Warren School Weekly Update

The weeks are flying by, and we are just days away from the Thanksgiving break. As a reminder, we will have an early release on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., and no lunch will be served. School will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I encourage families to take a moment to celebrate gratitude at home. Whether it’s cooking together, writing a note or making a picture for someone who has made a difference, or simply sharing appreciation aloud, these small moments help foster connection and teach children the importance of noticing the good around them. When we regularly notice the good, it supports our overall well-being and makes us more likely to recognize the positive moments that surround us each day.

Below you will see photos from yesterday’s classroom presentations by Mrs. Corbin’s kindergarten class, Mrs. Calzolaio’s first grade class, and Miss Farrell’s second grade class, all centered on our monthly theme of patience. I continue to be impressed each time our young students perform in a room of over 650 people! You will also see a photo of our second-grade role models. Each month, teachers select role models to sit with kindergarten and first-grade classes during assemblies and demonstrate what it looks like and sounds like to be an excellent audience member.

Although next week is a short week, we are excited to host another Wellness Day! Wellness Days provide students with a chance to pause, recharge, and build healthy habits in a fun and engaging way. Students will enjoy visits from therapy dogs, sports clinics on the back fields supported by parents and Ashland High School volunteers, a wellness slideshow, fruit and vegetable tastings in the Dining Room, and hands-on wellness crafts and activities. These meaningful experiences help students feel connected, supported, and ready to learn.

Wishing all of our Warren families a wonderful weekend and a joyful start to the Thanksgiving season!

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.

Shirts have sold out twice already! This is your last chance to order a Warren t-shirt for your student, don't miss out! Order now to receive your t-shirt before our winter break in December. This shirt makes a great holiday gift, and is great to wear on clocker blue spirit days! This order form be closed on Sunday, November 23 at 9 pm.

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 fall season progresses, we are excited to share our November menu with you, featuring the nutrient-packed Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Kale!

This month, our menu includes delicious side dishes that highlight the wonderful flavor of kale, such as Kale Caesar and a Kale and Cabbage Slaw.

Kale is a versatile and highly nutritious leafy green that will be prominently featured in our meals throughout November. Locally grown in Massachusetts, kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber and antioxidants.

For more information on the benefits of kale and fun recipe ideas, please visit the Massachusetts Harvest of the Month page: Massachusetts Harvest of the Month - Kale.

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 kale into your meals at home to enjoy its 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 25: Wellness Day: Wear Comfy Clothes
• 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 23: Early Release at 1:15, lunch is served
• December 24-January 2: No School Winter Vacation
• January 5: Return to School

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.