April 3, 2020

Good evening-

I hope your students are settling in to our new reality of Remote Learning. I heard from teachers that engagement and attendance increased this week. We miss being at school and seeing the students just as much as I am hearing they miss being there. The current situation continues to challenge us as educators but has also brought amazing opportunities to grow and explore new ways of learning. At AHS we are going to continually find reasons to be grateful we have each other, our students and this community. Thank you for your many messages of support!

By now you have all seen the APS Remote Learning Plan. This document answers many questions about how we will move forward with curriculum, grading, as well as end of the year events. Please bear with us we adjust to this new way of teaching and learning. There are many issues we do not have answers to yet.
The suggested schedule in this plan is a great way to help your student structure their day. Teachers will be assigning/teaching new content twice a week. While students do not have to be present at those suggested time, it is highly recommended that they are. Teachers will be providing due dates. This is necessary for students to be able to move forward with the curriculum. Students need to move forward with the curriculum in order to earn credit. There will be more to come on what Credit/No Credit looks like in the new few weeks. While students may not be earning grades at this time, their participation in class, whether in real time or at other times, will be necessary for them to earn credit and move on to the next course in the curriculum.

As we move into Remote Learning teachers have worked to find platforms that allow them to present information and interact with students effectively. Unfortunately, over the past week, several of us, including me during class meetings, have been victims of  Zoombombing. It is horrifying that we have had students exposed to inappropriate and in some cases vile content. Teachers and the Zoom platform are working diligently to set up safe spaces for students.

Please talk to your AHS students about their responsibility in this new format of learning. Teachers are talking to them about this as well!
Students should come to Zoom/GoogleMeets/etc. sessions ready to learn. They should be focused on the teacher and their classroom expectations, just like they should be in the AHS classroom.
Students should not share the links or meeting invitations with their friends, especially when they are not in the class. Any student missing log-in information should reach out to their teacher.

The class meetings I held this week were great. I love seeing student smiles and hearing their questions. The other staff in attendance feel the same way. We will continue holding these meetings Monday through Thursday for the next few weeks as we work together to figure things out.

I have shared or will share these opportunities with students:
There are many senior citizens in town who would love to receive regular phone calls during this period of social distancing. We are starting a program to match high school students with a senior in town and will provide guidance on suggested topics to start conversations. Interested students can email Alison Mawrey at alison@mawrey.com. Thank you.

Youth in Philanthropy Hopkinton

Priority deadline to apply is June 5; rolling admissions to follow

The Foundation for MetroWest’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program is an experiential leadership development program designed to empower and educate local youth to become our community’s next generation of philanthropists – those who give their time, talent, and treasure for the common good. As participants of YIP, students learn about needs in our community, visit local nonprofits, and grant up to $10,000 to nonprofits benefiting youth.

This free, 17-week program is for high school students who live or learn in Hopkinton, Ashland, Milford, or Westborough. YIP will meet on Tuesday evenings, from 7:00 to 8:30pm, at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. The program begins on September 15 and runs through January 28. (Full Schedule) For more information about YIP and to apply, visit yipmetrowest.org.

March 27, 2020

Good afternoon -

I hope this finds you all safe and healthy. It has been quite a week. I was grateful to have the opportunity to hold class meetings this week and I hope more students join us in the coming weeks. This is a challenging time for all of us and it's hard to be in the position of not being able to give the students answers. We have encourage students to keep reaching out to any of us with questions.

Now that the May 4 date has been announced and the Commissioner of Education has shared guidance for what remote learning should look like the AHS teachers have been working tirelessly to develop our plan. We hope to have something to share with students and families early next week. Until then, students should continue to check their emails and Google classroom. You can also access links on the AHS website.

We did let the Classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023 know this week that their upcoming dances, which include prom, have been canceled or rescheduled. Certainly a loss. We will make sure prom happens eventually though! The class advisor has been working with their venue to find another date that works. This will be a very different and therefore special dance for the Class of 2021. Members of the class of 2022 who ordered rings were also asking about when they would receive them. We have been working with Josten's to figure out delivery and will get more information to you as soon as we have it.

We were informed that TDA Driving is offering their Driver's Education classes online in the coming weeks. Teachers have heard from students that they can't join classes because they are at Driver's Ed. We know that schedules are hard to balance and hope that students will prioritize meeting with teachers once we have our consistent schedule ready to go! Learning to drive is super important but we also want students to keep up with their courses.

We have continued to hear (and see on the cameras) that students have been at AHS, in groups. Please remember that students should not be together in groups and will be asked to leave if they are seen at the school.

Please continue to follow the Superintendent's emails for information on what the plan will be moving forward, as well as where your students can access food and technology if needed.

Stay safe and healthy.

March 20, 2020

Good afternoon families-

I hope you are settling in and have found some time to enjoy each other's company during this stressful time. It has been a surreal week and I have been beyond impressed with the AHS faculty/staff as well as our students. It was wonderful to see the students that came in to retrieve their belongings at AHS. I miss them all so much. As we settle in to some online enrichment for students I want to assure you that the AHS administration and faculty are available for support for your students and you. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, general comments, etc. We may not have many answers but can certainly research what we don't know and correct any misinformation you may be hearing from your students.

At this point all students have received emails with instructions for online enrichment opportunities. Superintendent Adams shared a link to available resources. The AHS Online Enrichment page is linked here as well. It is a work in progress and updates will be made continuously.

If you are a parent with questions about the SAT's or AP tests I highly encourage you follow the College Board website. As of today SAT's are cancelled through May and AP tests are being administered at home. We're not sure what that will look like but will provide more information as we get it!

Like you and your students we have many questions about what upcoming events will look like. The recommendation has been to cancel all field trips for the remainder of the school year. I am working with the junior and senior class advisors to determine what this means for things like prom and senior week. We will share information as soon as we have it.

Below are some emails I have sent to students over the past couple of days.

We are planning virtual class meetings next week as a way to stay connected. All students received an email invitation (similar to the one below) that includes a form to send questions and concerns ahead of time. They have had great questions already!
 We hope to see many AHS faces and remind them we are here for support and encouragement.
We will meet with a class every day at 1pm:
Class of 2020- Monday
Class of 2021- Tuesday
Class of 2022- Wednesday
Class of 2023- Thursday

Good afternoon juniors! 

I hope you are all hanging in. It has been a crazy week. Now that we are all out of the building officially for a bit of time I wanted to send out a time for us to meet and check in virtually. The Deans, AD, and I will be available to chat virtually on Tuesday at 1pm. 

I know you all have a bunch of questions. I have attached a form here so you can ask questions ahead of time. We will look at them before the meeting and hopefully be able to find some answers for you before we talk. 

At 1pm Tuesday just log in the link below that says Join Zoom Meeting. We are looking forward to seeing you all!

Topic: Class of 2021 check-in w/admin

Time: Mar 24, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: https://zoom.us/meeting/uZ0pce2tqDMi2q8zWYWaax3Od5DS57HZpw/ics?icsToken=98tyKu2hqj0uH9KduFztArYqE975b9_MiyNf8rlqpSjkAjgATQejEtEXZZpFAM-B

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/494645688?pwd=NFNCMms4WmVHcVg4eXBTMmUwZG9qdz09

Meeting ID: 494 645 688
Password: 273466

One tap mobile
,,494645688# US Toll

Dial by your location
         US Toll
     
Meeting ID: 494 645 688
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abFPCxtxNq

We are strongly encouraging social distancing and know how hard that is for adolescents.

Happy Thursday evening students-

It has now been a full week since we were sent home from school. This is truly a crazy, unprecedented time. At this point, you should have all heard from your teachers regarding the many learning activities they worked quickly and tirelessly to create. 

The AHS teachers have done an amazing job making sure you are set up for success. Please thank them for their hard work and dedication and spend some time completing the activities. It will help with boredom! This is difficult and confusing for us, as adults too. Our district is so fortunate to have educators who are flexible and willing to think outside the box and create opportunities for you within the state guidelines and expectations. 

In order for this to work, it is so important to take this pandemic seriously. I was so happy to see so many of you today but I have to be honest that I was also scared to realize you have not quite grasped the importance of social-distancing. We have received a few calls from concerned parties about groups of students on the fields. Several of you arrived in pairs and groups today.  As hard as it is, students should not be congregating in groups, getting together to hang out in person or even playing on our fields. It is so important to adhere to the suggestions of the many medical professionals who are asking us to separate to help "flatten the curve." My eyes filled with tears several times today thinking about the possibility that we might not have a prom in May or graduation in June. It is simply heartbreaking. That is why I want to see everyone work together to respect and practice the recommendations out there. 

I am sure you have seen these articles but I wanted to share them anyway. Take a few minutes and read them.

What is social distancing

Corona simulator

This is NOT a Snow Day

We are missing you and each other. We are thinking and worrying about you constantly and wishing we were all together. We are hearing from you that you miss AHS too. Hang in there and do your part to help flatten the curve. The sooner we as a society are able to beat this the sooner we can get back to school, and hopefully proms and graduation.

Take care and stay healthy-

Ms. St. Coeur (on behalf of the entire AHS admin team!)

This is really a difficult time to navigate as a school community and we are doing our best to provide what is best for our students. Please continue to ask questions and provide suggestions. And let us know how we can assist.

Stay safe and healthy!

March 13, 2020

Good evening all-

I am sure you have received the Superintendent's message regarding COVID-19. As of today, school is closed until at least Friday, March 20. More information about how APS will move forward will be available next week.

The office will be open next week but the building is closed to all groups and activities. Please call us if you have a need and we can let you know if we can help. We will be in the office from 8:30am-2:45pm each day. 

Due to the school closure and the need to keep large groups to a minimum, we are cancelling the following school-wide events:

March

16-18 Signs of Suicide (SOS) screenings (TBD)

18   Parent/Teacher Conferences  (CANCELLED) please communicate with teachers through email

19   Interdisciplinary Concert     (CANCELLED)

20   Sophomore Ring Dance     (CANCELLED)

      

21   Metrowest College & Career Fair    (CANCELLED)     

24   MCAS ELA Session 1 (all 10th grade students)

25   MCAS ELA Session 2 (all 10th grade students)

26   Band Night Concert-MICCA Preview  (CANCELLED)

27   Early Release             12:35 pm

      

       GSA Masquerade Ball     6:00-8:30 pm  (TBD)

April

2     College Mini Fair     (TBD)                          

3-5   MICCA Concert Festival     (TBD)    

4     ACT Exams      (TBD)                                         

8    Term 3 Ends      (TBD)

15  Bingo Night       (CANCELLED)                                       

15    Report Cards    (TBD)               

30     College Mini Fair      (TBD)

                                    

         If They Had Known documentary screening    (TBD)                                

There have been a lot of questions, speculation, and rumors about all events moving forward. We are all in this together as the situation changes every day. Events such as prom and senior week will be discussed as information becomes more clear. At this time we have no ability to judge what next month and May will look like but we will make decisions in the best interest of our students and their health and well-being as soon as we reasonably can.

Stay healthy.

March 6, 2020

Good evening-

The window for iParent course recommendation approval will close tonight. Please go in tonight to approve your student's courses if you have not done so already. 

March 18- Parent/teacher conferences

Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Night is Wednesday, March 18. This is an opportunity for teachers to discuss curriculum needs for students as they plan for next year. 

Teachers will be available from 5-7pm and are scheduling 10 minute appointments. If you would like to schedule a meeting on that evening call or email to schedule an appointment. You can call the front office. 

Please remember that parents can schedule a time to meet with a teacher at any time during the school year if this evening does not work for you.

From the Director of Counseling & Social-Emotional Learning

Please find the newest SEL Family Newsletter focused on Relationship Skills here. 



Information for parents of the Class of 2022:
Starting on Monday, March 16 the Signs of Suicide program will be administered in all Wellness II (sophomore) classes throughout the course of the week.  A separate email will go out to all families of student in the Class of 2022. Students will see a short video on recognizing the signs of depression then complete a short screening tool.  This is the 4th year Ashland High School will use this evidence-based program when teaching this unit.
A parent link to view the video as well as other relevant information will be shared next week.
Please review this link for information on this program.


Blood drive- Donors still needed!

Ashland High School will once again host a Red Cross blood drive on Monday, March 9 from 12:00-5:00pm. The early spots are designated for students but we encourage the community to sign up from 2:45-5:00pm. Go to the website linked here and search for AHS or March 9.

Free Heart Screenings:
Dear Parents and Students,

Ashland High School is pleased to announce a heart screening program being offered during the school day on Wednesday, March 11th. The program will be provided by Mass Heartbeat, a local organization that specializes in ECG heart screening. Mass Heartbeat brings their state-of-the-art ECG technology directly to the school to provide an optional, non-invasive, and COST-FREE screening that can help detect underlying issues in the heart. The ECG tracings are interpreted by an experienced cardiologist and the results will be returned within 5 business days.

Sign up as soon as possible to secure your student's spot! 

Please choose a 5-minute time slot on and register your student today: 

https://www.familyid.com/mass-heartbeat/ashland-high-school-2020

February 29, 2020

Happy Leap Day-

As a reminder....

The iParent approval window for parents is currently open. Parents should approve teacher and student recommendations for the 2020-2021 year before the end the day on Friday, March 6. If your student did not choose electives please help them choose up to 6. You can enter them for your student. All of this can be done in the iParent portal as the iStudent portal is closed. 

Course registration/selection timeline for 2020-2021

iParent Quick Start Guide for Course Recommendations

AHS 2020-2021 Program of Studies

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

March 18- Parent/teacher conferences
Our teachers are in the process of reaching out to parents they would like to meet with during our Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Night scheduled for Thursday, March 18. It is an opportunity for teachers to discuss curriculum needs for students as they plan for next year. We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity if a teacher reaches out.
Teachers will be available from 5-7pm and are scheduling 10 minute appointments. On Monday, March 9 parents who were not invited for a parent/teacher conference but would like to schedule a meeting on that evening will be welcome to call or email to schedule an appointment.
Please remember that parents can schedule a time to meet with a teacher at any time during the school year. 

Vaping concerns:
Recently we have had an uptick in vaping activity in the school.This has been disappointing as the year started with a decrease following the media coverage of the health issues vaping causes. 
I encourage you to review the attached Tip Sheet on ECigarettes from Decisions At Every Turn and have a conversation with your child. If your student needs assistance with nicotine cessation we can help. Some students have expressed concerns with being able to use the restroom. Adults are checking them regularly but we also remind students that we have single stall bathrooms on the first and second floors in the academic hallway as well as in the nurse's office. Students who do not want to be exposed to vaping are encouraged to use those restrooms. We would also like to remind students they can always anonymously report vaping to the office, many students do and we appreciate their commitment to keeping a healthy school environment. Thanks for your collaboration in helping to keep the building free from substances that are harmful to students. 

News from Student Council:

Financial Reality Fair

The AHS Student Council is working to put together our second annual "Financial Reality Fair" for the graduating seniors.  This event will be held on Monday, June 1st at the high school.  Each senior will receive a paycheck and credit score and will need to navigate various booths where they will have to make financial decisions (renting an apartment, getting a car, getting insurance, etc.)  Last year's event was a huge success -- 92% of the students who participated in the event and completed the post-event survey said that they found the fair very informative and that they learned something that will use in their lives.  To see a video from last year's event, check out https://youtu.be/1qqdjfLnfyc and to see photos from last year's event, check out https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPGPo1tsuYgO6WY0_tTT99JD1iTuWcYYjZxrGIPrGDbZwApjjrzikUiAoDGQvifWg?key=MWdQcmVxeWg3QWdzTDJRVDhTVHk5eUQxRXFGOUZn

To run this event successfully we need help from the community.  We are looking for professionals who can work with the students who help them making financial decisions and help guide them along the way.  Specifically, we are looking for anyone with a background in housing (realtors), furniture, food, insurance (renter's insurance and auto insurance), clothing, transportation, charity/community service, education (paying for college), luxuries (vacation, entertainment, pets), utilities (internet / phone / cable / gas / electricity), personal savings, retirement savings, or budgeting.  In addition, we are also looking for anyone who is willing to help out as a "general volunteer."  These "general volunteers" will be trained by the professionals at their booth and will then be able to engage in financial conversations with students, helping them make decisions.

For more information and to sign-up to volunteer, visit our website at: https://sites.google.com/site/stucoashland/reality-fair

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ben Pepper at PepperBen@ashland.k12.ma.us (Student Council President) or Josh Wiczer at jwiczer@ashland.k12.ma.us (Student Council Advisor).

Ashland High School will once again host a Red Cross blood drive on Monday, March 9 from 12:00-5:00pm. The early spots are designated for students but we encourage the community to sign up from 2:45-5:00pm. Go to the website linked here and search for AHS or March 9.

Dear Parents and Students,

Ashland High School is pleased to announce a heart screening program being offered during the school day on Wednesday, March 11th. The program will be provided by Mass Heartbeat, a local organization that specializes in ECG heart screening. Mass Heartbeat brings their state-of-the-art ECG technology directly to the school to provide an optional, non-invasive, and COST-FREE screening that can help detect underlying issues in the heart. The ECG tracings are interpreted by an experienced cardiologist and the results will be returned within 5 business days.

Sign up as soon as possible to secure your student's spot! 

Please choose a 5-minute time slot on and register your student today: 

https://www.familyid.com/mass-heartbeat/ashland-high-school-2020

February 14, 2020

Happy February vacation!

The student window for course recommendations will remain open through the vacation. If your student has not approved their teacher recommendations and made elective choices please remind them to do so ASAP. The iParent approval window will open on Monday, February 24. Parents should approve teacher and student recommendations for the 2020-2021 year at that time.

Course registration/selection timeline for 2020-2021

iParent Quick Start Guide for Course Recommendations

AHS 2020-2021 Program of Studies


Ashland High School will once again host a Red Cross blood drive on Monday, March 9 from 12:00-5:00pm. The early spots are designated for students but we encourage the community to sign up from 2:45-5:00pm. Go to the website linked here and search for AHS or March 9.

Mass Heartbeat program coming to AHS!

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than taking care of someone's heart? See below for information on the Mass Heartbeat program coming to AHS on March 11. Sign your student(s) up for a free heart screening today!

Dear Parents and Students,

Ashland High School is pleased to announce a heart screening program being offered during the school day on Wednesday, March 11th. The program will be provided by Mass Heartbeat, a local organization that specializes in ECG heart screening. Mass Heartbeat brings its state-of-the-art ECG technology directly to the school to provide an optional, non-invasive, and COST-FREE screening that can help detect underlying issues in the heart. The ECG tracings are interpreted by an experienced cardiologist and the results will be returned within 5 business days.

Sign up as soon as possible to secure your student's spot! 

Please choose a 5-minute time slot on and register your student today: 

https://www.familyid.com/mass-heartbeat/ashland-high-school-2020


News from AHSTS:Tickets are now on sale for the AHSTS production of 13. The production runs Friday, February 28 at 7 PM, Saturday, February 29th at 7 PM and Sunday, March 1st at 2 PM. Avoid the long line at the Box Office! AHSTS offers online sales up to two hours before show time. AHSTS discounts tickets purchased online.Visit http://ahsts.seatyourself.biz to purchase tickets. For more information, visit www.ahsts.com.

Upcoming Events:

March

1 Winter Musical 2:00 - 4:30 pm

5 NHS Talent Show 6:30 – 7:30 pm

9 Red Cross Blood Drive 12:00 - 5:00 pm

12 Mass Heartbeart Screenings all day

Vocal Solo Night 7:00 – 9:00 pm

16-18 Signs of Suicide (SOS) screenings (all 10th grade students)

19 Interdisciplinary Concert 7:00 – 9:00 pm

24 MCAS ELA Session 1 (all 10th grade students)

25 MCAS ELA Session 2 (all 10th grade students)

26 Band Night Concert-MICCA Preview 7:00 – 9:00 pm

27 Early Release 12:35 pm

A few things from the community!

Consider hosting an exchange student from China next year!
Exchange student Host recruitment
Host Recruitment FAQ's

Ashland Raises Happy and Healthy Kids- Part I

Ashland Raises Happy and Healthy Kids- Part II

Potee - Save the date

Congresswoman Clark Art Competition

In the five-day Great Jewish Books Summer Program, students study with college professors, meet contemporary Jewish authors, get a taste of college life, and make friends with other bright, enthusiastic teens from across North America and beyond. Program dates are July 26–31. Click here for a program flyer.
This is a tuition-free for accepted participants, and room and board are covered. It is a transformative experience that leads to deep knowledge, creative thinking, and lasting friendships. Applications are due March 9. If you have any questions, please contact Education Program Assistant Margaret Frothingham at greatjewishbooks@yiddishbookcenter.org or 413.256.4900 ext. 152.

Girls Lacrosse after-school program