Doherty Family Update 3.29.2026

Typical beginning and ending of the day

School opens at 7:50 for breakfast in the cafeteria- 🌟Only the Front Door is open at 7:50

8:05 all doors including the back and side of the build are open

8:05 Bell rings - students can access their lockers

Our school day starts promptly at 8:15

Doherty Website- Has all the Information

Tuesday 4/14 - 8th Grade Career Day - during school day - Andover High School

Friday 4/17 - Essex Ag. Tech. School visit with 7th Grade - during school day

Monday 4/20 - Friday 4/24 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess

Reminder to bring your chromebook fully charged on testing days!

March 31 ELA- Tuesday

April 1 ELA- Wednesday

8th Grade Only: April 30 Science- Thursday

8th Grade Only: May 4 Science- Monday

May 11 Math- Monday

May 12 Math- Tuesday

8th Grade Only: May 18 Civics- Monday

Did you know brief mindfulness—“mindful minutes” or micro-practices—can reduce test anxiety, improve focus, and help performance by calming the body’s stress response? Even 1–5 minute breathing exercises can calm the nervous system and boost capacity right before or during tests.

Reminder: MCAS is Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1. These can be stressful days for students. Feel free to remind them about the mindful minute and perhaps you can try it out together tonight. .

Please see the below video on the mindful minute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEqZthCaMpo

In addition, if you or your family feel the “Sunday scaries,” you might find this video helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNHLhHyjbd0

Great Free Book Fair

A huge thank you to our amazing parents for donating to our recent FREE Book Fair! Because of your support, every student went home with a brand-new-to-them book that they chose themselves.

Pictured from left to right: Amy Hamilton, Stephanie Barry, and RJ Johnson

Doherty Girls!

Doherty Middle School is excited to start a Girls on the Run Middle School chapter (Heart and Soul)!

Practices will be held every Monday and Thursday after school from 3:00-4:30pm, starting Monday 4/6/2026 through Thursday 6/4/2026.

Program fee: $35-$225 more financial aid available $0-$34

We will meet, play fun games, learn some important skills and walk/run as we enjoy beautiful (hopefully) spring days.

Participants end their season with a celebratory 5k on the Boston Common, scheduled this year for May 30th. This closing event commemorates their experience and dedication: participants enjoy the feeling of accomplishment of reaching their goal, complete with a medal to celebrate their achievement!

To learn more about Girls on the Run, please see below

https://www.girlsontherunboston.org/impact

Link to register

https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/SPRING26Reg?sid=fb05b078cd4a4a4bb5db7821cdbf89ac

Reach out to one of our wonderful coaches with any questions!

Kate.Carlton@andoverma.us

Jeri.QuirkCarr@andoverma.us

Mollie.Shenker@andoverma.us

Emily.Hall@andoverma.us

Sarah.Rudolph@andoverma.us

Link to register

https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/SPRING26Reg?sid=fb05b078cd4a4a4bb5db7821cdbf89ac

Support Project 351 by donating to Cradles to Crayons and helping children in need.

A Donation box is located in the Main Foyer at Doherty Middle School.

Please see the flyer below for more details.

Bridging the Gap: Student Voices Leading the Way

This week, members of the Principal’s Student Advisory Council took a proactive step in refining our transition process from elementary to middle school. Council members met with a group of our current 6th graders to gather firsthand insights into their journey from 5th grade to Doherty Middle School. By asking targeted questions about their experiences, challenges, and successes, the Council is helping us identify what works and where we can improve. This feedback is invaluable as we strive to make the move to Doherty as smooth and welcoming as possible for our incoming students.

Elias Gallaudet leading a group

Thomas Kushman leading a group

Cody Nguyen leading a group

Our volunteers for 7th Day Career Day and their students:

On Wednesday, March 25, Doherty, West, and Woodhill Middle Schools hosted our first-ever 7th-grade Career Speaker Day. We were incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from so many community members. At Doherty, we welcomed 18 parent volunteers who captivated our students' attention with their expertise, experience, and wisdom. Students rotated through four 15-minute presentations during their extended advisory period. Both teachers and students left engaged, inspired, and interested after our incredible speakers.

We had the following careers represented:

Anesthesiology, Business owners, CEOs, Clergy, Engineers, Human resources, Investments, Law, Marketing, Military, Neurosurgeons, Podcasters, Scientists, Speech–Language Pathologists (SLPs), Superintendent, and Therapists

It was a joy to hear students' real-time feedback: "That was so fun," "That was so interesting," "I learned so much," and "I wish I could have heard from even more people!" High praise from our middle schoolers. We are so appreciative of our teachers and staff for their eagerness to open their classrooms to our fantastic community, and we are beyond grateful to all the parents and caregivers who took time to inspire our students.

We look forward to next year!

Gia Cyrier - Marketing

Neel Shah - Anesthesiologist

Audra Prout - Business Owner

Anna Terry - Neurosurgeon

Rory Pheiffer - Law

Dana Allen Walsh - Pastor/Podcaster

Neil Angis and Dan Gutstein - Small business owners

Heather Nolan - Military

Douglas Heim - Attorney

Imran Ali - Investment

Michelle Hayes - CEO

Justin Baker - STEM

James Slaughter - Human Resources

Wendy Donohue - Business Owner

JP Hare - Engineer

Stacy Swift - Speech Language Pathologist

Steve Zrike - School Superintendent

Gus pictured with his mom Katie Alexander - Law

Laura Stamboni Gouveia - Therapist

Thank you to all that tried Principal Perry's sandwich! We are a waiting totals from Food Service and we will find out the results soon! By popular request here is copy of the recipe.

As a culminating project for the Ancient Rome unit, 7B students created research-based informational posters on a variety of topics related to the culture of the legendary empire, including family life, military tactics, and diet. Accompanying their posters were 3D models and illustrations. On Friday, March 27, in the Doherty Media center, the team presented their final products to staff and families.

Andover Public Schools is pleased to announce we will continue to offer acceleration opportunities for students in Mathematics this summer. We realize that all students develop their mathematical abilities at different rates, so offering a variety of entry points remains important to us.

We will be offering an Accelerated Math Program (AMP) Summer Enrichment Program for students who will be entering Grade 8 in 2026. The course will be open to students who wish to be placed in the Accelerated Math Pathway for Grade 8. Consideration will be given to students based on their grades and teacher recommendation.

PLEASE NOTE: AMP Summer Math is not intended for students who are currently in the AMP for Grade 7.

The program will run in person from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. each day for a total of 16 contact hours over two weeks.

• June 22 - June 25

• June 29 - July 2

The cost of the program is $200. Students interested in participating should register below. Payment information will be sent directly to parents/guardians. The deadline to register is May 1st. There is a ten-student minimum to run program. Need-based scholarships are available; please reach me at paige.crowley@andoverma.us with any questions.

• Sign-up through google form at: AMP Summer Program Sign Up 2026

Thank you,

Paige Crowley

Math Program Coordinator, grades 6-12

Andover Public Schools

Andover Public Schools is pleased to announce we will continue to offer acceleration opportunities for students in Mathematics this summer. We realize that all students develop their mathematical abilities at different rates, so offering a variety of entry points remains important to us. We have outlined the summer mathematics programs that would enable your child to participate should they qualify. We will be offering two in-person summer courses at the high school: Algebra 1 and Geometry. Please note that if your student is currently in the Accelerated Math Program (AMP) they are learning both the Grade 8 and Algebra 1 math content.

See details below:

Math Summer Enrichment 2026

We have many items on our Lost & Found Shelves!

* Please encourage your student to check for any missing items

* Parents/Caregivers are welcome to come in during the school day to check for lost items.

Any unclaimed items will be donated prior to April Vacation!

📅Competition Schedule:

Week 1: March 2-6

Week 2: March 9-13

Week 3: March 16-20

Week 4: March 23-27

🏆Championship Round: March 30-April 3

Each week we are recognizing the advisories in each grade that have the top attendance and updating our March Madness Attendance Challenge

🌟6th Grade: Heintzelman/Patterson

🌟7th Grade: Burke & Crawford Advisory

🌟8th Grade: TIE: Longbook/Tyrell and Baski/ Cherry

Our March Madness bracket and our new weekly winners will be announced on Monday morning.

Bakshi/Cherry Advisory sporting their prize- FUN SUNGLASSES!

Questions about the high school process?

* Every Wednesday during eighth-grade lunch, Ms. Creamer will host “open office hours,” for eighth-grade students to stop by and ask questions.

* Parents are also welcome to contact Ms. Creamer with any questions.

* Please feel free to visit the 9th Grade Transition to AHS information Website and feel free to reach out to Ms. Creamer (marymargaret.creamer@andoverma.us) with any questions.

Hello 8th‑grade families,

If your child will not be attending Andover High School next year and you would like to be removed from future course selection email communications, please click the link below and complete the google survey.

https://forms.gle/ajSz26S7KjuQfm1RA

Homework Help with AHS Students

Andover High School’s Junior Board assist Doherty Middle Schoolers with their homework. If you're interested in attending next week’s session, please RSVP. We'll have food available since the club starts at 3:15 PM. Note any allergies or restrictions on the sign-up sheet. Kindly RSVP to plan the number of HS volunteers.

If you are interested in your student joining, please fill out this form. Please note: It does not need to be a weekly commitment, students can come when it works best for their family’s schedule.

If you have any questions or need additional information about the high school transition, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our school counselor Ms. Creamer at marymargaret.creamer@andoverma.us. Thank you for your continued support!

Attention 8th Grade Families!

DOHERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARBOOK 2025/2026

Submission Request: 8th Grade Yearbook Collage Page

The firm deadline for photo submissions will be April 1st, 2026

We’re excited to offer a wide variety of after-school programs and clubs here at Doherty Middle School! These activities provide students with opportunities to explore new interests, develop skills, and connect with peers in a fun and supportive environment that promotes community.

Please note: A completed permission slip is required for students to participate in any after-school club or program. Be sure to submit the form to ensure your child can join in on the fun!

Dylan Birch Clubs Organizer

Recognizing the needs of middle school students, the staff members of Doherty Middle School offer a variety of programs to students after the scheduled school day. The following list outlines those programs that are up and running as well as those in the planning process. In addition to these offerings, staff members often provide other informal opportunities for the students.

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.