Dear NAPS Community, 

Here we are in May already!  It is always a busy month for us, with MCAS testing, graduation prep, and end-of-year activity planning in all the schools.  I am happy to confirm that, barring any unforeseen school closures, our last day will be Friday, June 16, and it will be a half day of school for students.

May is also the month that the Town of North Andover holds its annual town meeting. This year’s meeting will be on Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30 pm at North Andover High School. I  encourage you to attend and take part in the important decisions that affect our town.  There are a couple of articles on the warrant that I would like to highlight of particular importance to the school district. Article 22 pertains to the General Fund and includes the FY24 operating budget for the school department. The FY24 budget represents a 5.5 percent increase, which will provide the resources needed to address unfinished learning as a result of the pandemic and provide support services for all students, including our highest-needs students. 

Article 22 also provides funding for the Kittredge MSBA Building Project Feasibility Study and design services.

Article 18 represents the FY24 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that takes into consideration North Andover’s Facilities Master Plan II which gives the town the ability to address its aging facilities, provide spaces more conducive to learning, and accommodate future enrollment growth in our schools. Specifically, funding will be earmarked to increase the gym size at the Anne Bradstreet Early Childhood Center as well as funding the North Andover Middle School renovation and addition. Together with the building of the new Kittredge Elementary School, these building projects represent a generational investment in the future of our children and community for which we should all be grateful. 

Child Care provided by Community Programs for children grades K through 6 will be available at Town Meeting. The deadline for sign-up is Saturday, May 14, and more information can be found here.

Rick Gorman has directed the North Andover Youth & Recreation Services Program since its inception, and what started as a one-staff, one-room operation in 1988 has grown into arguably the most successful Youth and Recreation Department in the state servicing over 3,000 North Andover youth each year.

Operating out of the 19,000 square-foot Joseph N. Hermann Youth Center, the four-acre campus services fall under the following categories: Support Services, Recreation & Adventure Services, Youth Leadership & Mentoring, Social Programs, Field Trips & Special Events, along with a unique and cutting-edge partnership with the North Andover School system.

The program works with middle school and high school-aged youth throughout the school year, and during the extremely busy summer session, the Center offers programs for children in grades kindergarten through grade 12. The Youth Center charges a nominal fee for membership, but no child is ever turned away due to the inability to pay.

In addition to its Director, Rick Gorman, the Youth Center is staffed with an incredible and passionate group of professionals. The staff includes Demi Marsh, Assistant Director; Aisha Valdez, Support Services Coordinator; Cam White, Adventure/ Rec Coordinator; Nicole Kramer, Social Programs Coordinator; Allison Capone, Social Worker; Jenn Battersby, Administrative Assistant; Molly Malandrino, Holiday Drive Coordinator; and Nicole Sharp, Saturday Coordinator.

Rick is excited to announce that the program will be adding a 5,000-square-foot addition to the Youth Center in 2027  which will provide more academic and music/art space.

The Center is located at 33 Johnson Street, and staff can be reached by phone at 978-682-9000 or by email at info@nayouth.com.

The Youth Center offers many activities but is also just a great place to hang out with friends!

    Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest Winners

The North Andover Poet Laureate Committee is pleased to announce the contest winners and finalists!

Our panel of  judges carefully read and evaluated the poems – 76 in total –  inspired by the theme: 

“Let Anne Be Your Muse”.  

The poetry and history of Anne Dudley Bradstreet herself was the theme.

The judges themselves were inspired by all the poems that were submitted. The North Andover Community is showing their creativity!

Grades 1-2

Winner – Emily T “Dear Woods”

Finalist – Gracie C “Anne was the first person to write poems.”

Grades 3-5

Winner – Robert M K  “- War -”

Finalist – Charles B   “Anne (Bradstreet)” - cinquain

Finalist – Hazel M   “A cemetery”

Finalist – Lila B  “Ode to the Trees”

Finalist – Sophia D  “America's first poet shall she be”

Finalist – Tyler  “Anne Dudley Bradstreet” - Acrostic

Middle School

Winner – Ineshi Jayasekara  “A Painting of a Tunnel”

Finalist – Tarun Nair  “Springs Embrace”

High School

Winner – Lily Buyea  “A++”

Finalist – Daniel Agosto  “Faith, a force beyond what we can see”

Finalist – Emma Darrah  “Gray”

Finalist – Lana Gibbs  “The Fall”

Finalist – Lauren Irwin  “Deathbed Desires”

Evocative Imagery – Elise Henry  “Leak”

Metaphorical Imagination – Jasmine Shi  “Strings”

Adult

Winner & Metaphorical Imagination – Graham Jackson  “To Bradstreet: Her Book’s Reply”

Finalist & Evocative Imagery – Christine O’Connor  “A Modern Jeremiad for Mistress Bradstreet”

Finalist – Jessica Wolfenden  “A Parsley Wreath”

Finalist – Jim  Mealey “Sounds”

Finalist – Ron Searls  “On first hearing of Anne Bradstreet”

Greetings,

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Peep-O-Rama contest; we had many fantastic entries and the peep-le have spoken! See the winning entries on our Facebook page.

Teens - join us on Saturday, May 20 at 3 pm for Jackbox Party Games! This is an in- person event for students in grades 6-12. Come play hilarious, competitive games. Please register on our calendar.

Did you know we have STEM kits available for checkout? Search “ LittleBits ” to see kits on coding and robotics, visit the Children’s Room to learn more.

Let Stevens help!

Email: SmlRefServices@NorthAndoverMA.gov

Phone: 978-688-9505; for Children’s Room - ext. 42010; for Teens - ext. 42032; and for Reference Desk - ext. 42016

Have a library card question or a problem? Please call 978-688-9505 ext. 42017, or email Stevens-Circulation@NorthAndoverMA.gov.

The Library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 am – 9 pm; Friday, 10 am – 6 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm; Sunday, 1-5 pm.

Don’t miss any of the fun. Sign up for Library News – scroll to and click on “Stevens Memorial Library News.”  Follow the Library on Twitter @StevensMemLib, Facebook, or the Library’s website www.StevensMemLib.org.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE CORNER

Greetings from the North Andover School Committee,

We are rounding the corner towards the end of the school year and finally enjoying some spring-like weather.  

Below are some updates from the school committee:

• The committee welcomes new members Alyssa Koenig and David Brown to the team.  Ms. Koenig and Mr. Brown both bring unique expertise and experiences to the team, and we look forward to working together for NAPS.

• Mr. McDevitt has filled the position of Vice Chair for the remainder of this school year.  The committee will reorganize for the upcoming school year in June.

• School Building projects through MSBA for Kittridge and NAMS continue to be on schedule.  We will have regular updates added to the agenda for the remainder of the meetings this year.  We are grateful for all the work and time devoted to these projects by Dr. Mealey,  the administration, and the school building 

committees.  More information can be found on the NAPS website on the School Committee page.

• On May 11, the committee will have a public hearing to allow community members to share thoughts about school choice.  Community members are welcome to attend in person or online.  

• Community Chat was held on April 1 at the Stevens Memorial Library from 12:00 noon to 1 p.m.  Mr. Hicks and I enjoyed talking with our community members.  

• Our Town meeting is coming up on May 16 at 6:30 pm at the North Andover High School Auditorium.  There will be childcare available!  All information about Town Meeting can be found on the town website link. 

Warmly,

Pam Pietrowski, M.Ed.

North Andover School Committee Chair