Good afternoon & happy Friday-
I keep hoping spring will be here soon....maybe next week?
Due to the snow days Term 3 has been extended by three days to Wednesday, April 5. Report cards will now be issued on through iStudent/iParent on April 12.
We have wrapped up our course selection process and are ready to begin scheduling for the 2017-2018 school year. Please continue to reach out to classroom teachers and your child's guidance counselor if you have a question or concern.
Next Wednesday, March 29th we are pleased to be able to share the documentary Screenagers with all students at AHS. All students will see the movie during the school day and we hope you will take moment to review the attached flyer and join us for the evening screening on Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30pm in the AHS auditorium. There will be a conversation after the viewing of the film. There is no cost for this event.
State Student Advisory Council
Ashland High School is looking for students interested in running for the State Student Advisory Council for the 2017-2018 school year. This group, made up of two students from every school in the Commonwealth, meets once a month to discuss issues related to education policy and the impacts on students. Students interested in running should see Mr. Wiczer (in B251) by Wednesday, April 5th at 2pm. Students will give speeches on Friday, April 7th and the voting will take place that day at lunch. For more information on this group, please see: http://www.doe.mass.edu/s
The Sophomore Class Ring Dance is next Friday, March 31st from 7-10pm in the HS cafeteria. The theme is glow in the dark and it costs $10 to attend. Class dues must also be paid up to date ($10 each year). Tickets may be purchased this week at lunch or at the door. This is the first opportunity for students to pick up their class ring if they ordered one this past fall but all sophomores are welcome to attend! Contact Mrs. Kulik, ekulik@ashland.k12.ma.us, with any questions.
The World Language Department would like to invite you to the view the art from this year's Spanish/French art project. The paintings and QR codes will be going on display in library on March 30th from 5-6:30pm. Download a QR reader on your phone so that you can listen to the audio guides! I have attached a flyer for the event.
The annual "MetroWest College and Career Fair" will be held on Saturday, April 1st from 9 am until noon here at AHS! This is a rare local opportunity to visit with representatives from over 100 colleges; college placement, testing, and financial aid experts; and representatives from a wide spectrum of professional level careers.
Check out their website to learn exactly what colleges, presentations, and occupations will be represented by visiting http://www.mwccf.org/home. Hover over the tab titled "Students & Parents" for an up-to-date listing. Highlights of the speaker series include: "How to Differentiate Yourself From Your Peers", "Admissions Strategies and Test Prep for Students with Learning Differences", "Everything You Need To Know About the SAT and ACT", "College Admissions: The Insider's View", "Financial Aid 101", and "Finding the Right Fit".
The guidance staff at AHS would like to strongly encourage the participation of every family of an AHS student. College and career fairs maximize your time and expense (there's no cost to participants). Having all of these resources available to us right in our own back yard for free on a Saturday morning is an opportunity not to be missed! There is much to learn in this format of condensed time and location, perhaps saving countless hours gathering this information separately from multiple sources.
Join us in supporting the Ashland PTO and the Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. by attending this wonderful opportunity right here in Ashland!
As a reminder, Supt. Adams book read has been moved to Monday, April 3 at 6:30 PM in the Ashland Public Library for a discussion on The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey. Attached is the flyer for the program to this email.
A message from Mr. Grimes:
Fantastic Opportunity!! - Ends March 31st
The Ashland High School Girls and Boys Soccer Teams have a chance to play an official Tri-Valley league match on the turf at Gillette Stadium during the fall season against Millis High School. In order to participate in this exciting opportunity the players must collectively sell 500 tickets to the New England Revolution game on June 17 at 7:30 PM.
Tickets for the New England Revolution game are being sold at the discounted price of only $23 each. The $23 ticket includes admission to both the New England Revolution game on June 17th and the Ashland High School games at Gillette Stadium this fall. This is a great opportunity to support the Ashland High School teams today and encourage younger players toward getting involved in high school sports in the future. We are inviting all Ashland students and their families to purchase tickets.
All tickets must be sold by the March 31st! To order your tickets by email; contact Bill Ames at bill.ames34@gmail.com.
We need your help to make sure we sell all of the tickets! You can support Ashland High School Soccer and come to Gillette to cheer on our high school teams!
Recognizing and helping those who self-injure
Many people think children and adolescents engage in self harm to get attention from adults or fit in with peers but that is usually not the case. The behavior is actually a coping strategy used to control emotions. They’re trying to reduce a negative emotional state, and then as they’re self-injuring, it produces a positive emotional state – they get sort of a rush or a high from the self-injury. Others self injure to simply feel something, and some might hurt themselves as a form of punishment.
Self injurious behaviors include cutting, scratching, opening or picking at wounds, burning, biting, hitting and pulling out hair. Kids often try to hide their behaviors often saying a cat or branch scratched them and wearing long clothes in hot weather.
If you think your child is engaging in self injurious behaviors, below are some tips:
- Ask in a very straightforward manner whether or not they’re injuring themselves, and state why you are concerned.
- Be willing to talk. Tell your child, “I want you to know that I love you, and if these are self-inflicted wounds, I’m here to help you. I’m not here to be angry at you. I’m not here to punish you. I’m here for you to talk to me.”
- Share your feelings. It’s ok to acknowledge this is something beyond what you as a parent know how to manage.
- Do not tell your child that he/she must stop the behavior. That signals to the child she/he is misbehaving. This is not a bad behavior, it’s an unhealthy behavior. And if you tell your child to stop before they have a chance to develop a healthier way to cope with emotions, it can be disastrous. It’s like someone who has a broken leg and is using crutches. You wouldn’t want to take their crutches away before they are ready.
- Do not ignore your child. Some see self-harm as kids just wanting attention. If they need attention that badly, give it to them.
- Do not focus on the self-injurious behavior. Concentrate on what’s driving the behavior, not the behavior itself.
Kids don’t need to be hospitalized for self-injury unless they are suicidal or the self-injury is so severe it places them in medical danger. While kids who self-injure have a higher risk of suicide at the time of self-injury, their motive is to cope – not take their life.
The first step in seeking help is to get an evaluation from a licensed professional. Therapy and/or medication could be recommended, treatments vary by case. The good news is, if it’s recognized and they get help, children can get over this and get better.
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