Warren School Weekly Update

Yesterday was an exciting day at Warren School as we celebrated a schoolwide Wellness Day! A huge thank-you to Mrs. Malone and our Social Emotional Learning team for planning such a meaningful experience for students and staff.

We kicked off the morning with a whole-school virtual meeting, then continued the day with a fall sports clinic supported by Ashland High School students and Warren School parents, classroom visits from seven different therapy dogs, and creative wellness-themed crafts.

Wellness Days are an important part of our commitment to supporting students’ physical and emotional well-being. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this special day possible.

As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment to share how truly grateful I am to be part of this wonderful community. Each day, I have the privilege of working alongside dedicated, compassionate educators who go above and beyond to enrich the lives of our Ashland children. Their care, creativity, and commitment inspire me constantly.

I am equally thankful for our families, who partner with us, support our work, and help make Warren School such a special place for students to learn and grow each day. The strength of our community is felt in every classroom, hallway, and event, and it is something I never take for granted.

Thank you for the trust you place in us and for all you do to support your children and our school. I wish you and your families a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving break.

Have a great holiday weekend,

Pete

Dear Families,

I want to share a helpful resource: our local partners at the MetroWest Food Collaborative have created an easy-to-use website where food pantries, community meal sites, farmers markets and more are listed for our region. You’ll find flyers and calendars in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and you can search by town to see what’s available. MWFC

Please check it out if you or your family ever need additional support: metrowestfoodcollaborative.org/find-food

If you are a parent concerned about how your financial situation may impact your children at the holidays, please reach out to Jennifer Pavia-Shiels, AHS school adjustment counselor at jpaviashiels@ashland.k12.ma.us or through her direct line 508.532.8018 to have a confidential conversation regarding holiday assistance by December 5, 2025. We will be utilizing the Helping Our Own fund to make a difference. We will do our best to offset the challenges the holidays may bring.

If you are in the position to assist with financial donations and would like to help by contributing to the Helping Our Own fund, we ask that you send a check written out to: Ashland Public Schools Helping Our Own fund to Ashland High School 65 East Union Street, Ashland, MA 01721 Attention: Jennifer Pavia-Shiels. You can also make an online donation by clicking on the following link:

https://epay.cityhallsystems.com/selection.

From there, all you will need to do is click on the Helping Our Own link in the drop down menu. The Helping Our Own fund is a fund that is utilized all year long to provide extras for students in our district whose families are facing financial challenges. Examples of how the fund has been utilized to date are holiday gifts, calculators, senior week tickets and prom dresses to name a few.

This Month in Reading and Writing

Our K–2 students are making great progress as readers and writers! This month, they’re strengthening foundational skills, building confidence, and learning new ways to share their ideas through reading and writing.

Kindergarten
Kindergarteners are learning letter sounds, sight words, and how to talk about stories. In writing, they’re using pictures and words to share their ideas.
💡 At-Home Ideas:

• Students are having fun with labels here at school!At home use post it notes and have them label things around your house.

• Spend a few minutes reading together each day. Let your child choose the book—it builds excitement and confidence!

• Pause as you read to talk about what’s happening. Ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Who is in the story?”

First Grade
First graders are growing as independent readers and writers. They will be starting a new reading unit called “Word Detectives." They will be working on decoding (saying all the sounds they see across the whole word) and comprehension skills. In writing students will be writing personal narratives (small moments).

💡 At-Home Ideas:

• Spend a few minutes reading together each day. Let your child choose the book—it builds excitement and confidence!

• Pause to talk about the pictures or ask, “What do you think will happen next?” or to help your child think deeply about the story.

• Use feeling words together—happy, worried, excited, proud—to help your child connect emotions to what’s happening in the story.

• Celebrating small reading wins—like finishing a book or recognizing a tricky word!

• Talk with your child about special ideas or experiences they might want to write about.”

Second Grade
Second graders are reading with deeper understanding and writing with greater detail and organization. Your child is about to start a nonfiction unit in reading and writing! This is a great time for them to explore and learn about new things as well as teach other students about what they are experts on.

💡 At-Home Ideas:

• Read nonfiction together. Pick books about topics your child is curious about—animals, space, history, or anything they love!

• Notice text features. Look at pictures, captions, diagrams, and headings together. Ask, “What does this show or tell us?”

• With your child about things they know well or enjoy, and would like to write about.

Feel free to contact me: kferrecchia@ashland.k12.ma.us

Hello Families,

This month we are learning about PATIENCE.

We have defined PATIENCE as: waiting calmly, without complaining.

Here are some things you can do to help your child develop patience:

• Model patient behavior.
• Talk about it, acknowlegde that waiting can be hard. Brainstorm some waiting strategies (calm breathing, count something around you, make up a silly story in your head)
• Play games or where your child must wait their turn.
• Help your child save money to buy something special.
• Participate in activities that require delayed gratification (plant seeds, prepare a meal together, observe a caterpillar’s metamorphosis).
• Work together on a jigsaw puzzle.

Books about PATIENCE:

• Waiting Is Not Easy by Mo Willems
• Waiting for the Bilioburro by Monica Brown
• Alfie Outdoors by Shirley Hughes
• How Can I Wait When There’s a Treat On My Plate? By Dan Graham
• While We Wait by Judy Ann Sadler & Élodie Duhameau
• Save It by Cinders McLeod
• Are We There Yet? By Dan Santat
• The Boring Book by Shinsuki Yoshitake

Warren School’s SEL Team

Check out what our Nutrition Services department is serving up for Warren students in November! Menu items are subject to change without notice, based on current supply chain issues or other factors. If dietary concerns are an issue, please contact us.

To view a translated version of the menu, please visit ashland.k12.ma.us/Nutrition.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the holiday season approaches, we are excited to share our December menu with you,

featuring the vibrant and nutritious Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Carrots!

This month, our menu includes delicious side dishes that highlight the wonderful flavor of

carrots such as Moroccan Carrot Salad, Carrot & Cabbage Slaw, Zesty Carrot Fries and Honey

Carrot Coins.

Carrots are a versatile and nutrient-rich vegetable that will be prominently featured in our meals

throughout December. Locally grown in Massachusetts, these carrots are an excellent source of

vitamins A, K, and B6, as well as fiber and antioxidants.

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

Massachusetts Harvest of the Month page: Massachusetts Harvest of the Month - Carrots.

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

carrots into your meals at home to enjoy their 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 healthy and delicious month!

Warm regards,

Regina Wilkinson
Director of Nutrition Services
Ashland Public Schools
Email: rwilkinson@ashland.k12.ma.us Phone: 508-881-0165

• November 26: Early Release at 12:00, lunch is not served
• November 27/28: No School in observance of Thanksgiving
• December 12: Report Cards sent home
• December 17: Whole School Assembly, wear BLUE for Ashland pride
• December 22: Drop Everything adn Sing-along
• December 23: Early Release at 1:15, lunch is served
• December 24-January 2: No School Winter Vacation
• January 5: Return to School, wear comfy clothes day
• January 23: Drop Everything and Create
• January 27: Whole School Assembly, wear BLUE for Ashland pride

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.