Dear West Elementary Families,

Fall has officially arrived, bringing with it brisk mornings and crisp afternoons! As the weather cools, please be sure to label all of your child’s clothing, especially sweatshirts, jackets, and hats—our Lost and Found is already growing steadily.

A friendly reminder that individual school pictures will be taken on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Additional details are included below.

Looking ahead, our annual Halloween Parade will take place on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 9:45 AM. Students in grades K–2 are invited to bring a costume to school and will have time to change before the parade begins. Students in grades 3–5, along with families, are invited to join us as spectators and enjoy the fun! Information about classroom celebrations will be shared by room parents and/or classroom teachers. Participation in the parade, or Halloween related activities is strictly voluntary. Mr. Tiller and other members of our staff will host an alternative activity for those who do not participate in the events.

We look forward to a wonderful fall season filled with learning, laughter, and community spirit!

Warmly,
Mary Ellen Carideo Cobbs
Principal

Picture Day: 10-14-25
Unique Code: XMCTFLVS

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Use your unique code to login & pre-order photos

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Select your packages, prints or novelties and checkout

On Monday, December 8, 2025, we are proud to welcome the Wreaths Across America Official Escort to Arlington National Ceremony for a special community remembrance ceremony in honor of our fallen veterans.

With the help of thousands of volunteers, Wreaths Across America (WAA) is working to fulfill its mission to Remember, Honor and Teach through the annual laying of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. The escort of the wreaths to Arlington is a sight to behold, and will this year consist of over 13 tractor trailer trucks and 50 vehicles transporting Gold Star families, VSO partners, Veterans, Law Enforcement and Volunteers to Arlington.

Their stop at West Elementary School in Andover, MA is one of approximately 12 visits to schools, veterans’ homes, monuments and communities along the East Coast that the convoy will make during its weeklong voyage from Harrington, Maine, to Arlington, Virginia.

In order to best prepare for this day, I am seeking information from our caregiver community. Specifically, if you are actively serving one of the US Armed Forces, or are a veteran of one of our services, please email me directly. I would be honored to have you as invited guests. Kindly email me at maryellen.carideocob@andoverma.us. To learn more about the Wreaths Across America Program, visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Fall DIBELS (Grades 1–5) & Reading/Math MAP Growth (Grades 3–5)

On October 10, 2025, parents and guardians of grades 1-5 received Family Reports that summarize your child’s beginning-of-the-year assessments. These reports will be sent home with your child.

• DIBELS (Grades 1–5): A literacy screener that helps us understand your child’s reading development and guide instruction.
• MAP Growth (Grades 3–5): An adaptive assessment in reading and math that shows your child’s current learning level and growth over time.

For more information:

• MAP Growth: NWEA Family Toolkit or Andover Public Schools MAP Assessment
• DIBELS: Andover Public Schools mCLASS Literacy Assessments

These beginning-of-the-year results help teachers inform instruction, personalize learning, and monitor the growth of individual students. Administrators use the data to assess performance and progress at each grade level, school, and district. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or principal.

YOU’RE INVITED!

We are excited to offer two opportunities for parents and guardians to explore Arts & Letters, our new K–5 ELA curriculum.

In-person Evening Session

📅 Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025

⏰ Time: 6:30pm
📍 Location: West Elementary School

58 Beacon St, Andover

Virtual Lunchtime Session

📅 Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00-12:30 pm
📍 https://zoom.us/j/98465277328?pwd=jG5JaxmuLUunKERQsmy5ZKNr7NpAdR.1

Passcode: 120013

During the session, you’ll:
✅ Learn how Arts & Letters supports your child’s literacy growth
✅ See examples of engaging texts and lessons
✅ Understand how reading, writing, speaking, and listening connect
✅ Ask questions and share feedback

We are excited to partner with you in helping students become confident readers, writers, and thinkers!

Questions? Contact Maura Donoghue, Elementary Literacy Program Coordinator at maura.donoghue@andoverma.us

Thank you to everyone who has registered absences, dismissals and dismissal changes using Pick Up Patrol. The following FAQ is a great thing to keep near by!

Families are invited to join us for Adaptive Sports Day on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Cormier Youth Center.

This special event welcomes students (ages 8–18) from Andover, Reading, North Reading, Wakefield, and Arlington who have visual or mobility impairments. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy organized activities led by:

• CP Soccer New England

• Boston ICE Storm Wheelchair Basketball

• Boston Strong BEEP Blind Baseball

Pre-registration is required:
https://form.jotform.com/ASNE2025/andover

We look forward to a fun and active day of learning, teamwork, and community!

PTO has adopted an online system to make volunteering, registration for programs and events and accessing our family directory more efficient. Please take the time to register today!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to westelpto.com.
2. Click on the Register/Login button.
3. If you already have an account with another organization using Membership Toolkit, you can use the same email and password to login. Then proceed to the steps below.
4. Select "Create Account" and fill in your name, email, and password.
5. Click "Verify my email" and check your inbox for the confirmation link (expires in 2 hours). If you don’t see it, check your spam/junk folders.
6. Once your email is verified, log back in to complete registration.
7. Fill in Parent/Family and Student Information.
8. Complete Directory/Publish Preferences.
9. You will then see forms for Before-School Signups, Spirit Wear, and Volunteer Opportunities — all your Back-to-School needs in one place!

✅ Please note that this is THE ONLY WAY to sign your child up for before or afterschool clubs. Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can invite other email addresses to access the account. This gives a Secondary User their own login while sharing family access.

📧 Questions? Contact us at pto@westelpto.com.