January 16, 2025

Calendar of Events

Athletics Calendar

The Weekender (View on The Hive)

For 36 years, Andover has celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by taking the day “on.” This tradition dates to 1989, when senior Brian Gittens staged a protest on the steps of Samuel Phillips Hall and played King’s speeches on his boombox to implore friends and faculty to mark the day with meaningful curriculum.

The Academy’s special MLK Day programming—which students attend in lieu of regular classes—takes place on Monday, January 20. Students will begin their day at 9 a.m. with a special All-School Meeting featuring keynote speaker Rachel Howzell Hall, acclaimed author of The Last One, What Never Happened, and These Toxic Things, among other books. Following ASM, students will attend various workshops, guest lectures, and student-run performances.

Please note that ninth grade boarding students in the first half of the alphabet (Achecar through Jung) have required programming from 3 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 19. Additionally, on Sunday, we encourage all students and families to attend our kickoff CAMD Scholar presentation, titled “There’s Something in the Water: The Narrative of Environmental Racism in the Depressed South,” led by Jaceil Britton ’25 at 4:30 p.m. in Kemper Auditorium.

Mid-point grades for Term 2 will be available on Wednesday, January 22, in the Student Reports section of The Hive. Please note that, to allow faculty to enter grades, the GRADES and UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT portions of BlueLink will be unavailable until that date.

While students may receive some brief progress reports from instructors at the winter mid-point, many will not. Instructors have the option to provide verbal feedback to students during individual conferences, replacing a written report. Although instructors will continue grading and offering regular feedback on assignments throughout the year, the next formal writing period is scheduled for the end of Term 3 (spring term).  

This reporting schedule prioritizes more substantial feedback in the first part of the year, aligning with our goal to guide students from increased support at the beginning to greater independence as the year progresses. Students are encouraged to engage in dialogue with instructors about how they are doing and how they might improve and grow. Families are encouraged to talk with students about the feedback received during conferences and about trends that may be emerging in their learning journey. 

Toward the end of the term, students will have an opportunity to write a self-reflection that will be shared with families. As always, if you have questions or concerns after discussing mid-point progress with your student, please contact your student’s point person.

Students will prepare and submit course requests for Term 3 from January 22 to February 5.

Each student will work with their advisor to determine remaining diploma requirements, which of their current courses or sequences will continue in spring, and what space they might have to choose electives. Students should have conversations with adults, including their parents, to consider what the spring might look like in big-picture terms, including sports commitments, extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, and health and well-being. The advising process aims to not only teach students how to navigate complex systems like our program but also how to make good decisions for themselves when presented with options.

House counselors, current instructors, cluster deans, coaches, and the staff in the Academic Skills Center and Sykes Wellness Center can provide valuable support as students figure out whether to take on more, scale back, make changes, or challenge themselves. Course requests also serve as an opportunity for students to develop flexibility and resilience, as they often must be willing to change their current instructors or schedule to secure their top choice of new courses.

The Office of Family Engagement invites you to join us for an engaging conversation with your student’s cluster dean. Learn about the many ways cluster deans support your student, hear from student leaders about cluster traditions and events, and more. Register now using these links:

Not sure which cluster your student belongs to? You can find this information on The Hive. Questions? Email the Office of Family Engagement.

A practice PSAT will be offered to PA 10th graders on Saturday, February 15. Registration is open now through Wednesday, January 22, at noon. The practice PSAT is a preview of the official College Board PSAT that students will take in 11th grade. It is managed by Compass Education Group and will simulate the digital PSAT. This test does not count in the admissions process, and scores are only provided to students.  

The results of the Practice PSAT and the PreACT can be a guide toward the standardized testing a student pursues in the college admissions process. For more testing information, click here. 

Thank you to the many parents and guardians who supported PA with a gift to the Andover Fund in 2024. We are thrilled to report that over 400 current Andover families have given back to the Academy so far this school year. Please be on the lookout later this month for more details in our mid-year progress update from Rebecca Brewster, director of Family Giving. 

Grandparent Information: Grandparents are important Andover community members, and we want to keep them informed about Academy news and events in their area. To ensure your student’s grandparents receive Andover news and invitations, please fill out this form. 

Our team is grateful to partner with PA families and looks forward to continuing to work together. Cheers to 2025! If you have any questions about the Andover Fund and the ways you can get involved, please reach out to Katherine Solimini, associate director of Family Giving, via email or by phone at 978-749-4583.

Enjoy photos of student-athletes and fans, team news, and player and event highlights in the Andover Athletics Newsletter.

Save the date! All are encouraged to attend the following winter term performances. 

The THD902 Dance Showcase, Dance Mainstage Performance
Showtimes: Friday, February 14, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Cristina A. Rubio Dance Studio, Pan Athletic Center

R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots, Theatre Mainstage Performance
Showtimes: Friday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 22, at 2 p.m.
Venue: Tang Theatre, George Washington Hall

Ride the Cyclone (High School Edition), THD901 Independent Project directed by Serafina Shin-von Nordenflycht ’25
Showtimes: Saturday, February 22, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, February 23, at 3 p.m.
Venue: Evans DeFelice Theatre Classroom, George Washington Hall

Chicago, the Musical (Teen Edition), THD901 Independent Project directed by Ivy Randall ’25
Showtimes: Saturday, March 1, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m.
Venue: Evans DeFelice Theatre Classroom, George Washington Hall

Families of seniors! This section keeps you in the loop about the important events and milestones of your student’s final year.

Class Rings: You can purchase a class ring for your senior through our vendor, Herff Jones. Questions? Please email Mike McCann.

2025 Commencement: We look forward to welcoming the families of the Class of 2025 to celebrate Commencement on June 1. For a complete schedule of events and FAQs, please visit the Commencement webpage. 

If you have any accessibility needs (ASL interpreter, wheelchair, among other accommodations), please email those requests to Naomi Mashburn before February 14. If you have additional questions as Commencement approaches, please also email Naomi Mashburn or call 978-749-4225.

Families are encouraged to order a 2025 Pot Pourri, Phillips Academy’s yearbook, by clicking  PA Yearbook. If prompted, enter school code 3591. Yearbooks—full color and typically about 300 pages—will be delivered to campus in May. 

Join the Massachusetts Archaeological Society’s Northeast/Gene Winter Chapter on Tuesday, January 21, at 7 p.m. at the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology for “Understanding the Challenges of Underwater Site Identification,” a lecture by Shannon Nelson-Maney. The cultural resource technician for SWCA Environmental Consultants, Nelson-Maney is also a Rhode Island Marine Archaeology project co-PI, leading their recent transport study in Newport Harbor. We hope to see you there!  

The event is free and open to the public. Unable to attend in person? The meeting will be streamed live via this Zoom link. Want more information or have questions? Email the Massachusetts Archaeological Society.

Campus Closet

Shop this Friday: Be sure to stop by Campus Closet from 2 to 6 p.m. tomorrow (lower level of George Washington Hall) to stock up on new PA gear—or shop online 24/7.

Volunteer for Campus Closet: Staffed by PSPA volunteers, all proceeds from Campus Closet go toward student activities and building a stronger PA community. Please sign up here to help in the shop for a few hours in January and February. 

Upcoming Events

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information about the following exciting events and ways you can get involved.

Get Involved: The PSPA is seeking support in marketing and social media. If you have some time to help out, please email us. Interested in being a class representative for the Class of 2026 or 2027? Email Sonia Virmani, nomination committee chair.

Stay in the Know: Not to worry if you miss a Family Bulletin now and then. You can still stay up to date on PSPA activities by following us on Facebook (PSPA Campus Closet) and Instagram (@pspa_campuscloset).  

The Parents of Students of Phillips Academy (PSPA) is a parent-run nonprofit that hosts social gatherings, educational panels, and engagement events for students, families, and the broader PA community throughout the year.

Friday, January 17

Sunday, January 19

Check 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!

Want to find other Andover families in your area? Log in now using your Hive credentials. The directory is opt-in; families must log in to be visible to others. You can find tutorials on how to use the directory here. Should you need assistance with resetting your Hive login information, reach out to the Technology Help Desk by email or call 978-749-4357.

The Office of Family Engagement is here to support you throughout the school year! If you have any questions or need assistance, please email Director Jennifer Vasquez or call 978-749-4068. 

Andover Family Directory

Family Webinar Series

2024–2025 Academic Calendar

Class Schedule

2024–2025 Information for Families 

Guide for New Families

Strategies for Student Success