All Around APS
News from the Andover Public Schools - December 17, 2021
APS PRIDE
AHS students share feedback with DESE
Andover High School students shared their opinions with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) last week during a final roundtable discussion on educator and school administrator evaluation criteria. DESE was interested in student feedback in order to help shape the evaluation process to be more culturally responsive. A group of 10 students shared their feedback twice, once in October with the follow-up meeting in December. It was a great opportunity for students to see how their feedback can be incorporated to initiate change on a large scale.
High Plain Elementary student transportation assistants
High Plain Elementary has enlisted the help of fifteen 5th grade students to support the school community during dismissal. Student-volunteers for the bus line act as ambassadors for students riding the buses home at the end of the day and provide support for bus drivers and riders during both commutes. Walker assistants serve as the eyes and ears of those who may need a little help with their walk home, especially our newer students. Car pick-up assistants make sure that our students are safe as they locate their ride home. These students take their responsibilities very seriously and are doing a great job!
Meet Rosie!
Rosie is the adopted rescue dog of High Plain Elementary first grade teacher, Cindy Girard. Last year, during remote learning, Rosie became a virtual classroom dog to provide comfort for Cindy’s first grade class. Cindy began incorporating Rosie as her teaching assistant into her on-line lessons with her students by making videos to introduce concepts and skills. In a time of uncertainty, Rosie became a much-needed friend to all first-grade students at HPE.
Cindy recently entered her and Rosie’s story in a Petco contest, which raises money for animal shelters and recently won a $5,000 donation for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). She also has the chance to win the “People’s Choice Award” as the second level of the contest- with a larger donation to the MSPCA. Rosie and Cindy, thank you for your support of our students!
From the desk of Dr. Parvey
Dear APS families and staff,
As 2021 comes to an end, it is the perfect time to express gratitude for the relationships and partnerships we have in our Andover community. The holidays give us the opportunity to be reflective about the people who mean the most to us and give thanks for the support they provide us in various ways. This year has brought some unexpected challenges for our community, and we thank our staff for their efforts and commitment to our students and families.
We wish you the happiest and most peaceful of holidays and look forward to a new year full of growth, happiness, and continued collaboration.
Happy Holidays,
Dr. Magda Parvey
District Notes and Upcoming Dates
School Bus Transportation
APS recently piloted the “Where’s My Kid?” app, which can be downloaded to smartphones for families to view real-time updates on where their child’s school bus is located. The test of the software was successful, and the district is reviewing the privacy of the application and will provide more information in the new year.
COVID-19 updates
During a call with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education this week, DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley asked districts to take a traditional “snow day” for the winter to support the mental health of students and staff. This means if there is inclement weather in the coming months, Dr. Parvey will determine whether there is a delayed start or if school will be cancelled altogether based on the forecast. Additionally, Commissioner Riley has postponed his decision on lifting mask requirements in schools across Massachusetts.
At the December 16th School Committee meeting, Dr. Parvey provided an update on COVID-19 contact tracing processes in our schools and the challenges our school nurses have faced this school year.
With the increase in cases due to COVID-19 variants, we again ask families to keep their children home if they are symptomatic to protect the school community. DESE requires schools to continue to perform contact tracing in order to maintain a full-time, in-person school year for our students and staff. Contact tracing is a complex and time-consuming process for our APS nursing team, with criteria changing drastically since March 2020. Nurses at each school implement DESE’s Symptomatic & Test & Stay programs, in fact, our nurses performed 1,441 Test & Stay screening since late September.
With all of our students back in our buildings, our nurses have resumed providing traditional services, including student visits to in-school clinics for other health needs, including health screenings. To support our nursing team, we will be reviewing the district’s contact tracing notification practices and will provide our families with a detailed outline of these changes in the new year.
School Calendar
- Holiday Recess – December 24th to January 2nd
- Christmas – Saturday, December 25th
- Kwanzaa – Sunday, December 26th
- New Year’s Day – Saturday, January 1st
- National Mentoring Month - January
APS Community Updates
Project Bread Food Source Hotline to assist APS families
Any APS families who may need assistance with groceries at home, Project Bread Food Source hotline can connect you to food resources, including SNAP, free meals for kids and teens, emergency food programs and more. The hotline is free and confidential and operates Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They can provide translation services in 180 languages and there is a dedicated line for those that are hearing impaired. Project Bread can be reached at 800-645-8333 or visit www.projectbread.org/gethelp for more information and to connect with resources.
Andover Public Schools
Email: APScommunications@andoverma.us
Website: www.aps1.net
Location: 30 Whittier Court, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-7000
Twitter: @AndoverPS