News & Announcements

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Volume 17, Issue 21

Andrews Academy's

Official Newsletter

October 31, 2023

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Thank You for Making Penny Arcade a Resounding Success

Penny Arcade is a yearly Saturday night school activity (October 28, 2023) which the area seventh and eighth grade students are invited to attend. Andrews Academy students from various school organizations set up many creative booths for both Academy and guests to participate in. There was also lots of food available... everything for only pennies.

The evening began with a sundown vespers for the guests followed by the activities and food for all.

Many participated in the famous “kissing booth” (parents, don’t worry - students write a note to a friend, then the students running the booth hand deliver the note as well as a chocolate kiss to the recipient). It was a fun night for all as seen by the many smiles in the photos. At the end of the evening, prizes were given out for various activities.

THANK YOU to the parent volunteers, the officers and volunteers of the classes, NHS, and SA for their many hours of preparation and service throughout the evening, making it a fun evening for all.

We estimate that more than 111 seventh and eighth grade guests were present. We hope each guest enjoyed the evening and will plan on becoming part of the Andrews Academy family when they graduate from elementary school.

More photos on FB

Lifetouch Pictures

Proofs and pictures that were ordered from Picture Day are in the office. Please stop by and pick them up.

Picture Retake Day: This Friday, November 3

Picture Day ID: EVTV4ZNV3

If you didn't get your picture taken yet, or you would like retakes, please come prepared to have your picture taken on November 3. If you ordered pictures and would like retakes, simply bring the original package on Picture Retake Day.

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Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202310OFF

EXPIRES: May 1, 2024

Freshmen

This Friday, November 3, from 6:00-8:30 PM, the freshmen will be having a class vespers. This vespers will have a Thanksgiving theme so that each of you will bring your favorite Thanksgiving dish. Our vespers will be a time to express our thankfulness, so please be thinking of your favorite text that goes along with what you would like to express your thankfulness for during our vespers.

More details will be provided later. Please sign up for the food item you would like to bring (sign-up located in Atkins' room).

Sophomores

This Friday evening, November 3. Watch for information from your sponsors (Pellegrini & VanDenburgh).

Juniors

This Friday evening, November 3. Watch for information and a permission slip, which should be turned in to your sponsors (Nieves & Silvestre) by Friday morning.

Seniors

This Friday evening, November 3. Watch for an email from Mr. Wright regarding class vespers.

Resound & Chorale

Performances

Resound (Bells)

This Sabbath, November 4, at PMC for both services.

Call Time FIRST service: 8:00 AM at the platform.

Call Time SECOND service: 11:30 AM at the platform.

Repertoire: Crown Him with Many Crowns, and Celtic Song on Pleading Savior

Attire: Full concert outfit, including tuxedo, black dress, black formal shoes, and black socks.

Chorale

Next Sabbath, November 11, at PMC for both services.

Call Time FIRST service: 8:00 AM at the platform.

Call Time SECOND service: 11:30 AM at the platform.

Repertoire: Joy in the Morning

Attire: full concert outfit, including tuxedo, black dress, black formal shoes, and socks.

Junior and Senior Preview Days at AU

This Sunday and Monday, November 5 & 6

Juniors and seniors have the privilege and opportunity to participate in College Days at Andrews University this Sunday, November 5, and Monday, November 6 . This is an opportunity to explore different career and college major/minor choices. These are required days—all juniors and seniors are expected to be present and participate. AU will donate to the class fund based on participation levels.

At every event at the Howard or Johnson Gym, please check in with a class sponsor for attendance.

Sunday:

*12:30 - Registration and Lunch at the Campus Center (Terrace Cafe) (Optional)
1:30 - Welcome at the Howard Performing Arts Center (Howard)
Afternoon - Career Fair and choosing two areas to visit on Monday
5:30 - Supper at Terrace Cafe
6:30 - Worship at Howard
Evening - Games in Johnson Gym
*9:30 - Food Truck and hanging out on the patio between Buller and Nethery Halls (Optional)
10:00 - Go home

Monday:

*8:00 - Breakfast at Terrace Cafe (Optional)
9:00 - Worship at Howard
9:40 - Gymnics show in Johnson Gym
10:30 - First academic department visit
11:30 - Second academic department visit
12:30 - Lunch at Howard
1:10 - Final Assembly
2:00 - Go home

Students taking college classes on Monday morning can check out with a sponsor to go to their class. They are expected to return after class.

Dress rehearsals at the Howard are as follows:

Wednesday, November 8, 6:30-8:30 PM
Friday, November 10, 3:00-5:00 PM

Dodgeball Tournament

On Tuesday, November 14 , 2023, starting at 5:00 PM, the AA PE department will host the annual class vs class DODGEBALL tournament. This is a great event for AA to have a fun evening with the student body and staff. Sign-up sheets and rules will be posted on the gym doors soon. Each class should wear the same color to distinguish teams. Looking forward to seeing all of you come out to either play or support your class! Please email Mrs. Mills (samantham@andrews.edu) if you have any questions.

Intramurals and Fitness Center at AA

Students, please click on the intramural interest button and answer all of the questions to aid in planning the after-school activities at AA for the 2023-2024 school year.

Student Intramural Interest

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.

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!

Tuition

Tuition payment #4 is due November 25. Since that is during Thanksgiving break weekend, please plan accordingly.

Please contact Ms. Gracie at gaytan@andrews.edu with questions.

Baptisms this Past Sabbath

Andrews Academy was so pleased to be a part of the baptism celebration this past Sabbath at PMC (October 28, 2023). Following the church service, the Andrews Academy family and families of Abby, Miranda, and Kevin gathered on the stage of PMC for the baptism of these three students. Pastor Mario Ferguson, AA principal, led in the baptisms, assisted by Pastor Kardos-Moldovan (Ms. May), Pastor Johnson, and Pastor Pratt.

We praise God for the choices these students made and pray for other AA students as they contemplate this important decision in their lives. Following the baptism, there was a reception in the library of Andrews Academy.

More photos on FB

SOW Safari 2023

December 31, 2023, - January 10, 2024

If you would like an opportunity to be part of the upcoming SOW Safari mission trip without leaving home, scan the QR code or click on the graphic to give online. You can also give via check (made out to Andrews Academy) or credit card (call AU Development at 269-471-3124 - specify Student Missionary/SOW Safari fund).

If you would like to support one of the students going on the trip (non-tax deductible), please contact the school office at 269-471-3138.

Health Week Assembly & Chapels

We learned a lot about last week’s health emphasis: Blue Zones. Blue Zones is a term given to five groups of people that were studied that have a high number of centurions—people that are healthy and live a long time. Of the five groups, one of them is people in Loma Linda that live the Adventist health message.

For each day of the week, we had a health emphasis chapel presentation. On Monday, Ramiro Quero presented on “human connection,” the importance of social connections that improve our health. In many cases, it is the church community social network. The verse he shared was John 15:13. Our own PE teacher, Mrs. Samantha Mills, presented on Tuesday about how our growth mindset improves our health. Individuals who believe their talents can be developed tend to achieve more and have healthier lifestyles. This growth mindset relates to Hebrews 11 and how our faith is equal to having such a mindset. She had groups of students read other Bible verses that support this concept. Wednesday’s chapel began with a short video from the national geographic series called Blue Zones . In episode two, the “star” of the show, Dr. Medina, was interviewed at Loma Linda discussing how exercise, good diet, and Sabbath rest are important components of the Blue Zone in Loma Linda. We were honored to then have her present during chapel as she encourage each of us to get good exercise on a regular basis. She got pickleball going in a big way at Loma Linda a few years ago. She has used this Blue Zone video to introduce many people to the Adventist message.

On Thursday’s assembly/chapel, Mrs. Samantha Mills led out. She had half the students go to the gymnasium to enjoy healthy food samples that are typical of diets that the Blue Zone people from around the world eat. Her health class and their families prepared these samples for the rest of the students to enjoy. The other half of the students stayed in the chapel for a presentation on characteristics of Blue Zone (healthy long living) and Red Zone (unhealthy short living) peoples. By understanding the differences of the two groups, students should better be able to make informed choices on how they will live their lives. Halfway through the assembly, students switched locations for the other presentation/health fair.

Thank you, Mrs. Mills and her health class, for making these presentations for the Academy students to learn from and to help make good health choices.

More photos on FB

Senior Pictures & Ads for Yearbook

Senior pictures are needed for yearbook, class night, and the class composite to be hung in the AA Commons. Yearbook will need your senior and baby pictures ASAP. We encourage you to get your senior picture done ASAP if you haven't already.

Please send an electronic senior picture (JPEG) to the yearbook sponsor (myersd@andrews.edu). You do not have to go to a professional photographer for this picture, but please make sure you follow the picture requirements below. If not, the yearbook team may request that you send an alternative. For yearbook pictures, seniors should be looking at the camera rather than away from it.

Pictures for the yearbook and senior ads must adhere to the following requirements:

In color
Picture from waist up (not entire body) - yearbook picture
Portrait/vertical mode (not landscape/horizontal) - yearbook picture
Attire per AA guidelines—no sleeveless shirts or bare shoulders, no low cut or cropped tops, no jewelry - both
High-resolution JPEG (at least 4x6, 300 ppi resolution)

Baby Photos

Please submit a baby picture ASAP as well. The baby picture will be used by yearbook as well as for senior bulletin board and class night purposes. Please submit a high-resolution JPEG baby picture. If you cannot scan the picture, you may bring the baby picture to the yearbook staff, and they will scan it for you.

Senior Ads

The yearbook team held two Senior Ad Nights this week. If you missed them, please email your text and images to myersd@andrews.edu (images under 10MB) or if larger than 10 MB, please use www.wetransfer.com.

*Senior ads are NOT mandatory, but an opportunity to have a dedicated space for your message for your graduate.

Parents, check your email from Diane Myers for cost and other details.

Parents, check your email from Pastor Ferguson for the consent form (also attached to this email) and more information about this opportunity.

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

2023-24 Year-at-a-Glance Calendar

2023-24 Calendar

Mondays - Thursdays :
7:40 AM - 4:00 PM

Fridays : 7:40 AM - 2:00 PM

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.
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

Textbook Information

Be sure to check to see if used options are available.

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.

You can find your schedule, grades, etc. on FACTS.

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.

AA's Lands' End Store

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.

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!