The Weekly Update #23
February 2nd- 6th
Wrapped up January with an All School Meeting on Achievement!
Our Student Council hosted the All-School Meeting, with this month’s theme focusing on "A for Achievement." During the assembly, the council recognized specific grade levels for their recent academic milestones:
Grade 1: Mastering informative paragraph writing.
Grade 2: Crafting informative paragraphs that compare two texts using evidence and conclusions.
Grade 3: Developing four-paragraph explanatory and opinion essays.
Grade 4: Building fluency strategies for multi-digit multiplication and division.
Grade 5: Creating "character snapshots" to develop "exploded moment" scenes, imagining a meeting with characters from The Phantom Tollbooth.
We also celebrated several students with RAISE Praise awards for their outstanding personal achievements. Congratulations to the following students for being recognized by their teachers and peers:
Andrew Skowyra, Hannah Hubner, Harrison Jay, Ben Hosington, Liam Solomon, Austin Harley, Ivy Henry, Nancy Kamua, and Kali Evans.
As Franklin Dragons, we will continue to persevere and set ambitious new goals. To keep this momentum going, every classroom will now use a whole-class chart to celebrate their hard work and daily progress!
Important Events
February 2nd-6th- National School Counselors Week-
February 6th- Dragon Spirit Day! Wear your Favorite NFL Team Gear!
February 7th- Rock N Roll Bingo PTO Event at Salvatores
February 9th-13th- Kindness Week
February 16th-20th- School Vacation
February 25th- Half Day Early Dismissal
March 2nd-6th- Read Across America Week
Pasta Palooza- March 25th
MCAS- Dates
Grade 3 ELA- March 30-31st. Math- May 11th-12th
Grade 4- ELA - April 1-2nd. Math May 5th-6th
Grade 5 ELA- April 7th-8th. Math April 30th - May 1st STE May 14th-15th
Young Authors Day- April 10th
Franklin Variety Show- April 29th
Field Day- Tuesday May 26th /Rain Date Friday 5/29
Arts and Academic Night- June 3rd
Tentative-Fifth Grade Night- June 15th
DIBELS & MAP Winter Testing 2/2-2/13.
A quick reminder of what each benchmark measures:
- DIBELS (Literacy): This is a quick, 1-on-1 "check-up". It focuses on essential reading skills like phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. It helps us ensure every student is on the path to becoming a confident reader.
- NWEA MAP (Reading & Math): This is a computer-adaptive assessment. This means the test actually adjusts to your child! If they answer a question correctly, the next one gets a little harder; if they miss one, the next one gets a little easier. This allows us to find exactly where their "learning frontier" is.
Unlike a unit test that looks at a specific chapter, these benchmarks look at growth over time.
- Instructional Level: We see exactly what skills your child is ready to learn next.
- Goal Setting: Teachers and students use this data to set personal "Dragon Goals" for the spring.
- Progress Tracking: We compare these scores to the Fall results to celebrate the hard work they've put in so far.
NAHS Needs Volunteers!
Volunteers Needed for Credit for Life at NAHS!
North Andover High School is looking for volunteers on Tuesday, February 4, from 9:00–11:00 AM to help run our Credit for Life program in the NAHS gym.
No experience is needed; training will be provided!
Credit for Life is an interactive, 80-minute simulation where students step into the role of a 25-year-old adult and practice real-world financial decision-making. Students will navigate budgeting for housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, student loans, part-time work, saving for retirement, lifestyle choices, and even giving back to their community. It’s a hands-on way for students to build important life skills in a fun, engaging format.
To make this event a success, we welcome volunteers from all backgrounds. Your time and support make a meaningful difference for our students!
- Event Details:
- 📅 Tuesday, February 4, 2026
- 🕘 9:00–11:00 AM
- 📍 NAHS Gym
- 👉 Sign up to volunteer here:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C044FA5AA22A4F8C70-61335672-north
If you have questions, please contact Danny Oberlander, NAHS Business Teacher, at oberlanderd@northandoverpublicschools.com.
Thank you for supporting this valuable learning experience for our students!
School Committee Corner!
North Andover School Committee Website
Recordings and Summaries-
January 15 -Budget Hearing
January 8 ( budget starts at 10:58)
December 4 ( Competency Determination, Graduation Requirements, SEPAC Presentation)
November 20 (Budget Update, ABECC dedication)
November 6 (Civics, MCAS)
Town Meeting: May 12th