Bancroft Bulletin
Family Edition: March 13, 2026
DATES TO KNOW
March 20: Celebrate Rock Your Socks day - see below
March 26: Bancroft Talent Show (info comes from PTO) at 6:00
Andover Public Schools 2025 - 2026 Calendar
Andover Public School 2026-2027 Calendar
MCAS dates
Grade 3
ELA - April 6 and April 7
Math - May 11 and May 12
Grade 4
ELA - March 31 and April 1
Math - May 13 and May 15
Grade 5
ELA - April 13 and April 14
Math - May 4 and May 5
Science - May 18 and May 19
Vision of the Graduate
Dr. Riley, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, is excited to share the next phase of our Vision of the Graduate (VoG) work with the Andover community. As you may know, over the past four years, the VoG design team has partnered with educators, students, families, and community members to shape the APS Vision of a Graduate—a shared vision for the skills and mindsets our students need to thrive now and in the future.
In the last issue of All Around APS, we introduced the student‑designed Vision of a Graduate (below) and a short Vision of a Graduate introductory video, showcasing the creativity and leadership of our learners.
To begin our VOG launch, Dr. Riley will be hosting a parent Zoom on Thursday, March 19th from 12:00pm-1:00pm. Please register here to learn about the APS Vision of a Graduate. Thank you for your continued partnership and support!
Message from our Clinic
Important Message From Our Clinic
Just a few reminders as we head into spring:
When to keep your child home:
· Fever
· Vomiting or diarrhea
· Contagious diseases- please call the clinic to discuss with the nurses if you have any questions
Criteria for a student returning to school following an illness:
· Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
· Vomiting or diarrhea free for 24 hours.
When medication for a contagious infection is prescribed, please call the nurse to discuss a safe return plan.
Head Lice - the nurse in the clinic must check the student’s head before a student can return to school.
Although we are not currently seeing a lot of head lice in the school, it is a year round concern. Please continue to perform head checks on your children periodically and call the clinic with any questions.
We still have some cold days ahead of us, so please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for outdoor recess including a warm coat/jacket, snow pants and boots if they want to play in the snow, a hat, and gloves.
ELPAC Opportunity
Do you want to learn the best strategies for navigating Andover schools and meet other multilingual families in our community? Please click the link below to register for our March 31st ELPAC meeting so we can ensure you feel welcome, supported, and connected!
Invitation link - https://app.smore.com/n/zbmk5
RSVP - https://forms.gle/VR5P6gobT18zg6Jb7
¿Quiere conocer las mejores estrategias para navegar las escuelas de Andover y conocer a otras familias de nuestra comunidad? Haga clic en el enlace a continuación para registrarse en nuestra reunión de ELPAC del 31 de marzo para que podamos asegurarnos de que se sienta bienvenido, apoyado y conectado.
Você quer aprender as melhores estratégias para navegar nas escolas de Andover e conhecer outras famílias em nossa comunidade? Clique no link abaixo para se inscrever em nossa reunião do ELPAC em 31 de março, para que possamos garantir que você se sinta bem-vindo, apoiado e conectado!
您想了解在安多弗 (Andover) 学校就读的最佳策略并结识我们社区的其他家庭吗？请点击下面的链接注册参加 3 月 31 日的 ELPAC 会议，以便我们确保您感到受欢迎、获得支持并与大家建立联系！
هل ترغب في تعلم أفضل الاستراتيجيات للتنقل في مدارس أندوفر والتعرف على عائلات أخرى في مجتمعنا؟ يرجى النقر على الرابط أدناه للتسجيل في اجتماع ELPAC المقرر عقده في 31 مارس لضمان شعورك بالترحيب والدعم والتواصل معنا!
Physical Education weekly update!
Week of March 9th
This week, all students continued practicing dribbling skills. Students in grades K–2 worked with playground balls, while students in grades 3–5 practiced both dribbling and shooting with basketballs.
Students worked in teams to “Create a Monster” using different pieces of PE equipment. To collect the equipment pieces for their monster, K–2 students had to dribble a playground ball to various spots on the floor, while students in grades 3–5 had to successfully make a basketball shot.
Building on last week’s assembly, students focused on the importance of using details when explaining a character. Teams added creative details to their monsters and used their imagination to transform different pieces of equipment into different features of their monster.
Music weekly update!
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MUSIC CLASS 3/9/26-3/13/26
Kindergarten and first grade students are focused on the fundamental skill of steady beat. We warm up with the “Steady Beat Rap” and then move into a trivia game about things that keep a steady beat vs. things that don’t.
We complete the lesson with an interactive community building singing game called “Acka Backa.” In this game, students take turns being the leader as they point to others to the steady beat, going around the circle. As students get out, they are able to play the rhythm sticks to the steady beat.
Second and Third grade students are experiencing what it’s like to be composers in cooperative groups. Students are given 2 special words in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day: rainbow and gold. Groups work together to build word chain rhythms with these words knowing how long to make their patterns. We complete the activity by playing our patterns on the drums, metals, woods, shakers and scrapers.
Fourth grade students continue their own rhythmic speech patterns to “Good Better Best.” Students not only create the rhythmic speech but also a movement to go with it and perform for the class. We then transfer the movement and rhythmic speech to the unpitched percussion group of instruments.
Fifth grade students continue their work with ukulele. This week students learned their first chord, the C chord on ukulele. We discuss the fingering, what a fret is, and how to understand which string to place our finger on, by reading the chord diagram. Students create a 4 beat pattern with a partner on the C chord.
Art weekly update!
Week of March 9th
Kindergarteners will be learning about Korean American artist Joo-Young Choi. She creates puppets and characters for imaginary worlds that she makes up. She creates installations with characters as a type of mythology. Students will be creating their own imaginary friends in art class.
First graders are creating colorful spring paintings inspired by the earliest flowers.
Second graders are beginning a drawing project inspired by VIncent van Gogh’s “Bedroom in Arles.”
Third grade students are creating clay planets inspired by artist/inventor James Nasmyth for the spring art show.
Fourth graders are learning about lines of symmetry in art. They are looking at Frank Lloyd Wright’s stained glass examples, and they will be creating their own 2D piece of symmetrical art.
Fifth graders are creating a 5x 5 artwork inspired by the theme of interdependence for a district-wide installation. Next, fifth graders are creating gemstone paintings inspired by contemporary artist Angie Crabtree.
Library Media weekly update!
Week of March 9
This week, Kindergarten read The Wind May Blow by Sasha Quinton. This book discusses perseverance and features beautiful illustrations. Following the read aloud, students learned how to draw an umbrella.
First grade continued to read the three little pig fairytales. This week students read Goldilocks and the Three Little Pigs from the Wrong Fairytale series. Following the read aloud, students began to create their own three little pig stories.
Students in grades two through five continued to work on their writing and research projects. After a grade wide vote, grade two read the second chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Students began to learn about the back story of the characters and how they can expand their story characters. Third grade students continue to work on their small moments and personal narrative and are starting to write their pre-writes. Fourth and fifth grade students are in the depths of their research.
School librarian: Tiffany Hutchins
Librarian email: tiffany.legare@andoverma.us
TECHNOLOGY DEVICES AT SCHOOL
We are all working to manage the age of technology and are looking for support between school and home. Many children have new smart devices and the elementary schools have some guidance.
A kind reminder to our families that cell phones must be turned off and in students’ backpacks at the start of the school day. Smartwatches may be worn as regular watches, however, students are not allowed to text, communicate with others, use applications, take pictures or videos, or access social media services and websites.
Should parents/guardians urgently need to reach their child during the school day, we ask that you call the main office. Students are also allowed to come to the main office if they need to contact someone at home. If a cell phone or watch becomes a significant distraction, school administrators will reach out to parents/guardians. The Andover Public Schools is not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged, or broken devices.
To promote healthy digital habits during the school day, the resources below may be helpful to use. We appreciate your partnership as we work to keep interruptions to the school day at a minimum.
Resource for Apple Watches:
How to set a School Time schedule
Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap All Watches, then tap your child's watch.
Tap Done, then tap Schooltime.
Turn on Schooltime, then tap Edit Schedule.
Choose the days and times when you want Schooltime to be active.
Tap Add Time if you want to set up more than one schedule in a day.
Resource for Gizmo Watches:
How to set up School mode
Open the. Gizmo Hub app.
Tap the. School mode switch. turn on or off. If necessary, set up a School Mode schedule.
Bobcat to Bobcat
Bobcat to Bobcat is a committee in our school of staff members who work to support families who may need assistance with various needs throughout the year. This includes helping with scholarships for events, holidays, and more. Our work is confidential and financially supported by our PTO as well as our staff and families who donate when needed.
All donations are given anonymously and recipients’ information will be kept in strict confidence.
We have an amazing community here at Bancroft and know that when there is a need, everyone pitches in. We will reach out throughout the year!
If you are a family wanting to be on our list needing support, please email our social worker, Nancy Modlish at nancyjo.modlish@andoverma.us or me, Beth Leavitt at beth.leavitt@andoverma.us.
Meals at Bancroft
All students are able to receive 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch daily during the 2025 - 2026 school year. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:45 - 9:00 and does not need to be ordered ahead of time.
Lunches will need be preordered. It is very important that our cafeteria has an accurate lunch count each day. Please review with your children each morning what you have ordered for them.
Please click below for the monthly menu and more information about Andover's Nutrition Program including how to sign up.
LOST & FOUND
Every year the lost & found racks become quite full of clothes, water bottles, shoes, etc. and you can help by LABELING EVERYTHING!!
PLEASE write your last name on items and this will help us to return things to your child.
Thank you!!
Transportation Information
MOST IMPORTANT - CARS DO NOT TRAVEL FROM THE BANCROFT ROAD SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. YOU ENTER THE CAR LANE FROM WEST KNOLL.
OUR BUSES MUST USE BANCROFT ROAD AND IT IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH FOR CARS AND BUSES. YOUR COOPERATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL!
When cars are waiting prior to 8:45 and prior to 3:30, they must be TURNED OFF.
This is a NO IDLING ZONE as the SIGNAGE INDICATES.
DROP OFF: ALL CARS MUST DRIVE UP WEST KNOLL TO DROP OFF STUDENTS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not get out of the car in the morning to help your child. We have staff on duty to assist and this will hold up the line quite a bit. We know many have to rush off and we want to help in any way we can. This is a way we can help one another!
There is a staff member there to direct traffic and it is a single lane so you may not pass even if your child has exited your car.
PARENT PICK-UP: ALL CARS MUST DRIVE UP WEST KNOLL TO PICK UP STUDENTS. NO CARS WILL BE PERMITTED TO ENTER FROM BANCROFT ROAD.
In order to help expedite the pick-up procedure, please write your last name ONLY in LARGE, BLACK, BOLD print on a piece of tag board/paper and have it prominently displayed when you arrive to pick up your child. This will expedite the process. If someone else is picking up your child, please have them follow the same protocol.
AGAIN . . . DO NOT EXIT YOUR CAR DURING THIS TIME OR PASS CARS! Every car stays in a single line and waits for the car in front of you to drive off.
Thank you very much!
Resources
Important Links (APS):
Bancroft Elementary School
Email: beth.leavitt@andoverma.us
Website: Bancroft School
Instagram: @bancroftaps
Location: 15 Bancroft Rd, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 247-9500
X: @BancroftAPS