Warren School Weekly Update

This was certainly a different return from vacation. Even with our comfy clothes day to ease everyone back, the storm and two additional days off created challenges for many of our families and disrupted established routines for students. By the time we truly felt back into our rhythm, it was already the weekend again. Hopefully we can avoid any additional school cancellations moving forward.

With three snow days used this year, our last day of school is now tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 24. As always, this date could shift if we experience further inclement weather.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our outstanding custodial team, the district maintenance staff, and the Ashland DPW. Their work ensured that our school building, sidewalks, and roadways were ready and safe for students and staff on Wednesday morning. We are fortunate to have such dedicated professionals supporting our community.

It was also great to see so many families come together for the PTO’s Clocker Classic last night and Ashland High School. While basketball may not be a sport that comes naturally to me, it was wonderful to share some laughs and enjoy time with Ashland Public Schools staff and families.

Events like these remind us how strong and connected our school community truly is.

Have a great weekend,

Pete

During the week of March 12th to March 18th, your student will be able to shop for books during their library time. When kids choose their own books they are empowered and inspired to become bolder, prouder and stronger readers! And -- as always -- every book purchased earns rewards for our school library.

We will be including the option for an eWallet, a digital payment account allowing you to fund your student's purchases in advance. Empowered to choose books without handling money, kids focus on what matters most at the Book Fair: discovering a lifelong love of reading. You can share out the eWallet for others to add to. After the Fair, your remaining eWallet balance becomes a gift card to shop online with Scholastic or to fund a future eWallet. You can sign up for an EWallet at the Warren Book Fair Scholastic page.

*As a reminder, we do have sales tax on purchases *

If you would like to volunteer during your student's class time, you can sign up here!

Ms. Ferron

All Warren school students have been busy since our All School Sing-a-long in December strengthening their rhythm reading skills. All students learned about various New Year celebrations from around the world and got to watch some traditional Lion and Dragon dances for Chinese New Year.

Kindergarten students participate in Rhythm clap-a-longs almost every week. They just recently learned what a half-note looks like, how long to hold it, and how to clap it. First and Second grade students just love playing Poison rhythm. We have been able to conquer the following poison rhythms games: Volcano, Winter, snowman, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.

In addition, the Warren students learned about the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, The Grammy Awards, various music performances at the Super Bowl, as well as artists that represent Black History Month.

Kindergarten students have been learning about high and low pitches and understanding the difference between high and low (pitch) vs. loud and soft (dynamics.) They listened to some classical music and used scarves to move to the sounds, raising the scarves higher as the melody moved higher and lowering the scarves when the melody went down. Another concept learned with that study is how small instruments make high sounds and big instruments make low sounds. Once this concept was understood we moved on to learn about melodic direction For games they participated in Popcorn Popper energizer, Flea FLy Mosquito and movement activities with scarves.

First Graders at Warren School learned about sound effects and how they aid in the making of movies. Then I read the book, ‘The Rooster Who Would Not be Quiet.’ The students made several connections from the book to the song “How Can I keep from Singing” as well as to the many musical ideas presented in the book. The following week each class “brought the book to life” by using instruments to create the sound effects for the parts of the book that needed sound!

Second Graders have been working super hard on how to read notes on the lines and spaces of the Treble staff as we prepare to play xylophones in the late spring. In addition, they have learned a little bit about Form in music. These students have also learned about Improvisation. They have learned how to sing partner songs as well as rounds. The second graders have played improvisational games of Statue and Sound Scapes, in addition to Popcorn’s in the popper, Flea Fly Mosquito and “Find the matching musical note sentence to the word.”

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

Hello Families,

This month we are learning about GENEROSITY.

We have defined generosity as: giving to others without expecting anything in return.

Here are some things you can do to help your child learn to be generous:

• Talk about it - brainstorm ways to be generous. Remember being generous isn’t just giving things to others, you can also be generous by giving someone your time.

• Model it - let them see you being generous. “I’m bringing soup to our neighbor because they aren’t feeling well.” “I’m staying at work a little late to help a co-worker.”

• Pick something generous to do as a family. Pick out some toys to donate, donate your time and find a volunteer opportunity, or make some homemade crafts or cards to give to others.

• Start a “charity allowance”. Below you’ll find one example of this.

“In my house each of my kids has three jars, one is a save jar, one is a spend jar and one is a give jar. Each week they get an “allowance” that is split equally into the three jars. As they have gotten older the weekly amount has gone up, but you could start little by putting a nickel or dime in each jar. Every December we take out their jars and count their money. Save money is deposited into their savings accounts. We plan a special family shopping trip where they get to use their spend money. Then we talk about ways to donate their give money. One year they “adopted” animals through the World Wildlife Fund. Another year they each bought a toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Even as teenagers my kids still look forward to this end of year tradition.” - Taryn Marquez

Books about generosity:

• Should I Share My Ice Cream? By Mo Willems

• Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead

• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

• Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson

• The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen

• A Bear to Share by Jessica Alba, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, and Norah Weinstein

• The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett

Warren School’s SEL Team

SEASON RUNS MARCH 2026- JUNE 2026

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN Financial assistance is available.

Check out what our Nutrition Services department is serving up for Warren students in February! 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 we step into March, we’re excited to share this month’s menu, featuring the Massachusetts Harvest of the Month: Dairy!

Dairy plays a vital role in a balanced diet, and we’re thrilled to highlight its delicious flavors and nutritional benefits in our meals. Throughout the month, students will enjoy locally sourced milk, cheese, and yogurt from Massachusetts farms. These dairy products provide essential nutrients like calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and potassium—helping to support strong bones and overall health.

We encourage you to explore the benefits of dairy and discover fun recipe ideas by visiting the Massachusetts Harvest of the Month page: March Harvest of the Month - Dairy

We are committed to providing fresh, locally sourced dairy products to our students, supporting local farms, and ensuring the best nutritional quality in our meals. We encourage you to incorporate dairy 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 month filled with wholesome and delicious meals!

Warm regards

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

• March 18: Literacy Night
• March 20: No School in observance of Eid at Fitr
• March 24/25/26: Early Release at 12:00 for Parent Teacher Conferences. Lunch will not be served.
• April 2: Early Release at 1:15 for staff professional development, lunch will be served.
• April 3: No School in observance of Good Friday
• April 20: Patriots Day and Marathon Monday
• April 20-24: No School April school vacation

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.