Bulldog Bulletin

Last week, kindergarten had an exciting enrichment opportunities. On Monday, had an alphabet puppet show, and on Friday, they participated in a Wingmasters presentation. On Thursday, we conducted bus evacuation drills, and fifth grade students had panoramic photo taken.

On Monday, Ms. McGonigle and I will hold MCAS meetings with fourth and fifth grade students, who will participate in ELA MCAS on Tuesday and Thursday. During these meetings, we will continue to focus on what is within students’ control, including getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, arriving at school on time, maintaining positive thoughts, and using calming strategies such as breathing. As a reminder, students are not permitted to have any devices, including wearable devices such as watches, during MCAS, so it may be helpful to leave these at home.

As shared in the fall, 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 second unannounced A.L.I.C.E drill, supported by the Andover Police Department. We will provide families with an update after our drill is complete. If you wish to review the A.L.I.C.E. drill with your children, we wanted to share this resource. Our teachers do an incredible job making sure that these drills are explained in child friendly terms. After a drill, teachers discuss with the students how it went and answer any questions.

Step Up for Colleen 5K: Join our team, the Sanborn Bulldogs. We currently have 83 participants registered and are hoping to grow an even larger team than last year. Last year, we had 108 participants were in third place. At this time, we are in fourth place for team participation.

Next week, there is an early release at 12:15 on Wednesday. On Friday, we will have warrior way Andover High school join us for our school wide STEAM project. I am excited to see what students create!

We are having our annual STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) challenge on April 10th. Last year, we had so much fun with the egg drop challenge. We have a new challenge in store for students. We are collecting a variety of simple materials. If you happen to have any of the items below at home, we would greatly appreciate any donations.

We are currently looking for:

• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes

• Pipe cleaners

• Amazon bubble packaging or bubble wrap

• Popsicle sticks

• Wooden clothespins (any size)

• Q-tips

• Toothpicks

• Bag ties (such as those used on bread bags)

• Straws

• String

• Elastics (rubber bands)

It would be very helpful to have donations sent in by April 7th. Items can be dropped off in the front vestibule or sent in with your child.

Your support made a huge difference during last year’s Egg Drop STEAM project.

Thank you for helping us create another wonderful experience this year!

The Sanborn administrative team will soon begin placing students for the 2026-2027 school year. Student placement is a thoughtful process that incorporates input from your child's current teacher, support staff, and administration to ensure balanced and compatible classrooms. We carefully consider many factors, including all available student data, to create the best possible learning environments.

Our placement process is designed to support both academic success and social-emotional well-being.

Please note: We do not accept parental requests for specific classroom assignments or teachers.

However, we value your insights and welcome any information that you feel is important for us to know, such as your child's learning style, academic needs, or compatibility with peers. Your input will be carefully considered as we make placement decisions.

To share your thoughts, please email placementsanborn@gmail.com no later than Friday, April 17th.

As the Andover School Committee moves forward in the process of selecting a new Superintendent, we are excited to announce upcoming engagement opportunities and a dedicated webpage for students, staff, and the community.

Complete the Survey

The New England School Development Council (NESDEC), our search consultant, will provide, administer, and analyze a survey available to students, staff, parents/caretakers, and residents. This survey will help to identify the characteristics of a Superintendent that are most important to our community. The survey can be accessed by the embedded link or the QR code. The survey opens today and will close on Friday, April 10th.

Memorial Hall Library and The Robb Center will have computers available to take the survey. Paper copies are available by contacting shauna.murray@andoverma.us. If you need translation services to complete the survey, please contact shauna.murray@andoverma.us

Attend a Focus Group or Join a School Committee Informal Forum!

NESDEC consultants will facilitate five Focus Groups and the Committee will host two Informal Forums during the week of April 13th. Please feel free to attend the session that best fits your role. Sessions are shown below.

Selecting a Superintendent is one the School Committee’s most important responsibilities, and the School Committee is committed to a comprehensive, thorough, and transparent search for the best possible leader of our schools. We encourage your participation in this process. Thank you.

Every year the Andona Foundation offers financial assistance for families with two different programs 1) a limited number of sponsorships for their Clown Town event which will be May 15-17th this year (Clown Town of Andover) and 2) fees assistance for a summer camp (up to $300) through their campership program. To apply for these opportunities, please fill out the appropriate google form below. Further explanation of each program is on the top of each google form. Please note the deadlines.

Clown Town: 2026 Clown Town sponsorship form - due May 4

Campership Assistance: 2026 Andona Campership form - due May 15th

Please reach out to Jen Cann, our social worker if you need assistance or have any questions at jennifer.cann@andoverma.us or 978-247-9704.

The playground is set to break ground in the Fall of 2026. I have not heard the final number, but the PTO worked hard to put on a Gala to raise money for the playground. The PTO will share more information about how to get involved.

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

March 30 & 31: 3rd Grade ELA MCAS

April 7 & 9: 4th and 5th Grade ELA MCAS

April 15th: Around the World

April 20-April 25: April Vacation

May 3: Step Up For Colleen 5K

Spring has finally arrived, and here is what the PTO wants you to know this week…

• We will be hosting a virtual PTO Meeting on Wednesday 4/8 at 7:30PM. We will have a presentation from Cognitive Canvas, LLC who will do a presentation on Navigating School Supports and Special Education. Use this link to add the event to your calendar!

• The Sanborn Store is open! We shared the link via our Community Facebook Group this week. Orders are due April 17th, so make sure to check it out!
• We'd like to ask you to consider signing up for the 13th annual Step Up for Colleen 5K as part of the Sanborn Bulldogs Team, led by our incredible nurse, Lisa Slattery. The Ritzer Foundation donated $100k to our Playground Fund and we would love to see a big show of Sanborn support! Our team is currently holding strong at 73 members and we’d love to be able to break into the top three teams. Help us get there by registering today! We hope to see you with us on Sunday, May 3rd!
• Around the World planning is underway. Would you like to volunteer to host a table or assist in setting up and cleaning up? Please sign up here! If you are volunteering for a table, please complete this form ASAP. We can’t wait to travel around the world together! There will be a call on Monday at 8pm to go over details for volunteers. See information below!
• Around the World Kickoff Call
• Monday, April 6 · 8:00 – 9:00pm
• Google Meet joining info
• Video call link: https://meet.google.com/wmz-wzsg-woj
• Another parent social is in the works... this time at Pure Barre in North Andover! Join us on 4/30 at 6:30 at Pure Barre North Andover for a fun and energizing evening. We’ll kick things off with a 50‑minute Pure Barre class—perfect for all fitness levels—followed by relaxed social time to connect, unwind, and enjoy great company. Tickets are on sale now.

Important Dates

• 4/6 Around the World Kickoff Call
• 4/7 MCAS 4th & 5th Grade ELA
• 4/8 Early Release 12:15 & 7:30 PM Virtual PTO Meeting
• 4/9 MCAS 4th & 5th Grade ELA
• 4/15 Strings Performance & Around the World
• 4/17 Community Read Aloud Day
• 4/20-4/24 Sanborn Closed for Spring Recess
• 4/28 Annual Town Meeting
• 5/1 5th Grade Social