I hope everyone enjoyed Spring Break and enjoyed some warm weather. This morning the children were actively chatting about everything from Easter celebrations to bike riding and outdoor play. All in all it sounds as if the week to recharge and reset was well timed and well appreciated. It was wonderful to see the kids this morning and I look forward to a busy May filled of learning and celebrating. I hope to see all of you at our annual Heritage Night this Thursday!

Warmly,

Dr. C

The week before break our grade five class had an amazing time at Outdoor Education. The students participated in both team building games/activities as well as science-centered , hands-on learning about our local habitat and its inhabitants. A big thank you to all the teachers and staff who made this possible!

We are pleased and proud to share that the West Elementary school is working with local partners to create a food rescue program. This program will save packaged, non-perishable food that would otherwise end up in the cafeteria trash, if not recovered from student's trays. In order to make this program successful we need volunteers! Please see the following directions if you are able to assist:

Sign up for a time slot via the SignUpGenius link (please note: all adult volunteers must be CORI checked. This involves filling out a simple 1 page form and presenting your ID at the school office. Takes a week to process.). .

· 2 volunteers at breakfast (8:30 AM - 9:10 AM)

· 2 volunteers at lunch (11:00 AM - 1:15 PM):

· 1 transport volunteer weekly

If you have any questions, please contact the program coordinator, Meredith Moody (eredithm3@gmail.com). Thank you!

We're excited to introduce this year's main fundraiser, the West El Fun Run. Our goal is to raise $20,000 for WERAWC to benefit ALL students at West Elementary.

We’re excited for this fundraising experience because it offers 3 important things to our school community:

1️⃣ User-friendly fundraising platform

2️⃣ Character enrichment program

3️⃣ Fitness-focused event that includes ALL of our students

As a family, you will work together asking friends and family to donate on your student’s donation page at MyBooster.com. The best part is, you can still support our school just by SHARING about the fundraiser!

Students will also experience an amazing character enrichment program called “Castle Quest”, teaching students about how to be brave and live with character.

Key Dates to Remember:

💻 Sign up online at MyBooster.com – 05/02/2025

🎉 Fundraiser Kickoff in school – 05/16/2025

👟 Event Day – 05/28/2025

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 West El administrative team will soon begin placing students for the 2025-2026 school year. Student placement is a thoughtful process that incorporates input from your child's current teacher, support staff, and administration to ensure balanced and compatible classrooms. We carefully consider many factors, including all available student data, to create the best possible learning environments. Our placement process is designed to support both academic success and social-emotional well-being.

Please note: We do not accept parental requests for specific classroom assignments or teachers. However, we value your insights and welcome any information that you feel is important for us to know, such as your child's learning style, academic needs, or compatibility with peers. Your input will be carefully considered as we make placement decisions.

To share your thoughts, please email Dr. Cobbs at maryellen.carideocob@andoverma.us no later than May 7, 2025.

At the April 17th School Committee meeting, Nick Stellitano of DillingerRAD presented key considerations to support the district as it begins the process of implementing newly approved school district boundaries. These new boundaries were adopted by the School Committee at its March 20th meeting, following extensive community input. The Committee voted for implementation as follows:

• The redistricting plan will be implemented beginning in the 2026–27 school year, to allow for thoughtful planning and communication with our families.
• The district will offer a transition option for families who will be affected by the new boundaries and have children entering kindergarten in the 2025–26 school year. These families will be contacted directly by the district prior to Kindergarten orientation on May 7th.
• In the 2026-27 school year, affected students who are entering 4th, 5th, 7th & 8th grade will remain as legacy students to complete their educational experience in their elementary or middle schools, respectively.
• In the 2026-27 school year, all current High Plain Elementary grade 4 students will go to Wood Hill Middle School as voted on by the School Committee on April 17th.
• Younger siblings will be given the opportunity, through an opt-in process, to stay with their older siblings through the 2027-28 school year. Families should be aware that this option will require the younger sibling to move to their reassigned school once the older sibling has entered middle school or high school.

This phased approach aims to support continuity for students and families while ensuring the district can meet enrollment and facility needs in the years ahead. I’ll also continue meeting with the Redistricting Advisory Council as we move through this next phase of the process.

All elementary and middle school families will receive confirmation of school zones based on their family’s current address by the end of June 2025. Additional information will be shared in the coming months. To review the areas that have been redistricted, please review the APS redistricting webpage or this interactive map.

We thank our families and community members for their continued partnership throughout this process.