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Welcome to a New and Exceptional Year
A warm welcome to all our students, both near and far, and their families! Last week, 350 students arrived on campus. They are settled comfortably in their dorms and are quarantining for the first 14 days. Under strict guidelines and with adult supervision, groups are able to spend some time outside with masks on and remaining six feet apart. September days are lovely in New England! All students began classes this week, gathering for All-School Meeting on Monday and adjusting to a new weekly schedule. Student leaders and advisor point people have so enjoyed connecting with new and returning students.
Updates for Families of Boarding Students in Cohort 1: For answers to many of your questions, please visit our Opening of School Q&A section. Here are a few adjustments to some of our past practices:
- Visiting: We ask that families refrain from visiting campus (access to campus by those outside the PA community is strictly limited for obvious reasons). If you must come to campus, please contact your child’s class dean. We hope you will find ways to “visit” and catch up with your student remotely. Thank you for your compliance and cooperation.
- Advisor Point Person: If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child, please reach out to their advisor point person.
- Packages: Please help us reduce the number of items shipped to campus. Mail and packages are being delivered to dorms this fall, and this places constraints on our ability to deliver certain items. Please DO send cards, notes, photos, and nonperishable goodies. Please do NOT send perishable food, bottled water, flowers, large or heavy items, or too many items.
Reminder to Families of 9th- and 12th-Grade Day Students: Please be sure your student follows the quarantine guidelines outlined in the August 14 health and safety email prior to their return to campus. You and your student(s) should also note these important dates:
- September 26: COVID testing at the Sykes Wellness Center; we will email students an appointment time in the days ahead.
- September 28: First day of afternoon and early evening on-campus engagement—details to come!
—Jenny Karlen Elliott ’94, P’22, ’24, Assistant Head of School for Residential Life and Dean of Students
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| Greetings from the Dean of Studies
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Seeing students in person, introducing ourselves, and learning together feels so good! We have missed this engagement, and it has been invigorating to hear student questions, read their thoughtful responses, see inclusive collaboration and discussions, review their homework assignments, and start the year with good energy. Student curiosity, creativity, and desire to make a positive change in the world have always guided our program. As we start our 243rd year, our faculty will continue to teach the essential skills and ideas that we believe are required to build community and to challenge intolerance and injustice.
A few items of note:
- Daily Schedule: Our daily schedule looks a bit different this term. The “Period Code” refers to when your student’s class meets in the daily schedule.
- Zoom Protocols: Our first five weeks are entirely online. Here are the Zoom protocols we shared with students.
- Absence Policy: If your student accumulates a significant number of unexcused and total absences this term, this document will guide our response.
- Books: If your student has not received their books, please email Cindy Stewart. If your student changes a course(s), we will reissue book(s). Students should not mail back any books before September 20 and should include this return slip with the book(s). You can get more information about receiving and returning books here or email Cindy Stewart with questions.
Your child’s advisor point person will be in regular communication with you this year, and you will have an opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers virtually during Family Weekend on October 24–25. Thank you for your ongoing support and the opportunity you have given your children to engage with an Andover education.
—Raj Mundra P’18, ’20, Dean of Studies
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Meet Dr. Raynard Kington Tonight at 7 p.m.!
The Academy’s new head of school, Dr. Raynard S. Kington P’24, is the featured guest on a PSPA (Parents of Students of Phillips Academy) panel of faculty and administrators. Please join us tonight, September 17, at 7 p.m. (EDT).
Panelists:
- Jenny Elliott ’94, P’22, ’24, Assistant Head of School for Residential Life and Dean of Students
- Linda Carter Griffith, Associate Head of School for Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness
- Raj Mundra P’18, ’20, Dean of Studies
- Amy Patel, MD, Medical Director
- Natalie Zervas, Interim Director of Psychological Services
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| Psychological Services Update
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Services provided by the psychological counselors at the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center will look different this year for students who are on campus, off campus but residing in Massachusetts, and off campus residing outside of Massachusetts. In addition to fully orienting students and faculty to these changes, our counseling team also wants parents to be informed of what services will be offered and how they may differ from recent years. Please sign into The Hive to find current information on our scope of care. Questions? Please email Dr. Natalie Zervas, interim director of Psychological Services.
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Catholic Confirmation Program
Dr. Mary Kantor, our Catholic chaplain, in coordination with the Archdiocese of Boston, is leading the remote-learning Confirmation program for Andover students of all grade levels. This intensive program meets on Sunday afternoons when school is in session and lasts through early May. Class meetings are followed at 6:45 p.m. by Sunday Worship (currently via Zoom) for the Catholic Community.
Last year’s program, paused by the COVID shutdown of the campus, will continue—and a new class will also begin. The first meeting for each of these groups will be late September or early October. Timing, logistics, and specific dates for the Confirmation ceremony are still being coordinated. Please watch for updates in the Parent Bulletin. This information is also being shared with students through the Catholic announcement emails and is posted on the Campus News on PAnet under Spiritual and Religious Life. If your child is interested in the program, they should email Dr. Mary Kantor.
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Catholic Worship on Sundays
Sunday Worship with Andover’s Catholic Community will be 6:45–7:30 p.m., followed by socializing, fellowship, and discussion led by Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF) leaders. These live Zoom gatherings (the link is the same each week) are led by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, along with special guests, student prayer leaders, lectors, and musicians. The worship format follows the Liturgy of the Word (scripture service with reflection, music, and prayers) of the first half of the Catholic Mass, but is not a full live or recorded Mass.
Families, alumni, and friends of the Catholic community are always welcome to join us for these weekly gatherings. for prayer and/or time of fellowship. If you would like to be on the email list to receive the simple worship program for each week, please email Dr. Kantor. Timing of the return of Catholic Mass to campus, with reception of communion, is yet to be determined.
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Virtual Family Weekend Oct. 24-25
In the interest of safety, the Academy will not be holding Family Weekend on campus this year, but please save the dates of October 24 and 25 for our new Virtual Family Weekend. Registration will be opening soon! Stay tuned for details.
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News from the PSPA
The Parents of Students of Phillips Academy (PSPA) warmly welcomes new and returning students and families! Reminder: Don’t miss our panel discussion at 7 p.m. this evening featuring Dr. Raynard S. Kington P’24, the Academy’s new head of school. (Zoom link and passcode are provided earlier in this Parent Bulletin.)
The PSPA is an independently run organization that encourages—and thrives on—participation from Andover parents and guardians near and far. An important part of our mission is to build and maintain a community of parents by offering various events and ways to get involved. We also partner with faculty and staff to supplement and support student activities throughout the academic year. As the parent/guardian of an Andover student, you are automatically a member of the PSPA! You can choose to be involved as little or as much as you like.
Here is how you can get and stay connected with the PSPA and other Andover families:
- Opt-in to the PSPA distribution list (subscribe here) to receive PSPA programming updates and periodic newsletters via email.
- Watch “Who we are, What we do, and Why?”—our PSPA webinar with Academy administrators Jim Ventre ’79 and Linda Carter Griffith—to learn more about the PSPA.
- Visit the PSPA website to view our calendar of events and new activities, which will be continually updated throughout the year.
- Follow us on Instagram (@pspaandover) and Facebook (by the group name Parents of Students of Phillips Academy).
- Connect with other parents and guardians via the Parent Directory, which is located on The Hive (use Quick Links dropdown in the top menu bar).
We look forward to connecting with you! And don’t forget, the Campus Closet store is open online and is fulling orders for fun Andover merchandise. All profits support events and activities for current students.
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You Are Invited!- September 17: PSPA Meeting via Zoom at 7 p.m. with Head of School Raynard Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, and other key Academy administrators and faculty (Passcode—148283)
- Throughout September: Non Sibi Project with Nathalie Lelogeais ’22 and Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation
- Throughout September: Non Sibi Project with Jocelyn Gully ’07 & Dylan Gully ’12 and Dysautonomia International’s POTS Research Fund
- October 8: Fearing and Desiring Black Women, a book talk with Dr. Jasmine Mitchell ’99
- November 12: A Conversation with Megan Greene ’97 and Tedd Parker P’23
All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Please join us!
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How to Access Recent Information
Did you miss something? Opening of School Fall 2020 on the Andover website is a great resource for the following information, which is updated regularly.
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See Photos and Fun on Instagram
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| Parent Bulletin Archive » |
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You received this message because you are a valued member of the Andover community. We are obligated to communicate with you, and require you to be on our email list while your student(s) attends Phillips Academy. For more information contact the Dean of Studies Office. |
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© 2020
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