Hello and welcome to the North Andover Middle School! For those of you who are new to the school, our names are Mrs. Chute, Mrs. Faucher, Mr. Gosselin and we are your 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Guidance Counselors. We look forward to getting to know each of you and helping to make your transition to NAMS as smooth as possible.

For returning students, it's great to see your smiling faces again as you move on to the 7th and 8th grades. We are excited to be back with you all this year as we continue our journey through the middle school together. We will continue to strive toward our goal of getting to know each and every one of you through individual conversations, counseling groups, during lunches, and at other school programs.

Our job is to work with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members to help students succeed in school and life in general. Sometimes this may involve helping to find solutions to bigger problems, but other times it may simply involve a listening ear if someone's having a bad day. Whatever the issues may be, it's our goal to make each NAMS guidance office a welcoming and helpful place for all students. Whether you're just beginning your 3-year journey, or continuing through middle school, it's our hope that we can all be supportive and encouraging companions for each other along the way.

So as we begin this new school year, we encourage you to please stop us in the hall or swing by an office to tell us about your summer, introduce yourself if we haven't met, or just say hello. We are here to help you in anyway we can, but we need you to communicate your needs to us in order to do so. And remember, don't get nervous if you get sent to the guidance office unexpectedly sometime during the day, we're probably just checking in to see how your school year is going. We wish you all the best these first few weeks and for your entire middle school experience.

Students applying to private schools -  Please folllow the instructions on the "Requirements for Private School Applications/Recommendations" sheet. This document may be downloaded below along with the "Activity Sheet" or obtained from Mr. Gosselin.

• Requirements for Private School Applications/Recommendations
  
• Private School Application - Activity Sheet

Building Respectful Community

In an effort to increase awareness of issues such as Bullying, Cyberbullying, Self-esteem, Decision Making, Empowerment, and Friendships, the Guidance Department will provide links to video clips, Public Service Announcements, newsletters and other informative sites on our webpage. We hope the ideas presented will stimulate thought, discussion, and actions toward building a more respectful community around us.

Please take the time to view the video on the following link and discuss the issues with your children. Thank you in advance for your attention and efforts toward this important goal.

• Cyberbullying (from Common Sense Media)
  
  

The Middle Years: Working together for school success

• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009

• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008

2007/08

• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007

Summer Opportunities

Are you looking for a new experience for this summer? The 20^th Annual Summer Opportunities Fair will be held at the Phillips Academy Case Memorial Cage on Sunday, February 7, 2010. This fair is free and open to the public from Noon until 2:00 PM, and will provide students and parents with the opportunity to talk with representatives from 90 local, national and international programs. A wide variety of summer programs for middle school and high school students will be featured; focusing on academic enrichment, community service, arts, camps, sports, travel, internships, outdoor adventure, international home stays & gap year opportunities;  For more information, go to www.andover.edu/summerops/fair.htm.