• Monday, March 3 at 6:30 PM PAC Family BINGO Night!
• Tuesday, March 4 at 6:30pm Parent information meeting - Doherty Middle School is sponsoring a trip to Italy for next year’s 7th and 8th graders during February vacation 2026.
• Tuesday, March 4 7:00PM Vocal Gala, Collins Center
• March 11 Principal Coffee 9:00 AM Doherty Media Center- Special Guest- Ms. Holly Breen- 9th Grade Coordinator Andover High School- All are welcome
• March 12 Early Dismissal 11:30 AM
• March 12 at 6:30 PM All Bands Night, Andover High School Field House
• March 18 7:00 PM All Strings Night Collins Center
• March 19 Doherty 7:00 PM PAC Meeting Doherty Media Center- All Welcome
• Newsies School Play April Friday 4/4 ; Saturday 4/5 ; and Sunday 4/6: 7pm Shows on Friday & Sat ; 2pm show on Sunday.
• April 9 Early Dismissal 11:30

MCAS Dates

April 8 & 10 – ELA *Note the change in dates

May 1 – Civics (8th grade only)

May 5 & 6 – Math

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

ENJOY GREAT COMPANY, PRIZES, AND MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. SNACKS AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO KEEP YOUR ENERGY UP AS YOU CHEER EACH OTHER ON. Please note

DATE: MONDAY, MARCH 3 (New Date)
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: DOHERTY LIBRARY (MEDIA CENTER)
COST: FREE FOR ALL!

RSVP Link

A symposium for high school students, GEARS features technical workshops, career exploration, and college discussions for girls in STEM!

Join us to meet Holly Breen, the 9th-grade coordinator at Andover High School. All caregivers of students in every grade are welcome to attend. Please RSVP here.

The Andover Public Schools’ MyCAP (My Career and Academic Plan) team is excited to invite you to participate in an inspiring opportunity to guide and motivate 8th-grade students as they explore potential career paths. Our Career Day event will be held on Tuesday, April 15th, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Andover High School, and we are looking for passionate volunteers to share their professional journeys and insights with students.

As a volunteer, you will have the chance to:

• Share details about your career and the path that led you there.
• Offer valuable advice on career preparation and education.
• Provide students with a clearer understanding of the skills needed for success in your field.
• Engage with students directly, answering their questions and inspiring their future aspirations.

This event provides a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on young minds, helping them envision the possibilities ahead.

If you're interested in volunteering, please complete the confirmation form (see the link below). We’d be thrilled to have you as part of this exciting and impactful event!

Thank you for considering this opportunity to shape the future of our students. We look forward to welcoming you on April 15th!

Best regards,

The APS MyCAP Team

Do you have an 8th grade student who could benefit from developing the skills needed to boost their grades and prepare for college? Join us for our AVID Program Information Night, where we’ll share how our program can help your student succeed academically and set them up for future success. Students take an AVID elective course throughout high school that provides them with the skills needed to be successful in advancing academically with the ultimate goal of attending college. To learn more and/or to RSVP click here.

Andover School Nutrition Department will be hosting it’s second annual Iron Chef Competition!

The concept for the competition is to plan a menu item that is student-friendly and follows the school meal guidelines. The winning recipe will be featured on the 2025-2026 menu and the school with the winning team will be awarded fun prizes.

The competition will be held at Andover High School on May 7th from 2:30-4:30pm. We encourage teachers and/or parents to attend. The following documents are attached:

· Iron Chef Team Application and Questionnaire

Please forward these on to anyone at your school who might be interested in this event. All applications should be submitted by March 28th. Applications can be submitted to taylor.pirog@andoverma.us.

Once teams are chosen, we will reach out for our next step: recipe planning. This piece is new this year. We want to make sure students have recipes in place going into the competition, that way we know exactly what to menu! Don’t worry, there will still be a secret twist at the competition.

Thank you for your support of our school lunch program!

Sincerely,

Andover School Nutrition Department

See the application form below

Exciting upcoming events with Andover High School.

• Monday, March 3rd: We will be bussing our 8th grade students over to Andover High School for Step Up Day. This event will be a great opportunity for students to learn more about AHS. Students will be at AHS from 9:20am - 10:40am.

• Thursday, March 13th: Andover High School Counselors will visit Doherty to discuss and review the course offerings and the online course selection process.

Hello Wonderful Families!

Navigating the digital world with your middle schooler can sometimes feel like a challenging adventure. We understand how important it is to ensure your child is safe and secure while exploring their favorite games and platforms online.

That’s why we’re excited to share a fantastic resource designed just for you! This informative guide breaks down various platforms and games, providing you with the tools and tips you need to easily apply parental controls and manage your child's online experience.

Take a moment to check it out and empower yourself with the knowledge to help your child thrive in the digital landscape. Together, we can make their online journey a safe and enjoyable one!

Happy navigating!

https://www.cyberlite.org/parentalcontrols

Doherty Middle School is sponsoring a trip to Italy for next year’s 7th and 8th graders during February vacation 2026. There will be a parent information meeting on Tuesday, March 4 at 6:30pm in the media center. Please see the letter below for more information and a link to the itinerary.

Doherty Values Challenge

What it Means to Middle School Students:

• In School:
  • Teamwork is crucial for group projects, where students need to share tasks, listen to different perspectives, and come up with a combined solution.
  • It also helps in classroom activities, where students might work together to solve problems or learn new concepts.
• In Teams or Activities:
  • Whether it's basketball, soccer, a music ensembles, robotics club or any other group working together, teamwork is essential for success. Students learn to rely on each other, communicate, and work together to achieve a common goal.
• In Social Situations:
  • Teamwork helps build friendships and social skills. Students learn to cooperate, resolve conflicts, and support each other.
• Key Takeaways for Middle Schoolers:
  • Everyone has a role: Each person's contribution is valuable.
  • Communication is key: Talking and listening helps avoid misunderstandings.
  • Respect differences: Everyone has different strengths and ideas.
  • Working together can be fun: Achieving a goal as a team can be very rewarding.

In simple terms, teamwork is about "working together to make things better."

Hello Doherty families! Andover Public Schools are pleased to host graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang as part of our Cummings Grant Author Visit Series. Your 7th and 8th grade students will have the opportunity to listen to him speak at school on the morning of March 6th.

We have once again partnered with the Andover Bookstore: You are now able to order your book(s) online at the link here: https://andoverbookstore.com/school-orders/.

As we continue the K-8 redistricting process, we are pleased to invite the community to highlight areas of interest (i.e., neighborhoods, streets), with an interactive, online mapping tool - ARCGIS.

This resource will allow the community to review an updated scenario based on the collaboration with the School Committee at its January 9th meeting and community engagement. The updated scenario was presented to the community at a Let’s Talk! session on redistricting held January 16, 2025.

The community can provide visual feedback and written comments to DillingerRAD, the consultant supporting APS with this process. For more information on how to utilize the tool, please check here. Access to this link or the QR code below will close on Friday, January 24, 2025.

In Spring 2025, the School Committee will review the proposed redistricting options and vote on the preferred redistricting plan. The approved redistricting plan will be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. This allows the district sufficient time to operationally plan for the new school zones.

We appreciate your feedback.

• Thursday, March 6, 2025 - The School Committee will hold a public hearing. Following the hearing, the School Committee will vote on the School Department budget.

• Saturday, March 8, 2025 - The Superintendent will share the FY26 budget approved by the School Committee to the Town of Andover’s Select Board and Finance Committees at the Tri-Board meeting.

• Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - The school budget will be presented as part of the total town budget for a vote at the annual town meeting.

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

YEARBOOK

Simply scan this QR code and follow the prompts. Yearbooks will be delivered to homerooms the last week of school

You may also call 866-287-3096 or go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and use order number 13395

The Doherty Middle School Yearbook Club is thrilled to include a special collage page celebrating our 8th graders' unique passions—whether it’s sports, hobbies, music, or quality time with a favorite pet.

We invite you to submit ONE clear, high-quality photo of your student enjoying their activity from their middle school years. The deadline for submissions is April 1st, 2025. Simply use the provided QR code to upload your photo (select “Upload Portrait” and choose “Pre-K” for the grade to help us sort the photos).

Yearbooks are $40 and available for all grades. Reserve yours today at www.YearbookOrderCenter.com (order #13395) or call 866-287-3096.

For questions or scholarship inquiries, please contact faculty advisor, Ms. Bakshi at leela.bakshi@andoverma.us. Let’s make sure every 8th grader is celebrated in this year’s book!

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