Eagle Express

May 15, 2024

Mission Statement

St. John Lutheran School exists to nurture children in faith and intellect, equipping them for Christian lives of service.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

Last Day of School

Friday, May 24, is our last day of school!

Student arrival time is still 7:50-8:10 a.m. We have our closing service starting at 8:30 a.m., followed by Preschool and Kindergarten Graduation, then we will have games/activities and a picnic. We plan to be eating lunch by 11 a.m. and all students should be picked up by 11:30.

Volunteers are needed to help with games and to bring side dishes, beverages, or dessert for the picnic. Please use this link to sign-up to volunteer or to bring a picnic item.

Check out this game description form to know what is expected of game/activity volunteers.

Family Kickball Night!

Save the Date for Friday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m.

Join your St. John School Family for a rousing game of kickball! PTP is providing pizza! Please use this link to sign-up.

8th Grade Graduation and All Students Sing

On Sunday, May 19, we will recognize and celebrate our 8th grade graduates in our 9:00 AM

worship service. All St. John students will be singing in this service as well, so please plan to

attend! All are also invited to a brief reception and time of fellowship after the service. Please use this link to let us know how many people from your family will be attending.

We praise God for guiding and blessing our graduates during their time here at St. John, and we

pray that God would keep them close to him in the future.

Natalia Haakenson

Noelle Larson

Noah Lofsness

Sihan “Leo” Lu

Jiajia “Vivian” Wang

Zachary Wietbrock

Track & Field Results

Congratulations to all of our Track and Field Athletes! Our school did well in individual and group activities and took 4th place overall for the small school division. Students in Grades 4, 5, & 6 competed against one another, and students in Grades 7 & 8 competed against one another.

Naomi Andal (4th Grade)

800 meter - 6th place

1600 meter - 6th place

Lilian Cisneros (5th Grade)

Triple Jump - 6th place

Maggie Hoover (5th Grade)

800 meter - 5th place

1600 meter - 3rd place

Karoleena Kushnir (5th Grade)

200 meter - 5th place

Ulysses Prevoznak (5th Grade)

Softball Throw - 6th place

Discus - 6th place

Jonah Andal (6th Grade)

400 meter - 6th place

800 meter - 5th place

1600 meter - 5th place

Triple Jump - 5th place

Abigail Jorgensen (6th Grade)

50 meter - 2nd place

200 meter - 1st place

400 meter - 1st place

Softball Throw - 5th place

Sawyer Kolch (6th Grade)

100 meter - 1st place

400 meter - 2nd place

800 meter - 2nd place

Triple Jump - 1st place

Softball Throw - 1st place

Discus - 2nd place

Audrey Massey (6th Grade)

Softball throw - 6th place

Pepper Rathmann (6th Grade)

100 meter - 4th place

Triple Jump - 1st place

Lia Zahnen (6th Grade)

Shot Put - 5th place

Discus - 3rd place

Grace Haak (7th Grade)

Triple Jump - 4th place

Discus - 4th place

Hannah Hoover (7th Grade)

50 meter - 3rd place

100 meter - 3rd place

200 meter - 5th place

Long Jump - 4th place

Shot Put - 4th place

Michael Thies (7th Grade)

50 meter - 1st place

100 meter - 1st place

200 meter - 1st place

Softball Throw - 4th place

Discus - 6th place

Zachary Wietbrock (8th Grade)

400 meter - 6th place

800 meter - 2nd place

1600 meter - 4th place

Triple Jump - 2nd place

Softball Throw - 3rd place

Long Jump - 5th place

5-6 Girls Relay - 2nd place

5-6 Boys Relay - 2nd place

7-8 Girls Relay - 3rd place

7-8 Boys Relay - 3rd place

5-6 Mixed Relay - 4th place

7-8 Mixed Relay - 2nd place

Forensics Meet Results

Congratulations to our St. John students who competed in the Forensics Meet at Shoreland Lutheran High School on May 1!

Michael Thies - Perfect Score Trophy

Gerwyn Catapat - Gold Medal

Zach Wietbrock - Bronze Medal

Abby Jorgensen - Silver Medal

Pepper Rathmann - Silver Medal

Audrey Massey - Gold Medal

7th and 8th graders placed 2nd in the small school division.

PRINCIPAL / STAFF MINISTER OF OUTREACH

We are blessed to bring David Retzlaff into ministry with us at St. John. This summer he will be moving from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to "the heart of Lake County." This blessing means thanksgiving, responsibility, and opportunity. We can exercise our thanksgiving by picking up our responsibilities and stretching into our opportunities. How? A Special Offering! Our "New Principal Special Offering" will seek to cover our moving expenses (our responsibility) and stretch into opportunities with our Retzlaff Tool Box (funds special projects outside of budget).

Recorder Recital - All are Invited

Our 5th and 6th graders at St. John have been working diligently throughout this school year to advance their recorder playing skills. Now, as this school year nears its end, we would like to showcase their talents at an after-school recital. All parents, family members, and friends are invited. The recital will take place in the church beginning at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, May 21. We should be finished by around 4:00. Come join the fun! - Keith Kopczynski, Ali Lindemann

Save the Date! Tuesday, May 21

Tonality Brewing Company in Mundelein has generously offered 10% of sales to go toward our St. John Tuition Grant Fund on Tuesday, May 21, 5 p.m. and after.

Attend the 5th and 6th Grade Recorder Recital then head over to Tonality for dinner and drinks. Kids are welcome! Reservations are encouraged! Make sure to mention you are there for St. John. Check out their website (and menu) here.

Tonality Brewing Company

169 N Seymour Ave.

Mundelein, IL

Grade School Music Lessons

St. John School and Shoreland Lutheran High School have partnered together to offer band and string lessons to our students. Please use this link for information for the 2024-2025 School Year. This afternoon students in grades 3-6 were given an in-person demonstration of the instruments offered. Please reach out to Keith Wordell (wordellk@slhs.us) with any questions.

Libertyville Days Singing

All of our school children are welcome to join us on the Cook Park Stage to sing for Libertyville Days on Friday, June 14. We will be singing familiar Bible songs and hymns. You don't have to know the words—they will be provided! (Or you can just sing the songs you know.) Please meet by the Cook Park stage at noon so we're ready to start by 12:15 pm. Here is the list of songs we will be singing:

In Christ Alone
Jesus Loves Me
My God is so Great
Do You Know Who Died for Me
Speak, O Lord
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Amazing Grace

This Little Light of Mine

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
By Faith

We will be singing along with MP3 accompaniments, which can be found in this Google Drive folder: Libertyville Days Songs 2024

Feel free to practice them at home so you are prepared when we sing them together.

If you have any questions, please email Monica at monicawintrone@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!

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Dive Into Vacation Bible School!

Summer is almost here and what better way to cool off than to join us for the refreshing Good News of God's Word with SCUBA Vacation Bible School at St. John.

Take kids deep into an amazing undersea adventure where they’ll experience the ever-flowing, never-ending love of God. At Scuba VBS, kids will be immersed in the Word and discover what living water is really all about!

When: June 24-27, 9:00 to 11:00 am, with singing at our 9:00 am Sunday service on June 30.

Where do I sign up? Please follow this link: https://vbspro.events/p/stjohnscuba or scan the QR code. (Note: If your child is going into 7th grade or above, and they would like to help out instead of being a student, please sign them up as a volunteer.)

Kenosha Kingfish Game

Join us on Friday, June 21, for fellowship, fun, and baseball!

The Kenosha Kingfish take on the Kokomo Jackrabbits

Gates open at 5:35 p.m. and the game starts at 6:35 p.m.

Tailgate tickets ($21 each) include all you can eat ballpark food and all you can drink soda and water for one hour before the game. You can upgrade your ticket to include beer ($27 each). Use this link to purchase tickets.

Please call or email Jemma with any ticket or Kingfish questions - (262) 653-0900 or jemma@kingfishbaseball.com. Please contact Paul Massey at Paul.Massey@StJohnsLib.com with your questions about what your St. John family is doing before and during the game.

Dear St. John parents,

My name is Paul Spaude and I serve as the camp director for Training Camp, a local youth summer Christian camp. I had the chance to speak to your children at chapel on May 1, and handed out some information about Training Camp. In case that information doesn't make it to you, here it is:

Training Camp (or Overnight Bible Camp) is a one-week, overnight, Christian youth camp for children entering grades 3-9. Camp is at YMCA Camp Duncan in Ingleside, IL. Camp 2024 is from July 14 - 19, and costs $500. This includes all food, lodging, and activities for the week. Campers stay in chaperoned cabins. Campers will enjoy:

Boating
Swimming (lake and pool)
Ga Ga Ball
Blobbing
High and Low Ropes Course
Bible Study
Bible Reading and Journaling
Christian Friends
And More!

Check out these helpful links for more:

More information and registration.

Helpful videos that explain frequently asked questions (the dates are from Camp 2023, so disregard those dates).

Please do reach out to me with any questions at paul.spaude@smniles.org. Can't wait to meet your children at Camp!

-Pastor Paul Spaude

FACTS Tuition Assistance Applications

We have been informed that a few families have been able to complete the FACTS Tuition Assistance Application. If you are still having issues with the program, please let us know. Thank you for your patience!

Employee Matching Gifts

Triple Bonus Points! In Scrabble we hunt those tiles down and stake them out. For years we have been the beneficiary of Triple Bonus Points; one of our St. John families gives a special gift to our Tuition Grant Fund and his employer matches the gift 2-to-1 so that his $6,000 is matched by $12,000 from his employer to become $18,000 for our Tuition Grant Fund!

Not every employee matching program offers Triple Bonus Points, but employee matching programs are available for many of you in our St. John family. Our St. John school is now an accredited school and is eligible for matching gifts from many employee matching gift programs. A school family last year blessed us with $5,000 that became $10,000 for our tuition Grant Fund. Another school family regularly donates $50, $70, or $90 that is doubled, for our School Projects Fund.

Does your employer offer a matching gifts program? We can turn that benefit into blessing!

Friends and Family Referrals

Enrollment season is open at St. John Lutheran School for the 2024-2025 school year!

Do you know a family whom you’d love to see attend St. John?! Recommendations and referrals from our families are our best source of meeting new families who value Christian education at St. John like we do.

Did you know that we reward you as a thank you for introducing new families to St. John? For every family you refer who tours St. John, we thank you with a $100 credit to use towards tuition or ESS. If they enroll and spend a trimester with us, we’ll award you another $400!

Please direct your friends and family to our website information page at https://www.stjohnslib.com/contact.phtml, send an email to recruitment@stjohnslib.com, or text Peter Kolch, Recruitment Chair, at 773-368-9842. Thank you!

Chapel Offerings for 2023 - 2024

Our mission offerings this school year will go to support Academia Cristo.

To learn more about Academia Cristo visit https://www.academiacristo.com/.

Chapel Offerings so far: $2,197.55

After School Program Pick-Up

When picking up students from after-school programs, please check the E.S.S. sign on the main entrance doors to determine where to enter the building. If E.S.S. is outside, please go to the preschool playground and those working E.S.S. will direct you where to go for pick-up. If E.S.S. is inside, please buzz / ring the "Ring" doorbell to gain access to the building.

Spanish Class

We meet on Mondays.

Getting Involved at St. John

Are you hoping to volunteer for Spirit Days or chaperone a field trip? Parents and care-givers who will be working directly with students (Field Trip chaperones, Spirit Day volunteers, ...) will need to first apply (and be approved) through our Safe-Child Program. Stop by the office after drop-off or before pick-up time to get an application for working with St. John youth. You may have already gotten this application from your child's teacher on one of our registration nights. Once completed, the application can be turned in to the school office.