What a great start to our 2024-2025 school year! It has been great to see all of our returning families and to meet our new families these past few weeks. Thank you for your support with traffic patterns at arrival and dismissal and the other daily logistics that helps us ensure our schools are running safely and efficiently.

Calendar Reminders:

Sept. 2 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Sept. 9 - PTO Meeting 7:00 @ Primary School

Sept. 16 - Picture Day

Sept. 17 - Constitution Day

Sept. 19 - 5th Grade Instrument Display Night 5:30-7:30

Sept. 23 - NO SCHOOL - Staff In-service

Oct. 8 - Elementary Nature Night 5:45-6:45

Oct. 18 - NO SCHOOL - Staff In-service

Oct. 23 - Early Dismissal (Intermediate @12:50 & Primary @ 1:00) & Parent-Teacher Conferences

Click here to fill the AG PTO form out digitally or look for the paper copy of the flyer in your child's backpack!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yU3kS9mklnDSSRdhM6IJ-X3Qf916gymHJzc6vFmwBYY/viewform?edit_requested=true

https://stores.inksoft.com/ashland_greenwood/shop/home

Activity passes may be purchased for $30.00. The activity pass will enable students to attend school activites held at Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools without paying an entrance fee. Waivers are not available for elementary students-all elementary students must pay an activity pass if they want to purchase one. If you need another copy of this form, please contact your child's school's front office.

'I CAN' be a courteous Bluejay FAN!

We are looking forward to kicking off our Bluejay football season! Please review the rules for home football games listed below.

1. The elementary playground is closed during football games. No playing on the school playground or in the parking lots. Students are not permitted to play with footballs or other play equipment in the stadium area or grounds.

2. During halftime, elementary students cannot leave the stadium to play football or for any other reason unless they are accompanied by a parent.

3. Students need to sit on the bleachers with their parents or supervising adult. No sitting on the concrete wall next to the football field.

4. Show good sportsmanship and courteous audience behavior.

There is limited seating on the south side of the bleachers. Students who are accompanied and supervised by their parent/adult may sit on the grassy hill. Students need to stay seated and not run, roll down the hill, or be boisterous on these grassy slopes or grassy areas near the field.

** Following these rules will help all fans have a fun and safe evening. **

At Ashland-Greenwood, the purpose of grading and report cards is to communicate a level of achievement and most recent progress on grade-level learning standards and behavior. This information will inform teachers, parents, and students about current levels, growth as they build knowledge throughout the year, successes, and areas where students need more support and instruction to improve.

Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, the primary and intermediate schools will be transitioning to grading students based on achievement on state standards. In previous years, report cards and grades have been reported for both standards-based grades and traditional letter grades. This year, we will only report on standards-based grades. This week all students are bringing home a parent guide for standards-based grading. Please review this guide for additional details about standards-based grading and what you should expect for the school year and reports home about grades.

We will be presenting additional information about standards-based grading and providing an opportunity for parents to ask questions at our September PTO Meeting. Please join us for this meeting on September 9th at 7:00 PM at the Primary School. Childcare is provided for the meeting.

Research indicates that students who read nightly are much more successful in school. In fact, reading well is the heart of all learning! Setting aside time for reading at home is one easy way for you to help your child be a successful student.

To motivate and encourage students to work on their home reading goals, your child’s teacher and the AG PTO will be recognizing students who complete their monthly reading goals! We are changing some of our Reading Rockstar routines. Please check out the details in your child's backback about the Reading Rockstars Program. Intermediate information will come home today. Primary students will bring their information home next week. Thank you!

If you have a child that walks home from the intermediate school, please remind them to use the crosswalk when crossing 14th street. The traffic is very busy after school and we want to ensure all of our students get across safely!

Constitution Day is observed on September 17th, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. This day recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. Students will learn about the importance of this day by participating in various classroom activities on Tuesday, September17th.

New for the 2024-2025 school year art, guidance, and library specials classes will follow a cycle day rotation rather than a day of the week schedule. This approach ensures that classes meet consistently, even with holidays and special events. A cycle day schedule means that these specials will not occur on the same day each week. Our cycle day schedule rotates through a series of days, labeled Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 instead of following a traditional Monday-Friday routine. An electronic copy of the cycle day calendar is attached below. A paper copy and class specific schedule information will be shared by your child's classroom teacher.

How it works:

• Each day has a specific set of classes and activities.

• The cycle continues in order, regardless of weekends or breaks. For example, if Friday is Day 2, then Monday will be Day 3.

• If there is an unplanned day off (e.g. state tournament or snow day) the cycle day is skipped. For example, if school was cancelled on August 26th for weather we would still plan to have cycle day 4 on August 27th.

Thank you to our AMAZING PTO, we will have yard signs courtesy of Sign Dreamers at both elementary schools on the first day of school. This year, PTO plans to change to having quarterly meetings, rather than monthly. Please plan to join us on these dates:

September 9- Location: Primary School

November 4- Location: Intermediate School

February 3- Location: Primary School

April 7- Location: Intermediate School

Families/students may bring treats or snacks for the classroom. These need to be store-bought or purchased from a restaurant/bakery. Students are allowed to bring water bottles to school. Water bottles may only contain water. Flavored packets, pop, and other non-water drinks are not allowed in bottles or the classroom except for special activities organized by the teacher.

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

Standard Response Protocol: Students learn and practice various routines and procedures both in their classrooms and as a school. This includes drills for safety. Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools wants to keep parents informed about our practices for keeping students safe at school. A big part of our plan includes the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). The SRP provides simple, yet specific actions and directives in the case of an incident or emergency. While we hope to never have to use these directives, we want to be prepared for any incident. Additional information is provided in the attached parent handout from the Standard Response Protocol Foundation.

Sheltering for Tornado Warnings: On the poster attached/below, you will see details for SHELTER. Staff and students shelter when there are hazards, often weather-related. In the event of a tornado watch, the school administration carefully monitors weather conditions. When the sirens go off and/or local emergency responders tell us to shelter ALL staff and students will shelter in designated areas in the building. School buildings and shelter areas are a safe place for us to be in the event of a tornado. When we go into the shelter no adults or students will leave the shelter area until we are notified the hazard has passed.

Thank you for reviewing our school safety procedures. The safety of our staff and students is very important.

Student safety is of utmost importance. All motorists are asked to follow the procedures below when dropping off and picking up elementary children at school.

Drop-off Procedures: When dropping off students at the school, motorists should approach the school using 17th Avenue and enter the main parking lot. Travel along the roadway and pull your vehicle up near the main entrance. Your child should exit the vehicle directly onto the sidewalk and enter the building through the main entrance doors. Students should not exit vehicles into the roadway. Parents wanting to enter the school may opt to pull into a parking stall, exit their vehicle with their child and enter the main entrance. Parents and visitors should check-in at the main office upon entering the building.

Pick-up Procedures: At dismissal time, students will wait outside the main entrance in grade level groups for parents/designated adults to pick them up. Parents are asked to park along the pick-up lane and identify their child by placing a GREEN name card, supplied by the school, on their passenger side visor or window. Teachers will watch for each student’s parent/designated adult, and students will be released to the first 7-8 cars nearest the main entrance door. Parents are asked to pull their vehicles up as far as they can along the lane before loading their child. Once students are in their vehicle, parents will move into the roadway and exit the parking lot. Parents may also opt to pull into a parking stall, exit their vehicle, and pick up their child from the grade level group. Please use the crosswalk if you choose this option.

When weather conditions are poor, students will be held in the cafeteria. Staff members will be posted outside. They will communicate with teachers in the building, who will then send students outside as parents pull up near the main entrance.

Parking is available for preschool families near the west entrance of the school. Parents will walk their preschooler into the school at drop-off time. At dismissal time, staff will walk the children outside and to their parents/designated vehicle.

Bus Procedures: A designated bus lane along 17th Avenue is used when dropping off and picking up students. Supervisors are available in the morning to assist students in walking from the bus to the school. Supervisors walk students from the school to their assigned buses at dismissal time.

As motorists near the school, they are asked to drive slowly and cautiously.

By following the procedures above, our students can come and go from school safely and drivers will meet with less traffic congestion. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe.

DROP-OFF:

1. Approach the elementary school using Clay Street.

2. To the east of the Bus Barn, turn right and travel along the roadway until you are directly south of the elementary building and playground. You will be facing west on Boyd Street.

3. Students should exit the vehicle on the right side and use the sidewalk to walk onto the playground.

4. Motorists who plan to exit their vehicles and remain at school for a period of time will find parking in the east parking lot.

All students should enter the building through the east or west cafeteria doors just off the playground.

Motorists should NOT stop traffic along the roadway or in the parking lot east of the playground to let children out of their vehicles. Using the procedures outlined above will provide a safe way to drop off students and minimize traffic congestion.

Students should not be dropped off in the parking lot west of the school. The west parking lot is designated as a drop-off location for buses only. Also, students should not be dropped off at the Clay Street entrance doors prior to 8:05 a.m. Again, this will minimize traffic congestion.

As motorists near the school, they are asked to drive slowly and cautiously. There is a crosswalk directly across from the school on Clay Street. Many students use this crosswalk to get to and from school.

PICK-UP:

At dismissal time, students will exit the building through the cafeteria doors onto the playground.

School buses will load students in the west parking lot at the end of the school day.

Students who walk or ride a bicycle and need to cross 14th Street (Hwy 63) should use the crosswalk lights between Boyd Street and Clay Street when going home.

Motorists picking up students may park in designated parking stalls along the roadway east of the school building. Boyd Street is a one-way street and motorists may only park on the north side of the street. Traffic moves from Clay Street, to the roadway and then onto Boyd Street. Motorists may also park in the east parking lot.

All students not under the direct supervision of their parent or guardian are to leave the school grounds upon dismissal. Students may not remain on the playground after 3:10 unsupervised.

By following the procedures above, our students can come and go from school safely and drivers will meet with less traffic congestion. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe.

Picture packets will come home with students on Friday, September 6th. You can also order pictures online. Lifetouch will email parents information directly. When ordering online, please make sure you order through each child's school to avoid delays or missing packets.

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.