Doherty Family Update 5.4.2025

• Monday May 5, 2025 – Fri, May 9 Teacher Appreciation Week

• Wednesday 5/7 - Early Release Day - Dismissal at 11:30

• Thursday 5/8 - Mental Health/SEL Screening - 7th & 8th Grades
• Monday 5/12 - Friday 5/30 - MAP Testing Window
• Monday 5/19 - Friday 5/23 - Grade 8 Spanish STAMP testing - during Spanish classes
• Monday 5/26 - Memorial Day - No School
• Thursday 5/29 - DMS Open House - 4:30 - 6:00 pm Drop in and visit Doherty classrooms
• 6/3 – Principals Coffee – for incoming 6th grade parents – 9am-10am – Library
• 6/13 – 8th Grade Farewell Ceremony – 8:30am - Doherty Auditorium

• Last Day of School: 6/13/25 - Half day for students

May 5 & 6 – Math

May 15 & 16 – STE Science Technology Engineering (8th grade only)

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we, the administrators of Doherty Middle School, want to take a moment to express our gratitude not only to our incredible teachers but also to you, our supportive families. We recognize that the partnership between home and school is essential for student success, and we deeply value your collaboration.

Our teachers are truly exceptional. They consistently go above and beyond to create a positive and engaging learning environment where your children can thrive. They dedicate countless hours to:

• Providing high-quality instruction

• Fostering a love of learning

• Supporting students' individual needs

• Communicating with you, the families, to ensure a strong home-school connection

We know that you play a crucial role in your child's education. Your involvement, encouragement, and support at home reinforce the work our teachers do in the classroom. You are our partners in helping your children reach their full potential.

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to acknowledge the vital role our teachers play in shaping the lives of your children. They are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment where every student can succeed.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children's education and for your continued support of Doherty Middle School. Together, we can ensure a bright future for every student.

Sincerely,

Rebecca, Jillian, and Susanne

The Administrators of Doherty Middle School

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for our incredible lunch staff. Their dedication to providing nutritious and enjoyable meals for our students is truly commendable.

Every day, this team works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our students have access to the fuel they need to learn and thrive. They prepare and serve countless meals with efficiency and care, often with a smile and a kind word for each student who passes through the line.

Beyond the logistics of food service, our lunch staff plays a vital role in fostering a positive and supportive atmosphere in our cafeteria. They contribute to a welcoming environment where students can connect and recharge during the school day.

Please join me in acknowledging and thanking our wonderful lunch staff for their hard work, their commitment to our students' well-being, and the positive impact they have on our entire Doherty Middle School community. They are an integral part of what makes our school so special.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rebecca Perry

Bulletin Board created by Team 8B!

The Doherty Middle School annual scavenger hunt has started! Students have searched the school for flowers and ladybugs during homeroom as well as in Flex or ITT. Flowers gave homerooms points and ladybugs will gave homerooms a chance to spin the prize wheel for a chance to earn more points. Good luck! - Student Council

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University presented Alicia Zhang with a Silver Key for Poetry. Alicia's poem, Blossoms of the Past won a 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Award.

Within the next few weeks, students in grade 6-12 will have the option to participate in a voluntary survey about their experiences with using AI tools. The data collected will share valuable insights to inform AI Guidelines for Teaching and Learning. At the time of survey administration, students will be reminded that participation is optional and not required, but their responses will help shape the future of AI integration in our schools. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Team 7B enjoyed a wonderful field trip to Casa Blanca Restaurant, where students had the opportunity to put their Spanish skills into action by ordering food and interacting with the staff in the target language. The outing was a fun and meaningful way to reinforce classroom learning about food, culture, and conversation. Students represented our school beautifully, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and appreciated the chance to walk downtown on such a lovely day. We are appreciative of our community partnership with the restaurant and Señoras Monrreal-Felker, Shields and Bakshi were very impressed with the students' interactions and appreciation of the trip.

Señora Shields, Señora Monrreal and Señora Bakshi and their students

It is my PLEASURE to inform you that several of our Doherty students have qualified for an amazing educational experience! Their Destination Imagination Team placed 1st at the Massachusetts DI State Tournament, earning a spot at Global Finals in Kansas City, Missouri this May.

At Global Finals, the team will meet other students from around the world, competing on an international stage. They will have the opportunity to participate in not just the competition, but many educational and STEAM related activities, watch other teams perform and expand their horizons in terms of creative problem solving and communication. Here is the website for Global Finals: https://globalfinals.org/

The Doherty students whose teams qualified and will be attending Global Finals are:

Sansar Karki (Grade 7)

Eyal Mamet (Grade 8)

The Andover High School show choirs are hosting a one-day workshop for any interested student in grade 6, 7 or 8. Students will have the opportunity to work with the AHS show choir students and staff to learn vocals and choreography and to find out more about Andover’s show choir program.

The workshop will be held on Thursday, May 8th from 3:45 - 7:45 pm at South School. Sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/K5gDgbMGjYaqv98X7 or check with Ms. Lambros.

Questions can be directed to Ms. Lambros (sabrina.lambros@andoverma.us)

The math team at Andover High School has organized a math competition for the Andover Public Middle Schools and we would love the opportunity to invite students from Doherty Middle School to join. This tournament follows a format similar to the regional mathematics competition that AHS students participate in, so we hope that this experience can provide the students with a sense of how fun and challenging problem solving can be while also inspiring them to further explore their interest in math.

The tournament will be on Thursday, May 8th from 3:30 - 5:00 PM at the Andover High School cafeteria. https://tinyurl.com/Andover-Math

We are excited to be partnering with Andover High School’s National Honor Society. Andover High School’s National Honor Society students are at Doherty to tutor students from 3:20 to 4:00 PM. We will try to keep this going every Thursday, depending on the high school students' availability. Please feel free to have your student come to room 201 on Thursdays after school if they would like to get some homework help. Contact our guidance counselor, Ms. Creamer if you have questions.

Andona is seeking student volunteers for Clown Town 2025! On Saturday, May 17th, student volunteers in grades 6 and up are needed for shifts at all Clown Town booths including Face Painting, Kiddie Games/Sand Art, and the Food Tent.

Students can sign up at the following link:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F49AAAB2FA1FAC07-55737990-clown#/ (this is also linked on the website: andona.org) or they can email the volunteer coordinators at volunteer@andona.org with any questions.

Students will receive certificates for community service hours.

Thank you for your support!

Beth Dunne and Jill DePamphilis

Student Volunteer Coordinators

volunteer@andona.org

Are you a dynamic fundraiser and community-builder passionate about public education? The Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) is seeking a motivated Director to lead its fundraising, community engagement, and signature event - the beloved Scarecrow Festival. This role is perfect for someone with nonprofit, event planning, or marketing experience who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

You’ll work closely with the ACE Board, APS district and school leaders, and local partners (both corporate and individual) to grow ACE’s impact through creative fundraising campaigns, strong donor relationships and a vibrant community event.

Location: Andover, MA
Part-time (flexible hours)
Ideal for experienced professionals in fundraising, nonprofit leadership, or community engagement.

Compensation: $25 per hour for an average of 20 hours per week or $2,000 per month

Ready to make a difference in the Andover Public Schools? Learn more and apply today!

Please send a cover letter and resume to info@aceandover.org.

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.

What is RULER?

RULER is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Purpose of Morning Check In:

• Create a unified low-stakes rollout for all three APS Middle Schools
• Begin a student focus on the emotion matters mindset and discussion
• Build student relationships and community

RULER VIDEO and Website

To be completed if your student will participate in after school Extracurricular clubs. Click here for the form. The form is also available on our website.

Completed form can be dropped off at the Main Office.

List of Clubs and Activities can be found on our website under INFORMATION and RESOURCES