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Andrews Academy's
Official Newsletter
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To view the full newsletter, you may need to click on the words at the top -
"View in browser."
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SOW Safari - An Adventure with God
While most Andrews Academy families were preparing to celebrate New Year’s Eve, thirty-two Andrews Academy students plus their sponsors had arrived at Andrews Academy at 1 AM on December 31 to begin an “Adventure with God.” After gathering in the Academy for a prayer, they traveled to the Chicago O’Hare airport, embarking on what would be the trip of a lifetime. Andrews Academy’s SOW Safari group is taking its mission trip to Dominican Republic. Many of the students going on the trip had never been out of the country, and for some, it was the first time to even be on an airplane. But with bags packed, hugs from parents, and lots of prayers, these high-school students started on their adventure with God.
SOW Safari, Andrews Academy's biennial two-week mission trip, has been an important part of Andrews Academy’s mission since 1986. The name, SOW Safari, speaks to the reason for these trips: Service through construction of a church or school building, Outreach through Vacation Bible School, and Witness through evangelistic efforts. To date, several hundred people have been baptized through the evangelistic component of these trips, including some of the students themselves! SOW Safari mission trips are coordinated and led by Gina Pellegrini, the school’s learning strategies teacher.
For this year’s mission trip, they are building a church for a village in the Dominican Republic. A small congregation has been meeting under a tarp and will soon have a church to worship in. The school is working with Maranatha Volunteers International, who had already poured the floor and put the first row of cement blocks in place. This way when the large crew arrived, they could quickly put the blocks in place. Within three days, they had already laid seven rows of blocks, and the shape of walls with the doors and window outlines could be seen. A Maranatha person wrote this morning about the SOW participants: “So thankful for our volunteers like these! Great job team!”
Each evening, the students lead out in Vacation Bible School for the children of the village. Students created crafts, practiced skits, wrote sermons, and prepared for many other details this past semester. Their skills are evident as they share Jesus through the skits, games, crafts, singing, and the talks. As you see in the pictures, smiles of the children express the fun and their gratitude as our students share Jesus.
Although SOW Safari is a very busy experience, there has been some relaxing times, such as swimming in the ocean on Thursday evening.
Please pray for the group as they continue the church construction, share Jesus through the VBS programs, and run church Sabbath morning.
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TOMORROW NIGHT!
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Bible Camp
January 18-21, 2024
Camp Au Sable, Grayling, MI
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Orientation for Bible Camp is this Thursday, January 11, at 7:30 AM in the chapel.
Information packets will be going home next week with those going to Bible Camp. They need to be returned right away with all of the appropriate signatures.
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Opting into Texting for One Call Now
Andrews Academy utilizes One Call Now, an automated messaging service, to contact students and parents about school cancellations (including snow days), upcoming events, and urgent information, etc.
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Please make sure that we have the phone number that you would like to have contacted. We also send an email, put the announcement on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and alert local TV stations (WSBT, WNDU, ABC57).
To receive a text notification instead of a call (text works best), please text “ALERT” to 22300. Please make sure that you have given us the number that you would like to be texted on as well. Email ginam@andrews.edu with any changes. Thank you!
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Tuition
Tuition payment #6 is due on January 25.
Please contact Ms. Gracie at gaytan@andrews.edu with questions.
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Chapel Recap
On Wednesday, Pastor Thorly James spoke on self-care so we can better help others.
On Thursday, Mr. Caleb Akins, AA IT/media, spoke on hearing God’s voice.
Question and Answer Fridays include many questions that the group dialogues about and comes up with some answers. One question was, “If I want to know God’s will, is it OK to ask for a sign?”
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Attention: If you would like Friday's boxed lunch, those who are signed up for the lunch program must order it each week by Wednesday at 2:00 PM. The sign-up sheet will be at lunch or in the front office.
To sign up for the lunch program or add funds to your student's account, please contact Andrews University's Dining Services at ds@andrews.edu or call 269-471-3161. The Dining Services Office is located on the first floor of the AU Campus Center.
Monday–Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
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Free Counseling Offered at Andrews University
The Andrews Community Counseling Center (ACCC) will be open for spring semester starting on January 8, 2024, and counselors will start contacting individuals within a couple of weeks after re-opening. Individuals may call now and leave a confidential voicemail message to get on the request list now. The graduate-level practicum students who provide these free counseling services at the ACCC have training in counseling adults, adolescents, and children. Counseling sessions are completely confidential.
See the attached brochure for details.
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Mondays - Thursdays:
7:40 AM - 4:30 PM
Fridays: 7:40 AM - 2:30 PM
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Important Attendance Information
- Pre-arranged Absences: Please be sure to fill out a pre-arranged absence card if you know in advance that you will be missing school due to a doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointment, trip, basketball tournament, driver's test, etc. These cards can be found in the main office or online. A parent's signature is required, then the office, and teacher(s) of the class(es) that you will miss.
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Class Schedule Adjustment (CSA) Requests: A CSA is available for students who have a study hall at the beginning or ending of the school day or will be working during a study hall during the school day. A CSA is required for students who leave the Academy to attend classes at Andrews University, who are going to work off campus, or who wish to begin the school day later or leave earlier on a regular basis. The CSA request form must be filled out and signed by everyone indicated on the form before the student stops attending their study hall. Students must adhere to CSA guidelines that are printed on the CSA application. Any violation may cause the CSA to be revoked. I will email students and parents when a CSA is approved.
- Other Absences: Parents, please call the front office (269-471-3138) or email aaattendance@andrews.edu if your student is going to be absent or tardy. These are the preferable methods.
Please provide the reason why your child will not be attending school and how long you think they will be out.
Parents/Guardians are the only authorized individuals who can excuse a student's attendance. When emailing, parents must send correspondence from their email account to maintain the validity of the request. Please include the name of the student.
From the Sourcebook (pg. 83):
Students who miss three (3) consecutive school days due to illness must provide written documentation from a certified medical professional corroborating the necessity of that absence.
For any attendance questions that you would like to ask by email, please direct these questions to aaattendance@andrews.edu.
Thank you!
Ms. Leslie Nieves
Guidance Counselor/Attendance Officer
Andrews Academy
269-471-3453
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FACTS or Andrews Email Log In Help
If you need help logging in to FACTS or help with your Andrews email and password, please contact Mrs. Meekma (ginam@andrews.edu) in the main office.
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You can find your schedule, grades, etc. on FACTS.
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AA Uniforms Available from Lands' End
Uniforms can be purchased from Lands’ End, including for PE. Click on the option(s) that you would like, then choose the size (kid or adult). Please be mindful that Andrews Academy is not responsible for your orders.
We do have a limited supply of uniforms for sale at AA (cash or check only) during office hours.
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| AA's Lands' End Store |
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Please review the Sourcebook (pgs 79-81) for more information regarding uniforms. Only approved logoed uniform wear is allowed. A solid-color, long sleeved undershirt may be worn under the AA short-sleeved polo (no writing should be visible on the undershirt). If a student is wearing an AA logoed jacket, they should also have an AA logoed shirt underneath. Only AA logoed jackets are allowed to be worn in the building.
The PE uniform can only be worn during PE class.
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School Communications
The E-Sanjo and other communications from the school, including classroom teacher communications, use the email address(es) that you (and your parents) have recorded in FACTS when you registered for Andrews Academy. We will also use students' AU email address. Some have been wondering why they are not receiving their school communications to a certain email. If you wish to have communications sent to a specific email address, please send the change to ginam@andrews.edu. Thank you!
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Andrews Academy
8833 Garland Ave Berrien Springs, MI 49104
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269-471-3138
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