Warren School Weekly Update

As you know, it gets dark very early now and will continue to get darker a little earlier each day. Today the sun will set at 4:24 PM, and by December 21, the winter solstice, sunset will be at 4:16 PM. Some of our buses are just getting to their last stops right around that time. This is a very important opportunity to review safety with your child.

Even if your child is not a bus rider, please take a few moments to talk about what to do if they were outside by themselves and how to stay safe. Where should they go if you were not home? Do you have a trusted neighbor your child knows to go to? And just as importantly ,does your neighbor know this plan?

As the early darkness sets in, many families look for ideas to stay engaged together in the evenings. One great activity is teaching your child to play checkers. Teaching young children this classic game offers a wide range of cognitive, social, and emotional benefits. Checkers boosts problem-solving and strategic thinking as children learn to predict consequences and make thoughtful choices. It strengthens early math and spatial reasoning skills through counting and pattern recognition, while also supporting focus and attention as they track pieces and follow rules.

Socially, checkers is a powerful way to build patience, turn-taking, and self-regulation. Children get meaningful practice managing frustration, handling winning and losing, and persevering when a move doesn’t go as planned. It encourages positive peer interactions and respectful communication as they explain their thinking or learn from one another. The movement of small pieces also supports fine-motor and visual-motor development.

Because it’s inexpensive, easy to learn, and accessible to children of all abilities, checkers is a wonderful family game that nurtures critical thinking, language skills, emotional growth, and cooperative play—while also providing a healthy, screen-free way to spend time together. My suggestion: don’t let your child win, but try to keep it close!

Here are some helpful links:

· Rules for Checkers + Ideas for Making Your Own Board:
https://www.fitandfunplayscapes.com/blogs/how-to-play-checkers

· Printable Paper Checkerboard and Pieces:

https://www.studenthandouts.com/study-games/printable-games/checkerboard-game-board-printable-sheet-template.htm

Next week we have another full week of school, and while I am certainly excited for the Thanksgiving break and especially the opportunity for two of my children to come home from college, I’m equally excited for all the learning and community-building we have ahead of us next week.

Have a great weekend,
Pete

Are you looking to buy a Warren School T-shirt?

Use the link below to order yours!

Cost: $12

This is now our third batch of orders!

A big thank-you to Katie Kriete and Kate Blasi for taking the lead in helping us bring Warren School swag to our students!

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 20: Wear Blue: Whole School Assembly
• 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 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.