Bulldog Bulletin

Happy Sunday! I am hoping all of our students had a chance to play in the beautiful snow this weekend!

Our C-3 committee has developed a survey to learn more about the Sanborn Community. We would love it if you you fill it out. Click the button below. You can also join us at our next C-3 meeting on Friday at 8:15.

Last week at the school meeting, Student Council did an amazing job creating and performing a play titled Decibella by Julia Cook. The play demonstrated the use of different volumes in different settings and effectively set the stage for our next Theme of the Month: "Tone and Respect in Communication."

Throughout the month, we will explore tone, focusing on how it impacts communication:

• It’s HOW you say something — What does your voice sound like?

• How loud is it?

• Can you hear emotion in it?

• Is it silly, serious, sad, or angry?

• Does it sound like a statement, question, or explanation?

Ways Parents Can Practice Tone and Respect at Home:

• Model calm and respectful communication when speaking with your child and others.

• Encourage your child to notice and describe different tones they hear during conversations, shows, or stories.

• Role-play scenarios with your child to practice using appropriate tones for various situations (e.g., talking to a teacher versus playing with friends).

• Discuss how tone can change the meaning of a message and emphasize the importance of respectful speech.

Dr. Parvey joined us on Tuesday night to share updates about the budget. It was a great conversation, and parents asked insightful questions. Thank you to everyone who participated.

We are not offering snacks to students on a regular basis. This change was implemented at the start of the year to minimize disruptions to class time. Students are encouraged to have breakfast before school and save part of it for a snack if needed. For students who do not bring a snack and are in need, emergency snacks will be available in the main office.

Progress Reports will be accessible to families on Monday, February 3rd. Please refer to the additional information below for more details about report cards.

To promote equity and belonging, we invite families to participate in our Equity Survey. Your feedback will help us better understand the diverse needs of our school community and guide our work. The survey is anonymous and takes just a few minutes to complete.

On Monday February 3rd, your child's report card will be released through the Parent Portal. We wanted to share some information about the grading system that we use at APS. Please reach out directly to your child's teacher for any additional questions about your child's report card.

The standards listed on the report cards are grade-level standards 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 "Developing" along these standards at this point in the school year.

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.

** Our second set of conferences will be held on in March and classroom teachers will be reaching out by next month with dates/times to choose from.

We share in your excitement for your child to enroll in Kindergarten for the 2025-2026 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 3 to Monday, March 3, 2025. Please access the Kindergarten Registration Link on our website.

To find which school your child will attend, review our district map at this link. 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:

Kindergarten:

As per School Committee Policy (Policy JF: Residency, School Admission, Entrance Age), children must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2025 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, 2025 and enrolling in the Andover Public Schools for the first time or transferring from another school district or private school.

The first day of school for Pre-K and Kindergarten students is Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

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

We want to share these dates in advance as we prepare for the upcoming.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing.

Grade 3 April 7, 8 (ELA) and May 6, 8 (Math)

Grade 4 April 10, 11 (ELA) and May 13, 15 (Math)

Grade 5 April 10, 11 (ELA) May 13, 15 (Math) and May 19, 20 (Science)

More information will be shared closer to testing time.

Wednesday, February 12th: 5th grade chorus performs at the Collins Center 7:30pm

February 17th-21st: February Vacation-No School

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.