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November 18, 2018


Good evening-

I'm looking forward to being back at school this short week after being away for most of last week.  
As we prepare for Thanksgiving I can't help but reflect on the amazing school community we are a part of.  The experience I had in Orlando with the members of the Make a Wish club volunteering at Give Kids the World was amazing.  Each year I am more and more impressed with the experience and the growth of our students is beyond impressive. On top of the service work the kids spent a lot of time talking to chaperones about the importance of relationships with their teachers. I am so thankful to work in a school that is supportive of these kinds of experiences for students.   They know you care and that makes them want to succeed on a variety of levels.

Friday was the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit and it great to see Eryn Flynn receive her award for 2nd place in the essay contest!  I will post her essay along with an essay written by Akarsh Aurora, grade 9, who was also a finalist, near the mailboxes if you'd like to check them out.  We had a great team of student-athletes with us participating in a variety of workshops about being great leaders and showing sportsmanship.


Don't forget that it's spirit week!
Monday, November 19th - Pajama Day
Tuesday, November 20th - Tourist Day
Wednesday, November 21st - Class Color Day

News from Facilities:
I am sad to share that Alex is moving on as Head Custodian to join the Facilities team when Bill Greene retires in early December.  He has been a great member of the AHS team and will be missed.  I am glad he is still part of the team in a different role.  Please welcome Randy, our new head custodian, to the team.  He has been here for the last week training and we are excited to have him join us. Introduce yourself if you see him around!

Breaking the Barriers is currently partnering with Hammer & Chisel and Net of Compassion to collect clothes for a street store, a pop-up shop for the homeless where they can “shop” for free. From now until December 10, BTB is collecting donations of any gently used men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, as well as shoes, outerwear, and NEW undergarments/feminine products. Men’s clothing is especially necessary because over 75% of the homeless we’re serving are men. During this cold, holiday season, the homeless are suffering more than ever. A gently used item from the back of your closet could make all the difference when trying to keep warm in the harsh New England weather. Donation bins can be found by the front and back doors of the school! Please see the attached flyer for information on the most needed items. Thank you


The annual Lions/Leos Speech Contest will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 AM at the Ashland Community Center, next to Ashland State Park. This is a great contest which looks great on the students' high school resume. Cash prizes are awarded for the top 3 speeches. This year's topic is: Integrity: What Does It Look Like? Please encourage the students in all classes, clubs, and activities to enter the contest. Entry packets are available in the main office.


For your planning purposes:
Lead Learner meetings-
Tuesday, November 27 at 2:50pm is the next Lead Learner/department liaison meeting. All liaisons are required to attend but all others are welcome.  The topic of this meeting will be leveling and equity.
Our January 22 meeting will focus on developing our vision of the graduate.

On Thursday, December 13 the organization Minding Your Mind will present to the entire student body during the school day and we will co-host an evening presentation for the community.
11th & 12th - F block
9th & 10th - G block
Minding Your Mind’s (MYM) primary objective is to provide mental health education to adolescents, teens and young adults, their parents, teachers and school administrators. Our goal is to reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues. Treatment is available, yet only 3 out of 10 individuals needing help actually seek help. Minding Your Mind Programs move away from crisis based response to prevention through education.

On Tuesday, December 18 we will once again host a group of students from South Africa who are here through Hammer & Chisel. We will be reaching out to students next week to and will do our best to spread students out across grades and classes. We anticipate the group will once again do a presentation on education in South Africa during last block and that their visiting teachers will visit classrooms in the disciplines they teach. Pete Le Roux is a biology teacher at Elkanah House, the school the students are traveling from and Su Nightingale is an English teacher from Somerset College.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving break.  I am so thankful for everything you do and the privilege of working with such an amazing team of people.  We all do great work, each in our own way, which is what makes us a great school community.  
Enjoy your break and mark your calendars for Friday, December 7 to celebrate the holiday season with us. Stay tuned for details!




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