Ashland Preschool Update
September 11th, 2026
Preschool Weekly Update 🐝💛
Hello Preschool Families,
Today, we remember September 11, 2001, and honor the courage, kindness, and unity shown by so many. While our young students did not experience this day, we can honor its memory by focusing on the values that bring us together: helping others, showing kindness, and caring for our community.
We had another wonderful week together! The children are becoming more comfortable with their new routines, learning about classroom and school safety, and continuing to build relationships with their teachers and friends. We are so proud of all the progress we are already seeing!
Settling Into Our Morning Routine
Everyone has been doing a great job settling into our morning arrival and classroom routines. Each day, we are seeing children become a little more comfortable and confident as they learn what to expect at school.
If your child is still having a difficult time separating in the morning, please know that this is completely normal at this age. Starting school is a big transition, and it can take several weeks for young children to fully understand and become comfortable with their new routine.
Short, positive, and consistent goodbyes can be especially helpful. Even when there are tears at drop-off, our staff is here to provide lots of reassurance, comfort, and support as children transition into their school day.
Our School Psychologist has also gathered some wonderful books that families may find helpful when talking about separation and saying goodbye:
The Kissing Hand — Audrey Penn
Llama Llama Misses Mama — Anna Dewdney
The Invisible String — Patrice Karst
Bye-Bye Time — Elizabeth Verdick
Wemberly Worried — Kevin Henkes
These stories can help children understand that it is okay to miss their grown-ups, feel nervous about something new, and learn that their grown-ups will always come back.
Our First Fire Drill
On Thursday, our students participated in their first fire drill of the school year in partnership with the Ashland Fire Department.
The children did a wonderful job learning how to safely and calmly exit the building, stay with their class, and listen to their teachers. For many of our students, this was their very first experience with a school fire drill, and we were so proud of them!
Deputy Chief Lynn was also very proud of how well our preschoolers did. Practicing these routines helps children become familiar with what to do during an emergency while learning that the adults at school are here to keep them safe.
Our First Bee Day!
Thursday, September 17th will be our first Bee Day of the school year!
Students are invited to come to school dressed in yellow and black to help us celebrate.
Throughout the day, children will participate in fun activities focused on our school values:
🐝 Be Safe
🐝 Be Kind
We are excited to begin teaching our preschoolers what these values look like throughout their school day and to celebrate all the ways they are already learning to be safe and kind members of our school community.
Thank you, as always, for your support as we continue helping our students feel safe, happy, confident, and connected at school. We are looking forward to another great week together!
Best,
Amanda
Powerschool
Have you logged in to PowerSchool? Have you completed your forms?
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal and complete all required forms. LOGIN Directions
Important: Add Emergency Contacts
When completing the forms, please make sure you ADD at least one emergency contact for your child.
You must click the ADD button to create the emergency contact.
Please review your child’s information and make sure all forms are complete and emergency contacts have been added.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and our school records up to date!
📆 Upcoming Dates 📆
September 17th - Bee Day
September 21st: No school - Yom Kippur
October 9th: Early Release 11:20AM - Professional Development
October 12th: No School - Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 27th, 28th, 29th: Early Release 11:20AM - Teacher Conferences
Ways To Get Involved
More Pig, Less Cancer - September 12th at Pilgrim Day Camp
Looking for a fun way to kick off the school year with the whole family? Join us for More Pig, Less Cancer on Saturday, September 12 at Pilgrim Day Camp! This community event brings together live music, BBQ, a pool, bounce houses, high ropes, kids’ activities, a beer garden and more — all while raising money to help fight pediatric cancer. Bring the kids, bring your friends and enjoy the food and music are always free!
Learn more and RSVP at morepiglesscancer.org
District Report Card
🎫 Community Bulletins 🎫
Looking for something to do in and around our community? Check out our Community Bulletin Board at ashland.k12.ma.us/flyers. From teen trivia nights to musicals to concerts, there's something for everyone!
📝 Friendly Reminders 📝
Questions? We’re here to help!
For day-to-day operations, curriculum and assessment, community events, and general communication, please contact Amanda Curley at acurley@ashland.k12.ma.us
For questions related to evaluations, team meetings, or IEP development, reach out to Sara Davidson at sdavidson@ashland.k12.ma.us
📄 Smore Help 📱
Please remember that all family members who wish to receive the newsletters from me — or any of our other school, department or district newsletters — must subscribe by visiting ashland.k12.ma.us/subscribe. You can also forward them this newsletter and have them subscribe by scrolling down to the footer and clicking the “subscribe” button.
If you have any issues subscribing or unsubscribing, check out Smore: Frequently Asked Questions.