Happy 2010!

Judging from the energy on campus, I can confidently report that students and faculty were all excited to return to campus, in spite of the weekend storm and a few delays, to launch Winter Term. Along with their new classes, students are looking forward to the first Annual Music Festival, as well as traditional Andover winter events, including Winter Carnival and Head of School Day. Families new to Phillips Academy this year will soon learn that HOS Day is one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year. The guessing game to identify the day that Barbara Chase will wield her blue field hockey stick begins on the first day of the term and increases with intensity as the term progresses. While students can be cranky when they believe we have waited too long for the break, nothing equals the joy and pandemonium when the announcement finally comes. It is Andover at its happiest.

January Webinar

The next Parent Connect Webinar: Cyberspace and Technology will be held this evening, Monday, January 4th from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST. The presentation will explore the impact of video gaming and other technologies on adolescent behavior. Join a panel of experts as they discuss the links between risky adolescent behaviors, the seductive nature of pursuing risk and defining boundaries and their connections with video gaming. Register for this webinar via the Parent Connect Webinar link on the Parent Portal.

Campus Outreach Services reports that many of you have registered and participated in the Parent Connect webinar series and viewed the archived webinars on their website. By offering these webinars to the academy’s parent community, we hope to provide you with current information and share some practical tips on student risk issues. I am interested in your feedback on the value of the webinar series. Please send a note to the associate head’s office by way of Belinda Traub at btraub@andover.edu.

Safety First

Good safety practices, including observing the traffic signals and crossing Main Street in a crosswalk) especially during dark winter afternoons and evenings, are frequently reinforced with reminders from faculty and our public safety officers. As an additional safety precaution, the Dean of Students’ office will soon begin distributing reflective bands to every student. We hope they will all wear them on their sleeves or attached to their backpacks.