It s unlikely Andover High School students will return to full in-person learning this year.
Assistant Superintendent Sandra Trach told the School Committee Thursday that district officials were preparing a waiver to ask the state if high school students will be mandated to go back before the end of the year.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has mandated elementary students return five days a week starting Monday, April 5 and middle school students return Wednesday, April 28. Andover officials are on target to meet those deadlines, Superintendent Claudia Bach said.Â
The largest issue with returning all Andover students to classrooms full-time comes from the already overcrowded high school. The school was built in the 1960s with the intended maximum capacity of 1,500 students. However, there are about 1,800 students currently enrolled.
Clockwise from upper right: Renee Ombaba (Horatio), Jacqueline Youm (Claudius), Lexi Stein (Ophelia), and Jaki Demarest (Gertrude) in “Hamless.”
The Rude Mechanicals, in residence at the Greenbelt Arts Center, is currently offering their unique, take on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” online, entitled “Hamless.” This interesting look at the Shakespearean classic is produced by Joshua Engel and directed by Erin Nealer.
“Hamlet” has been a source of other plays in the past. “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” is one that comes to mind immediately. Like “Hamless,” Tom Stoppard’s play took characters out of the original story and gave them a closer look. This production imagines the Danish Court without Hamlet. All of our other favorites are here Gertrude (Jaki Demarest), Claudius (Jacqueline Youm), Ophelia (Lexi Stein), Laertes (Allison McAlister), Polonius (Justin Bigelow), Horatio (Renee Ombaba), and even Rosencrantz (Claudia Bach) and Guildenstern (Michae
Teachers association, district call for targeted approach
By Madeline Hughes mhughes@andovertownsman.com  Mar 11, 2021
Mar 11, 2021
Teachers unions across the Merrimack Valley are celebrating access to the coronavirus vaccine after federal and state officials said educators and other school employees can receive their first COVID-19 shot within the month.
Last week after an announcement from President Joe Biden, CVS pharmacies began opening up appointments to educators and other school staff in the Commonwealth. More appointments were made available starting Thursday, when Gov. Charlie Baker announced eligible to get in line at state-run sites starting March 11.
Thus the hunt for appointments began.
Mar. 9—ANDOVER — Monday morning young students and teachers were particularly joyous, said Superintendent Claudia Bach, who visited High Plain Elementary School. Bach is making her rounds this week to kindergarten and first-grade classes in the district's five elementary schools. Those students returned to fuller classes, now attending four days a week, up from two. She observed children in .
UpdatedMon, Mar 1, 2021 at 10:26 am ET
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Andover kindergarten and first grade students will attend school in person four days per week beginning March 8. (Shutterstock)
ANDOVER, MA Andover s youngest students will attend school in person four days per week beginning March 8, after the administration s plan was approved by the School Committee Thursday.
Kindergarten and first grade students will attend every day but Wednesdays, which will remain at-home learning days, under the approved plan.
Hybrid students will be brought in four days per week first. Remote and hybrid families will both be able to request a model change that week, after which the district will grant requests where possible, officials said at the meeting.