Crusader Connections

December 16: Early Dismissal, 12:30pm & Coat Drive Ends

December 19 - January 2: No School - Christmas Break

January 3: School Resumes

We are grateful for Mrs. Cacko who worked tirelessly to help our students shine during this year's pageant! Thank you to all who helped with stage set-up, tear-down, decorating, hot cocoa stand donations, and getting the students here and prepared for our spectacular Christmas Pageant: Wishing you a very "Mary" Christmas! It takes many to prepare such an event, and we are so thrilled that we were able to present this wonderful gift of performance to you, our FAW families! We hope you all enjoy a very merry, "Mary" Christmas!

We feel blessed that we were still able to provide our students the opportunity to experience the joy of giving by buying and wrapping their own Christmas presents for family members, friends and pets at the Santa Shop. We had a record breaking amount of gifts sold (over 1,750) and raised over $5,000 for FAW. Thank you to all of our amazing elves who helped make this Santa Shop event possible!

The 8th grade class is sponsoring a Christmas Sweater contest this Thursday, December 15th.

Each class will vote on a winner and the winners will receive a small prize from the 8th grade.

Students may alternatively wear a Christmas shirt if they do not have a sweater. Please adhere to our out of uniform/Tag Day guidelines as noted in our Parent/Student Handbook.

Remember this Friday, December 16th, we have a 12:30pm Early Dismissal. Remember to pack a healthy snack. We hope you have a blessed Christmas and a restful break!

Mid-quarter progress reports for students in grades 4-8 were posted on Parent PlusPortals last week. Please login to check your child’s progress. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher. To find the report, click the child’s picture, then “Classroom,” then “Progress Reports,” then "Combined Reports." Please go over the reports with your children and encourage them to keep working hard through the last half of this quarter! https://www.plusportals.com/FatherAndrewWhiteSchool

Due to winter break, the menu for January is now open and will close on December 23rd. Order your lunch today! https://fmsecure.orgsonline.com/m_login.aspx

Results from our last basketball games:

JV Girls - BYE

JV Boys - CANCELED

Varsity Girls won 36-5

Varsity Boys won 40-39

📣 🏀 Go Crusaders! 🏀 📣

Have you ever heard that “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts”?! Thus, if you’re feeling stressed, you should just turn it around and have some desserts instead! Okay, maybe not the best advice (especially for us stress eaters), but it is very important to recognize stress and find healthy ways to deal with it. Life is filled with stress, both good and bad. Something as joyful as celebrating the birth of Jesus does indeed make this the most wonderful time of year; but as we all know it can also be chaotic and very stressful. Recently, I mentioned that feeling loved is good for your health - both mental and physical. When we worry or overextend ourselves, our immune system gets lowered and we’re more susceptible to illness. This year, when working on your Christmas to-do list, be sure to factor in things that help to relieve stress. Some ideas are herbal teas, calming diffuser oils, cozy naps by a fireplace, massage, deep breathing, mindfulness, and of course prayer. Most importantly, remember the reason for the season, and when faced with challenges, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Please join us in prayer for a fellow Catholic school student from St. Mary's Bryantown. You can follow his journey at Finns Fierce Fight.

"Prayer for Strength to Fight: Awesome Champion, come to the aid of Finn right now, we pray. Give him the strength to keep on fighting this battle against cancer. Encourage his soul and let him go from strength to strength. As he waits on You and trusts You, renew his resolve to not give up but to persevere in the fight. Conquer any feelings of hopelessness or dejection he may be feeling. Give power in his weakness, Precious Lord. Give him resilience to press on, and full confidence in You. Amen."

https://connectusfund.org/20-strong-prayers-for-child-with-cancer

If you are looking for a gift idea for our local priests, consider joining their meal train: https://mealtrain.com/7dod81

The Home & School Association is seeking a Chairperson (or Chair Team) and committees to plan and organize two of our biggest and best events of the year: The Spring Social & Auction and also our Spring Fun Run! The groundwork has already been laid for the Social & Auction this April, but we need teams in place to continue with the rest of the planning! Here are the positions that we need filled immediately:

- Spring Social & Auction Chairperson (can be 2 people)

- Spring Social & Auction Planning Committee Members

- Fun Run Chairperson (can be 2 people)

- Fun Run Planning Committee Members

Duties for both events include soliciting sponsorships and donations, planning details, some marketing, logistics and executing the events. We’d love your outside-the-box ideas! Chairpersons of these events qualify for the complete fulfillment of the Service Scholarship/Volunteer Hours. If you’re interested in helping with either of these events, please email our HSA President, Jen Tennyson at jntennyson@gmail.com to get started! The Home & School Association (HSA) is grateful for any time or resources you are able to give!

❏ Send in coats, hats or gloves for the Coat Drive

❏ Think about helping Chair an HSA event

❏ Fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form

❏ Submit Volunteer Hours

❏ Have a Blessed Christmas and a Restful Winter Break!

Email: office@fatherandrewwhite.org
Website: https://www.fatherandrewwhite.org
Location: 22850 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 475-9795
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fawschool/
Twitter: @FAWcrusaders