It was a busy week at AHS starting with Courageous Conversations: Love, Inclusion, Trust Tuesday night. We were so lucky to have Jamele Adams speak to the community and for our panelists, especially the students, to share their thoughts and opinions on diversity and inclusion at Ashland High School. Some of their stories were powerful. We have a lot of work to do to make sure AHS is a safe place for all students but we have some committed students, faculty, parents, and community members who are willing to do the work. We took some more great selfies and had some great conversation about making Ashland High School the best it can be!
On Thursday night the Socios Chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 62 new members. These students have worked hard to demonstrate the pillars of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. It was a beautiful ceremony and we are very proud of this hard-working, caring group of
students.
The senior class celebrated Halloween today with their annual costume parade. The costumes were fantastic and so creative. Here's a snapshot of a few, even the teachers got in on the fun.
Winter Sports Meeting will be Tuesday, November 7th at 7pm in the Ashland High School Auditorium. Any student athlete who plans on participating in a winter sports must attend with a parent or guardian. This year we will be rolling out a new online registration which includes online payments. We will also have a brief presentation from the United States Attorney's Office regarding social media and teens.
Our first ever Athletic Wellness Summit, sponsored by DAET and Ashland Athletics, will take place November 15th starting at 6:30 in the High School Auditorium. Any High School Student and their parent or guardian are welcomed to attend. We will have presentations from local professionals on the following topics: Nutrition, Mental Health, Social Media, Injury Prevention, and Collegiate Sports. Please plan on attending and making this a GREAT Community Event. More information to follow.
Please see our first ever Ashland Athletic's Newsletter! Click on the following link to access the newsletter- Clocktown Sports Volume 1, Issue 1
Is your high schooler interested in improving their global perspective, enhancing their leadership skills, and conducting service abroad? The Cape Connect Service trip to South Africa is open to all AHS students and is run through Hammer & Chisel! It will be from April 12-24, 2018. Participants will receive 25-30 community service hours. If you came to our first info session, please make sure to register at hammerchisel.org using the trip code "Clocker" by Friday, November 3! We encourage sign-ups by this date so we can get an idea of the interest level, although we will accept registrations until November 12. If you are interested and were not able to make it to the first info session, students & parents are welcome to our second info session on Monday, October 30 at 7pm in Ms. Hogan's room (B115)!
Thank you for your interest in the Ashland Public Schools!
To apply as a substitute, please download and complete the attached employment application (below) and mail it, along with your resume, to Ashland Public Schools, Business Office, 87 West Union Street, Ashland, MA 01721. Once your application is reviewed you will be contacted for an interview.
The daily rate for substitute teachers is as follows:
- $75.00/day Without a Bachelors Degree
- $80.00/day Bachelors Degree (proof of degree must be provided)
- $85.00/day Retired teachers
- $11.88/hour If you are scheduled as a substitute Teaching Assistant or secretary
Paydays are biweekly. Please call the Business Office at 508-881-0156 if you have any questions.
MCAS Results
MCAS results for Grade 10 English and Math as well as Grade 9 Biology were received this week and were mailed to families today, Friday, October 27.
Should you have specific questions regarding your child's information do not hesitate to contact the appropriate school.
Ashland Raises Healthy & Happy Kids:
Helping Your Children Learn Social Media Wellness
Social media is a fact of life for teens and tweens. And it is not all bad - it provides access to music, shows, TED talks, cute animal videos, and an easy way to communicate and make plans with friends. But we all know it can consume kids. It is important that children understand anything they post on social media can be seen by ANYONE, but scaring them and monitoring them 24/7 is not the solution. We need to teach them to make good choices intrinsically - give them freedom and responsibility, with limits.
- Check your kid’s phone. This does not mean 24/7 monitoring of every post and text but make spot checks. Know their passwords. If you find something you do not like that was sent or received, talk to your child about why you find it inappropriate — and then ask them what they think. Once they verbalize their thoughts, it allows them the opportunity to think things through and contemplate the consequences of their online activity.
- Be app-savvy. You do not need to have every app your children have but know how they work so you can have informed discussions about them.
- Help kids understand their “why”. Encourage your kids to ask themselves the following questions:
Why am I picking up my phone?
Am I bored, am I lonely, am I sad?
Am I just uncomfortable because I’m in a room where I don’t know anyone?
Why am I posting this?
Does spending time on this app make me feel energized or drained?
Asking themselves “why” helps them make decisions that reflect their own values and choices and slows down impulsive online communication.
4. Set clear ground rules. Talk to your kids about appropriate social media use before you give them a phone or allow them to download a new app. Once you hand it over, they’ll be too excited to focus on your instructions.
5. Create opportunities for digital breaks daily. Give your children a voice in when they will take these breaks….before bed, after dinner, in the car, certain times on weekends. While most kids won’t admit it to their parents, an enforced break from technology could be just what they need. Research shows that 24 percent of our teens feel like they’re online all the time. When parents put restrictions on how much and when kids can use technology, it can be a relief. And remember our community challenge of not allowing your kids to have their phones in their rooms at night!
