Dear NAPS Community, 

Welcome back to a new school year! It's been a challenging opening with oppressive heat during the first full week and then a freak storm at the end of the week that knocked out electricity and flooded basements throughout the Town. How serendipitous it was to have early dismissal before the storm hit. I wish I could say I knew it was coming, but actually, it was pure luck!  But with the gas explosion and the COVID-19 pandemic happening during my tenure as Superintendent, I have come to expect the unexpected! Through it all, our teaching and support staff have shown professionalism and dedication to our students. 

Our custodians, DPW, Police, Fire, School, and Town officials worked around the 

clock to get our Town functioning again for North Andover's residents. I especially want to thank our Food Services Director, Erika Murphy, and her staff for providing grab-and-go lunches for our families and Terry Holland, owner of Stachey's, who provided lunch for those taking shelter at North Andover's Senior Center on Sunday, September 10. Lastly, I would like to thank our students and parents for your patience, resilience, and commitment to our school Community. Together, we can overcome any challenge that comes our way!

SEL NEWS by Michelle O'Leary

North Andover’s Department of Social and Emotional Learning has worked hard these last few weeks helping our students transition to a new school year. Our counselors are renewing relationships with their students that have been building for years, while others are just getting to know each other. 

We should all take time to let the comfort level develop in our children’s new grade, new classes, or new school. Please get in touch with the support staff at your school if you need any assistance with the transition. If your child starts his or her day with worries, try utilizing a quick meditation like Rise & Shine: 5 Minute Gratitude and Positive Affirmations. 

Make this part of your daily routine; these 5 minutes may save you many minutes of morning stress.

Community events are coming up to assist parents in their children's social and emotional development. The North Andover Parents Resource Network Program on Managing Stress will take place on Thursday, September 28, and is described above. 

I will again start my monthly Parent Office Hours in the Community Room of Stevens Memorial Library this year. I will be there on October 12, November 9, and December 14 from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Come by to talk about all things SEL. Hope to see you there!

This summer, North Andover Public Schools enhanced their partnership with The Calculus Project (TCP) to offer rising 8th graders an opportunity to learn algebra and participate in project-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities on the campus of UMass Lowell. Over a three-week intensive program, students had the opportunity to get a head start on the upcoming year's math curriculum, embark on STEM-focused field trips, and cultivate relationships with peers from various schools participating in the program. I am the site coordinator for the TCP summer initiative, and I also oversee the year-round partnership between North Andover and The Calculus Project.

The Calculus Project is a grassroots-style initiative aimed at dramatically increasing the number of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds who complete Advanced Placement Calculus in high school. Its mission is rooted in the belief that if students who are furthest from opportunity have the skills and resources to access advanced mathematics it will decrease their need to take remedial mathematics courses upon entering college. This, in turn, will increase the likelihood of their graduating from college, open doors to STEM professions that would otherwise be hard to enter, and positively impact their future earnings.

While September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, Stevens is extending it into October this year. Stevens’ goal is to help every North Andover student (parents, caregivers, and teachers) have a Stevens Library Card! First-time library cards are always free, and replacement cards are free during September and October. Have a card with a question or a problem? We can help! Visit the Library’s Circulation Desk, call 978-688-9505 ext. 42017, or email Stevens-Circulation@NorthAndoverMA.gov.

Explore all Stevens has waiting for you: thousands of books, Manga and graphic novels, magazines, DVDs, music, even music instruments, a telescope, and STEM kits. Books and magazines come in many formats today: print, audio-CD, and digital online through OverDrive, TumbleBooks, TumbleMath, and TeenBookCloud  - your choice.

Join us for activities like book groups, chess club, technology help, and more! Dates, times, and places are on the Library Calendar.

School papers and projects? Use Stevens E-Library’s 40+ online resources: health/medical;  world languages; literature; encyclopedias & reference; science & amp; technology; test preparation & E-learning. You can search by keyword, subject, or name. Ask a librarian or email SMLRefServices@North AndoverMA.gov for more tips on how to find answers and information.

What to read next?

Visit our digital book displays, starting with this month’s Library Card Sign-Up Month Display and learn what you can get with your library card. Check out a curated list of titles all about libraries and learning.

Or try our Reader Request form for personalized book recommendations for all ages. Indicate your preferred format: print and audiobooks, e-books, and e-audiobooks. You should receive a follow-up within two days and provide you with at least three titles.

Let us help!

If you don’t find an answer to your question, email or call the Library so we can help. Staff will respond when available.

Email: SmlRefServices@NorthAndoverMA.gov

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

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.

Greetings from the North Andover School Committee,

I’m honored to have been selected by my colleagues to serve as Chair of your North Andover School Committee for this academic year, along with Mr. Joe Hicks as Vice-Chair and Ms. Alissa Koenig as Clerk. We sincerely thank former committee members Helen Pickard and Holly Vietzke-Lynch and recently retired Assistant Superintendent Lorene Marks for their service to North Andover Public Schools.

With our colleagues, Mr. Andrew McDevitt and Ms. Pam Pietrowski, we have a very busy year ahead of us, beginning with the construction of the Middle School addition and renovation already underway! A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Tuesday, October 3, at 4:30 p.m. We would love to see you there. The Kittredge building project, in coordination with the Mass. School Building Authority is also proceeding nicely; 13 bids were received from firms looking to become our OPM (Owner’s Project Manager), and our building committee is selecting a short list of firms to interview and ultimately select who we will work with.

The fall is a busy time for all involved with open houses at all the schools, budget planning for the 2024/25 year, goal setting for our committee and the Superintendent, updating the Strategic Plan for the District, and more. We will be working with all the other Town Boards and committees to ensure that we continue to improve our facilities and our programs and make NAPS as good as they can possibly be!

We’ll be having Community Chats during each trimester – our first was to be at the Fall Festival, which was unfortunately postponed, so please keep an eye out for a rescheduled date for that (or if that is not rescheduled, a specific Community Chat time and place).

Thanks to our dedicated and talented staff for starting the school year off strong! I wish all of you a successful, productive, and healthy school year ahead.

Dave Brown, MBA/MSEE

North Andover School Committee Chair