Spring Term News and Information

A survey was sent earlier this week to parents and guardians requesting their student’s enrollment preference for spring term. While we are excited to welcome back all students to campus in the spring, we understand that some students will choose to remain off campus for various reasons. We ask that the survey be completed by 6 p.m. EST today, Friday, February 12. If you have questions regarding the survey, please email Kara Heintz.

For information regarding the Academy’s plans for spring term, including athletics, please refer to the Spring Term 2021 Facts/Q&A—as well as a new video hosted by Medical Director Amy Patel, Dean of Studies Raj Mundra P’18, ’20, and Assistant Head for Residential Life and Dean of Students Jenny Elliott ’94, P’22, ’24. The facts/Q&A information is updated regularly, so please refer to it often. Send your additional questions to this special Q&A email address.

Short Week Homework Reminder

There will be no classes on Monday, February 15, and Tuesday, February 16. Students may receive a double homework assignment this week that will be due at the start of the class period during the short week.

Wellness x 3

From the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center:

View this week’s Campus Public Health Update from Dr. Amy Patel, medical director.
Check out @pawellness on Instagram. Our social media messaging theme this week is social connectedness and healthy relationships.
If your child may be returning to campus this spring term, please be sure all health information is current. Check status by logging into the health portal here.

Two Library-Sponsored Talks Today

This afternoon at 3:30 p.m. EST—NestED Talk with Rosa Weinberg: Weinberg’s creative practice focuses on the body through the design and fabrication of sculptural wearables and wearable tech. Drawn from her training as an architect, the design educator and artist employs design as a critical practice, using research, interviews, and other tools to question the status quo and see beyond dominant narratives. Her talk, “The Importance of Being Present,” will use examples from her recent work to demonstrate the link to presence and design processes that uncover bias and cultivate the most creative ideas. Zoom link.

Tonight at 7 p.m. EST—Climate Café with Dr. William Moomaw: Dr. Moomaw is the lead author of five Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports and professor emeritus of international environmental policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for the IPCC’s climate work. Join us to discuss the future of our globe with a leader responsible for curating it—in the wake of one of the most consequential years and elections of our lifetimes. Zoom link.

Both events are sponsored by the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library.

Black Arts Month Keynote Tonight

Parents and students are invited to hear Black Arts Month keynote speaker Kiese Laymon tonight at 8 p.m. EST. Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon does battle with the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, and the genre-defying novel Long Division. Please register here.

Now Playing: Picture a Scientist

The PA Division of Natural Sciences, in partnership with the Brace Center for Gender Studies, is proud to present a screening of the documentary Picture a Scientist and a conversation with Dr. Nancy Hopkins, a featured scientist in the film.

Now through February 17: Picture a Scientist is available for viewing via this link. Password: paa221. (View the trailer here.)

Tuesday, February 16, at 7 p.m. EST: Dr. Hopkins joins the Academy community for a talk. Zoom link. Passcode: 306180

Picture a Scientist leads viewers deep into the experiences of a biologist, a chemist, and a geologist as they pursue their careers in the sciences despite brutal harassment, institutional discrimination, and years of subtle slights—and go on to help revolutionize the culture of science. The feature-length documentary provides new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.

Hopkins, a molecular biologist and professor of biology at MIT, is known for her research identifying the role genes play in longevity and cancer predisposition in adult fish, as well as for her work promoting equality of opportunity for women scientists in academia.

Brace Student Fellow Presentation

The Brace Center for Gender Studies invites families to a presentation by Emma Lowry ’21 titled “Childbirth in Shackles: How the Intersection of Pregnancy and Mass Incarceration Fuels the Unique Complications, Reproductive Injustices, and Access to Medical Care Pregnant Incarcerated Women Face in America” on Friday, February 19, at 7 p.m. EST. Andrea Bailey, instructor in biology, is the faculty advisor. Zoom link. Passcode: Emma

Updates from Parent Development

Parent Fund Progress: Parents and guardians continue to rally to support the Academy’s Parent Fund. Thank you to those who have donated! Director of Parent Development Rebecca Brewster recently shared an update on the Parent Fund, outlining highlights from fall term and progress to date.

Introducing our 2020–2021 Parent Fund class captains: We are thrilled to announce our Parent Fund class captains for this school year.

Class of 2024 (Juniors): Kelsey Yin and Yanbing Xu P’24 from Andover, MA
Class of 2023 (Lowers): Laurence Cheng and Tina Cheng P’23 from San Francisco, CA
Class of 2022 (Uppers): Andrew Bell and Jennifer Liao P’22 from Great Neck, NY
Class of 2021 (Seniors): Bach Weissman and Peter Weissman P’21, ’23, from North Andover, MA

Class captains are charged with inspiring 100 percent donor participation among all families. In the weeks ahead, those who have not yet donated may expect to hear from these fellow parents about opportunities for supporting the Academy and joining the 477 families that have contributed this year.

Parent Donor Spotlight: What inspired you to give to Andover this school year? “My son attended Andover. The school was kind enough to provide financial aid when it was needed.” —Lawrence Waskom P’08 from Naperville, IL

If you would like to share why you donated to the Academy this year, we’d love to hear from you!

Weekly Religous Services & Events

Jewish Shabbat Service and Jewish Student Union (JSU) Meeting—Fridays 5:30–6:30 p.m. EST: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. All are welcome! Zoom link.

Muslim Student Association (MSA) Dinner—Fridays at 6 p.m. EST: In the absence of in-person prayers, the MSA still offers a virtual “club dinner” every Friday evening. All are welcome! Advisor: Mr. Noureddine El Alam. Student board co-presidents: Leen Alnsour ’21 and Ablah Siddiq ’22. Zoom link.

Ecumenical Protestant Worship—Sundays at 6 p.m. EST: Join Rev. Gina Finocchiaro for a time of scripture, prayer, and spoken reflection and music with Michael Belcher. All are welcome! Zoom link. Passcode: 2021

Roman Catholic Worship—Sundays, 6:45–7:30 p.m. EST: Worship with the Catholic community at Andover, followed by fellowship and discussion led by Dr. Mary Kantor and Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF) leaders. All are welcome! Zoom link.

Important Pot Pourri Request

The 2021 Pot Pourri staff is hard at work documenting the lives of PA students, and we need your help representing what winter term looks like for your student. Please take a few photos of your student and share them with us through this Google form. We’d love to see anything that shows life right now: your student engaged in any sort of extracurricular, talking in their online classes, rocking their mask—anything and everything is welcome and appreciated!

While the Google form includes specific categories/questions, we welcome all photos that represent your child’s life during the 2020–2021 school year. You can also email photos directly to us. Thank you so much for your help! For updates, follow @PAPotPourri.

News from the PSPA

Book Club: The book choice for our next Book Club meeting—Sunday, March 28, 8–9 p.m. EST—is Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Thank you to all who participated in the book survey. Please email us to learn more or to get on our mailing list.

PSPA Campus Closet: For a limited time, Campus Closet is offering a 10 percent savings on several student favorites. Please take a look online! All items will be shipped directly or delivered to campus. If your student is on campus, please be sure to indicate name and dorm for delivery.

You Are Invited!

Throughout February: Note Writing Non Sibi Project for The Women’s Lunch Place, with Christine Cloonan ’98
February 12: Black Arts Month Keynote Speaker Kiese Laymon
February 16: Andover Networking Event for Entrepreneurs, with Jed Weiner ’91
February 17: Addison Virtual Gallery Talk—“Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850–1950” with Gordon Wilkins (Part 3, 1930–1950)
February 19: “Childbirth in Shackles: How the Intersection of Pregnancy and Mass Incarceration Fuels the Unique Complications, Reproductive Injustices, and Access to Medical Care Pregnant Incarcerated Women Face in America,” Brace Student Fellow Presentation by Emma Lowry ’21
February 23: Af-Lat-Am Community Discussion on Economic Justice and Race in America
February 28: Mindfulness at the Museum, a virtual mindful observation experience co-sponsored by the Tang Institute and the Addison Gallery of American Art
March 4: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Chicago, Atlanta, and Texas Regional Leadership Teams
March 15–20: Non Sibi Project for NYC Community Fridges, with Candace Douglas ’00

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

Please know that this is not an exhaustive list of events open to parents. Events are continually being added to our calendar—and some events may be highlighted in separate sections above.

Parent Bulletin Archive »

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