KNIGHTLY NEWS
Hybrid and OLA Edition
Volume 6 - Issue 2 December, 2020
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
The holiday recess is always a welcome relief as the first long break of the school year and as an opportunity to connect with friends and family, this year more so than ever. The pandemic has certainly challenged us in so many ways, but our staff and our community have stepped up to meet every challenge with grit and poise. You have certainly earned a reprieve from the daily pressures of an ever-changing landscape. Please take advantage of this time to decompress and to recharge your batteries, and while it would be great to use this time to connect with
those we care about, please continue to follow the governor's guidelines by limiting your travel and get-togethers. The arrival of a vaccine gives us hope that we may be nearing the beginning of the end of this ordeal. We need to stay vigilant in the fight against this virus.
We wish you all a relaxing, peaceful, invigorating break, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to provide our students with the best possible education we can, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
Honoring Nurses 2020
We would like to acknowledge all of our school nurses, and in particular, one of the truly unsung heroes in our efforts to keep our students healthy and our community safe during this pandemic. Working with school administrators and town officials since this pandemic began, Cheryl Barczak, our Director of Health Services, has made herself available days, nights, and weekends to respond to questions or concerns and to support individuals who may have tested positive, may be exhibiting symptoms, may have concerns about family members, or may have been a close contact. Cheryl works closely with our Town DPH Nurse and DPH Director and participates in weekly meetings with both the town and state in order to be kept informed of any changes to policy, health
information or transmission data. We hope you will click on the Healthy Happenings newsletter that Cheryl and her team have put together which gives North Andover families the most up-to-date guidance and resources for staying healthy during this pandemic.
North Andover is truly fortunate to have
Cheryl and her team working diligently to keep us all safe and healthy. Our sincere gratitude is extended to all our school nurses named below:
HS - Lauren MacDonald and Maura
Goudreau
MS- Jessica Wolfe, Kathleen Pease and Ana
Pimentel, LPN
ABECC - Karen Doody and Barbara Donovan
Atkinson - Helen Fuller
Franklin - Elizabeth Marshall
Kittredge - Lea Anne Pero
Sargent - Dana Woodford and Julie
Ambrose, LPN
Thomson - Kathleen Oneill
Per Diem - Mary Pallazolla, Erin Callahan
and Julie Mazzochi
North Andover Public Schools Embrace the Season of Giving
Atkinson All Stars Step Up to the Plate
Bradstreet Bull Dogs Get It Done
On Saturday, December 5, the Atkinson PTO dropped off donations from our Atkinson families to the North Andover Youth Center. The Atkinson families' amazing generosity, including clothes, toys, shoes and gift cards to Market Basket and Target, provided a special holiday for 5 kids in 2 families in our community. Additionally, last week (Dec 11-Dec 14), the Atkinson School held our annual Holiday Food Drive in support of the Sacred Heart Food Pantry.
Lastly, our students are working on making holiday cards for the North Andover Senior Center. We are hoping to bring some joy to our seniors.
We are so thankful to all of those families who have already donated to our food drive for the N.A. Senior Center! Thank you and please continue to send in your donations - they will be greatly appreciated by so many families in need!
Franklin Dragons Are Fired Up
The Franklin School has been working hard to spread some holiday cheer across North Andover during these uncertain and unsettling times. In November we participated in our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. In partnership with the North Andover Youth Center, we had our drop-off location moved there this year instead of collecting items in the school. It was a huge success thanks to the Franklin parents who organized and supported it and the North Andover Youth Center staff for doing all the heavy lifting! :) The Franklin students have also been hard at work making holiday cards for our senior citizen community members. We recognize that people may not be able to see their families this year due to the pandemic, but we're hopeful that the almost 400 cards heading to the Senior Center on December 18th will bring smiles and joy to the recipients. Happy Holidays, North Andover!
Kittredge Kangaroos Exemplify Kindness
COVID can’t slow down our amazing Kangaroos! In October, Kittredge students shared their Halloween candy haul with Lawrence General hospital workers as a way to say thank you for keeping our communities safe. In November, Kittredge families once again participated in the annual Thanksgiving food drive to support local families in need. December will be a time to brighten someone’s day with a festive, hand-made holiday card. Our kind Kangaroos continue to work hard at spreading kindness everywhere they hop.
Sargent Sharks Share Smiles
Thomson Tigers Maintain the Momentum
Sargent Sharks enjoyed participating in the gift of giving through the NA Youth Services to our families in need. A wonderful event for our school family!
In addition, our PTO 2020 Sargent Charity Drive has been very successful in providing support to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm.
For many years, the Thomson School has supported the annual Coats for Kids drive. The need for coats for both adults and kids is greater than ever, so once again our Thomson Student Council is on it! They are collecting just coats and jackets-no hats, vests or sweatshirts. Collection boxes are located at the playground door and in front of the school if you would like to donate. The goal is 300 coats this year.
In addition, the Thomson PTO gives back to the North Andover community every year through the North Andover Youth Center Holiday Drives. This years students will be collecting gift cards to support the NAYC Gift Drive.
Middle Schoolers Pay It Forward!
NAMS will be sending hundreds of holiday cards to our NA senior citizens this holiday season and join the community effort in bringing joy and happiness to others.
The NAMS community held its annual Bread & Roses Food Drive led by the Student Leadership Club. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we were able to donate over $8,000 in gift cards and donations to support local families in need.
NAMS Chorus students volunteer their time and talent for the annual North Andover CAM Call In Santa Program on Friday, December 18, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Students worked with Ms Liacos to create at home videos of themselves singing that will play throughout the broadcast.
All little children can call in to talk to Santa by dialing 978-681-0184 (after they've received their parents'/guardians’ permission of course).
The show will be broadcast on Comcast 22 and Verizon 24.
High School Delivers Happiness
Despite the challenges of the health crisis, North Andover High School continued their tradition of service to our community with the Student Secret Santa and Operation Donation initiatives. The Guidance Department, led by counselors Sara Coles and Megan Francis, coordinated the collection of donations from the staff. Gift cards were purchased and mailed to 246 high school students.
In addition, advisor Conor Meehan and the Student Council ran their annual Operation Donation in partnership with the Department of Children and Families. By doing so, they were able to take collections from students and provide over 20 underprivileged children with presents this holiday season.
What's Happening At Stevens Memorial Library
Goodbye 2020! Welcome 2021!! We wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year
While the Library, along with other Town buildings, end the year remotely, all online services are available through the website www.StevensMemLib.org and support is available via email SmlRefServices@NorthAndoverMA.gov or phone 978-688-9505. Staff will respond as they are available. For remote support hours, visit https://www.stevensmemlib.org/circulation-department/hours-and-directions/
Online Services:
No Library card, or it needs an update? Email SmlRefServices@NorthAndoverMA.gov or call the Library 978-688-9505 to get started.
Not sure what to read? Fill out a Reader Request for personalized recommendations or browse our Digital Book Display. Look for more reading recommendations on the StevensMemLib Youtube channel.
Have you looked at Children’s Virtual Room for virtual field trips or the Teens Virtual Room for webcomics recommendations? Find virtual story time on our Youtube channel.
School papers and projects? Click on E-Library for 30+ online resources in Education; Health/Medical; History; Languages and Literature; Encyclopedias & Reference; Science & Technology; Test Preparation & E-Learning. Teen Librarian Amy would love to help, email her at APopoloski@NorthAndoverMA.gov
Your Stevens Library Card gets you thousands of e-books, online magazines and online newspapers, music …All these services and the latest updates are on the Library’s website www.StevensMemLib.org. Follow the Library on Facebook and Twitter using “StevensMemLib.”
School Committee Corner by Helen Pickard, Chair
Dear North Andover Community,
Thank you for your ongoing input and support for our work with NAPS!
In our last update, we announced our first School Committee Community Chat. Approximately 26 people came to a Google Meet on December 13 at 9 am for an exchange of ideas. All demonstrated RAISE values in the meeting. We will have another Community Chat on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 2:30 pm. February 10 is a Collaborative Day, so the timing of the Community Chat provides an opportunity for us to hear from students, as well as family and community members. Individuals are always welcome to communicate with elected officials via email as listed on the website.
In November, the School Committee formed a School Capacity Planning Subcommittee. This subcommittee will look at the school buildings across the district to consider the configurations for capacity to best promote teaching and learning for the students of North Andover. The subcommittee will develop options and engage the public to gather input, vet and respond to plans. The subcommittee will bring its recommendations to the School Committee for a vote by June 2021. Please see the linked document for more information.
On Dec 14, the School Committee participated in a Tri-Board Meeting with the Select Board and Finance Committee. Our agenda included the Five-Year Financial Forecast, Capital Improvement Plan and Facilities Master Plan II. School building projects and operational budgets will address the goals of the NAPS Strategic Plan and NAPS 5-year Budget Plan Summary. Our shared actions will allow us to update older facilities, improve learning, and reduce class size. It is excellent to have community support for our schools.
We are pleased that the North Andover Public School district continues to provide hybrid continuum learning and the OLA option for all our students. While some communities have yet to engage with in-person learning and others have extended closure, our students, faculty, staff and families prove we can come together following the science and safety precautions. During the December and January School Committee meetings, members will hear more from administrators and teachers about academic achievement and social/emotional learning.
Appreciatively,
Helen Pickard, Chair
Virtual
Tri-Board Meeting
Monday, December 14, 2020
Thursday, December 17, 2020
at 7:00 pm
