It has been another busy and exciting week at South School! We are so proud of our fifth grade students for the effort and focus they demonstrated during ELA MCAS! Math MCAS for grades 3-5 and Science MCAS for grade 5 will take place next month.

Thank you to our PTO for continuing to bring enriching experiences to our students. This week, grades 2–4 enjoyed the Geography Game Show, and our first graders loved Puppet Pals. On Wednesday, students in grades 3–5 were treated to a fantastic performance by Andover High School’s Show Choir. We wrapped up the week with a wonderful third grade Strings and Recorders Concert on Friday, along with our Community Readers event. A heartfelt thank you to all of our community members who took the time to come in and read to our students. We truly appreciate your partnership!

Looking ahead, we are excited for our upcoming Science Fair for fourth and fifth grade participants. Students will share their work with peers during the school day, and families are invited to attend in the evening from 5:30–6:30 PM. On Friday, we will welcome Andover High School athletes for our annual Warrior Way Day. They are always a highlight for our students!

A quick reminder to please have your child check the lost and found, as we have many items waiting to be claimed (see photos below). Also, please note that April vacation will take place from April 20th through April 24th.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support!

Warmly,

Brenda Lee, Principal

Olivia Goodrich, Assistant Principal

On Friday, April 17th, athletes from Andover High School are coming to South School for Warrior Way Day. They will be spending time in classrooms and will be running a lesson to promote collaboration and teamwork. We are welcoming them to South by wearing Andover's colors of blue and gold.

Wonderful strings and recorder concert by our third grade students!

Thank you to our readers!

Please remind your child to claim their items this week! We have tons of jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, and winter gear. All items will be donated over April vacation.

As the Andover School Committee moves forward in the process of selecting a new Superintendent, we are excited to announce upcoming engagement opportunities and a dedicated webpage for students, staff, and the community.

Attend a Focus Group or Join a School Committee Informal Forum!

NESDEC consultants will facilitate five Focus Groups and the Committee will host two Informal Forums during the week of April 13th. Please feel free to attend the session that best fits your role.

Selecting a Superintendent is one the School Committee’s most important responsibilities, and the School Committee is committed to a comprehensive, thorough, and transparent search for the best possible leader of our schools. We encourage your participation in this process. Thank you.

We wanted to share information about some assistance programs available to Andover families through the Andona Foundation (https://andona.org/). Please let Andrea Goodman, South School social worker, know if you need assistance or have any questions. You can reach her at: andrea.goodman@andoverma.us or 978-247-9816.

Clown Town:

2026 Clown Town sponsorship form - due May 4

The annual Clown Town carnival will be held in downtown Andover on May 15th through May 17th this year. Each year, Andover schools awards families with the Andona sponsorship for Clown Town. This packet includes rides, tickets and vouchers for Andona activities at Clown Town. Please pick up the packet at the "Information Booth" by the gazebo on any day of the event. Please reach out to your school adjustment counselor if you would like an alternative form of pickup.

Campership Assistance:

2026 Andona Campership form

The campership assistance (up to $300) to help pay fees for a summer program of your choice. To learn more and apply for their program, please click the application below. Forms are due May 15th.

Please reach out to Gabrielle at camperships@andona.org with any additional questions about either opportunity.

Expanding Emotional Vocabulary

This Week's Words: (RED)

Kindergarten ~ Nervous
First Grade ~ Jealous

Second Grade ~ Embarrassed

Third Grade ~ Resentful

Fourth Grade ~ Anxious

Fifth Grade ~ Self-Conscious

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

-Mathematics Assessments: Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13

Grade 5

-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.

April Dates:

• Wed., Apr. 15th - Science Fair - 5:30pm - 6:30pm
• Thurs., Apr. 16th - Grade 2 CE - Zoo New England
• Fri., Apr. 17th - Warrior Way
• Mon., Apr. 20th - Fri., Apr. 24th - Spring Recess - NO SCHOOL
• Wed., Apr. 29th - All-school CE - Acrobat Li Liu
• Thurs., Apr. 30th - Around the World @ South School - 6pm

May Dates:

• Wed., May 6th - Early - 12:15pm dismissal
• Wed., May 6th - Kindergarten Visitation - 1:30pm
• Thurs., May 7th - K CE - Top Secret Science
• Mon., May 11th - Grade 5 CE - Top Secret Science
• Tues., May 12th - Grades 3 & 4 Math MCAS
• Wed., May 13th - Grades 3 & 4 Math MCAS
• Thurs., May 14th - Tjalsma & Lovely field trip to Concord Museum
• Frid., May 15th - Walsh & Ryan field trip to Concord Museum
• Wed., May 20th - K Math Mania - 9am-11am
• Wed., May 20th - Grade 1 field trip to Seacoast Science Center
• Thurs., May 21st - Middle School Principals visit 5th Graders
• Fri., May 22nd - AHS Seniors Final Walk Through
• Mon., May 25th - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
• Tues., May 26th - 5th Grade Move-up Day to Middle Schools
• Tues., May 26th - Grade 3 - Sheehy - field trip to Historical Society
• Wed., May 27th - Grade 3 - Montgomery - field trip to Historical Society
• Thurs., May 28th - Grade 3 - O'Bryan - field trip to Historical Society
• Fri., May 29th - Spring Fling - 5pm

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