December 23, 2021

Good afternoon-

As we wrap up 2021 I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year. I hope you all have a time to rest, rejuvenate and spend time with family and friends. 

Please enjoy this issue of our student newspaper : Union Street journal

There has been a slight revision to the 2022 Midyear Exam schedule 

Ashland Public Schools is excited to partner with Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School on their new  a new substance use diversion and education program called iDECIDE (Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion, and Empowerment) program. Please review the attached letter for more information and the link to opt-out if you choose to do so for your student.

AHS iDECIDE Introduction and Opt-out Letter

Looking forward to seeing our students again on Monday, January 3, 2022!

December 17, 2021

 Good afternoon-

It was a quiet day at AHS. I know many were out because of fears around school safety. The local and  national trends are disturbing to watch at any time, but the week of the Newtown tragedy makes it that much sadder. I have feel lucky to be in a school community where we have not seen the level of disruption some schools have been faced with. Each family and student reacts to these reports and incidents differently and there is not an approach that works for everyone. A colleague shared this tip sheet which may help when talking to your student about school violence: “School Violence Prevention: Tips for Parents & Educators”. As always, we encourage students to report concerns to a trusted adult or to use the Say Something app.

Next Thursday, December 23 is an early release day. Students will be released at 12:45pm after lunch. 
The schedule is attached here.

After break we have three weeks until mid-term exams. For half of our students this will be their first experience with exams. Please encourage your students to check in with teachers about their progress and seek out teachers for extra help as needed. 

Mid-year Exam Schedule

Clocker Idol, Season 8

The Student Council is running it's "eighth season" of Clocker Idol on Wednesday, December 22nd at 7pm in-person in the AHS auditorium.  Tickets are $5 (sold at the door) and all proceeds will go to the Ashland Emergency Fund.

The contestants are:  Daniella Brodskiy, Anna Caruso, Justin Galang, Noah George, Brady McGuire, Haykuhi Muradyan and Priscilla Oluokun

The judges are: Mr. Alberts, Ms. Nemeth, Prof. Rufo-Curran, Ms. Reap and Ms. Twomey

The evening will be MC'd by: Maeve McMahon and Chloe Roberts

Masks are required for all attendees.

Check out our promotional video online!

Ashland Public Schools is looking for substitute teachers. If you are interested the application is attached here:

Sub Application

December 10, 2021

Good afternoon-

As I am sure you have seen, the change in our mask policy will not start on Monday, December 13. We met with all classes this week to discuss respect. I know some students and families may feel grateful for this news while others are feeling frustrated. I am confident however that the next month will continue to bring opportunities for students to show respect for decisions they may not agree with.

During class meetings we reminded students that we are already more than half way through 2nd semester. Exams will be here before we know it! We will return to a typical exam schedule this year, with students have two tests per day and only needing to be present when they have a test. This will be very new for our 9th and 10th grade students and teachers will spend time preparing them over the course of the next month. X-block is a perfect time for students who are struggling with how to study, time-management, etc. to see their teachers and work on their skills. Remind your students to sign up every week!

We have several flyers to share this week from the community:

Drop and Shop

 ARC Winter flyer

DIY Candy Cane Bath Bomb Kids Edition

Read to a Dog December

Painting on Rocks

Kids Book Chat

December 3, 2021

 Good afternoon-

Next week we will hold class meetings each week to discuss the upcoming changes to the mask policy. As a reminder, students can only remove their mask during the school day if you have completed an attestation form for them. The form was sent in an email by the Superintendent on November 19. Look for another email from him if you do not have that one. 

As a reminder from last week.... I encourage you to have conversations about respect for each person's decision. Some students will choose to keep their masks on. Some will need to keep them on as they are not yet vaccinated. Every student and family has their right to their personal choice, within the parameters of the policy, and we will continue to encourage all students to live our core values, especially respecting the choice of others to wear or not wear a mask.

Thank you to all of the student drivers who have turned in their parking pass paperwork and payment. The Deans will continue to work with student drivers on meeting that expectation. 

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

Have a wonderful weekend.