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Good News and Reminders for Spectators
Although family members are still not permitted at our indoor volleyball games, family members can attend crew races as of tomorrow!
- No more than four family members per student-athlete.
- Please arrive at the “field” no sooner than 15 minutes before game start time.
- Where noted, please sit/stand in the designated area for family-member spectators ONLY. We ask that parents do not sit in the stands at the baseball and softball fields so our students may sit in our bleachers. In Phelps Stadium, we ask that family members sit ONLY on the far side (east) stands closest to the outdoor track.
- All spectators must remain masked at all times—with a mask fully covering the mouth and nose—regardless of vaccination status.
- All spectators must abide by the Academy’s physical distancing guidelines with non-family members at all times.
- All spectators must remain outside at all times and may not enter any buildings. Port-a-potties will be located near all outdoor fields.
- No team or parent tailgating or parking lot gatherings permitted.
Please understand that, at any time, we may need to pull back on these changes and adjust course.
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From the Dean of Studies Office
Special class schedule next week: There will be no classes Monday, May 10, and Tuesday, May 11. 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. Students should expect homework in each class over the long weekend and for that homework to be due at the start of their class period in the shortened week.
Reminder About Academic Integrity: At the beginning of every year, all students read the PA Academic Integrity Primer and sign off that they understand the parameters of doing good intellectual work in an academic community. In addition, all English teachers go over academic integrity expectations with their students at the beginning of every term, and other departments regularly offer guidance specific to the assignment or discipline.
In addition to the content areas we teach, we are also working to create confident and independent learners who ask for appropriate help when they need it, and we know that a lot of their learning will be in their mistakes and the productive struggles. If there is a violation of our academic integrity standards, then the teacher, department chair, and a member of the Dean of Studies office will work with the student to help them understand the violation (which could also lead to a Discipline Committee (DC) meeting). If students are feeling unsure or overwhelmed, please encourage them to reach out to their instructors for help. All students have conference period several times a week and can also ask for help from the Academic Skills Center. Plus, there is a great Writing Center in Morse Hall.
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Campus Community Health Update
Last week’s COVID-19 vaccine event was very successful, with over 450 eligible students receiving their first dose. Thank you, Lawrence General Hospital! Please join us in congratulating your Andover student for their stellar behavior during the entire process. Dates for the second vaccine are May 19 and May 20. Parents of recently vaccinated students should watch for an email this week with more details.
An email was sent on Monday to new and returning parents about student vaccination requirements for fall and Andover program delivery in the 2021–2022 school year. You can review this important email here. Updates from the FDA regarding expansion of vaccine eligibility for those ages 12–15 are being monitored closely. A separate communication will be shared should approval be granted.
As always, you can visit our COVID-19 Dashboard for the most up-to-date information on campus testing results and more.
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Parent Survey Requested by Tomorrow
Earlier this week you should have received a Parent Survey via email. Please take a few minutes to complete it. This is an important way for us to gather information about what has been going well, what we can do to improve this term, and how we can plan well for next year. The deadline for completion is tomorrow—Friday, May 7—by 3 p.m. ET. (If you did not receive a Parent Survey, please email Kara Heintz.)
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Special for Your Senior
Diploma frames with Phillips Academy seal: New this year—archival quality diploma frames customized with the Phillips Academy seal and school name! A custom diploma frame is the perfect graduation gift to showcase and protect your loved one’s achievement. Learn more here and, for a limited time, save an additional 20 percent.
Special gifts for seniors: The PSPA Campus Closet has the “Commencement tie”—plus countless NEW graduation gift ideas! Click here to learn more.
Phillipian Commencement issue deadline: Each year, The Phillipian student newspaper publishes a longer issue that captures major events that occurred throughout the school year. Parents of seniors—commemorate your student’s achievements through a “Family Advertisement” in the issue. Please visit Commencement Commemorations for more information and 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.
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Moving Out in June
Non-seniors can leave campus at the end of classes on Thursday, June 3 (which is a Friday schedule); boarders may leave earlier if they receive permission from their house counselor. Non-seniors unable to secure a flight until Friday, June 4, MUST vacate dorms no later than noon. Seniors must move out of dorms by the afternoon of Sunday, June 6 (following Commencement).
- Siblings of seniors cannot remain in the dorms. They must move out of dorms as stated above and stay with family or friends until the senior graduates.
- Parents/guardians/friends who are assisting students with move-out must remain outside the dorm. Only the student is allowed to pack and move their items within the dorm. They can receive assistance once outside.
- Students should begin packing soon. Organizing, discarding trash, recycling unwanted items, packing, and labeling should start long before the move-out date.
- Collegeboxes (see below) is an option for storing items over the summer, allowing students to travel lightly.
Summer 2021 storage option: Phillips Academy has partnered with Collegeboxes to provide a solution for those who need to store their clothing, books, furniture, etc., over the summer. Collegeboxes will pick up items, place them in storage, and then deliver them to your child’s dorm room shortly before school starts in September. There are costs associated with this service. Below is the essential information and important dates. (This information has also been shared with boarding students.)
- Collegeboxes pickups are scheduled for Wednesday, June 9 (after all students have left campus).
- Phillips Academy will provide boxes, tape, and markers. Do not purchase a supply kit on the Collegeboxes website. Boxes will be delivered to dorms May 20, May 25, and May 28.
- Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day)—Absolute last day to sign up for Collegeboxes. Be sure your child enters their CURRENT dorm for pickup location.
- Important pickup requirement: All boxes must be packed and items organized and labeled before student leaves campus.
- Delivery is before school starts in September. We will provide your child’s 2021–2022 dorm and room to Collegeboxes. You do not need to provide this information. Ignore the question. Belongings will be delivered to campus before students arrive.
Questions? Please email Claudia Scofield in the Dean of Students Office or call 978-749-4124.
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CAMD Scholar Presentation
Friday, May 7, at 8 p.m. EDT: The final CAMD Scholar presentation of this school year will feature Katherine Wang ’21, who will present research from her paper “Turning Over a White Stage: Disrupting White-Affirming Racial Fetishism in ‘Elite’ White Concert Dance.” Her faculty advisor is Judith Wombwell, instructor in theatre and dance. Zoom link. Passcode: Katherine
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Climate Café
Friday, May 7, 7–8 p.m. EDT: Please join us for a conversation with the Reverend Robert Massie, author, activist, politician, and creator of the podcast Creating the World We Want. Massie will speak about Harvard University’s fossil fuel divestment campaign and other advocacy efforts. Zoom link. Passcode: 01810
Sponsored by the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library and Sustainability Office, Climate Café is a discussion series featuring experts in climate and environmental science, justice, policy, and advocacy.
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Restorative Justice Presentation
Dr. Fania Davis, a leading national voice on restorative justice, will address the Andover community on Friday, May 14, at 8 p.m. EDT. This opportunity is sponsored by the Head of School’s Office. We hope you will join us! Zoom link.
Davis is a longtime social justice activist, civil rights trial attorney, writer, restorative justice practitioner, and educator with a PhD in Indigenous knowledge. She came of age in Birmingham, Alabama, during the social ferment of the civil rights era. The murder of two close childhood friends in the 1963 Sunday School bombing crystallized within Davis a passionate commitment to social transformation. She is the author of The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and U.S. Social Transformation. Davis visited virtually with faculty and student leaders in March.
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Make This a Transformative Summer!
Andover Summer’s application deadline for on-campus day and boarding programs is Saturday, May 15. This is the last chance for your child to apply for summer 2021. Our eSummer program application will remain open until June 1. Don’t let your child miss out on the experience of a lifetime! Andover Summer is a five-week academic program for rising 7th–12th-graders. If you’re in search of a shorter academic commitment, please consider our Andover Summer Advantage program, which is open enrollment.
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Updates from Parent Development
Fun Virtual Volunteer Opportunity: We are seeking parent volunteers to help welcome the parents and guardians of new students to Andover. This is a fun and rewarding way to make new connections in the PA parent community.
Volunteers will be assigned a small group of new parents to contact either by phone or email at their convenience during May and June. Volunteers will receive a template and other guidance to assist with their communications. The goal of this outreach is simple: to provide a Big Blue welcome, offer to be a resource, and foster new parent-to-parent connections. Last spring, parent volunteers contacted over 250 new PA families—and we hope to reach even more families this year! To sign up, please complete this form by Friday, May 14. Questions? Email Elisabeth Munro, coordinator of Parent Development.
PA Giving Day Recap—We Did It! The global Andover community was truly “all together for Andover” on PA Giving Day! More than 2,500 alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends participated in this annual day of giving, raising over $1.75 million in support for the Academy and unlocking four new Andover Fund scholarships for students.
On behalf of the entire Andover community, thank you to all who donated—and special thanks to our Parent Fund Committee members for their efforts to encourage fellow parents to participate. Your enthusiasm was contagious, and we could not have done it without you!
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This Week’s Religious Services
Masks and physical distancing will be required at all these gatherings.
Friday, May 7
- 1 p.m. EDT—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Prayers: Weekly Prayer Meetings sponsored by the MSA. All are welcome! Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (side entrance).
- 5:30–6:30 p.m. EDT—Jewish Shabbat Service and JSU Meeting: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. We will gather in the tent between Sykes Wellness Center and Bulfinch Hall. All are welcome!
Sunday, May 9
- 10:30 a.m. EDT—Catholic Confirmation Mass in Cochran Chapel: This Sunday, the Catholic community on campus will celebrate Mass with the Sacrament of Confirmation for 25 students. This event is the culmination and celebration of the school’s yearlong program under the direction of Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain. Bishop Robert Hennessey of the Merrimack Region of the Archdiocese of Boston will be the presider of the Mass. Anyone who is part of the Andover community (and also part of the campus’s COVID testing protocols) is welcome to this event inside Cochran Chapel. There will not be a reception following the event this year, but all are welcome to greet and congratulate these young people outside after the Mass (following the protocols for families/visitors to campus).
Note: There will be no 6:45 p.m. Mass in Kemper Chapel this Sunday.
- 12 noon EDT—Protestant (Ecumenical) Service: Led by Rev. Gina M. Finocchiaro, interim Protestant chaplain. Music by Michael Belcher. All are welcome for this time of scripture, prayer, spoken reflection, and music! Please email Rev. Gina for location details.
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News from the PSPA
TONIGHT, Thursday, May 6, at 7 p.m. EDT—An Evening with College Counseling: Join this PSPA Speaker Series event to learn more about the college counseling process at Andover and the programming that is in place to support students as they embark on this journey. Zoom link.
Follow Campus Closet on Social and Win! We are building our community. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook—and engage each week in May for a chance to win free Campus Closet giveaways. There will be a big giveaway the week before final assessments!
Final PSPA Book Club Meeting: We welcome you to join us as we discuss In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, Book 1) by Tana French on Sunday, May 30, 8–9 p.m. EDT. You can take a sneak peek at the discussion questions here. Please email us if you would like to participate.
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You Are Invited!- Throughout May: Letters Against Isolation Non Sibi Project, with Shreya Patel ’19
- 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 14: Dr. Fania E. Davis Visit with the Andover Community
- 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
- June 12: Traditional Architecture on Andover Hill—Illustrated History Talks with John Patrick ’65
All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Please join us!
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