What To Expect As North Andover Students Head Back To School

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – As North Andover students head back to school this week, North Andover middle schoolers are preparing to learn in a whole new way.

The first six days of school for middle school students will be entirely remote and all cohorts will attend their classes together, according to the district's reopening plan.

School begins on Wednesday and students in grades 6, 7 and 8 will follow a synchronous remote instruction schedule through Sept. 23. The first day of school will begin at 7: 45 a.m. with a live stream of a welcome video from the middle school, followed by their respective classes.

Each morning on the following days, morning announcements will be streamed to each student from 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m. The school day ends at 2 p.m.

Starting on Sept. 24, cohorts will begin attending school both remotely and in-person, with all students learning remotely on Wednesdays.

Free meals for all students

As the school year begins, the USDA has extended a waiver that allows schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students through the end of the calendar year. This means that all children up to age 18 will receive a breakfast and lunch every day at school at no cost, regardless of whether they are attending classes in school or learning remotely.

Meals can be picked up for children at North Andover High School Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Health and safety

All students in grades K-12 will be required to wear masks in school and on school buses. Mask breaks will be allowed throughout the day when students can be farther than six feet apart. Exceptions will be made for students with medical, behavioral or other challenges who are unable to wear masks.

Staff and families will also be required to complete a daily screening checklist on the honor system.