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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black'>Good afternoon,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black'>Hope you are
all enjoying your summer vacation. When you get a chance, please read the
following letter from Dr. Bach. Thank you!</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><em><b><i><font size=2 color="#400080" face="Californian FB"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB";color:#400080;font-weight:
bold'>Alison Phelan</span></font></i></b></em></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#400080" face="Californian FB"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB";color:#400080'>Exec. Asst.
to the Superintendent of Schools</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#400080" face="Californian FB"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB";color:#400080'>Andover
Public Schools</span></font></p>
<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#400080" face="Californian FB"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB";color:#400080'>978.623.8501</span></font><font
size=2 color="#006666" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:#006666'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'> </span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>The hardest part of
raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a
bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The
realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. </span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>~Sloan Wilson</span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>August 20, 2008</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'> </span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear Parents,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Ten years ago I sent out my first back-to-school parent letter. As I
frequently do when I get set to write this letter, I go back to read letters
I’ve written in the past. My first letter to parents is
interesting, because to some degree I could have written it today. In it
I say that when I first heard that </span></font>Andover was looking for a new
superintendent, I knew I wanted to be here, because Andover was such an
exceptional community with an outstanding school system. I wrote about
the remarkable parent involvement. I also noted that we had problems to
tackle, the central one was overcrowding (and that led to the construction of
High Plain and Wood Hill). I concluded by stating that the School
Committee and I had an over-arching goal: to make our schools exemplary in
every way.</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>All of this is true today. Daily, I feel honored and privileged
to work on behalf of children in this community. Your countless
contributions are a major reason for the excellence of our school system.
You give so much – your time, your energy, your talents and skills, and
your financial support. Like 10 years ago, we have problems to tackle,
and a major one – once again – is space needs. Most urgent is
</span></font>Bancroft School, where this year the Massachusetts School
Building Authority (MSBA) will work with the newly appointed School Building
Committee to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether we need to
renovate or replace the school. We are most grateful to Town Meeting for
providing the funding to undertake this study. Our enrollment has
increased too (in a state where many communities are losing students) which
means some of our schools are becoming overcrowded. A problem we
didn’t talk about 10 years ago was global competition and the need to
prepare our students for a future greatly different from the world in which we
now live. Our budget challenges continue, as you well know, because you
pay the fees and do so much fundraising. As the School Committee and I
have said many times, there is a financial structural problem that is fairly
simple, but daunting – the Town spends more money for its programs and
services (both school and town) than it takes in, and each year that gap gets
larger. So, we face a dilemma: in a time of greater challenges for our
students, which increase the cost of our programs and services, we face a real
and significant financial crunch.</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>For this reason the School Committee
and I believe that once again the time has come to ask you to help us set
priorities and do some strategic planning.</span></font></b> We need to
hear from you about the direction our schools should be going over the next 3
to 5 years. In the coming weeks the School Committee and I will lay out
the process for these discussions. We will find ways for you to have
maximum input. I hope all of you will be willing to join in this
discourse.</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In the meantime, the start of the new school year is just around the
corner. We have a number of new administrators and nearly 50 new
teachers. I can’t introduce them all to you in this letter, so I am
including here just the names of our new principals: Ms. Francine
Goldstein – Bancroft, Dr. Colleen McBride – South, Ms. Liz Roos
– West Elementary, Ms Theresa McGuinness – Doherty, and Mr. Steve
Murray, who became principal of West Middle mid-year. I personally am so
excited to have these talented and experienced administrators joining this
district. The fact that they elected to come here says much about the
fine reputation our schools and town enjoy throughout </span></font>Massachusetts
and beyond. </p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>First day of school is Thursday,
September 4.</span></font></b> For us who work in schools, the start of
school is a joyful time. It is when we return to the work we love.
We are now preparing to greet your children. And I pledge to you, as I
did 10 years ago, that I will work hard every day to make our schools exemplary
in every way. I look forward this year to working with you to that
end. </p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Sincerely,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><img width=204 height=52 src="cid:image002.gif@01C903A0.DF1696A0"></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Claudia L. Bach</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>P.S. In order to save some money in these times of scarce resources and
to be more environmentally responsive, I am sending this letter by surface mail
to our Pre-School and Kindergarten parents only. All other parents are
receiving this letter via our Listservs. If parents tell you they didn’t
receive the letter because they aren’t on a listserv, please tell them
that it is also on our Website, and encourage them to contact their schools
and/or PTOs and PACs to request joining a Listserv.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p style='margin-left:1086.0pt'><font size=2 color="#006666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#006666'> </span></font></p>
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