Special Class Schedule Next Week

There will be no classes Monday, April 19, or Tuesday, April 20. The class schedule for the remainder of the week will be a 3-day week class schedule with no All-School Meeting or Empathy, Balance, and Inclusion (EBI) classes. Homework will be assigned over the long weekend.

Contact Tracing and Testing

With the start of spring term and the quarantine period a distant memory, the Sykes Wellness Center team is actively addressing students’ medical and counseling needs. We’ve adjusted our flow to mitigate any potentially contagious cases and are very proud of our students for their flexibility and cooperation.

Surveillance testing and symptom tracking are continuing in earnest for all Andover community members, inclusive of students accessing campus. Please refer to our COVID-19 Dashboard for the most up-to-date information regarding the virus and risk levels for campus, the Town of Andover, and Massachusetts. A campus update will be emailed weekly by Medical Director Amy Patel, MD.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is on everyone’s mind. Please click here if you missed the communication from Head of School Raynard Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, sent earlier this week outlining the Academy’s policy and plan.

Signs of spring—including plenty of outdoor studying, socializing, lawn games, and cherry blossoms—can be seen all across campus.

Commemorate Your Senior

Phillipian Commencement Issue Ads: Each year, The Phillipian student newspaper publishes a longer issue that captures major events that occurred throughout the school year. This year’s version will reflect student lives both on and off campus. Parents of seniors—commemorate your student’s achievements through a “Family Advertisement” in the issue. Please visit Commencement Commemorations for more information and to create your advertisement by Friday, May 7. Questions should be emailed to Celeste Robinson, CFO of The Phillipian. Commencement issues will be sold during Commencement Weekend.

Class Rings: Phillips Academy class rings can still be ordered online. Please email our ring vendor, Mike McCann of Herff Jones, with any questions.

Yearbooks: Pot Pourri yearbooks—which cover the 2020–2021 school year—are available for purchase for $125 each. Please order online using school code 3591. Yearbooks will be shipped to the school in mid-May.

Brace Student Fellow Presentation

The Brace Center for Gender Studies invites families to a presentation by Maya Shkolnik ’21 titled “Queer Oppression, Resistance, and Art Under the Gaze of Post-Soviet Russia” on Friday, April 16, at 7 p.m. (EDT). Zoom link. Passcode: Maya

New Peabody Diggin’ In Episode

Join us for “Nehemiah on the Wall in Troublous Times: Archaeological Burial Recovery and Site Stabilization of the Gallops Island Quarantine Cemetery, Boston Harbor”—Season 2, Episode 7, of the Peabody Diggin’ In series—with guest speaker Ellen Berkland on Wednesday, April 21, at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).

The present pandemic is a poignant reminder of our connection to the past. This presentation provides a brief summary of the results of an archaeological burial recovery and site stabilization of the Gallops Island Quarantine Cemetery in Boston Harbor, where 50 victims of smallpox and other infectious diseases were removed in 2018. Please send us an email to sign up and we’ll put your name on our Zoom invitation list. You can also visit our events page on Facebook.

Weekly Religious Services

All are welcome to these events! Times are EDT; masks and physical distancing will be required.

Friday, April 16

1 p.m.—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Prayers: Weekly Prayer Meetings are sponsored by the MSA. Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (side entrance).
5:30–6:30 p.m.—Jewish Shabbat Service and JSU Meeting: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. We will gather under the tent between the Sykes Wellness Center and Bulfinch Hall.

Sunday, April 18

12 noon—Protestant (Ecumenical) Service: Led by Rev. Gina M. Finocchiaro, interim Protestant chaplain. Music by Michael Belcher. Join us for this time of scripture, prayer, spoken reflection, and music! Please email Rev. Gina for final gathering site.
6:45–7:30 p.m.—Roman Catholic Mass: Overseen by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, with priests of the Archdiocese of Boston presiding. Kemper Chapel, lower level of Cochran Chapel (side entrance). Reception will follow. This Mass may be open to students only; please email Dr. Kantor to confirm.

News from the PSPA

PSPA Speaker Series Videos: Did you miss last evening’s presentation by Dr. Lisa Damour? A recording of “Challenges of Parenting Through a Pandemic: Helping Your Teen Manage Anxiety and Stress,” which was co-sponsored with the PA Wellness Collaborative, the Associate Head of School’s Office, and the Sykes Wellness Center, will be posted on The Hive under the Resources/Informational Videos menu. A recording of the April 1 presentation by Natasha Singh, “How to Talk to Your Teen About Sexual Ethics, Healthy Relationships, and Intimacy,” will also be posted on The Hive—but just for two weeks.

Order Graduation Lawn Sign(s) for Your Senior: Hurry! The last day to order a custom-printed lawn sign for your senior is Friday, April 23. Proceeds go toward PSPA events and activities. Select from three designs and learn more here.

PSPA Board Transition: We are so thankful to retiring board members Cynthia Guo P’21 (treasurer), Lisa Lapp P’21, ’22 (merchandise director), and Robin Pollok P’21 (co-president) for all their time and heart that they have devoted to the PSPA. Their dedication to supporting and strengthening the PSPA has been an inspiration!

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the many new volunteers who have recently joined our team from near and far, as well as to our newest officers and board members: Co-President Sonia Virmani P’22, Treasurer Julia Zhu P’23, Assistant Treasurer Patty Bechard P’24, and merchandise directors Wendy Chandor P’23 and Back Weissman P’21, 23, 25. Please let us know if you would like to join our team or learn how you can get involved!

Campus Closet Volunteers Needed: Looking for a way to connect with the PA community? Please email us if you’d be interested in helping fulfill online orders for the Campus Closet. Hours are flexible!

PSPA Virtual Summer Opportunities Fair

The PSPA is excited to announce that we are hosting an online catalog version of our annual Summer Opportunities Fair this year. Although things are a bit different this summer, there are still many opportunities to engage and entertain the young people in your life. Some great vendors have partnered with us to showcase their programs—please check them out!

PA Transcripts for Summer Programs

If your student needs a PA transcript for summer program applications, please have them email the Registrar’s Office. Reminder: official transcripts must be sent directly from the Registrar’s Office to the organization requesting it.

You Are Invited!

Throughout April: Operation Gratitude Letter Writing Non Sibi Project, with Brandon Stroman ’97, Steve Matloff ’91, and Jim Donnelly ’82
Throughout April: Atlanta-based Non Sibi Project Free99Fridge, with Chrystal Akor ’00 and Gabe Wardell ’89
April 16: “Queer Oppression, Resistance, and Art: Under the Gaze of Post-Soviet Russia,” Brace Center Student Fellow Presentation by Maya Shkolnik ’21
April 19: A Conversation with Andy Housiaux, Currie Family Director of the Tang Institute
April 22: Community Discussion on the Future of Race Relations
April 24: The Open Door Shelter Non Sibi Project, with Laura Wyatt ’00
April 27: Yoga, with Tobi Gold ’70
May 7: “Turning Over a White Stage: Disrupting White-Affirming Racial Fetishism in ‘Elite’ White Concert Dance,” CAMD Scholar Presentation by Katherine Wang ’21
May 15–30: Transition House Non Sibi Project, with Tiffany Horne Noonan ’99
June 6: Roof Above Homeless Ministry Non Sibi Project, with Erin Chantry ’02, Caroline McGirt ’23, and Joe McGirt ’25

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

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