As part of our HPE Student Council, we have a news team that has a weekly report for our students. Thank you to Mrs. Chaves for producing this work! Our reporters are working hard this year and love delivering the news to you and our students. Here is this week's news report.
We need your help at Monday arrival! If your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grader brings an instrument to school on Mondays, remind them to deliver the instrument to the cafeteria BEFORE playing on the back playground at arrival. Instruments are very fragile to temperature changes and exposure to cold temperatures is not good for the instruments. Thanks for your help!
As required by the Department of Education, we must notify families multiple times a year of their children's attendance records. For all students, you will find attendance noted on the report cards. Three times a year, we also send letters to families if children reach a certain number of absences or tardies/dismissals. We recognize that sometimes families may not be aware of the cumulative number of absences, and this helps alert you to our commitment to seeing our children in school regularly. Today, letters were sent to a family regarding any student who has been absent 7 days or more.
As part of our engagement in all students' academic success and well-being, we are charged with addressing concerns that may affect our school's overall performance, including attendance data to meet target goals set by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. As was our focus last year, school attendance matters, and we want to make sure we are partnering with you to help your children stay in school and be active members of our community. We thank you for your continued support and collaboration!
Each year, the High Plain community comes together to support those around us who need extra help with the Holidays. As in years past, we will be donating gift cards so families can buy the gifts of their choice. Please use the Sign Up Genius link below to sign up to donate a gift card. All gift cards must be returned to the High Plain Main Office by 12/6 so we have time to disperse them to the families. Any questions can be directed to Jill Celata at jill.celata@andoverma.us. E-gift cards will also be accepted at that email address. Should you purchase and send an e-gift card, please email Jill so she can be on the lookout for it. Thank you for your generosity and supporting our school community.
Every year the 4th and 5th grade Student Ambassadors participate in a community service project. The focus of the group is to give back to the greater Andover community, instilling how helping others can produce a strong sense of purpose while building generosity and empathy towards others. In years past, we have made care packages for the homeless, blankets for kids in foster care and animal shelters, and birthday boxes for kids in foster care. The Student Ambassadors are still deciding on the exact organization, and we will be sure to share their decision and what the project produced with the community. This year we will be raising funds for this project by selling t-shirts of our school therapy dog, Ginny for $15. This fundraiser both supports the purchase of materials for the project and promotes our love of Ginny! Paper order forms will be going home in backpacks, and we have attached a form below. The shirts will be back in time for the holidays to make sure to circle if you want the shirts to go home with your student or if you would rather pick them up at school so you can surprise them.
Meet DillingerRAD, our redistricting consultant and learn more about the redistricting process.
Did you know that APS has created informative videos about the redistricting process and has answers to current Frequently Asked Questions? This information is on the APS Redistricting page and will be updated as new information becomes available. APS wants you involved and knows having your input will support a successful process. Become more knowledgeable by visiting the APS Redistricting Process webpage.
Free Parenting Solutions Library
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non- profit. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive. The video trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change.
Throughout the school year, there are many opportunities to apply for financial assistance to help with fees associated with programs, events, supplies and activities for students in Andover. Should you be in a position where we can support, please fill out our response form in which you can indicate the programs that you and your family are interested in getting more information about as the applications become available. High Plain will keep this information confidential. Please keep us updated if your information or circumstances change through the year. There may be some instances we are unable to offer support due to limited resources.
We know that there are times when families have a need to make a change to their child’s usual dismissal routine. PickUp Patrol is an app-based system where users can quickly alert the school of a change in dismissal routine for that day. Changes will be allowed until 2:30 PM each day, at which point no dismissal changes will be accepted. We do not use PickUp Patrol for absences or late arrivals. You need to call the school and reach the attendance line for absences and late arrivals.
How It Works:
- Your child’s regular dismissal plan from Aspen has been entered into the system. This is called their Default Plan.
- Whenever your child is following a plan other than their Default Plan you’ll submit the change using the PickUp Patrol app.
Examples of a plan change:
· Your child has a doctor's appointment and will be leaving early.
· Your child normally rides the bus but is getting picked up today.
· Your child normally goes to an afterschool program but will be taking the bus today.
- 3. When the change is submitted, the school will be notified. Before the end of the school day, the teachers are notified and we’ll relay the change to your child.
If you have any questions, please first check the PUP Parent Guide, then contact us in the main office. Please remember that PickUp Patrol changes only reflect that single day, not the on-going default plans. If you need to make a change to a default plan, please do so in the Aspen portal, or feel free to email me (mara.shanahan@andoverma.us), and I will make sure that default plan is reflected in PickUp Patrol.
NAME/BUS TAGS (For Kindergarten and Grade 1 Students)
Your child’s teacher will give you a name tag necklace on the first day. Please have your kindergartner or first grader wear the nametag until further notice.
SCHOOL BUS
Bus transportation to and from school is provided free of charge to elementary students. Kindergarten students must be met by a known adult at the bus stop. Bus routes are available for families in the Aspen portal. This will state your drop-off and pick-up times. As the year begins, please know that your bus could arrive 10 minutes early or later than what is stated in Aspen. We appreciate your patience.
CAR PICKUP/DROPOFF
Please note that there are differences in morning arrival and afternoon car pick up. In the morning, you may arrive by using the High Plain Rd. entrance or the Cross St. entrance. In the afternoon, you can only arrive through the Cross St. entrance. The High Plain Rd. entrance is closed to allow buses. Both morning and afternoon arrival, all vehicles must turn right when leaving the drop off/pick up line.
Morning Arrival: 8:45-9:00
· Morning car drop-off begins at 8:45 at the High Plain main entrance sidewalk. You may use the High Plain Rd. and Cross St. entrances.
· The staff will supervise the children as they exit the car in the HPE Circle area.
· Please follow the staff’s direction as they will have a series of cars pull up for children to exit.
· All vehicles must turn right when leaving the drop off lane in the AM.
· There is no supervision before 8:45 AM and students should not be dropped off before that time.
· The children will have supervised play on the playground until 8:55 AM.
· If you arrive after 9:00, please park and walk your child/children into the building. You will need to sign your child into school. You will find the sign-in book in our school foyer.
Afternoon Car Pick Up: 3:30
· Any student being picked up by car should be picked up via the pick-up line.
· This line moves quickly and has the support of assigned assistant staff to escort students safely to their cars.
· Please enter only through the Cross St. entrance and join the line and stay to the right. The High Plain Rd. entrance is not available for the afternoon.
· Please leave an opening at all intersections for buses to pass the waiting car line and negotiate turns into the bus drop off area.
· If you arrive before the car line is in motion, please be aware of the Massachusetts Anti Idling Law (MGL Chapter 90 16B, 540 SMR 27.00), as posted.
· Drivers should have a visor card with their child’s last name on it, displayed on the rearview mirror.
· Visor cards may be picked up at the school office any day and we will have extra for you during the first few weeks of school.
· Please turn right after picking up your student and exit through Cross St. so traffic flow will be one way.
· Please make your child’s teacher aware, via the PickUp Patrol app, when there are any changes to the default dismissal plan.
WALKERS & BIKE RIDERS:
· For morning arrival, a school crossing guard will be at the Cross Street/Brady Loop entrance.
· All AM walkers and bike riders should use the Cross St. entrance and the sidewalks that follow the front side of the school.
· Bike Riders: Only students in grades 3, 4, and 5 may ride a bike to and from school. A permission form must be completed with the main office.
· At dismissal, there are 2 groups of walker students and 1 group of bike riders. All Kindergarten students must be released to an adult.
· Walker line 1 and bike riders will be escorted from the Wood Hill cafeteria to the Cross Street/Brady Loop entrance and crossed by the crossing guard.
· Walker line 2 will be escorted to the end of the High Plain driveway.
· No adult should attempt to pick up a walker or bike rider at the Wood Hill circle or parking lot.
This is a reminder that the High Plain Road entrance is closed to cars at dismissal. It is the access entrance for buses only. The Cross Street entrance is how cars enter for car pickup. This is a safety concern. We have seen cars try to sneak in daily and it's simply not fair to those who are following the dismissal procedures. We ask you to be respectful of your fellow HPE community members and abide by this rule.
This week, we reviewed the bus behavior expectations and rules with all bus riders. This is what we are expecting, and we appreciate you reinforcing this message. These are put in place to keep our students safe.
These are the rules we discussed:
1. The school bus is another classroom, and the bus driver is the teacher in charge.
2. Like a classroom, we use indoor voices.
3. We pick one seat for the ride and stay in that seat for the whole ride.
4. Kindergarteners sit in the front, and we sit by grade with fifth graders in the back.
5. We can have 2-3 students per seat.
6. We only stand up when we are getting on or off the bus.
7. Backpacks and instruments go on your laps or the floor between your legs.
8. We can talk with the friends around us, staying seated the whole time.
9. Electronics stay in the backpacks, just like a school classroom.
10. If we follow these rules, the bus driver can drive safely and we show kindness to one another.
Thank you for reminding the students of these expectations. We appreciate your help as we all know that the ride to and from school sets the tone for how the rest of our day goes.
Car Pickup Dismissal, Student Expectations and Safety Reminders
We want to continue sharing the conversations and expectations that we are having with our students around school safety. We are fortunate that we can get close to 100 students in their cars and on their way in about a 10-minute period. Thank you for hanging your placard with your child’s name (in dark font) in the window. If you need a placard, let us know. We thank you for supporting this message at home.
Students waiting to be picked up have two important jobs:
To have a calm body (standing safely in their grade level line).
To pay attention and watch for their car.
We will bring students outside to line up at their grade level spots. Students stay in their lines and focus on the cars coming through for pickup. All games, toys, and materials are to stay in their backpacks. Once they see their car, they can enter when the car comes to a stop and go along your way!
Walker Safety Reminders
We know we have many students who walk to and from campus. We appreciate how this option supports our families in the neighborhood. We wanted to take a moment to review the walker safety reminders and expectations.
We have crossing guards at the High Plain Elementary School entrance on High Plain Road and at the Wood Hill Middle School entrance on Cross Street. All students should cross and enter the driveway at these crosswalks. Students should follow the directions given by the crossing guards to ensure a safe crossing.
If for some reason you have parked, for students in grades K-2, please exit your vehicle and meet your child where the crossing guard is located. Although the children are out of our sight and care, our staff want to make sure we have a safe reunification at the end of the day.
We are all working to manage the age of technology and are looking for support between school and home. Many children have new smart devices and the elementary schools have some guidance.
A kind reminder to our families that cell phones must be turned off and in students’ backpacks at the start of the school day. Smartwatches may be worn as regular watches, however, students are not allowed to text, communicate with others, use applications, take pictures or videos, or access social media services and websites.
Should parents/guardians urgently need to reach their child during the school day, we ask that you call the main office. Students are also allowed to come to the main office if they need to contact someone at home. If a cell phone or watch becomes a significant distraction, school administrators will reach out to parents/guardians. The Andover Public Schools is not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged, or broken devices.
To promote healthy digital habits during the school day, the resources below may be helpful to use. We appreciate your partnership as we work to keep interruptions to the school day at a minimum.
Resource for Apple Watches:
How to set a School Time schedule
Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap All Watches, then tap your child's watch.
Tap Done, then tap Schooltime.
Turn on Schooltime, then tap Edit Schedule.
Choose the days and times when you want Schooltime to be active.
Tap Add Time if you want to set up more than one schedule in a day.
Resource for Gizmo Watches:
How to set up School mode
Open the. Gizmo Hub app.
Tap the. School mode switch. turn on or off. If necessary, set up a School Mode schedule.
In School Devices
K-3 Devices will stay in school.
4-5 Devices can be brought home if directed by the classroom teacher to complete an assignment. Otherwise, they will remain in school.
Breakfast and lunch are once again free to all students. Breakfast is served from 8:45-8:55 each morning and no advanced ordering is needed.
Lunches will need be preordered. Lunch requires families to order in advance to ensure we have the correct allergy-friendly lunch for all our students. 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.
Information about the Andover Public Schools lunch program, as well as menus and instructions for online ordering, may be found on the website here: http://www.andoverschoolnutrition.com/
School Hours of Operation
8:30 am: School office opens
8:45 am: School drop off
9:00 am: School day begins
After 9:00 am: Children are tardy and must be accompanied by a parent into the office
After 2:00 pm: Unless it's an emergency, no dismissal changes
Students must be dismissed before 3:00
3:30 pm: School ends
Ms. Sarah Leveque, Principal
Email: sarah.leveque@andoverma.us
Website: https://aps1.net/212/High-Plain-Elementary-School
Location: 333 High Plain Road, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-8600