All Around APS

Dear APS families and staff,

I would like to thank the community for their participation in the first “Let’s Talk!” session, which focused on redistricting. The initial community survey on redistricting yielded a high level of engagement, over 300 responses in a week's time. Creating redistricting options for School Committee consideration is a collective effort. As such, I have dedicated our second session of “Let’s Talk!” to introducing DillingerRAD, the consultants who will be supporting the district through the process.

This community conversation will be held at the Robb Senior Center on Thursday, November 14th from 6:30 - 8 p.m. The session will be recorded by Andover TV and made available on our new, dedicated redistricting webpage, to ensure that timely information is available to everyone. Additionally, we’ve created a short video to highlight the importance of this redistricting project, which can be viewed at the above link.

I look forward to the community’s continued involvement as we move forward with this important work for our district. Together, we can make a positive impact on our schools and community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Magda Parvey

Superintendent

Congratulations to the 120 Andover High School juniors and seniors who were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) last week! The inductees join 97 existing members of the National Honor Society from the AHS Class of 2025.

The celebration was organized by AHS’s National Honor Society advisor Brian Shea. During the ceremony, Dr. Magda Parvey presented certificates and AHS Principal Jimmy D’Andrea presented pins to the students. AHS Science teacher Ralph Bledsoe was this year’s guest speaker, delivering a powerful rendition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s. “I Have a Dream” speech.

Induction into the National Honor Society requires academic achievement, active involvement in school activities, and civic engagement aligned to the four pillars of the NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

APS eight graders recently visited the Edward M. Kennedy Institute to participate in the Senate Immersion Module program. The institute offers students the chance to role-play as U.S. Senators to learn about the legislative process and practice the skills necessary for effective law making. Students are immersed in the value of holding civil dialogues and negotiating differences by identifying common interests.

Middle and High School educators spent November 5th learning from each other during the 3rd annual professional development workshop series. Educators were eager to share their experiences and engaged their colleagues through presentations on topics such as Comically Teaching: Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom, What is Collective Teacher Efficacy, and an Introduction to Chat GPT and Magic School. Thank you to the 27 educators who shared their expertise and for inspiring a culture of collective learning!

• Monday, November 11, 2024 – Veterans’ Day – NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, November 27, 2024 – Early Release Day
• Thursday, November 28 & Friday, November 29, 2024 – Thanksgiving Recess
• Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – Early Release Day

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

Andover's Special Education Advisory Council (SEPAC) will host families for a virtual discussion on Executive Function Strategies for Creating Successful Students on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 7 P.M.

Advanced registration is required at the following link:

https://engagingmindsonline.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MtozOpgNR9KzqKNsxR4jWw#/registration

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.

The School Committee met on November 7, 2024. Items on the agenda included a presentation from the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) on their annual survey results, the second reading and vote of Dr. Parvey’s goals for the 2024-25 school year, a conversation on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and an update and discussion on the FY26 preliminary budget calendar and a first reading of FY26 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 November 21, 2024. Agendas are posted up to 48 hours in advance on the district’s website.

Andover High School’s Director of Bands and music teacher JJ Kuchan is this week’s recipient of the APS Staff Shout Out! Mr. Kuchan was recognized during the Thursday, November 7th School Committee meeting. Mr. Kuchan was nominated by AHS parent Annmarie Conner, who highlighted Mr. Kuchan’s positivity and consistent encouragement of students, especially her son, William. Mr. Kuchan, thank you for all you do for AHS students!

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 at each School Committee meeting. We look forward to hearing how our staff have made a meaningful impact on your student(s).

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 encouraged to attend to discuss any item under the purview of the School Committee. The next School Committee Informal Forum will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 7 p.m. at the Ballardvale Fire Station (161 Andover Street). More information on upcoming Informal Forums can be found here.

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.