Season of Giving
As the holidays draw near, we understand that this time can be difficult for some of our West El families. If you and your loved ones are seeking assistance, I encourage you to reach out to Dr. C or email members of our social work team. Your request is 100% confidential and your privacy will be protected. Email Mr. Hirschfeld at ahirschfeld@andoverma.us or Ms. Mangie at cmangie@andoverma.us to extend your request.
We are also collecting Market Basket, Target and Stop and Shop gift cards for this effort. You may send them to school with your child and they will be forwarded to Dr. Cobbs.
Student Council Updates
Our Student Council under the guidance of Ms. Tintle, Ms. Mohammed and Ms. Knox has been very busy. Recent accomplishments include a plan for upcoming theme days, an organized food drive to begin this week and a educational video for our community about our new playgrounds. Check out their video here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_c-AD47cvuZ4VNoGo0LE3eL2duupfXXY/view?usp=sharing
Project 351 Partnerships
West El is proud to partner with Andover High School Project 351 representatives. Project 351 is a non profit organization lead by middle and high schoolers. This month 10th grade student Olivia Wright will host a toy drive to support the DCF Wakefield Office. Community members are encouraged to drop new, unwrapped gifts in the bin located outside our Main Office. Later this winter we will also work with Ms. Sophia Folan who is working to fight food insecurity through a partnership with The Village Food Hub.
Bye Bye Birdie!
Bye Bye Birdie is being presented by the West Middle School Drama Club on Friday, 12/6 at 7:00 pm; Saturday, 12/7 at 7:00 pm; and Sunday 12/8 at 1:00 pm. The spectacular musical, designed for middle school-aged performers, is based on the 1960 Broadway show which starred Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera.
The cast of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders includes over 45 students! Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased in advance by visiting Cure8 online ticketing. Ticket Link: CUR8 - Bye Bye Birdie: Young Performers Edition Details. Come see what exciting performance opportunities await you in middle school!
Winter & Reccess
As we enter winter, we want students to have a consistent outdoor experience between grades and classrooms. To support this, we have set guidelines for temperature/weather type when deciding outdoor vs. indoor recess for all classrooms. Below are guidelines for outdoor recess for ‘23-24 school year.
Students will be outdoors if the temperature (including wind chill) is 20 degrees or warmer and it’s not raining, sleeting, hailing, or blizzarding.
If students want to play in snow, they must be wearing snow pants, boots, jackets, and gloves/mittens. If students do not wish to play in the snow, they will remain on the blacktop.
With a large amount of students out on the playground at each recess, we need to be extra vigilant about safety. There is no throwing of snowballs or ice.
Label each article of clothing so that if something is misplaced, it can be returned to you as quickly as possible.
Please be aware that all students go outside when the weather meets these conditions. Thanks for taking the time to remind students of the winter expectations. Snow play is beloved by many and we want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to safely enjoy their recess time during these months.
Jerry Pallotta Author Visit
On Monday, January 7, 2025, author Jerry Pallotta will be visiting the Andover Schools to meet with students in kindergarten, first, and second grades. Jerry Pallotta is a well-known author of children’s picture books. He has written the very popular “Who Would Win?” series, many alphabet and counting books, as well as picture books. Jerry has been writing books for more than 30 years! His first book was “The Ocean Alphabet Book” in 1985! Jerry lives in Scituate, MA.
Families are welcome to purchase Jerry Pallotta’s books from the attached book order form below. Books will be signed by the author and will be delivered to West El for the students. If you would like to order a book, please complete the form below and return with a check made out to CB Books by Friday, December 13th. Books may also be ordered during and after his visit. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18uMSkR9_IEMVNqy6l6NlBSofcyLcbViiqZgkqm8cMhk/edit?usp=sharing