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A Big Family Weekend Thank You
Thank you to those who were able to join us on campus this past weekend. We had more than 1,600 family members registered! We hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather, spending quality time with your student, and learning more about Andover’s program.
Your survey feedback is essential to us. Please take a few minutes to complete a confidential survey to help strengthen our Family Weekend programming. It only needs to be completed once. The survey will close on Friday, October 28. If you were unable to attend Family Weekend, please take a minute to complete this condensed survey. Thank you for your feedback!
Videos from Family Weekend: If you were unable to join us on campus or were here but missed some programs, check out these videos:
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Student Music on YouTube
Thank you to all who were able to attend student performances during Family Weekend. Our students were incredibly excited to perform for such enthusiastic audiences—and members of the music department enjoyed meeting you. Whether you were able to join us or not, please subscribe to the Music at Andover YouTube Channel, where you can view student performances regularly uploaded to the channel throughout the year.
Upcoming performances: All families are invited to join us for the Faculty Jazz Ensemble concert on Sunday, October 23, at 3 p.m. and for the Student Recital—featuring student soloists—on Wednesday, October 26, at 1:45 p.m. Both performances will take place in Graves Hall in the Timken Room.
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Course Requests for Winter Term
Students will prepare and submit course requests for winter term over the coming weeks. Materials were posted on Wednesday, October 19, and the deadline for advisors to submit requests is Friday, October 28.
Each student will work with their advisor to determine remaining diploma requirements, which of their current courses or sequences will continue in winter, and what space they might have to choose electives. Students should have conversations with adults (including parents/guardians) about what the winter might look like in big-picture terms, including sports commitments, extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, health, and well-being.
We hope the advising process will teach students not only how to navigate complex systems like our program, but also how to make good decisions for themselves wherever they have options. House counselors, current instructors, cluster deans, coaches, and the staff of the Academic Skills Center and the Sykes Wellness Center can be helpful as students figure out whether to take on more, cut back, make a change, or stretch themselves. Course requests also offer an opportunity to help students develop flexibility and resilience.
More information: Information about various academic policies related to course requests can be found in The Blue Book; diploma requirements and course descriptions can be found in the Course of Study. Both documents are on The Hive under the Resources tab.
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Andover Summer Webinar Tonight
Please join us Thursday, October 20, at 7 p.m. ET for our first informational webinar about summer opportunities at Andover. Click here to sign up for the webinar or to get more information about Andover Summer 2023 dates and rates. Students can apply online beginning November 1.
Open to rising 7th- through 12th-grade students, Andover Summer is a residential academic enrichment program that brings together a community of global learners at Phillips Academy for five weeks each summer. Students immerse themselves in exciting classes, such as Neuropsychology, Entrepreneurship, Great Issues and Controversies of the Modern World, and Art as Action: Murals of the 21st Century—and so much more.
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Missed the Flu Clinic?
If your child receives/has received the flu vaccine elsewhere, please upload documentation to the Sykes Wellness Center Health Portal.
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Addison Reception Saturday
Join us on Saturday, October 22, for a Q&A and reception with photojournalist Harry Benson.
- 5 p.m.—Q&A with Harry Benson: Addison curators Tessa Hite and Allison Kemmerer will facilitate a question and answer session with Benson in Kemper Auditorium. Space is limited and registration is required.
- 6–7:30 p.m.—Reception: Celebrate the exhibition with the artist at the Addison Gallery! Both events are free and open to the public.
The exhibition Harry Benson: Four Stories, now on display at the Addison Gallery of American Art, showcases four powerful photo stories by Benson from the 1960s: the building of the Berlin Wall, the James Meredith March, the Beatles’ arrival to the U.S., and the presidential campaign and assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Harry Benson’s photos have appeared in numerous publications, including Life, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker.
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End-of-Term Departure
Please note that students must attend all class meetings* during the final week of fall term—regardless of how instructors plan to use those meetings.
- All students may depart campus after 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 17.
- All boarding students must depart campus by noon on Friday, November 18.
*Only in extraordinary circumstances will permission be granted for a student to miss class meetings during the final week of the term. Purchase of nonrefundable tickets for an early departure is not considered such a circumstance. (Permission to miss such class meetings may be granted only by David Fox, director of studies).
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Thanksgiving & Winter Break Travel
Phillips Academy will offer bus transportation to and from New York City, with a stop in Darien, Connecticut, for Thanksgiving and winter breaks. Students can sign up for one-way travel ($100) or roundtrip ($160).
- Thanksgiving break: Buses depart at 4 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, and return Tuesday, November 29.
- Winter break: Buses depart at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 16, and return to campus Wednesday, January 4.
Drop-off and pick-up occur at the service plazas in Darien and at Dock 2 at the Port Authority Bus South Terminal in New York City. Information and form access has been shared with all boarding students. Parents can get answers and access the Thanksgiving form and Winter form on The Hive under the Resources and Documents tab.
For transportation to Logan (Boston) and Manchester (N.H.) airports or Boston’s South Station train terminal, arrangements can be made with private taxi and limousine service providers. A list of service providers regularly used by members of the PA community is available on The Hive. Questions? Email Claudia Scofield or call 978-749-4124.
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News from the PSPA
Campus Closet closed this Friday: We are thrilled so many people stopped by Campus Closet over Family Weekend. A sincere thank you to all the parent volunteers who tirelessly helped sort our racks, serve our customers, and ring up purchases throughout the busy event! To give our volunteers a well-deserved rest, the shop will be closed the rest of this week and will reopen Friday, October 28, from noon to 4 p.m. Remember, you can always shop online.
Andover-Themed Book Club: Our first read for this year’s PSPA Virtual Book Club will be In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez ’67. Please register here for the Zoom discussion scheduled for Sunday November 6, at 8 p.m. ET.
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2023 AP Exam Registration Has Begun
Advanced Placement (AP) exam registration will take place over two time periods:
- Fall AP registration: October 11–November 11, 2022, at noon
- Spring AP registration: February 1–March 1, 2023, at noon
The exams are given May 1–12, 2023.
Phillips Academy students will be sent an email from the PA Standardized Testing Office with registration instructions. Exam fees will be paid through the Course Materials Account and are processed later in the spring. Funds do not need to be added to your student’s BlueCard.
Please note that AP exams are optional and not required for college applications. Student grades and classwork are more important than AP exam scores. AP exams require a significant amount of preparation and missed class time, just before final assessments. Students who are unsure about taking AP exams should speak to a teacher or college counselor. Students should not register for more exams than they are sure they will take.
Click here for specific information about registration and exam dates and fees.
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So Nice to Meet You!
The Parent Development team would like to thank all the parents, guardians, siblings, and other family members who joined us for Family Weekend. We enjoyed connecting with many of you at the All-Parent Reception and look forward to getting to know you better in the year ahead.
In the coming weeks, please be on the lookout for our Parent Fund communications. We will be sharing exciting updates, including parent donor participation progress. Andover aspires to have every family contribute to the Parent Fund annually at whatever amount is right for them. Every gift counts toward our collective goal of 100 percent parent participation. We hope you will join us this year!
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It’s School Picture Time
Photographers will be on campus this week and next to take school photos. As we already collect BlueCard photos, school pictures are not required—but we know that some families appreciate the opportunity. If you would like your child to have their photo taken, please remind them of these dates and times!
9th-, 10th-, and 11th-graders—photos will be taken Friday, October 21: Photographers will be back in Paresky Commons (lower left dining hall) tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no sitting fee and photos only take about a minute—students can just stop in when they are having lunch and get their picture taken. When students have their photos taken they will submit your contact info, and the photographers will send proofs to you via email. You can then decide if you want to purchase prints.
Seniors—Pot Pourri yearbook photos will be taken next week: Senior yearbook portraits will be taken in Paresky Commons (lower left dining hall) from Monday, October 24, through Thursday, October 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. There is a sitting fee of $40, which is payable only by student BlueCard. Senior photo sessions take around 10 minutes and offer several different backgrounds and poses.
Your senior will be emailed a link to sign up for a time that works for them. There will be three photographers on campus, so there should be plenty of time for any senior that would like their picture taken. Most seniors choose formal attire for their photo, but the school does not require any type of dress code. All portraits taken by the photographer will be automatically sent to the yearbook. You will be sent proofs if you wish to purchase additional prints.
You may also submit your own photograph for the yearbook. Most seniors choose a “traditional” head-and-shoulders pose in front of a neutral background, but you may choose whatever you prefer. Photos taken by another photographer should simply be emailed to Chris Capano, director of student activities, by January 1, 2023. Photos should be the highest resolution possible (at least 300 dpi) and have no photographer’s watermark.
Please note: If a student does not have their photo taken within the next week or submit a photo (seniors only), their BlueCard photo will be placed in the yearbook.
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Spiritual & Religious Gatherings
For general information about our chaplains, faith communities, worship, and student clubs, please visit our website.
Friday, October 21
- 1 p.m.—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Prayers and Fellowship: Sermon (Jumma prayer). Led by Mr. Noureddine El Alam. Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building).
- 5:30–6:30 p.m.—MSA Dinner and Discussion: Everyone in the community is welcome to join the gathering. Ada's Room, upper level of Paresky Commons.
- 5:30 p.m.—Jewish Student Union (JSU) Shabbat Celebration: Led by members of the JSU and Rabbi Michael Swarttz. Kemper Chapel, lower level in Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building). Included: Blessings over candles, juice and hallah, community conversation, sharing and fellowship.
Sunday, October 23
- 4:45 p.m.—Catholic Confirmation Class: Led by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain. For further information, please email Dr. Kantor. Classroom #015, lower level in Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building).
- 6 p.m.—Protestant Worship Service: Led by The Reverend Gina Finocchiaro, Protestant chaplain. Musician of the week: Avery Davis ’25. All are welcome for this time of scripture, prayer, and spoken reflection! Cochran Chapel (main chapel).
- 6:15 p.m.—Roman Catholic Mass: Overseen by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, with priests of the Archdiocese of Boston presiding. Kemper Chapel, lower level in Cochran Chapel (enter from left side of building). Reception will follow.
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You Are Invited!
Join us in person for An Evening with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, as he meets with the Andover community in these four cities:
All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Keep an eye on the Alumni & Families Events Calendar for gatherings in your area—and check the Academy’s Events calendar for additional campus and other events that may be open to families (i.e., special student presentations, music, theatre, and dance performances, and athletic competitions).
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PA Visitor/Guest Health & Safety Guidelines
On-Campus Visitors: In consideration of the health and safety of visitors and our campus community, we expect visitors to be up to date with COVID vaccination, if eligible. Any visitor who is ineligible or has a medical or religious exemption must mask indoors at all times when on campus. We expect visitors to stay off campus if they have any symptoms of illness and to mask if they develop any symptoms while on campus. We expect visitors to mask at all times or stay off campus if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days. In the spirit of non sibi (not for self), the Academy trusts that campus visitors will follow these guidelines.
Guests at Off-Campus/Regional Events: In consideration of the health and safety of our Andover community, we ask attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccination. We require all attendees to adhere to the public health guidelines established by the CDC and your state and local health officials, as well as to follow venue guidelines and regulations that are in place at the time of the event. Venue-specific guidelines will be shared close to the event date. Prior to attending, we ask that you monitor your health. If you are feeling unwell, please plan to stay home. In the spirit of non sibi, the Academy trusts that those in attendance will follow these guidelines.
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Phillips Academy
180 Main St.
Andover, MA 01810
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