December 12, 2024

Calendar of Events

Athletics Calendar

The Weekender

View on The Hive

Updated on Fridays

As Winter Break approaches, lost and found items from across campus will be collected, sorted, organized, and displayed. The PA community can stop by the Dean of Students Office (lower level of George Washington Hall) between Monday, December 16, and Thursday, December 19 to look for lost items. We have a lot of items and no longer have the space to store them. Unclaimed items (except those labeled with a student’s name) will be donated over the break.

PA is offering transportation at Winter Break to and from New York City (NYC), with a stop in Darien, Connecticut. Students can sign up for one-way travel ($100) or roundtrip ($160).  

For additional details, bus forms, and commonly asked questions, please review the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks Travel FAQ. This information has been posted on PAnet for student access and in 2024–2025 Information for Families. 

Payment: Bus payments will be made through FACTS. A list of student passengers on the winter break buses and the amount owed will be sent to the bursar the week of January 6.

For transportation to Logan (Boston) and Manchester (N.H.) airports or Boston’s South Station, 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 here and in 2024–2025 Information for Families. FlightLine offers a shared car service exclusively for PA students for one-way travel to Logan or Manchester airports and to Boston’s South Station. Details on how to make a reservation with FlightLine can be found in the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks Travel FAQ.

Questions? Email Claudia Scofield or call 978-749-4124.

The Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL)—Learn more about the range of support, resources, and programming offered by the OWHL on Wednesday, December 18, at 11 a.m. ET. This information session will highlight the many ways your student can engage with the library and its very knowledgeable staff. Hear about opportunities like workshops, the OWHL Scholar program, the TEDx event, and more. Click here to register.  

Coming in January! Topic: Spotlight on the Office of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD)—Learn more about the range of support, resources, and programming offered by CAMD on Thursday, January 9, at 12:15 p.m. ET. This information session will highlight the many ways your students can engage with CAMD staff. Hear about opportunities like the CAMD Scholars program, CAMD events, and more. Click here to register.

As students begin to look at summer opportunities, they may need a copy of their Andover transcript. All requests for transcripts should be emailed to the registrar. If you request an official transcript, please note that it must be sent directly from the registrar’s office to the organization requesting it; students are not permitted copies of their official transcript. Please use the email above if you have questions.

PreACT—Saturday, January 18: The PreACT is a preview to the ACT. It tests the same skills and knowledge and can be a predictor of how one would score if they took the ACT. This test does not count in the admissions process and scores are only sent to students. Registration, now open, runs until noon on Wednesday, December 18. Students have been sent an email with registration details.

Practice PSAT—Saturday, February 15: The practice PSAT is a preview of the official College Board PSAT that students will take in 11th grade. It is managed by Compass Educational Group and will simulate the digital PSAT. This test does not count in the admissions process and scores are only sent to students. Registration will open at the beginning of January.

The results of these two exams can be a guide toward the standardized testing a student pursues in the college admissions process. Click here for more testing information.

Per the Academy’s enrollment agreement, the seasonal influenza vaccine is a requirement this year to help mitigate the spread of the flu. All students should have received a flu vaccine by Tuesday, December 3. 

If your child still has not received their seasonal influenza vaccine but has a flu consent form on file, they should sign into their Medicat Health Portal account and make an appointment for a flu vaccine at the Sykes Wellness Center as soon as possible.

Thank you for doing your part to help keep our community as healthy as possible. Questions? Email the Sykes Wellness Center.

Private Lessons: The Add/Drop deadline for Term 2 lessons is Friday, December 20, at 5 p.m. If your student is interested in lessons and did not request them during advising period, they should send an email to Allison Ross.

Families of seniors! This section keeps you in the loop about the important events and milestones of your student’s final year.

Deadline Extended! Yearbook Senior Tribute Ad: The deadline for submitting senior tributes has been extended to February 1. Our senior tribute pages in the Pot Pourri yearbook are a fun senior tradition; the yearbook staff hopes you’ll consider participating. Space for tributes to seniors, which are submitted by their family, is available through the yearbook for an additional charge. Follow the directions on the Class of 2025 Yearbook Info flyer to create and purchase your ad. 

Class Rings: You can purchase a class ring for your senior through our vendor, Herff Jones. 

A sales representative will be in the lobby of Paresky Commons on Friday, December 13, during lunch periods (11 a.m.–2 p.m.). We encourage you to have your senior visit the table to see ring samples, have their size checked, and, if desired, begin the ordering process. Families are welcome to stop by and talk to the vendor as well. Questions? Please email Mike McCann.

2025 Commencement: We are excited to welcome the families of the Class of 2025 to celebrate Commencement on June 1. For a complete schedule of events and FAQs, please visit the Commencement webpage. 

If you have any accessibility needs (ASL interpreter, wheelchair, among other accommodations), please email those requests to Naomi Mashburn ’08 before February 14. If you have additional questions as Commencement approaches, please also email Naomi Mashburn or call 978-749-4225.

PA yearbooks are now on sale! All families are encouraged to order a 2025 Pot Pourri by clicking PA Yearbook. If prompted, enter school code 3591. Yearbooks—full color and typically about 300 pages—will be delivered to campus in May.

The Parents of Students of Phillips Academy (PSPA) is a nonprofit parent-run organization that hosts social gatherings, educational panels, and engagement events throughout the year for students, families, and the broader PA community. Please sign up here to be notified about volunteer opportunities. 

PSPA Highlights

Make Your Holidays Shine with PA Pride

Shop Campus Closet This Friday: Discover perfect gifts for every member of the family at the Campus Closet Holiday Gift Shop. Stop by Campus Closet (lower level of George Washington Hall) tomorrow, Friday, December 13, from 2 to 6 p.m. Students can also collect their holiday gift purchases. If you cannot make it to campus, you can shop anytime via our online shop. Don’t miss the chance to share the magic of Andover with your loved ones near and far!

Crew members needed in January and February: Please sign up here for a Campus Closet shift or two. Your help in running the store directly supports exciting events for students, parents, and faculty. 

Get Involved: We are still seeking parents/guardians to represent the Class of 2026 (11th-graders) and Class of 2027 (10th-graders). Nominate someone—or yourself—by using this link. We also need some help with marketing and social media. If you have a little extra time to assist with PSPA marketing activities, please send us an email.

Friday, December 13

Sunday, December 15

Keep an eye on the Academy’s Events Calendar for gatherings in your area and an array of campus and other events that may be open to families (i.e., special student presentations; music, theatre, and dance performances; and athletic competitions). Please join us!

Want to find other Andover families in your area? Log in now using your Hive credentials. The directory is opt-in; families must log in to be visible to others. You can find tutorials on how to use the directory here. Should you need assistance with resetting your Hive login information, reach out to the Technology Help Desk by email or call 978-749-4357.

The Office of Family Engagement is here to support you throughout the school year! If you have any questions or need assistance, please email Director Jennifer Vasquez or call 978-749-4068. 

Andover Family Directory

2024–2025 Academic Calendar

Class Schedule

2024–2025 Information for Families 

Guide for New Families

Strategies for Student Success