Parent Bulletin

Out of the Blue – Stories from the Heart

Since 2011, students and faculty have worked on a student-led project focused on the diverse identities and perspectives of the Andover community. Sponsored by the Abbot Academy Association, their work culminated last month in the first edition of Out of the Blue, a collection of 90 stories written by current and recent Andover students. Their experiences relate to seven identity areas: class, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, geographic origin, and (dis)ability. These stories, we hope, will encourage readers to understand and connect to the experiences of other people in the community who are different.

Copies of Out of the Blue were placed in student and faculty mailboxes before winter break and distributed to staff members across campus. What began with an idea, an outline, and a goal to spark dialog and change in the Andover community, developed into an anthology of stories. Out of the Blue intends to create a campus culture that emphasizes critical thinking, reflection, and understanding of other people around us.

Andover’s 24^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day offered, among other events, 11 Out of the Blue workshops run by students and faculty. More events and programming to foster dialogue and discussion on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and identity are planned for the coming months and following year around the Out of the Blue project.

For more information visit http://www.andover.edu/outoftheblue. If you are interested in purchasing the book, send your request to outofthebluebook@andover.edu.

Susanne Torabi & Linda Griffith on Behalf of the Out of the Blue Team

Brazil PLACES, a New Summer Learning Opportunity

Brazil PLACES (People, Landscapes, Arts, Culture, Environment, and Sustainability) is a new Phillips Academy program based on a collaborative partnership with Escola SESC (SESC High School), a boarding school in Rio de Janeiro that shares many of Andover’s values and has a similar educational mission. PA will welcome five Brazilian students and two faculty chaperones to Andover in April and take a group of Andover students to Brazil this summer to explore the concepts of urban studies and resource flows.

We are asking local parents to consider hosting a Brazilian student during Escola SESC’s visit, April 18 to 27. The students will spend most of their time and eat all of their meals on campus. Host families simply need to provide a bed and transportation to and from campus each day. The students are all fluent in English, and we have wonderful bios written by these students to share with interested families.

Please consider hosting one of these remarkable young people and contributing to the development and success of this new program. For questions about the program or our visitors, or to volunteer to be a host family, please contact Brazil PLACES Program Director Flavia Vidal at fvidal@andover.edu.

AP Exam Registration Information

Registration for the May 2014 AP Exam begins on February 3. Students taking AP or other applicable classes should obtain an AP Student Bulletin and Registration Form from the Dean of Studies Office and register as soon as possible. The bulletin details the exams offered and the schedule for each exam. Since these exams are expensive and time consuming, students should consult with teachers or advisors if they are unsure about whether to take an exam. Additional details can be found on the Parent Portal. If you have any questions about the AP registration process, please contact Debra Colombo at dcolombo@andover.edu.

Gap Year Fair Feb. 1

Parents and students are invited to the Gap Year Opportunities Fair, sponsored by USA Gap Year Fairs, on Saturday, February 1, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Kemper Auditorium and the Underwood Room. Forty Gap Year program directors and representatives will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. The event begins with a speaker at 3 p.m. For more information, please see the Parent Portal or contact Roxanne Barry, director of summer and gap year opportunities.

Invitation from the Parent Fund

The next on-campus Parent Phonathon is Wednesday, February 5, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Annual Giving Office – third floor of McKeen Hall on the Abbot Campus. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow parents while having fun making calls for the Parent Fund! Training, light snacks, and beverages will be provided. The Parent Fund is the main vehicle for annual, unrestricted parent support of Phillips Academy. Your calls will help sustain an exceptional Andover experience for every student. RSVP by contacting Connie Ferreira at cferreira@andover.edu or 978-749-4284.

News from PSPA

Spring Break Info

Dormitories close at 12 p.m. on Friday, March 7, and reopen on Monday, March 24 at 8 a.m.; students may not enter dormitories during these times. Specifically, dormitories are not open on Sunday, March 23.

New this spring break, Phillips Academy will offer bus transportation to/from New York City with a stop in Darien, CT, and bus transportation to JFK airport.

JFK: The bus transporting students to JFK airport will leave campus Thursday, March 6, at 3:30 p.m. from GW Circle and is expected to arrive at JFK around 10 p.m. The fare is $100. We will not offer transportation from JFK at the end of spring break.

NYC/CT Buses: Buses depart campus Friday, March 7 at 9 a.m., and return Monday, March 24, leaving NYC at 11 a.m. and arriving on campus at 4 pm. Cost is $90 one-way and $150 roundtrip.

Private taxi and limousine services are available for student travel to area airports and train stations. See information posted on the Parent Portal.

To access forms, log into the Parent Portal and choose the Student Life tab under the Dean of Students section. Please contact Claudia Scofield at cscofield@andover.edu or 978-749-4124 for more information.