AMS Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone had a great week and was able to stay warm despite the freezing temperatures. The 8th grade went to Ashland High School today for their tour and to hear about the extracurricular and academic offerings. It was fun to see them walking through the halls of AHS and envisioning their transition to High School in the fall. They are a great class, and I have had several conversations with them about their roles as leaders in this building. I know they will be a class that makes positive contributions at AHS in the future.

As we approach the end of Term 2 and Semester 1, students are hard at work preparing for the next phase of the school year. On Wednesday morning during homeroom, all students will receive their Term 3/Semester 2 schedules. Additionally, students are currently taking their mid-year iReady diagnostic tests for reading and math. These assessments, along with their class mid-year exams, provide important data that help us shape curriculum and instructional decisions. We encourage families to have conversations with their children about taking these assessments seriously and putting forth their best effort.

Term 2 Grades

Term 2 grades will close on January 28th. As with Term 1, iPass will be temporarily closed to students and parents while teachers finalize grades and report card comments. Report cards will be available in iPass starting February 7th.

Middle School Theater Production: OPENS TONIGHT!

The Ashland Middle School Theater Company is thrilled to present a family-friendly production of The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet with a talented cast and crew of over 40 students!

Performance Schedule:

• Friday, January 24th @ 7:00 PM

• Saturday, January 25th @ 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Location: AMS Little Theater
Tickets: $10 (cash only at the door)
Duration: Approximately one hour

A flyer with additional details is attached below. We hope to see you there!

Attendance Line Reminder

If your student will be absent, please remember to call the attendance line to report their absence. For late arrivals due to medical appointments, please call the attendance line in the morning to inform us. Mrs. Watt will contact families whose students are not accounted for to confirm their absence. Providing advance notice of absences or late arrivals is greatly appreciated.

Message from the Health Office

The health office is already preparing for next school year!

• If your student is currently in 7th grade and 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 must be up to date on their vaccinations to begin 7th grade.

You can find more information about immunization requirements HERE. If you have questions, please email ams_nurses@ashland.k12.ma.us.

Next Weeks Schedule

Monday, January 27th-E Day

Tuesday, January 28th-F Day

Wednesday, January 29th- A Day- Start of term 3/Semester 2. Students will receive a copy of their schedule in homeroom.

Thursday, January30th-B Day

Friday, January 31st-C Day

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Have a great weekend!

Erin Lachapelle

AMS Principal

Dear APS Community ,

Ashland Middle School Theater Company will present a family friendly production of The Seussificaiton of Romeo & Juliet with a cast and crew of 40 plus students !

The play will open January 24th @ 7pm & Saturday, January 25th @ 2pm & 7pm in the AMS Little Theater. Tickets are $10 dollars at the door and cash sales only. The show runs an hour.

The plot involves William Shakespeare meeting Dr. Seuss! It is a whimsical reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragic love story (in this case not so tragic!) complete with Dr. Seuss’s iconic rhyming tetrameter, creative wordplay, and fantastical machines — something Dr. Seuss might have come up with if he ever had his way with the script. This fast-paced retelling is fun for all ages in all grades !

Please join us.

Sincerely,

Mr. Langmeyer, Drama Director

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.

"Mr. Sweeney, thank you very much for engaging my kid in awesome activities, offering compliments and feedback, and having an amazing sense of humor. You are very thorough and clearly explain projects and activities to my kid. We love and appreciate your continued support. Thank you very much!"

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

Email Athletic Director, Kevin Anderson if your child is interested! kevinanderson@ashland.k12.ma.us

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,

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, we are thrilled to share our January menu, featuring this month’s Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Apples!

Apples are a versatile and delicious fruit that will shine in our meals throughout January. Grown right here in Massachusetts, these apples are packed with dietary fiber, vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants. This month, we’re excited to offer dishes that showcase their wonderful flavor, including Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Apple Crisp, and Apple Cranberry and Cabbage Slaw.

For more information on the health benefits of apples and fun recipe ideas, we encourage you to visit Massachusetts Harvest of the Month

At Ashland Public Schools, we’re committed to providing fresh, locally sourced produce, supporting our local farmers, and ensuring that every meal we serve offers the highest nutritional quality. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating apples by incorporating them into your meals at home!

Thank you for your continued support and for entrusting us with your children’s nutrition and well-being. Here’s to a healthy and delicious start to the new year!

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.