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Welcome to the New School Year!
From orientation to matriculation—including an iconic Blue Key welcome—several Andover traditions helped launch this academic year with energy and optimism. Events continued this week with the first day of classes and Head of School Raynard Kington MD, PhD, P’24, joining the Class of 2023 for the annual Vista Walk. Started by 14th head of school Barbara Landis Chase, this tradition previews the pathway seniors will walk at Commencement.
In his greeting to new students and families this past weekend, Dr. Kington spoke about the privilege of living and learning in a diverse community: “The diversity of our student body is such an integral part of an Andover education,” he said. “For many, this may be your first time with peers and teachers from different parts of the world, of different faiths and ethnicities, bringing vastly different perspectives and cultural experiences. This diversity is one of the many things that I hope you will come to value about your Andover experience. But this can also make Andover feel a bit daunting, at least initially. These differences are essential to your growth and development—in a very good way.”
All-School Meeting on Friday—All students will gather tomorrow for the All-School Meeting (ASM) opening ceremony, a time to honor students as the inspiration for our education mission. The flags of all nations represented by the student body will be carried into Cochran Chapel, celebrating youth from every quarter. This year Andover welcomes students from nearly every U.S. state and 54 countries.
To hear Dr. Kington’s ASM remarks and to view the year’s ASM program, please check The Hive next week. Videos of ASMs are typically available on The Hive shortly after the event—unless an outside speaker does not allow their content to be posted.
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 A Big Blue welcome! Blue Key spirit leaders and Head of School Raynard Kington greeted new students and their families as they arrived for registration. See lots more student and campus photos from last Saturday here. (Photo by Gil Talbot)
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Academic Integrity
At the start of each term, students will engage in programming to help them better understand the principles and practices of academic integrity. Programming includes discussion of academic integrity in each class and advising group, and it concludes with each student confirming their understanding of the parameters of doing good intellectual work in an academic community.
While each student is responsible for adhering to the rules and guidelines governing academic integrity, there are three ways parents/guardians can help:
1. Please wait until your child has submitted an assignment before discussing it, reading it, looking at it, listening to it, etc. Every idea, piece of data, word, punctuation mark, etc., must be the student’s own. Students may not receive help on any assignment from family, friends, tutors, or the internet, except as part of peer-editing and workshopping in class or as an explicit part of a collaborative assignment.
2. Please note that, as the Course of Study states, each student is the only person permitted to use their Phillips Academy credentials. No one else, including parents/guardians, may access a student’s Phillips Academy email, PAnet, or Canvas sites.
3. If your child is uncertain about the parameters of an assignment or is feeling overwhelmed, please encourage them to contact their teachers for help, which may include requesting an extension. It is always better to receive a lower grade on an assignment or receive no credit for completing it than to violate the Academy’s rules regarding academic integrity.
Throughout the year, all students have access to a range of great resources, including their teachers, who are available during conference periods; the Academic Skills Center located in Pearson Hall; the evening Writing Center, located in the library; and the Math/Science Center, located in the Gelb Science Center.
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Core Blue: Restoring a Sense of Community
After more than two years of impact by the pandemic, we are eager to restore the kinds of environments and interpersonal connections at PA where young people learn important relationship skills and develop a healthy sense of identity. To communicate a shared sense of what’s important to us and what we expect from one another, we have created Core Blue, now available for viewing on The Hive. Students will receive printed copies in the next week or so. We hope Core Blue will serve as a useful tool in resetting community norms.
Please note that Core Blue is a companion piece to The Blue Book—which we expect all students and families to continue to use as the go-to reference for all kinds of information related to student life at Andover. The 2022–2023 Blue Book will be available on The Hive shortly.
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Music Rentals, Lockers & Lessons
Ensemble and chamber music auditions have begun, and the department is thrilled that our halls are once again ringing with the sound of music. We would like to remind families of that music request forms are available in the Opening of School app; links are also shared here:
- Rental Instrument Requests: Click here. Available for students participating in the music program.
- Music Locker Requests: Click here. Priority given to students participating in the music program.
- Private Lesson Requests: Click here. Lessons, which begin the week of September 19, are billed separately and are in addition to tuition fees. Lesson rates for fall 2022: 30 minutes ($410/term); 40 minutes ($530/term); 60 minutes ($770/term). If you have questions regarding financial aid, please email Heidi Jamieson. If lessons are dropped after Monday, September 26, students will be charged for the entire term. Students are offered eight lessons per term and must follow the attendance guidelines provided by their instructor at their first lesson.
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Archaeology Webinar Next Week
Join us Wednesday, September 14, at 1:30 p.m. ET for Season 5, Episode 4, of the Peabody Institute of Archaeology’s Diggin’ In Series: “Plants, People, and Places: Using Phytoliths to Trace Land Use and Diet in 17th Century Plymouth, Massachusetts.”
Plant remains from archaeological contexts can be one of the most useful ways to understand land use and diet—and phytolith analysis has been underutilized. Phytoliths, or “plant stones,” are silica-filled cells that are left behind in sediments when a plant dies and indicate the presence of grasses and other important plants. Speaker Anya Gruber will explain how phytolith analysis can help us learn more about diet and land use patterns throughout the colonial period in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Please sign up for this webinar here. Questions? Send us an email.
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Health & Wellness
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic—Saturday, September 17: COVID-19 boosters for students will be available on campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COVID-19 boosters for age 12 and up have now moved to the bivalent formulation, which includes coverage against both the original SARS-CoV-2 strain as well as the more recent omicron variants. Pfizer has a bivalent booster available for individuals who are 12 years of age or older, while Moderna bivalent booster is available for individuals who are 18 or older.
Please encourage your student to schedule an appointment via the Sykes Wellness Center Health Portal. Phillips Academy requires that students be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination, which includes any boosters that have been added to meet the CDC definition of up to date (including the new bivalent booster).
Flu Vaccines—Save the Date!—Friday, October 14: Free flu vaccines will be offered for students at the start of Family Weekend. If your child received the flu vaccine elsewhere, please email documentation to the wellness center.
Important guidelines for campus visitors and off-campus event attendees:
- On Campus: In consideration of the health and safety of visitors and our campus community, we expect visitors to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, if eligible. Any visitor who is ineligible or has a medical or religious exemption must mask indoors at all times when on campus. We expect visitors to stay off campus if they have any symptoms of illness and to mask if they develop any symptoms while on campus. We expect visitors to mask at all times or stay off campus if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days. In the spirit of non sibi, the Academy trusts that campus visitors will follow these guidelines.
- Off-Campus/Regional Events: In consideration of the health and safety of our Andover community, we ask attendees to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. We require all attendees to adhere to the public health guidelines established by the CDC and your state and local health officials, as well as to follow venue guidelines and regulations that are in place at the time of the event. Venue-specific guidelines will be shared close to the event date. Prior to attending, we ask that you monitor your health. If you are feeling unwell, please plan to stay home. In the spirit of non sibi, the Academy trusts that those in attendance will follow these guidelines.
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Fall College Fair
PA will host a College Fair on Monday, September 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Snyder Center for PA students, local high school students, and their families. Representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities from around the world will be on hand to answer individual questions and distribute informational literature. A current list of registered schools is posted on The Hive.
Admission is free and open to the public. Once on campus, please follow the signs to available parking. Please note that students cannot miss any PA commitments to attend the fair.
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Family Weekend Is October 14–16
We look forward to welcoming families back to campus in just a few weeks! Family Weekend, October 14–16, provides a unique glimpse into your child’s daily life at Andover, with activities such as classroom visits with your child’s instructors, student performances, and athletic events. Registration is now open!
Plan ahead—and learn more about your student’s Andover experience! All families are encouraged to come to campus Friday afternoon (October 14) for “An Insider’s Guide” to each class—junior, lower, upper, and senior. Four separate panel discussions are planned, likely beginning around 4 p.m. Key faculty and administrators will talk about the range of opportunities and challenges—academic, intellectual, social, and emotional—typically faced (and embraced!) by students in each grade; a Q&A will follow. Sessions and times will be posted to the Family Weekend Schedule of Events as soon as details are confirmed.
Other important Family Weekend information:
- The schedule for Family Weekend will be available on the Andover Event Guides App, which you can download (if you haven’t already done so) from the Apple App Store or Google Play. The PA Families and Community Guide, complete with schedules and other important information, will be published and ready to download onto your mobile devices as we get closer to Family Weekend. Stay tuned for more details.
- Student schedules for the Saturday morning (October 15) classroom visits will be available on The Hive prior to Family Weekend.
- On Saturday, you will also have the opportunity to attend small group meetings with your child’s primary on-campus contact person. The contact for boarding students is the house counselor; the contact for day students is the day student advisor. Given the number of events scheduled throughout the weekend, teachers do not hold individual conferences with parents/guardians but are happy to have a phone conversation or to correspond via email.
- Please reference the Family Weekend FAQ document for answers to questions like these:
May I bring my student’s sibling/grandparent/aunt/uncle? All family members are welcome for Family Weekend. Children must be accompanied by an adult or Andover student.
May we take our student off campus? If COVID-19 risk levels allow, fully vaccinated boarding students can use the REACH system to request and receive overnight permissions. For Family Weekend overnights, students need to submit REACH requests by Wednesday evening, October 12.
More Family Weekend questions? Please contact Mary Corcoran, Office of Alumni Engagement coordinator, at 978-749-4524, or Meg Blanchard, administrative assistant, at 978-749-4291.
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Become a Host Family!
This September, Phillips Academy welcomed 54 new international students to our community. Most of these students are non–U.S. citizens, some are Americans or joint U.S. citizens living outside the United States, and a few just recently moved to the United States. We are currently seeking host families in the Andover area. Potential host families will welcome and work with a student from Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Nepal, South Korea, or Switzerland.
To get started, please complete this Host Family Volunteer Form by Thursday, September 22. You will be asked some simple questions about your family, contact information, and hosting preferences. Questions? Please email José Peralta, international student coordinator.
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Greetings from Parent Development
Welcome to the 2022–2023 school year! The Parent Development team is so excited to have you as part of the Andover family—and we were delighted to meet many of our new parents and guardians at our meet-and-greet event during the Opening of School.
Who we are: The Parent Development team leads Andover’s family giving and engagement efforts. We work with families to raise vital philanthropic support for the Academy and help foster community among Andover families. Each year, we aim for every family to make a gift at whatever level is right for them. In the coming months, you’ll be hearing from Parent Fund Committee Co-Chairs Malcolm ’89 and Monica Palmer P’23 about why your family’s donation to Andover—at any level—is so important. Director of Parent Development Rebecca Brewster will also be sharing our Parent Fund goals and upcoming parent events and programs.
How to get involved: If you would like to explore becoming a Parent Fund Committee volunteer or event host, please email Katherine Solimini, associate director of Parent Development, or call 978-749-4583. We would love to hear from you!
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News from the PSPA
The Parents of Students of Phillips Academy (PSPA) would like to extend a warm welcome to new and returning parents and guardians! We hope you will join us for the following events:
Social Mixer (virtual)—Tonight, September 8, at 7 p.m. ET: Meet fellow parents, ask questions, and learn how to get involved. We’ll play a light trivia game to break the ice. Zoom link. Passcode: j0yzLn
PSPA General Meeting & Speaker Series—Tuesday, September 20
- 6:15 p.m. ET—PSPA General Meeting: Join us a little early for a light dinner, which will be served at 5:30 p.m. Underwood Room. Zoom link. Passcode: t8mUd7
- 7 p.m. ET—PSPA Speaker Series: Head of School Raynard Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, will launch our 2022–2023 PSPA Speaker Series and answer your questions. Kemper Auditorium. Please use this form to submit questions by September 15. Watch for the Livestream link in next Thursday’s Family Bulletin. This session will be recorded and posted on The Hive the following week.
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Stock up on new PA gear at Campus Closet! Our online shop offers free delivery on campus. Or shop in person in the lower level of George Washington Hall this Friday, September 9, from noon to 4 p.m. Our Throwback Hoodie—as seen on Harry Styles—sold out in most sizes last weekend, but you can pre-order yours right here.
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Don’t Miss the Tang Newsletter
The Tang Institute is the Academy’s center for teaching, learning, and partnership. Andover students benefit from Tang Institute projects across the curriculum, in a range of departmental and interdisciplinary efforts. These include The Workshop at Andover, mindfulness events, the ethi{CS} project, and more. Please click here to subscribe to “Notes on Learning,” the Tang Institute’s monthly newsletter.
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Spiritual & Religious Gatherings
For general information about our chaplains, faith communities, worship, and student clubs, please visit our website.
Friday, September 9
- 1 p.m.—Muslim Student Association (MSA) Sermon/Jumma Prayer: Led by Noureddine El Alam. Meditation Room, lower level of Cochran Chapel (enter from the outside, left side of building). 5:30–6:30 p.m.—MSA Club Dinner and Discussion: Everyone in the community is welcome to join this gathering. Ada’s Room, upper level of Paresky Commons.
- 5:30–6:30 p.m.—Jewish Shabbat Service and JSU Meeting: Led by Rabbi Michael Swarttz. Paul’s Room, upper level of Paresky Commons. Every Friday the Jewish Student Union (JSU) comes together to welcome the Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) with blessings and singing, fellowship and conversation. Rituals include candle lighting and blessings over grape juice and hallah (ritual bread). A snack from Israel is shared as well. All members of the Andover community are welcome to join this weekly celebration.
Sunday, September 11
- 6:15 p.m.—Catholic Mass: Note time change from past years. All are welcome to join the PA Catholic community for Mass on Sunday evenings when school is in session. Overseen by Dr. Mary Kantor, Catholic chaplain, with presider Fr. Jack O’Brien and other guest priests from the Archdiocese of Boston. Student leaders participate in liturgical roles as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and musicians, and help with hospitality. Mass is followed by hospitality and fellowship with snacks and refreshments, and sometimes short programming by Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF) leaders. Kemper Chapel, lower level of Cochran Chapel (enter from the outside, left side of building).
Please join our hospitality team! We are rebuilding our parent hospitality team to help with set-up, serving, and clean-up at our fellowship time after Mass. (Families are also welcome to provide snacks.) If you would like to be a part of this team or have questions, please email Mary Kantor.
- Our weekly Protestant (Ecumenical) service will begin Sunday, September 18. It starts at 6 p.m. and is led by Rev. Gina M. Finocchiaro, Protestant chaplain. Cochran Chapel (main chapel).
Catholic Confirmation Program: Open to Andover students of any grade level, the Catholic Confirmation program is an intensive school-year–long program, with Confirmation celebrated on Sunday, May 14, 2023. Classes meet most Sundays (4:45–6 p.m.) when school is in session (with some exceptions, e.g., Family Weekend, exams week), followed by 6:15 p.m. Mass with the Catholic community. Dinner is provided. For more information, please click here.
Confirmation information sessions for parents/guardians: Sunday, September 18, at 4 p.m. ET, and Tuesday, September 20, at 9 a.m. ET. Zoom link. Passcode: Catholic
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Order a Pot Pourri Yearbook
Families are encouraged to order the 2023 Pot Pourri online (enter school code 3591). Order forms are also available on The Hive. Yearbooks, full color and typically about 300 pages, will be delivered to students in mid-May.
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You Are Invited!
Join us in person for An Evening with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, as he meets with the Andover community in these six cities:
- September 14: Peabody Diggin’ In Series Webinar: Plants, People, and Places: Using Phytoliths to Trace Land Use and Diet in 17th Century Plymouth, Massachusetts, with Anya Gruber
- September 18 in Seattle: Andover Gathering & Beach Day
- September 20 in Atlanta: Welcome to the Neighborhood
- September 29 in Los Angeles: Pentatonix at the Hollywood Bowl
- October 1 on Campus: 2022 Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon
- October 6 in Jakarta—Save the Date: An Andover Evening, with Thom Lockerby and Ellen Sullivan
- October 8 in Singapore: An Andover Evening, with Thom Lockerby and Ellen Sullivan
- October 10 in Bangkok—Save the Date: An Andover Evening, with Thom Lockerby and Ellen Sullivan
- October 14–16 on Campus: Family Weekend 2022
- October 19: A Session with Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24
- October 24: Blue Runs Deep Industry Series, A Conversation with Alumni in Journalism
All events are virtual unless otherwise noted. Keep an eye on the Alumni & Families Events Calendar for opportunities in your area—and check the Academy’s Events calendar for additional campus and other events that may be open to families (i.e., special student presentations, music, theatre, and dance performances, and athletic competitions).
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Phillips Academy
180 Main St.
Andover, MA 01810
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