December 17, 2017

Good evening-

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It's hard to believe it but there is only one week left until the winter break.  I hope the week ahead is great one.  It has been a challenging fall in many ways but also a great one.  We have done so much to focus on doing what is best for our students.  Thank you for the work you do each and every day providing an amazing academic experience for while also focusing on the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of our students.

As a reminder early dismissal next week is at 12:35pm on 12/22.  The schedule for the day is linked here.

For planning purposes here is the mid-term exam schedule for next month.  Please post this schedule in your classroom.  Exams are scheduled for the last four days of the semester- January 23-26.  Here is the mid-term schedule with teacher information as well.

The Clocker Idol - Season 4

On Wednesday, December 20th, the Ashland High School Student Council will be presenting the fourth year of "The Clocker Idol" (our version of American Idol) at 7pm in the high school auditorium (65 E. Union St.)  Admission is $5/person and all the proceeds will go to the Ashland Emergency Fund.  The entire community is invited to watch this family-friendly event and help vote on who the next "Clocker Idol" will be.

The contestants are: Anthony Boccabella, Allen Brodskiy, Lauren Burke, Julia Caruso, Adrianna Fawkes, Anne Fejer, Katarina Gertje, James Lee. 

The event will be MCd by: Kaleigh Donovan and Andrew Dunn.  

The judges are AHS faculty members Aleisha Egan, Mary Nemeth, Sue Reap, Kelley St. Coeur, and Janet Twomey.

Check out our promotional video online: https://youtu.be/_AP5qaW-iJw

Ashland Raises Healthy & Happy Kids: A Few Facts About Vaping

Vaping has increased rapidly among teens across the country and in Ashland and Metrowest according to the Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey.  Many teens, and adults, don’t know the effects vaping can have on emotional and physical health so below are a few facts.

E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are NOT risk-free.

Although it’s generally agreed that these products are less harmful than smoked cigarettes, there is no evidence that they are, in fact, safe. There is a growing body of research to suggest that they may lead to negative health consequences, including: damage to the brain, heart and lungs; Cancerous tumor development; preterm deliveries and stillbirths in pregnant women; harmful effects on brain and lung development, when use occurs during fetal development or adolescence.

They contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug with known health risks.

Using nicotine, regardless of how it is delivered, increases the risk of addiction. Nicotine addiction is notoriously difficult to reverse, and addiction to e-cigarettes can lead to using other nicotine products, including smoked cigarettes, as well as alcohol and other drugs.

Nicotine can affect brain development and functioning in young people.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to using e-cigarettes and vaping devices and to their effects. The younger a person is when he or she tries nicotine, the greater the risk of addiction. The developing brain is more vulnerable to the effects of addictive substances than a fully developed adult brain. Additionally, nicotine can disrupt brain development, interfere with long-term cognitive functioning, and increase the risk of various mental and physical health problems later in life. 

E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are not FDA approved.

Until very recently, manufacturers and distributors of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices were not bound by standards of safety set by the FDA for smoked tobacco products. Despite the new regulations, e-cigarette manufacturers are free to project a risk-free image in their marketing, and offer enticing, candy-like flavors that appeal to children, adolescents and young adults.

There is little consistency across different products.

Until recently, there was limited federal oversight for e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, making it difficult to assess the dangers of any specific product. Across products, there was considerable variation in the nature and concentration of the ingredients, including nicotine and other known toxins.

There is no evidence that the aerosol from these products is safe.

There is limited research into the long-term health effects of aerosolizing nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. It is clear, however, that the additives, heavy metals, ultrafine particles, and other ingredients they contain include toxins and carcinogens.

The spread of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices may be re-normalizing smoking behavior.

The increase in nicotine devices and products and their widespread availability is reversing some of the progress made over decades of intense global, national, and local efforts to reduce cigarette smoking, especially among young people.

It’s not always nicotine in those e-cigarettes.

There have been media reports of teens vaping other drugs, such as alcohol. It’s like chugging alcohol. You’re skipping the filtration system in your body and that can lead to alcohol poisoning much faster than drinking. Many teens are also vaping marijuana which is illegal and unsafe.

E-cigarettes are easy for teens to get.

The sale of vaping supplies to minors is banned across the country. But teens have no trouble buying the stuff online.

Share these facts with your teens!