Dear elementary school parents and guardians,

On Tuesday, September 24, the Board of Trustees and Leadership Team will host an open forum at 17:30 for all members of the community as an opportunity to hear about school data, major initiatives in the life of the school, as well as a chance to ask questions. Are you interested in attending? Please sign up here.

Here are a few upcoming October events:

• Friday, September 27: Parent coffee for all elementary school parents at the ECC from 8:30 to 9:30 with an extended time for our new families from 9:30 to 10:00. Note that PTO’s new ECC Spirit Wear Shop will be open that morning. ASH Spirit wear Fridays is back so this is a great time to get your new ASH gear! 

• Friday, September 27: Terry Fox Run for grades 3 and 4

• Thursday, October 3: PreK field trip to the apple orchard in Lisserbroek

• Thursday, October 10: Grade 3 field trip to Avifauna in Alphen aan den Rijn

• Friday, October 11: Early dismissal (12:00) for all students for Professional Development for staff

In early October, we will welcome our literacy consultant back to ASH to continue working closely with our teachers. Our goal is to ensure that every student experiences the highest quality tools and strategies for reading and writing success.

I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events, including our first elementary school parent coffee.

In partnership,

Michelle deKam Palmieri
Elementary School Principal

Dear ASH Middle School Families, 

Tonight is Back-to-School Night for parents (no students). Please note that childcare will not be provided. 

18:00 Start in the theater with a welcome message
18:15 Meet your child’s advisory teacher
18:25 Block A

Each class will be 10 minutes long with 5 minutes passing time.

On Monday, the Middle School office sent you an email with your child’s schedule attached. Please use that to help you move around. If you haven't received your child's schedule, please reach out to the middle school office at msoffice@ash.nl and they will provide you with the schedule. The night moves quickly so please dress in comfortable shoes. 

In partnership, 

Beth

Important Dates: Mark your calendars! 

September 30 and October 1: Guest author

October 3: Middle School Parent Coffee, 8:45 in the New Mezzanine

News and Notes: 

Child Protection/Safeguarding - Advisory Lessons Ahead!

In line with our Child Protection/Safeguarding responsibilities, we will be providing age appropriate lessons about personal safety as well as physical and emotional abuse and neglect for students in grades 5-8. These lessons are a core element of American School of The Hague’s plan to protect the safety and wellbeing of each and every student in our community. Our Child Protection Policy and Procedures document is located on the ASH portal for your reference.

The lessons are developmentally appropriate and will be led by our Middle School counseling and Advisory teams; they will be held during Advisory over the course of the school year.

The following skills and key concepts will be addressed this year:

• Students will learn how to identify safe and unsafe situations

• Students will learn how to access support structures

• Students will learn how to act to stay safe

• Students will learn how to value themselves and others

Your child may wish to discuss these topics with you at home. Children are more likely to use the skills they have learned in school when they have multiple opportunities to practice and talk about the topics with parents and family. You play an essential role in helping your child know how to stay safe.

Child Protection/Safeguarding sessions can sometimes be emotionally difficult due to prior experiences; please contact our Student Support Director, Donna Chuula at dchuula@ash.nl if you think this will be the case for you or your child and we can discuss the best way forward.

Thank you for your support!

Special Visitor: Guest Author coming to ASH

Dan Gemeinhart, author of eight books including the Middle School favorite, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and the new sequel, Coyote Lost and Found, will meet with middle school students through their language arts classes September 30 and October 1. Students can check out copies of his books, as available, from the MS library. There are also a limited number available for purchase in the Middle School library (€10 Coyote Sunrise paperback, €15 Coyote sequel hardback, cash only) or via Amazon.nl or Bol.nl. Mr. Gemeinhart will sign copies!

Upcoming High School Dates: 

• Thursday and Friday, September 19-20: IB Group IV Science Project
• Thursday, September 26 - High School Parent Coffee
• Friday, September 27 - Academic Reporting, grades updated by the end of the day
• Friday, October 11 - Early dismissal (12:00) for all students for staff Professional Development 

To see the dates of upcoming College Events please follow this link. 

Thursday, September 26 - High School Parent Coffee

Join us for an engaging Parent Coffee on Thursday, September 26 from 8:45 - 9:45 in the New Mezzanine as we explore the power of Growth Mindset in helping students prioritize their work and elect to reassess wisely. Learn practical strategies to support your child in developing resilience, embracing mistakes, and turning setbacks into learning opportunities. We'll dive into how fostering this mindset can help students balance academic pressures while maintaining their well-being.

We're also excited to welcome Ms. Ellie Kupchik, our AP/IB Coordinator, who will provide an update on the IB Program. She will share insights into the Standard Level (SL) release hours and explain how they relate to Higher Level (HL) courses. This is a great opportunity to get a clearer understanding of the IB structure and how to best support your student through their academic journey.

We look forward to an interactive discussion with practical takeaways for home!

Welcome Back-to-School Night - Thank you

Thank you to all the parents who attended last week's High School Back-to-School Night! Your presence and support mean so much as we kick off a successful school year together. We value your input and encourage you to complete the survey that will be included in the next Dr. Lowe's Directors Desk.

Wednesday, September 18 - Peace Day

It was a great day at ASH that we were able to celebrate Peace Day with the whole school and with student led speeches. All week we have had a range of activities devoted to understanding what Peace Day means at our school and activities that have gotten students involved in the conversation.  

17 September Grade 11 University Planning Presentation

Thank you to the Grade 11 families who were able to attend the Junior University Planning presentation! We hope you feel more informed and aware of your junior's next steps. For those families unable to attend, you can review the recording of the presentation HERE and the slides are available HERE. We will give Grade 11 students more information about finalizing their university Considering Lists, what pieces are needed for different application systems around the world, help brainstorm which teachers could provide recommendation letters, how to begin writing university essays, and much more as the school year progresses. We will have another parent session for Grade 11 families in January as well, so keep your eyes out for more information!

Senior Parents - Graduation Information and Data Collection

Please refer to the Graduation Information Letter we shared with senior parents at the beginning of the year. This is a friendly reminder to complete the included form by September 30, 2024.

Hello Trojan Fans!

Good luck to all our Trojans as they gear up for their first tournaments of the season, representing ASH with pride! If your student-athlete is traveling to represent ASH during this season, please read this important information regarding borders in and around Europe.

For those sticking around town, come cheer on our Varsity and JV Boys Soccer Teams, along with our JV Boys Volleyball Team, as they face off against teams from Brussels, Frankfurt, and Paris. Everyone's invited to join the fun and show some Trojan spirit right here at home! 

Feeling helpful? We're looking for volunteers to sell concessions this weekend—sign up here and lend a hand! We’d love to have you. 

Please visit the Athletics page on the Parent Portal for upcoming competition and tournament schedules.

Go Trojans!