Important April Dates

Monday, April 17—No classes
Friday, April 21—Mid-point of Term 3
Tuesday April 25—Mid-point grades and comments will be posted on The Hive

Student Photos on SmugMug

Be sure to visit Phillips Academy’s SmugMug site for some great 2022–2023 school year photos in many categories, including Student Life, Athletics, Performances & Exhibits, and Learning in the World.

Conversation with Alumni in Sports

Join us for a “Blue Runs Deep” virtual conversation with alumni around their careers in the business of sports at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 17. Our panel will include:

Zak DeOssie ’03—2x Super Bowl Champion, 2x Pro Bowler, and Former VP of the NFL Players Association
David Downs ’73—Former ABC Sports Sr. Vice President and Former Commissioner of the North American Soccer Leage
Caitlin Kelley ’86—Senior Director of Sports Administration, USA Lacrosse
Jeehae Lee ’02—Founder & CEO of Sportsbox AI and Former LPGA Tour Player

Along with hearing about their professional paths beyond Andover, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session. This event is hosted by the Student Alumni Representatives (STARs). Please register here.

Upcoming Senior Recitals

The Department of Music is presenting several senior recitals throughout April and May. All families are invited to attend.

Author Laila Lalami to Speak

In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, the Office of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD) presents Dr. Laila Lalami on Friday, April 21, at 8:30 p.m. in Kemper Auditorium. Lalami was born in Rabat and educated in Morocco, Great Britain, and the United States. She is the author of five books, including The Moor’s Account, which won the American Book Award, the Arab American Book Award, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. This event is free and open to the public. Lalami's talk will be followed by a book signing; books will be available to purchase.

Spring College Fair

On Monday, April 24, PA will host a Spring College Fair in the Snyder Center from 5 to 7 p.m. The fair offers local high school students and their families an ideal opportunity to familiarize themselves with a wide range of colleges and universities.

Representatives from more than 100 academic institutions from around the world will be available to answer individual questions and distribute informational literature about their schools. The current list of registered schools is posted on The Hive. Admission is free and open to the public. Once on campus, please follow the signs to available parking. Please note that students cannot miss any PA commitments to attend the fair.

Be a Welcome Ambassador!

The Parent Development office is seeking volunteers to serve as “welcome ambassadors” for parents and guardians of new PA students. This is a fun and rewarding way to make new connections within the PA parent community.

As a welcome ambassador, you will be assigned a small group of new parents to contact either by phone or email at your convenience during May and June. You will receive a template and other guidance to assist with your outreach. The goal is simple: to provide a Big Blue welcome, be a friendly resource, and help grow new parent-to-parent connections.

Last spring, our dedicated welcome ambassadors contacted over 250 new PA families. We aspire to provide the same broad outreach to this year’s new families and would appreciate your involvement! To sign up, please complete this form by Friday, May 5. Questions? Email Josie Skelley, assistant director of Parent Development, or call 978-749-4303.

New colleague in Parent Development: We are delighted introduce Josie Skelley, our new assistant director, who joined our team in early March. Josie’s professional background includes volunteer management, fundraising, and communications work for Colby College athletics and the Alfond Youth and Community Center in Waterville, Maine. Josie graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in English literature.

News from the PSPA

Spring Social Mixer for Parents—Friday, April 14: Join us tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Andover Inn for our Spring Social Mixer! Please RSVP here. Adults only.

Annual Meeting of the PSPA—Thursday, April 20: All parents and guardians are invited to the Annual Meeting of the PSPA membership at 6 p.m. in the Underwood Room.

Vote: We will vote on this proposed draft of our bylaws, which includes updates recommended by the board.
Elect: We will also elect a new slate of board members for the 2023–2024 school year. Click here for the slate of nominees recommended by our nominating committee and approved by our current board.
Join us in person for the annual meeting or via Zoom link. Passcode: 739546.

The meeting will be preceded by dinner at 5:30 p.m., and followed at 7 p.m. by the first of our two-part speaker series on the college admissions process:

PSPA Speaker Series and Q&A with the Directors of College Counseling: Join us at 7 p.m. in Kemper Auditorium to learn more about the college counseling process at Andover and the programming that is in place to support students as they embark on their journey. This event is co-sponsored by the PSPA and the College Counseling Office. Livestream link.

Help Staff the Relay For Life Walk: Support PA students and parents who are taking part in the Relay For Life to fight cancer on Saturday, April 22. We need volunteers from 6:15 to 11:15 p.m. in the Snyder Center. Please click here to sign up. And if you would like to walk with the students, you can sign up here for the PSPA team.

Celebrate Your Senior!

The Phillipian, Phillips Academy’s student newspaper, will publish its annual Commencement issue the weekend of June 3—it’s a longer version of the paper that captures the major events that occurred throughout the school year. The Phillipian invites families of seniors to commemorate your student’s achievements through a “family advertisement” in our Commencement issue. Members of The Phillipian will work closely with you to ensure that your family advertisement features all of the photos and messaging you want to include about your child—and/or a favorite student organization, club, or team that your senior has been involved with—to create a meaningful celebration of their time here at Phillips Academy.

Last year nearly 100 families dedicated a commemoration to their student(s); this year, we hope to achieve 100 percent family participation. Please complete this family advertisement form as soon as possible. The deadline is Friday, May 5. If you have any questions, email Michael Ma, chief financial officer.

Student Workers Needed for Reunion

The Office of Academy Resources is seeking student workers to support Reunion Weekend 2023. We welcome current PA students (age 16 or older) and/or recent graduates to apply for these paid positions. If your student is interested, please have them fill out an application by tomorrow, April 15. We will reach out to all applicants.

Reunion work begins Monday, June 5, and ends Sunday, June 11. There are many different shifts, and tasks include stuffing name badges, staffing the registration and information services desks, campus tours, overseeing “Back to the Classroom” sessions, gathering alumni for class photos, and setting up spaces and tents for class activities and events.

Spiritual & Religious Gatherings

Friday, April 14

1–1:25 p.m.—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Prayers and Fellowship: Sermon (Jumma prayer). Led by Noureddine El Alam. Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building).
5:30 p.m.—Jewish Student Union (JSU) Shabbat Celebration: Led by members of the JSU and Rabbi Michael Swarttz. Included are blessings over candles, juice and hallah, community conversation, sharing and fellowship. Paul’s Room, Paresky Commons.
7:15-–8 p.m.—MSA Dinner: Dinner is hosted by Mr. El Alam at his residence in Fuess South for iftaar. For students only.
Please note that the 7 p.m. event with Holocaust survivor Leo S. Ullman ’57 has been cancelled.

Sunday, April 16

No Protestant worship this week
6:15–7 p.m.—Roman Catholic Mass: All are welcome to join the PA Catholic community for Mass on Sunday evenings when school is in session. Overseen by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, with presider Fr. Jack O’Brien and other guest priests from the Archdiocese of Boston. Student leaders participate in liturgical roles as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and musicians, and help with hospitality. Mass is followed by hospitality and fellowship with snacks and refreshments, and sometimes short programming by Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF) leaders. Kemper Chapel, lower level of Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building).

You Are Invited!

Please note that the April 14 event with Holocaust survivor Leo S. Ullman ’57—mentioned in last week’s Family Bulletin—has been cancelled.

April 17: Blue Runs Deep—A Virtual Conversation with Alumni on the Business of Sports
April 22 in San Francisco: Park Restoration Non Sibi Project with Winston W. Wyckoff ’78, P’12
April 22 in Concord, MA: Gaining Ground Non Sibi Project with Jeff Hunt ’82, P’25
April 22 in New York: Flushing Meadows Corona Park Non Sibi Project with Candace Douglas ’00
April 22 in Washington, DC: A Wider Circle Non Sibi Project with John J. Patrick ’65
April 23 in Cape Neddick, ME: Center for Wildlife Non Sibi Project with Tiffany Horne Noonan ’99
April 26 in Washington, DC: Bread for the City Non Sibi Project with Libby O’Hare ’96 and Margaret Doles ’97
April 26: A Virtual Session with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
April 29 in Los Angeles, CA: Community Services Unlimited Urban Gardening Non Sibi Project
May 9 in Washington, DC: A Conversation with Andover Alumni: Journalism's Role in Democracy
May 13 in New York: Hudson Guild Non Sibi Project with Thao Nguyen Kelly ’07 and Garth Williams ’97
May 15: A Virtual Conversation with Wendy Ewald ’69
May 20 in New York: Citymeals on Wheels Non Sibi Project with Marcia B. McCabe ’73
May 23: The Vers(es) in Diversity: Chinese Students at Andover —A Virtual Presentation by Frank S. Zhou ’22
June 20 in London: 10th Anniversary Concert Nucleo Non Sibi Project with Lucy Maguire ’08

Keep an eye on the Academy’s Events Calendar for gatherings in your area and an array of campus and other events that may be open to families (i.e., special student presentations, music, theatre, and dance performances, and athletic competitions). Please join us!

PA Visitor/Guest Health & Safety Guidelines

On-Campus Visitors: In consideration of the health and safety of visitors and our campus community, we expect visitors to be up to date with COVID vaccination, if eligible. We expect visitors to mask at all times or stay off campus if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, if they are within 10 days of having been diagnosed with COVID, and/or if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness. In the spirit of non sibi (not for self), the Academy trusts that campus visitors will follow these guidelines.

Guests at Off-Campus/Regional Events: In consideration of the health and safety of our Andover community, we ask attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccination, if eligible. We require all attendees to adhere to the public health guidelines established by the CDC and your state and local health officials, as well as to follow venue guidelines and regulations that are in place at the time of the event. Venue-specific guidelines will be shared close to the event date. Prior to attending, we ask that you monitor your health. We expect attendees to mask at all times—or not attend the event—if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, if they are within 10 days of having been diagnosed with COVID, and/or if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness. In the spirit of non sibi, the Academy trusts that those in attendance will follow these guidelines.

Family Bulletin Archive »

Phillips Academy
180 Main St.
Andover, MA 01810

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