GRIZZ-O-GRAM
August 14th, 2020 BACK TO SCHOOL
Ashland High School
Instagram: @ashlandhighschool
Facebook: Ashland High School - Ashland, OR
Past Grizz-O-Grams https://www.smore.com/u/ahs
Website: http://ashland.k12.or.us
Location: 201 South Mountain Avenue, Ashland, OR 97520, USA
Phone: 541 482 8771
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AHS.Ashland.OR/
This week's Grizz...
- Welcome Principal Bell and New Administrators!
- Scheduling Update
- Registration Information
- Main Office Updates
- Fresh Start
- FAQ - Distance Learning Information, Textbook/Device Pick Up & Drop Off, SAT Cancellations, and more
School Begins on September 8th
Welcome Principal Bell!
Hello AHS students and families!
It is such a pleasure to introduce myself to you as the new principal of Ashland High School! I have been so impressed and humbled by the warm reception that I have received from the community, the district and from the families I have had an opportunity to interact with thus far. My family and I are from Apple Valley in Southern California and we have been spending the past month and half getting to know our new community here in Ashland; such a beautiful and unique place!
I bring 14 years of experience in education. I was a social science teacher at the high school level for 7 years in California. During that time, I had the privilege to work with a very diverse range of students. That experience really motivated me to start looking at the role of a school in a broader context of how it serves its students and its community. I became interested in how programs at a school can be best designed to serve the unique needs of students. This shift in focus naturally lead me to an interest in administration. Before taking my new position, I served as assistant principal at Granite Hills High School in Apple Valley. During my time there I held down nearly every kind role a high school administrator can have. My greatest pride there was the role I had in supporting the development of a variety of programs such as a Career Technical Education pathway centered around the performing arts, expanding our Advanced Placement offerings, as well as leading efforts there to reform student discipline which led to a sharp decrease in suspensions.
I am focused this year on getting to know our students and supporting them through this very unconventional year. In addition, I am committed to supporting our programs, honoring the rich history of our school and also helping to chart a new path forward to continued success for our students and community. Even though we won’t have the opportunity to start this year with students on campus, I am committed to being as visible and accessible as possible. I believe that relationships are the real key to a successful school.
I look forward to working with all of you as this year moves forward!
Sincerely,
Benjamin Bell
Welcome Assistant Principal Rebecca Gyarmathy!
Rebecca Gyarmathy (Gar-ma-tee) is one of the two Assistant Principals of Ashland High School. Rebecca moved to the Rouge Valley in 2001 from Chicago and has worked for Ashland School District since 2005. Rebecca was a Special Education for five years and a Reading Specialist for six before moving into administration. She was the principal at John Muir Outdoor School (K-8) for 4 years and I also worked as the interim Director of Student Services for the 19-20 school year. She is passionate about student-centered education and is excited to join the AHS team! In her free time she is raising two five-year-old boys, camping, rafting, hiking, and enjoying all the wonderful outdoor opportunities this valley offers.
Welcome Assistant Principal Becca Laroi!
Becca Laroi is first and foremost, the proud mother of three. Becca is starting her first year as a full time assistant principal at AHS. Last year she was in a dual role as the Administrator for Equity and Inclusion for the Ashland School District, as well as the Assistant Principal at Ashland High School. She grew up in the Rogue Valley as a Kenyan American and is very excited to be a change agent around diversity, equity and inclusion work.
Prior to this role Becca spent time as a special education educational assistant, high school teacher, department head, and softball coach at South Medford High school. Becca has served on district EDI work groups, as well as helped facilitate parent meetings in southern Oregon for the Black and African American Student Success grant (BASS). Becca is proud to be a part of the Grizz community. She is also excited about the opportunity for continued relationship building and advocacy for students and families in her various educational roles.
Scheduling Update
Trying to plan the opening of this school year has been a wild ride with many unforeseen twists and turns. No matter what, we maintain focus on delivering the strongest high school program possible given the unprecedented situation we all find ourselves in. This may not be the kind of school year any of us would choose, but we are going to make it the best that we possibly can!
What we thought we were doing….
We started the summer assuming that we were planning a school opening that would be based around hybrid scheduling and would have required us to place students in small cohorts. This would have been challenging to schedule but would have allowed for in person instruction.
What we are actually doing…
Towards the end of July, it became clear that COVID-19 cases around the state were increasing, including in Jackson County. Governor Brown released clear criteria that provided guidance to school districts about when they should move to Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL). As you now know, in the beginning of August, based on the criteria, Superintendent Bogdanove made the decision for our schools to open in CDL.
We made the decision early on to focus our new scheduling priorities on making the best possible online learning experience. We are moving to a 6 period bell schedule because we do not want to overwhelm our students, but we also want to meet all their credit requirements. Students will still be able to take electives. We also decided that since students are learning online, we would not schedule them in cohorts. We made this choice because we want to be able to give students schedules that match their preferences as closely as possible. Flexibility to meet unique student needs is also important, so we will be able to provide opportunities for students to take on more than 6 courses (based on course availability). The bottom line is, with CDL, we are doing everything we can to place students in classes that they need and want!
We have been working with teachers to provide as many elective opportunities for students as possible. There will still be CTE, performing arts and visual arts course offerings.
With CDL, students will be engaging with their courses purely online. The school district has purchased a learning management system called Canvas. This will be a much more convenient online platform for students to access their coursework. All courses will be taken for credits and students will earn traditional grades in their courses, not pass/fail. The district will also be providing training for students and guardians on how to access and login to Canvas (more information to come.)
I know this is a lot of information to take in. I apologize that we have not been able to share much of it sooner. The changing nature of the pandemic and the evolving guidelines that have necessarily governed school startup have prevented that from happening. I want to reiterate that at AHS we remain committed to student success, our teachers are eager to meet their new students and we will provide the best education that we possibly can, no matter the format. Having said that, this is new to all of us. This is an unprecedented situation. We learned a lot about distance learning at the end of last year and have worked to address those issues. We are still learning and ask for grace as we all learn how to do this together. I assure you, we will do our very best for our students!
With deep gratitude,
Benjamin Bell
New Student Registration
Ashland School District uses PowerSchool's online registration system (InfoSnap) for student registration. This secure system allows you to enter registration information, upload required documents, and electronically sign annual permission forms - all from home! Registration will be open through August.
Go to following link:
https://ps.ashland.k12.or.us/public/
- Click on the Create Account Tab
- Fill out the Parent/Guardian fields
- For the Student Info you will use the following for your student:
Student Name:
Access ID:
Access Password:
Select your relationship to student
***Note: Access ID and Password are case sensitive."
You should have received a letter in the mail and email that has the access ID and password. If you need help contact: (541) 482-8771 or by emailing AHSPowerSchool@ashland.k12.or.us
AHS Main Office Updates
AHS Main Office is open from 8AM - 4Pm Monday through Friday.
AHS Main Office is located on Mountain Ave by the bus ramp.
If you need to stop by, please schedule an appointment. Call 541-482-8771 to schedule an appointment.
Knock on the door or ring the bell when you arrive and we will come to you.
We ask that you stay outside to maintain social distancing.
Virtual Fresh Start!
If you do not receive an email from us with a Zoom invite for your Fresh Start session by Friday, August 14th, please email FreshStart@ashland.k12.or.us and we will forward you the information to RSVP for a session.
If you receive your session date and are not able to attend, we will have a make-up session on Saturday, August 22nd. We will provide a form for you to RSVP to these sessions.
Fresh Start Junior & Senior Counselors: Check your emails this weekend for updates on your assigned sessions and T-Shirt pick up.
See you (online) next week!
Fresh Nora Godfrey and Fresh Jake Taub
FAQ
Is there specific criteria for allowing on-site learning defined by the state?
Yes. On August 12th ODE came out with new guidance that will allow limited in person contact. We are combing through the new guidance and will let parents know when this is an option. This will not occur until at least 2 weeks after the start of school and will be very limited to students on special plans, such as an IEP. Limited in-person instruction has strict guidelines and metrics to be followed to be allowed.
- There have been no confirmed cases of COVID¬19 among school staff or students in the past 14 days.
- The case rate in the county is ≤30 cases per 100,000 population in the preceding 7 days for the past three weeks.
- The test positivity in the county is ≤5% in the preceding 7 days for the past three weeks;
We will keep you updated as we get further into the school year
Will my child be expected to be on a screen for 6 hours a day?
Absolutely not! On-line meetings, class sessions and assignments will be balanced with off line activities and assignments.
Will my child have to participate every day, ever class to be counted for attendance?
Yes, daily participation will be required.
Will materials/textbooks be provided for my child? When do we get those materials?
Absolutely! We will have a materials/textbook pick the first week of school. More details to come.
Will there be any clubs, sports, or after school activities?
Not at this time, but we are looking into to creative possibilities!
What if my child is on a TAG plan?
What is the best way for my child to communicate to their teacher, get school updates, etc.?
What about senior projects and community service hours for seniors?
If I do not have functionating technology, will the district be providing it?
Yes, the district can provide devices on loan for distance and hybrid learning if you need it. You will be emailed a form to fill out along with more information about pick up dates and times soon.
How can I return a device from last year?
What if I still need a device for this year?
All devices checked out last year must be returned. Our Tech department is updating all devices for the new school year. You will be able to check out a new device in the coming weeks.
How can I return a textbook from last year?
Where can I drop off physical registration documents?
SAT Cancellations
The next SAT dates are scheduled for:
October 3rd
November 7th
December 5th
March 13th 2021
May 8th, 2021
June 5th, 2021
These are subject to change. Keep updated on College Board at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat.
Counseling Office
Counselors are here to help your students succeed. Welcome to our new counselors Bryanna Trevino and Maurice Montrero! Counselors are returning next week.
9th Grade Counselor:
Keri Phipps
10th-12th Grade Counselors:
Diane Berry (Last names A-Ha)
Bryanna Trevino (Last names He-N)
Maurice Montrero (Last names O-Z)
School Websites
Ashland School District Website
Parent and Student PowerSchool Portal
Check schedules, grades and pay fees via the PowerSchool website and app: