Wednesday Is PA Giving Day!

The countdown is on... PA Giving Day will be held Wednesday, March 30. We encourage you to join fellow parents and guardians, alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of Andover by making a gift of any size. Last year, PA Giving Day raised over $1.8 million in critical funding, and this year we are striving for an even bigger day of support for our students.

Why participate in PA Giving Day? If we reach our goal of 2,022 donors, a special $100,000 gift will immediately boost the Andover Fund—and our students will receive a delicious surprise next month! What’s more, “matches” just for parents will be available to increase your impact. And, of course, every dollar raised will directly benefit the student experience. Thank you in advance for your partnership in this celebration of all things Big Blue!

To learn more about PA Giving Day, please email Katherine Solimini, associate director of Parent Development.

Health & Wellness Update

As of Wednesday, March 23, more than 99% of PA students have received 1+ vaccination dose(s) and more than 98% have received a booster (2% have received a religious or medical exemption). Five students have tested positive in the past seven days—three at home while on spring break and two on campus. COVID metrics continue to improve across our campus, community, and state. New cases and hospitalizations are continuing to decline. Numbers now are similar to what we saw locally in mid-summer 2021. To see the complete data from Dr. Amy Patel, Sykes Wellness Center medical director, please visit COVID-19 Updates & Information.

Student self-testing today: All students will self-administer a rapid antigen test today and submit their results through the iHealth app by 10 p.m. Students who cannot download or access the iHealth app should email results to the Sykes Wellness Center.

Possible campus protocol updates: If today’s COVID test results and local data remain consistent, the following campus protocols could take effect as soon as tomorrow, Friday, March 25:

Students and campus adults can be mask-optional in all indoor spaces—except health-care spaces such as the Sykes Wellness Center. Individuals may continue to mask and will be supported in that choice.
Students may go to downtown Andover.
Students who are up to date with COVID vaccinations may request day or overnight excuses through the usual protocol. Students with vaccine exemptions may request day or overnight excuses on a case-by-case basis through their cluster dean.
Visitors to campus will still be required to be up to date with COVID vaccinations and remain masked indoors except when eating.

Enrollment Agreement Reminder

The deadline for parents/legal guardians to complete their returning student’s online Enrollment Agreement is Friday, April 1. If you have not already done so, please log in to your SchoolAdmin account and complete this process.

Please note that your student will not be considered enrolled for the 2022–2023 academic year until you have set up your 2022–2023 account and the Enrollment Deposit has been paid in FACTS. (Both actions can be accessed via your SchoolAdmin account checklist.)

Once you complete the online enrollment process, please visit The Hive (on or after May 3) to complete all remaining 2022–2023 registration requirements. Questions? Please send us an email.

Music Lessons Add/Drop

Students have until Friday, April 1, to add or drop private music lessons for spring term. Lessons, ranging in length from 30 to 60 minutes, begin the week of March 28. Questions? Please email Jessica McCormack.

Summer Programs Still Open

Andover Summer’s flagship five-week on-campus program has reached capacity, but not to worry—there are other ways to connect with Andover this summer! We are still accepting applications for our five-week eSummer virtual program, which features 20-plus course selections to satisfy every interest. Or, if you live in the Andover area and your student prefers a shorter day-only academic commitment, consider our open enrollment Advantage program. Questions? Please send us an email.

News from the PSPA

Welcome back! We hope you and your family had an enjoyable spring break. Please mark your calendar for our PSPA General Meeting on April 7, which will be followed by a collaborative program brought to you by the PSPA and College Counseling Office.

PSPA General Meeting & Collaborative Program—Thursday, April 7

6:15 p.m. ET—PSPA General Meeting: A light dinner will be served at 5:45 p.m. Underwood Room.
7–8 p.m. ET—PSPA Speaker Series with Directors of College Counseling: All PA parents and guardians are invited! A Q&A will follow. Kemper Auditorium. This speaker series will explore “A Holistic Approach to an Andover Education”—the value in engaging fully in the Andover experience and the ways you can support your student’s time at Andover and lay the foundation for a healthy, balanced approach to the college application process. If joining remotely, please feel free to submit your questions in advance via this form. A Livestream link will be provided next week.

PSPA Book Club—Sunday, May 1: All are welcome! Join us at 8 p.m. ET for our spring term book club meeting. We will be discussing The Last Flight, by Julie Clark. Please email us to receive the Zoom invitation.

Special Campus Closet hours: Although Campus Closet will be closed this Friday, the store will be open to the Academy community and to welcome newly admitted students and their families on Spring Visit days:

Monday, March 28: 2–5 p.m.
Friday, April 1: Noon–5 p.m.
Monday, April 4: 2–5 p.m.

Remember, you can always shop online 24/7. On-campus delivery is free!

This Week’s Religious Gatherings

Campus visitors must wear masks at these indoor events.

Friday, March 25

1 p.m.—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Jummah Prayers: Led by Noureddine El Alam. Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (side entrance)
5:30–6:30 p.m.—Jewish Shabbat Service and JSU Meeting: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. Paul’s Room, upper level of Paresky Commons. All are welcome!

Sunday, March 27

6:45–7:30 p.m.—Roman Catholic Mass: Overseen by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, with priests of the Archdiocese of Boston presiding. Kemper Chapel, lower level of Cochran Chapel (side entrance). Reception will follow.

Curriculum Corner

Highlights of the Academy’s extensive course offerings

Tenth grade seems to be a natural time for young people to question what they believe and to test received knowledge against an emerging sense of self and a widening view of the world. Philosophy and religious studies faculty invite students to do this openly and explicitly, as individuals and as members of our 300-level courses such as Religions of the Book, Introduction to Ethics, Proof and Persuasion, and Faith and Doubt. We immerse students in philosophical and religious discourses, introduce them to foundational texts, supply relevant vocabulary, model time-tested intellectual maneuvers, and coach their attempts to think, write, and speak like responsible adults. Emphasizing respect for context, complexity, and sound argumentation, we help them to experience this “respect” as both good in itself—and as vital to other human goods.

You Are Invited!

March 1–31 : Rosie’s Place Food Drive Non Sibi Project, with Rosalina Feliciano ’81
March 25 on Campus: CAMD Scholar Presentation, “Transcending the Barriers of Slavery: Sub-Saharan Religion, Festival, and Folklore in Trinidad and Tobago”
March 28: Blue Runs Deep Industry Series: A Conversation with Alumni on Climate Change
April 6: Peabody Diggin’ In Series: The Archaeology of the Japanese Diaspora in the United States, with Dr. Stacey Camp
April 1–30 in Dallas and Hybrid: The Family Place Non Sibi Project, with Mimi Crume Sterling ’95
April 15 in Washington, D.C.: Meals on Wheels Non Sibi Project, with John Patrick ’65
April 21 in New York: Excellence at Our Core, with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
April 23 in Concord, MA: Gaining Ground Non Sibi Project, with Jeff Hunt ’82
April 23 in New York: Flushing Meadows Corona Park Earth Week Non Sibi Project, with Candace Douglas ’00
April 23 in Chatsworth, CA: Operation Gratitude Non Sibi Project, with the Southern California Regional Leadership Team
April 24 in Cape Neddick, ME: Center for Wildlife Non Sibi Project, with Tiffany Horne Noonan ’99
April 24 in Andover, MA: Ironstone Farm Non Sibi Project, with Lynne Hunter ’90
April 26 in Washington, D.C.: Excellence at Our Core, with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
April 30 in Atlanta: Whitehall Terrace Community Gardens Non Sibi Project, organized by Gabe Wardell ’89 and Chrystal Akor ’00
May 1 in Cambridge MA: Transition House Non Sibi Project, with Tiffany Horne Noonan ’99
May 7 on Campus: Investiture of Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
May 12: A Conversation Between Ai-jen Poo ’92 and Dan Koh ’03

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

Please check the Events Calendar on Andover’s website regularly for additional in-person and online events that may be open to families. The Weekender is the Academy’s one-stop guide to weekend student activities, opportunities, club-organized events, guest speakers, performances, and athletic contests.

Family Bulletin Archive »

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