Early Education Center (EEC) and younger Lower School students have a new way to highlight their adventures and achievements this year! An online learning platform that documents learning experiences in dynamic ways, Seesaw gives both teachers and students options to showcase important lessons, explorations, and milestones. “The EEC has been looking for a new platform to easily capture and share students’ work with their families, and we are thrilled to introduce Seesaw, which has already proven to be a wonderful addition to our classes,” said EEC faculty member Batey Self. “Teachers are able to easily upload photos and student work, and families can instantly respond and give feedback. Recently, I captured a student writing his name for the first time at school and was able to quickly share that moment with his family. They responded with such joy that it warmed my heart that we were all connected in this milestone. We love sharing what their children are doing throughout the day and how happy they are to be at school.”

For students in kindergarten through second grade, Seesaw is proving to be an effective tool for both expression and self-direction. Logging into the platform, students take the initiative to complete assignments and document their own discoveries to share with their homeroom and connection teachers as well as their fellow classmates. “Seesaw creates a digital portfolio of each student’s work, which allows us to understand strengths and target areas for growth,” noted Lower School faculty member Lee Tamblyn. “Our girls have been doing a variety of activities, including recording their voice as they read a part of a book to us, reading sight words, counting coins, filling in missing numbers on number lines, and drawing their favorite reading spot in their homes. Most of our lessons have included an opportunity for them to explore the tools they can use—drawing, text boxes, highlighting, and more.” By encouraging both critical thinking and class engagement, Seesaw is helping students find the perfect balance for a new school year.

Don’t Miss this FUN Family Event for the Early Education Center and Lower School (Pre-Primary through Grade 6). It’s the perfect chance to meet other Early Education Center and Lower School families! 

Wednesday, October 2
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sports Court
Tickets: $5 per person. Students must be accompanied by an adult.

Menu includes burger and chicken sliders, mac and cheese, baked beans, potato chips, sliced apples and oranges. Desserts provided by parents.

Please enter through the Smith Street Gate and provide your last name. Limited parking will be available in the Smith and Ogier Street (22 Ogier Street) parking lots. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Glasscock, Director of the Loyalty Fund and Parent Engagement at [email protected]. 

A Special Parent Event: Vaping, Juuling, and Drugs: Latest Research Findings and Prevention Strategies for Parents of Adolescents
December 10 | 6:30pm-8:00pm
Davies Auditorium at Ashley Hall

Learn more from national experts Dr. Carla Kmett Danielson (a current Ashley Hall parent) and Dr. Matthew Carpenter, both Professors of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, who will discuss research findings and prevention strategies with parents of students in grades 5 through 12. This presentation is open to the Charleston community.

Ashley Hall will resume a normal schedule, Friday, October 12. Our thoughts go out to family and friends in Florida impacted by Hurricane Michael. We look forward to seeing everyone on campus tomorrow.

Due to Hurricane Michael, Ashley Hall will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, October 11, with plans to re-open on Friday, October 12. All extra-curricular activities, including Extended Day, and sporting events are canceled as well. For the latest news, please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, or visit www.ashleyhall.org or the Learning Commons. Stay safe everyone!

(pictured above, Sara Stephenson, Ashley Hall Director of Strategic Enrollment Management)

Dear families and friends,

As a newcomer to the Lowcountry, I’ve just experienced my first hurricane evacuation. A friend here in Charleston described it as “being chased by a turtle”—I thought this was a wonderful analogy. My family and I left for our old home in Cleveland, where we still own a house. While the week was filled with visits with friends and a welcome dose of cool, early fall temperatures, we were focused on the question, “When can we go home?”. In just six short weeks (and even after four years of living in a close-knit community in Cleveland), Charleston has become the only place that we want to be. Ashley Hall has formed the basis of this welcome truth: I have quickly put down roots here and already feel that this is my school home. The unique welcome and authentic sense of belonging that Ashley Hall has offered me, and to all of you, are what bind us to this community with pride and enthusiasm. Pure and simple: Ashley Hall is a place like no other.

In my role as Director of Strategic Enrollment Management, I am fortunate to welcome new students and help existing families recommit to Ashley Hall each year. This is work about which I feel deeply passionate and perpetually excited. I look forward to hearing your stories as I get to know you and your daughters and young sons personally.

As the admission season begins, and we start to welcome families who are looking for their new school home, we understand that you, our current parents, are, by far, our most genuine and important cheerleaders. Your stories are the ones that inspire other families to consider Ashley Hall for their children. Your voices are compelling, resonant, and authentic. Please consider sharing your Ashley Hall memories and experiences with a friend, neighbor, or colleague. We want to meet them and to learn more about their children. We have a special welcome waiting for them in the admission office—please encourage them to contact us so that we may have the opportunity to show them the Ashley Hall difference.

Although the summer is barely behind us and this year’s back-to-school routine is only just completed, I am already thinking ahead to the 2019–2020 school year. As we get closer to re-enrollment season, I will be in touch again to share some important information about securing your spot for next year quickly and easily. In the meantime I wish you a wonderful fall and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the weeks and months ahead.

Warmly,

Sara Stephenson
Director of Strategic Enrollment Management
[email protected] | (843) 965-8514