All Around APS
News from the Andover Public Schools - April 28, 2023
APS Pride
APS is celebrated as one of the Best Communities for Music Education
Congratulations to staff and students in our APS music programs for being honored as one of the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. The “Best Communities for Music Education” designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. APS is one of 16 districts in Massachusetts and 830 across the country to receive the honor. This is the second year in a row APS has received the award.
In the past two years, the district has seen extensive growth in our instrumental program spurred by the community's desire for music instruction to occur within the school day. Music teachers Julie Diehl and Kaitlyn Sicinski have worked tirelessly to institute a program that is equitable and accessible. Our elementary teachers have developed curriculum that infuses SEL practices into instruction. Students in grades 4 and 5 receive small group lessons in either band or string instruments. Students in grade 3 have the option to start string instruction as a part of their regularly scheduled music program, partially supported by a gift from Andover Coalition for Education (A.C.E.). We are proud to serve close to 600 incredible young musicians at the elementary level.
West Elementary hosts annual WERAWC event
In its 28th year, the West Elementary Readers and Writers Conference (WERAWC) was held this week. WERAWC engages all West Elementary students in literacy and arts conversations and events; parents were invited to join in the fun as well. The focus of WERAWC this year was Make Your Own Magic, with performances and readings from authors, illustrators, musicians, and magicians to share the love of literacy with students at all grade levels.
Students spend the day with miniature horses
Prior to spring recess, students in the Transition Opportunities Program (TOP) were treated to a visit with Peaches from Lifting Spirits Miniature Therapy Horses. This non-profit organization allows for rescued miniature horses to provide mobile equine therapy to children and adults of all ages and abilities. Per the Lifting Spirits website, research has shown that equine therapy fosters positive mental, social, and educational benefits.
From the Desk of Dr. Parvey
Dear APS families and staff,
I hope you all enjoyed time with your family and friends over April vacation week. It’s hard to believe we are less than two months away from the last day of the 2022-23 school year. In January, I began visiting schools and meeting with staff for drop-in visits. I have visited with staff at all ten schools at least once and have started my second round of meetings this month. These meetings are similar to my office hours for all in the community, informal, optional, and focused on fostering an open dialogue with all employees at APS. I am so pleased that so many employees have found time to meet with me, including support staff, and share their thoughts, so we may create a shared vision and a culture of partnership.
Their insights have been valuable for me, especially with the opportunity to meet them during their school day and in the schools where they do the important work of educating our students. I wanted to share some of the common themes from these visits. Many educators shared an interest in the next steps for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) districtwide, professional development opportunities and training for instructional assistants, mental health supports, curriculum and grading review, equitable learning, and access to extracurricular experiences for all students. Several elementary staff shared their appreciation for and support of content coaches, a program we plan to expand at the middle school level for the upcoming school year.
The commitment of our employees to the district’s students and families is commendable. I am appreciative for our staff that shared their time and experiences with me in recent months as we work toward achieving common goals on behalf of our students. I look forward to my second round of visits with them in the coming weeks.
Magda Parvey, Ed. D.
Superintendent
The Value of Working at APS – Tom Howard, Executive Director of Human Resources
Recruiting for a school district as large as Andover Public Schools is always busy, but it is particularly eventful from March to August each year. Although we hire for a myriad of positions and grade levels, candidates often pose the same question to the human resource department, “Why would I want to work for Andover Public Schools?”
Fortunately for us, APS is an easy place to sell. The district works to provide life-long learning opportunities, not only for our students, but also our staff. We recognize that our commitment to everyone in the APS community fosters learning for our children. These opportunities for our staff include a competitive salary, professional development, opportunities for grants, peer support and mentorship, a working environment that promotes innovation and initiative, and employment benefits that support our staff and their families. Many of our staff are life-long educators as well; more than 420 current educators have served the district for 10 years or more. It is a point of pride for the district that many serve our community for their entire career.
Professional Development and Support
Each year, new teacher orientation and mentor programs are offered to ensure a successful transition of teachers to the Andover Public Schools. There are also targeted professional development initiatives for our teachers to participate in including: Curriculum Councils, professional development on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives, summer curriculum work, In-District Course offerings, and various workshops.
The district recently created the EdTech team to support our educators as they leverage technology and digital platforms and tools for teaching and learning. Additionally, this is the first year all five elementary schools have had access to content coaches. Coaches help develop and support an adult learning culture for our educators that is aligned with the instructional core to ensure high-quality and equitable education for our students. The district anticipates content coaches will be added at the middle school level for the upcoming school year.
Salary, Benefits and Recruitment
Our average teacher salary is $91,456.00 annually, which is highly competitive for the area, and teachers receive 15 sick days per year. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including tuition reimbursement for graduate credits, and health insurance from the Town of Andover.
Instructional assistants receive an average of $24.35/ hour for working 184 days per year, which is also competitive for the area. Instructional Assistants who work more than 20 hours per week receive 12.5 sick days per year and are also eligible for health insurance from the town and receive additional benefits and pension after 10 years of service.
The district has also made a commitment to hire a more diverse employee population. That commitment was made by adding over $40,000 to our recruitment budget as a first step in further diversifying our staff. We have targeted advertisements in websites & publications that reach out to African Americans, LGBTQIA, Asian Pacific Islanders, and the Hispanic Community. We look forward to continuing this work.
Andover Public Schools is a great place to work. We offer very competitive pay and benefits, invest in our employees to make sure that they have the skills they need to be successful, and all of that is reflected the achievements or our district. I encourage all to review our districts’ employment opportunities here.
District Upcoming Dates & Notes
- Friday, May 5, 2023 – Early Release Day
- Monday, May 29, 2023 – Memorial Day- no school
- Friday, May 5, 2023 – Vesak Day
- Friday, May 26, 2023 – Shavuot*
The School Committee voted at their most recent meeting that June 16, 2023 will be the last day (1/2 day) for the 2022-23 school year for students.
Andover SEPAC Meeting - May 9, 2023
Please join Andover SEPAC on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 7 p.m. for a virtual presentation by APS school administrators. The Special Education team will be sharing information about special education programs in each school as well as how administrators and school staff handle students’ transitions from grade to grade and school to school. If you have a student receiving special education services who is transitioning from preschool to elementary, elementary to middle, or middle to high, you do not want to miss this conversation!
Meeting ID: 985 2422 3869
Passcode: 395376STAY 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 April 28, 2023. Items on the agenda included votes on one year contract extensions for student transportation services and a vote on the Andover Town Meeting revised warrant article 5. Also, the School Committee voted that June 16, 2023 (a 1/2 day) as the last day of the 2022-23 school year for students and June 20, 2023 as the last day of the 2022-23 school year for teachers. These dates assume that there are no further storm days prior to June 1, 2023.
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 May 4, 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
The School Committee welcomes the community to join us for an informal forum on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. at Memorial Hall Library. 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. Because these sessions are attended by only two School Committee members, they allow an interactive dialogue outside of the Open Meeting Law legal parameters.
How Andover Town Meeting impacts APS
Andover’s Annual Town Meeting will begin on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Collins Center at Andover High School. Town Meeting is convened annually to adopt an operating budget and to consider other matters such as zoning changes, town purchases, by-law additions and amendments. The business of each Town Meeting is contained in a document known as "the warrant,” which is mailed to all registered voters and posted on-line as part of the Finance Committee Report.
Every article at Town Meeting is important and will have an impact on the town, but the articles listed below have particular bearing on the Andover Public Schools. These articles were discussed by the Committee at their March 2 and March 16, 2023 meetings.
- Article 4: FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET
- Article 5: FISCAL YEAR 2024 CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND
- On April 28, 2023, the School Committee revoted this warrant article, which was recently amended. The Town Manager has recommended that $1.3 million dollars of the additional Chapter 70 funding received from the state be allocated to reduce the borrowing required for the Doherty Middle School capital improvements approved by last year’s Annual Town Meeting, thereby reducing the school department’s annual debt service allocation to fund these improvements.
- Article 6G: FY2024 REVOLVING ACCOUNTS
- Article 9E: CONTRACTS IN EXCESS OF THREE YEARS
- Article 9F: ACCEPTING EASEMENTS
- Article 17: GRANTING EASEMENTS
- Article 19: CAPITAL PROJECTS FROM GENERAL FUND BORROWING
- Article 20: CAPITAL PROJECTS FROM FREE CASH
- Article 24: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) – FOSTER CARE TRANSPORTATION
- Article 28: ANDOVER SUSTAINABILITY RESOLUTION
- Article 29: SHAWSHEEN SCHOOL
- Article 30: AUTHORIZE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY/ON-BILL CREDIT PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AT BANCROFT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- Article 31: AUTHORIZE LEASE OF LAND/ROOFTOP SPACE AT BANCROFT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITIES
- Article 32: AUTHORIZE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY/ON-BILL CREDIT PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AT WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / SHAWSHEEN PRE-SCHOOL
- Article 33: AUTHORIZE LEASE OF LAND/ROOFTOP SPACE AT WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / SHAWSHEEN PRE-SCHOOL FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITIES
Community Updates
Child Care is available for families wanting to attend Andover Town Meeting
Childcare is available during Andover’s Annual Town Meeting for parents of children in Kindergarten-8th Grade. For more information, contact Andover Recreation at: (978) 623-8340.
Beginning on May 1, 2023 at 7 p.m., Town Meeting will consider a host of important topics including the FY2024 operating budget, capital projects, a major TIF agreement, proposed solar installations, closure of the Ledge Road Landfill, and more.
Any person that is registered to vote in Andover may participate and vote at Town Meeting. View the full warrant and other key information online at: Andoverma.gov/townmeeting2023.
Parent to Parent – Speaker Series for May
With school year celebrations right around the corner and warm weather events ramping up, parents need to be aware of potential liability when hosting events that involve their kids and/or underage attendees.
Join the Parent 2 Parent community experts for a live webinar on Wednesday, May 3rd from 7-8:30 p.m. to learn the basics of social hosting; what it means and what risks parents should consider when hosting events, such as parties for your teens. Paula Colby-Clements, a local lawyer, and Thomas Paolera, Andover School Resource Officer, will present important facts about Social Host Liability Law. Being informed can protect you, your guests, and your property from potential harm.
For more information on this and upcoming events, visit the Andover Parent 2 Parent website.
On Friday, May 5 from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the Teen Room will host a "Retro Night" for teens to sample snacks from bygone eras and help assemble a time capsule that will be opened in 50 years! Tweens and teens are invited to bring something small and nonperishable to put in the time capsule that represents life in Andover in 2023. (Items will not be returned.)
For more information about this and our other events for the Memorial Hall Library’s 150th Anniversary, please visit www.mhl.org/anniversary.
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