St. John Eagle Edition
November 11, 2024
As we journey through this Advent season, I am filled with immense pride and joy to share the wonderful contributions of our students during our recent Advent Program. Their heartfelt message and performances truly captured the spirit of this special time of year.
Our students have shown remarkable creativity, dedication, and a deep understanding of the values we cherish. Their messages of hope, peace, joy and love were not only inspiring but also a testament to the strong community we have built together.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the families for your continuous support and encouragement. Your involvement plays a crucial role in nurturing the talents and values of our students.
As we continue to celebrate this season of anticipation and joy, let us carry forward the messages shared by our students and strive to embody them in our daily lives.
Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas season filled with hope, peace, joy, and love
In light of our recent school closing due to high levels of illness during this cold and flu season, it is essential that we work together to keep our school community healthy.
We kindly ask for your support in teaching and reinforcing good hygiene practices at home. School staff will also be reviewing these with students during the upcoming week.
Simple actions like regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding close contact with those who are ill can make a significant difference.
Additionally, we would like to remind you of our school’s illness policy as outlined in the handbook:
- If a child becomes ill during the school day, parents will be contacted and requested to pick up their child so they can be taken home.
- An emergency file is kept for each student. Please ensure that this information is current.
- Please keep your child home for at least 24 hours after a fever has subsided or if your child has vomited.
It will take all of us to help everyone healthy in the upcoming months.
Your cooperation is crucial in maintaining a healthy environment for all our students. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Over the Holiday Break, we have created a fun, family learning activity to help students make a connection to certain stars/constellations and why God created them.
St. John PK3-8th grade students are well into a year-long "learning journey" focusing on God's creation of the four seasons and how each season is related to the life of Christ.
What is a learning journey? It is project-based learning which provides students hands-on and real-life experiences to connect their classroom learning and their faith.
Connection to Learning: We recently took students to the Wausau West Planetarium and brought a portable "Star Lab" to school to help them make a connection between God's creation of the stars and how the stars provided a guide for people to know when to plant and harvest their crops and how to navigate the land.
More information will be sent home with students.
The activity will be incorporated into a presentation by each student to be shared at the Celebration of Learning.
Over the Holiday Break, we have created a fun, family learning activity to help students make a connection to certain stars/constellations and why God created them.
ENDURE
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted
Chapel Offering is taken each week
Semester 1 donations will go to support "Share Your Holiday" Drive
DC Everest 4K Christmas Program
December 16 - 6:00 pm
The DC Everest 4K students invite their family to attend their Christmas Program being held in their classroom.
A light reception will take place after the children's performance.
Watch for more information from Mrs. Kohnert.
Family "Feast" and Chapel
December 20
Church Multi-Purpose Center
A special chapel service will be held at 10:40 followed by the annual Family Feast in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Please bring a dish to pass/share for this "Family Feast". You can also drop off a crock pot at the beginning of the day if that works better for you.
Let Mrs. Goetsch know if you are able to help with set-up or clean-up.
Students will remain at school for afternoon classroom parties.
Classroom Christmas Parties
December 20
12:15-2:15
After our "Family Feast" luncheon, St. John 3K-Gr. 8 students will be having a Christmas Party in their Classroom in the afternoon.
Several weeks ago, information about the Classroom Christmas party from your child's teacher has sent in student take home folders.
Christmas Shopping Mall
A HUGE THANK YOU to all the volunteers who came to make the Christmas Shopping Mall a success and a special time for kids to be able to purchase gifts for family members.
If your child was absent, remaining items will be set out in the Vineyard Room (Church) in between services
Sunday, December 15
9:00-10:00
Children can come pick out gifts, but we won't have anyone available to wrap the gifts for them on Sunday
Christmas Caroling Rescheduled
January 10
8:30 am - 2 pm
Students and staff will be visiting local Senior Living facilities to share some Christmas Carols and Christmas cards with the residents.
We will be eating at Sam's Pizza for lunch (no cost to students).
Share Your Holiday donation will be delivered by Ms. Benz and a few students the week of December 16.
The P.T.L. Cheese Fry fundraiser is starting THIS WEEK.
- Order forms sent home on Wednesday, December 18.
- All order forms are due back next Friday (January 3rd).
- Payment is due at time of order.
- Please make checks payable to St. John PTL
- The cheese fries are made at M&M Bakery in Athens, WI.
Church Members can place their orders between services on
December 15 and December 22
Fundraisers like this allow PTL to special support learning opportunities and special activties for our students throughout the year.
Red Letter Advent Project
Because of a generous donation, we are providing each school family with a copy of Red Letter Advent – 25 Days of Unboxing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love by Zach and Allison Zehnder.
We encourage you to read each of the daily devotions beginning on December 1 with members of your family. If you have younger children, the included Family Addition can be used to help with family devotions.
Our church will be walking through this book during the season of Advent through our worship and small group time on Sunday mornings. You are more than invited to join us either between services at 9:00 AM or at 11:30 AM each of the 4 Sundays before Christmas.
Please contact Pastor John if you would like to participate in a group.
Remind 101
THANK YOU to all who have taken the time to join Remind 101 groups.
A couple weeks ago, Mrs. Goetsch sent an invite to all families who had not yet signed-up for the St. John Lutheran School _ALL group.
PLEASE take a few seconds to accept the invite, so you don't miss out on weekly updates and special announcements.
Watch for another invite to the individual Classroom Group so your child's teacher can also connect with you on specific updates for each classroom as needed.
Fast Direct
Fast Direct is our student information system. This is where we store:
- Family demographic information
- Medical needs information
- Tuition Information
- Milk account balance
- Daily Attendance
- Another way for us to email, text or voice recorded messages to share school updates. You can email teachers directly (or to Mrs. Goetsch) through this program as well.
Direct Link to our FastDirect Login Page or you can download the FastDirect App on your phone as well
Please contact Mrs. Wenzel if you need your activation code to gain access to your Fast Direct Account.
Facebook updates EVERYDAY
- Daily Announcements
- Weekly Updates from Mrs. Goetsch
- Reminders of upcoming events and important dates
Please go to our St. John Lutheran School Facebook Page
Like the page and/or Follow our page as another way to stay up-to-date on the great things happening at St. John School!
There are SO many parents, families, and church members who answer the call when we have a need at the school.
Each month, we will do our best to acknowledge ALL who choose to give of their time and talents to ensure our students and our school have what they need to grow in their faith in Jesus and in their educational growth here at St. John School:
- ALL VOLUNTEERS for making our annual Christmas Shopping Mall a success
- Everyone who donated items to the Christmas Shopping Mall
- Jim Glatczak for always answering his phone when we need his help with things at school (heat repairs in particular)
- Bryan Piepenburg for making videos for the Advent Program slideshow
- Alan Breitenfeldt for helping with the sound systems set-up and running sound during the Advent Program
- Karen Opper for helping with Advent Program preparations and running lights at the program
- Michele Jome for her help with decorating for the Advent Program
- Pastor John for transporting borrowed equipment for our Advent Program
- Pastor John for running the spotlight for the Advent Program
- All those who helped with set-up and clean-up from the Advent Program
- Mount Olive Lutheran Church for allowing us to use their Pipe and Drape for Advent Program
- Saint Andrew Lutheran Church for allowing us to use the choir risers for Advent Program
- Parents for bringing cookie plates to share at our Advent Program reception
- Lyle Kunz, Rick Borchardt, Eric Breitenfeldt for assisting with parking for Advent Program
- Senior Club for providing treats to our students after singing at the luncheon
- Cleaning Crews who always make sure our church and school look great for worship and special events.
- Rebecca Renken for her ongoing work to promote our special activities and events on Facebook and other communication work.
THANK YOU to ALL who have been praying for the school, provided financial or volunteer support, or have used God's talents to serve a need here at St. John School. You are all a BLESSING!!!!
School and Church dates to remember
- December 15: P.T.L. Pizza Fry Orders taken at Church
- December 16: D.C. Everest 4K program - 6:00 P.M.
- December 16: Council Meeting - 7:00 P.M.
- December 17: P.T.L. Meeting - 7:00 P.M.
- December 18: Pizza Fry Order Forms sent home to school families
- December 20: Special Chapel and School Family Feast - 10:40 A.M.
- December 22: P.T.L. Pizza Fry Orders taken at Church
- December 23-January 1 Christmas Break
- January 2: School resumes
- January 3: Pizza Fry Orders and Money Due
- January 4: Prayer Shawl Ministry - 9:00 A.M.
- January 7: Care Ministry Meeting - 6:45 P.M.
- January 10: School Christmas Caroling - Rescheduled
- January 13: School Board Meeting - 6:00 P.M.
- January 13: Board of Christian Ed Meeting - 6:30 P.M.
- January 13: Elders Meeting - 7:00 P.M.
- January 19: Mortgage Celebration - 11:00 A.M.
- January 20: No School - Martine Luther King Jr. Day
- January 20: Council Meeting - 7:00 P.M.
- January 21: P.T.L. Meeting - 7:00 P.M.
- January 26: School students sing in church - 10:15 A.M.
- January 27-31: National Lutheran Schools Week
- January 28: 3K, 4K and Kindergarten Open House - 3:30 P.M.
MAGIC Paper Box supports our school
The "Magic Paper Box" is an easy, cost free method to help support St. John Lutheran School.
The Magic Paper Box container is located in the school parking lot (Blue container on east side of school) It is available 24/7, so bring your recyclable paper anytime.
Items that can be place in the Magic Paper Box are:
- Newspaper (including glossy inserts)
- Magazines and catalogs
- Office and school papers
- Paperback books
- Regular and window envelopes
Please do not place CONFIDENTIAL documents in this box.
IROW pays us for the pounds of paper placed in the dumpster and we help the environment by not placing these items in the landfill.
