Important Updates for the Upcoming School Year
Dear ACS Families,
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer thus far. While I don’t want to rush these final weeks, I’d like to share a few important updates to help you prepare for the coming school year.
Upcoming Events
Fall Sports Meeting
Thursday, August 20, at 6:00 PM in the ACS Gym (backup location details will follow if construction requires). Both athletes and parents must attend, as we will be sharing clear expectations for student-athletes, coaches, and families for the upcoming season.
Immediately following the sports meeting, the Andover Sports Boosters will hold a brief meeting. Anyone interested in supporting our student-athletes through non-school-related fundraising activities is invited to attend!
Fall Sports Practices Begin
Monday, August 24, 2026
Back to School Open House
Thursday, September 3, 2026
PAWS Back to School Carnival - 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Open House - 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
School Schedule and Hours
First Day of School
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
While we make every effort to align our calendar with schools in the CA BOCES region, you will notice that some local schools are starting prior to Labor Day. When building our calendar, we must balance several factors. Most importantly, we must align with Whitesville Central School, and therefore we must comply with employee contract provisions in both districts. This is what ultimately prevented us from starting school sooner. With that said, our students and staff get to enjoy an extra week of summer, and we still have a calendar that satisfies instructional day requirements.
New School Day Start/End Time
We will be shifting our school day start/end times to align with a shared CA BOCES region bell schedule. This will allow us to expand our virtual course offerings (specifically, college credit-bearing coursework) for our students, and open up opportunities for students in other schools to participate in ACS courses. Without this shift, students wanting to participate in virtual learning could miss several minutes of multiple classes each day. The new schedule is as follows:
7:40 AM: Bus arrival & Student Drop-off - students gather in front foyer
7:45 AM: Doors Open / Breakfast
7:55 AM: Middle School / High School Homeroom Begins
8:00 AM: Elementary Homeroom Begins
3:11 PM: Student Dismissal
Student Supplies
ACS will be providing students with all school supplies. Families are only required to supply their child with a backpack. If you need assistance in securing a backpack, contact Payton Werner, PAWS Program Director, at pwerner@andovercsd.org.
Facilities Updates
School Pool Open
Our pool is officially open, and our Summer PAWS students had a great time taking their first dip last week! We are actively hiring additional lifeguards for our School Year PAWS Program. Training can be provided for those not yet certified. Candidates must be at least 16 years old to qualify for certification. Please encourage interested applicants to apply.
Playground Construction
Construction across campus remains in full gear through late August. Groundbreaking for our new playground replacement will occur in the next week or two, with work taking about six weeks to complete.
Electric Service Updates
At some point in the near future, power to the Main Building will be shut down for several days to perform essential, planned electrical service upgrades. Emergency backup generators are in place. If the power outage impacts our Summer PAWS/Food Program, Whitesville has graciously offered the use of their facilities as a backup.
All power will be fully restored well in advance of our conference days and the start of school. We will know more in the coming days and communicate any changes as needed.
Staffing Announcements
School Counselor
We bid a fond farewell to School Counselor Mrs. Sam Kephart after four years of wonderful service to ACS. We wish her the very best!
Last evening, the BOE approved the appointment of our new School Counselor, Mrs. Cassie Warnica. Mrs. Warnica will have the opportunity to work alongside Mrs. Kephart in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
PreK/K Changes
Ms. Mikayla Burns will be moving up with her 2025-26 Prekindergarten students as our new Kindergarten Teacher. Ms. Molly Mattison will serve as our new Pre-Kindergarten Teacher.
New Teachers
Please join me in welcoming our new 4th Grade Classroom Teacher, Ms. Lauren Kelly, and our new Speech Pathologist, Ms. Courtney Bailey. Both have been hard at work this summer preparing for the upcoming school year.
I know that this message is lengthy, and I appreciate you taking the time to read through these updates. Ensuring our families have everything needed for a smooth, successful start is our top priority. Over the coming weeks, you’ll be hearing more from me as I share ways in which we will focus on strengthening our home/school partnership for the 2026–27 school year. I deeply appreciate your continued support, and as always, please never hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.
Proudly serving our school,
Jennifer Joyce
Superintendent/Business Administrator
jjoyce@andovercsd.org
607-478-8491 ext. 222
