For Immediate Release

Monday, Sept. 25, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Andover Public Schools Raise Nearly $22,000 by Uniting in Support of Hurricane-Ravaged Communities

ANDOVER — Superintendent Sheldon Berman is pleased to announce that students, families and staff of the Andover Public Schools came together over the past week to support the people whose lives were severely impacted by recent hurricanes that ravaged southeastern Texas and Florida.

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Andover’s students and faculty came together for Andover Responds: A United Day of Support. Students wore their school colors and brought handwritten notes and photos to help uplift the spirits of people impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

Staff members and families from the throughout community were asked to make whatever monetary contribution they could in order to help those affected by the storms. Donations are continuing to come in to the American Red Cross and its ongoing efforts to help the impacted communities rebuild in the wake of the storms.

To date, the efforts have raised $21,655.

“Our core values call on us to teach our students to feel connected, think globally, believe in their ability to make a difference in the world and take pride in being part of Andover Public Schools,” Superintendent Berman said. “We’ve all been touched by the images of the devastation left by these hurricanes, and it’s essential that we fulfill our obligation to do what we can to provide a helping hand in their time of need.”

Students at West Elementary School wrote letters and drew pictures for families living in shelters, while one students wrapped up a favorite shell of hers, along with a wish for happiness, to send to those in need. Several students at High Plain Elementary brought in donations or had their families donate online.

To mention just a few examples of caring:

• Some students used their class writing time to pen notes of encouragement to hurricane victims.
• Teachers led Open Circle meetings to discuss ways to help the struggling families.
• Students sent cards with their own heartfelt messages, such as, “I am so sorry that you had to endure such a horrible act of nature. No one deserves that.”
• People dropped spare change into a collection bucket at Open House.
• Principals used morning announcements to keep the affected families in the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.
• Students made videos and cards during flex time. Some of the messages were written in Spanish in an effort to bring comfort to Spanish-speaking populations in the disaster areas.
• Other students drew original pictures and wrote letters to families living in shelters. A few examples appear below.
  

The students’ drawings and notes, along with a collective check with the community’s donations, will soon be mailed to the communities in need as a way of showing them that they are not alone as they set out on the road to recovery.

“Every school reached out in its own way, demonstrating that caring truly is at the heart of Andover’s culture,” Superintendent Berman said in a letter home to families “Thank you for making a difference—not only here in Andover, but in battered communities hundreds of miles away. The example you set for our students today is shaping the way they will interact with the world tomorrow. We could not be prouder. Thank you.”

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