Welcome to Ashland Elementary School, located in the center of the universe, Ashland, Virginia!
Ashland Elementary proudly opened its doors for the first time during the 2024–2025 school year, bringing together the communities of Henry Clay Elementary (Grades Prek-2) and John M. Gandy Elementary (Grades 3-5) into one vibrant campus. Home to more than 600 students, we are united as the Ashland Elementary Tigers.
House System
Ashland Elementary uses a house system to foster authentic relationships between all members of our learning community. Through the house system students build character, relationships, connection, and school spirit. All students and staff are members of one of our five houses.
Each house represents a value we believe our students need to be successful now and in the future; we call these the Tiger Values. The beginning letter of each value spells out our school mascot, Tiger. Our houses each have a name, color, symbol, and origin fable. House crests have been designed to reflect these elements.
School Pledge
Today I will be trustworthy, innovative, grateful, empathetic, and respectful. I am a T-I-G-E-R!
School Motto
Five Houses. One Family.
Tiger Stripes
The Tiger Stripes are a list of 20 rules of conduct that define what it means to be trustworthy, innovative, grateful, empathetic, and respectful. There are 4 stripes for each value for a total of 20 stripes. The stripes are a code by which we expect our students to conduct themselves at school and in life.
The Tiger Stripes are displayed in all classrooms and the cafeteria.
Trustworthy Stripes
1. Follow all classroom and school expectations at all times and with all staff.
2. Be accountable for your words and actions. Tell the truth.
3. Use technology responsibly and for learning purposes.
4. Make good choices even when no one is looking.
Innovative Stripes
5. Concentrate on the solution rather than the problem.
6. Show leadership by being a positive example to other students.
7. Focus on your own choices and progress.
8. Embrace challenges and mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
Grateful Stripes
9. Spread positivity and joy. A good attitude is contagious.
10. Say “thank you” when something is given to you or done for you.
11. Take care of our school building and the items inside it by leaving spaces as you find them.
12. Do not ask for rewards or house points.
Empathetic Stripes
13. Uplift others. Celebrate success with cheers and congratulations.
14. When you win, stay humble. When you lose, do not show anger.
15. Consider others’ perspectives in every circumstance.
16. Do not stare or comment when a student is being corrected. Everyone deserves privacy.
Respectful Stripes
17. Do not show disrespect through gestures, words, or expressions; even when you disagree.
18. Respond to an adult when spoken to using one of the “3 Ways to Respond.”
19. Be aware of your surroundings and considerate of others. Say “excuse me” when you've bumped into someone, and never cut in line.
20. During an assembly, do not disrupt the experience for others.
House Points
Students earn points for their house for demonstrating excellence in character, academics, performance, school spirit, and following our school rules.
House Champion
House points are earned and accumulated throughout the entire school year. At the end of the year, the house with the highest total will be named House Champion and awarded the prestigious House Cup.
The winning house will be celebrated with a Parade of Champions around the school, cheered on by the entire student body dressed in the house’s colors. House members will also enjoy a special House Party to celebrate their achievement.
To commemorate the victory, the House Champion will be listed and displayed on the school House Cup located in our main street glass cabinet.
Past House Champions
- 2025 - Tatonka (Ashland Elementary)
- 2024 - Gratos (Clay) & Mar (Gandy)
- 2023 - Huruma (Clay) & Tatonka (Gandy
- 2022 - Kula (Clay) & Kula (Gandy)
- 2021 - Mar (Clay) & Mar (Gandy)
- 2020 - Gratos (Clay) & Tatonka (Gandy)
Sorting
All students and staff will belong to a house. Sorting will be left up to fate. Houses are for life. We believe that the house chooses the individual.
Kindergarteners
- Kindergarteners will be sorted during an all school assembly during the 7th week of school.
New Students
- At the beginning of the year, new students will be sorted using the sorting wheel at a whole school sorting assembly.
- When a new student enrolls, they will be sorted by the wheel at the beginning of Team Time on their first Thursday or during a pep rally.
Parent or Community Member
Once a parent or community member has contributed 15 hours of service at our school they are eligible to join a house.
- Parents, guardian, or family members of students may declare themselves a member of their child’s house, or they may spin the wheel.
- If an individual is not connected to a student, they will spin the wheel.
- Volunteers' hours are tracked using the Volunteer Hour Counter. Blank forms are a vailable in the front office. Volunteer Cards are kept in the office file box until they are completed at which time they are passed on to the Parent Liaison to schedule the sorting.
- Sorting of parents and community members is held during our quarterly pep rallies.
Unity Days
Once a year, a Unity Day will take place in honor of each of our houses. On this day we will all celebrate the value of that house, wear the house color, participate in lessons themed around the house, and will award Tiger Spirit awards.
Pep Rallies
We celebrate our house spirit and camaraderie with quarterly pep rallies.
- Planned by the events house advisors.
- Led by the heads-of-house.
- Parent and community volunteers are sorted.
- Whole school rewards and celebrations occur during the rallies.
Tiger Spirit Awards
- Honors one student from each class and one teacher who demonstrates the targeted Tiger value on that House’s Unity Day.
- Teachers nominate one staff member who demonstrates the targeted Tiger value.
- Students who receive this award will be given 15 house points, a certificate, a sticker, and a slide ride.
House Information
