Crusader Connections

Father Andrew White S.J. School Newsletter

September 5, 2023

Important Dates

September 5: PK Begins

September 11: Field Trip - Grades 2 & 5

September 12: Middle School Parent Information Night, 5:15 - 6pm

September 13: MAP Growth Testing Window Begins

September 14: Cross Country Meet @ KCA (date change)

September 15: Chesterton Academy visit to Middle School

September 20: St. Mary’s Ryken visit to 7th & 8th graders

September 21: Grandparents Day and 12:30pm Early Dismissal

September 22: No School - County Fair Day

September 23: Friends of the Poor Walk

September 25: No School - Professional Development Day

September 29: Crusader Cup Golf Tournament (No School Mass today)

September 30: Bike Ride for Vocations

October 4: School Picture Day

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We extend a warm welcome to our newest Crusaders! Welcome Pre-K!

Middle School Parent Information Night

Save the Date: On Tuesday, Sept. 12th, we will have a Middle School Information Night from 5:15 - 6pm. Parents will meet in the Gym for general Middle School Information and also in the Homeroom class of their student for grade specific information. We hope that you are able to attend!

Come swing FORE Father Andrew White at the 14th Annual Crusader Cup Golf Tournament! Get your foursome together and join us on September 29th at Breton Bay Golf and Country Club. Don’t delay - this event will sell out! Whether you've just started playing golf or are a regular at the course, one thing is undeniably true - you will have a great time at our PAR-TEE!

Crusader Cup Golf Tournament

Click here to register or to become a sponsor!

Parent PlusPortals

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All new families should have received a link to log in to Parent PlusPortals. This is where your child's grades (in grades 4-8) and report cards (all grades) will be stored. The link to log in to this parent portal is: https://www.plusportals.com/FatherAndrewWhiteSchool If you have any questions about this account, please contact our Technology Coordinator, Mrs. Greer: greer@fatherandrewwhite.org

Does your employer match your donations?

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One of our families notified us that their company provides a company match for in kind donations and volunteer hour match requests. Please check with your company to see if they support matching donations!

Going back to school is such an exciting time to join together again, creating memories and sharing joy in learning, love for Jesus and, unfortunately, sickness through germs. At FAW we do our best to maintain a healthy school environment by sanitizing surfaces, using air purifiers in all classrooms, and emphasizing proper health measures (such as hand washing, covering our coughs and sneezes, and staying hydrated). Even so, sickness is often unavoidable, and knowing when to keep your child at home is sometimes a difficult task. Fortunately, our school policy outlines specific guidelines on when to do so, along with other items such as required paperwork. If you have not already done so, please review pages 10-13 of the Parent/Student Handbook for pertinent information related to illness, absences, immunizations, medications, forms, and personal hygiene. Of course if you ever have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Keeping our students safe and healthy is my main goal (right behind spreading the love of Jesus, of course!).

Click HERE to view additional health forms many new students need to complete.

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL OF SOMD NOMINEE!

Again we were nominated for the "Best Private School in Southern Maryland"! Only a few schools made it to this top level and we were one of them! Let's show others how awesome FAW is by casting your vote. You can vote once each day from September 8th until September 29th. Go to "Kids & Education" then "School - Private" to cast your vote in the 2023 Best of the Best Southern Maryland Community Choice Awards Contest.

https://www.somdnews.com/best_of/#/gallery?group=433869

RaiseRight Gift Card Program Account

Click here to learn about this mandatory program.

RaiseRight Gift Card Program

For the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, there is a RaiseRight requirement to earn a minimum $50 for the school.

Be sure to buy gift cards for your everyday shopping: that coffee addiction, vacation, cruises, dining out and gas! Each card has a rebate amount that you can earn and those earnings go back to the school until you have met your $50 minimum requirement. After that $50 minimum requirement is met, anything you earn over and above gets a 75/25 split between you and the school respectively. The earnings that go to you can be applied for next school year’s tuition or to the eighth grade field trip. Last school year we had multiple families earning back a collective total of $4,600 that will be applied to next school year's tuition.

Gift card fundraising is an excellent fundraiser because there’s no selling, no extra time and no extra money. It is simply changing the way we pay for our purchases. The best part is that there is endless earning potential as there is no limit to how much money we can raise. You make money for the school and yourself. That's a win win!!

Click HERE to learn more about our extended day program. (There are forms on that website to complete if you'd like to sign up for this.)

FAW Volunteer Information

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Being a volunteer at Father Andrew White School is both rewarding and FUN!! It is a great way to be involved in the Crusader community, meet other families, and stay involved with your student.

If you are a Service Scholarship family (reduced tuition in exchange for volunteering), there are a few required steps before volunteering at the school. Click HERE for a step by step guide. Once these steps are completed, join the FUN!!

New to Volunteering at FAW?

Child Protection Volunteer Requirements: For our new families and as a reminder for our returning families, don’t forget the archdiocesan requirements for anyone who wishes to volunteer for activities that involve interaction with our children (ex. coaching, classroom or cafeteria helper, chaperone on field trips, etc.). The Archdiocese of Washington Child Protection Policy requires volunteers in parishes and schools to set up an account at virtus.org, complete a volunteer application, get fingerprints taken, and attend a (virtual) training session on the Child Protection Policy. Upon completion of the training session, the last page in the policy book must be signed and returned to the school office. No one may volunteer with our children until the entire process is completed. Families that need to start this process in order to volunteer for activities involving our children, may visit our website HERE for step by step instructions.

Volunteer Opportunity!

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We received a very generous technology grant from the M.I.L. Family Foundation that was used to equip our PK - Grade 5 classrooms with new 75" Interactive Panels. We need your help in mounting them! A hammer drill for the masonry block wall and a 3/8" masonry bit and a 3/8" carbide bit will be needed for this project. If you'd like to earn volunteer hours in the evening or on a weekend to assist in hanging these, please let Mrs. Greer know! Email her: greer@fatherandrewwhite.org

Substitute Teachers Needed!

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We are looking for cheerful and positive parents and community members who would be available 7:30am - 2:45pm to substitute for teachers as needed throughout the year. Approved applicants who pass a criminal background check can use this for volunteer hours or to receive payment. If you are interested please contact Mrs. Szoch at principal@fatherandrewwhite.org for a substitute application and information about what days you would be available. For more information, please see our website: https://fatherandrewwhite.org/substitute/