Dear NAPS Community:

I am sure you are all looking forward to April break, and let's hope the April showers hold off so we can all enjoy some outdoor activities!

Kindergarten registration is open, and as of today, we have 289 new students who will be attending the ABECC in September. For more information on our program or to register your child for kindergarten or for any other grade, please visit our district's website at northandoverpublicschools.com.  

On May 17, 2022, the Annual Town Meeting will be held at North Andover High School where funding for the design of the Middle School and Kittredge School will be voted on as part of the capital improvement plan. There will also be a separate vote to allocate funding for a feasibility study for Kittredge School which is required by the MSBA. 

I hope you will be able to attend Town Meeting to support the Facilities Master Plan II.

If you are looking for summer camps for your children, be sure to visit the Community Programs website.  Offerings include academic and non-academic programs throughout the summer for children in grades K-12. Some program examples include Slime Week, Nature Camp, Soccer, Basketball and Lacrosse Clinics, Cheerleading and Tennis, Camp Invention, Coding, Chess, and that's just a sample. Classes fill up quickly so don't wait until the last minute or you will be disappointed. They also offer online courses for adults through Ed2Go which include self-paced tutorials, fundamental courses, and career training courses. 

Once we return to the classroom after April break, there will be 8 weeks of school left but only six weeks for the 2022 senior class who graduates on June 3.  These remaining weeks will be pretty busy for staff, family, and students as MCAS wraps up, final projects and exams are completed, families celebrate milestones, and both staff and students start the transition for the next school year. 

I hope you have a restful spring break, and  I look forward to finishing out the first full year of school we have had in what seems like a very long time.

1. Make sure children know their full names, address, telephone numbers and how to use the telephone.

2. Be sure children know what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you using cell phone or pager number. Children should have a neighbor or trusted adult they may call if they're scared or there's an emergency.

3. Review the rules with your children about whose homes they may visit and discuss the boundaries of where they may and may not go in the neighborhood.

4. Make sure children know to stay away from pools, creeks, or any body of water without adult supervision.

5. Caution children to keep the door locked and not to open the door or talk to anyone who comes to the door when they are home alone.

6. Teach your children in whose vehicle they may ride. Children should be cautioned to never approach any vehicle, occupied or not unless accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult.

7. Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors.

     Observe the babysitter's interaction with your children, and ask your children how

     they feel about the babysitter.

8. Check out camp and other summer programs before enrolling your children. See if a

     background screening check is completed on the individuals working with the

     children. Make sure there will be adult supervision of your children at all times, and

     make sure you are made aware of all activities and field trips offered by the camp or

     program.

9. Be actively involved with your children’s online activity. Research sites your child uses

     or wants to use, consider filtering and/or monitoring software, and let your children

     show you what they like to do online. Learn online acronyms such as POS = Parent

     Over Shoulder. 

The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is a merit-based program that provides credit toward tuition for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. For this scholarship, merit is based on student scores on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test.

The purpose of the award is to:

• Reward and inspire student achievement;

• Help attract more high-performing students to Massachusetts public higher education; and

• Provide families of college-bound students with financial assistance.

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, a student must:

• Score in the Advanced category on one of three high school state assessment tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, or STE (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics or Technology/Engineering)

• Score in the Proficient or Advanced category on the remaining two high school state assessment tests

• Have a combined MCAS score on these assessments that ranks in the top 25% in their school district

The NAHS Model UN program has seen plenty of changes over the last two years. After having their March 2020 conference canceled, they learned how to make MUN work online with virtual sessions hosted by Harvard and American University. This year they have made it back to in-person competition, and they’ve picked up right where they left off. However, as the world has grown increasingly complicated so too has the task of understanding and seeking solutions to world problems. This group has shown their ability to think critically and understand multiple viewpoints as they’ve prepared for competition. This March, after a month of research, preparation, and discussion of current affairs, they competed in conferences at Boston College and UMass Lowell. At B.C.’s conference, they were given the unenviable task of representing Russia. The students engaged in difficult conversations about current events and history. In the end, Fritz Aude was named the Outstanding Delegate on his committee. 

With only one day between conferences, they switched viewpoints entirely. At Lowell’s conference, they represented the United States and found even more success. Every NAHS delegate who attended the conference came home with an individual award. Fritz Aude, Patricia Vo, Nick Raposo, and Luke Sistek were all named the best delegate on their committees. The strong individual performances added up to a first-place finish for the club overall. While the club will lose several members to graduation this year, the younger students have contributed quite a bit, and the future looks promising. Either way with students like this coming up to confront the challenges we face there’s a lot to be optimistic about.

 Paul Myette was quoted extensively in an article by Sarah Schwartz in the March 11, 2022, edtion of  "Education Week" regarding the Model UN program and its impact on students.

In 1634 the Massachusetts General Court set aside the land south of the Merrimack River around Lake Cochichewick and the Shawsheen river for the purpose of creating an inland plantation. Reverend John Woodbridge and his followers arrived from Newbury and Ipswich in 1641 to settle on this land called The Cochichewick Plantation, and shortly after Reverend Woodbridge paid Massachusetts sachem Cutshamekin six pounds and a coat for the land.  The Cochichewick Plantation was incorporated as a Town in 1646 and became known as Andover after the settlers' original home in England. Ten of the original settlers founded The First Church of Christ which was the center of life in the community. Not only were church services held there on Sunday but during the week as well, and all town business was conducted there. 

By the first part of the 18th Century, the southern end of Andover became more heavily populated than the original settlement. The First Church of Christ became known as the North or First Parish, and a second church, the South Parish Church, was established in 1708 after the Massachusetts General Court decreed that Andover could support two churches.

After 1781, the Town Meeting alternated between the North and South Parishes, and as the town continued to grow, an additional parish was established in 1826 known as the West Parish. Geographically, Andover was one of the largest towns in the Commonwealth; and by the mid-19th century, the population of Andover had grown substantially. As a result of the population being so scattered, residents could not agree on where to build a new town meeting house and where to build the new state-mandated high school. 

A solution had to be found, and so at its annual meeting in 1854, a vote was passed to divide the town between the North and South Parishes, although there was much controversy about who would take over the fire-fighting equipment, the care of the town's poor and who would keep the name Andover. The Massachusetts State Legislature passed the Act of Separation on April 7, 1855, and the naming of the two towns was settled when Gayton Osgood from the North Parish stood up at a meeting and declared that he liked the name North Andover.  The name Andover was assumed by the more populous and wealthy South and West Parishes, and they paid the North Parish $500 for the right to keep the name, Andover.

What's Happening at Stevens Memorial Library

SCHOOL COMMITTEE CORNER

by Andrew McDevitt, Chair

Greetings,

Please welcome Joe Hicks to the NA School Committee.  We are excited about Joe's enthusiasm, professional experience, and perspective as we continue to plan for the future of North Andover.  Joe's young family and passion for education will serve as a crucial voice for many families.  We are lucky to have him join our team.

The School Committee continues to work towards Town Meeting on May 17 and taking the first steps in Facilities Master Plan II.  At this meeting, we are asking the residents to support the design of a brand new Kittredge Elementary School and a remodel and addition to North Andover Middle School.  The first vote is solely for the design and has no financial impact on residents.  In fact, with MA School Building Authority's approval for Kittredge Elementary, there is no financial impact for the next 5 years of FMPII.  It's the right time to invest in our schools, children, and North Andover's future.  We cannot move forward without your attendance and vote on May 17.  If you would like to learn more, please see the following links:

• Facilities Master Plan II 

• NA Cam - Facilities Master Plan II call-in show

The North Andover Educator Hall of Fame serves to recognize and honor an educator who has devoted the majority of their career to North Andover.  The recipient can either be living or deceased, but must be retired for a minimum of 5 years.  Nominations are due April 30, and the Induction ceremony will take place in the fall as we recognize staff achieving their Professional Teacher Status.  Please use this link for instructions and assistance.  

Finally, as the weather begins to warm and we break for the April vacation, please take this opportunity to relax and enjoy some downtime.

Thank you,

Andrew