Greetings West EL Community,

As we embark into our school week, many of our families are preparing for the Lunar New Year. On behalf of the entire West EL team, Gong hei fat choy, may the new year be marked by prosperity, friendship and health.

Warmly,

Dr. Cobbs

On Monday February 3rd, your child's report card will be released through the Parent Portal. We wanted to share some information about the grading system that we use at APS. Please reach out directly to your child's teacher for any additional questions about your child's report card.

The standards listed on the report cards are grade-level standards taken directly from the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks and explicitly state what students must know and be able to do. The standards serve as the foundation for the curriculum chosen, guide the pedagogy enlisted to deliver the curriculum, and become the target for our assessments, both formative and summative.

The report card will use indicators that illustrate each individual’s progress in meeting these academic standards. Note: The standards are end-of-year standards. It is not unusual for most students to be "Developing" along these standards at this point in the school year.

M - Meets the standard

- The student can apply the standard with independence

- The student demonstrates mastery of or proficiency in that standard

- The student is able to apply the standard in a variety of contexts

D - Developing

- The student applies the standard with varied consistency, quality, or independence

- The student is making progress toward mastery of or proficiency in the standard.

B - Beginning

- The student has not yet reached the understanding to apply the standard.

- The student is making early progress toward mastery of or proficiency in the standard.

** Our second set of conferences will be held on in March and classroom teachers will be reaching out by next month with dates/times to choose from.

In Spring 2025, the School Committee will review the proposed redistricting options and vote on the preferred redistricting plan. The approved redistricting plan will be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. This allows the district sufficient time to operationally plan for the new school zones.

What is the Redistricting Advisory Council (RAC)?:

This is a non-binding group of parents and educators from each elementary/ middle school that is occasionally consulted as part of the redistricting process. All redistricting decisions are ultimately made by the school committee.

Who are the reps for West Elementary School?

The parent reps are: David Crow (dave.crow@outlook.com), Alexandria Dominquez (alexandra080209@gmail.com) and Ugo Nina Igwe (nina11210@yahoo.com).

The West Elementary staff reps are: Catherine Mangie, Social Worker (cmangie@andoverma.us) and Fabiana Murphy (fmurphy@andoverma.us).

Questions? Feel free to contact one of the school or parent reps!

The Andover Public Schools FY26 Budget process began last fall and has been shaped over the past few months. The fiscal challenges the district faced last year continue for FY26 and beyond. Key factors contributing to these challenges include rising costs in transportation, salaries, special education programming, and utilities.

To promote opportunities for community involvement, APS superintendent Dr. Parvey and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Administration Keith Taverna will be visiting all schools’ PTO/PAC meetings to discuss the FY26 Budget process and answer questions. We encourage you to visit the FY26 Budget webpage for more information on what has been shared with the community so far.

You are invited to join us for their conversation with the West Elementary School community on February 28, 2025 at 9:00 AM in our Media Center.

Dress your best and dance the night away at our first Sweetheart Dance in the new school. There will also be snacks, crafts, photobooth, airbrush tattoos and more!!! The new school has much more room inside. However, as you are all aware there is limited parking so PLEASE try to Carpool or Walk if possible.

To make this a successful and truly memorable Sweetheart Dance we need the support of our Wonderful West El Parents!! All volunteer opportunities will allow you to be able to help and still enjoy the dance with your little sweetheart(s). Your help is GREATLY appreciated. Food Donations can be dropped off at the school starting Monday Feb 3rd- Feb 7th during regular school hours (no earlier than 845am). Recommended to bring homemade on the 7th and indicate any allergens. Label trays so they can be returned.

Friday February 7th

6:30-8:30pm

Tickets are $10/child (No charge for Adults)Secure your spot here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F4EA9AC23AAFE3-54540754-west

Memorial Hall Library has you covered with an exciting lineup of Winter Programming! New this season: book groups for multiple ages on Thursday afternoons and monthly art experiences starting in February, featuring hands-on printmaking. Check out the attached brochure for details on all their amazing offerings and find something your family will love. Don’t miss out on these enriching opportunities! Scan the enclosed QR code or visit the library website to learn more and register for programming.

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that our free Parenting Solutions Library is now available in Spanish. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing proven resources to help students’ families thrive.

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.

The Peace at Home Parenting Solutions Library is a free, valuable resource for PTOs, SEPACs, ELLPACs and other parent-oriented groups. We request your assistance sharing this valuable and free resource through school-based newsletters and school-based organizations. For your convenience, we have created this handout. Please contact MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels at margie@mpyinc.org with questions.

Please be aware that given our concrete being new, and needing to cure for a year, our custodians are only able to clean up the snow and use sand for traction. Where salt is possible we are doing this as well. As the temperature warms, our custodial staff will work on chopping and chipping ice as well. Also, please remember every effort is made for our students to enjoy outdoor time. Please make sure children's are dressed with coats, hats, gloves, etc. Boots and snow pants are required for snow play. Please let Dr. Cobbs know if you need assistance with winter gear needs; all requests are kept confidential. maryellen.carideocobs@andoverma.us

Female identifying students in grades 3-5 are invited to join ' Girls On The Run'. Join a team where you can make new friends and feel like you belong! Your team meets twice a week for eight weeks (16 lessons.)

• Caring coaches lead fun lessons and games, group discussions, and physical activities.
• Each team dreams up and completes a Community Impact Project that helps make the world a better place.
• You will cross the finish line with your team in an exciting and joyful 5K.

Site/Team Name: West Elementary, Andover

Grades: 3rd-5th

Practice Days & Times: Thurs/Fri 3:30pm-5pm

First Practice: Thurs April 3rd

Celebratory 5K: TBD (either 5/31 or 6/1)

Program Fee: $225 Financial Assistance available!

GOTR Contact: please forward questions to Danielle Cogliano dlcogliano@gmail.com

The testing window has been set by DESE and we are planning for the following MCAS test dates at West El. Please note that students will take 2 days of tests per content area. Please refrain from vacations or unnecessary absences on these dates.

Grade 3:

ELA: April 10th and 11th

Math: May 8th and 9th

Grade 4

ELA: April 14th and 15th

Math: May 13th and 14th

Grade 5

ELA: April 7th and 8th

Math: May 5th and 6th

Science: 19th and 20th