Dear Ashley Families,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am writing to share an important update and, more importantly, to celebrate the exciting momentum we are building together at Ashley Elementary.
Ashley is moving forward—stronger, growing, and continuing to be a school of choice for our community. We are seeing more and more families choose Ashley, 23 students have choiced in and we are excited to welcome them! That is a direct reflection of the incredible work happening in our classrooms every single day.
“Get to Know Your Future Teacher”
As we plan ahead, we are thrilled to begin creating meaningful opportunities for connection and excitement for the upcoming school year. We are currently planning a “Get to Know Your Future Teacher” Day, where both returning and new students will:
Meet their future teacher
Visit classrooms and learn about grade-level goals
Take pictures with “Future ___ Grade Student” frames
Receive a backpack filled with summer learning and fun materials
This is just one of the ways we are strengthening relationships and building excitement for learning.
New Building Updates
Looking ahead, Ashley Elementary will be fully remodeled for a fresh new start for the 2026–2027 school year. This transformation is made possible through bond funds, which are restricted funds that can only be used for construction and improvements to our building.
At the same time, our student-based budget supports staffing and student programming. These are two separate funding streams that cannot be combined, which is why you may see facility improvements happening alongside adjustments to staffing. Both are done with students at the center of every decision.
New Attendance Initiative Coming to Ashley! 🍎
We are excited to share that Ashley Elementary has been selected to receive a $50,000 grant to help boost student attendance through our breakfast program!
This means we will be launching new strategies and opportunities to support students in starting their day strong, being on time, and attending school consistently. We know that when students are present and ready to learn, they achieve more—and this grant will help us continue removing barriers for our families.
We will be sharing more details on this initiative in April.
At Ashley, every day matters—and we are committed to supporting our students and families every step of the way!
Celebrations on Academic Progress
Ashley was 1 of only 14 schools (out of 180+ in DPS) to show a decrease in % of students significantly below grade level AND an increase of more than 10 percentage points in students at or above grade level from Middle of Year 2025 to Middle of Year 2026for literacy skills.
A special shoutout to our K–3 teams for leading this incredible growth
Our students in ELA-S (Spanish Instruction) classrooms are demonstrating tremendous growth and strong trends toward biliteracy.
This growth is not accidental—it is the result of our teachers’ relentless focus on math and literacy every single day, and it is working.
Strong Community Connections
English classes for families began Saturday, March 14 and will continue through April 25
Free vaccine clinics are available, with our next clinic on Saturday, March 21
CMAS testing begins April 7 (right after Spring Break)
Students with perfect attendance during testing will be celebrated with:
🎉 Pizza Party with the Principal
🍦 Popsicle Party with the Principal
🎟️ Raffles and prizes
To support enrollment and planning, Ms. Maria is reaching out to families to help set up Parent Portal access, which is essential for Early Bird Registration. This helps us plan staffing, resources, and ensures your child’s spot at Ashley.
Everything we are doing—from instruction, to facilities, to family engagement—is rooted in one belief:
Our students deserve the very best, and Ashley is becoming exactly that.
Thank you for your continued trust, partnership, and belief in our school. The best is yet to come.
With gratitude,
Dr. Janet Estrada
Principal, Ashley Elementary School