Dear North Andover Community,

Welcome back to school! We were excited to start a school year that felt more normal than the previous two years. Absent the logistical distractions of dealing with a pandemic, our staff and students have been able to focus on what they do best, teaching and learning! 

For those folks who are new to our district, we offer a warm welcome to the North Andover Public Schools. We hope you find our town and schools supportive and a great place to raise a family. North Andover is a special community that offers tremendous opportunities for our students. Our Knightly Newsletter is dedicated to sharing information with you about what is happening in our schools and district. 

At the end of the summer, all new staff were invited in for a Strategic Plan overview by district leadership and also received training in health, safety, technology, and curriculum resources. It was a busy and exciting week for all! We have a wonderful group of new teachers, and I know they will be a positive addition to the district. 

This will be a busy fall for our district. As you probably know, the Town’s Facilities Master Plan Phase II includes the following five important school projects:  Renovations and

possible additions to the Atkinson, Franklin, and Kittredge elementary schools and North Andover Middle School, as well as the addition of a gym and support spaces to the Anne Bradstreet Early Childhood Center.  We are excited that the project of building a new Kittredge Elementary School has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Program. This will provide state funding for 50 percent +/- of the cost of the project. The funding for the design for both the Kittredge project and the Middle School addition/renovation was approved at the May 2022 Town Meeting. We are now working with the MSBA to complete the requirements for work on the Kittredge School and have started the NAMS planning process.  

We hope you will find this newsletter 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 collaboratively to ensure our students’ success. I am honored to be a partner in your child’s educational experience.

All my best,

Gregg Gilligan

NAHS

Opening day at NAHS went great! Mr. Jackson and the NAHS Student Ambassadors welcomed our 350 grade nine students and students new to the North Andover High School during orientation. Approximately 50 student ambassadors in grades 10-12 provided a welcome, tours of the school, and additional information to our new students to prepare them for the upcoming school year. 

ABECC

It may have been raining outside but inside ABECC, our teachers created a warm welcome as they greeted their newest little students. 

Those students who attended pre-school at ABECC were reassured as they saw a familiar face. Ms. Mary Lou Connors has been with the district for the past 33 years, and there's not a more compassionate, hardworking teacher out there! 

Atkinson

We had a fabulous first day at Atkinson School filled with lots of smiling faces. We clapped in our new first-grade All-Stars. Our classrooms and learning spaces looked amazing and ready for our students. We are excited about the new things we will learn and the new friends we will make! Welcome Back All-Stars! 

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 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 musical instruments, a telescope, and STEM kits. Books and magazines come in lots of formats today: print, audio-CD, and digital online through OverDrive, TumbleBooks, TumbleMath, and TeenBookCloud; your choice. 

Join us for activities like story times and book groups, programs like Construction Zone or Crazy 8s Math, or technology help.  Dates, times, and places are on the Library Calendar. 

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

What to read next?

Visit our digital book displays, starting with this month’s Hispanic Heritage Month Display. Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from September 15 to October 15 to 

showcase and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose 

ancestors are from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The celebration first began as a week in 1968 under President Johnson and was extended to a 30-day period in 1988 by President Reagan.  

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 2 days and provide you with at least 3 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.

Emailto: 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.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE CORNER

by Pam Pietrowski, Chair

Greetings from the NA School Committee,

I hope the school year is off to a smooth beginning for our community. I believe everyone is cautiously optimistic for a “normal” school year, and we will truly appreciate what that looks and feels like more than ever.

Many exciting things are happening in our district with solid, attainable plans for the necessary updates that our schools need.  The Facilities Master Plan II is moving along, and plans are underway for our school building committees for Kittridge and NAMS. As you may have heard, the Kittridge plans will be partially funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).  

School committee members, select board members, our district leadership team, and the town manager are working collaboratively to establish school building committees to get these projects rolling.  We are excited to work closely together and continue the strong collaboration between our boards and personnel.  

The last few years have been challenging for our school community – this may be the understatement of the century.  We all have faced changes and challenges that no one could have anticipated.  I believe as a community and as a school system, we have done an excellent job in bringing awareness to the vitality of our social-emotional wellness. Our district has solid plans in place to ensure our students’ SEL needs are being met.  

Whether you are sending off your kindergarten children who wear backpacks bigger than their little bodies or high school students who have new parking permits -- all of the children in NAPS are in good hands because of our dedicated and fantastic staff.     

I wish you all a pleasant and successful transition into fall and the new school year.  

Warmly,

Pam Pietrowski M.Ed.

North Andover School Committee Chair