As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all that we’re grateful for here at South. This season of gratitude reminds us to pause and appreciate the people and moments that make our school community so special. We are deeply thankful for your children, whose kindness and smiles light up our hallways every day. We’re also grateful for our incredible staff, who go above and beyond to nurture and inspire our students. And to you—our families—thank you for your unwavering support and partnership.

We had quite an incredible week below with author visits and the visit from the Andover Center for History and Culture. Check it all out below!

As a reminder, we have an Early Release on Wednesday and then school will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

Warmly,

Brenda Lee, Principal

Olivia Goodrich, Assistant Principal

Hey South School students!

We had an incredibly successful Fall session of Tiger Academy this year with a record-breaking number of students. Enjoy some pictures below!

There’s another chance! The fall session of Tiger Academy is wrapping up, but the winter session will be here before you know it! Our winter session will run from January 6th - the week of February 14th. Signups will begin on Sunday, December 8th and will close on Friday, December 20th. Don’t miss out!

Thank you to author (and parent) Kimmy McCabe for reading to Grades 2-5 her first published book titled "Finding Your Voice". This story is about a young girl who navigates her emotions and learns to stand up for herself, finding her voice in the process. This empowering tale emphasizes the importance of self-confidence, courage, and seeking support in difficult times, making it a valuable read for children. Thank you Kimmy for sharing this important message!

First graders enjoyed a visit from the Andover Center for History and Culture and Andover High School students. They learned about the history of Andover and the direct area around South School. They enjoyed looking at real artifacts and seeing actual pictures.

Thank you to the PTO for bringing author Rob Buyea to our fifth graders. He met with them as a grade and worked with them on a writing project in each classroom.

On Monday, January 6, 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 South School 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.

With the cold and flu season coming upon us, please refer to the following:

WHEN TO STAY HOME?

• Fever of 100* or higher, chills or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle or body aches
• Cough not due to other known causes
• Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion (not due to known allergies) when in combination with other symptoms
• If your student is staying home due to illness, please call the attendance line (978) 247-9802 to report the absence
• Please do not return before being symptom free (without medicine) for at least 24 hours

CRITERIA FOR SENDING A STUDENT BACK TO SCHOOL FOLLOWING ILLNESS:

• Fever free for 24 hours with no analgesics.
• Diarrhea free for 24 hours
• Vomiting free for 24 hours
• When medication for a contagious infection is prescribed, the student must have taken the first dose at least 24 hours prior to return to school.
• Head Lice - the nurse/designee in the clinic must check the student’s head before a student can return to school.
  Please click link for lice information: Lice

HANDWASHING
Handwashing is the best way to prevent the spread of illness whether at school or at home. Please continue to promote handwashing with your children.

Although the fall and winter season can bring joy, we understand it can also be a time of stress and financial burden for many.

Thanksgiving meals for those in need:

The Village Food HUB (23 Clark Road, Andover, MA) is preparing traditional Thanksgiving meals for those in need. These will be picked up or delivered on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. Please see below for links to make requests for meals from The Village Food Hub. If you have any special requirements, please email Shari McLeod at S.mcleod@villagefoodhub.org.

In addition, The Village Food HUB plans to do a holiday meal in mid-December to encompass the many December holidays. We will share more information on that meal in early December when we receive the sign-up links.

For delivery for Thanksgiving meal

For pick up for Thanksgiving meal

Assistance:

If you would like assistance this time of year, please fill out the form below by December 8th.

South Holiday giving - request for assistance form 24-25

If you prefer, you may contact our South Social Worker, Andrea Goodman, directly via email at andrea.goodman@andoverma.us or phone: 978-247-9816 for help with any of these assistance forms, or about any other need you may have not covered by these forms. Please know that all information will remain confidential.

Donations:

If you are interested in helping us support a South Elementary family during this winter season, please purchase a gift card from Target or Market Basket in $10 increments. You can choose the denomination amount of your choice but please be sure to write the amount on the card and/or include the receipt. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up.

South fall and winter donation sign up 2024-25

Gift cards can either be brought into school and given to the main office or can be mailed to Brenda Lee, 55 Woburn Street, Andover, MA 01810 by December 8th.

Thank you for your continued support!

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.

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.

• Wed, Nov 27th: EARLY RELEASE

• Thurs, Nov 28th - Fri, Nov 29th: NO SCHOOL

• Tues, Dec 3rd: Picture Re-Takes

• Wed, Dec 4th: Early Release - Dismissal at 12:15

• Thus, Dec 5th: Fifth Grade Performance

• Fri, Dec 6th: AHS Students (Tri-M and NAHS) Visit South

• Thurs, Dec 12th: Fairytale Players Visit Kindergarten

• Mon, Dec 23rd - Wed, Jan 1st: Winter Break

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