High Plain Elementary Corner
Ms. Leveque's and Mrs. Lyons' Weekly Newsletter
From the Desks of Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
There is no school for students on Tuesday, November 4th for parent-teacher conferences. In addition, there is no school for kindergarteners on Friday, November 7th for parent-teacher conferences.
November 2, 2025
Dear HPE Families,
We look forward to seeing our families on campus for parent-teacher conferences. We hope that this fall conference gives you a glimpse into how your children have settled into their new year, where they are in their learning, and some goals they hope to accomplish as the year continues. Most importantly, we hope that you walk away knowing that your child is appreciated for simply being themselves and that we value who they are as part of our school community. Our home-school partnership, working collaboratively for the good of each other, is at the heart of our hawk pride. Thank you to our teachers and you for supporting the work your children complete each and every day.
While you are on campus, check out our lost and found. It will be in the main hallway. It is overflowing with sweatshirts and coats. To help us get clothing back to your child, please label your child's name on the tags.
Finally, we want to remind everyone that each time you enter the school, you need to be checked in by the main office and have your license with you. If you wish to volunteer or attend field trips and class parties, you also need a completed CORI form on file. CORI forms need to be renewed each year. If you are stopping by for the conferences, it's a great time to fill out a CORI form.
Enjoy,
Ms. Leveque and Mrs. Lyons
HPE Upcoming Dates
-Tuesday, November 4: No school districtwide; Grades Kindergarten - 5th Parent-Teacher Conferences
-Thursday, November 6: HPE and Wood Hill Multilingual Parent Coffee, 9:15-10:00 in the HPE Staff Room
-Friday, November 7: No school for kindergarten; Kindergarten Parent-Teacher Conferences
-Tuesday, November 11: No school; Veterans Day
HPE 2025-26 School Supply Lists
School Year Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8:45-3:30
HPE Student News - HPEtv and Hawks News
As part of our HPE Student Council, we have a news team that has a weekly report for our students. Thank you to Mrs. Chaves for producing this work! We also have students working with Mrs. Roussel on a Hawks Newspaper. We've been able to create a website so you can view both from one spot. Click on the tabs at the top of the site to move from the newspaper to the news. The newspaper has not been published yet, but HPEtv is going strong. Here is the latest news.
Multilingual Parent Coffee
Author Kate Messner coming to Andover Elementary Schools
What do the American Revolution, the Titanic, as well as canyons, oceans, scary kittens, unsleepy sloths, time travel, wildlife rescue, and reading stories have in common? They are all books by author Kate Messner! Many of her books are available for purchase with the Andover Bookstore.
Kate Messner is coming to visit all Andover elementary schools March 2-6, 2026. New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner is passionately curious and has written over seventy books for kids who wonder. She has won many awards: E.B. White Read Aloud Award, Golden Kite and Crystal Kite Awards, Riverby Award for Natural History Writing, and Nerdy Book Club Awards. Kate's science-themed books have also been selected as finalists for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize and named to the NSTA/CBC list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. Her books have been New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections.
Families who are interested in purchasing Kate Messner’s books can visit the Andover Bookstore’s website. There is a special section of their website for Kate Messner’s school orders. Pre-order deadline is Friday, November 14, 2025.
Food Resources
Dear APS families and staff,
I would like to share an important update for families who may be impacted by the ongoing government shutdown. Federal food assistance benefits may be paused beginning Saturday, November 1, which could create unexpected challenges for some households.
This uncertainty may cause stress or concern, especially for families who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) for food support. The district continues to offer Universal Free Meals as required by state law; all students will continue to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch during the school day.
The Town of Andover has provided a list of community resources available to support residents, whether you are seeking help or looking for ways to lend a hand.
Local food pantries are aware of the situation and are preparing to assist, though resources may be limited as Thanksgiving approaches.
While we hope this is resolved before Saturday, I encourage families to reach out to their building principals if they are in need and to use these community connections to support one another during this time. Together, as a community, we can help ensure that every family feels supported and cared for.
Sincerely,
Dr. Magda Parvey
Superintendent
ACE Scarecrow Festival
2026-27 Andover Public School Calendar
The School Committee has approved the 2026-27 APS Public School Calendar. You can access it here.
Food Drive
It's time for the APS Thanksgiving Food Drive. We will be running this food drive through November 14th. Boxes will be in our main hallway for students to bring donations. The Food Drive is most in need of donations of cranberries, pumpkin and gravy packages (preferably cans – not glass).
In addition, Neighbors in Need is looking to support families impacted by the SNAP emergency. You can help contribute to your community in two ways.
1. Monetary donations can be made directly to Neighbors In Need here:
Donate - Neighbors In Need - Lawrence, MA
2. Food can be purchased on amazon and shipped directly to our warehouse:
Thank you for taking care of our neighbors!
APS Adult Education English Language Offerings
Around Town Andover Opportunities
Pick Up Patrol
PTO News
Our PTO plans lots of fun for our students and families. Please sign up for the PTO Newsletter at www.highplainpto.org so you don’t miss out on fun events. We will be at the Open House Curriculum Night so come say hello!
IMPORTANT Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
SCHOOL BUS
Bus transportation to and from school is provided free of charge to elementary students. Kindergarten students must be met by a known adult at the bus stop. Bus routes will be listed in the Aspen portal.
NAME/BUS TAGS (For Kindergarten and Grade 1 Students)
Your child’s teacher will give you a name tag necklace on the first day. Please have your kindergartner or first grader wear the nametag until further notice. The information on the tag is based on what families have entered on the back to school forms.
CAR PICKUP/DROPOFF
Please note that there are differences in morning arrival and afternoon car pick up. In the morning, you may arrive between 8:45-9:00 by using the High Plain Rd. entrance or the Cross St. entrance. In the afternoon, you can only arrive through the Cross St. entrance. The High Plain Rd. entrance is closed to allow buses. In the afternoon, dismissal begins at 3:30. Both morning and afternoon arrival, all vehicles must turn right when leaving the drop off/pick up line.
WALKERS & BIKE RIDERS:
· For morning arrival, a school crossing guard will be at the Cross Street/Brady Loop entrance.
· All AM walkers and bike riders should use the Cross St. entrance and the sidewalks that follow the front side of the school.
· Bike Riders: Only students in grades 3, 4, and 5 may ride a bike to and from school. A permission form must be completed with the main office.
APS K-8 Redistricting
APS: Who We Are & Stay Connected
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.
High Plain Road Entrance Closed at Dismissal
This is a reminder that the High Plain Road entrance is closed to cars at dismissal. It is the access entrance for buses only. The Cross Street entrance is how cars enter for car pickup. This is a safety concern. We have seen cars try to sneak in daily and it's simply not fair to those who are following the dismissal procedures. We ask you to be respectful of your fellow HPE community members and abide by this rule.
School Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are once again free to all students. Breakfast is served from 8:45-8:55 each morning and no advanced ordering is needed.
Lunches will need be preordered. Lunch requires families to order in advance to ensure we have the correct allergy-friendly lunch for all our students. It is very important that our cafeteria has an accurate lunch count each day. Please review with your children each morning what you have ordered for them.
Information about the Andover Public Schools lunch program, as well as menus and instructions for online ordering, may be found on the website here: http://www.andoverschoolnutrition.com/
Technology and Electronics at School
We are all working to manage the age of technology and are looking for support between school and home. Many children have new smart devices and the elementary schools have some guidance.
A kind reminder to our families that cell phones must be turned off and in students’ backpacks at the start of the school day. Smartwatches may be worn as regular watches, however, students are not allowed to text, communicate with others, use applications, take pictures or videos, or access social media services and websites.
Should parents/guardians urgently need to reach their child during the school day, we ask that you call the main office. Students are also allowed to come to the main office if they need to contact someone at home. If a cell phone or watch becomes a significant distraction, school administrators will reach out to parents/guardians. The Andover Public Schools is not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged, or broken devices.
To promote healthy digital habits during the school day, the resources below may be helpful to use. We appreciate your partnership as we work to keep interruptions to the school day at a minimum.
Resource for Apple Watches:
How to set a School Time schedule
Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap All Watches, then tap your child's watch.
Tap Done, then tap Schooltime.
Turn on Schooltime, then tap Edit Schedule.
Choose the days and times when you want Schooltime to be active.
Tap Add Time if you want to set up more than one schedule in a day.
Resource for Gizmo Watches:
How to set up School mode
Open the. Gizmo Hub app.
Tap the. School mode switch. turn on or off. If necessary, set up a School Mode schedule.
In School Devices
K-3 Devices will stay in school.
4-5 Devices can be brought home if directed by the classroom teacher to complete an assignment. Otherwise, they will remain in school.
Visiting the School
Please make sure that you arrive with your license. We cannot check you in and let you enter without your license or state issued ID. You also need to have a valid CORI form on file. Please help us with these required safety steps.
High Plain PTO
Andover Public School Information
School Hours of Operation
8:30 am: School office opens
8:45 am: School drop off
9:00 am: School day begins
After 9:00 am: Children are tardy and must be accompanied by a parent into the office
After 2:00 pm: Unless it's an emergency, no dismissal changes
Students must be dismissed before 3:00
3:30 pm: School ends
Ms. Sarah Leveque, Principal
Email: sarah.leveque@andoverma.us
Website: https://aps1.net/212/High-Plain-Elementary-School
Location: 333 High Plain Road, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-8600



