Bulldog Bulletin

We may have eased back in after break, but our focus is strong and we are ready for all of the learning ahead. Here is hoping that our final snow day is behind us.

Kindergarten registration is open through March 2. If you have not yet registered an incoming kindergartener, please do so as soon as possible. If you have neighbors or friends with kindergarten aged children, we would appreciate your help in spreading the word. Registration details are included below.

Next week is our long awaited Authors Week. We will kick off with Kate Messner on Monday. On Tuesday, Jeff Mack will visit. On Thursday, we are excited to welcome Ivy the Dog and his handler, Maureen. We will wrap up the week with our wonderful community readers.

We are also excited that The Learning Journey is coming together. Please see the infographic below. Sign ups will begin next Sunday. Be sure to mark your calendar for March 25 from 5:00 to 6:30. We look forward to welcoming you into the building. If you would like to be part of the planning process, please join us for C 3 on Friday, March 6 at 8:15. All are welcome.

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 Andover Public School 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.

Following your registration, please contact your school 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!

We had such a short week, so we will continue with our RULER vocabulary. We will soon begin talking about how to be our Best Self. This week we will focus on Green words, which are high pleasantness and low energy!

Kindergarten-safe

First Grade- comfortable

Second Grade-forgiving

Third Grade-supported

Fourth Grade-serene

Fifth Grade-understood

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 2-6: Author’s Week

March 11: Early Release 12:15

March is upon us; here is what the PTO wants you to know this week…

• Author’s Week is this week!! We are still in need of volunteers to make this fun week run smoothly. If you’re able to, please sign up here!

• Did you hear? The Sanborn PTO is hosting a Gala on March 27th; all proceeds will go towards the new playground! Tickets are on sale now and are open to the public (feel free to spread the word!); they will be sold on a first come, first served basis so get yours NOW! If you’d like to make a donation but can’t attend, please donate here!

• The Spring Explorations Class Schedule will be released this Friday, 3/6. Registration opens on Thursday 3/12 at 8pm (right after the Talent Show!) and closes Thursday 3/26 at 8pm. Classes will begin March 30th.

• Given the snow days in January and February, the missed Monday and Tuesday AM & PM Explorations classes will be made up at the end of the session. Specific dates and any additional changes will be updated here. Let’s hope for no March snow days, but if there are, please check the link for updates.

Important Dates

• 3/2-6 Author’s Week

• 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 5:00-6:30pm

• 3/26 Spring Exploration Registration Closes 8pm

• 3/27 Sanborn Playground Gala 7:00-11:00pm

• 3/30 Spring Explorations Classes Begin