of topics and encouraging their passions, inside and outside of the classroom. It is also a great way for them to meet some older students, learn about the college experience, and see what Boston College has to offer!

Additionally, we offer a parent program simultaneously with our student program for parents to learn more about the college process. This includes a panel with our Student Admission Program, a presentation from our financial aid office, and their very own Splash class!

October 23, 2020

Happy Friday! 

Another week down. Thanks to all of the students who continue to work hard and follow the school expectations. They are helping to keep us attending AHS. 

If you missed the email for the Virtual Back to School Night email here it is again.

Students and families are reminded that there are three weeks left in Term 1. This term counts as 50% of the grade for the year. Please seek teacher assistance if you are struggling in a class. 

It's time to order your 2021 Yearbook! Yearbooks can be ordered at coffeepond.com. Use the password AHS01721. The price is $70 ($15 less than last year!!) until the end of January, and then increases to $100, so buy now to save money!  

Students are also setting a great example exiting the parking lot each afternoon in an orderly fashion through the front two rows. Parents, please do not cut through the student lot. We dismiss students in stages for the safety of all and parent pick-up students should not leave their classrooms until they are dismissed. Please help us out by encouraging your student to follow the rules. 

Check out our first edition of the The Union Journal- AHS student newspaper

Have a wonderful weekend.

Please sign up for FREE grab and go meals each week by clicking HERE.  I would suggest setting a reminder to fill it out each weekend, as that would be most helpful to us.  Meals are available for all children up to age 21 even if they are not enrolled in our schools.  If you have more than one child you will need to submit the form once for each child each week. This will allow us to have enough meals prepared and ready for you! 

All meals are to be picked up at Ashland High School in the rear of the building.  Park in the small parking lot just past the dumpsters.  There will be a sign next to the door you will enter to pick up meals.

Meal pick up will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the High School. If you have any questions please email lbeaudin@ashland.k12.ma.us  

October 16, 2020

Good afternoon-

I hope the week of remote learning went well. We look forward to getting back in the building on Monday with our cohort A students. I continue to be grateful for the students and parents who do the right thing in terms of following COVID guidelines. While following these guidelines may not always make us exempt from possible exposure, it makes a difference. It is our response to exposure that is just as important. Thank you for allowing us at AHS, with the amazing support of the nursing department and Board of Health, to work through that response, in the best way possible. As we get ready to resume in-person learning in Monday please have a conversation with your student(s) about respect and responsibility. Words matter and it is important that if your student has a question or a concern they bring it to you or someone else in authority. Hurtful and accusatory language towards each other gets us nowhere. Now, more than ever, we need to be kind and supportive. 

Please review the following two important documents from the Superintendent:

A Parent's Guide to COVID decision making and school 

Letter regarding the upcoming elections

Best of luck to all of the juniors participating in the PSAT's tomorrow. Please remember that all students are expected to follow the nursing protocols to check for symptoms. If you have symptoms, do not attend the PSAT's.

Our "Virtual Parent Night" will be posted on the AHS website and sent out through email next Thursday, October 22nd at 6pm. Each teacher will have a prepared presentation posted covering an introduction of who they are as well as the curriculum in their courses. You will be able to view this presentation at any time. If you have questions or concerns about you child you can always reach out directly to the teacher. Thank you.

The AHS Student Council is starting to plan Homecoming week, and it wouldn't be "Homecoming" without a Homecoming Pep Rally!  This year's rally is going to be a little different, though, and will be done completely "virtually" (with the help of WACA-TV).  But we need student help for this!  We need volunteers to participate in various "rally activities."  All of these activities would involve students doing something at home and filming it (or having a parent film it). 

If your child is willing to participate in the rally, please fill out the form online at https://forms.gle/Cry7qwyGoEWJerKh6.   (The Student Council will then select volunteers from the people who submit the form.)  If they are interested, please be sure they fill this out by Friday, October 23rd.  The Student Council will then get in touch with them after the 23rd with more details about the specifics of what they'll need to do.

Any questions?  Contact the Student Council at STUCO.ashland@ashland.k12.ma.us

IF your student is interested in a STEM career check out: “MassBay STEM Stories: Start Here. Go Anywhere.”, the first one of which is launching during Massachusetts STEM Week on 10/22.  Students/teachers/administrators will hear from MassBay STEM faculty, staff, students, graduates and industry professionals and learn about innovative STEM programs at MassBay, the resources and supports we offer MassBay STEM students and exciting career options in the STEM fields.  Registration is required.  Information is available on the attached flyer.  Students participating will be marked on a field trip for that time.

DAET is offering a Mindful Parenting webinar for caregivers on 10/26. Here are the links to register for the program. The flyer is attached. 

Monday, October 26, 9:30-10:30 AM

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/119/38zp9aq5

Monday, October 26, 6:30-7:30 PM

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/120/9pxyksox

AHS updates on remote learning week

Good evening-

As you know, AHS will be fully remote this week. We hope we can return to in person learning next week. We can do it by working together to follow the guidelines!

AHS students, both cohort A & B, will be expected to follow their schedule as normal and be "in class" every day. More teachers may choose to teach cohorts synchronously this week. I have included the AHS Hybrid/Remote Learning Expectations here. 

The highlighted bullet points relate directly to full remote learning and can be found here:

Fully Remote Learning Times (added 10/12/2020)
If at any point AHS goes fully remote both A and B cohorts will follow the same remote schedule each day. Teachers are encouraged to use this opportunity to teach both cohorts synchronously if possible. The time schedule for each block will be the same as the hybrid model Monday/Tuesday & Thursday/Friday:
8:35-10:05- C block
10:10-11:40- E block
11:45-12:15-Lunch break 
12:15-1:45- F block
1:50-2:55- D block 
 
Wednesday will continue to be the schedule we have been following:
9:30-10:00-C Block
10:05-10:35-E Block
10:40-11:10-F Block
11:15-11:45-D Block

Students are expected to complete additional work for each class during the afternoon.

Additional Expectations for Full Remote Days

• All classes should begin with a GoogleMeet check in for attendance and instruction. 
• Attendance will be tracked in iPass as Remote Present or Remote Absent. If a student is unable to attend the class remotely a parent should call the AHS attendance line at 508-881-0177 or email ahsmainoffice@ashland.k12.ma.us 
• Teachers do not need to keep students on a GoogleMeet for the entire block but are allowed to do so.  If teachers do not keep students on GoogleMeet for the entire block it is the expectation that they are providing assignments and work that will take the entire block to complete. Students should complete the assignment at that time. 
• Teachers should be accessible during the entire class block to answer questions or provide help if students need it via GoogleMeet or email.. 
• All classes should end with a GoogleMeet check in to ensure students have completed work, to answer questions, and to assign homework.   
• Students do not need to login to a GoogleMeet for study hall, but should be checking in for all other classes each day. 

 

All athletics are canceled this week and students are expected to remain off school grounds.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. The office will be open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday so you can call or email with any needs. 

October 9, 2020

Good afternoon-

I hope you are looking forward to a nice long weekend. We are thrilled to have made it through four weeks of school and I am proud of our students. 

As you know numbers throughout the state are going up and we are receiving reports of students socializing on a regular basis. I echo the Superintendent's sentiment in asking that you help your students understand the importance of not gathering in large groups and continuing to practice safety protocols like wearing a mask and maintaining distance. 

If your student needs to miss an in person or remote learning day please call or email (ahsmainoffice@ashland.k12.ma.us) the school with that information. Please err on the side of caution and keep your student home if they are experiencing symptoms. Students do not receive a negative consequence for being absent unless it is a habitual incidence impacting academic performance. 

If you have not returned the health emergency forms yet we ask that you complete them as soon as possible. Students can drop them in the box in front of the main office:

Health Emergency Forms- English

Formularios de emergencia de salud - Español

Formulários de Emergência de Saúde - Português

Student drivers are also reminded they must have a parking pass in order to park at AHS. We will begin ticketing next week.

Does your senior need a yearbook photo? Our very own English teacher, Mr. Moshkovitz, is also a photographer. He has volunteered to take senior photos of anyone who has been unable to get their picture done because of  lack of studio accessibility or financial need. Please complete the attached form to express interest and Mr. Mosh will reach out to arrange a time for the session.

Senior Yearbook photo information

Sophomores will receive their Class Ring packets next week. Remote students can pick one up at the school. More information will be shared with parents next week.

Best of luck to our fall athletes competing in their initial competitions this weekend. Thank you to Stephen Marks and the entire team for creating an environment that is safe and gets the kids back playing. Please review the attached spectator policy which will be in effect next weekend.

Updated Fall Athletics Spectator Policy

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

October 2, 2020

Good afternoon families-

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week.

Back to School Night! We will have a virtual Back to School Night starting on Thursday, October 22. We will send out links created by each teacher so that you can check out their video message and get information about their curriculum and class at your leisure. 

Elections for parent representatives to the AHS School Site Council are held at Back-to-School Night.  Please let me know if you are interested in joining the council.  We meet monthly on Wednesdays at 4pm, typically the 2nd Wednesday of the month, but the schedule is set at the first meeting. We will meet virtually for the foreseeable future. Positions are for two years terms.

The AHS School Council is a group mandated by the MA Department of Education to assist the principal in:

1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards.

2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school.

3. Reviewing the annual school building budget.

4. Formulating a school improvement plan.

For any school that contains grades nine to twelve, the council shall review the student handbook each spring to consider changes in disciplinary policy to take effect for the following school year. 

If you would like more information please let me know at kstcoeur@ashland.k12.ma.us. 

Students who are interested in serving are encouraged to email me or come to the office for more information.  

Health Emergency Forms: Please return the forms sent in the mail before school started and shared in the recent Superintendent newsletter. It is important we have updated student information on file in the event of an emergency. 

Picture day at AHS has been scheduled for November 10 & 12. All students have their picture taken for their ID. 

Grynn & Barrett is not able to offer Senior Picture sessions at high schools this year. They are offering in studio sessions on 10/17 at their Enfield, CT location if anyone would like to schedule an appointment.

Here is the link to schedule an appointment:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=20082454&calendarID=4521930

September 25, 2020

Good afternoon-

Our second week with students continued to go well. We hope the beautiful weather continues as it has been great to have time outside. I am so proud of our students for doing a great job following expectations.

Please continue to monitor your student each day they are coming to school for any illness symptoms and do not send them to school if they are under the weather. Students will not be penalized for being absent. Just as in a regular school year, absent students should email their teacher to discuss how to make up any missed content.

Likewise, if your student is having technology issues on their remote days they should email the teacher to let them know. We understand these things might happen and will continue to work with students to make sure they receive the content they miss, and this could mean when they are in person.

Teachers are expected to update grades at least every two weeks. iParent and iStudent is now open to parents and students to check grades. Please reach out to the teacher if you have questions about any grades. 

Thank you for your continued patience with dismissal procedures. If you pick up your student I encourage you to wait to come to campus until 2:40pm. We will not be dismissing students who are picked up until about 2:45pm after all student drivers have left campus. Please do not cause a safety issue by driving around the line of cars into the student parking lot. 

Meal participation has increased at AHS. Please remind your student that meals are free to all until the end of the year and they are welcome to have breakfast when they arrive in the morning. 

I wish all that are celebrating Yom Kippur well. This is a day off from school and students are not expected to complete any assignments. 

Have a wonderful weekend. 

End of Week 1

Good afternoon all-

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend. It is so nice to relax knowing what school at AHS now looks like. I am so proud of our teachers and staff for the work they did to get ready for last week and thank them for such a great week.

As we get ready for week 2 I will ask that you continue to work as an AHS family to practice mask wearing and social distancing and help our students understand their role in keeping us all healthy. Being in school will only work if we are all following expectations. 

I appreciate your flexibility as our teachers navigate hybrid learning and how to provide instruction on remote days. If you have questions or concerns about how the remote days are working, please reach out to the teacher. 

Wednesday is our first day of combined cohort classes for all. All students are expected to be logged on for synchronous instruction or check-in's with their teachers. The schedule for class meetings times is:

C period- 9:30-10am

E period- 10:05-10:35am

F period- 10:40-11:10am

D period- 11:15-11:45am

Students can expect to have asynchronous work to complete for the remainder of the day. Please bear in mind that teachers are working on figuring out the right balance of work to assign and students work at different paces. Your student will not be be on the computer for 6.5 hours on these days. Students are also encouraged to use the time from 8:30-9:30am and 12:15-2:55pm to make appointments with counselors. In the near future students will also have social/emotional lessons provided during  this time. We are planning class meetings for this Wednesday as well and will have more information on times by Monday. 

Chromebooks: If your student has had trouble with their Chromebook there is now a link on the AHS website to report the issue to our IT department:

You will find Google Form called "Chromebook Service Request Form" that parents can use to report any physical issues with their child's Chromebook.  It also contains a few troubleshooting steps for the most frequently reported issues. 

There is also a second link in that same box called "Microscope and Camera Check", which is a list of directions on how to test those items on a Chromebook.  We've been getting reports of student Chromebook microphones not working consistently, and this sheet should help parents troubleshoot those issues.

Attendance:

Attendance during remote days of hybrid learning is required. Students must plan to log in to their Google Classroom at the beginning of each class period to check in on assignments or to be ready for synchronous learning. 

Students who are not feeling well should stay at home but can also log in to complete assignments. This is the same as if a student stayed home during a typical school year but was able to complete assignments at home. We are required to track who is in the building when they are scheduled to be in the building. AHS has a very generous attendance policy and students are not penalized for being absent as long as they complete the required work in a timely manner. 

Afternoon pick-up:

Please assist us and the community in easing the traffic congestion each afternoon by pulling all the way to the side of the building, past the gym, if you are the first cars to arrive. Do not stop at the back doors. We also ask that you leave the front drive open so that buses can pull in. If you are arriving early please remember that idling is not permitted for more than 5 minutes and your car should be turned off. Students being picked up by parents will not be dismissed from school until after student drivers have been dismissed. Please help to prevent accidents by using the pick-up line. Do not ask your child to walk to the front of the building or on to East Union.  Dismissal starts at 2:40 and we have been done each day by 3pm. Cars that arrive at 2:55p don't have a wait!

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Day 1 for cohort B

 Good evening all-

Thank you for another great "first day of school". It was wonderful to see the Cohort B students in person. We continue to appreciate your patience and understanding as we work out the kinks that come with hybrid learning. 

As a reminder, doors to the high school do not open until 8:20am. We noticed today that many students arrived much earlier and congregated outside in a non-socially distant manner. Please reinforce with your student(s) that in order for us to have a successful experience they must wear a mask, even when outside, when they are not standing more that 6 feet apart. They are welcome to wait for the doors to open on the lawn, the patio area, and at the entrance but MUST wear a mask or be 6 feet apart. Students have done a great job wearing their masks in the classroom & building. We have been so proud of them!

The nice weather has allowed us to have mask breaks and lunch outside. We hope it continues for a while. We worked with students today to help them understand what sitting distantly while eating and will continue to do so. We have also been reminding students that lunch is free for all at this time. We encourage students to enjoy our great breakfast and lunch program. Students can not bring coffee and breakfast with them at this time unless they plan to finish it in the cafeteria between 8:20-8:35am.

If you are having trouble with your Chromebook please go to the AHS Website. There is a new link on the left side where you can report Chromebook issues as well as some tips for checking the microphones and cameras.

Students have seem to adapted to our QR codes and eHallpass. The phone app on eHallpass has been temporarily disabled because it does not support some of the social distance parameters we have put in place. If your student has questions about using either of these tools encourage them to speak to me or Mrs. Lachapelle. 

We also appreciate your patience as we fine tune the dismissal process. We have far more parents picking up this year than normal. I encourage you consider arriving at 2:55 or after if possible to allow some of the traffic to clear out if possible. Please do not ask your student to walk out onto E. Union. We want to keep all of our students safe!

It is my understanding that our Remote Only students have now all received their welcome emails from Educere. We greatly appreciate your patience as this was all set up. If your students needs a Chromebook as a remote learner we have them at AHS. Send us an email and we'll let you know a good time to stop by!

Have a wonderful night. We look forward to seeing our hybrid Cohort B students tomorrow.

And if your sophomore would like to order a class t-shirt..here is the link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KQiDLKXaWb3an6idPN9Wkan_uVH3SPGvXFxlaZgzt5A/edit

Day 1

 Good evening -

Today was a wonderful day at AHS and I am so grateful to the teachers and students of our community. I am sure your students came home with questions and frustrations about the new rules but I also hope they came home happy. I say lots of smiles all day long.

Students did a great job following the mask expectations. We will continue to work on social distancing. Please remind them of the importance of sitting 6 ft from their peers, especially when masks are off at lunch. Today with the beautiful weather most students chose to sit outside. If only it would stay sunny and 70 until this is over! 

The doors to AHS will not open until 8:20am. Students are expected to be in class by 8:35am. Please plan for arrival time accordingly. Pick-up this afternoon was a challenge because of the large volume. That is typical of the start of the year and tends to even out. Please try to keep the front drive open to allow buses to pull in. We also ask that you are patient while we dismiss student drivers. They are being dismissed first, followed by walkers, then parent pick-up's, and finally bus students. 

Our counselors have been working hard with Educere to get our remote only students set up. The timing was tough to manipulate since we did not want the classes to start before September 14, which could impact the add/drop period. We want our remote students to have the same 10 days as our hybrid students to evaluate their classes for level, etc. My understanding is students will receive welcome emails from their teachers in the next day or two. Please be patient as this process is new for all of us. If you are a remote student in need of a Chromebook please come to the high school between the hours of 9am-2pm. 

Teachers are working out the kinks with teaching two cohorts. There were some technical and connectivity issues today and it was not easy to judge the appropriate amount of asynchronous lessons for students they have not met yet. They're doing a great job learning how to balance students in front of them and at home. They will only continue to get better at this. There was a lot of time spent today on learning the building objectives, which happen for Cohort b students on Thursday. 

Chromebook issues for students in the hybrid model should be shared with teachers. They can report the issue to our IT department and they will address them as quickly as possible. Remote students will be receiving a form from IT to report their issues. Many students emailed about access to eHallpass. I was informed by the company today that they have temporarily disabled their phone app. It did not allow access to the social distancing features built into the system Students should plan to log-in using their Chromebook when in school. 

As a reminder, this Wednesday is a full teacher professional development day. Students will not have learning expectations. Wednesday classes will start next week for hybrid students. 

Cohorts A & B will meet together following this schedule:

C period- 9:30-10:00

E period- 10:05-10:35

F period- 10:40-11:10

D period- 11:15- 11:45

Student drivers will be able to pick up parking pass registration forms tomorrow. 

I am sure there are items I am forgetting to touch on. I am so proud of our school community and look forward to a wonderful school year. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions.

 

9/11/2020

Good evening AHS families-

We are so excited to welcome students back to the building on Monday. It has been a long 6 months and we all miss seeing our students.  Please take time to read this entire email. We have a lot of information to share in preparation for Monday.

I would like to thank our nursing department for putting together this slideshow:

Student COVID Education Slides 

All students will receive this via email and will review it in school on Monday and Thursday, depending on their cohort.

I would also like to share the AHS Back To School Procedures which will also be shared with students. These slides explain building expectations to students. We will ask students to review the slides this weekend and will also review these expectations during the week.

Please take a moment to review this letter from our nursing department regarding and sanitizer:

 Hand sanitizer Opt-out Letter

Procedures for drop off this year remain the same although our times are much more limited:

    Parent drop off in back from 8:20-8:35. Our doors will not open until 8:20am. Please help us support social distancing by encouraging your student to follow expectations.

Parking fees for students have been reduced to $50 for the year. Students will be able to get an application when school resumes. The deadline for students to receive the parking pass will be October 2.

Schedules for hybrid students are in iPass but will look different this weekend. We are in the process of adjust the system so it shows only the classes students are taking each term. Please bear with us our student information system gets adjusted to the new system.

As a reminder, in Term 1 periods C, E, F, & D will meet, in that order.  Please encourage your students to be on the lookout for those Google Classroom invites from teachers.  

School starts on Monday September 14th for all students.  Students in cohort A (last names A-K) will report to school and students in cohort B (last names L-Z) will login to their Google Classrooms for their assignments.  Many teachers will be expecting students to login to a Zoom or Google Meet, so make sure that students are checking their emails before Monday.  

All new students should be able to log in to their emails at this point. The email format is last name first three letters of the first name (John Smith-smithjoh) followed by ashland.k12.ma.us. The password is Lastname (first letter capitalized)  + student ID (Smith1234). 

On remote days students are expected to follow the same class schedule and times as the days they are in school.  Teachers may post an assignment at the start of your class that is due by the end of the class or they may ask students to log in synchronously to class. 

Several people have expressed trouble connecting to Wifi with the new Chromebooks. It often takes a few times turning the computer on and off before it links with Wifi. 

Below is the daily schedule for students. All students, regardless of cohort, should follow the schedule. 

Arrival - 8:20-8:30
C - 8:35-10:05
E - 10:10-11:40
F - 11:45-1:45
(Lunch will be a 30 minute period during this block)
D - 1:50-2:35 (runs all year)
Dismissal - 2:40-2:55

A-K will be in school on Monday & Tuesday, L-Z will attend on Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays all students will be remote and both cohorts will have a 30 minute class period with their teacher.  

Wednesday September 16th is a professional development day, and there will be no class.  

Students should bring the following items to school each day:
 headphones that are compatible with your Chromebooks 
 refillable water bottle that is full to start the day

Besides breakfast from 8:20-8:30 and lunch the cafeteria will not have food or water for sale. 

The water vending machines will be working, but the snack ones will be shut off.
No Lockers or Locker Rooms will be available for use

Full Remote Learning students should have receive an email from Educere today. Please reach out to your counselor if you are a remote student and did not receive an email. 

Students who ordered Class of 2020 yearbooks will receive the yearbooks during their math class (if it meets Term 1) or during D block. Ms. Reap, one of the yearbook advisors, will coordinate this. 

9/4/2020

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

With one week to go we are working to balance and finalize schedules and procedures. More details and protocols will be shared next week. 

The order of classes will be the schedule I shared previously: C, E, F, D

Ashland High School Schedule: (please not this may not be viewable clearly on a phone.)

Students will work remotely, both synchronously and asynchronously, on the days they are not in the building.

T1/T3	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Students arrive at school 8:20-8:30	Last name A-K		Remote Learning	Last name L-Z
8:35-10:05	C	C	2 hours of Synchronous Learning Groups A & B - Schedule to be Determined	C	C
10:10-11:40	E	E		E	E
11:45-1:45 (LUNCH)	F	F	Teacher Planning Time	F	F
1:50-2:35 (runs all year)	D	D	IEP and 504 Meetings	D	D
2:40-2:55	Staggered dismissal

4 lunches during the 11:45-1:45 block  

T2/T4	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Students arrive at school 8:20-8:30	Last name A-K		Remote Learning	Last name L-Z
8:35-10:05	G	G	2 hours of Synchronous Learning Groups A & B - Schedule to be Determined	G	G
10:10-11:40	A	A		A	A
11:45-1:45 (LUNCH)	B	B	Teacher Planning Time	B	B
1:50-2:35 (runs all year)	D	D	IEP and 504 Meetings	D	D
2:40-2:55	Staggered dismissal

For your planning purposes, any student who has a study hall first or last period does have permission to come in late or leave early if they have transportation or the ability to walk. More details about the protocols for signing in and out of the building will be shared with students and families next week. 

Please encourage your student to check their email! Invitations to Class Google Classrooms went out to all students this week. Encourage your student to join the class and to invite you as well. 

All members of the Class of 2024 will find information on New Student Orientation in their Google Classroom. 

Orientation is scheduled:
Tuesday, September 8- 3-4pm - Cohort A (last name A-K) registration
Thursday, September 10- 3-4pm - Cohort B (last name L-Z) registration

Students must pre-register for their orientation session using the link above or in the classroom. The link does not work unless the student is logged in with their Ashland address. 

New students in the classes 2021-2023 can register here: 

Upperclassmen New Student Orientation Registration

I apologize that a Class of 2024 specific parent email has not gone out regarding this. We are having difficulty with our Blackboard Connect system. 

Students who are remote learning will have their classes assigned in the coming week. They will receive their introduction emails from Educere prior to September 14.

Teachers have been working hard for the past 6 days to redesign their teaching to meet the needs of hybrid learning. They will be sharing class expectations for students who are at home and in the remote program in the coming days. Students will be expected to check in with each class at the designated time while they are at home and some classes may invite students to participate from home. 

As you may know, all students are required to receive the flu vaccine this year. Please read the attached letter from the APS nurse: Influenza requirement letter

Chromebook Information and Distribution -  

Based on recommendations from our IT department and DESE, ALL STUDENTS must use a school issued chromebook for in school learning this year (no personal computer devices).   

On Tuesday September 8th 2020, between the hours of 10am - 6pm, The Ashland Public Schools Technology Department will be issuing chromebooks to all Ashland High School Students. The process is as follows:

Tuesday, September 8th 

• All AHS students should come to the Middle School Activity Room between 10am-6pm to pick up a Chromebook. (signs will be posted)
• We will be practicing social distancing and a mask is required by all who are entering the building.

• You must provide your child's 4 digit student ID number during pick up

Please remember to fill out one of these forms before you arrive :

• 1. REMOTE ONLY STUDENTS PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM 

• Chromebook Form for all other students  Chromebook Sign Up Form.

Please use this email address for any technology questions: techsupport@ashland.k12.ma.us  

If you are looking for an easy to understand video about Google Classroom check out this link:

How to Use Google Classroom for Parents

Auditions for the AHSTS Fall Production of The Laramie Project will be held on Tuesday, September 22 at 3:30 PM on Google Meet. Callbacks will be on Wednesday, September 23 at 3:30 PM on Goggle Meet. More information, including Crew and Audition Forms and audition information can be found at www.ahsts.com.