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International Assembly & Food Fair

We are excited to inform you about an upcoming special event at our school — our annual International Assembly, that will take place next Friday, April 3, 2026. This special celebration highlights the rich cultural diversity within our school community. On this day, students are invited to come to school dressed in traditional clothing that represents their cultural heritage. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to proudly share their backgrounds and learn more about the cultures of their peers. If students don't come dressed in traditional attire, they need to come in the regular AA uniform.

In addition, students are encouraged to bring a traditional dish to contribute to a shared food celebration for the entire student body. This will allow all students to experience and appreciate a variety of cultural foods from around the world. Click on the Google Form button below to sign up to bring a dish to share with the whole student body. Regarding the food, we kindly ask the following:

• ALL FOOD MUST BE VEGETARIAN. 

• Please use disposable trays or containers. 

• Please pre-cut items that need it.

• Please make enough to fill 1-2 aluminum trays (more is always welcome)

• Please send food in the MORNING with your child next Friday, April 3.

• If your food has allergens, PLEASE PUT A LABEL WITH YOUR DISH. For example: "This contains eggs." Common allergens include nuts, milk, eggs, soy, and wheat. 

We look forward to celebrating the diversity of our school community together and thank you for your continued support in making this event a success. We would love to host the event for entire families; however, due to space, we can NOT extend the invitation beyond the students at this time. 

Thank you again for your support,

Marah Silvestre

Spanish and Latin American Culture Instructor

silvestre@andrews.edu 

International Assembly & Food Tasting

Next Friday, April 3
 

Note: Students who leave school early (even if class is cancelled) should always sign out in the office after we receive parental/guardian permission.

Tickets go on sale this Monday, March 30! $20 for a single ticket, and $30 for two tickets.

Participating AA students and faculty/staff will meet at the Academy on Sunday, April 12, at 4:00 PM. After some hors d'oeuvres and photos, the group will be bused to the banquet location. Students may not drive themselves, and non-AA students are not allowed to go.

See the Sourcebook (pg. 65) for the banquet dress code. 

Permission slips will be available soon.

REMINDER: Cell Phone/Smart Watch Policy

To maintain a safe, effective teaching and learning environment for students, teachers, staff, and the community, Andrews Academy maintains a strict electronic devices policy. 

Any violation of this policy or otherwise inappropriate use of electronic devices in text messaging, recording, loudspeakers, or electronic photo capabilities will lead to immediate confiscation, and may lead to further disciplinary action. Students should arrange with the office to pick up their confiscated device(s). 
 

Exceptions to this policy will only be made based on medical necessities or other special needs that are recognized by school officials and/or officially documented by appropriate professionals.

Cell Phones & Smart Watches:
Cell phones and smart watches should be kept in a safe place—such as a locker (devices should be neither seen nor heard)—and are not to be used during the school day or during on-campus school activities during school hours. Students may use their cell phones during school hours only under the following limited circumstances: 

1. Students may check their cell phones for important messages at their lockers 5 minutes before their lunch period ends. Phone should then be redeposited in a safe storage area after checking messages.

2. With the express permission of a school teacher or administrator. Students may come to the main office to use their phone with permission.

Inappropriate Use of Electronic Devices: 
Students are not allowed to record any person, including students or teachers/staff, without the express permission of the person whose picture is being taken during the school day. Photos and video recordings are prohibited in locker rooms and bathrooms.

Trips and Tours: 
Electronic devices may be used for trips or tour events in which cell phone/electronic device use is deemed appropriate by the sponsor.

More Policy Reminders

The following are not allowed in the school without express permission, per the Sourcebook:

• Headphones and earbuds are not permitted to be used in the building (pg. 63).

• All head coverings, hats, hoodies, and jackets with a hood are not permitted to be worn inside the school building (pg. 65).

• Jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.) is not permitted (pg. 65).

Please make sure that we have the phone number that you would like to have contacted. For school closings due to weather, we also send an email, put the announcement on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and alert local TV stations (WSBT, WNDU).

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!

NHS Induction Service in Local Newspaper

There’s a full-page article about NHS induction in the local newspaper, The Journal Era, on page 23. You may want to pick up a souvenir copy. The March 25, 2026, edition is currently on newsstands, and copies are also available at the newspaper office in downtown Berrien Springs.

Adopt-A-Highway

Andrews Academy has proudly participated in the highway adoption program for well over a decade. We clean the on- and off-ramps at Exit 13 along the US Highway 31 (bypass). The state of Michigan has recognized the school for its ongoing service and commitment to the community. 

Thank you to all the students who continue to help care for and preserve God’s creation. The group photo is from last fall. Later this spring, we will clean the exit ramps again. We are to clean these ramps twice a year.

Chapel Recap

On Monday, choir teacher Mr. Daniel Cerna opened chapel with a hymn. Pastor Thorly James shared a story from 2001, when he was studying engineering in Brooklyn and witnessed the 9/11 attacks from his classroom. He connected this to his studies on materials’ flexibility—how they bend without breaking. Like those materials, we face life’s stresses and are stretched to build resilience. We often discover our strength through challenges, which God allows to prepare us. Remember Isaiah 43:2: God is with us in every trial. On our own we may break, but with Him, we gain the strength and endurance to overcome.

On Tuesday, Pastor Tanaka, the youth pastor from Village Adventist Church, shared a worship thought from Joel, emphasizing that although the “minor prophets” are brief, their messages remain deeply relevant—especially for the end times. He highlighted how daily struggles can be blessings in disguise, used by God to grow our spiritual gifts. Joel 1:1–4 describes a devastating locust plague that ruined the land and economy, serving as a warning for future generations. Such hardship reminds us of our dependence on God and cautions against spiritual complacency. In Joel 2:12, the call is clear: return to God with sincere, heartfelt repentance—not just outward actions. True repentance leads to restoration, blessing, and being used for God’s greater purpose.

On music Wednesday, Mr. Cerna taught “Solfège,” a method that uses syllables (Do–Ti) to represent musical pitches and improve sight-singing and ear training. He showed a video about the origins of modern music notation, then used scales in a “name that song” activity, leading the class to identify “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” The lesson helped build understanding of pitch and sight-reading skills.

After the song service on Thursday, a Youth Rush representative shared about the Michigan Conference program, which allows students to canvass in the summer—earning money for school while serving as missionaries. Each day includes chores, breakfast, worship with training, and outreach. Students work in small groups, visiting businesses in the morning and homes in the afternoon, sharing about Jesus and offering faith-based books. The books are free, though donations help support students’ school funds. Youth Rush focuses on two goals: spiritual growth and community outreach. The speaker closed by encouraging students to seek God’s guidance about joining the ministry this summer.

Passion Play

Next Sabbath, April 4, 2026

The Passion Play is an indoor/outdoor immersive walk-through experience on the Andrews University campus, featuring eight scenes that portray the final days of Jesus’ life—from the bustling marketplace, to the Last Supper, Gethsemane, Pilate's Judgment Hall, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. Hundreds of guests move with the story as it unfolds around them, surrounded by actors, sounds, and live settings. Open to everyone, the Passion Play invites people of all ages to witness the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a powerful, interactive way.

Scan the QR code or click the button below to volunteer. All rotations are full, so there is no more availability to attend.

Attention Students: 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 3:00 PM. The sign-up sheet will be at lunch or in the main office.

Online Menu: Go to https://andrews-university.cafebonappetit.com, under Cafe, click on School Lunch. Then click on View/Print Weekly Menu.

Parents: To sign your student up for the lunch program or add funds to your student's account, you may use this link to pay online (you will need your child's 9 digit AU ID number, including the zeros - a computer rather than a phone works best), or you may pay with cash or check at the Academy main office. The minimum payment for 20 lunches is $141.20, unless your student has been approved for reduced lunch.

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!

Important Attendance Policy Updates

ATTENDANCE EVALUATION

Each student begins each semester with an attendance record of zero points. All absences and tardies (excused and unexcused) are assigned a weight of 1 point. The FACTS system includes separate attendance codes, allowing for clear categorization and reporting:

• A (Absence) 

• AE (Excused Absence)

• T (Tardy)

• TE (Excused Tardy)

The AS attendance code is assigned a weight of 0 and is used to mark school-related absences (e.g., for approved school trips or activities). These absences do not count against the student’s attendance record.

Students are allowed one long tour per semester.

PROCEDURES

Each school day, the student who was absent or tardy without excuse is notified of the record in FACTS, the student information system. Parents and students both receive email notifications. If the student believes the record to be incorrect, or has any question about the record, it is that student’s responsibility to contact the school office or attendance officer or submit to the school office a written excuse from a parent/guardian within 3 school days to remove those points.

Correction received after five days generally will not be accepted. In instances where a student is absent for several consecutive days, such as for an extended illness, two school days are allotted following the last absence to submit an excuse.

A student is responsible for all course work missed while absent with or without excuse.

Absence Policy
• After 5 unexcused absences per class: Student receives a warning email.
• After 8 unexcused absences per class: Student receives a demerit.
• After 10 unexcused absences per class: A meeting is scheduled with the student, parents, and attendance officer or another administrator.
• After 10 combined excused and unexcused absences per class: Student receives a warning email noting the risk of withdrawal from the class.
• After 15 combined excused and unexcused absences per class: A meeting with the registrar is required, and the student may be withdrawn from the class and lose all credit subject to that class, pending a review by the Student Affairs Committee.

Tardy Policy
• After 5 unexcused tardies per class: Student receives a warning email.
• After 10 unexcused tardies per class: Student receives a demerit.
• After 10 total excused and unexcused tardies per class: Student meets with the attendance officer or administrator.

Demerit Review Policy
Demerits related to attendance may be re-evaluated at the end of the semester if the student maintains no unexcused absences or tardies from the date the demerit was issued onward.

A student is eligible to hold an organizational office or leadership position as long as they maintain an attendance score below 7 unexcused absences. A student is also eligible to participate in co-curricular, overnight trips and tours if the attendance score is below 7 unexcused absences. A student is placed on citizenship probation when the attendance score reaches 7 unexcused absences. 

Major off-campus school activities include, but are not limited to, overnight trips and tours (see section on Student Citizenship-Citizenship Probation). When a student’s attendance score reaches 7 unexcused absences, the student is placed on citizenship probation. Further unexcused absences could lead to future in-school suspensions. Repeated attendance issues will be referred to the Student Affairs Committee to determine if the student should continue in the Academy and, if so, under what conditions. If these conditions are not successfully adhered to, the student’s enrollment may be discontinued at the time of infractions, at the end of a given semester, or at the end of the school year.

Students who miss five (5) consecutive school days due to illness must provide written documentation from a certified medical professional corroborating the necessity of that absence.

- From the Sourcebook (pg. 67-68)

For any attendance questions that you would like to ask by email, please direct them to AAattendance@andrews.edu.
 

Thank you!

Mrs. Dionne Robinson
Guidance Counselor/Attendance Officer
Andrews Academy
269-471-3453

More 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. We will email students and parents when a CSA is approved.

• Other Absences: Parents, please call the main 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. 68):

Students who miss five (5) consecutive school days due to illness or injury 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.

Mrs. Dionne Robinson

Guidance Counselor

dionner@andrews.edu

269-471-3453

If you have not done so already, please purchase the Multi-Factor Authentication Security Key for all AA students right away. This key is essential for your child to access all Google platforms (AU email, Google Classroom, etc.), as well as secure documents from Andrews University and Andrews Academy. Each student needs their own security key, which cannot be used by anyone else.

Security Key Link

AA Uniforms Available from Lands' End

Please review the Sourcebook (pgs 65-66) 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).

• Only AA logoed jackets are allowed to be worn in the building.

• The PE uniform (t-shirt or sweatshirt, shorts or sweats) can only be worn during PE class.

• If a student is wearing an AA logoed jacket, they should also have an AA logoed shirt underneath.