Mindess School Weekly Update

Dear Mindess Families,

We had another fabulous week at Mindess filled with exciting learning experiences and celebrations!

Our fifth graders participated in a special Safety Presentation, a mobile classroom experience presented by Fundación MAPFRE and UMass Memorial. This fun and immersive learning opportunity used interactive media to teach students how to stay safe and prevent injuries. Through this program, our students not only learned important safety skills but also discovered how to become injury prevention advocates for their peers and families.

We are also incredibly grateful to our PTO for bringing in the Science Wizard this week! Many students said it was the best school assembly they have ever had! It was full of energy, laughter, and learning. You can learn more about the Science Wizard here — he was even a contestant on America’s Got Talent!

Additionally, the ASHPAC hosted its annual Lighting the Way Celebration, recognizing educators across the district for their dedication to supporting students with special needs. We are so proud that eight Mindess staff members were honored for their outstanding work with our special education students:

• Angela Arena, School Psychologist

• Jennifer Hoffmaster, Speech and Language Pathologist

• Sara Marineau, School Psychologist

• Lena Minucci, Special Education Teacher

• Joe Mespelli, Special Education Teacher

• Portia Pisello, Special Education Teacher

• Rani Naeem, Educational Support Personnel

• Nicole Walker, Educational Support Personnel

Please join us in congratulating these dedicated educators!

Our annual Book Fair is fast approaching and will be held during the week of November 12th–17th. This is always such an exciting event for our students as they explore new books and build their love of reading. Click here for more information about the fair and to learn how you can volunteer to help make it a success!

We’re also excited to announce that Student Council is starting up for our fifth graders! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take on leadership roles and help make Mindess an even better place. We are so thankful to Ms. Evans for leading this club at our school. Here is a video of Ms. Evans providing more details about how to apply — all 5th grade students will have a chance to view this video in school.

Finally, we wrapped up the week with our annual Spooky Run! The students had an amazing time running the trail and seeing their teachers dressed in costumes. A big thank you to Ms. Nicholson and Mr. Powers for organizing this beloved Mindess tradition — it’s always such a fun and festive way to end the week!

It’s been a wonderful week of learning, celebration, and community at Mindess. Please enjoy the photos below in the Highlights section, capturing all of the wonderful events that took place this week.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making our school such a special place.

Warmly,

Kate Altman

Principal

• November 3: Stay in Place Drill
• November 11: No school
• November 26: Early Release
• November 27: Thanksgiving- No School
• November 28: No School

Below are 4 of the Mindess recipients (left to right: Mrs. Hoffmaster, Mrs. Marineau, Ms. Minucci and Mrs. Pisello).

The Science Wizard performed for ALL Mindess students! Thank you Ashland PTO!

Have you seen Thing 1 and Thing 2? Mrs. Altman (principal), Ms.Jones (assistant principal) and Mrs.Manthei (special education coordinator) had fun on Halloween!

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.