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Parent Bulletin
Phillips Academy
September 20, 2013
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Former Associate Head of School Becky Sykes launched the Parent Bulletin
as a way to keep parents current on important dates, campus events, and
“news you can use” related to your child’s experience. After 40 years
serving in numerous roles at PA, Becky left the Academy this summer to
become president of the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. We are so
happy for Becky! Her legacy will continue in countless ways, including
via the Parent Bulletin.
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In Touch with…
Tracy Sweet, Director of Academy Communications
E-newsletters are just one of the many ways Andover
communicates with those who care about the school. Reaching our global
community are PA’s website and social media channels, Andover magazine
and eNews. We have more than 21,000 fans on Facebook (facebook.com/phillipsacademy) and hope you are among them! You can follow PA on Twitter (@phillipsacademy), view photos on SmugMug and a growing video collection on YouTube.
Campus bloggers include Head of School John Palfrey, Dean of Students Paul Murphy and nutritionist Aggie Kip. The Peabody Museum is tweeting, so are the Addison Gallery and Andover Athletics.
We are active communicators, to be sure, and we recognize that each
parent has a special interest in what happens on Andover Hill. Your
"touch points" include personalized interactions with your student’s
teachers, coaches, counselors, and deans, text alerts in an emergency,
and timely emails from the head of school. New this year, you will have
access to your child’s end of term grades and comments from teachers and
house counselors.
This is just a quick introduction to the many ways we reach out to
parents and the wider PA community. We hope you find these resources
helpful and always welcome your feedback.
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Time to Get the Flu Vaccine
The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the seasonal flu vaccine for
all children and adolescents (unless there is a contraindication; if you
are unsure, call Isham Health Center, 978-749-4455. Dr. Amy Patel,
medical director, supports this recommendation and encourages everyone
at Andover to get immunized to protect themselves and those in our close
community. The flu vaccine needs to be given annually since it contains
different strains from year-to-year, and the protection from the flu
vaccine decreases over time. The flu season typically runs from October
through May, and it takes up to two weeks to develop immunity after the
vaccine is given. How can you get your child the flu vaccine? Click here for more information and a consent form.
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Update: PA Policy on Outside Tutors
Last
winter, in the context of campus safety, we shared with parents an
update on Andover’s background check process for outside tutors. As we
continued to evaluate use of our campus, over the summer, the Academic
Council reviewed the academy’s policy on allowing outside tutors on
campus. The Council acknowledged that the academy offers many internal
services to help students succeed academically, from working with
teachers during conference periods to study centers to peer tutoring.
Students may obtain ongoing academic support throughout their time at
Andover. Additionally, the academy’s Academic Skills Center provides
resources for students who could benefit from supplemental coaching in
time management, organization, and general study skills.
Given the many on-campus supports already available, the academy will no
longer allow outside tutors to work with students on campus. Parents
who remain interested in outside tutor services to supplement the
on-campus offerings should work directly with tutors to secure safe
tutoring space in the local community. For more information about
campus services, please visit Academic Support Services.
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News from the PSPA
PSPA has many exciting events and volunteer opportunities coming
up this fall. To stay connected to the PA community via PSPA please
join our mailing list at pspaandover.org. If you are a Facebook user, please join our group page, where you can ask questions, get advice, share info and photos.
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Last
week's fall reception, featuring a candid discussion with John Palfrey,
is available for viewing. Click here to watch the video: http://vimeo.com/74849542. As always, the password is: PAparent. |
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Plan to arrive early for Family Weekend
in order to attend our next PSPA Parents' Meeting on Thursday, October
17, in Kemper Auditorium at 7 p.m. "On Gender and Leadership" will
include a panel of faculty, students, and administrators discussing the
challenges that Andover and the world face in addressing gender and
leadership. On Friday, October 18, in Kemper from 3–4:30 p.m., please
join our second annual "Parent-to-Parent Forum". PSPA parents and
Graham House counselors will offer personal perspectives and advice on
the challenges of parenting a student at PA, from near and far. This is
a terrific opportunity to connect with other parents in similar
geographic situations and with Graham House counselors. |
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Parents
of seniors, please order your Senior DVDs! Every senior is represented
in this professionally produced gem of your student's senior year at
Andover. Visit our website to view highlights of last year's DVD and to
place your order. |
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Upcoming College Fairs, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2
The
College Counseling Office is sponsoring two college fairs this fall:
September 25 and October 2. Both events will be held in the Borden
Gymnasium from 6:30–7:30 p.m, and are for Phillips Academy families
exclusively. A list of colleges and universities participating in each
event can be found on your Family Connection/Naviance site. For more
information, please contact Karen Wakeling in the College Counseling
Office at Kwakeling@andover.edu or 978-749-4155.
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"The Communication Complication" – Sept. 27 Panel Discussion
Parents
are invited to a panel discussion "The Communication Complication:
Taking on the World Bit by Byte" Friday, September 27, from 5:30–7 p.m
in Tang Theater. The panel features three speakers: Jonathan Alter,
formerly of Newsweek and author of "The Center Holds: Obama and His
Enemies”; Susan Chira, associate managing editor of The New York Times;
and Joe Salvo, a research scientist and entrepreneur at General
Electric who is currently developing the next generation of the
internet. The panelists will discuss the pros and cons of exclusively
online news sources and online education, as well as how both can be
used most effectively. You are invited to meet the panelists at 5 p.m.
for a parent-centered conversation before the community joins at 5:30
p.m. This event is funded by an Abbot Academy Association grant written
by Joseph J. Salvo ’15.
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Catholic Confirmation Program Begins, Sept. 29
Under
the Catholic Chaplaincy at PA, a Catholic Confirmation program is
offered. Catholic Chaplain Dr. Mary Kantor oversees this program, which
culminates with a Confirmation Mass on campus in May. The program is
open to all academy students. Classes meet most Sundays from 5:30–6:30
p.m., followed by Mass for the Catholic community at 6:45 p.m. The
program begins on Sunday, September 29. If you have questions or would
like to enroll your son or daughter, please contact Dr. Kantor at mkantor@andover.edu.
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Inaugural Latino Film Festival, Oct. 4 & 5
Alianza
Latina is proud to announce the first Phillips Academy Latino Film
Festival on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5 in Kemper
Auditorium. Award winning director and producer, Elena Greenlee, will
be on campus Friday night for a screening of her short film “Mariachi”
followed by Q&A with the audience. Greenlee was born and raised in
Brooklyn, but her passion for filmmaking has been honed all over the
Americas. Fluent in Brazilian, Portuguese and Spanish, with a background
in documentary and anthropology, she is a narrative filmmaker in the
service of telling socially relevant stories from diverse and unexplored
angles. She was awarded the Spike Lee Fellowship Award, Clive Davis
Award, Fotokem Award and Fuji Film Award for her thesis film "Nasceu
Maria." Greenlee is in post-production for her first feature film as a
producer, Manos Sucias, a Spanish language thriller set on the Pacific
Coast of Colombia. This event is free and open to the public.
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Women of the World Concert, Oct. 4
The
Music Department presents Women of the World on Friday, October 4, at
7:30 p.m. in the Cochran Chapel. Women of the World is a Boston-based
collective of women musicians. Hailing from Japan, India, Italy, Haiti,
Mexico, and the United States, the core singers and their eclectic band
perform original and traditional folk music in over 17 languages. This
concert is free and open to the public. Cochran Chapel is handicapped
accessible. For further information please contact the music department
at (978)749-4260 or e-mail to music@andover.edu.
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