High Plain Elementary Corner

Week of February 8, 2026

Dear HPE Families,

We love having our students play outside in the snow. For many children, they haven't seen a winter like this often. To help us continue enjoying the recess time and to ensure safety, please review these snow play recess rules with your child.

1. To play in the snow, you need a jacket, snowpants, boots, a hat, and mittens.

2. You can play in the snow and build in the snow.

3. Snow does not go on the playground structure.

4. Snow is not thrown.

5. If these rules are not followed, you will lose the privilege of playing in the snow for that recess.

There will be no school for students February 16 - February 20th. Have a wonderful February break. Our next communication will take place the weekend of February 31st.

Enjoy,

Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons

Sarah.Leveque@andoverma.us and Marika.Lyons@andoverma.us

-Monday, February 9: Report cards open at noon (parent portal)

-Friday, February 13: Spirit Day: PJ Day

• Winter Benchmarking reports go home (student backpacks)

• Monday, February 16: Presidents Day; school offices closed
• Tuesday, February 17: Lunar New Year and Ramadan (begins at sundown)

School Year Hours:

Monday-Friday, 8:45-3:30

Andover Public School 2026-2027 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.

During January, the High Plain students checked out 2,090 books from the library. There were 11 books put on hold during January. As the books become available, they are delivered to the student’s classroom. The number of overdue books has decreased from 639 to 201 books. Thank you very much for helping your students return their books on time. 91 fourth and fifth grade students have read at least 1 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award book so far, and 48 have read at least 5 books and are eligible to vote for the state award winner in April. There is still plenty of time for students to participate. The Kindergarten students continue to explore the library and listen to stories by different authors. I have taught them to use shelf markers to help them pull books from the library shelves. The first-grade students are wrapping up a unit on Caldecott award winning books. During February, the second-grade students will learn about the Coretta Scott King Book Award and we will read a couple Coretta Scott King award winning books. The third-grade students will be working on a research project of an invention of their choice. They will create slides on the invention and present them to their class. The fourth-grade students are engaged in a research project about the American revolution and then will be creating podcasts to share what they learn. The fifth grade students are working on their Capstone projects, which are individual research projects on the topic of their choice.

Students have done a great job progressing through our basketball unit. We have reached our final week of basketball, where the main focus is shooting through a variety of mini-games.

Station 1: HORSE
Using a playground ball, students pair up with a classmate in their group to play a game of HORSE.

Station 2: Spot Shooting
Poly spots are placed around the basket. Students move from spot to spot, seeing how many different locations they can successfully make a basket from.

Station 3: Around the World
Students pair up to play a game of Around the World. At this station, students can choose from three different baskets, all at varying heights.

Station 4: Knock Out
Students learn the game Knock Out, where they try to make a basket before the person behind them does.

On Monday, February 9, your child's report card will be available through the Parent Portal. Please take a moment to review the important reminders below about interpreting our standards-based report card. Our second round of conferences will take place in March, and teachers will share available dates and times after February vacation.

Report Cards

The standards listed on the report cards are grade-level standards that are taken directly from the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks and explicitly state what students must know and be able to do. The standards serve as the foundation for the curriculum chosen, guide the pedagogy enlisted to deliver the curriculum, and become the target for our assessments, both formative and summative.

The report card will use indicators that illustrate each individual’s progress in meeting these academic standards. Note: The standards are end-of-year standards. It is not unusual for most students to be “Beginning” or "Developing" along these standards at this point in the school year. This is particularly true with our ELA standards. We are in the first year of implementing the Arts and Letters curriculum and therefore, the sequence in which we teach the standards differs from previous years. We no longer teach whole units dedicated to one type of writing or literary genre. Instead, we teach the standards many times during the year. Hence, it is a developing or beginning skill based on our curriculum.

M - Meets the standard

- The student can apply the standard with independence

- The student demonstrates mastery of or proficiency in that standard

- The student is able to apply the standard in a variety of contexts

D - Developing

- The student applies the standard with varied consistency, quality, or independence

- The student is making progress toward mastery of or proficiency in the standard.

B - Beginning

- The student has not yet reached the understanding to apply the standard.

- The student is making early progress toward mastery of or proficiency in the standard.

On February 13, 2026, parents and guardians will receive Family Reports that summarize your child’s middle-of-the-year assessments. These reports will be sent home with your child.

• DIBELS (Grades K–5): A literacy screener that helps us understand your child’s reading development and guide instruction.

• MAP Growth (Grades 2–5): An adaptive assessment in reading (Grades 2-5) and math (Grades 3-5) that shows your child’s current learning level and growth over time.

For more information:

• MAP Growth: NWEA Family Toolkit or Andover Public Schools MAP Assessment

• DIBELS: Andover Public Schools mCLASS Literacy Assessments

These middle-of-the-year results help teachers inform instruction, personalize learning, and monitor the growth of individual students. Administrators use the data to assess performance and progress at each grade level, school, and district. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or principal.

Dear Families of Incoming Kindergarten students:

We share in your excitement for your child to enroll in Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year and look forward to them being a part of the High Plain Elementary community in September.

Kindergarten registration will begin on Monday, February 2, 2026 to Monday, March 2, 2026. Please access the Kindergarten Registration link on our website at www.aps1.net/o/aps/page/kindergarten-registration.

Following your registration, please contact us directly to make an appointment to submit your registration paperwork.

For your reference, student eligibility requirements are as follows:

A student must actually reside in Andover, unless one of the exceptions set forth in Policy JF applies. The residence of a minor child is ordinarily presumed to be the legal residence of the child's parent or legal guardian.

Kindergarten:

As per School Committee Policy, children must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2026 and entering Kindergarten in the Andover Public Schools for the first time.

First Grade: (New to Andover / Andover Public Schools)

Children must be age 6 on or before August 31, 2026, and enrolling in the Andover Public Schools for the first time or transferring from another school district school.

The first day of school for Pre-K and Kindergarten students is Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

We look forward to meeting all our incoming students and families in the new school year!

The testing window has been set by DESE and we are planning for the following MCAS test dates at HPE. 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

ACCESS Testing goes through the months of January and February. English Language students in grades 1-5, will take 4 tests: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. These are required state assessments. By Fall of 2026, families will receive Individual Student Reports that provide information about how your child is progressing. Please reach out if you have any questions to Vilanha Turner or Vivian McNeeley, our English Language Educators.

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!

As we enter the cooler weather leading into winter, we want students to have a consistent outdoor experience between grades and classrooms. To support this, we have set guidelines for temperature/weather type when deciding outdoor vs. indoor recess for all classrooms. Below are guidelines for outdoor recess.

• Students will be outdoors if the temperature (including wind chill) is 20 degrees or warmer and it’s not raining, sleeting, hailing, or blizzarding. We use Weatherbug.com to determine the temperature.

• On questionable, cold days the office will make an announcement before the first recess announcing outdoor or indoor recess. If no announcement is made then it is outdoor recess.

• If students want to play in snow, they must be wearing snow pants, boots, jackets, and gloves/mittens. If students do not wish to play in the snow, they will remain on the blacktop.

• With a large amount of students out on the playground at each recess, we need to be extra vigilant about safety. There is no throwing of snowballs or ice. A behavior slip will be used to re-teach and discuss the safety concerns if a student does not follow this rule.

• Label each article of clothing so that if something is misplaced, it can be returned to you as quickly as possible.

Please be aware that all students go outside when the weather meets these conditions.

Please send your child to school wearing appropriate outdoor clothing for the weather. We highly encourage you to practice getting dressed in the snow gear as quickly as possible- make a game of it and time it! The expectation is, if your child is well enough to come to school, they are well enough to go outdoors.

Thanks for taking the time to remind students of the winter expectations. Snow play is beloved by many and we want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to safely enjoy their recess time during these months.

As with every elementary school, the health clinic sees students for many things. Each winter, we see an uptick in flu, stomach bugs, and lice, among others. We want to share some guidance and tips that can help with these items.

Lice

If you find your child has lice, please contact the school nurse so we can support and advise you. We are able to provide you with resource options to support treating lice. All students should be checked by the school nurse before returning to school.

As a preventive measure, please continue to perform head checks on your children monthly and call the clinic with any questions. At school, we do not have students share clothing and we vacuum and clean carpeted or fabric surfaces regularly. We also do our best to avoid close interactions of students while working and playing, knowing this can be challenging with young elementary children.

Other preventative measures:

• Keep hair tied up.
• No sharing of hats or clothing.
• Not sharing hair brushes and cleaning hair brushes regularly.
• Dry clothing and other fabrics in the dryer.
• There are preventative hair products and shampoos available.

Stomach Bug

The stomach bug (Norovirus) is something that we often see in students at this time of year. Norovirus can have symptoms for a few weeks, including vomiting and diarrhea. It is highly contagious. If your child is showing these symptoms, staying home is important. Preventative measures include washing hands frequently, disinfecting high touch surfaces (door handles, tabletops, etc.), and washing soiled clothing. At school, we increase cleaning of the room and touch points if students are sick.

Flu

Flu (influenza) is highly contagious and has many symptoms, including body aches, general fatigue, coughing, sore throat, fever or chills, and both a runny or stuffy nose. Along with symptoms, our students often report just feeling sluggish or off from their normal selves. Check out this chart from the CDC that shows the difference between flu versus the common cold. Preventative measures include vaccination, washing hands frequently, and disinfecting high touch surfaces (door handles, tabletops, etc.). At school, we increase cleaning of the room and touch points if students are sick.

In addition, it's that time of year when we see an increase in student's visiting the health office. Below are some general reminders and guidelines about when students can return to school if they are home sick.

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.

· If your child has a contagious illness – contact the school nurse before your child returns to school so that we can advise you regarding return to school protocols.

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.

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

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