AMS Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

There is always an exciting energy in the building leading up to Vacation Week!

This week, our 8th-grade students participated in the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program. I’m grateful to our counseling department for delivering such an important curriculum, which helps students understand how to seek help if they or a friend are struggling.

Additionally, over 40 students sat for their Keefe Tech interviews. We received incredible feedback—things we already knew about our students, but it’s always wonderful to hear it from others.

I also want to extend my gratitude to Jay Barbato, Samantha Jewett, Callan Donald, Charlie Gill, Phoebe Smith, Grady Clark, Cole Williams, and Angela Palermo for presenting at the School Committee meeting on Wednesday night. They represented our school beautifully, sharing the work of the Student Council and Drama Club with confidence, preparation, and passion. I know the School Committee appreciated hearing directly from students about the meaningful work happening in our building.

6th Grade Night Out (Flyer Below)

We’re excited to announce that the PTO is hosting a 6th Grade Night Out at AMS on March 7th from 6:30–8:30 PM. Students MUST be pre-registered to attend. You can sign your student up using this Google Form.

The cost to attend is $10, which can be paid via Venmo (details on the flyer) or in cash at the AMS main office.

Please also see the flyer below for information about the 7th-Grade 3v3 Basketball Tournament!

I hope you all have a wonderful February Vacation! We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, February 24th. As a reminder, faculty and staff will also be enjoying time with their families over the break and are not expected to respond to emails until they return to work.

Upcoming Schedule

February Vacation is February 17–21, and there is no school.

• Monday, February 24: B Day
• Tuesday, February 25: C Day
• Wednesday, February 26: D Day
• Thursday, February 27: E Day
• Friday, February 28: F Day

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Erin

Messages from the Health Office

Reminder: Fever Policy

We are in the middle of cold and flu season, so here’s a reminder of the Ashland Public Schools Fever Policy:

• If a child is not feeling well before school, parents should check their temperature.
• A child with a fever of 100°F (37.7°C) or higher will be sent home from school.
• The child must remain home for the entire next school day and must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to school.

Please ensure your child stays home until they meet these guidelines. You can find all APS clinical guidelines here.

7th Grade Substance Use Screening

During the first week of March, our counseling and nursing staff will conduct the SBIRT screening. Click here to read more about it, including how to opt your student out if desired.

Preparing for the 2025–2026 School Year

Our health office is already preparing for next school year!

• Current 7th graders: If your child has had a physical exam within the past year, please ensure we have a copy on file. All incoming 8th graders must have a recent physical exam dated September 1, 2023, or later to start school in the fall.
• Current 6th graders: Students must be up to date on their vaccinations to begin 7th grade.

More information on immunization requirements can be found here. If you have any questions, please email ams_nurses@ashland.k12.ma.us.

Interested participants should register by visiting:

https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/sonia-kovalevsky-day

Space is limited, so we ask that participants please register early (no later than Sunday, March 30th).

I will provide an opportunity in every weekly update for parents and guardians to recognize the amazing work of our faculty and staff. If your student comes home and shares an incredible learning experience or stories about their teachers, please take a moment to fill out the google form linked here. This will allow me to recognize the faculty and staff members and share the positive experiences that students are having with the community.

"I would like to should out Ms. Metcalf, my son’s Spanish teacher. She took over during the beginning of the year, and not only stepped in quickly, but has been truly amazing. Since this is my son’s first year taking Spanish, I have really appreciated the support she has given him in the class, after school, and her communication with his parent has been extraordinary. This collaboration with teachers is crucial for our children’s success at school. I really appreciate how Ms. Metcalf has gone out of her way to support my son and I am very grateful."

Update Your Family’s Contact Information

Have you changed your phone number or email address recently? If so, please contact us to update your information to ensure you receive important notifications, including class cancellations, delays, or emergency updates.

In case of early release or an emergency, students may only be picked up by an authorized individual. Please update your child’s emergency contacts to ensure we have someone on file—other than their parent or primary caregiver—who is authorized to pick them up from school.

To verify or update your contact information, please reach out to:
Mrs. Watt (cwatt@ashland.k12.ma.us)
Mrs. Lester (llester@ashland.k12.ma.us)

I am writing in my capacity as President of the Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. I'm excited to tell you that after a 1 year hiatus, AEFI is bringing Casino Night back to the Warren Conference Center on March 8, 2025!

This event is our primary fundraiser and helps AEFI fund programs like the brand new AV setup in Warren, social-emotional tools for Mindess, and the AHS therapy dog.

Tickets and additional details are available here Ashland Education Foundation Casino Night 2025 - Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. with a $10 discount on early ticket purchases for the rest of this month.

Thanks so much and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Ben Kriete, President AEFI

brkriete@yahoo.com or president.aefi@gmail.com

Unified Sports

AMS is proud to be recognized by Special Olympics Massachusetts as a Unified Champion School. If your child is interested in participating in unified sports please reach out to Kelly Romano at kromano@ashland.k12.ma.us

Best Buddies

Best Buddies is a social club created to foster one-to-one friendships between middle school students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through their participation, students with and without IDD form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, share interests, experiences and activities. Best Buddies helps to create an inclusive middle school culture for all students early on in their educational development. We meet the first Wednesday of every month from 2:45-3:45 in room 119. Please join by filling out this online form: www.bestbuddies.org/join and contact KellyAnn Romano with any questions at kromano@ashland.k12.ma.us.

AMS Student Council

Student Leaders is now officially AMS Student Council! Meetings will be held Wednesday mornings, at 7:15am in Mrs. Steinbrick’s room. If students are unable to make it, please let Mrs.Steinbrick know. This meeting is for current student leaders. Interested in joining but not a student leader? Stay tuned for more details! "

Math Counts

Club meets on Monday afternoons in Room 222. Please reach out to Karen Bernier with any questions kbernier@ashland.k12.ma.us

Chess Club

The AMS Chess Club meets every Monday after school from 2:45 pm- 3:45 pm in rooms 208, 210, & 211. Please email Mrs. Sadana gsadana@ashland.k12.ma.us or Mr. Van Wyhe rvanwyhe@ashland.k12.ma.us with any questions.

Art Club

Please reach out to Mrs. Micucci with any questions. rmicucci@ashland.k12.ma.us

Diversity Club:

Diversity Club will have its first meeting on October 17th in the Art room. All are welcome! Please reach out to Mrs. Micucci with any questions rmicucci@ashland.k12.ma.us

Drama Club

Drama Club has started !!! AMS Theater Company will be producing

The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet ! It is a comedy.

Email any questions to : elangmeyer@ashland.k12.ma.us

Yearbook:

Open to all grades. Yearbook will meet on Wednesdays after school in room 142. If you have questions please reach out to Ms. Collins mcollins@ashland.k12.ma.us

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we move through the winter season, we are excited to share our February menu with you,

featuring the hearty and nutritious Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Winter Squash!

This month, we are excited to showcase the delicious flavor of winter squash in our dishes. This

versatile, nutrient-packed vegetable will be a highlight on our menu with dishes like Sweet

Mashed Butternut and Quinoa, Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad throughout February.

Grown locally in Massachusetts, winter squash is a fantastic source of vitamins A and C,

potassium, and fiber.

For more information on the benefits of winter squash and fun recipe ideas, please visit the

Massachusetts Harvest of the Month page: Massachusetts Harvest of the Month - Winter Squash.

We are committed to providing fresh, locally sourced produce to our students, supporting local

farmers, and ensuring the best nutritional quality in our meals. We encourage you to incorporate

winter squash into your meals at home to enjoy its many health benefits.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for trusting us with your children's nutrition and well-

being. We look forward to a hearty and healthy month!

Warm regards,

Regina Wilkinson

Director of Nutrition Services

Ashland Public Schools

Email: rwilkinson@ashland.k12.ma.us Phone: 508-881-0165

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.