Doherty Family Update 10.5.2025

Typical beginning and ending of the day

School opens at 7:50 for breakfast in the cafeteria

8:05 Bell rings - students can access their lockers

Our school day starts promptly at 8:15

Doherty Website- Has all the Information

Individual Student MAP test scores will be sent home this week.

Individual Student MCAS Results will be mailed home this week.

Wednesday, October 8 Early Release Day - 11:30 Dismissal

Progress Reports

Progress reports will be sent out on October 10th. Progress reports are an opportunity for teachers to share strengths and areas of growth. Please note that not all students will receive a progress report. Reports are shared only for students who teachers feel would benefit from an update at the middle of the term. Progress reports are sent electronically through ASPEN.

Monday, October 13 No School - Fall Recess

October 21-23 Book Fair

Save the Date: Discover AHS - Programs at-a-Glance – November 13, 2025, 6:30–8:00 PM

Join us at Andover High School for an informative evening designed to give prospective students and their families an in-depth look at AHS programs, extracurricular activities, and overall student life. Start the night at our Clubs, Activities, Athletics, and Fine Arts Fair, where you’ll meet current AHS students and explore the wide range of opportunities available. Then, gather in the Collins Center for a presentation from AHS administrators and students, who will share insights into the academic and community experiences that make AHS such a vibrant place to learn and grow.

We are reviewing with our students the many safety precautions we have in place when they are in school. You may hear your children talking about Fire Drills or A.L.I.C.E Drills. A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Communicate, Evacuate.

A.L.I.C.E is designed to prepare students for life inside and out of the classroom, at school, at home, at the mall, at an afterschool program, at restaurants, or any other place the child goes. We are teaching life-long safety skills.

This school year we will participate in both Fire Drills, supported by the Andover Fire Department and A.L.I.C.E drills. During the next few weeks, we will hold our first A.L.I.C.E drill, supported by the Andover Police Department. We will provide families with an update after our drill is complete.

In addition to drills, we also talk with our students about following good safety practices. This involves never opening a locked door for someone- even if it is someone they know. All visitors are asked to enter via the main entrance. We utilize the Visitor Aware System, a modern web-based system that allows our office staff to track everyone who enters our school and stop any threats at the door. All visitors will be required to show state-issued identification (license, passport) in order to enter the building.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership to ensure we keep our students and schoolhouse safe.

• Our first WIN rotation is from September 30- November 25.
• Starting December 2, student will have a new WIN.

Each month Doherty will celebrate a new value, starting with kindness during the month of October. Throughout this month, staff will be recognizing students for showing kindness by giving out tickets that students can use to enter a weekly raffle for a prize! We look forward to sharing more!

As part of our commitment to supporting student success, we want to share some updates about NWEA’s MAP Growth assessment, which students take in reading and math. This year, MAP Growth was updated to focus more closely on grade-level learning. Because it is a computer-adaptive test, the difficulty of questions adjusts based on how your child responds. The new version provides teachers with a clearer picture of how students are progressing with the content they are learning in class.

What Families Should Know About Math Scores

In the new version, math scores may look lower in the fall than in past years. Students typically then show more growth across the school year, so scores in the spring may be higher than expected. This also means the drop between spring and fall scores may look larger than it used to. These patterns are normal and do not mean your child has lost skills. The scores are still accurate, and teachers will continue to use them to guide instruction and support student learning.

Key Takeaways

• MAP Growth now emphasizes grade-level content.

• Fall math scores may look lower, but growth across the year is stronger.

• A bigger drop between spring and fall math scores is expected.

• This does not mean your child has fallen behind.

• Teachers use these results to better support learning.

We share this information so you will know what to expect if your child’s math score looks different this fall. Please be assured that your child’s progress is carefully monitored, and this updated version of MAP Growth enables teachers to connect assessment results with classroom learning more effectively. Thank you for your continued partnership as we support your child’s growth and success. Additional resources and information about MAP can be found HERE.

Dear APS families and staff,

We are pleased to offer the flu vaccination to APS students in grades 5 through 12 and all APS staff in each school building.

This opportunity is being provided by Remedium Pharmacy and their staff. All insurance paperwork and vaccine administration are provided by Remedium.

If you would like to participate in this opportunity – please follow the link below to fill out the information for each child or staff member receiving the vaccine. Insurance information must be completed as requested and this information will be used by Remedium pharmacy for insurance billing.

Students must be signed up at the school where they attend classes and they must be present in school on the day of the clinic. We are not able to let your child come to another location to receive a vaccine.

Click on the web link to sign up - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0545ABAE2BA6FCC52-59207022-fluvaccine (one registration per person).

Complete the registration information – please enter the name of the person receiving the vaccination (students must be in Grade 5 or above)

Notes:

• These clinics are for APS staff and APS students in grades 5-12.
• Families signing up for their students to receive a vaccine must choose their child’s school as a location.

If you do not have access to health insurance and would like to schedule a flu vaccine, the Town of Andover will be hosting a flu clinic for residents ages 5 & older on Oct 22nd . More information can be found here.

If you have any questions – please call Remedium Pharmacy directly

REMEDIUM PHARMACY

PHONE: 978-251-7070

Sincerely,

Rita Casper, MBA RN NCSN

Director of Nursing

Andover Public Schools

APS has partnered again with Idioma Consulting & Education to continue offering FREE English classes for parents/guardians.

Please share this information with your students and families, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have further questions!

Thanks,

Erin

APPELL - https://secure.smore.com/n/685tq

These are in-person classes held at High Plain Elementary start on October 7 from 9:30-11am. No sign up necessary.

ESOL Virtual classes - https://secure.smore.com/n/7f1pr

ESOL

FREE English Classes English classes for beginners Online virtual classes with a live teacher FREE for the Andover community

secure.smore.com

Classes meet virtually on Monday evenings from 6:00-7:00pm starting on October 6. Participants need to sign up to receive a Google Meeting link. Limit 25 participants.

Questions? Please reach out to:

Erin Johnson

EL Education Program Coordinator

Andover Public Schools

erin.johnson@andoverma.us

(978)247-7035, x 77035

It is the policy of the Andover Public Schools to review residency information at each change of school level – elementary to middle school and middle school to high school. This policy helps to ensure that only residents of the Town of Andover attend our public schools. Therefore, it is required that all 6th grade families submit an affidavit of residency by Friday, October 3rd. Please complete the appropriate form based on your current residency situation, and return it to us along with a bill dated within the past 30 days. These items can be dropped off, mailed (50 Bartlet St), or emailed (karen.reilly@andoverma.us) to the front office.

Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, the Teaching and Learning office has conducted a deep analysis of the uses and impacts of AI on teaching and learning that has included:

• An examination of existing AI policies and guidelines from other districts in Massachusetts, other states, educational organizations, colleges and universities

• APS secondary faculty focus groups

• APS secondary student surveys

• APS superuser team review

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to this year-long process. While this work will continue to evolve, just as technology evolves, we would like to share the Andover Public Schools Teaching and Learning Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence for the 2025-2026 school year.

Counselor Tip: If your student misses school, please encourage them to check in directly with their teachers to see if they missed any work or if there is anything they could catch up on! This is a great self-advocacy skill that they are developing each time they initiate that conversation, and as a bonus, it can impress a teacher!

Mental Health Resources for Youth and Families

Please feel free to check out the consolidated resources for mental health and behavioral needs that MA DPH put together.

Save The Date:

November 2nd - Greater Lawrence Tech Open House

November 22nd: Essex Tech Open House

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.