January 31, 2020

Second semester is underway. Any student who can not remember how to access iStudent should send an email to myself or Mrs. Chaney. Students should remember to see their counselors immediately if  they have any concerns about their current schedule. There is a 10 day add/drop period which ends on February 11, 2020 for students in semesterized courses. 

Teachers have started the course registration process. Students will begin to approve the recommendations starting Monday, February 3. Students will have until February 14 to approve their courses and enter elective choices. It is very important that all students rate their elective preferences using the comment box.
Course registration/selection timeline for 2020-2021

Report cards will be available after 3:00pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. Report Cards
are available in the My Documents link in iParent and iStudent. This provides you with a
clean view and printable PDF of the report card.

There was a lot of excitement in the building today as we welcomed our newest staff member,
Huxley.

Please see the attached letter with with important information about his role at AHS and
how will support students who have allergies and/or a fear of dogs.

Tickets are now on sale for the AHSTS production of 13. The production runs Friday, February 28 at 7 PM, Saturday, February 29th at 7 PM and Sunday, March 1st at 2 PM. Avoid the long line at the Box Office! AHSTS offers online sales up to two hours before show time. AHSTS discounts tickets purchased online.Visit http://ahsts.seatyourself.biz to purchase tickets. For more information, visit www.ahsts.com.

I have received several calls about the dismissal and student drivers. We are addressing our expectations at class meetings and lunches next week. Please have a discussion with your students about safe driving habits. Students who do not follow expectations risk losing their parking privileges. We also ask that you assist with cooperating with the young drivers and letting them merge into the exit lines. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions.

Upcoming events and important dates:

February

1 Jump for Joy 10:00-2:00 pm

4 Report Cards

5 MCAS Biology Retest- Session 1

6 MCAS Biology Retest – Session 2

28 Winter Musical; 7:00 - 9:30 pm

29 Winter Musical 7:00 - 9:30 pm

Flyers for the week:
Ashland Raises Healthy Kids

2020 Clocker Club Pancake Breakfast

AEFI Gala

Ashland Rec opportunity

Art Ecology

January 24, 2020

Good evening-

I hope the first two days have gone well for students and that students have time to relax and review content for their next exams this weekend.

Students should be checking their new schedules in iStudent this weekend.  Students should see their counselors immediately if  they have any concerns. There is a 0 day add/drop period which ends on February 11, 2020 for students in semesterized courses. 

Teachers have started the course registration process. They will be making recommendations through February 3, 2020. Please encourage your student to approve their recommendations and choose elective classes starting on February 3. It is very important that all students rate their elective preferences using the comment box. Course registration/selection timeline for 2020-2021

Report cards will be available after 3:00pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. Report Cards
are available in the My Documents link in iParent and iStudent. This provides you with a
clean view and printable PDF of the report card.

We are very excited to welcome a therapy dog to our team. Please see the attached letter with
with important information about his role at AHS and how will support students who have
allergies and/or a fear of dogs.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!** The PTO is looking for volunteers to act as classroom monitors 

at Ashland High School on January 29th during the Challenge Day program, which brings students and faculty together to create a school where everyone is included and thrives. 

Morning and afternoon time slots are available. Please click here to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F49A9AD2EA6F85-ahschallenge

Note:  You must have a valid CORI on file prior to January 29th. If you are not sure of your CORI status please contact the main office.

Want to see the newest trends in prom fashions?  Want to see your favorite members of the senior class strut their stuff on the runway? Want to help the Make-A-Wish club grant Wish #5?  Then 

come to the Senior class fashion show on Sunday, January 26th at 2:00    Reserved seating is available online for $10 before the event and a $12 general admission will be available at the door.  See you there! https://ashlandmakeawish.seatyourself.biz

I received this great opportunity from MassBay yesterday and passed it along to juniors
and seniors. If this would be a good fit for your student, and you know they don't read email,
make sure they see it!

I am the Director of Workforce Development at MassBay Community College. We were awarded a state TRAIN Grant (Training Resources & Internship Networks)  that allows me to offer CompTIA A+ training as well as the test vouchers at no cost.  The interesting part of this opportunity is that I can also offer 20-25 hours of paid experiential training at one of our campus' help desks (or even your own) and then the opportunity to interview for a summer internship with an interested employer.

The training is intensive and runs 6-9pm Tuesdays and Thursdays starting February 11.  I would need to interview interested students to ascertain their ability to commit to the program.  It would be a great way to explore a career in IT. 

CompTIA A+ training leads to an industry credential sought out by employers for Help Desk Analyst entry level positions.  Attached is the proposed training plan.  I have a few seats still available.  Feel free to share the training plan with instructors of appropriate classes. The training would be most appropriate for seniors but motivated juniors could be included.

Summer 2020 STEM Sampler Workshops at MassBay Community College

MassBay Community College is excited to offer the Summer 2020 STEM Sampler Workshops for *underserved high school students who identify as female.

The workshops are a five-day exploratory in Science (biotechnology lab work), Technology (robotics and web design), Engineering (engineering design), and Math (interactive, contextualized in STEM).

Preference will be given to rising juniors and seniors, and graduating seniors.

Program dates are July 13th-17th, 2020; 9AM-3PM at the MassBay Wellesley Hills campus.

This program is FREE and funded through STEM Starter Academy

For more information and to apply, please visit:  https://www.massbay.edu/stem-summer-sampler

*underserved-Must be one of the following: Eligible for free or reduced lunch, will be the first in their family to attend college, or are under-represented in college admissions.

January 17, 2020

Good afternoon-

Happy Family Reconnect Weekend. I hope you have the opportunity to spend some quality time even as your student starts to prepare for their mid-term exams at the end of next week. Preparation should include getting enough rest, eating healthy meals and taking breaks to have fun.
Here are some articles on preparing for an exam:
10-effective-exam-preparation-tips-for-high-school-students
Scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams

The schedule for mid-term exams is attached here.  Please remember that students can only miss an exam for excused reasons listed in the student handbook. Students can not choose to miss an exam and complete it during the make-up time. If you have questions about this policy please direct it to the teacher or your student's counselor.
Buses will run on the normal schedule. Students are welcome to spend time in their assigned classroom, the library, cafeteria, or counseling office if they are staying at school for the day.
The Model UN club will host movies in the auditorium for a nice brain break!

Grades for Term 2 will close on Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Report cards will be available after 3:00pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Program of Studies /Course registration timelines: School Year 2020-2021

The Program of Studies is now available to students on the AHS website.  Please
note that all classes that are proposed in the Program of Studies do not always run. Courses will only run if there is sufficient student interest and certified staff available to run the course.

Teachers will begin to make course recommendations on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
They will complete the process by January 31, 2020.

(ALL teachers are asked to have conversations with students before they make
recommendations. Students can also start conversations with teachers about the classes
they are interested in taking next year.)

Class meetings to review teacher recommendation- February 3rd (B day)

9th grade- 9:35am

10th grade- 10:15am

11th grade- 10:55am

Students approve courses and choose electives- February 3-15
Parents make final approval- February 24- March 6

Families who disagree with a teacher recommendation should make an appointment with
the teacher to discuss the reasoning for the recommendation.

More information on the process for approving courses will follow after class meetings on
February 3.

If you are a parent of a current 9th grade student please review the letter below from our nurses:
A letter from nursing to 9th grade families.

Permission slips to all students who signed up for Challenge Day went out to students by email this afternoon. If you think your student signed up please ask to see the permission slip. They need to be returned to the main office by Friday, January 24, 2020.


Student Government Day:

Is your child interested in learning more about how politics works at the state level?  Ashland High School needs to elect two juniors or seniors (one representative and one alternate, who will still participate fully in the day) to participate in "Student Government Day" on Friday, April 3rd, 2020.  Students will travel to the State House in Boston, shadowing lawmakers and participating in the legislative process.  For more information, see http://www.doe.mass.edu/scholarships/sgd/

January 10, 2020

Good evening-

Not much new this week but please be sure to check out last week for information regarding midyear exams and course registration. 


8th grade transition night- DATE CHANGE
Parents and guardians of 8th grade students, unfortunately we have had to change the originally scheduled date of the AHS Orientation Night for 8th graders and their families to WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22nd.  The location (AHS auditorium) and time (7:00pm) remain the same.  Additionally, the originally scheduled dates for both the 8th grade tours and the Principal's coffee will remain the same.  Please update your calendars with the new date, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.  The original letter is attached with the new, accurate date.  We look forward to seeing you there!


Please join us for the first ever Senior Class Prom Fashion Show on January 26th at 2:00.  Come watch members of the senior class strut the runway in the newest prom fashions all the while supporting the Make-A-Wish club as they strive to reach their goal of granting Wish #5.  You can purchase reserved seats online through January 21st and then general admission tickets at the door.  To purchase online tickets please use the following link:   https://ashlandmakeawish.seatyourself.biz/

See you there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

January 3, 2020

Happy New Year!

I hope you are looking forward to a great 2020!  We are excited for the end of semester I, some possible schedule changes/adjustments, and starting the course selection process of 2020-2021.

The schedule for mid-term exams is attached here.  Please remember that students can only miss an exam for excused reasons listed in the student handbook. Students can not choose to miss an exam and complete it during the make-up time. If you have questions about this policy please direct it to the teacher or your student's counselor.

Program of Studies /Course registration timelines: School Year 2020-2021

The Program of Studies will be available to students on the AHS website by Friday, January 17.  Please note that all classes that are proposed in the Program of Studies do not always run. Course can only run if there is sufficient student interest and certified staff available to run the course.

Teachers will make course recommendations- January 21- January 31st

(ALL teachers are asked to have conversations with students before they make recommendations. Students can also start conversations with teachers about the classes they are interested in taking next year.)

Class meetings to review teacher recommendation- February 3rd (B day)

9th grade- 9:35am

10th grade- 10:15am

11th grade- 10:55am

Students approve courses and choose electives- February 3-15
Parents make final approval- February 24- March 6

Families who disagree with a teacher recommendation should make an appointment with the teacher to discuss the reasoning for the recommendation.

More information on the process for approving courses will follow.

Upcoming Events:

January           

23, 24 & 27, 28          Mid-term Exams

26                                Senior Class Fashion Show                            2:00 – 5:00 pm                                   

28                                Term 2 Ends

February

1                                  Jump for Joy                                                   10:00-2:00 pm                        

4                                  Report Cards

5                                  MCAS Biology Retest- Session 1

6                                  MCAS Biology Retest – Session 2    

From the Director of Counseling & Social-Emotional Learning

Please enjoy January's SEL Family Newsletter, which includes an anonymous, 4-item survey for all parents/guardians.