Jan 20: No School for students and Staff Inservice

Jan 23: POPS Event @ 6:00-7:00

Jan 27: PTO Meeting @ 7:00 (new date)

Feb 4: Runza Fundraiser for Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools 5:00-8:00

Feb 10: Cookies and Canvas @ Primary @ 6:00

Feb 14: Valentine's Parties

Feb 20: No School for students and Staff Inservice

Feb 21: No School for staff or students

Feb 24: Cookies and Canvas @ Intermediate @ 6:00

March 13: Parent Teacher Conferences

March 28: 5th Grade DARE Graduation

May 6: 2nd & 3rd Grade Track & Field

May 8: Kindergarten & 1st Track & Field

May 12: 4th & 5th Grade Track & Field

Thank you to all of our students and families for your donations to our Giving Trees! On December 13th, the Intermediate Student Council delivered and sorted hundreds of items. The pantry was very appreciative for all of the donations.

We are excited to kick off the winter sports season with events at our varsity gym. Please review the expectations below. Thank you for supporting our AG Bluejays!

• Students of all ages should be in the gym to watch the game and cheer on the Bluejays!

• High School Students will have a defined ‘student’ section in the gym.

• Middle School Students (grades 6-8) will have a defined ‘student’ section in the gym.

• Students in grades 5 or younger should sit near their parents and be supervised while attending events.

• No outside balls should be brought into the gym/facility by young students or children.

• No running or playing in the hallways, cafeteria, or other spaces in the building.

• Students are not allowed to stay after school unsupervised, waiting for any event to begin.

• The elevator is not to be played on or ridden on by students unless permission is requested. The elevator is for those with mobility challenges.

Scan the QR code below or click on this link: https://forms.gle/ZTY9QSSfMJmC97pU6

Valentine’s Day parties will be held on Friday, February 14th. Classrooms focus on respectful behavior and friendship skills and Valentine’s Day offers a time to celebrate our friends and the people we care about. A reminder to parents that gifts such as flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, and other items sent to school remain in the office until dismissal time. Families are encouraged to share their personal gifts at home and not have them delivered to the school. Please know, balloons cannot be sent home on school buses.

The Ashland-Greenwood Schools Foundation is accepting nominations for outstanding alumni. Each year the foundation honors alumni for outstanding contributions they have made to society. They recognize both an alumnus and a young alumnus. To nominate someone, please complete the nomination form that is located on the district’s website located under the tab “Foundation.”

Each year the Alice Raikes family honors one teaching staff member with the Alice Raikes Distinguished Teaching Award. The award is announced at our annual Foundation spring dinner. The winner of the award receives a $1,250 cash prize and $1,250 to spend on their department or grade level. The Raikes family decides on who to honor based on nomination forms submitted by school staff, parents, community members and students.

To nominate someone, please complete the nomination form that is located on the district’s website under the foundation tab on the front page. When you complete the nomination form, please return it to the district office: 1842 Furnas St., Ashland, NE 68003, or email it to: jason.libal@agps.org. You may copy the nomination form if you desire to nominate multiple individuals.

This month, we would like to highlight the impact that regular attendance has on students' academic success and personal development. Consistent attendance fosters a routine that is crucial for effective learning, allowing students to fully engage with the curriculum and build a strong foundation of knowledge. It also cultivates important life skills such as responsibility, time management, and perseverance. By January, if a student has missed nine or more days they are considered chronically absent. Prioritizing attendance not only contributes to your child's academic achievements but also plays a pivotal role in shaping their overall well-being and future success. Thank you for your continued support in this shared commitment to their growth and success. If your child is struggling with wanting to come to school, please reach out to your school principal or counselor at anytime. We would like to work together to create a plan for success!

Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools is looking for dedicated individuals to join us as substitute paraprofessionals. This flexible opportunity is perfect for parents who want to spend time in the school environment, support our students, and make a meaningful impact.

With a schedule that works around your availability, you'll help fill a vital need in our school community. Apply today and make a difference for AGPS students! Apply online: https://agps.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

Check out the 4th grade Nebraska Landmark and Symbol creations. Fourth graders were assigned to create an object representing Nebraska out of reused or recycled materials. Their work was very creative! If you stop by the Intermediate building make sure to take a look at the projects in the display case! Students really went above and beyond with this project!

This year, yearbook orders will be placed online. Please use the link or QR code below to order a yearbook online (CODE: 1413625). We will not be selling yearbooks at school this year. All orders must be placed online by January 23rd (deadline extended). Yearbooks will be distributed to students in March. The yearbook will continue to be one elementary preschool-5th grade memory book. Thank you!

On December 17th our preschool families attended our 12th Annual Gingerbread Family Night! It was a huge success with our largest attendance ever! Families had the opportunity to sing Christmas carols, build a gingerbread house, and have their picture taken with Santa. This gingerbread houses were purchased by Riverview Community Church! We are beyond grateful for their generosity to support this wonderful family event!

The Primary and Intermediate kicked of the second semester with Bluejay Rallies! Our 3T paras were our guest speakers and they shared about what the Bluejay Way means to them! Our staff participated in several different games in our grade level competition! Fun was had by all! Several students had their names drawn for the Bluejay Rally prize bag winners and a few staff members won a gift card as well! Both buildings celebrated the amount of Bluejay tickets earned in the first semester and talked about setting new goals in learning for the second semester! These engaging events are organized by our B.L.U.E Team each semester!

From Mrs. Gude-Rung's Class: Our families are amazing! Our class not only met our Giving Tree goal but crushed it!

Before Winter Break, Mrs. Gude-Rung’s class celebrated their love of reading with a special activity: Flashlight Reading! The students were thrilled to cozy up with their favorite books and read by flashlight.

Mrs. Brady’s second grade class has partnered with Blue River Pet Rescue to help pets get adopted! Specifically, our class has “adopted” a dog named Dingo, and a cat named Lola. That means that each week, the rescue will send an update to our class from “our” pets. They will share photos/videos, write a little story about their week, etc. In return, our class is going to send letters to the pets, but even more importantly, we will be working to help get Dingo and Lola adopted into their forever homes!

Our class has been working hard on writing letters, making posters, and drawing pictures of Dingo and Lola. Now we are going to begin to spread the word about them, in order to help get them adopted.

Attached are just a few of the posters the class has made.

Congratulations to the students pictured below who completed the December Reading Rockstars activity.

AG staff showed pride in our public schools by joining educators across the state in celebrating I 💙 Public Schools Day. Our public schools strive to do what is best for students and help them learn and grow! It was a great day to celebrate and show our pride!

The Ashland-Greenwood Staff continues to support Grant Lawson and the entire Lawson family with monthly jeans days to show our continued support! Grant Lawson, a preschool student at AGPS, was recently diagnosed with B Cell ALL Leukemia. Grant has two sisters, Diem and Wren who also attend AGPS. Here is a picture of the Primary Team supporting Grant!

Meal program staff will be available in the cafeteria to assist families in making deposits in your child's meal account as well. The cost for meals is:

• Student breakfast - $2.15
• Student lunch - $3.10

Do you know of a community event that would be something our Ashland Greenwood Elementary students would be able to participate in? Please contact us at 402-944-7083.

A variety of resources are available for families and can be found below:

Resources for Food:

Food Pantry - American Lutheran Church - Jean Stewart - 402-789-2490 - By appointment

Ashland Mobile Food Pantry Every 4th Monday of the month from 3:00-4:00 at the American Lutheran Church

Children's Food Backpack Program - American Lutheran Church - 944-3535

Ashland Ministerial Association - Contact any area church for assistance.

• American Lutheran Church 944-3535
• First Christian Church 944-7070
• Methodist Church 944-7135
• Riverview Community Church 944-6134
• St. Mary's Catholic Church 944-3554
• Word of Hope Lutheran Church 402-521-0046

• Other churches may be found in the phone directory

Resources for Clothing:

The Closet at the American Lutheran Church provides free clothing. Contact Nicole Chudomelka at 944-3535 for more information.

Other Resources:

School Supply Backpack Program. Contact ashlandbackpackprogram@gmail.com or call Karen at 944-2794

Toys for Tots for the Holidays - Contact Jean Stewart - 402-789-2490