Mindess School Weekly Update

Happy Friday, Mindess Families!

We had another wonderful week at Mindess! As our students and staff continue to settle into the school year, we are so grateful for the routines, relationships, and sense of community that are already taking shape throughout our building.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. We pause to remember the lives lost that day and to honor the first responders, service members, and countless individuals who demonstrated extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness. Twenty-five years later, the anniversary continues to remind us of the importance of coming together as a community and caring for one another. At Mindess, we strive each day to instill those same values of kindness, respect, and responsibility in our students.

Morning Drop-Off Reminder

As a reminder, students should not exit their cars before 7:30 a.m. Please wait until an adult is present outside before allowing your child to unload. Students who exit their cars or arrive at school before 7:30 a.m. will not have adult supervision. Thank you for helping us ensure that all students are safely supervised from the moment they arrive at school.

Dismissal Returns to 2:00 p.m. on Monday

Beginning Monday, September 14, we will begin dismissing students at our normal dismissal time of 2:00 p.m. This is 10 minutes later than we have been dismissing during the first two weeks of school.

Because of this change, buses may arrive home a few minutes later than they have been. Thank you for your patience as everyone adjusts to our regular dismissal schedule.

Absences & Changes in Dismissal Plans

If your child will be absent or has a change in their dismissal plan, please make sure you notify the Mindess front office. The office will then communicate the information to your child's classroom teacher.

Please do not rely solely on emailing the classroom teacher with a dismissal change. Teachers are occasionally absent or may not see an email during the school day, and we want to make absolutely sure that every child arrives at the correct dismissal location.

Whenever possible, if your child has a change in dismissal plans, please also send a note to school with your child that morning.

This includes changes involving walkers. If your child does not typically walk home but will be walking on a particular day, the office must be notified. Please do not have your child independently change their dismissal plan without communication from a parent or guardian.

Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe and organized for all of our students!

PowerSchool Forms — Please Complete!

If you have not yet completed your child's required PowerSchool forms, please take a few minutes to do so as soon as possible. These forms contain important information that we need to have on file for every student.

Log into PowerSchool and find the “Forms” tab on the left side of the screen. Click on this tab and complete each of the forms listed.

Please complete all five forms:

• R1 – Student Info Update
• R2 – Student Contacts Update
• R3 – Address Verification
• R4 – Health Information Update & Medical Authorizations
• R5 – Permissions/Agreements

Emergency Contacts

While completing your forms, please take a moment to review your child's emergency contact information. We have noticed that some students do not currently have an emergency contact listed.

Please add at least one emergency contact if one is not already on file. It is extremely important that the school has accurate and current contact information so that we can reach someone quickly in the event of an emergency.

Thank you for taking the time to complete these important beginning-of-the-year tasks and for helping us keep our students safe.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,
Kate Altman
Principal

Per Massachusetts General Law, and Ashland School Committee policy, Ashland Public Schools provides free transportation to Ashland students in Grades K-6 who reside more than two (2.0) miles from school. Students in Grades K-6 who live two or fewer miles from school and all students in Grades 7-12 may pay an annual transportation fee if they want to take the bus to and from school. Due to limited transportation options, all paid seats will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will be assigned to a bus once their full and complete application has been received. Once bus capacity has been reached, a waitlist will be created. Late registrations will be placed on a waitlist and offered a seat if one becomes available during the school year.

Early Registration

Received before June 1st, 2026

$290 per student or $580 (maximum family cap) for 2 or more students in the same family. Registration is required for each student. Submit payments to Ashland Public Schools at https://epay.cityhallsystems.com, select the School Department and the drop-down option for Bus Transportation.

Regular Registration

Received after June 1st, 2026

Registrations received after the due date may be processed on September 1st, 2026. $360 per student or $720 (maximum family cap) for 2 or more students from the same family. Registration is required for each student. Submit payments to Ashland Public Schools at https://epay.cityhallsystems.com, select the School Department and the drop-down option for Bus Transportation.

Registration for Grades K-6 who reside more than two (2.0) miles from school

Register at https://epay.cityhallsystems.com, select the School Department and the drop-down option for Bus Transportation. Please select the option for “Qualify for free bus transportation (grades K-6 living over 2 miles from assigned school).”

Requesting A Fee Waiver (two step process)

A waiver of the bus fee is available to families based on the same guidelines used to determine eligibility for free and reduced lunch. Registration forms must still be received by June 1st, 2026 if you are applying for a bus fee waiver.

Step 1)

Please register for the bus fee waiver at https://epay.cityhallsystems.com, select the school department and the drop-down option for Bus Transportation, and select the box titled “Apply for a waiver of the bus fee.”

Step 2)

Please click on the following links to obtain the forms and follow the instructions provided: English Fee Waiver Application, Portuguese Fee Waiver Application, Spanish Fee Waiver Application.

Notification & Contact Information

Families who registered students for the bus by June 1 will be notified by July 30 on the status of their registration. Registrations received after June 1 may not be processed until September 1.

Call Transportation Coordinator, Tamara Saviatto, at (508) 532-4007 for more information.

September

Monday, September 21 - NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur

Tuesday, September 22

• Grades 3 and 4 Open House - 6pm

Wednesday, September 23

• Grade 5 Open House - 6pm

Thursday, September 24

• Grade 5 iReady ELA

Friday, September 25

• Grade 4 iReady ELA

Monday, September 28

• Grade 5 iReady Math

Tuesday, September 29

• Grade 3 iReady ELA

Wednesday, September 30

• iReady Make-Ups

October

Thursday, October 1

• Grade 4 iReady Math

Friday, October 2

• Grade 3 iReady Math

• Grade 4 and 5 iReady Make-Ups

Monday, October 5

• Grade 3 iReady Make-Ups

Wednesday, October 7

• Walk to School

Thursday, October 9 - Early Release - 10:40am Dismissal

Monday, October 12 - NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Wednesday, October 21

• Unity Day - Wear Orange (everyone, staff and students)

Tuesday, October 27 - Conferences - Early Release - 10:40 Dismissal

Wednesday, October 28 - Conferences - Early Release - 10:40 Dismissal

Thursday, October 29 - Conferences - Early Release - 10:40 Dismissal

Friday, October 30

• Spooky Run

• KNO - 6pm

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November

• November 4: Picture Day
• November 10: Early Release/ Dismissal at 10:40
• November 11: No School
• November 25: Early Release/ Dismissal at 10:40
• November 26 and 27: No School

BOY=Beginning of the Year

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.