Doherty Family Update 3.30.2025
Looking ahead
- Newsies School Play April Friday 4/4 ; Saturday 4/5 ; and Sunday 4/6: 7pm Shows on Friday & Sat ; 2pm show on Sunday.
- April 9 Early Dismissal 11:30
MCAS Dates
April 8 & 10 – ELA
May 1 – Civics (8th grade only)
May 5 & 6 – Math
May 15 & 16 – STE Science Technology Engineering (8th grade only)
Cradles to Crayons
Thomas Eraly (8th grade, Doherty Middle School) was selected to be the Project 351 Ambassador for Doherty Middle School and the Andover community by the DMS principal Rebecca Perry. Thomas is absolutely thrilled and honored to have this opportunity! His first service project is a Cradles to Crayons clothing drive that will run from March 31-April 11. Cradles to Crayons supports Massachusetts children struggling with clothing insecurity. Thomas has worked hard to prepare clothing donation bins for Cradles to Crayons that will be placed at DMS, South Elementary, Bancroft Elementary, the AYS Cormier Youth Center, and the Town Offices. He has been working with friends; his Core 4 youth service group and AYS directors and coordinators Avre Vickers, Chris Dempsey, Robin Del Negro, and Hayato Tsurumaki at the Youth Center; principal Brenda Lee and 5th grade teacher James Selvitella, along with the South Student Service team at South Elementary; principal Beth Leavitt at Bancroft Elementary; and principal Perry at DMS. Project 351 has encouraged the ambassadors to share their "why," or motivation for service, when spreading the word about the clothing drive and other service projects. Here, in Thomas's words, is his "why": "There is a movie called Pele: Birth of the Legend that I love. I am inspired by Pele's story because it shows how he overcame childhood poverty. I think that this greatly connects to the message that Cradles to Crayons is trying to send."
We are excited to announce that the 2024-2025 DMS Yearbook is now available.
Simply scan this QR code and follow the prompts. Yearbooks will be delivered to homerooms the last week of school
You may also call 866-287-3096 or go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and use order number 13395
Attention 8th-Grade Families!
The Doherty Middle School Yearbook Club is thrilled to include a special collage page celebrating our 8th graders' unique passions—whether it’s sports, hobbies, music, or quality time with a favorite pet.
We invite you to submit ONE clear, high-quality photo of your student enjoying their activity from their middle school years. The deadline for submissions is April 1st, 2025. Simply use the provided QR code to upload your photo (select “Upload Portrait” and choose “Pre-K” for the grade to help us sort the photos).
Yearbooks are $40 and available for all grades. Reserve yours today at www.YearbookOrderCenter.com (order #13395) or call 866-287-3096.
For questions or scholarship inquiries, please contact faculty advisor, Ms. Bakshi at leela.bakshi@andoverma.us. Let’s make sure every 8th grader is celebrated in this year’s book!
School Vacation: Flyers and registration link has more information
- Full Day programs available on Tuesday 4/22 and Thursday 4/24
- Field Trip on Friday 4/25/25
- Field Day Wednesday 4/23/25 2PM-4PM (6th-8th Grade):
We’re hosting a fun and engaging Field Day for middle schoolers. The event is only $10 for non-members & $5 for members. Registration is required. We’ll have a small number of free slots available — up to 5 per school. These slots will be reserved, so if you see students who could benefit, please feel free to refer them by simply emailing their full name. For these select families, AYS can help register them. Food will be a minimal additional cost of $1 for a hotdog and drink.
Summer:
- Outer Limits Full Day Summer Program (6th-8th Grade):
Our Outer Limits summer program for youth (6th-8th grade) is open for registration. This program offers fantastic opportunities for fun throughout the summer months with activities throughout the day, offsite outings in the afternoons and field trips every Friday. We offer financial assistance to families in need, based on availability. We also encourage families to apply through Andona Scholarships. - Community Service Summer Week (6th-8th Grade): A new program with an opportunity to make a difference and give back in the local community while enjoying outdoor adventures! Designed for youth entering grades 6-9, participants will engage in service projects then take part in afternoon outings. There’s a half-day or full-day option with opportunities to earn a completion letter and recommendation. A letter of interest is required from participants.
As always, we have additional enrichment and sports related programming that can be found on our website with updated booklets posted quarterly. I’ll also attach current/upcoming spring programming (arts and enrichment and sports and fitness) Lastly, here are links that may be helpful:
April Vacation programming: https://andoverma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30279
Field Day registration: https://andoverma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29960#0_147461
Outer Limits registration: https://andoverma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30542
Community Service Week registration: https://andoverma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30566
AYS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andoveryouthservices/
AYS Website/Booklet: https://andoverma.gov/1043/Youth-Services
School year 25-26 membership discounts start April 1st through May 31st. With additional savings available to 8th grade students.
- Early registration fee 6th and 7th grade $275
- Early registration fee 8th grade $225
Attached are APS-approved flyers. We appreciate any help in sharing them with families and referring students or families who may benefit. As always, financial aid is available based on availability and need. We also encourage families to seek additional assistance from outside sources, such as Andona scholarships, who may help with summer programming.
Please continue to keep us in mind for any school or parent events, and don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance in any way. Thank you for your ongoing support, and my sincere apologies if I’ve left off any essential staff who could benefit from receiving this information. Please feel free to share additional contact information, and I will add them to our outreach list.
Best regards,
The AYS Team
Weekly Matchups — How to Advance:
- Each week, our Attendance Team will calculate the percentage of students in each homeroom who attended school on time (no tardies!).
- The section with the highest attendance percentage in each matchup advances to the next round.
- Students with medical notes/excuses will not be counted against the attendance.
- Eliminated teams will continue to be eligible for a weekly prize so don’t give up! Each week is a fresh start!
Dear Families,
Thank you to the over 80 parents and caregivers who have already filled out the wellness team's phone survey. The survey closes on April 18th, and we would love to hear from as many people as possible. If you haven't filled it out, there is still time! Survey Link
We are gearing up for Career Day! Thank you to the over 60 parents and caregivers from across our three middle schools who have volunteered to present their careers at our Career Day for 8th graders on April 15th at Andover High School. We are so excited for this special event. In preparation for Career Day, our 8th graders will be filling out career interest surveys in ITT class. Feel free to ask them which career(s) came up on their survey!
6th and 7th graders have continued to work through lessons in our Character Strong program. 6th graders have been finishing up their acrostic poems, and 7th graders have been engaging with lessons on what they value and respect. Feel free to ask your child which value they chose and who in their life influenced them; many named family members as their inspirations.
Lastly, Andover Youth Center is gearing up for a great spring season. Check out their offerings for the advanced debate club as well as their April Break fun day options.
Thank you for your continued support!
Extracurricular Activity Parent/Guardian Consent Form
To be completed if your student will participate in after school Extracurricular clubs. Click here for the form. The form is also available on our website.
Completed form can be dropped off at the Main Office.
List of Clubs and Activities can be found on our website under INFORMATION and RESOURCES