High Plain Elementary Corner
Ms. Leveque's and Mrs. Lyons' Weekly Newsletter
From the Desks of Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
There is no school for students on Tuesday, November 11th for Veterans Day.
November 9, 2025
Dear HPE Families,
We’d like to take a moment to thank all the individuals who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces. We are grateful for the many sacrifices members of the armed forces and their families have given for the United States. On Tuesday, November 11th, we recognize Veterans Day as a day to honor and thank all who have served and sacrificed for our country. Please take a moment on this day to remember, honor, and thank our Veterans!
November is all about gratitude. We want to thank everyone who joined us for coffee and conversation with our Multilingual Learner Families last week. It was such a pleasure to see so many families connect and share together! Special thanks to Ms. McNeeley and Mrs. Turner for hosting and making everyone feel so welcome. We’re grateful for the wonderful turnout and the chance to build relationships in our High Plain community.
Thank you for attending conferences over this week. We see it as a wonderful opportunity for families and teachers to connect, celebrate progress, and discuss goals. We value the time you took to attend and share insights, as these conversations make a big difference in your child’s educational journey.
As we've entered November, cooler weather has arrived. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the varying temperatures, including a coat, as we head out to recess daily. Make sure that you label all of your child's clothing so we can return any items.
Enjoy,
Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
-Friday, November 7: No school for kindergarten; Kindergarten Parent-Teacher Conferences
-Tuesday, November 11: No school; Veterans Day
-Wednesday, November 26: Early Release (12:15 dismissal) for Thanksgiving Recess
-Thursday, November 27 - Friday, November 28: Thanksgiving Recess
School Year Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8:45-3:30
Andover Public School 2025-2026 Calendar
As part of our HPE Student Council, we have a news team that has a weekly report for our students. Here is the latest news.
HIGH PLAIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S 13th ANNUAL GIFT DRIVE
This is our 13th year as a school community that we would like to lend a hand to families in our school who need a bit of extra help during the holidays. All requests will be kept confidential.
How to request gifts for your family:
1. Complete the linked form (English Form or Spanish Form) and drop off or send in to the High Plain school office no later than Wednesday, November 19th.
2. List 3-4 items and/or gift cards per elementary aged child or younger in your family, and provide alternate options in case an item can’t be purchased. If you have older children, the middle schools and high school also do a gift drive. Please contact them for support for your older children.
3. Please be very specific with the gift ideas so that we can try to get exactly what your child wished for. Please also be specific with sizing information for any clothing.
4. We will call you to come to pick up the gifts at High Plain when we have them ready.
Questions may be directed to Jill Celata at 978-247-8604, or jill.celata@andoverma.us.
During October, 2,851 books were checked out of the library. The number of overdue books has gone up this month to 167. Please help your students keep their books in a safe spot and return them to school on time. Books are checked out for 2 weeks and can be brought in and renewed for an additional 2 weeks. There were 31 books put on hold during October. The books are delivered to classrooms when they become available. There are 64 students in 4th and 5th grades that have reported reading at least 1 MCBA book and there are already 21 students that have read at least 5 books and have qualified to vote when we vote in April. There is plenty of time for students to start reading the Massachusetts Children’s Book award books.
November is Native American Heritage Month. In the library, there are many books on display by Native American authors and illustrators, as well as books on Native American culture, legends and arts. In Kindergarten, we are learning about new authors each week and the students are learning to explore different sections of the library. The first-grade students are exploring different Caldecott award winning books and making hands-on connections with different art techniques used in the books. The second grade students are continuing with the Global Read Aloud of Oge Mora books. The third grade classes will be starting to learn how the library is organized so that they can use the library catalog independently. The fourth-graders are learning about the 5 different kinds of nonfiction. The fifth-graders are learning how to read and evaluate information online.
This year, High Plain is participating in a series of virtual author visits. First and Second grade students listened to Loren Long describe how we wrote and illustrated The Yellow Bus. Third grade students listened to Erin Entrada Kelly talk about her Marisol Rainey series and how she based the books on herself when she was 7 and 8 years old. This week, fourth and fifth grade students will listen to Jerry Kraft, a Newbery award winning author. Over the school year, each student will engage in at least 2 virtual author visits.
Dear Families,
Exciting news! Many of our students are nearing the completion of Module 1 in Arts and Letters in the weeks ahead, and we couldn't be prouder of their progress!
At the beginning of this module, we shared Parent Tip sheets with you and now seems like the perfect time to revisit them. As your child wraps up this learning journey, these tip sheets can be wonderful conversation starters at home. You can have rich discussions about the captivating books they've read and all the amazing ELA and World Knowledge skills they've developed!
Ask them about their favorite characters, what surprised them most, or which new concepts they found most interesting. You might be amazed by how much they've absorbed and how eager they are to share their discoveries with you! This is such a great opportunity to celebrate your child's learning.
We've attached the Parent Tip Sheets below for your convenience. They can also be found on the Elementary Literacy page on the APS website. Just click on the tab titled Arts & Letters. This link also includes the webinar from last week's parent presentation.
Module 1 Parent Tip Sheets: Kindergarten, Grade One, Grade Two, Grade Three, Grade Four, Grade Five
We hope they help spark meaningful conversations that reinforce your child's learning and show them how much you value their hard work.
Thank you for being such supportive partners in your child's educational journey. Your engagement at home makes all the difference!
This week, our very own Mr. Fiore presented at the MAHPERD Convention to P.E. teachers from across the state. Mr. Fiore gave an interactive presentation on the different mini-game stations that work so well here at High Plain. Great job, Mr. Fiore!
Grades 3–5
Students in grades 3–5 are finishing up sideline soccer. They have done an amazing job using the skills learned in the lead-up games and applying them in game-like settings. Students have also had the opportunity to play outside once a week.
Grades K–2
Students have done an awesome job progressing with their foot-striking skill development. They just finished playing a favorite HPE game, Castle Ball, and will begin playing Goalie Ball, where they’ll start learning the skills of goalkeeping and defense in soccer.
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