Bulldog Bulletin

It is exciting that warmer days are right around the corner. Daylight Saving Time will bring some welcome light back to our evenings. We are in that in between time of the year, and I am hopeful that we are moving steadily toward Spring!

What an amazing Authors Week! It was wonderful for students to learn more about the writing process and to hear directly from authors. We ended the week with a fan favorite, Ivy the Dog. A little known fact is that I also have a French Bulldog at home. Due to the delay earlier in the week, our Community Readers will now join us on April 17 just before break. We always look forward to the wide variety of readers who volunteer their time to share stories with our students.

A reminder that this Wednesday will be an early release day, with dismissal at 12:15, to allow time for conferences. On Thursday, our fifth grade students will welcome Deborah Sampson as part of their learning. This presentation helps bring history to life. Thursday is also our Talent Show at 6pm and Sanborn Students will show off their very best.

The most exciting news for the week is that our Learning Journey is launching. Sign-ups begin today. Please take a moment to read through all of the session descriptions. As you attend conferences this month and hear many educational terms, this event will offer an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of them, along with our curriculum and the learning happening at Sanborn. We are also working to provide babysitting in order to increase access for families, so please be sure to complete the form even if you will need childcare in order to attend. Please fill out one form for each attendee. The Learning Journey will take place on March 25 from 5:00 to 6:30. We look forward to welcoming you into the building. All are welcome.

Morning Meeting:

Join Ms. Hart for a Learning Journey session that highlights the power of Morning Meeting as a joyful and purposeful start to the school day. During this session, you’ll see how greetings, student sharing, interactive activities, and the morning message work together to build a strong classroom community while supporting communication, collaboration, and confidence in students. Come experience how this daily routine helps create a positive classroom culture where every student feels seen, heard, and ready to learn.

Arts and Letters:

We invite families to join us in the coaching room during the Learning Journey! Drop in to explore and engage with the texts and topics featured in our upcoming Arts and Letters Module 4 for grades K–5. Rather than a formal presentation, this will be a relaxed, hands-on opportunity to browse anchor texts, review student tasks and work samples, and see how reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are developed within each grade-level module. Families are encouraged to ask questions, share observations, and connect directly with our literacy coach, Tayler DiPesa, and teacher representative, Beth Ann Price, about the curriculum, instructional approaches, and ways to support learning at home. We look forward to partnering with you as we prepare for an exciting and meaningful Module 4 experience for all students!

Art

Mrs. Ricciardi will introduce this year’s district-wide art initiative, proudly sponsored by the Andover Rotary Club, which unites students across APS around the shared theme of interdependence. She will explain how this collective experience invites students to explore what it means to belong, to contribute, and to be part of something larger than themselves through developmentally appropriate lessons that grow in depth and complexity from Kindergarten through Grade 5. The presentation will conclude with a brief hands-on component, giving families the opportunity to participate in a parent version of the interdependence project and experience the process firsthand.

Multilingual Conversation

Did you know that Sanborn families speak more than 30 different languages? We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn from one another and celebrate the rich linguistic diversity in our school community.

Stop by to see Mrs. Xavier and Ms. Bakanosky, meet other multilingual families, make connections with other parents, learn about each other’s cultures, and maybe even earn a prize!

If you have attended our Coffee and Conversation meetings during the school day, you know that we usually share a fun “National Day” from the National Day Calendar. Join us to find out what National Day is celebrated on March 25th and try a sweet treat!

We will also have materials from our English Language Development curriculum on display so you can learn more about how we support multilingual learners here at Sanborn.

Eureka Math: Learning Goals & Success Criteria

Ms. Boucher will share how students use a clear learning goal and specific success criteria to guide their understanding in each topic of our Eureka Math modules. This session will highlight how the learning goal helps students know exactly what they are expected to learn, while the success criteria break that goal into clear, manageable steps. Families will also see how students refer to these tools during lessons to monitor their progress, reflect on their learning, and take ownership of their growth.

Eureka Math: Building Strong Problem Solvers

Join Ms. Romano and Ms. Diodatti for a Learning Journey rotation focused on Eureka Math and what math instruction looks like in today’s classroom! This session will highlight the problem-solving strategies students use each day and explain why we prioritize deep conceptual understanding over rote memorization. Math may look different from when we were in school, and that’s intentional! Come learn the “why” behind the models and strategies your child is using and gain practical tips for supporting math learning at home. We look forward to partnering with you to build confident, capable mathematicians!

RULER & Support at Home

Join our School Social Worker, Jen Cann and Assistant Principal, Margo McGonigle, for a K–5 parent session focused on supporting children’s social-emotional learning (SEL) at home. During this interactive session families will learn about RULER, an evidence-based approach used at Sanborn to help children learn to Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate their emotions, and how these skills strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. Resources and insights from our work with your children will be shared to provide families with actionable tools and language they can use right away to support their child’s emotional growth.

A day in the life of a Sanborn Bulldog at Phys Ed!

Come join Mrs. Navarro in a basketball activity that is loved by all your students! Whether you have never played basketball or love to hoop it up, all are welcome and will have fun! Please wear sneakers, and get ready for lots of baskets!

What’s Data Got to Do With It?

Families often hear the word data in schools, but what does that really mean for your child’s learning? In this session, Principal Carolyn Fawcett will share how Sanborn collects and uses student learning data to support every child. Families will learn about the types of information teachers review, how grade level teams meet regularly to discuss student progress, and how this information helps guide instruction. The session will also provide an overview of how Sanborn uses structures such as data meetings, Power Block, and the Student Support Team to ensure students receive the support they need.

Dear Families,

This month in Physical Education, students are taking part in our Climbing and Gymnastics Unit. This past week our gym was set up with four fun activity stations where students practiced climbing, balancing, and moving in new ways. These activities help build strength, coordination, balance, and confidence.

Students rotated through the following stations:

🧗 Rock Wall – Students climb across or up the wall using different hand and foot holds.

🕸 Cargo Net – Students climb the cargo net using both hands and feet while practicing safe climbing.

🤸 Floor Routine – Students performed movements on mats such as rolling, balancing, and leaping.

⚖️ Balance Beams – Students walk across low beams to practice balance, focus, and body control.

Safety First!

Students follow safety rules, take turns, and use mats placed under all equipment.

We are excited for students to challenge themselves, stay active, and have fun in PE!

Thank you for supporting Physical Education!

-Mrs. Navarro

As we continue on our RULER journey we will begin to discuss being our "Best Self". We had the opportunity to begin this week with fourth grade. Part of this work is being an Upstander (a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being treated unfairly.) Next week their focus is inclusivity- 4th grade students will be earning tickets for being inclusive. Adults who notice these actions will award the tickets. We will begin work with the entire school on being our "Best Self" at our next school meeting in Mid March.

Mark your calendars!

The testing window has been set by DESE and we are planning for the following MCAS test dates. Please note that students will take 2 days of tests per content area. Please refrain from vacations or unnecessary absences on these dates.

Grade 3

-English Language Arts (ELA) Assessments: Monday, March 30th and 31th
-Mathematics Assessments: Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8

Grade 4

-English Language Arts (ELA) Assessments: Tuesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 9

-Mathematics Assessments: Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12

Grade 5

-English Language Arts (ELA) Assessments: Tuesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 9
-Mathematics Assessments: Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12

-Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) Assessments: Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19

March 11: Early Release 12:15

March 12: Talent Show 6pm

March 25: Learning Journey 5pm

March 27: Playground Gala 7pm

March 30 & 31: 3rd Grade ELA MCAS

April 7 & 9: 4th and 5th Grade ELA MCAS

April 20-April 25: April Vacation

May 3: Colleen Ritzer 5K

• March is shaping up to be a busy, busy month for Sanborn! Here is what the PTO wants you to know this week…

  • Come get dressed up for a good cause! The Sanborn PTO is hosting a Gala on March 27th to help fund the new playground. This event is open to the public on a first come first served basis and tickets are on sale now! If you’d like to make a donation but can’t attend, please donate here!

  • Author’s Week was a blast and such a fun way to start off the month! We had so many exciting authors and community members join us throughout the week. A huge thank you to our Author’s Week Chairs, Katie Enos and Lauren Hare for coordinating all of the details!

  • Next week is our Talent Show! Showtime on Thursday is 6:00pm… we can’t wait to see everyone shine on stage!

  • Did you see our Spring Explorations schedule? Registration opens up March 12th at 8:00PM, so take a peek and see what your student would like to try this session!

  • We'd like to ask you to consider signing up for the 13th annual Step Up for Colleen 5K as part of the Sanborn Bulldogs Team, led by our incredible nurse, Lisa Slattery. We hope to see you with us on Sunday, May 3rd!

  
  

  Important Dates

  • 3/10 Talent Show Rehearsal 5:00pm

  • 3/11 Early Release 12:15pm

  • 3/12 Talent Show 6:00pm

  • 3/12 Spring Exploration Registration Opens 8pm

  • 3/25 Learning Journey 5-6:30pm

  • 3/26 Spring Exploration Registration Closes 8pm

  • 3/27 Sanborn Playground Gala

  • 3/30 Spring Explorations Classes Begin