KNIGHTLY NEWS
Volume 5 - Issue 1 September, 2019
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful summer break and were able to enjoy time with family and friends. This is my favorite time of year as we welcome back our students and start anew with fresh perspectives and high expectations. We had a tremendous opening with staff and are prepared for a great year ahead.
On behalf of all the schools, I warmly welcome all students and families new to North Andover. The town of North Andover and our school district is an amazing community that is supportive of students. We work collaboratively with all community partners
in supporting all students and providing a myriad of opportunities in school and beyond.
Our Knightly newsletter is dedicated to sharing information with you about what is happening in our schools and district, and we hope you will find it informative. In addition, you can follow me on Twitter @NASupt if you want more frequent and timely updates. I look forward to the new school year and working to ensure our students’ success. I am honored to be a partner in your child’s educational experience.
DId you know?
H.S. Marching Band Competition
The North Andover High School Scarlet Knights Marching Band will host its 10th annual New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) home marching band competition on Saturday, September 28th. Twenty local and regional high school and college bands are scheduled to perform! Don’t miss the show!
Tickets $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Children ages 5 and under are FREE! A variety of concessions will be available for purchase. All proceeds will benefit NAPS music programs! Gates open at 12:00 noon. The show begins at 1:00 pm!
NAPS Leadership Summit
Why is the School Department open during the summer when the students are all on vacation you may ask. If you drove by the Central Office parking lot during July and August, you would see that on many days all the parking spaces were taken. The truth is that the summer can be the busiest time of the year for administrators, principals, and custodians as they prepare for the upcoming school year. Even teachers use this "down time" productively to hone their skills. At least 50 North Andover teachers participated in one or more of the many professional development opportunities offered at the Central Office this summer. Some of the topics included Mathematical Mindsets, Creating Reading and Writing Tool Kits, Introduction to Google Apps for Education, and a week-long workshop by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.
Leadership Summit at the Stevens' Estate on August 6
Last day of our Leadership Summit kicks off this morning in Boston with a meeting and team building activity.
DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
A Human Resources Hello
"Hey, Hey, Hey" is something a colleague of mine in Lowell always used to say when she entered any room in the school. It always made me smile so I carried it on at Atkinson for the past twelve years when I’d greet staff, students and families. I’m sure Mrs. Brophy would get a kick out of it.
Now, for the first time in 23 years, I am sharing September “hey’s” in a workplace other than a school, and it feels weird. I miss so much about Atkinson and the daily activity around the students and staff. Big thanks go out to Dr. Gilligan for taking a chance on me to try something new with my career. I’ll be doing my very best to bring positive energy to the job and doing more than just saying, " hey, hey, hey" every day. :)
There has been a lot of flux in the HR department over the past few years, but I am happy to report that we now have a team eager to provide stability and striving to win it every day. Rachelle Haas, our
Payroll Coordinator, and Molly Brown, HR’s Administrative Assistant, are seriously wicked good at their jobs, and together the three of us are going to help you. I know from my own experience how important customer service is in a school department, and Molly, Rachelle and I will take great pride in delivering it to you.
I’ve discovered over the past two months that the job of the director is more involved and technical than I had assumed. Timelines and precision are so important to ensure you all are supported in the ways that you expect. Molly and Rachelle have been outstanding tutors to me as I get up to speed in this new setting and with the many new responsibilities.
In the near future, look for short and sweet emails that will highlight some key things that some of you might need or want as far as benefits go. New and refreshed postings will go out quickly, and we’ll be working to make our on-boarding process as efficient as possible. The HR link on the district website is being reworked so that only the key things you need or want are there to access. We are continuing to build out the Employee Self Service (ESS) that some of you have used a lot
Molly Brown, Administrative Assistant Rachelle Haas, Payroll and Benefits Coordinator Greg Landry, Director
since it was introduced a couple of years ago. We are building stronger relationships with our colleagues on the town side who help the school department with health benefits, retirement and more. They’re also working hard to be great.
Rachelle, Molly and I want to be your go-to people, so don’t hesitate to email or call us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can with a helpful response. Hey hey hey, have a great school year and thanks for your support!
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ENDEAVORS
Over 80 North Andover Middle School students participated in the Excellent Adventures History Camp, a three-week summer program organized by NAMS 8th grade social studies teacher, Pat McGravey, and run through North Andover’s Community Programs. The students visited such fun places as Newburyport, Strawberry Banke, Lexington and Concord, Boston, Lowell, Salem and so many more. In addition, days were spent with Senator Tarr and State Representatives Minicucci and Nguyen at the State House, researching History at the Lawrence History Center and having the “final tour” of Town Hall from Town Clerk Joyce Bradshaw who retired days later. All in all, in was a huge success and next year is going to be bigger and better!
History Camp visits Harvard
History Camp participated in drills at Lexington and Concord
History Camp visits MA Archives
History Camp visits historic Lowell
State Representative Minicucci speaking with North Andover Students
Visit to State House and House of Representatives
Visit to historic Fenway Park
History Camp learns hearth cooking at Strawberry Banke, Portsmouth, NH
What's Happening at Stevens Memorial Library?
September is National Library Card Month and Stevens’ goal is to help every North Andover student (parents, caregivers, and teachers, too) have a Stevens library card. First-time library cards are always free, replacement cards are free during September. Have a card with a question or a problem? Visit the library’s circulation desk so we can help! Your Stevens library card gets you thousands of books and e-books, magazines, newspapers, movies, music, even music instruments, a telescope, and STEM kits!
School papers and projects? Click on www.StevensMemLib.org E-Library’s Table of Contents for 30+ online resources in education; health/medical; history; languages and literature; encyclopedias & reference; science & technology; test preparation & E-learning.
Don’t miss events like Professor Mele’s talk “Bridging the Gap: Deaf and Hearing Cultures,” playwright Michael Cormier talking about a new play “Saltonstall’s Trial” (about a 1692 Salem Trials judge), or Officer Katie’s “Get to Know your ACO” (Animal Control Officer). Click on the library’s calendar link, find us on Facebook or Twitter @StevensMemLib.
Save the date Tuesday, November 19, to hear Don Mullan, our featured North Andover Reads speaker. Don will speak to students during the day and the community at 7:00 pm. Meet Don at http://donmullan.org/. This fall, North Andover Reads focuses on our R.A.I.S.E. Service and the many people who served as soldiers, nurses, ambulance drivers, code breakers, and telephone operators. Coming soon: The North Andover Reads website, http://nak12.net/NAReads/, with suggested reading lists, movies, and events details.
Student services
Marci Boccuzzi named Executive Director of Special Education
I am so excited to begin my first school year as the Executive Director of Special Education. I spent the summer and first weeks of school visiting classrooms and learning about all the amazing work people are doing in their buildings. As we move through the first few months, I look forward to learning more about our students and how we can continue to meet the needs of all learners. I am excited to be back working with so many talented professionals and look forward to collaborating with teachers, students and families.
School Committee Corner
At it's meeting on June 6, 2019, the School Committee elected the following as officers for the 2019/20 school year: David Torrisi, Chair, Helen Pickard, Vice Chair, and Amy Mabley, Clerk. The first meeting of the new school year was held on Thursday, September 12, 2019.
Tweet of the Month
Keeping with tradition, we honored Marylou Connors (ABECC) and Sue Baylies (Atk) for reaching 30 years of service in North Andover.
September and October
School Committee
Meeting Dates
566 Main Street
7:00 pm
September 12, 2019
October 3, 2019
October 17, 2019
