We had a wonderful week filled with exciting learning experiences! Our K-2 students enjoyed a visit from author Jerry Pallotta, while our 5th graders explored history with a presentation from the Paul Revere House.

For those interested in staying informed about the redistricting process and having your questions answered, we encourage you to join us this Thursday evening. Details are provided below.

Over the weekend, our world transformed into a beautiful snow globe with our first real snowfall! If your children would like to play in the snow during recess, please ensure they come to school with appropriate winter gear, including a jacket, snow pants, boots, hat, and gloves.

Finally, a reminder that there is no school next Monday as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Warmly,

Brenda Lee, Principal

Olivia Goodrich, Assistant Principal

As district continues its work on the K-8 redistricting process in partnership with DillingerRAD, we are pleased to offer a virtual "Let's Talk!" community forum on the APS Redistricting Process on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The community is welcome to join the conversation with DillingerRAD at any time using this link.

This session will review the information provided to the School Committee at their January 9th meeting and solicit community input and feedback around one revised scenario. DillingerRAD will be available to answer any questions. The link to join is available here.

The approved redistricting plan will be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. This allows the district sufficient time to operationally plan for the new school zones. We appreciate the continued participation from the community during this process.

We were thrilled to welcome author Jerry Pallotta to South School! Jerry shared his incredible life experiences growing up near the ocean and how they inspired his many beloved books, including his engaging Alphabet series and the thrilling Who Would Win? series. Our kindergarten, first, and second graders were captivated by his stories and insights into the writing process. It was a wonderful opportunity to spark their love of reading and curiosity about the world!

Our fifth-grade classrooms hosted a special presentation from the Paul Revere House. This interactive visit brought history to life as our students learned about Paul Revere's role in the American Revolution, his famous midnight ride, and daily life in colonial Boston. This program complemented our social studies curriculum and allowed students to engage with artifacts and stories about Paul Revere.

Bradford Ski has begun! Thank you for making the first week so smooth!

As a reminder, the Kindergarten Lobby doors will be supervised by a staff member on Thursday mornings from 8:30am - 8:45am. Please enter here and put your child’s ski equipment on the cafeteria stage (look for signs per grade).

Please make sure your child(ren)'s skis, boots, poles, and bag are labeled with their name. This will help with us returning them to you if they are left behind.

Keep in mind that students cannot be left at school until 8:45am so please keep your child(ren) with you until then.

Please remember to change your child’s dismissal each week in PickUp Patrol to “Bradford Ski”. As a reminder, look for communication from DCS as to whether or not it will take place each week (due to weather conditions).

We want to share these dates in advance as we prepare for the upcoming Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing.

MCAS Testing Dates:

• 3rd Grade: ELA 4/8 & 4/10, Math 5/13-5/14
• 4th Grade: ELA 4/3-4/4, Math 5/15-5/16
• 5th Grade: ELA 4/1-4/2, Math 5/8-5/9, STE 5/20-5/21

More information will be shared closer to our testing time.

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 ‘24-25 school year.

• Students will be outdoors if the temperature 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.

If your child is in need of appropriate recess gear, please reach out to our Social Worker, Andrea Goodman at andrea.goodman@andoverma.us

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.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest PTO news?

Visit www.SouthPTO.com

All students are able to receive 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch daily during the 2024-2025 school year. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:45 - 9:00 and does not need to be ordered ahead of time.

Lunches will need be preordered. It is very important that our cafeteria has an accurate lunch count each day. Please review with your children each morning what you have ordered for them.

Please click below for the monthly menu and more information about Andover's Nutrition Program including how to sign up.

JANUARY DATES

• Mon, Jan 20th: NO SCHOOL ~ Martin Luther King Jr Day

• Wed, Jan 22nd: 3rd Grade Visit by Sheryl Faye

• Thurs, Jan 23: 3rd Grade Field Trip to Lexington Symphony

• Wed, Jan 29th: Early Release - 12:15pm dismissal

FEBRUARY DATES

• Wed, Feb 12th: Grade 5 Choral Concert at Collins Center (evening)
• Mon, Feb 17th - Fri, Feb 21st: NO SCHOOL ~ February Break
• Fri, Feb 28th: Discovery Museum Visits 2nd Grade

Email: brenda.lee@andoverma.us
Website: https://www.aps1.net/405/South-Elementary-School
Location: 55 Woburn Street, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-9800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southschoolaps