All Around APS

Dear APS families and staff,

I hope the community enjoyed time with family and friends over February recess – we are excited to welcome our students back to the classrooms!

This week’s edition of Take 2! Provides our families with a look inside a unique middle school program at APS – Where Everybody Belongs (WEB). WEB leaders are 8th grade students who create a program to welcome 6th grade students on their first day of school and offer events and supports to them throughout their first year in middle school. These 8th grade WEB leaders are selected, trained and advised by our educators at all three middle schools.

For this week, I spent some time with Shannon Murphy and Kate Carlton, who are the WEB leader trainers at Doherty Middle School. Ms. Murphy and Ms. Carlton are clearly committed to the mission of the WEB program. “When 6th graders look up on the first day of school, they see somebody like them,” says Ms. Carlton. How wonderful is that? I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Dr. Magda Parvey

Superintendent

Dr. Parvey and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Administration Keith Taverna will host a virtual Let’s Talk! on the FY26 Budget on Monday, March 3, 2025 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. to discuss the FY26 Budget process and answer questions. Registration for the Let’s Talk! FY26 Budget is required and can be done at any time. Once you register at this link, you will receive a Zoom link to the meeting via email.

Dr. Parvey presented the final Superintendent’s recommended FY26 budget at the February 27th School Committee meeting and shared a message with the community this morning. Initially, the district was facing an estimated deficit of $1.87 million for FY26. The district is pleased to share that during the budget development process, we have identified savings that have reduced the deficit to $177,845.

The FY26 Budget Book is available for review on our website.

Congratulations to APS Physical Education teacher Michael Fiore, who was selected as the Massachusetts Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD)’s elementary teacher of the year! Mr. Fiore has been an educator at APS for 16 years, currently serving at High Plain Elementary School.

He was nominated by retired Adapted P.E. Teacher, Donna McManus and supported by letters of recommendation from his colleagues and APS P.E. Program Coordinator Donna Ruseckas. Ms. Ruseckas supported Mr. Fiore’s nomination wholeheartedly, noting, “Mike excels at providing elementary age students fun and engaging activities that develop motor skills, fitness, wellness concepts and social and emotional learning.”

Always a team player and willing to help, Mr. Fiore is committed to learning through professional development to ensure all learners feel successful! One of the most common comments Mr. Fiore says is, “This is the best job in the world!” Mr. Fiore will receive the award in May at MAHPERD’s Annual Awards Banquet. Thank you for your dedication to APS students!

Eight students from Doherty Middle School participated in the MATHCOUNTS Northeast MA Chapter competition earlier this month. Kenneth Sun, Alicia Zhang, Carmel Kojokaro, Claire Gu, Tyler Hamilton, Vihaan Ravikumar, Ara KoKim, and Narayani Tanjavur Govindarajan did a fantastic job!

MATHCOUNTS is a national organization that provides math programs to middle school students to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem solving. The Doherty team competitors earned 3rd place and all four team competitors will move on to the Massachusetts State round competition on March 1st!

• Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – Early Release Day

• Friday, February 28, 2025 – Ramadan*
• Friday, March 14, 2025 – Holi*
• Thursday, March 27, 2025 – Laylat-al-Qadr
• Monday, March 31, 2025 – Eid al-Fitr*

*Observance begins at sundown the previous day

Families and prospective students for Shawsheen preschool are welcome to attend the upcoming open house on Friday, March 7, 2025 from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. If you are interested in attending, please call Shawsheen’s front office at 978-247-8200 to let us know you’re coming!

The School Committee met on February 27, 2028. Items on the agenda included an update from Dr. Parvey on the Superintendent's FY26 Recommended Budget and a presentation from Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan on the FY26 Recommended Budget for the town and the financial plan. The Committee also voted on the warrant articles for Andover’s Annual Town Meeting that will impact the school department.

A hearing and School Committee’s vote on the school district’s budget will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 and presented to the Select Board and Finance Committee at the Tri-Board meeting on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The school department budget is funded as part of the Town Manager’s Fiscal Year Budget, to be voted as part of Article 4 at Annual Town Meeting, which begins on April 29, 2025.

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 March 6, 2025. Agendas are posted up to 48 hours in advance on the district’s website.

The Committee held a workshop prior to the regular business meeting to hear from DillingerRAD, the consultant supporting APS with this process. During the workshop, DillingerRAD updated the scenarios for elementary and middle school redistricting based on community feedback and a review of data. The presentation is currently on our website for review and the ARCGIS Map is open to the community to provide feedback on these updated scenarios. The map will remain open to feedback until Saturday, March 8, 2025.

DillingerRAD will be available for a Let’s Talk! Redistricting In-Person Community Forum scheduled for Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Robb Senior Center, 30 Whittier Court.

The Committee anticipates a vote on the scenarios at their March 20, 2025 meeting.

High Plain Elementary teacher Laura Roussel is this week’s recipient of the APS Staff Shout Out! Ms. Roussel was recognized during the Thursday, February 27th School Committee meeting. She was nominated by Gwen Maesano, who specifically pointed out how Ms. Roussel recognizes that each student is different and creates an environment where all are comfortable and ready to learn. Additionally, her classroom is a safe space where students know that it’s ok to make mistakes, and that doing so is a part of growing and learning. Congratulations for this recognition, Ms. Roussel! Thank you for all you do for APS 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 encourage to attend to discuss any item under the purview of the School Committee.

The next School Committee Informal Forum will take place on Monday, March 10th 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.

The Town of Andover will host a public meeting regarding the future reuse of the Shawsheen School on Tuesday, March 4 at 6:30 PM at Memorial Hall Library. The meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the history of the school, the current condition of the facility, the characteristics of available space, and potential reuse options. The meeting marks the kickoff of an extensive public engagement process that will take place over the coming year to determine the community’s preferences regarding the short and long-term use of the building. For more information, click here.