We had a wonderful and fun-filled Reading Spirit Week at South! Students and staff enjoyed celebrating our love of books in many creative ways, and we were thrilled to welcome author Kate Messner to our school. Her visit was a special opportunity for students to learn more about the writing process and be inspired by a real author. Unfortunately, due to the weather, our Community Read Aloud had to be postponed and will now take place in April. We look forward to welcoming our community readers then!

This week, we are excited to kick off our door decorating contest and our March Book Brackets as part of our Reading Madness celebration. Classrooms will be showcasing their creativity with decorations connected to our theme, Notice, Wonder, SOAR!, while students read, vote, and cheer on their favorite books throughout the month.

As a reminder, Wednesday is an early release day to allow time for parent-teacher conferences. We appreciate the continued partnership between home and school and value the opportunity for these important conversations about student progress.

Finally, we would like to extend a special thank you to our incredible custodial staff. With the many snowstorms we’ve experienced this winter, they have worked tirelessly to clear walkways, manage snowy conditions, and ensure our building is clean, safe, and ready for students and staff each day.

Please don't forget to attend South's Mary Poppins, JR this weekend! Information below.

Warmly,

Brenda Lee, Principal

Olivia Goodrich, Assistant Principal

South Cooperative Theater of South Elementary School, Andover, is pleased to announce our Spring 2025 Musical – Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. Mark your calendars now – there will be three performances – March 13th, 14th, and 15th.

All of London is shouting from the rooftops about this exciting stage adaptation of the classic tales of Mary Poppins. Join the Banks family as they encounter adventure after fun-filled adventure with their curious new nanny, Mary Poppins. Adapted especially for young performers, this musical includes favorite Sherman brothers songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Birds,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” as well as wonderful new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. With colorful characters and an irresistible score, Mary Poppins JR. is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for all ages!

West Middle School Auditorium

70 Shawsheen Rd

Andover, MA 01810

Friday, March 13, 2026 – 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 14, 2026 – 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 15, 2026 – 1:00 pm

All tickets $12.00 - Cash only. Available to purchase at South before school from 8:45 - 9:15, at the door, and at Andover Bookstore

Contact Info: Elizabeth.Kennedy@andoverma.us / 978-247-9800

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. is presented through special arrangement with and all materials are provided by Music Theatre International.

Kate Messner, a bestselling children’s author who has written many books you may know and love, visited South on Wednesday. Kate is passionately curious and has written over 70 books for kids who wonder, too. Her stories often feature brave kids, exciting mysteries, and fascinating real-world topics—from science and history to teamwork and perseverance. She also loves visiting schools and talking with students about reading, writing, and where great ideas come from. Kate presented to all students to talk about her books, her writing process, and how we all can be a writer too. She had a special writing session just with the fourth graders as she focused on her book History Smashers: The American Revolution which aligns with the work they are doing in Arts and Letters.

CLOTHING:

Please remember to send in your child with appropriate clothing, and a change of clothing in case they do get wet. Many students do not like the limited clothing selection I have in the clinic. If your child does borrow clothing from the clinic, please wash and return them. My supply is officially dwindled.

FOOTWEAR:

Please make sure your child wears sneakers, a supportive shoe or boots if they will be playing in the snow for outdoor recess. Many students are coming to school with Crocs or other loosely fitting shoes. Students need to have safe footwear for running around in the playground and climbing on the playground structures to avoid orthopedic injuries.

Each grade has either just started or will be starting Module 3 in our new Arts and Letters curriculum. Here is a preview of the knowledge-building topics:

The Science Fair is happening on April 15th. Fourth & Fifth grade parents should have received a presentation with details shared via email.

We would love to invite your budding genius to register by March 18th and create a fun experiment! An invitation for families to attend will follow shortly.

Expanding Emotional Vocabulary

This Week's Words: (YELLOW)

Kindergarten ~ Confident
First Grade ~ Focused

Second Grade ~ Cheerful

Third Grade ~ Enthusiastic

Fourth Grade ~ Optimistic

Fifth Grade ~ Inspired

We are excited to host our Around the World Night, a special evening celebrating the many cultures that make up our South School community! This event will be a wonderful opportunity for families to learn from one another and honor the rich traditions represented in our school.

To make this night a success, we are looking for volunteers to help with planning and activities. If you are able to help, please sign up here:
Around the World Night Volunteer Sign Up

We also invite families to share their culture in a way that feels meaningful and comfortable to you. To participate, please sign up here:
Around the World Night Sign Up

Families may choose to host a table sharing information about their heritage, lead a hands-on activity such as a traditional craft or game, teach others how to write or say something in a home language, or share music, dance, or a performance on stage. Families may also choose to share a food or drink connected to their culture.

We have our first kick-off meeting on Friday, March 13th at 9:15 - Join if you would like to be on one of our committees for the event.

We look forward to celebrating together and learning from the many cultures that make our community so special! Email olivia.goodrich@andoverma.us with any questions.

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

Grades 3 and 4

-English Language Arts (ELA) Assessments: Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1
-Mathematics Assessments: Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13

Grade 5

-English Language Arts (ELA) Assessments: Tuesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 9
-Mathematics Assessments: Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8

-Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) Assessments: Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19

All students are able to receive 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch daily during the 2026-2026 school year. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:45 - 9:00 and does not need to be ordered ahead of time.

Lunches will need be preordered. It is very important that our cafeteria has an accurate lunch count each day. Please review with your children each morning what you have ordered for them.

Please click below for the monthly menu and more information about Andover's Nutrition Program including how to sign up.

March Dates:

• Tues., Mar. 10th - 3rd Grade Eminent Person Open House - 9:30am
• Wed., Mar. 11th - EARLY RELEASE - 12:15pm dismissal
• Wed., Mar. 11th - All Bands @ The Field House
• Fri., Mar. 13th - SCT play - Mary Poppins Jr. - 7:00pm - West Middle
• Sat., Mar. 14th - SCT play - Mary Poppins Jr. - 7:00pm - West Middle
• Sun., Mar. 15th - SCT play - Mary Poppins Jr. - 1:00pm - West Middle
• Tues., Mar. 17th - All Strings @ the Collins Center
• Wed., Mar. 18th - Grade 5 CE - Deborah Sampson
• Thurs., Mar. 19th - Grade 3 CE - Words & Pictures
• Fri., Mar. 20th - Grade K CE - Ralph Masiello
• Mon., Mar. 23rd - Bus evacuation drills
• Tues., Mar. 24th - Grade 1 Performance for families - 9:30am
• Tues., Mar. 31st - Grades 3 & 4 ELA MCAS

Also, as a reminder, CORI Forms need to be filled out every school year to volunteer and participate in school activities, such as chaperoning a field trip. If you would like to fill it out at home before coming over, here is the link to print the form: CORI FORM

Want to stay up to date with all the latest PTO news?

Visit www.SouthPTO.com

Email: brenda.lee@andoverma.us
Website: https://www.aps1.net/405/South-Elementary-School
Location: 55 Woburn Street, Andover, MA, USA
Phone: 978-247-9800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southschoolaps