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Parent Bulletin
Phillips Academy Head of School Office
Rebecca Sykes, associate head of school
October 5, 2012
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The
Kaleidoscope All-School Meeting Series brings a balanced perspective to
contemporary issues. In this presidential election year we focus on
politics. Last week, a former White House press secretary under
President Clinton, DeeDee Myers, offered the Democratic Party
perspective. Former Florida Governor and PA alumnus Jeb Bush ’71
followed this week with the Republican point of view. Head of School
John Palfrey challenged students to reflect upon anything they heard
that was surprising or anything that might have caused them to change
their minds. Students and the entire PA community are now using social
media to continue the exchange with our guests. See full Kaleidoscope
coverage in next week’s News from Andover.
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In Touch with…
John E. Rogers, Dean of Studies
Building
and maintaining a community of trust is especially vital to an
educational enterprise. In such a community, one has the opportunity to
move beyond narrow measures of success and achievement and to take the
kinds of risks that allow for true growth—academic and personal. Recent
unfortunate examples of wide-spread cheating at institutions around the
nation remind us of the importance of helping students understand the
nature of academic integrity, and of grounding that understanding in a
broader notion of shared community values.
One
year ago, I wrote to update you on some significant changes in how
Andover faculty engage with students on the topic of academic integrity
and how we respond when students do not meet our expectations in this
area. Those conversations have been renewed in our classrooms and
advising groups this fall. Our approach is summarized in my message from last fall.
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PSPA News
- PSPA Parent Meeting,
Tuesday, October 23 at 7 p.m., in Kemper Auditorium. Guest speaker is
nationally renowned sleep expert Dr. James Maas, author of PowerSleep: The Revolutionary Program that prepares your mind for peak performance.
Join us to hear about Dr. Maas’ sleep research and suggestions.
Presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Dr. Maas will
address students the following day at All-School Meeting as the featured
Wellness Week speaker.
- Parent-to-Parent
Forum on PARENTS’ WEEKEND, Friday, October 26, 3–4:30 p.m., in Kemper
Auditorium: For the first time ever, PSPA and Graham House Counseling
Center are joining forces to offer this new program. A panel of parents
and Graham House counselors will address the challenges of parenting
adolescents and adjusting to life at PA from the perspective of
international parents, local and distant boarding parents, and day
student parents. Topics include communicating with your child when they
are at boarding school, what to do when things aren’t going well with
your child’s health/academic/social life, parental separation anxiety
over changing family dynamics, and the challenges of school versus
family life. Parents will have an opportunity to talk one-on-one with
each other and Graham House counselors after the panel concludes. If you
have additional topics you would like to see covered during this
session, please email pspa@pspaandover.org before October 19th.
- The meeting video from PSPA’s Fall Reception with John Palfrey on September 13 is now available on the PSPA website. PASSWORD: PAparent.
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College Financial Aid Information Program
Local
families are invited to attend Andover High School’s annual Financial
Aid Night on Tuesday, October 9, at 7 p.m. in the Collins Center
Auditorium (80 Shawsheen Road, Andover). The program will provide
students and parents with critical information about planning and
financing a college education. For more information, please contact
the PA College Counseling Office at 978-749-4150.
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Required Notifications from Environmental Health & Safety
Each year,
Phillips Academy is required to inform parents about the management of
asbestos-containing materials and the use of termite-baiting stations on
campus. This information can be found on the PAnet Parent Portal.
To access, click on Parent Resources then Getting Started: FAQ. The
notifications are part of the Environmental Health & Safety section.
Please contact Deb Russell at 978-749-4349 or drussell@andover.edu if you have any questions.
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Upcoming Events
Friday, October 5
- Middle East speaker, Avi Melamet, on The Middle East 2012: Winds of Change—The Arab Awakening, Israel and the Region. Mural Room, Paresky Commons 5:30 p.m.
- Niswarth Night, a
lively and interactive celebration of the academy’s service-learning
Niswarth Program. Underwood Room 6–7:30 p.m.
- Poetry reading and performance by Willie Perdomo, a
prize-winning Nuyorican poet and children’s book author, Kemper
Auditorium 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Saturday, October 6
- Non Sibi Day 2012
- Sol y Canto, an internationally known Pan-Latin ensemble,
Kemper Auditorium 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. For further
information please contact the Music Department at (978)749-4260 or music@andover.edu.
Sunday, October 7
- Savannah Country Day School Concert Choir in Cochran Chapel 7
p.m. Free and open to the public. For further information please
contact the music department at (978)749-4263 music@andover.edu.
Tuesday, October 9
- Michael “Giant” Andrew, an Innu activist, reads from his book Giants Dream: A healing journey through Nitassinan. Addison Gallery Museum Learning Center 6–7:45 p.m. See the Addison Gallery website for more information.
Wednesday, October 10
- Addison Gallery screenings and discussion about Innu films and the exhibition Pekupatikut Innuat Akunikana/Pictures Woke the people Up: an Innu Project with Wendy Ewald ’69 and Eric Gottesman ’94. Addison Gallery Museum Learning Center 6–7:45 p.m. See the Addison Gallery website for more information.
Saturday, October 13
- Celebration & Reception for Pekupatikut Innuat Akunikana/Pictures Woke the People Up: An Innu Project with Wendy Ewald & Eric Gottesman, Addison Gallery, 3–5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Visit the Addison Gallery website for more information on this and the ongoing American Vanguards exhibit.
Friday, October 19
- Pianist Gabriel Chodos in Cochran Chapel 7 p.m. Free and open to
the public. For further information please contact the music department
at (978)749-4263 music@andover.edu.
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