All Around APS

Dear APS families and staff,

My Take 2! series continues this week with a powerful conversation with Bancroft Elementary’s Social Worker Nancy Modlish and Math Coach Stephanie Regan. Mrs. Modlish and Ms. Regan are the advisors to Bancroft Elementary’s Diversity Club. Over 50 students contribute, creating a positive impact at Bancroft for every student. I hope you enjoy!

Dr. Magda Parvey

Superintendent

The downtown field trip is a favorite day each year for High Plain educator Shannon Siviski and her colleagues! Fourth graders at High Plain tour the downtown Andover area to connect them with their community. All places on their list involve something with them learning more about their community, whether it is knowing more about their town, literature connections, being a citizen in our state & town, art connections, as well as community building and understanding more about APS!

Students spent the day visiting the Addison Art Gallery and Memorial Hall Library where many applied to get their first library card! Students were also treated to some time with Dr. Parvey and Keith Taverna, assistant superintendent of Finance and Administration. Students learned about their roles in the district and even gave feedback about their favorite school lunches!

Shout out to our AHS student-athletes who signed their National Letter of Intent in a celebration at the Dunn Gym! Congratulations to Bella Difiore (Field Hockey) who signed with St. Anselm College, Jack Cooper (Lacrosse) who signed with Stony Brook University, William Norris (Baseball) who signed with Wofford College and Jacob Morgan (Golf) who signed with Lenoir-Rhyne University!

These student-athletes have committed to play a sport at a division 1 or division 2 university or college. The National Letter of Intent is a binding contract between the athlete and the university that outlines the terms of their scholarship and ensures the students’ commitment to play at a particular school.

Congratulations to Ms. Lindsey L’Ecuyer for receiving the Massachusetts Outstanding Biology Teacher Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) at their annual conference this last weekend in California! The Outstanding Biology Teacher Award recognizes an outstanding biology educator in each state across the country.

NABT judges awardees on their teaching ability, experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, and student-teacher relationships. Ms. L’Ecuyer recently received her doctorate in Education in STEM leadership and says the work has completely changed the way she thinks about the barriers students face, and how to foster equitable learning experiences via opportunities for student persistence.

Planning for future years’ budgets begins each fall, and we believe that sharing information on a consistent basis will serve the best interests of the APS community. As Dr. Parvey prepares to present the district’s preliminary FY26 budget recommendations at the December 12th School Committee meeting, we have created a video to highlight key factors that will guide us throughout the process.

• Wednesday, November 27, 2024- Early Release Day
• Thursday, November 28 & Friday, November 29, 2024 – Thanksgiving Recess – NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - Early Release Day
• Monday, December 23, 2024 – January 1, 2025- Holiday Recess – NO SCHOOL

• Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – Christmas Eve
• Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Christmas Day
• Thursday, December 26, 2024 – Chanukah/Hanukkah
• Thursday, December 26, 2024 – Kwanzaa (Day 1)

A printable version of the 2025-26 school year calendar and observances is available here.

The Andover community is welcome to join DillingerRAD for a virtual community forum on Saturday, December 7, 2024 from 9-10 a.m. This forum will review results from the previous surveys, update the community on data they have collected thus far and answer questions. Click here to join the forum!

DillingerRAD is the consultant who will be supporting the district to analyze data in the redistricting process. Upon completion of their analysis in 2025, they will provide recommendations for redistricting to the School Committee for a review and vote. DillingerRAD presented at a School Committee workshop on Thursday, November 21st; check out the updated information below in School Committee Corner.

All parents of Andover students are welcome to improve their English skills through conversation, reading and writing practice with a skilled instructor. Attendance is FREE for parents of the Andover school community. All family members are welcome at any session. No registration is required to attend the sessions! Contact Marika Lyons at 978-247-8600 or marika.lyons@andoverma.us with questions.

MEETING DATES

Sessions are held on Tuesday morning from 9:30-11 a.m. at Central Office, 3O Whittier Court, 2nd floor in Conference Room A.

Upcoming meetings:

• December 10, December 17
• January 14, January 28
• February 11, February 25
• March 11, March 25
• April 8, April 29

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.

Andover High School Theater Guild proudly presents Into the Woods, a modern twist on classic fairy tales by Stephen Sondheim. Follow beloved characters like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Baker as their wishes take them on an unexpected journey through the dark and magical woods. Please come and support over 60 performers, crew members, and musicians.

Location: Andover High School, J. Everett Collins Center for the Arts, 100 Shawsheen Road, Andover

Show Dates & Times:

• Nov 21, 22, 23, and 26: 7:30 PM
• Nov 24: 2:00 PM

Ticket Prices:

• Adults: $20
• Seniors: $15
• Students: $5

Visit andovertheatrearts.com to get your tickets today.

Redistricting Update

The School Committee met on November 21, 2024. Prior to the meeting, the School Committee hosted a workshop from DillingerRAD to receive an update on the redistricting process, review community survey results and next steps. The presentation from the workshop is available for review here. The School Committee supported an initial recommendation from Dillinger to delay the implementation of the plan from 2025-26 to the 2026-27 school year to allow for the district to operationally plan for the new zones.

Regular Meeting

Following the workshop, items on the agenda included a presentation from AHS team SPEEDers students, their Beamline for Schools Competition win, and their trip to Germany. Principal Jimmy D’Andrea and AHS Student Government Association Vice President Salma Ali and Student Government member Mac Thibault also presented results from a student survey on the cell phone procedures at AHS. The Committee also voted to approve the FY26 preliminary budget calendar and budget development assumptions.

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 6 and Verizon Channel 43) or by streaming from www.andovertv.org. Please visit the School Committee Meeting – Agendas, Presentations, and Videos webpage for more information.

The next School Committee meeting will be held on December 12, 2024. Agendas are posted up to 48 hours in advance on the district’s website. Additionally, the School Committee will be participating in a Tri-Board meeting with the Select Board, the Finance Committee, and town and district staff on Monday, December 2 at 7pm at Memorial Hall Library. This meeting will focus on the town’s capital improvement plan.

The School Committee is seeking nominations for the APS Staff Shout Out. This is an effort to recognize our extraordinary staff who embody the mission, values, and vision of the Andover Public Schools. Please share your nominations here. Selected staff will be announced a future School Committee meeting. We look forward to hearing how our staff have made a meaningful impact on your student(s).

The next School Committee Informal Forum will take place virtually on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 from 7-8:30 p.m. An invitation and the link for participation will be sent to APS staff and families following the Thanksgiving holiday. More information on upcoming Informal Forums can be found here.

Much like “office hours,” School Committee informal forums allow for an interactive dialogue with the Andover community. These meetings have no set agenda and are attended by two members of the Committee. All members of the Andover community are welcome and encourage to attend to discuss any item under the purview of the School Committee.

The School Committee recognizes their responsibility to reflect and represent the diverse needs of the community. There are a number of ways to provide input and feedback on issues under the purview of the School Committee. Please visit this page to learn more about the different ways you can connect with the School Committee.