High Plain Elementary Corner
Ms. Leveque's and Mrs. Lyons' Weekly Newsletter
From the Desks of Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
October 19, 2025
Dear HPE Families,
We are excited to share that each year, our fifth graders work in teams to create scarecrow prototypes for the Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) Scarecrow Festival. This year, we were very impressed with the imagination and collaboration that went into creating these designs. Our winning scarecrows are 99 Nights, Le Chat Noir (the Black Cat), and Wild Robot. With the support of Mrs. Kaufman, Mrs. Babbist, our front office, and some families, the winning scarecrows are being put together and will be on display at HPE or in Andover town center from October 18th to November 1st. The 2025 theme is Every Scarecrow Has a Story. This year’s theme celebrates what makes us unique – our traditions, talents, values, cultures, and dreams - while reminding us that together, we form a vibrant, inclusive community. We thank ACE for their ongoing support to our schools. Each year, they provide funding for our staff to try innovative approaches that support the schooling experience of the children in Andover.
Enjoy,
Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
-Monday, October 20: Diwali
-Friday, October 24: PTO Sponsored Trunk or Treat, 5:30-7pm in the Wood Hill Auditorium. Details below.
-Tuesday, October 28: Arts and Letters ELA Curriculum Parent Information Night, 6:30pm, West Elementary School. Information below.
-Thursday, October 30: Arts and Letters ELA Curriculum Parent Information Night, 12-12:30pm, Virtual. Information below.
-Tuesday, November 4: No school districtwide; Grades Kindergarten - 5th Parent-Teacher Conferences
-Friday, November 7: No school for kindergarten; Kindergarten Parent-Teacher Conferences
-Tuesday, November 11: No school; Veterans Day
HPE 2025-26 School Supply Lists
School Year Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8:45-3:30
As part of our HPE Student Council, we have a news team that has a weekly report for our students. Thank you to Mrs. Chaves for producing this work! We also have students working with Mrs. Roussel on a Hawks Newspaper. We've been able to create a website so you can view both from one spot. Click on the tabs at the top of the site to move from the newspaper to the news. The newspaper has not been published yet, but HPEtv is going strong. Here is the latest news.
Grades 4 and 5:
Students in grades 4 and 5 have just wrapped up their soccer skill development activities. This week, they have begun the long-awaited games of sideline soccer. In this activity, students showcase the skills they've been working on in a small-sided game format. They rotate in groups of four through the different positions of “sideline,” “goalie,” and “fielder.”
Grade 3:
Grade 3 students are finishing their final week of soccer skill development with a fan-favorite game called Clean Your Messy Backyard. In this game, students practice striking the soccer ball with their foot in a dynamic environment. The goal is to end each round with the fewest soccer balls in their own "yard," resulting in the cleanest backyard! Next week, students will be introduced to sideline soccer.
Grades K–2:
Students in kindergarten through grade 2 are continuing their soccer skill development. They've started playing a game called Penguin Soccer, where they aim to knock over six penguins (targets) across the gym by kicking soccer balls at them—before the other team knocks over the six penguins on their side.
Our PTO plans lots of fun for our students and families. Please sign up for the PTO Newsletter at www.highplainpto.org so you don’t miss out on fun events. We will be at the Open House Curriculum Night so come say hello!
SCHOOL BUS
Bus transportation to and from school is provided free of charge to elementary students. Kindergarten students must be met by a known adult at the bus stop. Bus routes will be listed in the Aspen portal.
NAME/BUS TAGS (For Kindergarten and Grade 1 Students)
Your child’s teacher will give you a name tag necklace on the first day. Please have your kindergartner or first grader wear the nametag until further notice. The information on the tag is based on what families have entered on the back to school forms.
CAR PICKUP/DROPOFF
Please note that there are differences in morning arrival and afternoon car pick up. In the morning, you may arrive between 8:45-9:00 by using the High Plain Rd. entrance or the Cross St. entrance. In the afternoon, you can only arrive through the Cross St. entrance. The High Plain Rd. entrance is closed to allow buses. In the afternoon, dismissal begins at 3:30. Both morning and afternoon arrival, all vehicles must turn right when leaving the drop off/pick up line.
WALKERS & BIKE RIDERS:
· For morning arrival, a school crossing guard will be at the Cross Street/Brady Loop entrance.
· All AM walkers and bike riders should use the Cross St. entrance and the sidewalks that follow the front side of the school.
· Bike Riders: Only students in grades 3, 4, and 5 may ride a bike to and from school. A permission form must be completed with the main office.
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.
This is a reminder that the High Plain Road entrance is closed to cars at dismissal. It is the access entrance for buses only. The Cross Street entrance is how cars enter for car pickup. This is a safety concern. We have seen cars try to sneak in daily and it's simply not fair to those who are following the dismissal procedures. We ask you to be respectful of your fellow HPE community members and abide by this rule.
Breakfast and lunch are once again free to all students. Breakfast is served from 8:45-8:55 each morning and no advanced ordering is needed.
Lunches will need be preordered. Lunch requires families to order in advance to ensure we have the correct allergy-friendly lunch for all our students. 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.
Information about the Andover Public Schools lunch program, as well as menus and instructions for online ordering, may be found on the website here: http://www.andoverschoolnutrition.com/
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.
In School Devices
K-3 Devices will stay in school.
4-5 Devices can be brought home if directed by the classroom teacher to complete an assignment. Otherwise, they will remain in school.
Please make sure that you arrive with your license. We cannot check you in and let you enter without your license or state issued ID. You also need to have a valid CORI form on file. Please help us with these required safety steps.
School Hours of Operation
8:30 am: School office opens
8:45 am: School drop off
9:00 am: School day begins
After 9:00 am: Children are tardy and must be accompanied by a parent into the office
After 2:00 pm: Unless it's an emergency, no dismissal changes
Students must be dismissed before 3:00
3:30 pm: School ends
Ms. Sarah Leveque, Principal
Email: sarah.leveque@andoverma.us
Website: https://aps1.net/212/High-Plain-Elementary-School
Location: 333 High Plain Road, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-8600