Friday, January 26, 2018

January 26, 2018

Good afternoon-

We had a great week of exams and I am sure students are looking forward to a weekend of rest.

Term 3 starts Monday.  There will be a brief homeroom for students to get their new schedules but they will also be able to see them on iStudent.

Grades will be available next Friday, February 2 after the end of the school day.

This week we also enjoyed welcoming the 8th grade students as they begin the process of considering choices for their high school career.

On Monday we will announce the Term 2 Students of the Term. We would love parent support in hosting the SOT Breakfast.  Please see the message and sign-up sheet from our PBIS Team below.
A message from the PBIS Team:
Dear Parents,

Each term, teachers at AHS nominate students who have embodied our school’s Core Values throughout the term.  Last term, we held our first Student of the Term Breakfast to celebrate these outstanding students.  Seeing the joy and pride in our stellar students was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my 15 years of teaching.  However, we are not financially able to make this breakfast a continued success without the help of our community.  We are hoping that you will help us to make these breakfasts an ongoing reality.  Our next breakfast is scheduled for February 16th.  We have created a list of items that we need for the breakfast, and hope that you will help us by signing up to make donations for our breakfast.  If you would like to sign up to bring one or more items, please add your name and email to the list at the following link:


Thank you for your continued support of our students!
Lisa Dunn & The PBIS Team

A message from the nurse:
Please review the attached document for important information on Influenza (Flu) and Influenza (Flu) Vaccine from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (Espanol, Português)
Please contact your school for any questions or concerns. 


Ashland Raises Happy & Healthy Kids
In her book iGen, Jean Twenge, PhD describes today’s kids as “less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy and completely unprepared for adulthood”. Each of the ten chapters of her book theorizes on the “why” of this, backed up by research comparing the current generation with past generations. Since every child currently in the Ashland schools is part of this generation, the next ten weeks of this column will cover each of Twenge’s chapters which she cleverly titles beginning with the letter “i”. These will be very general, broad overviews. I encourage you to read the book for more in-depth information.

Today’s generation is In No Hurry: Growing Up Slowly.  iGen teens are less likely than previous generations to go out without their parents. Research found that 12th graders in 2015 went out less than 8th graders did in 2009. Anecdotes from teens show that they feel they don't really need to see friends in person since they are in constant contact via texting and social media. Studies show that today’s teens are also getting their driver’s licenses later than previous generations and are less likely to have jobs outside the home. Today’s teens therefore are less likely to experience the freedom of being out without their parents and learning from their own decisions, both good and bad. They are also less likely to learn the skills, responsibility and money management that comes from a part-time or summer job.

As a result of going out less, today’s teens are less likely than previous generations to date, have sex, and drink alcohol. One of the most positive youth trends in recent years is the teen birth rate hit an all time low in 2015. In essence, adolescence is now an extension of childhood where in previous generations it was the beginning of adulthood. The question that needs to be asked is, “Are today’s teens prepared to go to college or enter the workforce?”.  Teens admit they are scared of the responsibility of being an adult and college staff see current students at being less independent and responsible. They still rely on their parents for many things including course selection and laundry.

What can we, as parents, do?
  1. Encourage your children to see their friends IN PERSON.
  2. Teach your children basic life skills around cleaning, cooking, money management, and self care.
  3. Encourage your children to get a part-time job when they are old enough. Even babysitting or shoveling snow teaches kids responsibility, money management, and how to interact with adults.
  4. Let your children do things without hovering over them or tracking their every move via their phone. Will they stumble or even fail? Probably. But they will learn valuable resiliency skills from these stumbles.  And may even be able to do their laundry in college without turning all their clothes pink!


You’re students are invited!  We are hosting the 3rd annual Green Industry Job Fair in February.  I invite you to take advantage of this program to learn more about the opportunities in the green industry; provide an opportunity for your students to get a jump on seasonal and/or full time work in the green industry; and meet with industry leaders one on one.  In the past, high school students have found a great value in attending – I am actually bringing my eighth grade daughter to talk to someone about a future in Landscape Architecture!
If you have students that have mathematical and analytical skills, creativity, environmental awareness, technology savvy, love for the outdoors and a desire to work with their hands – a career in horticulture might be the perfect fit.  We need your help to educate them and help them explore the opportunities available.
We would be so appreciative if you could please forward this invite to any staff or students that might be interested.  Thank you! 
Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Assn.’s 3rd Annual Career Fair
Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, Sturbridge, MA
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 ~ 1 – 5 pm & Wednesday, February 28, 2018 ~ 8 am to 12:00 PM
It’s FREE but pre-registration will be required: www.mnla.com/job-fair-2018    



The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is excited to announce the re-launch of our High School Apprenticeship Challenge! The program creates new internship opportunities for high school students by enabling small businesses and academic researchers to hire paid interns. The MLSC connects students with employers via an online platform and reimburses host organizations for stipends paid to students.

This internship program is modeled on our highly successful Internship Challenge for college students, which has been running year-round for nine years and placed more than 3,300 students in internships with over 680 companies. Many of these companies are looking forward to hosting high school students in addition to the college students that they hire through this program.

Since the program first launched in 2016, the MLSC has supported 106 internships for high school students at 49 life sciences companies and research institutions!

We are now accepting applications from eligible students through our website, where they will register via a secure, password-protected portal. Interns must be Massachusetts high school students that are at least 16 years old and currently in their sophomore, junior, or senior year. There is no application deadline, but internships will take place between June and August.

Applications will be made available to prospective host organizations that have completed the required registration form and have been approved by MLSC. Representatives from these organizations will review applications and reach out directly to candidates to inform them about their opportunity. Students are then interviewed, hired, and paid directly by the employer. The MLSC will reimburse eligible host institutions for intern stipends of up to $2,880 for students selected through the program (amount is based on a pay rate of $12/hour for 6 weeks).

We kindly request that you and your school/district assist us in notifying students about this opportunity.

For further details regarding this program, please visit our website: www.masslifesciences.com/programs/hsapprenticeship  

If you have questions, please email internship@masslifesciences.com

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ryan H. Mudawar
Director, Academic and Workforce Programsrmudawar@masslifesciences.com | 781.373.7719 | @ryanmudawar
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Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
1000 Winter Street
Suite 2900 | South Entrance
Waltham MA, 02451

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