We have had a wonderful start to the school year, and I am very impressed with how quickly the students have gotten into the routines at school, are following Ashburton Expectations, and have adjusted to our new addition. They love the new playgrounds and are happy to have plenty of space to play outside. The staff has settled into the new rooms very well, and everyone is learning to use the new technology that we have installed throughout the school. I’m proud of how adaptable the fifth grade staff and students were in accepting Ms. Ashley Campbell, a new fifth grade teacher the second week of school. Our fifth grade enrollment increased at the end of the summer and our community superintendent approved the additional staffing at that time.
I was pleased to see so many of you at Back to School Night and welcome you to continue to visit the school and be in communication with your child’s teachers. There are many opportunities to volunteer in your children’s classrooms, including field trips, computer lab help, and a few classes still need a room parent to be the contact for class parties. We have volunteers who help in the media center and with some specialists such as our ESOL teachers.
This is a very busy month with many activities on the calendar, including student portrait days, a PTA meeting with presentations on homework, Walk to School Day on October 8, two days off from school (October 9- Yom Kippur and October 17- the Statewide Teacher’s Conference) and several PTA evening events: Skating at Cabin John on October 4, Dine Out with Ashburton at Ledo’s on October 22, and the Fall Festival on October 24.
I would like to invite you to our annual Open House, October 13, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. until lunch/recess (afternoon PEP come in the afternoon). This is an opportunity to observe your child’s classroom, other classes, or other MCPS schools. This is not a time for individual questions or conferencing about your student.
Ashburton’s annual Halloween parade will start at 1:45 p.m. Halloween parties in classrooms begin after the parade, about 2:00 until 2:45 p.m. Please check with your child’s teacher or room parents for details about what parents need to do or donate.
Please keep in mind that many children have food allergies and ALL food must be store bought. We’d like to encourage nutritional snacks and kid-sized portions; especially since children will be trick-or-treating that evening. We also ask that you DO NOT give children balloons to take home; they are not allowed on school buses.
I look forward to seeing you at the many events at Ashburton in October. I am sorry that I will not be able to attend the Skating Night as I have a family event in Pennsylvania that weekend.
Sincerely,
Charlene Eroh
While you are here: