Last Friday we put a bow on WERAWC 2025! Our week was filled with inspirational conversations, incredible story telling and multiple moments of connectedness, laughter and fun. On behalf of our entire school community, thank you. If not for the work of our PTO and WERAWC committee none of this would be possible. A special thank you to Ms. Amy Batts for organizing this herculean task and for surrounding herself with strong, committed volunteers. Broadly, thank you to the West EL community for supporting our PTO both financially and with the gift of your time. Events like WERAWC are funded solely through PTO and simply could not happen without you. Bring on WERAWC 31!

Grade 5 students enjoyed an immersive living history performance about the life and legacy of Deborah Sampson, the first woman to enlist, fight and be honorably discharged from the US Military: " After ten years working as a farm hand, Deborah was strong and possessed the physical capabilities of her male counterparts. As a self-educated woman, Deborah was the only female school teacher in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Then, on May 23, in the final years of the American Revolutionary War, Deborah bound her chest, tied back her hair, and, wearing male attire, enlisted in the Massachusetts 4th Regiment of the Continental Army, using the alias "Robert Shurtleff."

Our students were mesmerized by her storytelling and learned a great deal about Ms. Sampson as well as about the life of soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. Thank you to Michael McCarthy, Interim Social Studies Coordinator for bringing us this enrichment.

Congratulations to educators Kevin Tiller, Janice Holden and Mary Ellen Carideo-Cobbs for receiving grants from the Andover Coalition for Education. Mr. Tiller's grant, "Orienteering for All" will allow him to implement an orienteering unit for West El students, " Orienteering is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, abilities, and genders. You can travel alone or in groups, and you can run or walk. Orienteering involves the reading of a compass while engaging in physical activity in an outdoor setting. When working with a partner, or in groups, students learn cooperation and teamwork, skills that are vital to the healthy development of young students". Thank you Mr. Tiller!

Mrs. Holden and Dr. Cobbs' grant, " Food Rescue Pilot Project" seeks to quantify how much food is reclaimable from students’ trays once served at breakfast and lunch and will determine how much food can be rescued and redistributed. In partnership with the Andover Village Food Hub, Andover Public Schools Department of Nutrition and the Social Justice Coalition of the South Church, the long term goal is to develop an operationalized system for addressing the growing needs of our community.

On April 2, 2025 the West EL educators invite you to join us in celebrating " World Autism Awareness Day'; an international recognized day adopted by the United Nations in 2007. Our school community is committed not only to awareness but acceptance of all individuals and celebrate our neurodiverse students, staff and community. We hope you will join us on April 2nd and 'wear red' for acceptance!

Heritage Night at West Elementary will be held this year on Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 5:30 PM to 8 PM. If you didn't attend last year, it's a wonderful family event that gives an opportunity for West Elementary families (parents, teachers and staff) to showcase our community's diverse cultures and more so, share the special customs and traditions that make each of us unique. Children will have the chance to "fly" from country to country with passports, and immerse themselves in a variety of activities to learn about countries that make up our vibrant, diverse and rich community!

Its guaranteed to be a fun evening for all with crafts, performances, music, food, photo booth and even more fun activities!

This cannot happen without the active participation of EVERYONE in the West Elementary Community. Please sign up to Showcase a Country Table, Submit a Cultural Performance, or just come an have a good time! Sign up for a West Elementary Passport to travel the world!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F4EA9AC23AAFE3-55366963-heritage#/

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

The School Committee joined superintendent, Dr. Parvey, and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Administration Keith Taverna at the Tri-Board (Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee) meeting on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The School Department’s approved FY26 budget presentation is available on our website and the video can be viewed on Andover TV. Andover’s Annual Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 29th at 7 p.m. at the Collins Center at Andover High School. More information can be found on the town of Andover’s website.

APS K-8 Redistricting Vote

During the March 20th meeting, Dillinger RAD presented to the Committee final elementary and middle school scenarios for consideration and a vote. The presentation can be reviewed here. To watch the meeting, visit Andover TV's website. The Committee voted 4-1 to support scenario E6/M5. This approach attempts to balance school capacity, provide for larger groups of students moving on to middle school, minimize long-term costs, and ensure safety for students who walk to school.

The Committee also voted 5-0 to support the first phase of an implementation strategy. This strategy would permit students starting Kindergarten in the fall of 2025 to enroll at the elementary school to which they will be zoned in fall 2026. This strategy would also provide for “legacy enrollment” for students who will be in 5th grade or 8th grade in the fall of 2026, so that they may complete their elementary or middle school career in their original school. A second implementation phase concerning student placement for the fall of 2027 is expected to be discussed at the April 17 meeting. These implementation phases will be supplemented by events, programs, and other supports to help students make transitions, whether from an old school to a new school or from elementary to middle school.

The Committee acknowledges that this has been a challenging and emotional process for all and is grateful to the public for its participation and support.