AMS Weekly Update

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful holiday season and an enjoyable vacation, if they were able to take one. This week, I heard lots of stories from students about their holiday traditions and activities over the break. It seems like everyone returned well-rested after a full two weeks off, and we’ve jumped right back into things here at AMS.

It’s hard to believe, but in just over two weeks, we’ll reach the halfway point of this school year. Term 2 grades close on January 28th. As we did at the end of Term 1, iPass will be closed to students and parents at the end of Term 2 while teachers finalize grades and report card comments. Report cards will be available in iPass on February 7th.

Now is a great time to check in on your child’s Term 2 progress. If you or your child has concerns about their grades or understanding of course content, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teachers.

This past week, the weather has been extremely cold. Different parts of the building vary in temperature, especially early in the school day. I recommend that students dress in layers to stay warm. On days when it’s warm enough for recess, students must wear at least a sweatshirt to go outside.

Ski Club Families

As a reminder, ski club gear can be dropped off in the activity room on Wednesday mornings between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. The activity room doors are located all the way to the left of the building when facing it, and one of the doors will be unlocked. You’re welcome to pull up to the side of the building and park in one of the spots to help your student unload their gear. Please ensure all ski club gear is kept organized toward the back of the activity room, as this space is used for meetings and class activities during the school day.

8th Grade Families

I recently sent a Blackboard message with a letter from Cory McGann, AHS Counseling Liaison, containing information about the 8th-grade visit to AHS on January 24th and the family curriculum night on March 6th.

On January 24th, the entire 8th-grade class will be bussed from AMS to AHS after lunch and will spend the afternoon at the high school. Students will hear from AHS peer leaders about extracurricular opportunities and take a tour of the building.

At the end of the day, 8th graders will be dismissed from AHS:

• Students who take the bus will board it at AHS.
• Parents who normally pick up their child should plan to pick them up at the high school.

High school students will be in mid-year exams that week, so traffic at the end of the day will be minimal. Parent pickup for 8th graders will take place at the back of the high school. I will share more details as we get closer to the visit, but if you have any questions please let me know.

Have a great weekend!

Erin Lachapelle

AMS Principal

I am writing in my capacity as President of the Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. I'm excited to tell you that after a 1 year hiatus, AEFI is bringing Casino Night back to the Warren Conference Center on March 8, 2025!

This event is our primary fundraiser and helps AEFI fund programs like the brand new AV setup in Warren, social-emotional tools for Mindess, and the AHS therapy dog.

Tickets and additional details are available here Ashland Education Foundation Casino Night 2025 - Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. with a $10 discount on early ticket purchases for the rest of this month.

Thanks so much and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Ben Kriete, President AEFI

brkriete@yahoo.com or president.aefi@gmail.com

I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the Ashland community members who made donations to the Helping Our Own fund in November and December. With your assistance, we were able to offset the challenges of the holidays for so many children and families facing financial struggles within the district. With the assistance of the Helping Our Own fund, the Holiday Dreams foundation and the generosity of faculty and staff, we were able to ensure enhanced holidays for 54 children within the district. As I connected with families, I was met with hugs, tears, awe and genuine gratefulness for what they received. Please know you made the difference in so many lives by your incredible generosity. Ashland truly is a special place!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Jennifer Pavia-Shiels

Helping Our Own fund facilitator

Dear APS Community ,

Ashland Middle School Theater Company will present a family friendly production of The Seussificaiton of Romeo & Juliet with a cast and crew of 40 plus students !

The play will open January 24th @ 7pm & Saturday, January 25th @ 2pm & 7pm in the AMS Little Theater. Tickets are $10 dollars at the door and cash sales only. The show runs an hour.

The plot involves William Shakespeare meeting Dr. Seuss! It is a whimsical reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragic love story (in this case not so tragic!) complete with Dr. Seuss’s iconic rhyming tetrameter, creative wordplay, and fantastical machines — something Dr. Seuss might have come up with if he ever had his way with the script. This fast-paced retelling is fun for all ages in all grades !

Please join us.

Sincerely,

Mr. Langmeyer, Drama Director

Monday, January 13th-B Day

Tuesday, January 14th-C Day

Wednesday, January 15th-D Day

Thursday, January 16th-E Day

Friday, January 17th-F Day

January 18-20th-Family Reconnect Weekend (No School January 20th-M.L.King Jr. Day)

I will provide an opportunity in every weekly update for parents and guardians to recognize the amazing work of our faculty and staff. If your student comes home and shares an incredible learning experience or stories about their teachers, please take a moment to fill out the google form linked here. This will allow me to recognize the faculty and staff members and share the positive experiences that students are having with the community.

"Ms. Tessier is such a phenomenal teacher. She knows the content so well, and she inspires my daughter to push herself in math. The kids learn so much from her, not just about math, but about life!!"

Unified Sports

AMS is proud to be recognized by Special Olympics Massachusetts as a Unified Champion School. If your child is interested in participating in unified sports please reach out to Kelly Romano at kromano@ashland.k12.ma.us

Best Buddies

Best Buddies is a social club created to foster one-to-one friendships between middle school students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through their participation, students with and without IDD form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, share interests, experiences and activities. Best Buddies helps to create an inclusive middle school culture for all students early on in their educational development. We meet the first Wednesday of every month from 2:45-3:45 in room 119. Please join by filling out this online form: www.bestbuddies.org/join and contact KellyAnn Romano with any questions at kromano@ashland.k12.ma.us.

AMS Student Council

Student Leaders is now officially AMS Student Council! Meetings will be held Wednesday mornings, at 7:15am in Mrs. Steinbrick’s room. If students are unable to make it, please let Mrs.Steinbrick know. This meeting is for current student leaders. Interested in joining but not a student leader? Stay tuned for more details! "

Math Counts

Club meets on Monday afternoons in Room 222. Please reach out to Karen Bernier with any questions kbernier@ashland.k12.ma.us

Chess Club

The AMS Chess Club meets every Monday after school from 2:45 pm- 3:45 pm in rooms 208, 210, & 211. Please email Mrs. Sadana gsadana@ashland.k12.ma.us or Mr. Van Wyhe rvanwyhe@ashland.k12.ma.us with any questions.

Art Club

Please reach out to Mrs. Micucci with any questions. rmicucci@ashland.k12.ma.us

Diversity Club:

Diversity Club will have its first meeting on October 17th in the Art room. All are welcome! Please reach out to Mrs. Micucci with any questions rmicucci@ashland.k12.ma.us

Drama Club

Drama Club has started !!! AMS Theater Company will be producing

The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet ! It is a comedy.

Email any questions to : elangmeyer@ashland.k12.ma.us

Yearbook:

Open to all grades. Yearbook will meet on Wednesdays after school in room 142. If you have questions please reach out to Ms. Collins mcollins@ashland.k12.ma.us

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, we are thrilled to share our January menu, featuring this month’s Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Apples!

Apples are a versatile and delicious fruit that will shine in our meals throughout January. Grown right here in Massachusetts, these apples are packed with dietary fiber, vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants. This month, we’re excited to offer dishes that showcase their wonderful flavor, including Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Apple Crisp, and Apple Cranberry and Cabbage Slaw.

For more information on the health benefits of apples and fun recipe ideas, we encourage you to visit Massachusetts Harvest of the Month

At Ashland Public Schools, we’re committed to providing fresh, locally sourced produce, supporting our local farmers, and ensuring that every meal we serve offers the highest nutritional quality. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating apples by incorporating them into your meals at home!

Thank you for your continued support and for entrusting us with your children’s nutrition and well-being. Here’s to a healthy and delicious start to the new year!

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

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.