Mindess School Weekly Update

Dear Mindess Families,

It has been a busy and productive week at Mindess. I am proud of the focus and effort our students demonstrated as we wrapped up ELA MCAS across all grade levels. All students have now completed the ELA MCAS. For those who were absent during their assigned testing day, we will be holding MCAS make-ups on Monday and Tuesday, April 13th and 14th. Thank you for helping ensure students arrive on time and ready to do their best.

Kids Night Out (KNO) is also right around the corner! Our final KNO of the year will take place on Friday, May 1st. As a reminder, if you have already signed the permission slip at some point this year, you do not need to sign it again. However, you do still need to submit the $20 payment for this event. Please see the QR code and information below for additional details. We look forward to another fun evening for our students.

We’re excited to invite 4th grade parents to this year’s Idiom Parade. As long as it isn’t raining, we will have a parent viewing section along the parent drop-off loop so families can watch the parade. Additional information and reminders about the Idiom Parade are included below.

This Sunday is the Linclusion event hosted by one of our very own Ashland families. We hope many of our Mindess families are able to attend this wonderful community event. More information is included below.

Students are also gearing up for our annual Mindess Marathon, which will take place next Friday, April 17th. Students have been preparing during PE and are excited for this fun school-wide event. The marathon will begin in front of the school at approximately 9:25 a.m. and conclude around 10:15 a.m. We are looking forward to cheering on our runners and hoping for a beautiful day!

Next week is our final week of school before April Vacation. April Vacation will take place from April 20th through April 24th. We look forward to a great week of learning before the break and hope everyone enjoys a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Kate Altman
Principal

April

Tuesday, April 14

• Site Council - 2:30pm

Friday, April 17

• Mindess Marathon

Monday, April 20 thru Friday, April 24 - NO SCHOOL - April Break

Tuesday, April 28

• 5 Town Special Olympics Event

• 4th grade idiom parade (4th grade parents invited only if it doesn't rain.)

These students received a Flashlight Award for exemplary effort and creativity! Congratulations!

A note from our school nurses:

The Mindess nurses' office is in need of clothing! We need boys and girls pants and shorts in sizes 8 - 12. Pants and shorts can be gently used clothing that your child has outgrown, but still has some life left. We also need new boys underwear, in sizes that would fit 8 - 10 year olds.

Thank you!

This month, our SEL focus is perseverance. To introduce this theme, we read She Persisted and The Fantastic Elastic Brain, two stories that highlight the power of determination and how our brains grow when we challenge ourselves. Throughout the month, we will be exploring the concepts of fixed mindset and growth mindset, helping students understand that mistakes are part of learning and that effort helps us grow.

We kicked off the month with a restorative circle where students discussed times when they felt like giving up and the strategies they used to persevere during difficult moments. Students shared thoughtful ideas about staying positive, asking for help, taking breaks, and continuing to try even when something feels challenging. These conversations helped set the stage for a month focused on building resilience, confidence, and a growth mindset.

Don’t forget to visit ashland.k12.ma.us/Flyers where we feature announcements and events offered by organizations, clubs and teams throughout our community that serve to enrich the lives of our students, families, faculty and staff.