Dear FA Parents,

Happy New Year, Parents! We hope you all had a healthy and happy holiday break. The new year brings new goals and challenges for all of us, and we have a goal in which we would like all FA families to participate. It is to donate to the Frederica Academy Annual Fund as part of our No Gift Too Small fundraising challenge. We can’t reach our goal without you, so please read on and support our school community!

The FA Parent Association is excited to announce its 2022 Annual Fund "No Gift Too Small" fundraising challenge!
 
As parent leaders, we want to recognize that even the smallest donations pooled with other gifts make a great and lasting impact on our school. We all know that the Frederica Academy Annual Fund helps fill the gap between tuition and the school’s annual operating expenses and directly supports improvements across all three divisions. However, we also understand that parents sometimes feel intimidated by the pressure to give large amounts, can't find the right time to submit or mail the gift, or just forget to donate! What is important to know is that parent, trustee, and employee Annual Fund participation rates are benchmark measurements that foundations and other large donors often consider when contemplating a grant or large gift to independent schools. These donors are especially eager to know that the parent community supports the school's direction and leadership as affirmed by its support for the school's Annual Fund. Our faculty and staff have already achieved 100% participation. The current parent participation rate is 35%. We would like to encourage everyone to help us match their donation level. Even $5 can make a difference in helping us achieve 100% participation. This fundraising challenge isn’t about how much you can give; it's about how many of us can give together to show our support for FA. 
 
First, thank you to all FAmilies who have already donated to the Annual Fund! For the rest of us, we’re encouraging 100% FAmily participation across all grade levels. The new year provides a great opportunity for every family that hasn’t already donated to do so and be a part of our participation drive. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor the FAPA ‘No Gift Too Small’ Challenge in support of the 2021-2022 Annual Fund. 
 
  • Click here to make an online donation via the school’s website. A $5 gift is a great way to show your support for the school. Larger gifts will be accepted, but this phase is about boosting parent participation. No gift is too small, but every gift is needed to demonstrate broad parent support for FA. 

  • Click here to email Brad Hutcherson to authorize a gift of $5 or more, which will be charged to your FA family account and billed to you in your next statement. 

Click here to learn more about the Annual Fund. 
 
As a thank you, we are partnering with the Advancement Office to invite all FA parents, faculty, and staff Annual Fund Fund donors to our Annual Fund Oyster Roast on February 5! Please check your mail for your invitation and plan to join us on February 5, from 4-6 p.m. at the Dunn Family River Cottage. We will have oysters, drinks, and music for what is sure to be a beautiful evening. RSVP here. We look forward to thanking you in person for helping us reach our goal!

Many thanks!

FA Parent Association Board
Martha Eckert
Meredith Flagstad
Erika Chambliss
Megan Helms
Upcoming Happenings
Wednesday, January 19: Recycled Uniform Sale
7:45 - 9:15 a.m. in the Gym Lobby
The Parent Association accepts checks, cash, or items can be charged to FA family accounts in the Business Office. A collection bin will be available onsite for any uniform items parents want to donate when shopping. Please remember you can always donate your child's outgrown uniform pieces any time at the collection bin located outside of the Lower School entrance. We look forward to seeing you there! 
 
Tuesday, January 25: New Family Meet and Greet
Details forthcoming! 

Wednesday, Feb 2: Parent Association Member Meeting
8:15 a.m. in the Shuman Conference Room, featuring Helen Rentz

Saturday, Feb 5: Annual Fund Oyster Roast (Adults-only event)
Dunn Family River Cottage - 402 Mimosa Drive

Tuesday, Feb 15: Lower School Parent Social
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Mellow Mushroom (Adults-only event)
Volunteer Needs
Open House Poster Distribution
The Admission Office needs help distributing posters around town in advance of our Open House week and admissions season. Please sign up to hang a few posters and share the Open House info to our greater community. Sign up here.

Open House Volunteers
Open House week requires many hands working together to ensure that sessions are prepared, guests are greeted, and that Frederica rolls out the green carpet. Parents interested in supporting the Admission Office during Open House Week (February 7-11) should email Helen Rentz.
 
If you would like to get involved with the Parent Association, we welcome all volunteers! The new year is a great time to make a commitment to volunteer, and volunteering for our children’s school is immensely rewarding. We can feel the impact we have on our school every day. To raise your hand or find out more, please fill out our volunteer form here, or email us here with questions. 
Update
We want to thank you all for purchasing your holiday greenery and poinsettias from us. We sold over $36,000 - our highest total ever - and couldn’t be more thankful for your support. These funds will continue to allow us to throw meaningful family events like the trunk or treat, teacher and faculty appreciation, and parent socials as well as support our students in various ways. 
 
We are so appreciative of your ongoing support of all of our initiatives and look forward to the coming year. As always, we want to know what you want to hear about from us! If you have suggestions, questions or comments, please send them our way via our Virtual Question Box, and we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Keeping Up with Information
THANK YOU!