Message to NAMS Families 01/24/25

Tickets are $5 for students and $12 for adults.

You can purchase with cash or a check made payable to NAMS.

Remaining Shows:

• Friday, January 24th at 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, January 25th at 2:00 p.m.

January 27th - February 7th

Sponsored by Student Leadership

Bread & Roses is a soup kitchen in Lawrence, MA that has long been a center of hope and care to the thousands of people in the Merrimack Valley who are struggling for survival. Their primary purpose is to ease the hunger of people in the community.

Bread & Roses’ mission is Food. Dignity. Compassion.

Bread & Roses does not accept any form of government funding and relies on the community to ensure that the needs of our neighbors are met.

Please help us by donating the following items:

• Boxes/Bags of Individually wrapped snacks (chips, cookies, granola bars, etc.)

• Bottled water

• Pancake Mix, Muffin Mix, & Cake Mix

• Canned Items (Fruit, vegetables, beans, fish, soup, etc.)

• Tomato Sauce

• Pasta, Mac & Cheese, and Rice

Donated items will go into pantry orders, Grab & Go meals, and community meals!

Please Note:

• Gift cards for Market Basket and money donations are accepted too!

• Expired food cannot be accepted. Please check the date.

• Please write the expiration date on the top of boxes and cans to help us out.

North Andover Reads 2025

The North Andover Reads 2025 website is live on the Stevens Memorial Library website here and at the following address: https://stevensmemlib.libguides.com/NAR2025

What is North Andover Reads?

• North Andover Reads is a joint effort of the Stevens Memorial Library and the North Andover Public Schools. Books, programs, and exhibits and more are chosen to highlight our R.A.I.S.E. initiative. Visit the North Andover Reads 2025 website for all the details.

• This year we're learning more about neurodiversity. We hope everyone: students, parents, teachers, join in to read, discuss, and celebrate the richness of neurodiverse experiences! It’s a chance to come together, to celebrate diverse ways of thinking and being, and foster a more inclusive community.

• In each age group, there is "One Book" chosen by Stevens librarians and North Andover Public School Librarians for us to all read. There are book lists suggesting other titles as well.

I hope you will visit the site, perhaps read some of the books, join an event, and even tell others about North Andover Reads.

Books are available through Stevens Memorial Library for everyone! Our students have access to books through Stevens, our school libraries, and digital versions in SORA and Overdrive.

Kathleen Keenan, Library Director
Stevens Memorial Library
345 Main Street
North Andover, MA 01845
Phone 978.688.9505 x42021
Email kkeenan@NorthAndoverMA.gov
www.StevensMemLib.org

Attention Grade 8:

Annual Grade 8 Dress-Up Dance at the Youth Center

When: Friday, January 31st

Time: 7:00-9:30 p.m.

Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members

Tickets will be sold at the Youth Center with cash only on the following dates:

• Wednesday, January 29th from 1:30-5:30 p.m.

• Thursday, January 30th from 2:30-5:30 p.m.

Please note:

• This dance is only for 8th grade North Andover residents!

• No tickets will be sold at the door.

• Students must buy their own ticket.

• The Youth Center will be closing for all members at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, January 31st to set up for the dance!

MAP Testing (Winter) - February 3-14, 2025

Each team will be identifying when they will be administering both the MAP Reading and Math assessments to students. We are able to provide make-up assessments after February Break.

Our plan is to send report home the week of March 10th.

North Andover is joining the Wait Until 8th movement! It began with a virtual program to empower parents. Brooke Shannon, founder of this movement, discussed the following on the evening of Wednesday, January 22nd:

• The importance of delaying smartphones and social media

• She helped parents already in the middle of smartphone battles with some strategies and advice to rein in their use

Brooke works with parents and communities across the country to help families establish a healthy relationship with technology. She is a national speaker on how to parent in the digital arena and has given keynotes to the American Enterprise Institute, and numerous schools. She has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC National News, NPR, and CNN Headline News.

You can learn more at www.waituntil8th.org

Thank you Lisa Roberts for organizing the event and special thanks for North Andover CAM for hosting this event!

Please save the dates for MCAS 2025 in your family calendars.

You may find the list of dates here and also copied below.

NAMS MCAS Dates 2025

• You may find a more detailed schedule here.

ELA Testing

Grade 8 ELA - Session 1

• Monday, March 31, 2925

Grade 7 ELA - Session 1

• Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Grade 6 ELA - Session 1

• Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Grade 8 ELA - Session 2

• Monday, April 7, 2025

Grade 7 ELA - Session 2

• Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Grade 6 ELA - Session 2

• Thursday, April 10, 2025

Math Testing

Grade 8 Math - Session 1

• Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Grade 7 Math - Session 1

• Thursday, May 1, 2025

Grade 8 Math - Session 2

• Monday, May 5, 2025

Grade 7 Math - Session 2

• Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Grade 6 Math - Session 1

• Thursday, May 8, 2025

Grade 6 Math - Session 2

• Monday, May 12, 2025

STE Testing

Grade 8 STE - Session 1

• Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Grade 8 STE - Session 2

• Friday, May 16, 2025

Civics Testing

Grade 8 Civics - Session 1

• Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Grade 8 Civics - Session 2

• Thursday, May 29, 2025

You're Invited!

Join North Andover School Committee Members Joe Hicks and Ed Moscovitch

For an Informal Community Chat on Saturday, February 1, 2025 from 11:00-12:00 p.m.

At the School Administrative Building Conference Room, 566 Main Street

(please enter via the back door)

You can order your NAMS 2024-2025 Yearbook now for $40 at yearbookordercenter.com

Use order number 5986 to find the NAMS Yearbook.

SAVE THE DATE: North Andover High School looks forward to welcoming NAMS families on Monday, February 3rd for our 8th Grade Open House. During this event, families will have access to a building tour, learn about our academic offerings and course selection, and preview our co-curricular activities like athletics teams and clubs. The high school will send more information to families after the new year. We hope you'll join us!

We understand the importance of finding the right school for your child and will support them throughout this process. If your child is planning on applying to a private high school or technical high school we ask that you reference the following link to download all necessary documents as well as to familiarize yourself with our process and requirements.

PROCESS & REQUIREMENTS:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AnSI7hnkLJF1TDWV-ZdPB50S1zyF5ZQM-qjBl19aa1Y/edit

Please have your child fill out the information sheet and provide an electronic copy to your child's guidance counselor as well as any teacher who is writing a recommendation. This information is incredibly helpful as our wish is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of your child's strengths, accomplishments and overall skill set.

INFORMATION SHEET:

docs.google.com/document/d/1tTmLdhk8avjzr-dhg96Y3f3wvu3Xx6TJE3VtFQkaYaQ/edit?usp=sharing

We ask parents and students to research private high schools on their own. The guidance department does not provide information or applications regarding private high schools, however, we will assist your child by writing recommendations and sending all supporting documents. For "on-line" recommendations, the guidance department completes the "school report" (i.e. "principal/counselor recommendation" and "transcript" form). "Personal" and "Special Interest" recommendations are generally completed by someone other than the guidance counselor.

Please Note:

• Trimester 1 ends on December 6, 2024 which means that transcripts cannot be uploaded prior to this date.
• All private/technical school applications that have been given to Mr. Gosselin will be uploaded when transcripts are available. We will make every effort to upload your child's applications by the identified due date.