Ashland Preschool Update
September 25th, 2026
Preschool Weekly Update
Hello Preschool Families,
We had a great four-day week at Pittaway!
With the cooler weather starting to arrive, please consider sending your child with a sweatshirt or light jacket for recess. It can still be a little chilly when we head outside before lunch, and we want everyone to be comfortable while enjoying outdoor play.
Extra Clothing
With the change in weather, please make sure your child has an extra set of weather-appropriate clothes at school. Having a change of clothes on hand is always helpful for spills, accidents, or messy play.
Our supply of extra clothing in the nurse’s office is also running extremely low. If you have any pants in sizes 3T or 4T that your child has outgrown and you would like to donate, we would greatly appreciate them! Please send donations in a bag labeled “Nurse Donation.”
Join the Pittaway School Site Council
We are looking for parents who would like to join the Pittaway School Site Council! Having parent voices at the table is so important, and this is a wonderful way to be involved in conversations about our school and the needs of our students. School Site Councils are mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Education and work collaboratively with the principal/director to:
Adopt educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards.
Identify the educational needs of students attending the school.
Review the annual school building budget.
Help develop the school improvement plan.
Our Site Council will begin meeting in October and will meet once a month on Thursday afternoons from 3:00–4:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining us, please email me at acurley@ashland.k12.ma.us. We would love to have parents join the conversation and share their perspectives!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership. We hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Amanda
Supporting Pencil Grasp & Hand Strength at Home
Are you looking for simple ways to help your child develop the hand strength and fine motor skills needed for writing and pencil grasp? Our occupational therapist, Lisa Martin, shared some fun and easy activities you can try at home!
Tabletop Activities
Put pipe cleaners into a water bottle.
Paint with cotton balls or Q-tips.
Squirt spray bottles.
Play with play-dough—pinch, poke, squeeze, and roll.
Hide small items in play-dough or putty for your child to find.
String beads.
Sensory Bin Activities
Use tweezers to pick up pom-poms.
Provide containers with small openings for children to place sensory items inside.
Practice scooping with a spoon or small scoop.
Pre-Writing & Writing Activities
Draw or write on an easel or other vertical surface.
Use broken crayons or small golf pencils to encourage a functional grasp.
Draw or write while lying on the belly.
Practice making letters, lines, or shapes in sand using one finger.
Gross Motor Activities
Try wall push-ups.
Practice animal walks with hands on the floor.
Crawl through a tunnel.
Use a scooter board while lying on the belly and pushing with the arms.
Additional Resources
Growing Hands-On Kids: Hands-On Ways to Practice Pre-Writing Lines
https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/hands-on-ways-to-practice-pre-writing-lines.html
Growing Hands-On Kids: 11 Fun Letter Formation Activities
https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/11-fun-letter-formation-activities.html
Powerschool
Have you logged in to PowerSchool? Have you completed your forms?
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and complete all required forms. LOGIN Directions
Important: Add Emergency Contacts
When completing the forms, please make sure you ADD at least one emergency contact for your child.
You must click the ADD button to create the emergency contact.
Please review your child’s information and make sure all forms are complete and emergency contacts have been added.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and our school records up to date!
📆 Upcoming Dates 📆
October 9th: Early Release 11:20AM - Professional Development
October 12th: No School - Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 19th: School Picture Day
October 27th, 28th, 29th: Early Release 11:20AM - Teacher Conferences
Ways To Get Involved
District Report Card
🎫 Community Bulletins 🎫
Looking for something to do in and around our community? Check out our Community Bulletin Board at ashland.k12.ma.us/flyers. From teen trivia nights to musicals to concerts, there's something for everyone!
📝 Friendly Reminders 📝
Questions? We’re here to help!
For day-to-day operations, curriculum and assessment, community events, and general communication, please contact Amanda Curley at acurley@ashland.k12.ma.us
For questions related to evaluations, team meetings, or IEP development, reach out to Sara Davidson at sdavidson@ashland.k12.ma.us
📄 Smore Help 📱
Please remember that all family members who wish to receive the newsletters from me — or any of our other school, department or district newsletters — must subscribe by visiting ashland.k12.ma.us/subscribe. You can also forward them this newsletter and have them subscribe by scrolling down to the footer and clicking the “subscribe” button.
If you have any issues subscribing or unsubscribing, check out Smore: Frequently Asked Questions.