All Around APS
News from the Andover Public Schools - December 16, 2022
APS Pride
Kindness COUNTS at South Elementary
While kindness always matters at South Elementary, this year, students and staff receive a little extra bonus for being kind to each other. To align with this school year’s theme of “Kindness Counts,” students at South have been nominating peers for their acts of kindness.
Nominations are reviewed by Principal Brenda Lee and Assistant Principal Kathleen Caron, and many are posted on the bulletin board in the front entrance of the school for all to see. These acts of kindness don’t need to be grand gestures, but a simple way for students to let others know they care.
Third grader Cameron DeSanty nominated Kossi Joseph for helping him clean up a spill. First grader Alina Sun says that Jane Christensen helped her pick up Legos, and Vivi Welteroth is grateful for her friend Mia Rose Copeland for sharing her magic markers with Vivi.
South Principal Brenda Lee says it’s been wonderful to see students and staff treat each other so well, and she’s never had so many doors held opened for her in the hallways!
AHS Assistant Principal is on his way to the next adventure!
After 15 years in the district and decades served as an educator, AHS Assistant Principal John Norton is retiring this month. Mr. Norton began his tenure at AHS as a special education program head in 2007, and has held numerous roles in the district always leading with his professionalism and strong work ethic.
Mr. Norton is the embodiment of “APS Pride.” His work in education is his life’s calling and his quiet commitment to his students and families made him successful and well respected by all. His sense of humor, mentorship and generosity will be missed. With deep gratitude, we wish John (and his family) the best in his retirement.
From the Desk of Dr. Parvey
Dear Andover staff and community,
We have had a wonderful school year so far, and I would like to take a moment now to wish you all joyous and restful holidays, whether you are a teacher, administrator, staff member, volunteer, a member of one of our PAC, PTO, or booster organizations, a parent, guardian or student.
To our District family and community, thank you as always for your unending dedication. Every one of you plays a vital role in nurturing our students as they grow and experience the joy of exploration and discovery.
We all have been dedicated to our mission, and now it is time for a well-earned break –time to celebrate the season with the ones we love. I wish you holidays filled with cheer, laughter and warm memories.
I hope we all return in January rested and ready to dive into 2023, eager to make the most of all its opportunities. But for now, take time to relax, share the embrace of friends and family and enjoy the spirit of the season.
Happy holidays to all,
Dr. Magda Parvey
Superintendent
Discovering My Neighborhood – by Jason DiCarlo, Executive Director of Elementary Instructional Operations
In November, first-grade students at Sanborn Elementary participated in a special program with the Andover Center for History and Culture, Discovering My Neighborhood. The history of Sanborn’s neighborhood was brought to life for our first-grade students, introducing them to prominent citizens from the Sanborn School. Volunteers from the History Center, Martha Tubinis, Jim Redmond, and Barbara Bunn led the presentation side by side with AHS students from Michelle Chachus’ AP U.S. History class at Andover High School.
AHS History students and volunteers brought the history of Andover to life for Sanborn’s first graders to help them better understand how the history of where they live has impacted their lives. Sanborn students learned that Andover was a farming community 200 years ago, and today, a very limited number of farms remain in town. Students discovered what it was like to go to school in Andover 150 years ago and how school was similar and different today. They were also treated to the opportunity to engage and play with original artifacts and documents from that time period.
Discovering My Neighborhood will visit every first-grade class in the district over the next few months. The program, under the direction of Greg Hurley, PK-12 Social Studies Coordinator, is tailored to be specific at each elementary school so that students learn about the history of the neighborhood in which they live and attend school.
The district also partners with the Andover Center for History and Culture on their 3rd-grade field trip to the Blanchard House, the headquarters of the History Center, to participate in Andover at Work. Third graders learn more about the jobs that were done in Andover 150 years ago. This field trip has been a hallmark of 3rd-grade social studies in Andover for generations. APS is proud to continue supporting this tradition by funding it fully at the district level to ensure all students can participate and alleviate financial support from families, schools, and PTOs.
Mr. Hurley, in collaboration with these strong community partnerships, is helping to shape a model that can be replicated in other curriculum areas. Engaging with community partners to support teaching and learning is exciting, inspiring, and most importantly, beneficial for our students.
District Upcoming Dates & Notes
Monday, December 26, 2022 – Monday, January 2, 2023 – holiday recess (no school), classes resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023
- Chanukah/Hanukkah* - Monday, December 19th
- Christmas Eve – Saturday, December 24th
- Christmas Day – Sunday, December 25th
- Kwanzaa – Monday, December 26th
- Epiphany – Friday, January 6th
- Orthodox Christmas – Saturday, January 7th
School Building Projects & Committees
West Elementary and Shawsheen Building Project
To stay updated on the West Elementary School Building Project, visit the project’s webpage and sign up for timely updates.
STAY CONNECTED with APS
Communication with our families is essential to the success and wellness of our students. To assist our families and help them connect with the appropriate staff who is best suited to answer questions, we have updated our “Who We Are” page on our website. The information will guide families to resources on how to reach staff with concerns and how to stay connected to news and events across the district.
School Committee Corner
The School Committee met on December 15, 2022. Items on the agenda included the Superintendent’s Preliminary FY24 Budget presentation to the Committee.
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.
The next School Committee meeting will be held on January 5, 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.
School Committee Informal Forum – Saturday, December 17th
The School Committee welcomes the community to join them for a virtual informal forum on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 9:30 a.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/tZEkdeGoqTgtG9PfDpKnfDckPcvwu8c8_1e8
- *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 join 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.
There’s a Policy for That! – FISCAL MANAGEMENT
Dr. Parvey presented the FY2024 preliminary budget presentation at the December 15, 2022 School Committee meeting. The school department operating budget is developed well in advance of the start of the new fiscal year, is guided by School Committee budget policies found in Section D: Fiscal Management, the Committee’s Budget Development Assumptions and Guidelines and done in conjunction with the Town Manager’s annual town budgeting process.
The first priority in the development of an annual budget is the educational welfare of the children in our schools. The budget development process ensures that the annual operating budget accurately reflects this priority. The budget is a financial planning tool that grounds itself in careful analysis of student achievement, enrollment, mandated services, and community values to allocate resources accordingly. The school budget is presented as part of the total town budget for a vote at the annual town meeting.
All School Committee policies are available for the community to reference through a searchable manual.
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