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Greetings from the Head of School
Thank you, PSPA and families, for such an interactive opening meeting last week. As your head of school, and one of PA’s newest parents, I am incredibly grateful for all that the PSPA does to connect families from around the world.
With two weeks of fall term in the books, I am also grateful to those who are playing vital roles in keeping our community safe. Our plans are tracking well, thanks to devoted faculty and staff, and to our students who are complying (almost all the time) with new rules and expectations. To the families whose students are counting the days until it’s their turn to arrive, especially 10th- and 11th-grade day students from whom we have asked extraordinary patience: We know the wait is difficult and we are counting the days, too!
These circumstances also are presenting unique challenges for students–in any grade–who are new to PA. Making connections with teachers and friends and getting to know the campus, especially while learning remotely, are heavy tasks. Please encourage your child to reach out to their Advisor Point Person if they are struggling.
As long as our community health indicators continue to trend well, we will continue our staged reopening. As your child’s cohort arrival date draws close, you will be receiving information regarding registration, campus protocols, arrival schedules, and more.
Sincerely,
Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
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The entire campus community looks forward to welcoming 9th- and 12th-grade day students for registration this Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Be sure to read reminders from the Sykes Wellness Center below.
Student privacy while learning online: An essential element of an Andover education is to promote independent learning. While we appreciate parents as partners in this process, each student needs to attend their classes without parent involvement during that class. All students and teachers presume that the faces in their Zoom room are the intended audience—and the only audience—with whom they are sharing during discussions.
Returning books: Students whose schedules have changed as a result of requests made during the Add-Drop Period will be required to pay for return shipping of physical books to campus. Please include a return slip with the book(s). If you have any questions, email Cindy Stewart.
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From the Dean of Students
Junior and Senior Day Students arrive Saturday: We will welcome 182 day students to campus on September 26. These 9th- and 12th-graders will register and receive COVID-19 testing between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the tent just outside the Sykes Wellness Center. Registered and cleared “cohort 1” day students will then begin participation in weekday activities from 3 to 9:45 p.m. Detailed information regarding registration, campus safety, afternoon activities, meals, and library access was emailed to cohort 1 day students and families Wednesday afternoon.
Pot Pourri—PA’s yearbook: Hello families of seniors! It’s crazy to think it...but your Class of 2021 student is now a senior! I am Ariana Phillips, editor of the Pot Pourri yearbook. I wanted to get some critical information into your hands—and also reassure you that even though so much about this year is going to be different, there’s one senior tradition that will stay the same: our yearbook! We are committed to telling the incredible stories of this year for the sake of our school and for the history books—and we’re going to need your help to make it happen, especially as we seek content that’s happening off campus.
Please review this letter for specific information about submitting a senior portrait, placing a family ad, and purchasing a yearbook. It is not too early to get this started. We need your participation, especially this year.
Families of juniors, lowers, and uppers, we also need your assistance in providing content for the yearbook. For information on how you can help and how you can purchase a yearbook, please refer to this document. Questions? Please send us an email.
Package pandemonium: This past Tuesday, more than 320 packages were received in our mailroom for our boarding population of just 350 students! As you may recall, we messaged families that it was important that boarding students limit their belongings so they could quickly move out—with all of their belongings—in the event of a surge in COVID-19 cases. Heavy and bulky boxes also put a strain on Central Services personnel, especially since all packages are being delivered to dorms this year. Please refrain from sending packages to your student—and please remind your student to avoid shipping items to campus.
Blue Book now online: Be sure to take a look at the 2020-2021 Blue Book, an essential resource as your student navigates their way at Andover. The document highlights our community’s shared expectations and values and outlines our commitment to respect, inclusivity, consent, honesty, integrity, goodness, and service in our everyday behaviors and choices.
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| Sykes Wellness Center Reminders
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If your student is planning to be physically present on campus at any point this school year, the Sykes Wellness Center needs the following:
- Signed consent by parent/guardian to perform weekly COVID-19 testing
- Signed consent by parent/guardian to utilize on-campus Telehealth with Andover clinicians, specialists, and psychological counselors
- Opt-in authorization to be able to communicate with your student(s) via text utilizing the Medicat (health portal) application
These items are all located in one place on the health portal under the Forms tab. If you have not done so already, please complete/sign these items as soon as possible—especially if your student is expected to be on campus.
We previously sent a communication directly to your Andover student(s) with instructions to register for their own health portal account. This application will be used to allow for COVID-19 test scheduling, provide ability for secure messaging/communication, and for daily symptoms screening. Please encourage your child(ren) to register as soon as possible. We will expect completion of the daily Symptoms Screening beginning the day of arrival.
Thank you in advance for helping us to keep our campus healthy. Your collaboration is vital and much appreciated.
Updates from our medical director: Dr. Amy Patel will be sharing brief weekly updates on the Academy’s public health metrics, local and campus risk levels based on best available data, and resulting action plans. Click HERE to watch her first video, recorded September 20, which includes:
- First cohort of boarding students—daily reminders, testing, seasonal influenza vaccination
- First cohort of day students—daily reminders, COVID-19 testing and registration update, seasonal influenza vaccination
- Everyone, on and off campus—health and safety reminders
Free “Ten Percent Happier” for students: Through the generosity of Ten Percent Happier, the Academy recently offered your student a free one-year subscription to the meditation App. This is an amazing resource. Please encourage your student to take advantage of this offer! Questions? Email Melissa Piantidosi, Sykes Wellness Center program assistant.
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Virtual Family Weekend Oct. 24-25
Although the Academy will not be holding Family Weekend on campus this year, please save the dates of October 24 and 25 for our new Virtual Family Weekend. Stay tuned for details. Registration will be opening soon!
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College Financial Aid Presentations and Resources
Each year the College Counseling Office (CCO) hosts the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) on our campus to provide information and resources about college financial aid to students and families. While we are unable to gather in person this fall, MEFA is offering a variety of live, online college financing events in September and October, including the webinar highlighted below. Use this link to learn more and to register.
September 28 MEFA webinar—“College Financing”: Get information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process. You’ll learn about types of financial aid, factors that determine your aid eligibility, how colleges determine the amount of aid to offer, and the details of financial aid offers. You can also access MEFA’s financial aid video library here.
MEFA is a great resource for all families—regardless of where you live. An outline of their continued efforts during the COVID-19 situation plus links to additional information can be found here. MEFA also encourages your questions by phone (800-449-6332) or email.
Families of students in the Class of 2021: In addition to utilizing MEFA resources and webinars, the CCO encourages you to be in touch directly with your student’s college counselor with any college financial aid–related questions.
Families of students in the Class of 2022, 2023, or 2024: Email the CCO with your college financial aid–related questions or connect with MEFA via the information provided above.
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Meet Our New Protestant Chaplain
The Protestant Chaplaincy welcomes the Reverend Gina Finocchiaro ’97 as our interim Protestant chaplain. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination of Christianity, Rev. Gina has served congregations in Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, always deeply involved in the justice and social issues of the wider community. Most recently, she was the community chaplain at Brewster Academy, and she continues to serve as the senior pastor at First Congregational Church, UCC, in Wolfeboro, N.H.
Her academic background is in English and in African and African American studies (Mount Holyoke College), with a graduate degree in Divinity (Yale University). She has specialized training in conflict management, interim leadership in churches, hospice chaplaincy, and diversity work. Rev. Gina is a house counselor in Chase House on the Andover campus and teaches several sections of Empathy, Balance, and Inclusion.
Protestant worship and fellowship opportunities this year:
Protestant (Ecumenical) Service—Sundays, 6 p.m.: A Zoom service led by the Reverend Gina Finocchiaro. Music by Michael Belcher and others. All are welcome!
Protestant Fellowship (PF)—Sundays, 5 p.m.: Join Rev. Gina for some thoughtful conversation, spiritual practice, and fun! Fall meetings will be conducted on Zoom. All are welcome.
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News from the PSPA
Thank you for joining us for our first PSPA meeting on September 17. A link to the recorded webinar—with a panel featuring Dr. Raynard Kington—can be found on The Hive on the Resources page under Informational Videos.
Please note: The link to subscribe to receive our PSPA newsletters/emails is back up (sorry for the inconvenience). Be sure to sign up today!
PSPA Speaker Series—“Boys & Sex: Hookup Culture, Love, Porn, Consent & Becoming a Better Man” with Peggy Orenstein, Monday, October 5, 7–8 p.m. EDT: Please join us to hear Peggy Orenstein, an internationally acclaimed expert on the challenges facing today’s teens. RSVP here for Zoom link. Orenstein is known for her provocative insight, conversational style, and surprising wit. Her fresh take on such topics as sexual consent; the influences of mainstream media, social media, and pornography; the rise of hookup culture; and gender socialization have made her a sought-after speaker on high school and college campuses. Orenstein will also address students at All-School Meeting on the morning of October 5.
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You Are Invited!- 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 6: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the New England Regional Leadership Team
- October 8: Fearing and Desiring Black Women, a book talk with Dr. Jasmine Mitchell ’99
- October 14: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Northern California Regional Leadership Team
- October 29: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the New York Regional Leadership Team
- November 12: A Conversation with Megan Greene ’97 and Tedd Parker P’23
- November 17: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Pan-European Regional Leadership Team
- December 9: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Southern California Regional Leadership Team
- December 15: Meet Our 16th Head of School, Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, hosted by the Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Regional Leadership Teams
All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Please join us!
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