December 18, 2025

The Office of Family Engagement wishes you a joyful holiday season. This is the final Family Bulletin of 2025. The next issue will be sent Thursday, January 8.

See you in 2026!

View more photos of the Sounds of Season All-School Meeting on SmugMug.

Be sure to listen to our talented student musicians performing at the Sounds of the Season All-School Meeting on December 15. You will also enjoy the Academy’s Service of Lessons & Carols, an annual candlelit service of music, scripture, and poetry in the season of Advent anticipating Christmas, which took place in Cochran Chapel this past Sunday.

Flu Vaccine: Per the Academy’s enrollment agreement, the seasonal influenza vaccine is a requirement this year to help mitigate the spread of the flu, especially in light of a significant outbreak last February. All students should have received a flu vaccine by December 3. If your student receives their seasonal influenza vaccine over Winter Break, please submit proof of a flu vaccine from an outside provider via the Medicat Health Portal. 

Annual Physical Documentation: If your student has a physical exam during Winter Break, please upload the physical exam report via the health portal by clicking here or email us documentation.

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

In celebration of the 13th annual Mixed Heritage Awareness Week, families are invited to attend a talk titled None of the Above: Forging an Identity Outside the Box with artist and writer Tessa Hulls on Friday, January 16, at 7 p.m. in Kemper Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public. 

Growing up mixed race in a small town, Tessa Hulls was shaped by the negative space of a Chinese diaspora she never entirely felt the right to claim.

In response, she became a perpetual sociologist—learning the structural rules of the world around her to compensate for not knowing how to belong to it. An artist, writer, adventurer, and comics journalist, Hulls addresses racial justice, the immigrant experience, generational trauma, mental health, the creative process, and the surprising feminist history of the bicycle. Books will be available for purchase, and a book signing will follow the talk.

The Office of Family Engagement invites you to join us for an engaging conversation with your student’s cluster dean. 

Learn about the many ways cluster deans support your student, hear from student leaders about cluster traditions and events, and more. All gatherings are local time. Register now using these links:

Not sure which cluster your student belongs to? You can find this information on The Hive. Questions? Email the Office of Family Engagement.

Families, please join us for these winter term webinars.

Just click the link to register.

Thank you to the over 500 families who have generously supported Andover this year—we are truly grateful. If your family has not yet made a gift to Andover, please consider strengthening Andover Fund parent support with a donation by December 31.

Last call for Andover Fund Parent Committee Volunteers: Parents and guardians are invited to join the Andover Fund Parents Committee (AFPC). AFPC volunteers engage in peer-to-peer fundraising to raise critical support for the Academy. Through their outreach and community building, AFPC members ultimately help to enhance the student experience and strengthen PA family connections around the globe.

If you would like to explore volunteering for the Andover Fund Parents Committee, please contact Katherine Solimini, associate director of Family Giving, at 978-749-4583 or by email. All are welcome to join.

The Family Giving team wishes you and your family a healthy and happy holiday. We look forward to connecting with you in 2026!

Summer Session is a residential (day student options too) academic enrichment program that brings together a community of global learners to Andover for five weeks each summer. Students immerse themselves in exciting classes like Neuropsychology, Entrepreneurship, Game Design and Development, Intelligence: Human and Artificial, Marine Biology, and Personal Finance. 

With over 50 courses offered across two distinct institutes, there is something to satisfy every kind of student. Summer Session is open to rising 7th through 12th grade students and is a great opportunity for younger siblings to get a taste of life at Andover. 

Applications to Summer Session 2026 are now being accepted with rolling admission—click here to apply! For more information about dates and rates, please visit the Summer Session webpage. Questions? Send us an email.

2026 Commencement: We are excited to welcome the families of the Class of 2026 to celebrate Commencement on May 31, 2026.

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 make those requests before February 13.

Questions? Please contact Naomi Mashburn ’08 in the Office of Alumni Engagement via email or 978-749-4225.

Senior Yearbook Portraits Due January 7: If taken by the campus photographer, portrait will be submitted automatically. To send your own photo, email it to us with the file named as FirstLastPortrait.jpg (example: ChrisCapanoPortrait.jpg). Note: If no portrait is submitted, the yearbook will use your student’s BlueCard photo.

Class Rings: Order through Herff Jones. Questions? Please email Mike McCann.

Order here (school code 3591 if prompted). Yearbooks will be delivered to campus in May. 

The Parents of Students of Phillips Academy wish the PA community a holiday filled with joy and wonder!  

Campus Closet Needs Crew Members: Campus Closet relies on parent volunteers to operate the shop—it’s fun, and you get to meet other parents. Funds raised support activities for students and the broader PA community. To volunteer for a shift in the shop in January, please sign up here. 

Shop Campus Closet Online: Visit our online shop for Phillips Academy clothing and merchandise for your whole family. We offer free delivery on campus!

Get Involved with the PSPA:

The PSPA is a parent-run nonprofit that hosts social gatherings, educational panels, and engagement events throughout the year for students, families, and the broader PA community.

Read the latest headlines and happenings from campus at Andover Today. 

Enjoy photos of student-athletes and fans, team news, and player and event highlights in Andover Athletics News.

Families, save the dates for the following performances during winter term. All events are held in John Barry Performance Hall in Falls Music Center unless otherwise noted.*

January

February

Keep an eye on the Academy’s Events Calendar for more campus and regional gatherings.

Connect with other families by logging in with your Hive credentials. The directory is opt-in; tutorials are available here. Forgot your password? Use the Self-Service Password Reset Portal or contact the Technology Help Desk by email or call 978-749-4357.

The Office of Family Engagement is here to help. Email Director Jennifer Vasquez or call 978-749-4068. 

2025–2026 Information for Families

Andover Family Directory

Family Webinar Series

Guide for New Families

Strategies for Student Success

2025–2026 Academic Calendar

Weekly Class Schedule

2025–2026 Standardized Testing Schedule

Athletic Calendar