Mindess School Weekly Update
October 2, 2026
Happy Friday, Mindess Families!
It is hard to believe we are already heading into October! We have a busy week ahead, including International Walk to School Day, an early release day, and some exciting opportunities for our students.
International Walk to School Day – Wednesday, October 7
Next Wednesday, Mindess will join schools in more than 40 countries in celebrating International Walk to School Day!
Bus students will be dropped off in the morning at the corner of Front Street and Concord Street and will walk approximately ¼ mile to Mindess School with the supervision of volunteers, school administrators, and members of the Ashland Police Department.
Parent drop-off students will follow their normal morning routine and should be driven directly to Mindess and dropped off in the car drop-off lane.
International Walk to School Day is about much more than walking to school! The event promotes physical activity, teaches safe walking skills, builds awareness of how walkable our Ashland community is, helps reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and vehicle speeds near schools, and encourages students to think about caring for our environment.
We are looking forward to a fun morning together!
Early Release & Lunch – Friday, October 9
Please remember that next Friday, October 9, is an early release day, and students will be dismissed at 10:40 a.m.
We will provide two lunch choices for students who wish to order a school lunch that day: sunbutter and jelly or a bagel. Because of the early dismissal, students do not need to bring a lunch to school on early release days. A snack would be just fine!
Conferences with Unified Arts Teachers
As conferences approach, please remember that our Unified Arts (UA) teachers are also available for conferences. If you would like to connect with your child's Art, Music, Band, Library, Computers, PE, or Wellness teacher, please feel free to reach out directly to the teacher to arrange a time to meet.
Band: svalentin@ashland.k12.ma.us
PE: bnicholson@ashland.k12.ma.us and/or DPowers@ashland.k12.ma.us
Wellness: APlichta@ashland.k12.ma.us
Music: alizamafontaine@ashland.k12.ma.us
Library: llamphier@ashland.k12.ma.us
Computers: cbreault@ashland.k12.ma.us
Fifth Grade Student Council
In the coming days, our fifth graders will be learning more about the Mindess Student Council! Every fifth grade student will have the opportunity to run for a seat on the Student Council, which will meet periodically throughout the school year.
There is already lots of excitement! This morning, we had several students eagerly picking up applications. You can see a photo in the highlights below! Student Council is an exciting opportunity for our fifth graders to develop their leadership skills, share their ideas, represent their classmates, and have a voice in our school community. We can't wait to see our students step into these leadership roles! Applications are due to Ms. Mespelli by Friday October 16th!
October Kids Night Out – Volunteers Needed!
Our October Kids Night Out (KNO) is coming up, and we would love your help! KNO is always a fun night for our students, and we rely on volunteers to make these events possible.
Sign up here to volunteer for October KNO.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Mindess. Have a wonderful weekend!
Kate Altman
Principal
Our first KNO is Next Month!
Kids can wear costumes. Please no masks or weapons.
Detailed information about KNO can be found in the PDF's below:
A Message from the School Nurse
3rd Grade: vision, hearing
4th Grade: vision, BMI
5th Grade: vision, postural (postural to be completed in Spring 2027)
While vision and hearing screenings are required by state law, parents may choose to opt their child out of BMI screenings. If you'd like to opt out of BMI, please fill out this form to make the nurses aware of your decision to opt out.
Please see the letters below for more information on BMI screenings (grade 4 only):
BMI letter - English
BMI letter - Spanish
BMI letter - Portuguese
If you have any questions, please reach out to our nurses at mes_nurses@ashland.k12.ma.us.
Important Reminders/Updates
October
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
November
Wednesday, November 4Picture Day
Tuesday, November 10 - Early Release - 10:40 Dismissal
Wednesday, November 11 - No School - Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 25 - Early Release - 10:40 Dismissal
Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
MCAS Dates 2026-2027
Highlights from the Week!
Excitement is building for our new Mindess Student Council! Fifth graders were eager to pick up their applications this morning and learn more about this exciting leadership opportunity. We can’t wait to see our students step up, share their ideas, and represent their classmates!
Lunch Menu
Community Bulletin Board
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.
Design and Architecture: A Makerspace Program
Prepare to build! Utilizing equipment and provided materials, participants will learn the general fundamentals of architecture. Following the direction of their mentors, participants will exercise the necessary skills of stability, creativity, and collaboration. Throughout the program, the creative freedom and critical thinking of the participants will be brought to action! Sign up today for design & architecture!
- Dates: (Every Wednesday) September 30th; October 7th, 14th, and 21st
- Time: 2:50 - 3:50 pm
- Seats: 20
- Participants will be bussed from the Mindess School to AHS
- Participants must be picked up at 3:50 pm at AHS (no late bus available)
- $60 fee
