AES Weekly Blast

08/29/2024

Email: agapp@nmrsd.org
Website: https://www.nmrsd.org/Domain/11
Location: 911 Main Street, Ashby, MA, USA
Phone: 978-743-1005

Dear AES Patriot Families,

Welcome back! We had a great first week!

Thank you for your patience with the busses. Remember, Kindergarten starts next week, so buses may run late.

AES Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11th. Each grade has a set meeting time. I hope you can stop by and learn about grade level curriculum, expectations and see all the wonderful things we have done to the building this past summer!

Breakfast and lunches are free this year, but if students would like seconds they will need to have extra money on the lunch accounts.

I opened school with a school-wide assembly and reading to the students. We welcomed new staff and of course our eight new students. We will continue to practice our four Habits of Character, which are school-wide, respect, responsibility, kindness and courage.

We had a fire drill the first day of school. The students are working on common grade-level assessments.

Please check out our school website for some updated school photos. Speaking of our website, this is the URL address if you need to update your bookmark https://aes.nmrsd.org/

If you have any concerns, questions, or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out (agapp@nmrsd.org).

Mrs. C.

Starting in September, there will be 3 choices for lunch. What is on the menu for each lunch choice will be served on all trays for that choice. The trays have compartments, each item will be placed in a different compartment. If your students does not want something, they can choose not to eat it, but the lunch room staff has to serve it.

August 29, 2024

Dear Ashby Families,

I am writing to share information about one of the ways your child in grades K-3 will be assessed in reading this year. Our teachers have many ways to check your child’s reading development and growth, including an early literacy universal screening assessment. Early literacy universal screening assessments are brief tests that provide information about your child’s early reading skills. Screening makes it possible to see if a student is at risk of developing reading difficulties, including the risk of dyslexia. Screening does not diagnose dyslexia or other disabilities, but it does help us understand which students may need additional support to be successful readers. We are required to assess students in grades K-3 at least twice per year, consistent with Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f).

Our district uses a screening assessment called i-Ready. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. It is one of several screening assessments approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Depending on grade level, your child will be assessed three times during the school year. It typically takes 45-90 minutes (depending on grade level of the student and their answers to each question) to complete this assessment, and the tentative schedule for this school year is shown below.

Screening Assessment Windows (Subject to Change)

Fall September 9-13

Following the screening assessment, a team at our school will review all students’ results. Parents/Guardians will receive a family report that provides an overview of your child’s results. Additionally, if your child scores “significantly below benchmarks,” we will contact you within 30 school days of testing to discuss how we can support your child.

Please reach out if you would like additional information.

• For questions about the early literacy universal screening, contact the building administration.

• For questions about your child’s testing results, contact your child’s teacher.

Screening is another step that helps students at our school become proficient readers, and we are grateful for the continued support and partnership with the North Middlesex families.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Cromwell-Gapp, M.Ed., CAGS in Ed. Leadership

North Middlesex Regional School District

Health Offices

Mandated Screenings

Mandated screenings are performed at the beginning of each school year. These screenings are important in detecting developing issues in vision and hearing where it can impact your student's academic performance. The screenings your student is required to have depends on his/her grade level.

Kindergarten: Vision screening: uses the SPOT testing. This testing appears like a camera and takes a quick picture of his/her eyes. Your student stands approximately 4 feet away. Also testing for Stereopsis by putting 3D glasses on and looking for a smiling face.

Hearing screening: Place large 80's style headphones on your child's ears and raises

hand when hearing the beep sound.

Grades 1, 4, 7, 10: Vision screening: Use HOTV letters and have the child identify each letter approximately 10 feet away with one eye closed. Stereopsis is tested in grades K-3 only by putting 3D glasses on and looking for a smiling face. Hearing screening: Place the large 80's style headphones on your child's ears and raise your hand when hearing the beep sound.

Grades 2, 3, 5: Vision screening: Use HOTV letters and have the child identify each letter approximately 10 feet away with one eye closed. Stereopsis is tested in grades K-3 only by putting 3D glasses on and looking for a smiling face. Hearing screening: Place the large 80's style headphones on your child's ears and raise your hand when hearing the beep sound. Hearing screening is not a mandated requirement in grade 5.

BMI screening: Students are privately measured for height and weight in grades 1, 4, 7, 10. This is a mandated screening from the state. Your child's physician should have already spoken with you if anything was out of the normal in the doctor's office, as your child is measured at every doctor’s visit.

If you do not want your child to be screened for vision, hearing or BMI, please give your request in writing to the school nurse before the screening September 9th. If a written refusal is not received at the time of the screening, then your child will be screened.

Once the screenings are complete, you will be contacted by phone, letter or both if a referral is needed. Please contact the health office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding these screenings.

Sincerely,

Susan Haigh, school nurse Ashby 978.743.1005 x5500

Extended Day Pricing

First Day of Fourth Grade Newsletter

Happy First Day of School!

The AES Gaga pit Looks amazing!

Thanks so much, Ava and June for painting the NM!!!

Thank you Amanda and Rebecca for the Gaga pit blue.

Thank you Matt (Nurse Sue's son) for painting the Outdoor Sensory Track! It looks Fantastic!

Check out the 1200 pound pumpkin headed the fair with our very own Alistair!

• Attendance Line - (978) 743-1006
  Please call if you student will be Absent or Late. Leave a message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Dismissal changes - Please remember that changes to dismissal procedures should be sent in a note to school with your child.
  
• Every Wednesday band students will need their instruments for lessons with Mr. Arsenault.
  
• Every Thursday 3rd grade students need their recorders for music.
• Our newsletters can be translated into your language of choice by clicking the "Translate" option located at the top of the newsletter.
• Every Friday students need to wear or bring sneakers for Gym class.
• Be aware - in a parking lot you must come to a complete stop when a school bus has lights flashing and/or has the stop sign extended.
  

Do Not Pass a Bus in the parking lot if the lights are blinking and/or the stop sign is extended, as it's against the law.

Parents, please remind your students that the bus expectation is to remain seated with their hands to themselves.

Parent pick-up reminder - the inner circle is for kindergarten parents, as they sometimes hold up the line as they need assistance buckling in their car seats.

Also, please remember that changes to students' dismissal procedures should be sent with your child to school. If you need to remember to send a note and email the school, make sure it arrives before 2 pm. Be sure the email includes your child's homeroom teacher, secretary, and principal.

2024-2025 School District Calendar