Ashland School District
Inspiring Learning for Life
District News January 12, 2023
Ashland School District
En español. Utilice el botón "traducir" en la parte superior derecha.
Accessibility and Translation use button on top right.
Email: Jacqueline.Schad@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: ashland.k12.or.us
Location: 885 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: (541) 482-2811
Facebook: facebook.com/ashlandpublicschools/
IN THIS ISSUE
- Superintendent's Message
- Ashland - Thank You! - TRAILS Outdoor School
- Ashland - Thank You! - Ashland Middle School
- Attendance Rezoning Update - Bellview, Helman and Walker
- YMCA Kids' Club After-School Programs
- Mountain Avenue Theater Renaming
- MLK Day Celebrations
- Stay Healthy! - From the School Nurse
- Emergency Closures: School Closure & Delay Start Procedures
- Community Flyers - Peach Jar
Superintendent's Message
Ashland Families, Students and Community Members,
It has been an exciting entry to the second-half of the school year. Kids and classrooms are settling back into a rhythm after some time away.
I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Ashland community for support of the school bond. Thanks to your generosity, and the hard work of many hands, we had students in the AMS building on the first day of school this year and our TRAILS students started at their fabulous facility in November. We are on-track to open the newly remodeled Walker School this Spring.
Please take a moment to share in the videos of the first day for students at AMS and TRAILS below. I am thrilled to see the excitement and engagement on the faces of our students as they explore and learn in these new facilities. The new buildings provide a modern and safe learning environment, and give our students access to state-of-the-art learning resources that will benefit generations of Ashland students.
I also want to remind everyone about the importance of staying healthy and safe as the winter season continues. Staying healthy means staying in school. As we navigate the continued challenges of the COVID-19 and other respiratory illness, it's crucial that we all do our part to keep ourselves and others healthy. Please continue to follow basic health guidelines including frequent hand washing and staying home if you're feeling sick. For detailed information, please visit our COVID news and safety page.
Thank you for your commitment and support in making our schools safe, welcoming, and exceptional places to connect and learn. Together, we are creating a bright future for our students and our community.
With gratitude,
Samuel
Samuel Bogdanove
Superintendent
Ashland Public Schools
Pronouns: He, Him, His
On August 31st of 2022, Ashland Middle School opened the doors of the new campus to students for the first day of school. Ashland School District is excited to share that day with you!
In 2018 Ashland voters approved a $109 million bond levy to improve our public schools. The Bond Promise included priorities for district-wide security improvements, along with upgrades to HVAC systems, technology infrastructure, and sustainable energy solutions.
The Ashland Middle School was targeted for major renovation and construction, designed to result in 65,000 square feet of modernized instructional spaces. In August 2022, students entered their new classroom spaces for the first time. Here, students enjoy flexible, open designs that give teachers many options for learning in these beautiful new spaces. Students with special needs are also accommodated in spaces that offer best practice responses to support their learning. Outdoor spaces are designed to encourage both active and quiet pursuits, with accessible entrances to all spaces.
We are very grateful to the voters of Ashland for passing the Bond that made all these changes possible. We also wish to thank our community partners for making it possible to open the doors on the very first day of school – HMK, Adroit Construction, Soderstrom/arkitek: design & architecture, and the City of Ashland.
Please take a moment to watch the video above highlighting some of the first days of school, and the fantastic work done by our community partners.
Attendance Rezoning Update - Bellview, Helman and Walker
ATTENDANCE RE-ZONING OPEN HOUSE
THURSDAY 6-8 at AHS Library
BELLVIEW, HELMAN, WALKER ZONES
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
The Ashland School district is assessing school attendance zone boundaries for Bellview, Helman and Walker Elementary schools to adjust for changing school populations. Learn more about the process and rationale here
Come to the Open House
We will be sharing the committee consensus scenario for feedback in a drop in open house on Thursday, January 12th between 6:00-8:00 PM at the Ashland High School Library. You will see the consensus scenario, have the opportunity to ask questions, and an opportunity to provide feedback.
Childcare, snacks, Spanish and A.S.L. interpretation will be available.
ADA Needs? Please call Jackie Schad at 541-488-2811 in advance.
If you are not able to drop by the open house in person, there is also a virtual open house option that will be available for you to view and provide feedback on our website
YMCA Kids' Club After-School Programs
Scholarships are available! If you are already eligible for free and reduced lunch, you automatically qualify for financial assistance. If you have not yet applied, please do so here. Limited additional scholarships are available, please reach out to your building principal for additional information.
Please click here for the information and registration form.
We need your input on the Mountain Avenue Theater Renaming
In January of 2022, the Ashland School Board received a public request to rename the Mountain Avenue Theater after Richard L. Hay because of his significant contributions of expertise, volunteerism, and other support of students and the theater program.
During the spring of 2022, a committee was formed to perform due diligence on the request in accordance with the ASD Facility Naming policy FF utilizing a matrix developed to assure a recommendation aligned with District values. On September 26, 2022, the committee presented the background and matrix analysis to the Board along with the formal recommendation to rename the Mountain Avenue Theater to the Richard L. Hay theater.
School Board policy FF states the following: “In the event that the appointed committee considers a singular request, the Board shall make a final decision on or after a six-month period from the time of the committee’s recommendation.”
During the six-month period following the recommendation, the Ashland School Board requested additional input from AHS students and the community on the recommended renaming of the theater.
Please click on the Microsoft Forms link below to complete the survey. Thank you for sharing your voice!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2023
We celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day each year not merely to remember the man who worked tirelessly to promote fairness, anti-racism, and equity for all but to pause during this holiday to reflect on our own journey and how we can take action throughout the year to better our communities. Dr. King dedicated his life to teaching about many topics but is most well known for his work on racial equality and ending racial segregation in our country. In the summer of 1963, Dr. King spoke to over 200,000 non-violent demonstrators from diverse races when he delivered the famous 'I Have a Dream' speech at our nation's capitol. The next summer, Congress passed the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. A few months later, Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his life's work of teaching non-violent resistance to unjust laws. He practiced what he preached as he went to jail 29 times as a result of his non-violent protests. Dr. King continued to work for the improvement of society until his assassination in April of 1968.
Take time to learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and his work. He gave many important speeches beyond his 'I Have a Dream' proclamation. Dr. King and others worked hard for the advancement of civil rights, but we still have much to do in our communities today to promote social and economic justice. Don't underestimate the power of a conversation or act of service. As we work together to continue Dr. King's legacy, we multiply our efforts and will bring about, day by day, progress toward the realization of that famous dream.
Below are some resources that may be of interest as we continue to learn about the powerful legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please note that the District cannot guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. Such links do not constitute an official endorsement or approval of any website, product, or service.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by National Today
MLK reflection by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by The King Center
Please see below a list of what different schools are doing this month to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Bellview Elementary: “At Bellview, we will be doing whole class and whole school lessons on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and his work on moving Civil Rights forward in our country, and the impact this has on every person belonging. We also learn about why skin comes in different colors and shades and will be asking students to reflect on how King’s I Have a Dream speech relates to belonging today. We will have an all-school assembly to focus on these topics with music and sharing.”
Helman Elementary: “At Helman we are holding a school wide assembly on Friday with Kindergarteners sharing about Dr. King, part of a video provided by BASE and then a kick-off of our school wide service projects the following week living MLK’s quote, “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” Students are working as a grade level or in cross-grade buddies to engage in service projects at school.”
Walker Elementary: “The students at Walker School are all learning about Dr. King and his teachings in their classrooms. Later in January, the students in our Black Student Union will lead our school community in our annual MLK Assembly and Civil Rights March. During the assembly and march, we will sing songs, share teachings, and learn from Black Leaders in the community about how we can continue to uphold Dr. King’s messages every day.”
TRAILS Outdoor School: "TRAILS is currently engaged in a school-side Social Justice unit. Students K-8 are learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., other civil rights leaders, and changemakers, both past and present. In addition, we are learning and singing songs each week in anticipation of a special assembly on Wednesday, 1/18. We are also working to secure a guest speaker for that assembly, and we have some excellent leads!"
Willow Wind Community Learning Center: “In 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr posed this question: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?" At Willow Wind we will be spending Friday afternoon together as a community completing projects on campus with our buddies. Over the weekend, families will choose a way to give back to their community and post about it on our Willow Wind padlet.” https://padlet.com/mirapetersonadams/7sk1bk1hb4q6f71b
Ashland Middle School: "At AMS our site is honoring MLK by leading a variety of activities in classrooms. Beth Oehler’s 6th-grade class students watch a part of his “I have a dream” speech, and then rephrase a quote of his and show how it might apply at AMS. In our health classes, Ms. Meyers talks about how to use social media as a platform for advocacy. In Wendy Werthiser’s 6th grade, they read MLK Jr. Obituary and do a “found poetry” lesson. Found poetry consists of text borrowed from different sources, such as articles, speeches, letters, street signs, and even other poems. The “found” lines are then reassembled and fashioned in a way that creates a new poem or piece of art, kind of like a collage. In a new order and context, the recycled words take on new meaning. We will share some of our student work on our Facebook page!"
Ashland High School: "Ashland High School will commemorate and honor Dr. King’s legacy with a virtual assembly. We are partnering with staff and local Black/African American Student Success Specialist and civil rights historian DL Richardson. This assembly will highlight the importance of youth voice/action in making our world a better place. As a part of the assembly, students will reflect on how to carry on Dr. King’s work with their own commitment to making our society more just and inclusive. The work of students will be posted around the school."
Stay Healthy! - From the School Nurse
- Be mindful that COVID and other respiratory illness are still present & circulating in the community.
- If you have any symptoms we recommend you test.
- If you have 2 or more of the primary symptoms, you are required to test before returning to school.
- FREE TEST KITS are available through district nursing services, local pharmacies for order on-line from the government https://special.usps.com/testkits
School Closure & Delay Start Procedures
When it looks as if a weather related delay or closure is needed, district staff will consider several key factors when making the decision, some factors include forecasted weather, assurance that busses can transport students safely, as well as the level of safety of having students/staff using facilities on each school campus. The safety of students and staff is our main priority. In the event that a school closure is called, all away and home scheduled athletic events will be canceled. In the event of a 2 hour delay, you should check with your student's coach or school to see if the event has been canceled.
SEVERE WEATHER BUS ROUTES
In the event of severe weather, alternate bus routes may be required. If alternate routes are required, they will be posted on the district transportation homepage. To view that page, CLICK HERE.
NOTIFICATIONS
Ashland School District uses Thrillshare to notify parents of a school closure or delay. When it has been determined that a school closure or delay is necessary, you will receive a phone call or text message, to the number you provided when registering your student for school.
It is the district's intent to notify parents for the need of a school closure or delay with enough time for families to plan. When possible, the district will make a decision the night before, between 6PM and 7PM. If there is not enough information available to make the decision the night before, the district will wait until morning to make the decision, between 6AM and 6:30AM.
All school closure or delay information will be posted on the School District Website; ashland.k12.or.us. Alert information will be visible on a banner at the top of every district webpage. Information will also be broadcast on TV on CH. 5, 10, and 12. If a delay is necessary, all schools will start 2 hours from their normal start time, regardless of day of the week. Please DO NOT call your child's school to inquire if there is a closure or delay. Use one of the resources listed above to get that information.
DELAY PROCEDURES
If we have a 2-hour delayed start, please do not send your students here before 9:50a.m., as we have NO Supervision available. Teachers and staff are also on a 2-hour delay. Breakfast will not be served on delayed start days, so please feed your student before they come to school. If you feel it is unsafe to bring your student to school, please don't hesitate to keep them home. Safety should come first. If you chose to keep your student home, please call the school and let us know so we know they are safe.
Community Flyers - Peach Jar
The Ashland School District Peachjar site
Please Note: Flyers are distributed to Ashland School District students as a courtesy to parents per board policy. Ashland School District does not endorse or sponsor community activities including any described in Peachjar. If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact your child’s Principal.
NEW WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK
ASD Web SIte has a new look: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ashlandpublicschools