Dear St. Andrew Families,
We can not wait to have your children back this week! My guess is most of you are ready for your kids to be back in school learning and in a routine. I know I am ready for my kids to be back!
This past week has been a great week of learning, planning, decorating, and getting to know each other. We are very excited about the team we have and the passion they have for our faith, children, and education!
Please be sure to check out the information below, including lunch/menu information, back to school movie night, car drop off and pick up instructions, and other important repeat information such as summer work, nursing, uniforms, and volunteer/clearance information.
Last but not least, if your child can ride the bus to start the year, it is a huge help with arrival and dismissal!
Looking forward to a great start to the year and wishing you all a great holiday weekend!
School Information
- Our Opening Mass will be rescheduled from 9/6 to 9/20 at 10:00 AM due to new basket installation and the predicted temperature in the gym. We will hold a prayer service via Zoom on 9/6.
- Lunch Information
- Hot lunches are served every day for 1-8 grades starting on the first day. Preschool 4’s and Kindergarten have the option to start on September 18.
- The cost for the daily meal this year for grades 1-8 will be $5.50 and for pre-k and kindergarten it will be $3.75. Each meal will come with a choice of small water, milk, or juice carton.
- New Family Accounts have not been created by Aramark as of today. We will share those as soon as we have them. Please pack a lunch until you are able to set up the account as the cafeteria does not take cash.
- September 2023 Lunch menu
- Personnel Update
- Mrs. Tarrant resigned from her position of Spanish Teacher on 8/30. Mrs. Sommer will be taking over as our long-term substitute until we find the right teacher. She has experience subbing at Saint Andrew and is a native Spanish speaker. We wish Mrs. Tarrant the best and are grateful to Mrs. Sommer for stepping in until we can find a replacement.
- Arrival/Dismissal Directions for Car Riders
- Summer Work and Supplies!
- CARES – Any family interested in CARES must complete the registration form.
- First day of CARES for students in grades 1-8 is Tuesday, September 5.
- First day of CARES for kindergarten students is Wednesday, September 6.
- First day of CARES for preschool students is Thursday, September 7.
- Nursing/Medical Needs/Attention
- Medication Drop Off on the first day of school, 9/5/23 will be from 8:30am-2pm. If you need to make other arrangements, please email the nurses directly at csanchez@standrewcec.com and stentilucci@standrewcec.com
- If you haven’t already submitted physicals/dental forms, please see the reminders below:
- All K-8 new student registrations: Both a dental form and physical exam form (dated after 7/1/22) are required by the state of PA for all new K-8 students registering at St. Andrew.
- Existing Students Entering Grades 3 & 7: Dental forms (dated after 7/1/22) are required by the state of PA for students entering grade 3 & 7 – due by the first day of school.
- Existing Students Entering Grade 6: Physical exam forms (dated after 7/1/22) with updated immunizations are required by the state of PA for students entering grade 6 – due by the first day of school.
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Informational Webinars this fall
- Learn how to redirect your tax dollars to benefit students throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and receive a 90% tax credit.
- Interested in being a Library Volunteer? Click here for more information
- Back to School Movie Night Flyer
- Join us Friday, September 8 at 7:15PM for our Annual Back to School Movie Night presented by the Saint Andrew Home and School Board Featuring Super Mario Bros.
- Movie will begin at dark (between 7:45 and 8PM).
- Bring your own blankets and chairs for a movie under the stars on the soccer field. Concessions will be sold (popcorn, candy, and beverages).
- All children must be accompanied by an adult; this is not a drop off event.
- Please park in either the front parking lot of Saint Andrew School or in Newtown Elementary School’s parking lot. For safety, please do not park behind the school or in front of the playground.
Parish Events
- Moms’ Booster Club and Elizabeth Ministry Back to School Meetup
- The St. Andrew Moms’ Booster Club along with the parish Elizabeth Ministry group is teaming up to host a morning meet up for parents next Friday, September 8 from 8-9:30 am in the basement of the Olde St. Andrew Church on Sycamore St. We are hoping to provide an opportunity for families to meet other parents in our school family and offer support during this exciting time of back to school.
Repeat School Information
- Uniforms – Please review the information below and make sure that your children have proper fitting uniforms.
- Please check the length of the girls’ skorts. Skorts should be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee. Skorts should never be rolled.
- Shirts must always be tucked. If the shirt is constantly untucked, a new shirt will be necessary.
- Boys in grades 2-8 must wear a belt.
- Boys may wear traditional dress shoes or another all-black sneaker as part of the school uniform. Girls may wear traditional saddle shoes or Keds saddle sneakers. The backs of shoes should not be folded down. The entire foot must remain in the shoe.
- No sweatshirts should be on in the building except during the winter on the student’s assigned gym day. School uniform sweaters should be worn in the fall and spring if a student needs to warm up.
- Gym Day uniforms consist of Saint Andrew Gym Uniforms, and Saint Andrew Spirit Sale Wear. SAS Spirit Day Shirts are acceptable. CYO shirts should not be worn.
- Nail polish and make-up including eyeliner are not permitted. This includes tips and gel nail polish.
- Jewelry is limited to one earring in each earlobe for females. One necklace with religious implications may be worn.
- Clearance Information:
- Link to Protecting God’s Children Courses – All Volunteers and Staff must complete this course.
- Online sessions are available pending space
- Upcoming Nearby In-Person Classes:
- St. Andrew Catholic School Thursday, 10/12 at 6:00pm
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (Doylestown) Wednesday, 10/18 at 6:30pm
- St. Martin of Tours Parish (New Hope) Tuesday, 10/03 at 6:00pm
- Queen of the Universe Parish (Levittown)
- Thursday, 8/31 at 6:00pm
- Thursday, 10/19 at 6:00pm
- St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish (Yardley) Thursday, 10/26 at 6:30pm
- For More information on other required clearances, please visit our website and for any questions please contact Kathy Kajmo at clearances@stapn.org.
- Link to Protecting God’s Children Courses – All Volunteers and Staff must complete this course.
- St. Andrew Orchestra (Grades 1-8) and St. Andrew Band (Grades 4-8)
- Super Dollar /SCRIPTS Info
- Earn money for your child’s education while supporting the school on purchases you make everyday.
- All of our school events are posted on the calendar in FACTS. If you would like to sync the school FACTS Calendar to your Google calendar on your computer or phone, follow these instructions.
- Please also update your emergency contacts in FACTS. Here is a cheat sheet to update the information. It is important that you have at least 2-3 emergency contacts and list any family that carpools with your family. We will only call in case of an emergency when the parent can not be reached.
- Rising 6-8th grade families
- If you would like us to share your information with the parochial and private schools that request our student’s information, please complete this form. Typically, they add you to their mailing list and send pertinent information such as open houses, shadow days, placement tests, etc. directly to you.
- We will likely hold a fundraiser for our Catholic Friends and the community as a whole in Maui at some point as we start school but wanted to share this information in case you are looking for a way to give back to Maui now. Thank you
- As part of a community of faith, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) stands together with the nation and the world in prayer for the loss of life and the destruction caused by the recent wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui. We pray for all those affected, including the deceased, injured and displaced and offer special prayers for the first responders and all those who offer aid, recovery and relief. You can read the press release here.
- Sacred Hearts School on Maui was impacted by fire. In response to the tragedy and ruin on the island, the Diocese of Honolulu has set up a dedicated webpage for donations to go directly to relief efforts through the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation (HCCF), a 501(c)(3) to support the diocesan parish and school communities. For those who are able to, donations can be made to the HCCF and through the Sacred Hearts School donation page.
The Week Ahead
- Monday, September 4
- Labor Day Holiday – Offices Closed
- Tuesday, September 5
- First Day of School Grades 1-8
- Preschool Orientation
- Wednesday, September 6
- First Day of School for Kindergarten
- Preschool Orientation
- Thursday, September 7
- First day of Preschool for Silver, Teal, Orange, Blue, Gold and Yellow Rooms
- Friday, September 8
- First day of Preschool for Red and Green Rooms
Community Events
*These are not Saint Andrew School Events and do not follow our clearance policy but generally are shared by parishioners or members of our community and may be something you are interested in for your children and/or family.
High School Info
- Mount Saint Joseph Academy
- Fall Open House – msjacad.org/openhouse
Sunday, October 1, 2023
10:00AM – 1:00PM (9:00AM Mass)
- Application Dates – msjacad.org/apply
Friday, October 6, 2023 – Application deadline
Monday, October 16, 2023 – Academic records and recommendations deadline
- Scholarship/Entrance Exams
Saturday, October 7, 2023 – 8:00AM
Sunday, October 8, 2023 – 12:00PM
- 8th Grade Shadow Day Visits
Begin September 2023