TRAILS Outdoor School

🎃👻 Halloween Fun in Every Hallway! 👻🎃

Our schools were filled with Halloween spirit as students showed off their creative costumes and paraded through the halls! From spooky to silly to downright adorable, there was no shortage of creativity and smiles. 🧙‍♀️🦖👻

We love seeing our school community come together to make special memories and celebrate the fun of being a kid. Thanks to everyone who helped make Halloween at Ashland Schools so festive! 🧡🖤

🤖🧱 Building, coding, and creating!

Students in Lego Explore Club are putting their creativity and problem-solving skills to work as they build and code their own robots! TRAILS and Ashland Connect students exploring STEM, experimenting with technology, and learning through hands-on fun.

🌲 Learning in the Great Outdoors! 🌊

In mid-October, TRAILS 6th–8th grade students headed out for their annual Fall Unit Studies Trip, exploring the Rogue River watershed and learning firsthand about the connections between land, water, wildlife, and human impact.

Students hiked upstream along the Natural Bridge section of the Rogue River to the Rogue Gorge, trekked five miles downstream along the Union Creek Trail, and hiked another five miles to Boundary Springs, the headwaters of the Rogue River.

Along the way, students studied riparian areas, hydrology, landforms, and the impacts of water systems on local habitats and fish populations. They also met with the Bureau of Reclamation at Lost Creek/William Jess Dam and the former Elk Creek Dam site to learn about dam construction, flood control, water temperature, and release levels—and how water management decisions help balance the needs of both the Applegate and Rogue rivers. Students also explored current and future restoration projects.

From miles of hiking to hands-on learning about our region's ecosystems and water resources, this trip offered incredible opportunities to connect classroom learning with the world around us. And, of course, so much more! 😊

🎃👻 LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR MONSTER DASH! 👻🎃
Ready for some spooky fun? Today is the LAST DAY to register for our annual Monster Dash fundraiser! 🏃‍♀️🧡
Join us for a fun-filled event that brings our school community together while supporting our students and schools. Whether you're running, walking, or just ready to embrace the Halloween spirit, we hope you'll join us!
🕸️ Don't miss out—register today!
🔗 https://ashlandmonsterdash.com/

🍎 Behind every great school is a principal who cares deeply about their students, staff, and community.

For Principal Appreciation Month, we're celebrating our wonderful principals who help make Ashland School District a special place to learn, grow, and belong. Each brings their own personality, perspective, and leadership to their school—and we're grateful for all they do!

🌿 Rites of Passage River Crossing 🌿

Some moments are worth the wait! On September 11, TRAILS students gathered for the annual Rites of Passage River Crossing, welcoming new students and community members into the TRAILS family. We may be sharing these memories a little late, but this milestone is worth celebrating any time!

This year marks 20 years of John Muir / TRAILS—two decades of adventure, learning, growth, and connection.

Lego Robotics at TRAILS Outdoor School

Interested in LEGO Robotics? Let Us Know!
We are exploring expanding our LEGO Robotics program this fall! Depending on
interest, we will host either a LEGO Club for 2nd-5th grade students or a Competitive
Robotics Team for 6th-8th grade students.
• Season: September 25 – Mid-December
• Commitment: After-school practices 1–2 days per week for the full season
• Expectations: Behavior expectations aligned with TRAILS
• Sorry, younger siblings unable to join
• Cost is free but we can always use snacks to share!

If your student is interested, please email Amanda Groover at
Amanda.groover@ashland.k12.or.us by Friday, September 25th. Final schedule and
team details will be shared once we gauge total interest.

We were excited to welcome students back to school today at TRAILS! Looking forward to some great adventures together this year. 🌲⛰️🥾

Welcome Back to School!

The classrooms are ready, the teachers prepared,
The schools have been spruced up with updates to share.
The buses are rolling—we can't wait to greet you,
A new year begins...who knows what adventures will meet you!

Sports and back-to-school events are in full swing...it's that magical time—the start of another school year!

We are so excited to welcome everyone to the start of the 2026–27 school year. Here's to new friendships, new challenges, new discoveries, and endless possibilities.

It's a great day to be an Ashland student!

Summer Learning in Action!

We are two-thirds of the way through our summer learning program, and students have had the opportunity to practice homesteading, make pasta, learn lacrosse, try yoga and engage in many other fun activities!

We are grateful to the teachers and staff who have made this program possible, and especially to our students for bringing their curiosity, energy and enthusiasm each day!

#SummerLearning #AshlandSchools #Hands-On Learning

AHS Culinary Program students were awarded 1st and 2nd place at the inaugural Southern Oregon Kitchen Klash!!!

https://ashland.news/ashland-teams-savor-1st-and-2nd-place-at-inaugural-southern-oregon-kitchen-klash-at-phoenix-high-school/