The second grade classes opened their always-popular Healthy Heart Restaurant before vacation. Third graders and staff members were very happy customers. All diners reported their hearts felt healthy and happy after eating the nutritious breakfast.
Second graders learned organization skills, math skills, and how to serve the public. There was an extraordinary display of healthy choices made and delivered by second grade families. Menu items included organic fruit smoothies, deviled eggs from Andover chickens, pineapple flowers (flower made from pineapple with a grape center and starfruit leaves), ants on a log, yogurts, and lots of healthy breads and muffins.
Diners made donations and the second grade students discussed and voted to donate $227.61 to the Franklin Animal Shelter.
I should also mention this breakfast was scheduled and rescheduled several times due to snow days. Parents went above and beyond to help even amidst the date changes. One super-powered grandmother even delivered peanut butter and heart sandwiches after spending the night and early morning hours with her daughter at the hospital where she delivered twins. That’s certainly above-and-beyond effort by a family!
Chinese New Year
Fourth grade students with their elaborate handmade, festive dragons accompanied by our talented band, enthusiastic eighth grade students, and teachers in ornamental garb snaked their way through the building for the annual Dragon Parade. We are always happy to celebrate Chinese New Year and then enjoy an incredible Asian-themed lunch in the school cafeteria.
“Enough already – No more snow days!” can be heard over and over again by teachers, parents, and yes, even students. Middle school students were especially not pleased to lose last Friday as it meant the loss of a ski day and a Valentines dance. And second grade students and teachers were quite irritated at having their Healthy Heart Breakfast rescheduled over and over again. However, the snow is beautiful, and I have heard of many great adventures enjoyed by students on snow days.
Please know that the decision to cancel or delay school is not taken lightly and is made by Superintendent Michael Martin after consulting with road agents, bus companies, weather forecasters, and others, often beginning the day before an event. The decision is based entirely on the safety of the students in Andover and the Merrimack Valley School District.
As of today we have had one delayed opening and five snow days. It could always be worse. I remember the 2007-2008 school year, when we had ten snow days and nine delayed openings! We do seem to pick up a lot of snow days in February and at least one or two in March. Stay tuned…
You have probably seen some of the creative “Snow Day” recordings that have gone viral. Check out the AE/MS Snow Day Slide Show. It can be found on our Web site at AEMSeagles.org. It was made by very creative and talented AE/MS staff members.
Parent Breakfast
Parent Breakfast was a great success! We are very appreciative to the Johnson and Bonk families. The real maple syrup and delicious yogurt was due to their generosity.
Our eighth grade students toured Merrimack Valley High School recently. The MVHS athletic director and counselors will now visit our school to talk with eighth grade students about sports options, arts involvement, and help with course selection.
The annual School District Meeting is Monday, March 3, at 7 PM in the school gym. It is at this meeting that the budget is voted upon for the 2014-15 school year. You must be present to vote.
Entertainment for students will be provided in the middle school classrooms. There will be age-appropriate board games and movies. School staff members and eighth grade students are helping to entertain so that families may attend the meeting.
Projects are coming in and big assignments have all been completed, as we are now just a day away from the start of vacation. We are also in the middle of Spirit Week. Every day has a theme, culminating with Beach Day on Friday. The day before vacation, students are treated to snow cones at the Andover Beach (usually known as the gym). Spirit Week is planned and run by our Student Council members.
Donation from BJ’s
BJ’s Wholesale Club in Tilton recently partnered with us for their Adopt-A-School Program. We will be receiving a check for $500.00 and a free one-year business membership. The money will go into our playground fund, and the membership will help our PTO with purchasing items throughout the year for fundraisers and events. This was a nice surprise!
A spirited and successful basketball season has ended for our middle school students. As always, good sportsmanship ruled the courts wherever our Andover Eagles played. While we hate to see basketball season come to an end, we do look forward to spring track practices with our Olympian, Coach Nick Fairall.
Snow days even played havoc with the Friday Ski Program this winter. There will be one more ski day on Friday, March 7. We are appreciative to the Town of Andover, Proctor Academy, and lots and lots of volunteers for making skiing, snowboarding, and skating available to our students.
When you are here for School or Town Meeting in March, please enjoy the artistic displays throughout the building.
National Pi Day will be recognized at AE/MS on Friday, March 14. There are math activities planned throughout the day for all students. Older students will be teaching younger students, and there will be many different pi contests. How many digits can you recite? And of course, there will be a pi-themed lunch!
AE/MS Class of ’23
We are looking for members of the 2014-15 kindergarten class. If you know of Andover children who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2014, please send them our way. We are excited to welcome another kindergarten class! Parents should call AE/MS for registration information.
Mark your calendar – Honk!, a play based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, is planned for Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28. There will be two evening performances. Tickets are available at the door. We anticipate a full house on both evenings.
Mrs. Edmunds, our drama director, and many middle school students have been rehearsing since October. Set production begins in the gym during school vacation.