All Students Invited to Campus This Spring

We are eager to welcome all students to campus for spring term 2021—and pleased to share that as many classes as possible will be held in person with safeguards in place.

Now that you’ve had some time to review the information in Monday’s announcement, you may have questions. Please email us. This account will be monitored during regular business hours, and answers that will benefit the greater community will be included online in our Spring Term 2021 Facts/Q&A.

Survey due by end of day today: Your student also received a survey asking if they plan to be on campus for spring term (a pdf of the survey was shared with parents). Please be sure your student completes the survey by the end of the day today, Friday, February 5. Please note this is not a commitment to return, just an opportunity for the Academy to gather information.

From the Dean of Studies Office

Course requests should take into account home time zone: Course requests for spring term are underway. Your student’s advisor point person (APP) will submit requests to the Dean of Studies Office by Friday, February 12. Students should plan to sign up for courses that meet between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. in their home time zone—even if they plan to live in a dorm. As has been our policy all year, we must prepare for unforeseen circumstances whereby a student (or all students) needs to shift from on-campus to remote learning at any point in the term. Students should confirm with their parents if their family has any moving plans so we have accurate information about your home time zone as we build schedules.

We know of a few students whose particular time zone (extending beyond a 13-hour difference) make it impossible to attend class within these parameters. Those students should work with their APP, class dean, and the dean for scheduling to put together an appropriate schedule.

Correction: Last week’s Parent Bulletin had incorrect information on end-of-term grades. Andover will use the grading scale from fall term (6,5,4,P,1,0), with the exception of PHD200 (pass/fail).

The campus was blanketed with more than a foot of snow earlier this week, which made for some healthy outdoor fun. (Photo by Jessie Wallner)

Black Arts Month Keynote

Parents and students are invited to hear Black Arts Month keynote speaker Kiese Laymon on Friday, February 12, at 8 p.m. EST. Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon does battle with the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, and the genre-defying novel Long Division. Please register here.

Campus Public Health Update

Dr. Amy Patel, Phillips Academy’s medical director, summarizes activities and community data as it relates to COVID-19 surveillance on campus and the surrounding area. Tune in here to watch the health update video.

Andover Summer Is In Full Swing!

Andover Summer will offer our traditional five-week residential program as well as our tried-and-true online eSummer academic program—starting in less than five months. Both options offer students access to our outstanding summer faculty and the opportunity to make deep and lasting connections with their peers. Our programs are available to current 6th- through 11th-graders. If there is someone in your life who might be looking for a summer opportunity, now is the time to explore what each program has to offer. Students can apply now for either our residential or online program, or they can learn more about the program on our website—or by signing up for our admissions webinar on Thursday, February 18. Please help us spread the word!

Weekly Religious Services & Events

Jewish Shabbat Service and Jewish Student Union (JSU) Meeting—Fridays 5:30–6:30 p.m. EST: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. All are welcome! Zoom link.

Muslim Student Association (MSA) Dinner—Fridays at 6 p.m. EST: In the absence of in-person prayers, the MSA still offers a virtual “club dinner” every Friday evening. All are welcome! Advisor: Mr. Noureddine El Alam. Student board co-presidents: Leen Alnsour ’21 and Ablah Siddiq ’22. Zoom link.

Ecumenical Protestant Worship—Sundays at 6 p.m. EST: Join Rev. Gina Finocchiaro for a time of scripture, prayer, and spoken reflection and music with Michael Belcher. All are welcome! Zoom link. Passcode: 2021

Roman Catholic Worship—Sundays, 6:45–7:30 p.m. EST: Worship with the Catholic community at Andover, followed by fellowship and discussion led by Dr. Mary Kantor and Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF) leaders. All are welcome! Zoom link.

News from the PSPA

Book Club to meet March 28: The book choice for our next Book Club meeting—on Sunday, March 28, 8–9 p.m. EST—is Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Thank you to all who participated in the book survey. Please email us to learn more or to get on our mailing list!

PSPA Campus Closet: For a limited time, Campus Closet is offering a 10 percent savings on several student favorites. Please take a look online! All items will be shipped directly or delivered to campus. If on campus, please be sure to indicate name and dorm for delivery.

You Are Invited

Throughout February: Note Writing Non Sibi Project for The Women’s Lunch Place, with Christine Cloonan ’98
February 4: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Denver, Portland, and Seattle Regional Leadership Teams
February 5: “Mind the Gap: Traversing the Imagination Gap, Emancipating Children’s Literature,” CAMD Scholar Presentation by Nana Afia Boadi-Acheampong ’21
February 7: Unwrapping the History of Chocolate and Making Abbot Heavenly Goo, with Priscilla Martel ’74 and Jina Corneau ’03
February 9: Andover’s First Century—A History Talk, with John Patrick ’65
February 10: Addison Virtual Gallery Talk—“Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850–1950,” with Gordon Wilkins, Part 2, 1900–1930
February 16: Andover Networking Event for Entrepreneurs, with Jed Weiner ’91
February 17: Addison Virtual Gallery Talk—“Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850–1950” with Gordon Wilkins, Part 3, 1930–1950
February 28: Mindfulness at the Museum, a virtual mindful observation experience co-sponsored by the Tang Institute and the Addison Gallery of American Art
March 4: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Chicago, Atlanta, and Texas Regional Leadership Teams
March 15–20: Non Sibi Project for NYC Community Fridges, with Candace Douglas ’00

All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Please join us!

Please note that the Parent Bulletin will now be sent on Fridays.

Parent Bulletin Archive »

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Andover, MA 01810

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