March 29, 2019

Good afternoon and Happy Friday!

Grades close for Term 3 on Friday, April 5!  Students should be checking in with teachers if they feel iStudent is missing or inaccurate.  Report cards will be released on Friday, April 12 after 3pm.  

Ashland High School Student Council 11th Annual Bingo Night:

The Ashland High School Student Council would like to invite the entire Ashland community to our 11th annual Bingo night, held on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6:30pm in the high school cafeteria.  This family-friendly event is open to participants of all ages -- young children, senior citizens, and everyone in-between.  All prizes have been donated by local businesses and restaurants (and are listed online at: http://sites.google.com/site/stucoashland/bingo).  $10 for a pack of 6 cards good for the entire night (or $20 for 12 cards, $30 for 18 cards, etc.)  Bring your own Bingo marker or bring $1 to buy one.  There will free coffee/water and baked goods and the Class of 2019 will be selling food from Chik-fil-a.  The evening will be MCd by high school teachers Ron Campbell and Randa Istfan.  

Check out our promo video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLaAl8oB784

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Josh Wiczer (Student Council advisor) at jwiczer@ashland.k12.ma.us

Two local organizations, Decisions at Every Turn and the Ashland Farmer’s Market, are each looking for an intern to help them with their website and social media pages.  If your student is interested they should forward their resume to me and I will share it with the organizations through the Ashland Business Association internship program.  The internship agreement page is shared here.

AHS/ABA Social Media Internship Agreement

Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town as well as the opportunities below!

Students interested in learning Karate can take free classes after school at the high school.  We are offering a free trial the month of April, if you decide you would like to continue we will be offering Karate lessons at the high school twice a week, Mondays & Wednesdays from 2:50-3:50.  If you are interested please e-mail or call Jeannie Young, Ashland Community Ed. at 508-881-0143 or jyoung@ashland.k12.ma.us.  There are flyers in the Main Office & Guidance.

As students consider their summer plans, consider the Great Jewish Books Summer Program, which brings rising high school juniors and seniors to the Yiddish Book Center to read and discuss modern Jewish literature.

Great Jewish Books is a one-of-a-kind opportunity, full of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities (and no grades) for students who are eager to meet fellow booklovers, get a taste of college life, and discover the treasures of the Jewish canon. No specific background—no knowledge of languages or particular writers or Jewish religious or cultural heritage—is required. Every admitted student receives a scholarship for the full cost of tuition, room, board, books, and special events.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Space in the program is limited, so the sooner a student applies, the better. Two program sessions are offered this summer: July 21–26 and July 28–August 2. For details and the application, visit: yiddishbookcenter.org/great-jewish-books

We want every teenager who loves to read and has an interest in Jewish culture to know about this opportunity—will you help us spread the word?

March 22, 2019

Good evening-

Today we celebrated the 5-Town Special Olympics at Holliston High School.  It was fun to watch our athletes enjoy hockey skills and games with their peers from Holliston, Medfield, Medway, and Millis. It was even better to see their pride in their accomplishments.  The torch was passed to Ashland during the closing ceremony and we look forward to hosting next year!

Important news about MCAS:

Next week all members of the sophomore class will be taking MCAS. Students will test from Tuesday, March 26- Wednesday, March 27.  This is the first time students at AHS have taken the Next-Generation MCAS test.  Our 10th grade students have taken MCAS on the computer before, in grades 7 & 8, but it is the first time they will be administered at AHS.  Please make sure your student gets a good nights sleep, eats a good breakfast, and arrives to school on time. 

Here is some important information about the test. I encourage your to review this information and the DESE website for more information. 

About the next-generation grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics

• The next-generation MCAS tests are an updated version of the old MCAS tests and are given on a computer instead of on paper (unless students have special needs that require a paper test). Students in grades 3 through 8 have been taking the next-generation tests since 2017.
• In spring 2019, students in grade 10 (the class of 2021) will be the first class to take the next-generation high school tests in ELA and mathematics.
• The next-generation tests have different score ranges and achievement levels than the old tests: the new scale is 440–560 points, and the new achievement levels are Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations.
• The minimum score needed to pass the next-generation MCAS will be set at a level equivalent to the passing score on the old MCAS for this year's sophomores and for students who are now freshmen (members of the classes of 2021 and 2022).

Ashland High School Student Council 11th Annual Bingo Night:

The Ashland High School Student Council would like to invite the entire Ashland community to our 11th annual Bingo night, held on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6:30pm in the high school cafeteria.  This family-friendly event is open to participants of all ages -- young children, senior citizens, and everyone in-between.  All prizes have been donated by local businesses and restaurants (and are listed online at: http://sites.google.com/site/stucoashland/bingo).  $10 for a pack of 6 cards good for the entire night (or $20 for 12 cards, $30 for 18 cards, etc.)  Bring your own Bingo marker or bring $1 to buy one.  There will free coffee/water and baked goods and the Class of 2019 will be selling food from Chik-fil-a.  The evening will be MCd by high school teachers Ron Campbell and Randa Istfan.  

Check out our promo video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLaAl8oB784

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Josh Wiczer (Student Council advisor) at jwiczer@ashland.k12.ma.us

Dear Parent/Guardian of Ashland Athlete:

Thank you for all of your continued support of the Ashland Athletic Program. Below you will find a link to a survey where we aim to receive parent feedback on the recently completed Winter Sports season. Please respond to the following statements below using the answer choices provided.   Take your time on this survey and chose the response that most clearly and honestly represents your feelings/experience. This completed form is CONFIDENTIAL and will not be shown to your child or the coaches.  It will only be viewed by the Athletic Director, Mr. Marks. Thank you for your time!

CLICK HERE FOR PARENT FEEDBACK SURVEY

Clocker Store online....Youth and adult sizes available!!!!

https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/ashland-clockers?_k=403g1r


Ashland High School is looking for families to host an exchange student for the 2019-2020 school year.  Please consider opening your home to a student from China.  Host families can receive a referral bonus as well!


Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town!

March 15, 2019

Good afternoon-

We just finished a fun and busy spring spirit week celebrating our winter and spring activities and sports at a pep rally.  Student council worked hard to create a fun event for the entire student body.

Yesterday we were lucky to host 37 students from the Tsuchiura Second Senior High School in Japan.  Our student hosts had a great day bringing their shadow students to class and teaching them about high school in America.  It was a great cultural exchange.  The Japanese students ended the day with a presentation on their culture, focusing on school, food, cultural events, and famous places in Japan.  They also taught our students a Japanese dance.  

Next week is PACE Week!  PACE stands for Positive Attitude Changes Everything.  Our Positive Behavior Supports(PBS) team has set up fun activities outside the library and cafeteria during break each day to better the student's week and set you on the path to positivity.  

It's that time of year again!  Please see the Bus Registration Notice for information for next year.

MetroWest College and Career Fair at Ashland High School - Saturday, March 16 See Link Below

https://sites.google.com/site/mwcollegefair/

Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town! 

News from the AEFI:

Come support our schools at the 2019 AEFI Benefit on March 29th! This is our biggest fundraising event of the year and it is sure to sell out. ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT TO PURCHASE TICKETS! Go to www.ashlandeducation.org to buy yours today!

April is Sexual Assualt Awareness Month.  Framingham State is welcoming guests to this Survivor presentation.

March 8, 2019

Good afternoon-

Attached is our AHS DESE Report Card letter. This annual letter is designed to show how we are doing in a variety of areas.  Let me know if you have any questions.

I hope you have had a chance this week to look at your student's course recommendations for the 2019-2020 school year. I was made aware yesterday that the 11th and 12th grade window was not working correctly.  It has been fixed and you should now be able to add any courses if you need to (your student should have done this piece but if they did not please feel free to add in electives.)   The window for parent approval of course recommendations will remain open through the weekend until Sunday, March 10.  We ask that all parents look at their child's recommendations and check off your approval.  The Quickguide below walks you through the process.

iParent Course Recommendation Quickguide

We hope you will join us at Courageous Conversations: Conversation Vs. Confrontation on Monday, March 11 at Ashland High School from 7-9pm. This is a world cafe style evening of conversation which will include poetry performed by Jamele Adams, Dean of Students at Brandeis. 

We still have space left for blood donors on Monday, March 11 from 12-5pm in the gym.  We welcome parents to sign up starting at 2pm.  To sign up go the RedCrossBlood.org and type in the Sponsor Code – AshlandHigh65.  Parents who come during the school day should sign-in at the main office.

Spirit Week:

Next week (March 11th - 15th) is "Spirit Week", ending with a rally on Friday, March 15th highlighting the winter and spring sports along with everything that the clubs have been doing.

Monday, March 11th - Pajama Day

Tuesday, March 12th - Disney Day

Wednesday, March 13th - Hippie Day (wear your favorite tie-dye!)

Thursday, March 14th - TV/Movie Day (dress as your favorite TV/Movie character)

Friday, March 15th - Class Color Day (freshmen wear green, sophomores red, juniors blue, and seniors white)

It's that time of year again!  Please see the Bus Registration Notice for information for next year.

Kathy Silva and ASHPAC invite you to the ASHPAC Parent Coffee on Friday, March 15 at AHS from 9-10am. Come meet Kathy, other parents, along with Deena LaVallee, high school Coordinator and Kelley St. Coeur, Principal.

Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town!

March 1, 2019

Good afternoon!

I hope you have had a chance this week to look at your student's course recommendations for the 2019-2020 school year. Please approve these recommendations as well as  their chosen electives at your earliest convenience.  The window for parent approval of course recommendations is open and will remain open until Friday, March 8.  We ask that all parents look at their child's recommendations and check off your approval.  The Quickguide below walks you through the process.

iParent Course Recommendation Quickguide

AHS Override Procedure
Teachers spend a considerable amount of time determining what’s best for students in their
subject for the next school year.  They evaluate students performance, test scores, higher
level thinking, math, reading, and writing aptitude, and a host of other variables. Parents
disagreeing with a core course recommendation and wishing a different course level
for their child must follow the attached procedures.

We hope you will join us at Courageous Conversations: Conversation Vs. Confrontation on Monday, March 4 at Ashland High School from 7-9pm. This is a world cafe style evening of conversation which will include poetry performed by Jamele Adams, Dean of Students at Brandeis. In light of the recent occurrence of antisemitism at AHS this is an opportunity to talk about how we handle words and symbols of hate and make sure that all members of the community feel safe and respected.

Ashland High School will once again host a blood drive on Monday, March 11 from 12-5pm in the gym.  We welcome parents to sign up starting at 3pm.  To sign up go the RedCrossBlood.org and type in the Sponsor Code – AshlandHigh65.  

Medfield High School's Student Council is hosting a Putting For Patients event.  The Ashland community has been in their thoughts because of the connection to the Jimmy Fund so they wanted to share the event and invite us all to join.  Please consider signing up if you can!

February 15, 2019

Happy February vacation!

Over the course of the past month teachers entered their course recommendations for the 2019-2020 school year and students have approved these recommendations as well as chosen electives.  The window for parent approval of course recommendations will open on Monday, February 25 and will remain open for two weeks, until Friday, March 8.  We ask that all parents look at their child's recommendations and check off your approval.  The Quickguide below walks you through the process.

iParent Course Recommendation Quickguide

AHS Override Procedure

Teachers spend a considerable amount of time determining what’s best for students in their
subject for the next school year.  They evaluate students performance, test scores, higher
level thinking, math, reading, and writing aptitude, and a host of other variables. Parents
disagreeing with a core course recommendation and wishing a different course level
for their child must follow the attached procedures.

From our ELL teachers:
Free English classes will begin on March 7, 2019 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. We will meet in
the library of Ashland Middle School for 8 classes on Thursday nights. Everyone is welcome!

Las clases gratuitas de inglés comenzarán el 7 de marzo de 2019 de 7:00 PM a 8:30 PM. Nos reuniremos en la biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia Ashland para 8 clases los jueves por la
noche. ¡Todos son bienvenidos!

As aulas de inglês gratuitas começarão em 7 de março de 2019 das 19:00 às 20:30. Nós nos encontraremos na biblioteca da Ashland Middle School para 8 aulas nas noites de quinta-feira.
Todos são bem vindos!

A message from the Director of Counseling & Social/Emotional Learning:

Hello, my name is Jen Cutler and I am the Director of K-12 Counseling & Social Emotional Learning for the district. I am interested in learning about your knowledge of and interest in the social and emotional learning (SEL) of your children so that I am able to tailor events to your needs and provide you with the opportunity to give feedback on the ways in which we are addressing SEL throughout the district. Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymous survey.

If you would like to speak further please feel free to email or call me to set up an appointment, jcutler@ashland.k12.ma.us or (508) 532-4015.

I greatly appreciate your time and feedback.

Courageous Conversations: Conversation Vs. Confrontation Join us on Monday, March 4
at Ashland High School from 7-9pm for a world cafe style evening of conversation.  In
light of the recent occurrence of antisemitism at AHS this is an opportunity to talk about
how we handle words and symbols of hate and make sure that all members of the community
feel safe and respected.

Support your Special Olympic Athletes!
This year Ashland Public School Special Olympians will again participate in the Annual
Five Town Special Olympics Games Day held at Holliston High School! Athletes from
Millis, Medfield, Medway, Holliston and Ashland will participate in a hockey themed day
of skill. This event, co-sponsored by Special Olympics of Massachusetts and the five
towns participating, is free for the student athletes and includes the opening ceremony,
8 skill stations, the medals for each participant, and the closing ceremony associated with
an Olympic event.  Last year, for those who were here, we had a memorable day of parades,
celebrities and good sportsmanship as student athletes supported by student volunteers
showed off their skills.

Special Olympics rely on the volunteers and donations to offer these and other athletic
events for students with disabilities. We are asking for donations to support the cost of running
it.  On Friday March 1st we invite all students and staff to donate $1.00 and in return wear
the hat of your choice to school. Wearing a hat will signal your support of Special Olympics
and specifically our own student athletes who will be participating. All money will be given
directly to Special Olympics.

Thank you!!!

Host families needed for exchange students! Ashland High School will once again host 
students from China for the coming school year.  We would love to have Ashland families 
host these young people. Please check out the attached information from the companies 
we are working with and considering opening your home for the year!
ASCP Host Family flyer
Cambridge Network Host Family flyer
Host Family Referral Bonus program


Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town!

February 8, 2019

Good afternoon-

It was great to see so much love and support for Jake today when he visited! #SilverStrong

Next week the AHS nursing and counseling staff will be conducting the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol, in compliance with state law and in order to help prevent students from starting to use substances, or to intervene with early use, We will be conducting interview-based screening with all ninth grade students about the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. We will follow the protocol developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and will utilize the most commonly used substance use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts, the CRAFFT. Please review the detailed letter from our nursing department below.  We have also included resources to talk to your student about SBIRT.

SBIRT letter- English

SBIRT letter- Spanish

SBIRT letter- Portuguese

SBIRT DAET Resources- English

SBIRT DAET Resources- Portuguese

SBIRT DAET Resources- Spanish

SBIRT DAET Resources- Russian



News from the Class of 2019:
Senior week tickets will go on sale during lunch the week after February vacation. Tickets are $125 and include transportation to and from the high school, lunch and admission to Canobie Lake Park, Kimball Farm, Spirit of Boston boat cruise (dinner), Banquet at the high school and a T-shirt! Senior week begins Friday, May 24th (community service day) and follows graduation rehearsal the week before graduation (May 28- 31). Students must have paid their class dues ($10 per year) in order to purchase a ticket. Tickets can be purchased in cash or check made out to AHS Student Activities. Please contact Ms. Kulik (ekulik@ashland.k12.ma.us) with any questions. 

Reality Fair

The Ashland High School Student Council will be working with the Framingham Rotary Club on creating a Reality Fair for members of the senior class. The fair will take place on Friday, May 24th, as part of the seniors’ final week of school. This will be the first ever Fair held at the high school.

The purpose of the Reality Fair is to teach students about finances, credit score, and other real world budgeting skills. Students will participate in a number of  activities that will help them develop and manage these financial skills. By choosing an occupation with a corresponding annual salary, students will make life choices pertaining to paying for their food, clothes, appliances, house, and other luxuries.

We need your help! Whether it be parent volunteers to run the “luxury” booth or professionals in the automobile industry helping students choose the best type of transportation, the Fair is a great way to support the community and teach students about everyday expenses. We are looking for: volunteers who have a background in housing and real estate, furniture, health and nutrition, clothing, transportation, charity and community service, career counseling, credit and lending, credit counseling, saving and investing, and insurance. Furthermore, we are looking for additional volunteers (who don’t necessarily have any experience in those fields) to assist in the booths and to help run other aspects of the Fair.

The Student Council is also looking for local businesses and organizations to make donations of $500 or more to go towards the funding of the Fair. For more information or to fill out the donation and volunteer forms, visit https://sites.google.com/site/stucoashland/reality-fair or email STUCO.ashland@gmail.com. The Student Council is excited to bring this Reality Fair to life and looks forward to engaging the entire community in this event.  

If you are interested in your student learning more about Financial Literacy please let us know by completing this survey.

Dear Clockers,

Registration for Spring Sports will open on Monday, February 11th.  Please CLICK HERE anytime after 7am on Monday to register via FamilyID.  

Spring Offerings:

High School - Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Outdoor Track

Middle School - Baseball, Softball, Outdoor Track 

Registration Deadlines:

High School - Monday, March 11th @ 12PM

Middle School - Monday, March 18th @ 12PM

SPRING SPORTS INFORMATION NIGHT

Thank you and as always...GO CLOCKERS!

Check out the Parent Flyers  to see what is going on around the schools and town!