All Around APS
News from the Andover Public Schools - April 7, 2023
APS Pride
Shawsheen students draw self portraits!
No One Eats Alone at Wood Hill Middle School
The popular event created and led by students, No One Eats Alone returned to Wood Hill Middle School this week. In its fourth year, No One Eats Alone, is a lunchtime school event that seeks to reverse the trends of social isolation by asking students to engage in a simple act of kindness at lunch and are encouraged to meet new classmates and peers.
Credit for Life Fair at AHS
On Tuesday, April 4th, AHS seniors participated in the 7th annual Andover High School Credit for Life Fair, engaging in personal financial decision making. Students selected a career path to follow for the fair and engaged in financial discussions with over 50 community volunteers who donated their time to help students understand the challenges of making sound financial decisions. Students who successfully completed the simulation were entered into raffles for several prizes from local businesses. The Andover Service Club and Andover Rotary Club partnered with APS to again bring this annual event to our district. Community volunteers Dave Floreen and Brad Heim, AHS teacher Mathew Perry and Assistant Principal Scott Darlington coordinated this effort to help all students become more financially literate.
A new twist was added to the initiative this year, as AHS grade 9 students participated in a Municipal Budget Simulation with community volunteers. Students were tasked with analyzing and suggesting changes to the town's annual budget based on their priorities and values. Students, teachers, and community volunteers engaged in vigorous debates about how the town should allocate its fund, and students learned the importance of a budget in both a government, and personal finance, setting.
Doherty Middle School 8th grade students “Step Up” to AHS
Eighth grade students at Doherty Middle School visited Andover High School as they prepare to “Step Up” next year. It was a fun morning and Doherty students received quite a Warrior welcome from staff and students. AHS student leaders did a great job showcasing all that AHS has to offer, and hopefully, eased the way for the rising 9th graders this fall!
APS Physical Education & Health Coordinator recognized for devoted service
Congratulations to APS Physical Education and Health Program Coordinator, Donna Ruseckas, who is this year’s recipient of the Joseph McKenney Award by the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD). The award is the highest award earned by a member of MAHPERD in recognition of distinguished service. Donna has demonstrated exemplary service and leadership throughout her career. Ms. Ruseckas will receive her award on April 30th at the MAHPERD annual banquet.
From the Desk of Dr. Parvey
Dear APS families and staff,
At the April 6th meeting, the Andover High School Building Committee voted to move forward with the “Campus 2 with Auditorium” site approach as the preferred option to focus on as the project moves toward the schematic design phase. Later that evening, the School Committee voted to support the Building Committee’s decision. The next step is to present the site approach for a Select Board vote at a future meeting.
These votes are an important milestone for our community as we look to provide the best educational opportunities for our children, while being fiscally responsible to the Andover community.
I would like to thank the Building Committee and our project partners, HFMH Architects and project manager, PMA, for their efforts. To this point, the AHS Building Committee has made extraordinary efforts to engage the community with 14 meetings, six community forums, two tours of AHS led by students, site visits to other high schools, a community survey, and an educational plan.
I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of our students and the engagement of our families in the project. Our students have shared their everyday experiences willingly and served as tour guides around the school in recent months. In their eyes and voices, I can see the potential a new facility would bring to our students.
I encourage the community to remain connected with the AHS Building Committee as the process advances by attending Community Forums and Building Committee meetings.
Magda Parvey
Superintendent
Supporting APS Students and Staff through Grant Funding– Michele Bissell, APS Grants Coordinator
A grant can fill an unmet need, fund an innovative idea, or allow an organization to provide a service. Being the recipient of a grant award can afford opportunities that otherwise may not be possible.
At Andover Public Schools, grant funding is sought to enhance educational and enrichment opportunities for students and professional learning for staff that are consistent with the mission and goals of the district. Grant funding available to school districts include federal entitlement grants though the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), state funding and private funding, usually offered through a corporation or foundation.
In addition to entitlement grants, the DESE provides numerous opportunities for districts to apply for competitive grant awards. Districts meeting specific criteria may apply for competitive grants and undergo a rigorous application review with the anticipation of being selected to receive funding. This year, five such competitive grants have been awarded to Andover Public Schools. The district is the recipient of two Social Studies grants, both which offer professional development opportunities for educators. Two competitive grants for Mathematics were funded, one offering staff professional development and the other providing the funds for a Math Acceleration Academy during the April vacation week. The fifth competitive award received was a School Nutrition Equipment Assistance Grant to purchase a new piece of kitchen equipment for the Food Service Department. At this time, two additional competitive grant applications have been submitted and are under review for funding. The district will receive notification on the two grants by late May 2023.
Another type of grant funding is offered through organizations such as the Andover Coalition for Education (ACE). ACE recently presented Andover Public Schools with funds donated by Schneider Electric and Raytheon. These funds were used to purchase Glowforge Laser Cutters for the middle schools and high school and 3D Laser Printers for the middle schools. Since its founding in November 2005, ACE has granted over $1,000,000 to APS and we appreciate their continued partnership.
Throughout the year, several organizations and corporations in Andover and the surrounding area provide grant funds and donations that help enhance curriculum and expand opportunities for students. The Andover Public Schools is very fortunate and appreciative of all who contribute generously to the educational success of students.
District Upcoming Dates & Notes
- Monday, April 17 – Friday, April 21, 2023 – Patriots’ Day/ Spring Recess (no school)
- Thursday, April 6, 2023 – Passover*
- Friday, April 7, 2023 – Good Friday
- Sunday, April 9, 2023 – Easter Sunday
- Friday, April 14, 2023 – Orthodox Good Friday
- Sunday, April 16, 2023 – Orthodox Easter Sunday
- Tuesday, April 18, 2023 – Laylat al-Qadr
- Saturday, April 22, 2023 – Eid al-Fitr*
In an effort to make sure our students are prepared and know what to do in the case of an emergency, we have been working in collaboration with our bus vendor, Trombly, and the Andover Police Department to schedule school bus evacuation drills the week following April vacation. These drills are required by Massachusetts General Laws. Most of the evacuation drills will be conducted upon arrival at school in the morning.
We wanted to notify you in advance so you may discuss the topic with your child should it arise at home. Parents are urged to support the district and promote bus safety by encouraging their children to apply safety measures while walking to and from the bus stop, as well as riding on the bus to and from school.
AHS Quiz Team Competes in Quarterfinal Round of WGBH’s High School Quiz Show
Tune in to watch the Andover High School Quiz Team as they compete in the quarterfinal round of Season 14 of WGBH’s High School Quiz Show! The match against Mansfield High School will air on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 6 p.m. on WGBH. Episodes can also be viewed on the High School Quiz Show YouTube page by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/HighSchoolQuizShow
West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool Project
Such great progress on the project! Take a look at the last three months by clicking on the above video!
The West Elementary/Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 7:00 pm. This meeting will be held virtually and will be broadcast by Andover TV via Andover public access television (Comcast Channel 99, Verizon Channel 43) and streamed at www.andovertv.org.
Andover High School Building Committee updates
At the AHS Building Committee Meeting on April 6th, the Committee unanimously voted to recommend Campus 2 with New Auditorium as the preferred building option to proceed into Schematic Design.
Reasons cited by the Committee for choosing this option included: it is the most efficient building/site layout, is the least disruptive to students, it has the shortest construction duration, and it is the most financially responsible option.
For a summary of the meeting and additional information, please visit the LATEST NEWS section of the project website: https://andoverhighbuildingproject.org/latest-news/
The community is invited to join the conversation at the next Community Forum, which will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall Library.
School Committee Corner
The School Committee met on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Items on the agenda included the annual board reorganization per policy BDA - SCHOOL COMMITTEE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING.
Tracey Spruce will serve as chairperson and Lauren Conoscenti will serve as vice chairperson for 2023-24. This change will go into effect at the next regularly scheduled meeting following Andover Town Meeting. Also, at this meeting Andover’s Chief Financial Officer Patrick Lawlor offered a presentation on how prospective community projects can have an impact on the town’s debt service and the laws that govern how municipalities can assume debt.
School Committee Supports Universal Free School Meals Program
At the April 6th meeting, the School Committee voted to send a letter of support for the Universal Free Meals program to Governor Maura Healey and Andover’s state delegation.
During the pandemic, the federal government made all school meals available for free. In July 2022, Governor Baker signed an extension of the program through June 2023. The most recent legislation, co-sponsored by Andover State Representatives Tram Nguyen and Frank Moran, would make the program permanent for public school districts in Massachusetts.
It is the Committee’s commitment to our students and their families to advocate for the continuation of this important initiative. Research shows that a well-nourished child is a better learner, test-taker, and participant in school. Students who have free and nutritious meals available at school reduce the financial strain on food budgets at home. If the bill is passed, all students will have access to healthy meals, no matter their social or economic status. We appreciate the advocacy of Rep. Nguyen and Rep. Moran on behalf of all students in Massachusetts and their dedication to the health, well-being, and financial security of public school students.
Future School Committee Meetings
The next School Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Agendas are posted up to 48 hours in advance and can be emailed directly to those who are interested and sign-up for “Notify Me” alerts on our website.
Meetings are held in the School Committee Room at Central Office, 30 Whittier Court – 2nd floor and are broadcast live by AndoverTV via Andover public access television (Comcast Channel 99 and Verizon Channel 43) or by streaming from www.andovertv.org. Recordings of these meetings are posted on Andover TV’s Video Archive under the School and Building Committee Meetings webpage.
To view meeting minutes from previous meetings, check out the School Committee’s meeting minutes archive page.
School Committee Informal Forum –
The School Committee welcomes the community to join them for a virtual informal forum on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7 p.m. The forum will be held virtually via Zoom. Registration is required for participation and can be done at any time.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsdO6qrjIvHtA5OZF53Q45q6UqbWUH4hKN
*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meeting.
These forums have no set agenda, and the community is welcome to stop in at any time to speak with two members of the School Committee on any topics related to our schools. More information on School Committee informal forums, including upcoming dates, is available here.
Community Updates
Join Andover Elder Services at their upcoming Volunteer Fair!
With summer quickly approaching, students may be looking for prospective volunteer opportunities to fulfil hourly service requirements or just simply to get involved with community needs while they have more free time. Andover Elder Services can help! Join us for our Volunteer Fair, a chance for community members to drop in, meet a number of different local non-profit organizations, and pick up information on ways to support their missions. For more information Contact Ashley at 978-623-8320.
Date: Wednesday, April 19th
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: The Robb Center, 30 Whittier Ct. Andover MA 01810
About us
Email: APSCommunications@andoverma.us
Website: aps1.net
Location: 30 Whittier Court, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndoverPS/
Twitter: @AndoverPS