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Parent Bulletin
Phillips Academy
November 15, 2013
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With
school spirit at a high following the athletic success and social
events of Andover-Exeter weekend, students and faculty are now focusing
on end-of-term assignments and preparing for assessments. One week from
today, students will depart campus to join family and friends for the
Thanksgiving break. This time between terms provides a much needed rest
for your child and a chance to recharge before the start of winter
term.
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End of Term Reports
As at the midterm, student reports at the end of fall term will be shared with parents and guardians via the Parent Portal. We plan to have reports available Friday, November 29.
After viewing your child’s reports you may have questions. We encourage
you to raise these questions with your child first. If you have
questions that remain unanswered, please be in touch with your child’s
faculty point person (House Counselor for a boarder and Day Student
Advisor for a day student) preferably after the vacation. In
anticipation of some likely questions, we wish to clarify the following:
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At
the end of the fall term, with the exception of English 100, History
100, and Physical Education, all courses taken for credit are graded on a
0-6 scale. |
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Student
reports do not accumulate to become your child’s transcript. The
transcript is a separate document, generated upon request by you or your
child for submission to outside organizations. Our transcript presents a
term-by-term listing of all courses taken for credit with final (and,
when appropriate in multi-term courses, cumulative) grades. In
addition, with the exception of fall term of ninth grade, a term average
is provided, rounded to the nearest 0.5. |
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House
Counselors and Day Student Advisors will submit reports on their
students during the early weeks of winter term, which begins on December
5. These reports will be available via the Parent Portal on Thursday,
December 19. |
If you have any questions about how to access the Parent Portal, please contact the technology Help Desk at 978-749-4357 or helpdesk@andover.edu.
For questions about how to access all information contained in your
child’s reports, please see the video tutorials available on the Parent
Portal. Questions not answered by these videos, as well as feedback on
this new method for communicating reports, should be directed to StudentReportsQuestions@andover.edu.
Thank you for feedback submitted earlier. Improvements are in the
works, although some may not be finalized until next academic year.
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In Touch with…
Patricia Davison, Director of the Academic Skills Center
The Academic Skills Center (ASC) has had a busy fall. We began
the term by offering three skill-based workshops targeting students new
to Phillips Academy. Topics included: principles of effective time
management, organizational tips, and the importance of becoming a strong
self-advocate. Students were introduced to a variety of academic
resources on campus including the Math Study Center, Science Study
Center, The Writing Center, Instructional Librarians, peer tutors and
conference period. In the weeks leading up to final assessments, we held
three additional workshops providing strategies in preparation for end
of term assessments. All six of these workshops were very well attended.
Considering that the availability for one-on-one appointments with an
ASC faculty member is extremely limited, we find these seminars to be an
excellent forum for reaching a large number of students and sharing
essential knowledge as they transition to Phillips Academy.
As active participants in the new Student Response System, ASC learning
specialists work collaboratively with the cluster deans and faculty to
support students throughout the term. Our goal is to proactively
identify students for whom an individualized support plan seems
warranted before their challenges become overwhelming. The good news:
it’s working!
Looking ahead, Thanksgiving break is a wonderful opportunity to reflect
upon the fall term and set measurable goals for improvement. A few
suggestions for students to modify their habits:
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Read all instructor reports from fall term and implement any suggestions your teachers have made. |
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Label and date notes and keep them in chronological order. |
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Save
all old tests and quizzes; make test corrections along the way; don’t
wait to do this in preparation for finals at the end of the term. |
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Spend a little less time on social media. |
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Try to maintain the same sleep/wake cycle by going to bed and getting up at the same time very day. |
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Don’t compare yourself to other students who you think are smarter or more attractive. No one is perfect! |
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Watch Your Email for Strategic Planning Survey
Phillips
Academy has recently begun a strategic planning process that will last
through the fall of 2014. The Strategic Planning Task Force is currently
gathering input from the community, and feedback from parents/guardians
is a vital part of this process. Your thoughts and opinions will join
those from students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni in
helping the Academy build upon its strengths as it sets strategic
priorities for the next three to five years.
We have created a survey specifically for parents/guardians and plan to
send it via email later next week. We hope you will participate. If you
have any questions about the survey or have any additional thoughts to
share with the Strategic Planning Task Force, email strategicplan@andover.edu
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Travel over Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
Phillips
Academy will be offering the following transportation options for the
upcoming Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks. Forms and further information
are available on the Parent Portal, Student Life Tab under Dean of Students. If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Scofield cscofield@andover.edu or 978-749-4124.
New York City buses
PA will offer roundtrip bus service to NYC, with a stop in Darien, CT.
Students may sign up for one-way travel, $90, or roundtrip, $150. Buses
will depart at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, for Thanksgiving Break, and
Thursday, Dec. 19, for winter break. Buses will return to campus on the
last day of each break. Please note: Because of reduced ridership, the
NYC bus will no longer stop in Hartford, CT. Parents can pick up
students at Phillips Academy or at the Darien stop.
Transportation to Logan and Manchester airports
Students can make arrangements with private taxi and limousine services
for travel to and from Logan and Manchester airports. A complete list of
these providers is available on PAnet and the Parent Portal. Flightline (www.flightlineinc.com)
is offering special rates of $29-$34 to Logan and $35-$40 to Manchester
for PA students. Please refer to the Flightline flyer in the Dean of
Students section of the Parent Portal.
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News from the PSPA
PSPA
Campus Closet will be open for its Holiday Merchandise Sale on Friday,
December 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store is located in the lower
level of GW Hall. Our online store is open 24/7 to purchase PA apparel and gifts. All proceeds support student activities. Thank you!
Would you like to feel more connected to your child’s experience at
Andover? Join the PSPA Board of Directors! Open positions starting in
March 2014 include: Treasurer; Director of Communication/Website; 2nd
Vice President; Summer Opportunities Fair Co-Chair; and Director of
Regional/Non Sibi Activities. While board members are encouraged to
attend monthly meetings, some positions can be held remotely. For more
information, please contact Tina Kinard.
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