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Principal’s Newsletter, Charles Strohacker, Principal

CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL
4333 CLEVELAND AVENUE
STEVENSVILLE, MI 49127

January 25, 2010

Securing Each Child’s Future- For a Life of Service!

"Oooooo's and Awwwwww's"

Picture this - a new parent or grandparent is showing pictures of a newborn baby, and everyone is standing around 'oooing' and 'awwwing.' I've been in that position lately. God’s gift of life should draw that kind of response – what a marvelous miracle!

Yesterday, we observed "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday" at Christ Lutheran Church, and in his Chapel lesson last Wednesday, Mr. Farrand gave our students a preview. His visual for the lesson was an enlarged baby picture of anyone on staff brave enough to share. What fun as the kids tried to guess who was who!

Later in the day Wednesday, I noticed adults gathering outside the office, and there was some 'oooing' and 'awwwing' taking place. Mr. Farrand had posted our staff baby pictures in the hallway. It's nice to know that we still draw some Ooo's and Awww's.

Mr. Farrand did a great job engaging students in last week's lesson with his creative approach. He also taught our children how God values all human life - from the newly born to those in their final days on earth; from the physically able to the most severely disabled.

God loves us at every stage of our life and in all circumstances.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7

Students helping Haiti

Students will be collecting money in their classrooms - this week only - to support the Haitian earthquake victims.

School will not be in session this Friday, January 29, the end of the first semester.

TROPHY CASE

Last week’s newsletter carried a thank you to the men involved in building our new trophy case at the entrance to the gym. If you haven’t seen it, please take a look. Wow! I want to add my thanks to Mr. Kern and Mr. Wallace, too, for developing this idea. Several good reasons for this new feature: It is closer to our gym. It is larger and accommodates the many trophies that hadn’t been able to be displayed previously. In recent years we more and more frequently have used the display case by the office to highlight a number of things that change throughout the year. Please note that the glass doors on the case are safety glass.

WELCOME

Next week southwest Michigan will be hosting The Michigan District - LCMS Winter Pastors Conference. Pastors will be at Christ on Tuesday for morning worship and opening activities, using the Sanctuary, Commons and All-Purpose Room. The Computer Lab will not be set up on Tuesday. Pastors will also be using other sites in town, including Trinity Lutheran, St. Joe, and The Heritage Center. Please make our guests feel welcome and greet them.

PARENTS AS TEACHERS PLAYGROUP

The Berrien RESA Parents As Teachers Playgroup has their next play date in our gym on Wednesday, February 10. There is no cost to attend, and the group is for parents and their young children, birth through pre-school age. For more information, call Playgroup Coordinator, Kathy Hanley, (921-0199).

FIELD TRIP

The Kindergarten students will be visiting the Lincoln Township Library this Thursday morning. They will leave school at 9:15 a.m. and return at 10:30 a.m.

The Six Flags Read to Succeed deadline in Friday, February 19.

KITCHEN HELP NEEDED!

An average month has 20 days of school. We currently have only 8 volunteers to help serve lunch. We are looking for another 8-12 people. On the day that you help serve, one of your children may receive a free hot lunch.

We are also in need of some ladies to create a cover for the salad bar and sew a curtain for under the butcher block. If interested in either of these, please call Amy Cole at 983-0524.

HAVE YOU TRIED SCRIP?

Valentine’s Day is coming up and SCRIP offers some great ideas for that “special someone.” Maybe a SCRIP gift card for some yummy chocolates from The South Bend Chocolate Company (10% profit), or a night out to Red Lobster or the Olive Garden (9% profit). We also stock Clementine’s (5% profit) and Chili’s (11% profit). There are so many more restaurants to choose from and you can special order them every week.

Just by using SCRIP gift cards, Kathy Conrad has earned $83.20 toward her school book fees and another $83.20 to donate to the church and school. Lori Brown has earned $88.90 for her book fees and $88.90 for the church/school fund. Through her SCRIP purchases, Karla Pankratz has earned $126.44 for her book fees and an equal amount for the church/school. It’s so easy…..just use SCRIP gift cards and our church and school earn money!

SPORTS KORNER

Scores from last week’s basketball games were:

5/6^th Christ Boys – 37; Resurrection, So. Bend – 14

5/6^th Christ Girls – 26; Resurrection, So. Bend – 17

7/8^th Christ Girls – 31; Trinity, St. Joe – 17

5/6^th Christ Girls – 32; St. Paul, Stev. – 8

Congratulations to the 7/8^th grade boys for bringing home the 1^st place trophy from the Crystal Lake, Ill. tournament this past weekend. The 7/8^th grade girls finished second in the girl’s division. The 5/6^th girls finished in third place at the Michigan Lutheran tournament over the weekend.

This week’s game schedule is:

Tonight, January 25:

3/4^th Girls @ Grace @ 4:00 pm

5/6^th Girls @ Grace @ 5:00 pm

Thursday, January 28:

Upton 7^th @ Christ 7^th Girls @ 4:00 pm

Upton 8^th @ Christ 8^th Girls @ 5:00 pm

(So. Haven vs. Trinity, SJ @ Christ @ 6:00 pm)

Berrien Springs @ Christ 5/6^th Girls @ 7:00 pm

This weekend, January 29-30, the 7/8^th boys will be traveling to Grand Rapids to participate in Our Savior’s annual tournament.

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The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod

Dear Lutheran School Parents,

For more than three decades, Lutheran schools in Michigan have participated in Hearts for Jesus, collecting chapel offerings and designating them for a ministry selected by the Michigan District’s school committee. Since its beginning in 1972, students like yours have raised over $1.2 million for numerous causes. This year, your children have an incredible opportunity to share their “Hearts for Jesus” by supporting the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) with their chapel offerings.

Malaria is a preventable and treatable mosquito-borne disease, but it kills more than 1 million people a year. The goal of LMI is to unify the nearly 8 million Lutherans in the United States around the fight against this deadly disease through education, advocacy, and mobilization of resources. For more information, visit www.lutheranmalaria.org.

During chapel, your children will learn about malaria and how they can use their God-given gifts to support LMI. One way is by supporting the purchase of bed nets to protect African children and their families from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Just $10 buys an insecticide-treated bed net, delivers it to someone in Africa, and educates that person on its use.

You and your children are encouraged to share what is learned during the Hearts for Jesus campaign, to pray for children and their families affected by malaria, and to join in supporting LMI. Thank you for your partnership in this effort to share Christ’s mercy with people in need, particularly in Africa where malaria is prevalent.

In Christ, Bruce Braun, CMF/Superintendent of Schools, Michigan District

Please note that the “Hearts for Jesus” program will be the recipient of our February Chapel offerings here at Christ Lutheran. Students will receive special envelops to be turned in on Ash Wednesday.

January 19, 2010

Sanctity of Human Life

This Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a day to remember that every human life is a gift from God and precious in His sight.

As you might expect, new life is especially on my mind because I just recently became a grandfather for the first time. But the beginning of this awe and reverence I have for human life actually first took hold when my son was born 32 years ago.

I truly believe that in blessing me with two children and allowing me to nurture them and watch them grow, God has more fully revealed Himself to me. In coming to understand the incredible love I have for my children, I believe God helped me to catch perhaps a glimpse of His immeasurable love for me through Jesus His Son.

Martin Luther wrote that if a man could make a single rose, an entire empire would be given to him. However, he went on, because of their commonness, we often overlook or take for granted innumerable gifts from God, even children. May that never be said of us.

You know, if the ancient Greeks didn’t like someone, they were known to say, ‘I hope your children don’t resemble you.’ Sort of a curse.

While we might joke about not burdening a child with “looks like mine,” the truth be told, we often do take pride regarding ways our children may resemble us, and there is nothing wrong with that.

May we always remember that God made us in His own image, calling each of us to reflect the love of our Brother, Jesus, to everyone we meet. Yes, God indeed values human life, from the time He forms that life in the womb and throughout a person’s entire life, never tiring of daily calling us to repentance, faith and new life in Christ our Lord.

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

Thank you to Mr. Farrand for the work he does for Lutherans for Life and the leadership role he provides in our congregation and school in keeping this topic before us. Mr. Farrand will be sharing many Life Sunday materials this week, and he also is our Chapel Leader this Wednesday.

NO SCHOOL

Next Friday, January 29, marks the end of the first semester of this school year, and school will not be in session that day. I thank and praise God for the many gifts He has blessed us with over the first half of this year.

MEAP TESTS

While the State will not allow schools to release detailed reporting of the Fall 2009 MEAP tests yet, those results have been posted online for administrators to view as we order the report formats we desire the State to send us. I am happy to report that our 7^th and 8^th graders again scored very high and well above state-wide averages. Parent Reports should arrive soon, and when those are distributed I will also be given the necessary permission to publicize our scores to the broader community. Great job, kids and teachers!

Sunday School children will be singing the Prelude this Sunday, January 24, at the 10:45 worship service.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to Ron VanderMeer, Chris Alles, Al Weisser, Tim Quardokus and Joe Schalon for their contributions to the construction of the new trophy case outside the gym and the new bookcase for the Library. These gentlemen serve on the Board of Properties keeping our building in working order. All of their hard work is greatly appreciated.

LOST

We are looking for a pair of black Columbia bib snow pants, size 10-12, with the name “Fowler” on the inside tag. All snow pants look so much alike, please check the tag in the ones you have been wearing to be sure you didn’t pick up the wrong ones. Thanks you.

PLANNING AHEAD

Students from CLS who will be attending St. Joseph High School next fall are invited along with their parents to attend an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Joseph High School Auditorium. Students will receive scheduling materials, meet department representatives and tour the facility.

TITAN FOR A DAY

Michigan Lutheran High School will hold their Titan for a Day program on Friday, January 29. All students in 7^th and 8^th grade are invited and will have the opportunity to learn about ML during their visit, as well as meet the staff and other students. Please let your teacher know if you plan to attend as we need to let ML know who to expect.

SPORTS KORNER

Scores from last week’s basketball games were:

Christ 5/6/8 Boys – 34: Resurrection, SB 7/8^th – 30

Christ 5/6 Boys – 30; Resurrection, SB – 14

Christ 7/8 Boys – 43; ML 7/8 – 26

Christ 7/8 Girls – 29; Berrien Springs 7/8 – 8

This week’s game schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, January 20:

Resurrection Luth, SB @ Christ 5/6^th Girls @ 4:30pm

Resurrection Luth., SB @ Christ 5/6^th Boys @ 5:30pm

Trinity, SJ @ Christ 7/8^th Girls @ 6:30pm

Thursday, January 21:

Christ 3/4^th Girls @ S. Paul, Stev. @ 4:00pm

Christ 5/6^th Girls @ St. Paul, Stev. @ 5:00pm

This weekend the 7/8^th girls and boys will be traveling to Crystal Lake, Illinois to participate a tournament.

Also this weekend, the 5/6^th girls will participate in the “B” Girls Tournament being held at Michigan Lutheran.

THRIVENT GRANT AVAILABLE

Christ Lutheran Church and School has the opportunity to receive a one time grant of $8,010 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. To receive this grant, Christ Lutheran School needs to raise $16,020 through contributions before June 30, 2010. You do not need to be a Thrivent member to participate with a contribution. Simply make your check payable to Christ Lutheran School, and if you choose to put it in your weekly church envelope be sure to mark on the outside that it is for the Thrivent grant program. Your contribution will appear on your annual church statement for your tax records. If you have questions, call Sharon Jeschke @ 982-9966 or 429-0573, or contact the school office @ 429-7111.

January 11, 2010

I’m No Shepherd…

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. Luke 2:16

The urgency felt by the shepherds was something Diane understood immediately when the phone rang, but I guess that…I’m no shepherd.

“Hi, Dad. Courtney and I are at the hospital. Her dad said the baby should be born late tonight or early tomorrow morning. So, are you and Mom coming over?”

“Over” was Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, MI, about three hours away, and this phone call came around 6:00 p.m….after a day of running errands with Diane and hanging new drapery rods. It was snowing, the roads were slick, and we had just decided to spend the evening relaxing at home, just kicking back. Besides, what does her dad know – he’s only the head of OB at the hospital.

“And they went with haste…?” Obviously the shepherds didn’t have a nice recliner, a large flat screen TV…and bowl games. Did I mention football games?

“There’s no baby yet…? I mean, it could be a while; we could be sitting there all night, and…”

“Chuck, give me that phone!” Now practical men don’t know how this story ends, but the rest of you all know that after a brief conversation, we indeed “went with haste!”

We made it in time and then, like the shepherds, we ‘made known what we learned about this child,’ (pictures on the Internet and all that), and we most certainly have been ‘glorifying and praising God for all that we’ve heard and seen’ concerning this new child in our lives. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and good wishes…and for putting up with Grandpa’s pictures of baby Luke last week!

THANK YOU

Thank you for the quick response and cooperation I noticed right away last week in our parking lot. Keeping those front spaces open and slowing down has indeed been helpful and increased the safety of our children. Thanks also for your patience parking in a pretty orderly fashion considering all the snow that has been falling!

NO SCHOOL

School will not be in session next Monday, January 18, Martin Luther King Day. I pray that you and your family enjoy the upcoming three day weekend.

SLEDDING

The kids have been having a great time on the hill although we did have one casualty last week, a broken arm. We’re working to eliminate the bump on the hill, but quite often neighborhood kids come over after hours and like to build up a bump for their snow boards. I am happy, however, that we have a hill like this for our kids as well as those in the neighborhood.

Please remember a few simple rules. Sleds need to be soft/flexible to minimize injuries. No hard plastics, wood, metal, etc. Children are not allowed on the hill after school until the bus has left (by then the lot is pretty well cleared out). However, drivers still should use caution as children occasionally go over the mound at the bottom of the hill and slide onto the parking lot. We do tell kids to roll off their sleds before this happens, but please be alert. Finally, while we love to see kids out there sledding after school, parents should still be arriving in a timely manner after school and take responsibility for supervising. Please do not say to your child, “I’ll pick you up at 4:00” (or later). Thanks for your help.

Cantate Choir (grades 3 & 4) will be singing this Sunday, January 17, at the 10:45 a.m. worship service.

NET CETERA

The FTC and FCC recently released a good resource for parents: Net Cetera – Chatting With Kids About Being Online. This resource is available free at www.onguardonline.gov and we have also made copies available on the Church Visitors Center. If the supply runs out on the Visitors Center, please ask for more in the office.

KRASL FIELDTRIP

Students in grades 5 – 8 visited the Krasl Art Center, along with our Art Teacher, Mrs. Reimann, before the Christmas holiday. Students are now working on projects using the techniques they learned at the Art Center.

CHAPEL OFFERINGS

The offerings from our Chapel services during the month of January have been designated for Lutherans for Life. All are invited to join us at 8:45 a.m. each Wednesday morning for Chapel.

BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION

Christ Lutheran has received a check for $378.50 from our fall submission of Boxtops for Education. We will submit again in the spring. Please continue to clip and turn them in. This as absolutely free money that supports PTL programs at CLS for your taking the time to cut that little certificate off your packages.

We still have DVD’s available in the school office from the “Barbecue for Ben” musical. Cost is $10.

PARENTS AS TEACHERS

The Berrien RESA Parents As Teachers Playgroup meets again this Wednesday, January 13, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in our gym. This group is for parents and their young children, birth through pre-school age. Kathy Hanley, Playgroup Coordinator, and her helper are always here providing resources, structure and guidance. The playgroup is a great opportunity to learn, meet other parents and provide young children the opportunity for creative play and interaction with other children. Call Kathy at 921-0199 if you desire more information.

COMPUTER CLASS

I’ve been very pleased with the expanded and consistent opportunity students in grades 5-8 have had this year to access the Computer Lab. In addition to regular classes taught on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday by Mr. Strohacker, students have also accessed the lab for a number of classroom projects, reports, etc. assigned by their teachers. Most recently, students in 5^th and 6^th grade have been using cybersafety curriculum materials with Mr. Strohacker, learning about safety online. Mrs. Beach has been introducing 7^th graders to Wiki’s, and I’m excited about the work they’ve done during our Computer Class time. 8^th graders are currently finishing up a Photo Story project about a famous scientist or inventor. The students’ reports include voice-over narration, slides and quite often, music.

PLANNING AHEAD

FIELD TRIPS

6^th & 7^th grade students will be participating in the service at Jordan’s Nursing Home this Wednesday afternoon.

4^th & 6^th grade students will be tubing and cross-country skiing this Thursday at Five Pines.

“START SPREADING THE NEWS”

Mrs. Jackemeyer is looking for students who are willing to share their talents at a spring talent show coming up in May. Do you dance, sing, play an instrument, do stand-up comedy, want to participate in a skit? Tryouts will be held sometime in March.

SPORTS KORNER

Basketball games resume this week with the following schedule:

Tuesday, January 12:

5^th/6^th Boys at Resurrection, So. Bend @ 4:30 pm

5^th/6^th Boys/Brothers @ Resurrection, So. Bend 5:30 pm

Wednesday, January 13:

7^th/8^th Boys vs. ML @ Grace @ 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 14:

Berrien Springs @ 7^th/8^th Girls at 4:15 pm

January 5, 2010

New

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

It was a specific softball bat that I especially wanted that Christmas, and I had spent considerable time in the store checking it over for weight, balance and the like. Perfection…

A couple days after Christmas, I was out in the alley taking some practice swings, one of those balmy winter days when the snow had melted, everything was wet, and you could almost delude yourself into thinking, “By the weekend we’ll get a pick-up game of softball going…”

I so much wanted to hit something, anything, with my new bat, and even though I knew better, I picked up a rock and took that smooth stroke that sent it sailing high into the sky and landing in a nearby prairie.

No, I didn’t break any windows or put out anyone’s eye. But when I looked at the barrel of the bat, a wooden bat because aluminum had not yet been discovered when I was a kid, there was a deep gouge right above the label. My ~~new~~ bat…

In a sinful world, nothing is “new” for very long – sin and decay is all around us.

But in Christ, St. Paul says, ‘we are a new creation.’ And he emphasizes this in case we don’t get it: “the old has gone, the new has come!”

In our sinfulness, we’re used to it being the other way around. ‘The new has gone (never to return), the old has come!’ and you’re stuck with it…

Luther tells us that through our Baptism the new man daily emerges and arises to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. May that promise be so for Jesus’ sake this New Year.

THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone for your many kind words and thoughtful gestures at Christmas. Each gift is a reminder of the greatest gift of all, God’s Son, Jesus our Savior, the Babe of Bethlehem.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Aaron Peppel on finishing 1^st in this year’s school portion of The National Geographic Bee. Shortly before Christmas Break, two representatives from each grade, 4^th – 8^th, competed at the school level of the national Bee. Aaron will now take a written exam to determine if he qualifies to move on to State competition in the spring. Congrats, also, to Eric Vigansky, our 2^nd place finisher.

AUTHOR, AUTHOR!

Kudos to 7^th grader Mary Brown who has written an essay for the February issue of Michigan In Touch, a publication of The Michigan District – Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The February issue of Michigan In Touch will be featuring Lutheran Schools, and Christ Lutheran School was asked by our District Office to recruit a student to write about what attending a Lutheran school means to them. Thank you to Mrs. Jackemeyer for taking up this task of identifying a student writer and to Mary for accepting the invitation. We will share more when the February issue comes out.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Mrs. Ulmer, Mrs. Sukupchak and their 1^st and 2^nd graders for singing at the Senior Center on December 17.

Thank you, also, to 8^th graders Paul Jackemeyer, Aaron Peppel, Peter Ross, and Eric Vigansky for assisting Mrs. Kern with the Preschool Children’s Christmas program on December 17, and to Aaron and Peter for providing musical accompaniment on the piano.

Thank you to Mr. Steffens for leading our children in the recent Children’s Service and to our students for sharing the message of Jesus’ birth.

PARKING LOT SAFETY

Several things regarding Parking Lot Safety:

First, please remember to leave the front row of spaces (closest the building) open. At the start of the year, we were roping that area off which worked very well, but with winter weather this is no longer a good option. Leaving these spaces open gives us a better and safer view of children crossing the lot.
Just before Christmas I received a concerned call about cars going around other cars in the driveway. We had a near miss as this caller explained when someone rapidly sped around her car. Please exercise caution and drive slowly.
Overall in the parking lot, please drive slowly. Covering your brake is an excellent idea. I have on occasion seen cars being driven too fast, and I also have a concern with some of those driving too fast who I’ve noticed are on a cell phone and not watching for kids. Please use care.

H1N1

For those still looking for the H1N1 vaccination, the Berrien County Health Department is requesting you phone for an appointment. They are currently giving inoculations on Fridays in the Benton Harbor Area. Right before Christmas it was announced that they had enough doses on hand for anyone interested in having one. Mr. Strohacker and his family attended a clinic at First Church of God in mid-December – no long lines and no charge.

IT PAYS TO BUY SCRIP

During these cold winter months, keep in mind that we stock SCRIP gift cards for Express-Go and The Chocolate Company. Both vendors serve delicious, warm coffees and drinks and give our church and school a generous profit donations of 10%. Express-Go features “Chocolate Monday” every week, which means that all chocolate coffees and drinks are on special.

Just by using SCRIP gift cards, Karla Johnson has already earned $148.98 to put toward her school fees, and another $148.98 to donate to the church and school. Jen Meyer has earned $130.30 for her school fees and $130.30 for the church and school. Keep up the great sales…it all adds up fast!

CALENDAR THINGS

Please note that school is not in session on Monday, January 18, Martin Luther King Day.

School is also not in session on Friday, January 29, the end of the second quarter and first semester.

SIX FLAGS READ TO SUCCEED

Students in grades K-6 have until February 19^th to complete their six hours of reading and turn in their Six Flags Read to Succeed logs to earn their free ticket to a Six Flags park. Tickets can be used between June 14 and August 8, 2010.

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores from the week prior to the holidays were:

Christ 7/8^th – 47; Upton 8^th – 48

Christ 5/6^th – 36; Sawyer – 12

Christ 7/8^th – 44; Resurrection, So. Bend – 4

There aren’t any games scheduled until this weekend when the 7/8^th boys will be competing in a tournament at Danville, Il. They will play their first game Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.

December 14, 2009

A Humble Birth

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7

Small town, simple couple, only a few scraps of cloth in which to wrap the baby, a lowly manger instead of a crib (with all the accompanying government safety labels). A humble birth…

Since September, I’ve been in Babies R’ Us a few times and have attended two baby showers. Rather strange territory for me, but many of you know that Diane and I are looking forward to becoming grandparents for the first time, in early January.

The things I’ve seen, including a tour of the newly finished nursery for my future grandchild, are a far cry from Bethlehem. This new baby will be generously cared for, loved and nurtured, and I have great confidence in the child’s parents.

Most of all, however, my grandchild will be baptized and salvation secured through the baby Jesus, born in a Bethlehem stall, the Son of God become man, so that men might become the sons of God.

“COME LORD JESUS”

This year’s Children’s Service, “Come Lord Jesus”, will take place this Wednesday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please invite your friends and relatives to attend and hear the story of our Savior’s birth. Also, please make those who have difficulty getting out at night aware that we do offer an afternoon service.

SENIOR CENTER

Our 1^st and 2^nd graders will travel to the Senior Center this Thursday, December 17, (rescheduled from last week’s snow day) and carol to that group during their Christmas luncheon.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

The National Geographic Bee (also rescheduled after last week’s Snow Day) will be held tomorrow in our All Purpose Room at 1:30 p.m. The following students have qualified at the classroom level to participate: 4^th Grade – Autumn Guffey, Issa Williams and alternate, Sarah Jackemeyer; 5^th Grade – Anna Burg, Andrew Vigansky, and alternate, Carter Root; 6^th Grade – Parker Calhoun, Chloe Kalinas, and alternate, Katie Harner; 7^th Grade – Jackie LaBaumbard, Casey Singler, and alternate, Audrey Conrad; 8^th Grade – Aaron Peppel, Eric Vigansky and alternate, Mitch Meyer. The winner of tomorrow’s competition qualifies to take an additional written test to try and qualify to compete at the State level in the spring. Parents and other guests are welcome to attend tomorrow’s Bee.

“BARBECUE FOR BEN” DVD’S READY

Get your copy of the CLS musical “Barbecue for Ben” available now. Shot in duel camera widescreen and professionally edited with subtitles. Cost is $10 with 100% of the profit donated to the school. Please make checks payable to Jeff Harris. Contact Jeff or Teri Harris for your copy @ 422-1275. Copies are also available in the school office.

BARNES & NOBLE BOOK FAIR

Thank you to everyone who went and supported our school Library by purchasing books. The Librarians will now be choosing new books for our Library that were earned through your generous support.

FALL INTO READING FINALE

Last Friday Kindergarten had their ice cream party. They earned this special treat by having 78% of their classmates participate in the Fall into Reading Program.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Several CLS alumni were awarded academic letters last week at Lakeshore High School. Congratulations to Kaitlin Cornwell, Molly Dahmer, Caleb Meyer, Alex Moneta, Aaron Nuechterlein, Laura O’Connor, Ryan O’Leary, Savannah Ulmer, Kelly Vigansky, Christina Welch and Nick Williams.

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Christmas Break begins at 3:10 p.m., the close of the school day this Friday, December 18. School resumes after break on Monday, January 4.

KITCHEN HELP NEEDED

The Hot Lunch Program is desperately in need of volunteers to help serve and cleanup during the lunch period. Our cooks have 17 days a month when they would appreciate assistance in the kitchen between 11:00 a.m. until about 1:00 p.m. If you are available to volunteer, please talk with our head cook, Mrs. Patty Allred.

SIX FLAGS READ TO SUCCEED

Teachers in grades K-6 received Six Flags Read to Succeed materials and have distributed them to their students. Each child has a reading log on which to record their six hours of reading, and the deadline for turning in the logs is Friday, February 19, 2010. Students who complete the program will receive a free ticket good at participating parks around the country between June 14 and August 8, 2010.

SPORTS KORNER

The score from the 5/6^th boy’s game last week was:

Christ – 25; LMC – 19

The other scheduled games for last week were cancelled because of the weather. The 5/6^th team participated in the Our Savior, Grand Rapids, tournament over the weekend winning their 1^st game and losing the 2^nd and 3^rd.

This week’s schedule is:

Tonight, Monday, December 14:

Sawyer vs. Christ “B” @ Berrien Springs @ 5pm

Upton 7^th @ Christ 7^th @ 4pm

Upton 8^th @ Christ 8^th @ 5pm

Tuesday, December 15:

Resurrection Luth., So. Bend @ Christ “B” @ 4:30pm

Resurrection Luth., So. Bend @ Christ 7/8^th @ 5:30pm

Twas the night before Christmas, the eve of Christ’s birth;
Many people were resting all over the earth.
The shepherds were watching their sheep in the night,
When all of sudden they saw a bright light.
And what to their wandering eyes should appear
But a beautiful angel high up in the air;
His face was all shining; his garments so bright,
That the shepherds started to tremble with fright.
But as he came nearer, the words that he said
Soon gave them to know there was nothing to dread.
He told them of “Peace”, with no fear or danger,
For their Wonderful Gift they would find in a manger.
So leaving their sheep they went into town,
To seek for this Gift; they would look all around.
They came to the stable, the covers they lift,
And there in the Manger, God’s Wonderful gift.
So pure and so holy, so full of God’s love,
They knew it was JESUS, God’s gift from above.
And so as we think of this Savior again,
May our worship this Christmas not be in vain.
Let us love Him and trust Him; there’s none that’s to small;
May the Lord richly bless you. Merry Christmas to all!

(Written by Rev. R. Franck)

We pray that you have a joyful and safe holiday season. God bless you and Merry Christmas.

December 7, 2009

Thanks for the Memories…

I’m going to show my age by admitting that I grew up hearing Bob Hope sing this song, Thanks for the Memories, many times – it was his signature for ending each show.

In Sunday’s epistle lesson, St. Paul writes, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3. And he goes on, “for your partnership in the Gospel.”

Last week I attended our Christ Lutheran 50+ Christmas Luncheon, and our leader invited everyone to share, a fond Christmas memory.

Like Bob Hope’s closing song, Paul’s words to the Philippians, and the Christmas memories shared at last week’s luncheon, many of these thoughts involve people.

Next to my family, the people I’m closest to are mostly school children, and I’m thankful to God for that special blessing. You love your kids and thank God for that blessing, right? Well, when you send those children to school every day that multiplies my blessings by 114. Plus, I’m blessed by Pastors, Teachers, and all the other people who work and volunteer here.

All this thankfulness is on my mind because I have had a wonderful fall (not the one on the ice last Friday) and first part of the school year. What great memories I have of our partnership in the Gospel as St. Paul describes it to the Philippians.

God’s continued blessings to everyone in our school family as we enter these busy final two weeks before Christmas Break and especially as we eagerly anticipate the coming of Jesus.

BAND CONCERT

What a treat you are in for tomorrow night. I encourage you to join us for The CLS Christmas Band Concert at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 8. In addition to great music performed by our students and Alumni Band, sounds of the season and cookies…there will also be a special treat as the CLS Faculty accompanies the Band on that famous piece, “Christmas In The Kitchen.”

Thank you to the 7^th and 8^th grade band members for providing the cookies and punch.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all the moms for last Friday’s Children’s Craft Bazaar. Once again, you outdid yourselves! For those who may not know, these ladies work all year long creating handmade, quality Christmas gifts for our children to purchase for people they love. It was a terrific day!

ADVENT WORSHIP

Please remember the opportunity to attend Advent worship this Wednesday, December 9, at 7:00 p.m. Also, remember that next Wednesday, December 16, is the date of our Children’s Advent Service with worship services at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

SENIOR CENTER

Our 1^st and 2^nd graders will travel to the Senior Center this Thursday, December 10, and carol to that group during their Christmas luncheon.

JORDAN’S NURSING HOME

3^rd graders and Mr. Steffens will accompany Pastor Measel this Wednesday afternoon to Jordan’s Nursing Home and sing for the residents.

THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY TRUE

That remark about falling on the ice last Friday is, as Luther often said, “most certainly true.” Please do be careful as the walks can sometimes be slick in the morning if you arrive before salt is spread. And, to address the rumors that you may have heard: Yes, I did cut my head. Yes, Mrs. Harris did put a band-aid on it for me. And…as best I can recall, I do believe she said that I should see the doctor and have my head examined.

SIX FLAGS READ TO SUCCEED

Teachers in grades K-6 received Six Flags Read to Succeed materials last week to distribute to their students. Each child has a reading log on which to record their six hours of reading, and the deadline for turning in the logs is Friday, February 19, 2010. Students who complete the program will receive a free ticket good at participating parks around the country between June 14 and August 8, 2010.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

This Thursday, December 10, the school portion of the National Geographic Bee will be held at CLS in our All Purpose Room. Students in grades 4-8 have already taken classroom tests to narrow the field to two students per grade. The winner of Thursday’s competition qualifies to take an additional written test to try and qualify to compete at the State level in the spring. Parents and other guests are welcome to attend – the Bee will start at 1:30 p.m.

NOTE OF THANKS

Dear Friends:

Thank you for your donation of $426.72 to the STEMM General Mission Fund. Your generosity will help enrich the lives of the Tanzanian children and adults who are served through our ministry and mission. We firmly believe that through our medical, educational, orphanage and spiritual ministries, we can make a difference now and in the years to come. Helping these young people develop in their leadership and social interaction skills is a powerful tool in the process of the change for the country.

All of us at STEMM greatly value and appreciate your support.

Sincerely, Mary A. Bechler, Executive Director

KRASL ART CENTER

5^th grade students and Mr. Kern will be visiting the Krasl Art Center this Wednesday morning.

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Christmas Break begins at 3:10 p.m., the close of the school day, Friday, December 18. School resumes after break on Monday, January 4.

KITCHEN HELP NEEDED

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores last week were:

Christ 7/8^th – 55; Trinity – 15

Christ 5/6^th – 19; Grace – 27

Christ 7/8^th – 60; B.H Charter – 18

Christ 5/6^th – 35; St. Paul, Stev. – 28

The 7/8^th boys played in the St. Paul, Ann Arbor, tournament over the weekend winning their first game and losing their second.

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Monday, December 7:

Trinity, St. Joe @ Christ “C” @ 4pm

LMC @ Christ “B” @ 5pm

Thursday, December 10:

B.H. Charter @ Christ 7/8^th @ 5:30 pm

Paw Paw @ Christ 7/8^th @ 6:30 pm

Friday & Saturday, December 11-12

“B” Boys Tournament in Grand Rapids

November 30, 2009

Style or Function

“Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.’” Luke 19:29b-30

The text above, of course, is from the account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday of Holy Week, what we call Palm Sunday. It is also the Gospel reading from yesterday, the first Sunday in Advent, because during Advent we look forward once again to Jesus’ coming. Not just Christmas, either, but Jesus’ second coming, when He will return and take us to live with Him in heaven.

I worked for a wealthy man once who drove the largest, most luxurious Cadillac made at the time. On Friday afternoons, it was my job to take every company car to a special car wash where each vehicle received a hand cleaning inside and out. I drove every kind of fancy car there was belonging to the company’s vice-presidents, and there were some I felt were far more luxurious than the Cadillac. I mentioned this to the owner of the company one day, asking why he preferred the Cadillac. His response: “When I drive through the old neighborhood, I want everyone to point and say, ‘There goes Jack; he drives a Cadillac, the most expensive car there is!’” For this man, style mattered more than function; his image mattered more than his comfort. What message was he trying to send?

Now Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on the back of a donkey instead of a horse. Hardly the image of a king. Many people expected Jesus to come as some sort of superhero, fully equipped to do battle against those identified as the enemies of Abraham’s descendants. But then Jesus does the unexpected, being born in a manger and riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

What a king road in Jesus’ time indicated his intentions. Riding on a great horse, the king sent a message that he was going to war. But atop a donkey, the message was, “Fear not, I come in peace.” The message of His peace and love is what Jesus’ conveys to us during this season of Advent.

CHIDLREN’S CRAFT BAZAAR

The annual Children’s Craft Bazaar is coming up this Friday, December 4! The committee is sending home information today about the items they have been busy crafting all fall. Please help your student make a list and don’t forget to send money on Friday.

We also could use your help. We need lots of volunteers to assist the younger children with their purchases. If you are available this Friday morning, please be at school by 8:30 a.m.

Because of the Craft Bazaar taking place this Friday, students will not have Library this week.

LADIES LEAGUE COOKIE WALK

The annual Ladies League Cookie Walk takes place this Saturday, December 5 at 9:00 a.m. and will last until all cookies are gone. Cookies are $6 per pound and early orders must be made by tomorrow, December 1.

All ladies of the congregation as asked to bake 4 to 6 dozen of their favorite holiday cookies and bring them to the kitchen by 5:00 pm Friday afternoon.

FIELD TRIP

Students in the 7^th grade will be traveling to the South Bend area tomorrow to tour the South Bend Chocolate Company and visit WNDU. We pray for safe travel and an enjoyable day for Mrs. Beach and her students.

CHRISTMAS BAND CONCERT

Mark next Tuesday, December 8, on your calendar, and join us for a wonderful evening of Christmas music, beginning at 7:00 p.m. In addition to a relaxing evening, preparing your heart for the coming of Christmas, you will also get to hear that traditional Christmas favorite, Christmas in the Kitchen, with an accompaniment by the Faculty using some unorthodox instruments! After the concert, you may even get an early sampling of Christmas cookies, too. See you next Tuesday, and bring your friends!

CHILDREN’S SERVICE

CLS students, under the direction of Mr. Steffens, began practicing before Thanksgiving for this year’s annual Children’s Advent Service. Please invite you family, friends and neighbors to worship with us on Wednesday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and hear the children once again proclaim the story of God’s love and His promise to send a Savior who is Christ the Lord

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Christmas Break begins at the close of the school day, 3:10 p.m., on Friday, December 18. Parents, please also remember that this is the day of our classroom Christmas parties and the student gift exchange. Information on the gift exchange was sent home last week. If you haven’t seen that letter, please check with your student’s teacher for more information

VOTE

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I received the e-mail below from the Mailmax Photo Editor regarding a photo submission from way back in early May. Some of you may recall that we had a 4^th grade boy, Ethan, from Hollywood school visit our classrooms and show a mammoth vertebrae he had found on the family farm in Baroda. If you’d like to vote on a title for this week’s picture, follow the directions below. The picture was taken in last year’s 5^th grade classroom and some of our current students are visible in the background.

I had set this photo aside and forgot about it. We are going to use it for the December 5^th issue. Get all your students, families and friends to vote for their favorite title to go with your photo. Log on at http://www.mailmaxonline.com/ to vote, and the highest vote count by Wednesday noon is the one we use for this week’s MailMax.

Thanks, Mr. Strohacker.

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores last week were:

Christ 5/6^th – 32; Trinity, Berrien – 34

Tonight’s game schedule:

Christ 7/8^th @ Trinity, SJ @ 7pm

Christ “C” @ Grace @ 4pm

Christ “B” @ Grace @ 5pm

Tuesday, December 1

B.H. Charter @ Christ 7/8^th @ 5:30 pm

Thursday, December 3;

Christ “C” @ St. Paul, Stev. 4pm

Christ “B” @ St. Paul, Stev. 5pm

Friday & Saturday, December 4-5:

7/8^th Boys Tournament in Ann Arbor

3^rd and 4^th girls who want to play basketball this year will start practicing this coming Sunday, December 6, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Please let Mr. Virsik know if you would like to play but can’t make the first practice.

November 23, 2009

But…

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him… But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet…’ They began to celebrate. ‘But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:20; 22-24; 32

First, thank you to Mr. Steffens, Mrs. Ulmer, Mrs. Sukupchak, Mr. Farrand, the 1^st – 4^th graders and all our parent volunteers for the wonderful job you did with last week’s performance of Barbeque for Ben, a musical based on Jesus’ parable of “The Prodigal Son.”

I was struck and really impressed by the high quality of our students’ singing, but I was totally caught off guard by my reaction to Ben’s return home. Now I’ve heard this parable many times over the years, many many times, so I knew where it was going. Still, that welcome home moved my heart.

Look at the text from Luke above, and focus on that tiny word, but, that appears several times over just a few verses.

“But while he was still a long way off…” – after all this son has done wrong, his father is still watching, waiting, hoping for his return, and he runs to him. “But the father said to his servants…” – the son is confessing his unworthiness but the father orders a feast. “But we had to celebrate…” – the father’s response to the older son who protests against the father’s forgiveness.

“We had to celebrate!” It’s like God is saying, ‘I have no choice – so great is my love for you that I will always forgive and welcome you back, no matter what the circumstances.’

CHILDREN’S SERVICE

As rehearsals and performances for the musical have drawn to an end, practice for this year’s Children’s Advent Service has begun. We started this morning. The children of Christ Lutheran School will present the message of Jesus’ coming on Wednesday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please invite friends, relatives and neighbors to join us for worship that day, and remind those who can’t get out in the evening that we have an afternoon service. Thanks.

CHRISTMAS BAND CONCERT

Speaking of invitations, please invite those same people to join us on Tuesday, December 8, at 7:00 p.m. for what promises to be a wonderful evening of Christmas music. During what often is a hectic time of the year, this is a great way to set aside an evening to relax and enjoy some beautiful music. On top of that, Mr. Farrand has roped the faculty into performing something that will undoubtedly make you laugh while making all of us look a bit foolish. Both ways, you win – great music performed by our students and a laugh from our faculty.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent-Teacher Conferences are being held today and tomorrow, November 23-24, and school dismisses both days at 11:40 a.m. For you bus riders, please remember that the Lakeshore bus will not be running either day at our dismissal time.

THANKSGIVING BREAK

We are a people that indeed have much for which to be thankful, and I pray God’s blessings on your family during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Please also keep our Pastors and Teachers in your prayers during these coming days. School is not in session Wednesday – Friday, November 25-27.

ADVENT

The season of Advent is upon us, and beginning next week, Wednesday, December 2, we have a special opportunity to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus through regular Wednesday evening worship services at 7:00 p.m. Like Ben in the musical, we were a long way off, but God sent His Son, Jesus, to seek and save the lost.

STUDENT GIFT EXCHANGE

Along with classroom Christmas parties, students enjoy exchanging gifts. We are again this year recommending a gift in the range of $3.00 - $5.00 for those classroom name exchanges. Students will be bringing home more information as each classroom has their own way of doing the exchange.

2009 PTL PIE UPDATE

This year’s pie sale was again possible because of all the donations of time and baking supplies from many of our CLS families, as well as very generous donations from several local businesses. Thank you to Todd Lueders with Great Lakes Packing, Meijers, Martins and Gordon’s Food Service. Thank you also to the kitchen and office staff for their contributions, and especially to all the dedicated volunteers who came out and helped assemble the pies. A total of 270 pies were made, and after expenses, our net profit from the sale will be approximately $1,600.

PTL would also like to thank and extend their appreciation to Mrs. Christine Quardokus and Mrs. Susan Slabbekoorn for chairing the Pie Sale. We really couldn’t have run a fundraiser of this magnitude without the commitment and dedication of volunteers like Christine and Susan to step up and take charge.

“TREE OF THANKS”

Please join our 6^th grade students in expressing your thankfulness on their “Tree of Thanks” located out in the Commons. Just jot down what you are most thankful for on one of the leaves located on the credenza and tape it to the tree. You will also find tape on the credenza. Thank you for participating in this project as we welcome with joy the Thanksgiving season!

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores last week were:

Christ 7/8^th – 51; Trinity, SJ “A” – 6

Christ 5/6^th – 46; Trinity, SJ “B” – 35

Christ 5/6^th – 34; Sawyer – 20

Tonight’s game schedule:

Berrien Springs @ Christ “B” @ 6:00 pm

Girls’ basketball scores last week were:

Christ 7/8^th – 30; ML 7/8^th – 19

Christ 7/8^th – 30; ML – 12

Congratulations to the 7/8^th girls for taking 2^nd place at the Danville tournament over the weekend.

6^th, 7^th, & 8^th Grade Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule

All three upper grade teachers will be available today from 1:00-3:00 pm and tonight from 6:00-8:00 pm to meet with parents.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, they will be here from 1:00 -3:00 p.m. to meet with parents. Please note this is a change from the evening to the afternoon. We apologize for the short notice.

November 16, 2009

Barbeque for Ben

Well, the time has finally come! Students in grades 1-4 have been practicing for the musical, Barbeque for Ben, since the first week of school. I’m eager for you to hear them perform, and that opportunity comes at the end of this week.

Barbeque for Ben is a musical based on Jesus’ parable of “The Prodigal Son.” The performances in the Sanctuary on Thursday, November 19, at 1:00 p.m. and on Friday, November 20, at 7:00 p.m.

Please invite friends and family members to attend, especially letting those who may have difficulty getting out at night that there is an afternoon show on Thursday. You are certainly welcome to attend both performances.

Please thank Mr. Steffens for directing this musical as well as Mrs. Ulmer, Mrs. Sukupchak and Mr. Farrand who worked with their individual classes getting ready. Thank you, also, to the parent volunteers who assist so much.

APOLOGY & BELATED BIRTHDAY WISHES

My apologies for overlooking two birthdays in last week’s newsletter – milestone birthdays at that!

HAPPY 40^TH BIRTHDAY MRS. JACKEMEYER

Last Thursday, November 12

HAPPY 65^TH BIRTHDAY MR. STEFFENS

Yesterday, Sunday, November 15

No P.M. Lakeshore bus this Thursday, November 19.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCS

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held next Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24. Remember that school will dismiss at 11:40 a.m. both Monday and Tuesday next week to allow teachers time for the conferences. The Lakeshore bus will not run at our dismissal time.

Schedules for students in grades 1-5 have been sent back home stating what time you are scheduled to visit with your child’s teacher. Please call the office if your form did not find its way home.

Conferences for students in grades 6-8 are done on a first come, first served basis and will not be scheduled a specific time. Afternoon conferences will run from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. and evening conferences from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

THANKSGIVING SCHEDULE

No school next week Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 25-27, as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Please join us for Thanksgiving worship Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. or Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m.

FALL INTO READING

The “Fall into Reading” contest has ended and congratulations go out to the following students who were classroom winners of a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card:

Kindergarten – Mia Harris

1^st Grade – Reneigh Sandmann

2^nd Grade – Gabriel Harrmann

3^rd Grade–Samantha Pankratz & Cailey Rooker

4^th Grade – Sarah Jackemeyer

5^th Grade –Justin Moore

6^th Grade – Andrea Kerns & Abbey Cole

Kindergarten will also be treated to an ice cream party for having the largest percent (78%) of their students participating.

“TREE OF THANKS”

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL OFFERINGS

This week’s special Sunday School offering item is:

Nov. 22 – Canned Fruit

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores last week were:

Christ 5/6^th – 24; Berrien Springs – 21

Christ 7/8^th – 29; Upton 8^th – 31

Christ 7/8^th – 33; Upton 7^th – 17

Christ 5/6^th – 38: South Haven – 32

This week’s boy’s game schedule is:

Monday, November 16:

St. Paul @ Christ “C” @ 4pm

Trinity, St. Joseph @ Christ “B” @ 6pm

Trinity, St. Joe 7/8^th @ Christ 7/8^th @ 7pm

Thursday, November 19:

Sawyer vs. Christ “B” @ Berrien Springs 6pm

7/8^th Girls Basketball begins this week with the following schedule:

Tonight, Monday, November 16:

7/8^th Girls vs. ML @ Grace @ 7:30pm

Thursday, November 19:

ML @ 7/8^th Girls @ 5:30 p.m.

This weekend, November 20-22, the 7/8^th girls will be participating in the Danville, Il, tournament.

November 9, 2009

As We Celebrate Veteran’s Day

Dear Heavenly Father,

In every age, You call certain persons to defend the human family from oppression, tyranny, and evil. Since our founding as a nation "conceived in liberty," countless American men and women have stepped forward to defend our country and many others from aggressors, and to liberate those held captive.

This week we honor all our veterans: those who rest in honored glory, those who still suffer from the wounds of war, and those who, with us, enjoy the blessing of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O God, thank You for the selfless sacrifice of these veterans and of their families. Help us to remember them, to pray for them, and to care for them. Please bring all our departed veterans into Your Kingdom, and console their families with Your unfailing love. Please heal our wounded veterans through the power of Your Holy Spirit, and grant your comfort and protection to those in our military who are currently in harms way.

Thank You for Your gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

THANK YOU!

Special thanks to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grade Room Parents for all their work on last Friday’s Special Persons Day event. What a tremendous turnout with over 200 guests present! Congratulations to Elaine Dinges, Fred Knuth and Bob Liskey whose names were drawn for the gift baskets.

1^st quarter Report Cards will be sent home with students this Friday.

8^th GRADE SINGING IN CHURCH

The 8^th grade students will be singing this coming Sunday, November 15, in the 8:00 a.m. worship service. Please have your student here by 7:50 a.m.

5^th TO JORDAN’S

The 5^th grade students are scheduled to participate in the monthly worship service at Jordan’s Nursing Home this Wednesday afternoon. They will need to leave school at 1:15 p.m. and will return by the end of the day.

‘BARBEQUE FOR BEN’

The sound from the sanctuary has been getting louder (in a good way) every day, and I have to tell you, we’ve got one bunch of excited girls and boys in there rehearsing for the upcoming musical. Grades 1-4 have been practicing with their teachers and their director, Mr. Steffens, since the first week of school, and I hope you’ve marked your calendar for this event. ‘Barbeque for Ben,’ a children’s musical based on Jesus’ parable of “The Prodigal Son,” has two performances scheduled for next week: Thursday, November 19, at 1:00 p.m. and Friday, November 20, at 7:00 p.m.

Please invite your friends, neighbors and extended family. For those who may have trouble getting out in the evening, you might suggest attending the Thursday afternoon performance. I know you will enjoy it!

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Look for forms to be returned to you later this week letting you know what time on November 23 or 24 you have been scheduled to see your students’ teachers. All families will be scheduled even if you did not return a preference of day and time form.

Conferences for students in grades 6-8 are done on a first-come, first served basis and will not be scheduled a specific time.

WANT TO BE A CHEERLEADER?

Mrs. Wendy Moore is organizing a cheerleading group for girls in grades 2, 3, and 4. If you are interested in being part of this cheerleading group, please meet with her here at school at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday evening.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL OFFERINGS

This week’s special Sunday School offering item is:

Nov. 15 – Boxed Pasta/Potato/Rice

Nov. 22 – Canned Fruit

COMMUNITY DAY SALE

This Saturday, November 14, is the Elder Beerman Community Day fundraiser sale. Coupon books are available in the school office for $5.00 each. CLS keeps all of the $5.00 and you receive a $10.00 coupon off almost any item you purchase at Elder Beerman. See the back of the coupon for a few exceptions.

SPORTS KORNER

Boy’s basketball scores last week were:

Christ 5/6^th – 31; St. Paul – 27

Christ 5/6^th – 43; LMC – 30

Special congratulations to our boys 5^th/6^th team for winning 1^st place at the ML tournament over the weekend.

Congratulations also go out to the 5^th/6^th grade girls for bringing home the Consolation Trophy from the Grand Rapids tournament.

This week’s boy’s game schedule is:

Monday, Nov. 9:

Grace @ Christ “C” @ 4pm

Grace vs. Christ “B” @ Berrien Springs 6pm

Tuesday, Nov. 10:

Christ 7^th @ Upton @ 5pm

Christ 8^th @ Upton @ 4pm

Thursday, Nov. 12:

Christ “B” vs. So. Haven @ Grace @ 5pm

Please Clip and Post the Cantate Choir Schedule if you have a student in grade 3 or 4.

Cantate Choir Schedule

2009-10

Grades 3-4

November 29, 8:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship

December 16, Wednesday, 1:00 & 7:00 p.m. Children’s Advent Worship

January 17, 2010, 10:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship

February 7, 2010, 8:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship

March 7, 2010, 10:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship

March 10, 2010, 4:30 p.m. Midweek Lenten Worship

April 25, 2010, 8:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship

November 2, 2009

All Saints Day

Yesterday, November 1, was the day the Church observes as All Saints Day. While remembering the saints who have gone on ahead of us to their home in heaven, Lutheran history is also rich in pointing out that there are saints on earth as well – all those who believe in Jesus.

Laying claim to our sainthood on earth is not false humility or arrogance. We are not called saints because we are without sin or have become saintly through the good things we have done. Actually, quite to the contrary, if we pointed out the things we have done, we could claim nothing other than the status of condemned sinner! Rather, we point to our Lord Jesus.

Luther described it this way: “We become holy (saints) through a ‘foreign holiness,’ namely, through the holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given to us by faith and thus becomes our own.”

SPECIAL PERSONS DAY

This Friday, November 6, is CLS’ annual Special Persons Day open house. Thank you to all the parents and P.T.L. officers who have worked on planning this annual event.

Following registration from 8:15 – 8:45 a.m., our day will begin with opening chapel worship led by Pastor Quardokus. Our guests are welcome to spend the morning enjoying refreshments supplied by the P.T.L. and visiting classrooms.

I pray God’s blessings on our guests, our students and our pastors and teachers. Please remember that school dismisses for all students at 11:40 a.m. this Friday.

Please turn in your pre-registration forms for Special Person’s Day by this Wednesday. This will allow us time to have name tags prepared for your guests.

1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grade parents – please drop your food donations off in the kitchen by the end of the day Thursday.

Book Fair extended! Shop the book fair Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

SPECIAL CHAPEL OFFERING

The chapel offering for this Friday, Special Person’s Day, will be sent to the S.T.E.M.M. Village Orphanage Project in Arusha, Tanzania. Their mission is to build 18 homes for orphaned children in the community of Arusha. These orphaned boys and girls will be raised and educated family style in a Christian home environment. A Christian school will also be built.

Our 8^th grade students will be presenting a special S.T.E.M.M. presentation on Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the All-Purpose Room. Please join them to learn more about the project.

Christ Lutheran also has a personal tie to this project on our staff. Joan Kern’s brother, a retired industrial arts teacher, is spending 18 weeks in Arusha, monitoring and assisting in this project. Any amount collected on November 6^th will go directly to the building of these homes. If you would like more information about this project please contact Joan & Denny Kern.

SCHOOL PICTURES

School pictures are coming home with students today. Anyone wanting to have picture retakes should return their pictures to school. Lifetouch studios will be here next Monday, November 9, at 11:00 a.m. for retakes.

END OF 1^ST QUARTER

This Friday also marks the end of the 1^st quarter of the school year and is a half day of classes with school dismissing at 11:40 a.m.

CAREER DAY

8^th Graders were at LMC today for the Berrien County RESA’s annual Career Day. I give God thanks for this opportunity and the resources LMC and RESA provide to children in our community.

MAGIC SHOW

A special assembly is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3. A professional magician will present a magic show for all students K-8 starting at 9:30 a.m. in the gym and is part of the rewards received for a successful magazine sale.

‘BARBEQUE FOR BEN’

The sound from the sanctuary has been getting louder (in a good way) every day, and I have to tell you, we’ve got one bunch of excited girls and boys in there rehearsing for the upcoming musical. Grades 1-4 have been practicing with their teachers and their director, Mr. Steffens, since the first week of school, and I hope you’ve marked your calendar for this event. ‘Barbeque for Ben,’ a children’s musical based on Jesus’ parable of “The Prodigal Son,” has two performances scheduled: Thursday, November 19, at 1:00 p.m. and Friday, November 20, at 7:00 p.m.

FLU UPDATE

I’m a little hesitant giving a ‘flu update’ since this newsletter is being typed almost a week before you’ll receive it… But as of Tuesday, October 27, just prior to breaking for Teachers Conference, things have been going pretty well at CLS and most people have been healthy.

The week of October 19, when some public schools were closed due to outbreaks, CLS absences were ranging from 6 to 9 students (5% - 8%). During our short week of October 26, absences for flu were only 3 to 4 students (2.5 – 3.5%). There is definitely a sense of greater care being given to hand washing and other healthy habits; thank you to everyone for the extra caution and awareness you’ve shown.

We only have one student absent this morning.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

P-T conferences are scheduled to be held on Monday and Tuesday, November 23 and 24. Individual conferences will be scheduled for each student in K-5. Please return your scheduling form indicating your preference of day and time. Parents of students in grades 6-8 can meet with all three upper grade teachers those two days on a first-come, first-served basis.

PTL PIE SALE

PTL will accept pie orders through this Sunday, November 8. Please drop your donations of supplies in the box by the trophy case. We need lots of hands to assemble the pies. Please sign up by the trophy case to help.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL OFFERINGS

Because of the GREAT response we had last year in supporting the Youth Group with donations for food baskets, the Sunday School children’s offering will be going to this cause again from October 25 to November 22. Instead of bringing a monetary offering, we have designated each week to be a certain food item. These donations will generously help members of our congregation. Thank you for your support. Please bring . . .

Nov. 8 – Can of Soup

Nov. 15 – Boxed Pasta/Potato/Rice

Nov. 22 – Canned Fruit

SPORTS KORNER

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 2; Trinity, SJ – 1

Christ 7^th – 3; Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 5/6 – 3; Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 5/6 – 3; So. Haven - 0

These scores conclude this year’s volleyball season.

Congratulations to the 7/8^th girl’s basketball team for placing 2^nd recently at the Grand Rapids Tournament.

Boy’s basketball begins this week with the following schedule.

Tonight, Monday, Nov. 2:

Christ “C” @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 4pm

Christ “B” vs. St. Paul @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 5pm

Thursday, November 5:

LMC @ Christ “B” @ 6pm

Friday & Saturday,November 6 & 7

“B” Boys Tournament at Michigan Lutheran

Planning Ahead. . .

For those of you who use the Lakeshore Bus system, please be aware that the bus will not be running next Monday, November 9, as they do not have school that day.

October 26, 2009

Luther On Education

As we look forward to the celebration of Reformation Day on Saturday, October 31, please reflect on the following thoughts:

“Luther urged many considerations for the establishment of schools. On account of the religious disturbances, the educational institutions maintained under the Papacy were declining, and parents were becoming more indifferent. This neglect of education appeared to the Reformer as the work of the devil, who was thereby seeking the destruction of society and the Church.”

“Therefore I beg you all,” says Luther, “in the name of God and our neglected youth, not to think of this subject lightly, as do many who do not see what the prince of this world intends. For the right instruction of youth is a matter in which Christ and all the world are concerned….If we must annually expend large sums on muskets, roads, bridges, dams, and the like, in order that the city may have temporal peace and comfort, why should we not apply as much to our youth, in order that they may have a skillful schoolmaster or two?”

“What would it avail if we possessed and performed all else, and became perfect saints, if we neglect that for which we chiefly live, namely, to care for the young? In my judgment there is no other outward offense that in the sight of God so heavily burdens the world, and deserves such heavy chastisement, as the neglect to educate children.”

“The two great reasons always prominent in Luther’s mind for the maintenance of schools were the welfare of the Church and the needs of the State.” As for the teaching ministry, Luther said this, “If I had to give up preaching and my other duties, there is no other office I would rather have than that of school-teacher.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. KERN!

Thursday, October 29

FLU UPDATE

CLS has been fairly healthy so far with student absences last week ranging from 5% to 8%. Not every student absent each day was out sick – as in any normal week, some were out of town for various reasons or had other appointments. That said, while our overall health was good last week, the Health Department has confirmed that H1N1 is in our community (even some confirmed cases at CLS), and they predict the virus will peak in our area over the next couple of weeks. CLS has a ‘built in’ break with this week’s Teachers Conference on Thursday and Friday, but we will still continue to monitor attendance and confer with the Health Department as needed for their guidance. Thanks for letting us know the reasons your child has been absent as well as confirming H1N1 cases – this has been very helpful to CLS in tracking our status and the progress of the flu.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

PTL is sponsoring a Scholastic Book Fair today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. The Book Fair will be open only before and after school each day this week. Books make great gifts!

DRIVEWAY WORK UPDATE

The work on our bell tower has been suspended at this time. Please feel free to begin using the front drive for dropping and picking up students until further notice. Please avoid using the drive when the school bus is here.

NO SCHOOL

School will not be in session this Thursday and Friday, October 29-30, as our teachers will be attending the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools Conference in Detroit. Please keep our teachers in your prayers as they travel and join with over 5,000 other Christian educators exchanging ideas and enhancing their skills.

Please note a correction to the October calendar. Pastor Measel will be leading Chapel worship this Wednesday, and not Mr. Strohacker.

MAGIC SHOW

While we missed the Magazine Sales goal by just a little bit, the show will go on! Next Tuesday, November 3, a professional magician will be at CLS to present a top-notch magic show to our students. The 45 minute show in our gym will begin at 9:30 a.m. Parents are certainly welcome to drop by and join us.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

It’s time to think about scheduling your Fall Parent-Teacher Conference. Look for forms coming home today with your youngest student.

SPECIAL PERSONS DAY

Please set aside Friday, November 6, on your calendar to attend Christ Lutheran School’s annual Special Persons Day open house. Our day begins with registration from 8:15 – 8:45 a.m. Opening Chapel worship led by Pastor Quardokus will start at 8:45 a.m. and be followed by a morning of refreshments and the opportunity to visit classrooms. While our students will be inviting many people who are special in their lives to attend, everyone is welcome that morning. If you don’t receive a personal invitation, please consider yourself my special guest on that day.

CAREER DAY

Our 8^th graders will travel out to Lake Michigan College next Monday, November 2, to participate in the Berrien RESA’s annual 8^th Grade Career Day. Thank you to parents who are driving that day.

SCHOOL MUSICAL

Lots of work has been going on since the very first day of school this year, and I must tell you that our 1^st through 4^th graders are sounding terrific! I hope that you have marked Thursday, November 19 (1:00 p.m.) and Friday, November 20 (7:00 p.m.) and will be at Christ Lutheran to support our students and enjoy a great musical, Barbecue for Ben, based on Jesus’ parable of “The Prodigal Son.”

PTL PIE SALE

PTL is now taking orders for their annual Pie Sale and will continue to take orders through Sunday, November 8. Extra order forms are available in the school office.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL OFFERINGS

Nov. 1 – Box of Jello/Pudding

Nov. 8 – Can of Soup

Nov. 15 – Boxed Pasta/Potato/Rice

Nov. 22 – Canned Fruit

FIELD TRIP

4^th grade students will be visiting the Cook Plant tomorrow morning. They will leave school at 10:00 a.m. and return by 1:15 p.m.

FALL INTO READING

I hope everyone is having fun with the new reading program. Please look for another note about this program that will be coming home later this week.

SPORTS KORNER

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 1; ML 8^th – 2

Christ 7^th – 1; ML 7^th – 2

Christ 8^th – 3; Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 7^th – 3; Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 5/6^th – 2; So. Haven - 1

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Monday, October 26:

Christ 5^th/6^th @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 4:00 pm

Christ 7^th @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 5:00 pm

Christ 8^th @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 6:00 pm

Wednesday, October 28:

St. Paul @ Christ 5/6^th @ 4:00 pm

Time changes this weekend. Turn your clocks back one-hour before going to bed Saturday night.

October 19, 2009

Special Persons Day

Special Persons Day is coming up quickly, Friday, November 6, and students will soon be receiving invitations here at school which they can send out to their guests.

Special Persons Day has typically been a full house at CLS, beginning with worship and followed by visiting classrooms, renewing acquaintances, and enjoying some treats. With school dismissing at 11:40 a.m. that day (end of the first quarter), many of our guests even plan lunch and additional afternoon activities with the children.

I have many fond memories of these special days. A teacher in my previous school first brought the idea to my attention over twenty-five years ago when she shared a newspaper from her hometown in Minnesota.

This type of open house was rather new at that time, and many of us started out with it being a “grandparents’ day.” At the first one held at my former school, I snapped a few pictures and wrote an article about it for the Saginaw News. Before you could blink, it seemed like schools all over had picked up the same idea and were running with it.

In my experience, we tried varied approaches as we searched for just the right blend. We discovered things like: Grandparents didn’t want to spend an entire day at school - they had pretty full calendars! Not only grandparents were interested in attending - many parents wanted to visit, also. And, not everyone had grandparents available, so some wanted to bring other relatives or even neighbors.

My own kids have been blessed with being able to have both of their grandmothers attend at least once, but there have also been years where only Mom and Dad could attend, and there were even years when my daughter invited the neighbor lady across the street.

Several years ago, I was invited by a neighbor boy to be a ‘special person’ at his school, and I enjoyed a great morning at Upton Jr. High. I hope you plan to join us on November 6, and that your children will be inviting guests for Special Persons Day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. KERN!

Today!! October 19

CHAPEL

This Wednesday’s Chapel service will be held at 1:00 p.m., and we welcome Mr. Ken Schilf, Director of “Worship for Shut-Ins” in Fort Wayne, as our guest speaker. As always, everyone is welcome to attend Chapel worship with us.

TEACHERS CONFERENCE

School will not be in session on Thursday and Friday, October 29-30, as teachers will be attending the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools Conference in Detroit.

KUDOS

My compliments to our parents on how you have been handling after school pick-up and parking this year. We began the year with some flags and cones out front to remind people not to park in the front row (for safety reasons). With the coming of winter weather, we know those flags and cones won’t work well in snow and ice so we began last week trying things without the barriers. I’m happy to report that people have continued avoiding the use of the front row after school. That’s great! Thanks. Also, thank you for your attention to the signs and avoiding use of the driveway when work is taking place on the bell tower. You’ve made things run very smoothly and safely.

PTL PIE SALE

PTL is now taking orders for their annual Pie Sale and will continue to take orders through Sunday, November 8. Please look for the Pie Sale information and order form coming home with students today.

IT PAYS TO BUY SCRIP

We are excited to announce that the South Bend Chocolate Company (also known as the Chocolate Café, located downtown St. Joe) is going to participate in our Scrip program. We will stock $5 gift cards which will give a generous profit of 10%. The South Bend Chocolate Company has a wide variety of home-made chocolates, candies and cakes. They also sell many flavors of coffees, teas, hot chocolates and specialty drinks for different seasons. “Spider Cider” is the flavor of the month. These certificates will make great gifts and stocking stuffers during the holiday season. Remember, every time you use Scrip gift certificates, you donate money to our church and school….and you don’t pay one extra cent!

The crafting ladies are in need of OVERALLS – any size, any color, and empty wine bottles. Please leave them on the stage. Thank you!

FIELD TRIPS

Kindergarten students will be visiting Dinges Farms this Friday. The Preschool classes will be visiting Jollay Orchards on Thursday and Friday.

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL OFFERINGS

Oct. 25 – Canned Vegetable

Nov. 1 – Box of Jello/Pudding

Nov. 8 – Can of Soup

Nov. 15 – Boxed Pasta/Potato/Rice

Nov. 22 – Canned Fruit

SPORTS KORNER

Soccer scores last week were:

Christ 7/8^th - 2; Buchanan – 1

Christ 4/5/6^th – 0; Trinity, SJ – 4

Christ 4/5/6^th – 6; Grace – 4

This ends the fall soccer season. Please return your clean uniforms.

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 2: Christ 7^th – 1

Christ 5/6^th – 2; Grace 6^th – 1

Christ 8^th – 2; Upton 8^th – 1

Christ 7^th – 1; Upton 7^th – 2

Christ 5/6^th – 3; Grace 5^th – 0

This week’s game schedule:

Tuesday, October 20:

Christ 7^th vs. ML 7^th @ Grace @ 5:30pm

Christ 8^th vs. ML 8^th @ Grace @ 5:30pm

Wednesday,October 21:

Christ 7^th @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 5:00pm

Christ 8^th @ Trinity, St. Joe @ 6:00pm

Christ 5/6^th @ South Haven @ 4:15pm

Community Day Fundraiser

@ Elder Beerman

Christ Lutheran School is participating in this year’s annual Community Day Sale at Elder Beerman to be held on Saturday, November 14. We are selling coupon books for $5 each. Christ Lutheran keeps 100% of the $5.

Each book contains a $10 coupon. Use the coupon on a regular or sale price item throughout the store, including brands that rarely go on sale! Coupon books also contain several 20% off coupons and a $25 off coupon on a Columbia outerwear purchase. Buy several books, and use those $10 coupons to start your holiday shopping early this year. Coupon books are available in the school office.

Download PDF of Pie Order Form Here

Pie Order Form

It’s that time of year again! The PTL is now taking orders for Pumpkin, Dutch Apple and Cherry Streusel pies. The pies are all made from scratch and are assembled here in our own Christ Lutheran kitchen. These frozen, unbaked pies are terrific for baking at home and serving during the busy holiday season. Each pie costs $7.00 and can be paid for at the time of pick-up.

Order forms (found below) must be turned in by Sunday, November 8. You may deposit the form in the box located in the Commons Area or drop it off in the office. Phone orders are also being taken. Call in your order to Christine Quardokus at 465-3944. Please indicate below the quantity and time of pick-up most convenient for you. Thank you for your support of Christ Lutheran School!

Name:______________________________ Phone: ________________

# of Dutch Apple ________________ # of Pumpkin ________________

# of Cherry Streusel _____________

Total # of Pies _____________ x $7.00 per pie = $__________________

I will pick up my pies on: (Please check one)

___ Friday, November 13 between 11:00am – 1:00pm or 3:00 – 3:30pm

___ Sunday, November 15 between church services (9:30 – 10:30am) or

after late service

October 12, 2009

Angels of God

The month of October is Clergy Appreciation Month, and this past Sunday at Christ Lutheran was specifically observed as Pastor Appreciation Sunday. I pray that everyone has taken the opportunity to personally express their gratitude to Pastor Quardokus and Pastor Measel. And, to our families who belong to another church, I hope that you have also set aside a special time to honor your faithful workers in that place.

Dr. Martin Luther, himself a pastor, wrote a great deal about the challenges and blessings of the office of the ministry. He describes ministers, our pastors and preachers of the Word, as “angels of God.” In both Hebrew and Greek, the word used for ‘angel’ is ‘messenger.’ And Luther comments, “It is a very great glory for a miserable human being to be called a messenger of God and to have this name in common with the heavenly spirits.”

In addition to the pastor I grew up with, the one at my home church who confirmed me, I have had many other pastors in my life, more than most people. I had several pastors as teachers in Lutheran high school, and then more in Lutheran teachers college. One of my high school pastors moved to Michigan after retirement and was a member at Christ until his passing a few years ago. One of my college pastors is currently a member at Christ, Pastor Griffin. That’s been an extra special blessing. Added to this, I’ve been blessed to serve with ten pastors in congregations where I have taught.

While I liked or appreciated different things about each pastor because they differed as individuals, in a couple ways, all these men were alike: They shared a consistent Gospel message, no difference or contradiction from one to another about God’s message of salvation…and they all genuinely cared about me. That’s an enormous task to care for so many people, in a school or church, all at the same time. I thank God for my pastors, and I pray that you do, also.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. FARRAND!

Saturday, October 17

DRIVEWAY CLOSINGS

By now you have probably noticed the work taking place on the brick façade of our church steeple and bell tower. The word we have from the contractors is that this work will necessitate closing the drive for the next six weeks. The day after they told us that, the driveway was open. My best guess is that closings will be fairly common over the next six weeks, and it would be wise to be prepared each day to avoid the drive and use extra caution in making drop-offs and pick-ups in the parking lot.

WELCOME VOLUNTEEERS

This Wednesday, we will welcome six senior volunteers from Michigan Lutheran High School. These students, most CLS graduates, will be aiding teachers, pastors and secretaries in various ways, much of which will involve classroom work with our students. Please welcome: Molly Ross, Dustin Stone, Chelsey Jennings, Mackenzie Siemans, Joe Cochran, and Race Bennett (from Grace Lutheran, Eau Claire).

PARENTS AS TEACHERS

The Berrien RESA Parents As Teachers Playgroup will be at Christ this Wednesday, October 14, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Parents and their pre-school aged children are welcome to attend, participate in activities and make new friends. For more information about the P.A.T. program, call Kathy Hanley, Playgroup Coordinator at 921-0199.

Mrs. Reimann, our Art Teacher, is in need of empty paper towel and bathroom tissue tubes for an art project. Please drop off at the school office. Thank you.

SPORTS KORNER

Soccer scores last week were:

Christ 4/5/6/th – 6; St. Paul – 2

Christ 7/8^th – 0; ML – 2

Christ 4/5/6^th – 4; Resurrection – 2

Christ 7/8^th – 2; Upton Maize – 1

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Mon. Oct. 12:

Buchanan vs. Christ 7/8^th @ Rockey Weed 6pm

Tuesday, Oct. 13:

Christ 4/5/6^th vs. Trinity, SJ @ Rockey Weed 4pm

Thursday, October 15:

Christ 4/5/6^th @ Grace 4pm

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 2; Berrien Springs – 1

Christ 7^th – 0; Berrien Springs – 3

Christ 5/6^th – 0; Berrien Springs – 3

Christ 8^th – 0; Berrien Springs – 2

Christ 7^th – 0; Berrien Springs – 2

Christk 5/6^th – 0; Berrien springs – 2

Congrats to the 8^th grade team for taking 2^nd place over the weekend at the Ann Arbor tournament.

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Monday, Oct. 12:

Christ 8^th @ Upton 8^th @ 4pm

Christ 7^th @ Upton 7^th @ 5pm

Grace 5^th @ Christ 5/6^th @ 4pm

Wednesday, Oct. 14:

Christ 8^th @ Christ 7^th @ 5pm

Christ 5/6^th @ Grace 6^th 4pm

This Saturday, October 17, the “B” girls tournament will be held at Grace.

Community Day Fundraiser

@ Elder Beerman

October 5, 2009

Blessings in Disguise

Years ago a tornado struck the prairies of Minnesota, killing many, injuring hundreds and almost demolishing the town of Rochester. An elderly doctor and his two sons worked for days aiding the stricken, bandaging wounds and setting broken limbs.

Their heroic work did not go unnoticed. Financial backing was offered for a large hospital, provided the doctor and his sons took charge. They agreed, founding in 1889 a clinic which soon attracted wide attention. For years from 15 to 20 operations were performed daily. People came from all walks of life to the Mayo Brothers Clinic.

When the tornado struck, a natural reaction may well have been: “How could God allow this?” Yet blessing came out of disaster and today the prairie city is known around the world and has brought blessings to millions of people.

In the Old Testament, Joseph, his father’s favorite son with his coat of many colors, must have thought the end of the world had come the day his brothers threw him into the pit. Can you see him down in that old dry well, crying out, “What has God allowed to happen to me?”

We don’t know exactly what he may have said to his brothers, perhaps he pleaded with them, but to no avail. They sold him into slavery to the Midianites.

Years later when exalted to the second highest ruler in Egypt, he was used to save the lives of many, including his father and brothers. He said to his brothers when reconciled to them some years later, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20

(Excerpted from “Seasonal Illustrations” by Donald Deffner.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. BEACH

Friday, October 9

PICTURE DAY

Tomorrow is school picture day. Order forms went home with students last Thursday and all orders must be prepaid to receive a package of pictures. All students will be photographed for school records.

HEARING & VISION SCREENING

Hearing and Vision Screening took place last Thursday All students passed with flying colors and no one this year will need to be re-screened.

CHAPEL

Two Chapel notes for this month. First, please notice that we will have a guest speaker on October 21, Mr. Ken Schilf, Director of “Worship for Shut-Ins” in Fort Wayne, IN. To accommodate Mr. Schilf’s schedule, which includes speaking at neighboring Lutheran schools that day, our Chapel time has been switched to 1:00 p.m. that day.

Also, note a change to what is printed on your monthly calendar. Instead of Mr. Strohacker leading Chapel on October 28, our leader that day will be Pastor Measel who gave up his turn on October 21 for Mr. Schilf. I encourage our parents to attend both services.

TEACHERS CONFERENCE

Be sure that you’ve marked on your calendar that school is not in session Thursday and Friday, October 29-30. Teachers will be attending the triennial Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools Conference in Detroit on those days.

5^th grade students will be singing this Sunday, October 11, in the 8:00 a.m. worship service.

Sunday School Children will be singing the Prelude at the 10:45 a.m. worship service this Sunday, Oct. 11.

SPECIAL PERSONS DAY

It isn’t too early to begin planning for Special Persons Day, Friday, November 6. That day marks the end of the first quarter of the school year, a half day of classes, and an open house for adults who are special in the lives of our students. Students are encouraged to invite these special adults: grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, neighbors, etc. to join them for Chapel that morning and to visit classrooms as well.

INSTANT ALERT

Just a reminder – as I’ve looked over CLS’ Instant Alert data base, I see that over half our families have not yet registered online. While all of our families’ home phone numbers are in the data base, registering allows you to add other devices for contact: cell phones, text messaging, e-mail, etc. It also would be wise to register just to verify that our service provider has entered your correct phone number. We are aware of a few data entry mistakes that have been made, so please take time to register and verify your information. Thanks.

Kitchen volunteers are needed to help serve lunches and cleanup in the kitchen. We have many days available. Please call the school office for more info.

IT PAYS TO BUY SCRIP

Thanks for your increasing interest in buying Scrip certificates….our Scrip sales are up approximately $30,000 from this time last year! As of the start of our new fiscal year (May 1^st), our church and school budget has already earned over $600 just from our members using Scrip cards for places we already shop and eat at anyway. In addition, our school families are earning hundreds of dollars to put toward their book fees with an equal contribution to the church and school budget. Keep up the sales…..this is an easy way for our church and school to earn money without having to pay one extra cent!

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

This is Fire Prevention Week and on Wednesday morning students in K-2 will be visited by local firemen. They will be reviewing fire safety with students and letting students explore a fire truck.

LIBRARY UPDATE

The ‘Book Return Box’ is now located just inside the school doors for your convenience. Please return books before school starts in the morning.

MAGAZINE SALE UPDATE

We’re closing the books and computing the figures for this year’s Magazine Sale. Thank you to everyone who participated in this annual fundraiser. We are currently at $13,800 in sales which is about $1200 short of reaching this year’s $15,000 goal.

Top selling classroom is 3^rd grade which sold $200 per student; 2^nd place goes to 7^th grade selling $157 per student, and 3^rd place goes to 6^th grade selling $130 per student. These classrooms will be receiving donuts in a few days. Congratulations to Andrea Medo, our top salesperson in the school who sold 64 subscriptions. Prizes will be ordered later this week and distributed to students upon there arrival.

SPORTS KORNER

Soccer scores last week were:

Christ 7/8^th – 3; Brandywine – 2

Christ 4/5/6^th – 2; Trinity, SJ -10

Christ 7/8^th – 1; Bridgman – 5

Christ 4/5/6^th – 5; Resurrection S.B – 8

Christ 4/5/6 – 1; Grace – 3

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Oct. 5: 7/8 vs. ML @ Rockey Weed 6pm

4/5/6^th vs. Resurrection @ Rockey Weed 4pm

Tuesday, Oct. 6: 4/5/6^th vs. St. Paul @ Rockey

Week @ 4pm

Wednesday, Oct. 7: 7/8^th @ Upton @ 6:30pm

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 3: Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 7^th – 2: Trinity, SJ – 1

Christ 5/6^th – 3: Trinity, SJ – 0

Christ 8^th- 2; Upton 8^th – 1

Christ 7^th – 3; Upton 7^th – 0

Christ 5/6^th – 2; St. Paul – 1

This week’s game schedule:

Tonight, Oct. 5: 5/6^th @ Trinity, Berrien @ 4pm

7^th @ Trinity, Berrien @ 5pm

8^th @ Trinity, Berrien @ 6pm

Wed., Oct. 7: 5/6^th vs. Trinity, Berrien here @4pm

7^th vs. Trinity, Berrien here @ 5pm

8^th vs. Trinity, Berrien here @ 6pm

This Saturday, October 10, the 8^th grade team will be participating in a tournament at St. Paul, Ann Arbor.

Please note the location of next Monday’s, Oct. 12, 5/6^th VB game has been changed to Grace @ 4:00pm.

September 28, 2009

Image

“So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Image is important. The image our community has of CLS is often based on experiences they’ve had with our students. The comments I hear from neighboring high schools about our students are: Polite, prepared, well-mannered, involved, hard workers, talented, and the list goes on. Parents and teachers should feel proud in a very healthy way.

Our personal image is also important, how we view ourselves. False pride and vanity aside, it’s good for people to have a healthy self-image. Not all people do, however, and this isn’t always the fault of parents, teachers or friends. Some folks just don’t feel good about themselves for whatever the reason. Teachers (and Principals), just like parents, spend lots of time building up children who seem to lack self-esteem, and we pray a lot for these kids as well.

Years ago, my daughter was going through those tough teen years when many of us struggled with various changes and not feeling confident and comfortable with ourselves. It was one of those evenings where she tried on many outfits for her mom and me to check out. No matter how much we complimented her, five minutes later she was back with a different…ensemble.

At one point, after questioning everything about her personal look, I told Jenny that she was absolutely beautiful. And she answered, “You have to say that – you’re my dad.”

Well, she was partly right. I am her dad and, like most parents, I probably exaggerate at times concerning my own children who I love so much. Each of us has a heavenly Father who also loves us very much, creating us in his very own image. And when he looks at us, he sees beautiful children, washed clean by the blood of Jesus, our Savior.

Happy Birthday Pastor Measel!

Today, Monday, September 28

Happy Birthday Mrs. Allred!

Saturday, October 3

PICTURE DAY

Speaking of image, next Tuesday, October 6, is school picture day. All students will be photographed for school records. Look for more information including picture package pricing to come home by the end of the week.

HEARING & VISION SCREENING

Dawn Mitchell with the Berrien County Health Dept. will be here this Thursday to do vision and hearing screening with students in grades K-1-3-5-7. Please return the information form that was sent home last week with your student to help the technician with her testing.

BEGINNING BAND MEETING

Parents of the beginner band students are invited to meet with Mr. Farrand tomorrow evening, Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. for more information about his program. Mr. Farrand has also scheduled a representative from a music store to be here with us. All parents of band students are welcome to join us if they have band or instruments questions for the rep.

MAGAZINE SALES

We have extended the magazine sale through this Thursday, October 1, in hopes of reaching our $15,000 sales goal. We will be collecting orders tomorrow morning and again on Thursday morning. Please help us support this fundraiser.

E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Mrs. Schmaltz told me that a little over half of our parents have returned the blue sheet with an e-mail address. I really would like to have addresses for 100% of our families for the purpose of sending out surveys or questions when the need arises. So please do send us your e-mail or phone it in to Carolyn. Thanks. Of those returned, most have indicated a desire to receive the weekly newsletter via e-mail, and a list has been created so we may begin this weekly electronic delivery. Please keep in mind that the newsletter is also available on the Church/School web site.

INSTANT ALERT

Registration for the Honeywell Instant Alert system is going very well. Thanks for all who have registered (37 out of 113 or 33%) – we are able to check this online and can tell who hasn’t yet registered. When CLS initially supplied data to Instant Alert, all families were put into the system with their home or primary phone number listed for contact purposes. If you wish to change how you will be contacted, most likely by adding additional modes of contact (cell phone, text message, e-mail, etc.), you will need to go online and add that information. Please also remember that you can at any time make changes to your information simply by logging into the system with your password. A link to this site will remain on our school’s web page on the lower left column of choices.

CALENDAR THINGS

As we enter the month of October, please keep in mind several important dates:

Wednesday, October 21, we will have a special guest speaker for Chapel, Mr. Ken Schilf, Director of “Worship for Shut-ins,” and Chapel that day will be at 1:00 p.m.
Thursday and Friday, October 29-30, there will be NO SCHOOL as teachers attend the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools Conference in Detroit.
Special Persons Day – Friday, November 6. Watch for more information.

BEE THE BEST YOU CAN BE!

All students in grades 5 through 8 are invited to join the CLS spelling team. Join the spelling team by meeting every Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. in the All-Purpose room. Please join us this Friday!

COME JOIN THE GIRL SCOUTS!

Attention 2^nd & 3^rd grade girls: If you are interested in being with friends, learning new things and helping your community, then you need to be a Girl Scout Brownie! Please join us for an informational meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, after school at 3:15 – 4:45 pm in the Commons area. Parents are welcome, but really required by 4:30 pm to fill out health and registration forms. Annual Girl Scout registration fee is $12.00.

We are currently looking for Kindergarten and 1^st grade girls who would like to be a Daisy Girl Scout! We have lots of fun singing songs, playing games and learning all about Girl Scouting. Call Teri Harris at 422-1275 for more information.

We are currently saving Roger’s Grocery receipts dated from September 1 through March 31.

SPIRIT WEAR

All orders for spirit wear need to be turned in with payment attached by this Friday, October 2. Extra order forms are available in the school office.

SPORTS KORNER

Soccer scores last week were:

7/8^th – 0; Fennville - 7

4/5/6^th – 5: Grace – 6

7/8^th – 4; New Prairie – 0

7/8^th – 4; Upton Blue – 2

4/5/6^th – 2; St. Paul – 6

This week’s soccer game schedule is:

Mon. Sept. 28: 7/8^th vs. Brandywine @ Rockey Weed @ 6:00pm

Tues., Sept. 29: 4/5/th vs. Trinity, SJ, @ Rockey Weed @ 4:00pm

Wed., Sept. 30: 4/5/6^th @ South Bend Resurrection @ 4:00pm

Wed., Sept. 30: 7/8^th @ Bridgman @ 6:00pm

Thur., Oct. 1: 4/5/6^th @ Grace @ 4:00pm

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 8^th – 3; Christ 7^th -0

Christ 8^th – 3; ML 8^th - 0

Christ 7^th – 2; ML 7^th – 1

Christ 5/6^th – 3; South Haven – 0

This week’s game schedule:

Mon., Sept. 28: Trinity, SJ @ Christ 5/6^th @ 4pm

Trinity, SJ @ Christ 7^th @ 5pm

Trinity, SJ @ Christ 8^th @ 6pm

Tues., Sept. 29: Upton 7^th @ Christ 7^th @ 4pm

Upton 8^th @ Christ 8^th @ 5pm

Wed., Sept. 30: 5/6^th @ St. Paul, Stev. @ 4pm

Congrats to both the 7^th and 8^th girls volleyball teams for each taking 1^st place in their division at the Grace Tournament over the weekend.

September 21, 2009

Missing Mom

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37

Jesus loves children, and children need Jesus. You and I are counted among God’s children, too.

I’ve always loved the verse above, the picture of Jesus hugging a child and proclaiming to his disciples the importance of children in God’s eyes. It is a text that obviously makes an impact on parents, teachers, anyone who is with children on a regular basis and loves them.

But have you ever pictured yourself in that scene? Imagine yourself in the center of that group, and you are the one Jesus takes into his arms and hugs.

It was in the fall of the year a little over a dozen years ago that Mom passed away. Dad had preceded her by another dozen years. I missed Dad, but I felt like I missed Mom more, perhaps because when she died, I felt “parentless.”

Even when you’re older, I guess you need to know that someone is still around to ‘watch over you.’ Maybe that’s why occasionally now I picture myself in the middle of that scene with Jesus.

Oh, I still most often picture a little child standing there in Jesus’ arms, and I give God thanks for allowing me to love and care for children – my own, my daughter-in-law, nieces and nephews, all the kids at school, even neighbor kids. Kids are great people to be around, and Jesus has placed them with us to teach them about their Savior.

Every now and then, though, it’s good to recall that you and I are also children in God’s eyes, and he loves us just as unconditionally as we love our own children. Picture yourself in his arms today.


MAGAZINE SALE

Turn in your magazine orders tomorrow. Mrs. Pantaleo and her helpers will be here to process orders and will again come around to the classrooms to collect orders and give out prizes.

We count on this sale as our main PTL income for the year. Last year we had over $20,000 in sales which generated over $8,000 of income to support programs at CLS. Currently we have only taken in $2,900 in total sales for this year.   Without this income, PTL will not be able to support the programs that they have in the past – band, sports, fieldtrips, playground, etc. Please, please support this fundraiser. Look for information on extending this fundraiser to come home soon.

INSTANT ALERT

Instant Alert training for Mrs. Schmaltz, Mr. Kern, and Mr. Strohacker took place in our office last week. Last Friday a parent letter was sent home with an accompanying sheet that explained the Instant Alert features and provided instructions for parents to enter your data on line into their system. If you have any problem accessing the Honeywell Instant Alert site or inputting data, please call the Helpline number on your sheet. If you still have difficulties, then call our office. Note – the Parent Interface (instruction) sheet you should have received is also on our Church & School website at http://christ-luth.org/clshome.html and will remain there for you to make any future changes on your profile. As we determine that all of our families have registered on line, it is our plan to run some test messages just to get everyone acquainted with how the Instant Alert system operates.

JR. HIGH RETREAT

I mistakenly merged two events into one in last week’s newsletter. This Friday, September 25, is the SW MI Lutheran Jr. High Retreat at Grand Mere. Joining our CLS 7th & 8th graders will be students from Resurrection Lutheran Academy in South Bend, Trinity Berrien Springs, and hopefully, Trinity St. Joe. Thank you to Mrs. Beach and Mr. Wallace for their leadership in this annual retreat.

ADOPT-A-BEACH

Last Friday, Mrs. Beach and her 7th graders spent the day at Grand Mere participating in the Great Lakes Alliance’s Adopt-A-Beach program in conjunction with the Ocean Conservatory’s International Costal Cleanup. In addition to doing some cleanup work on the beach, students hunted for coral deposits and gathered water samples to test for bacteria. Some of the class’ work, including the study of Devonian period rocks, fossils, beach glass and pottery fragments, will be ongoing. I praise God for this wonderful resource in our community and thank Mrs. Leslie Hilmer for assisting Mrs. Beach and treating our kids to lunch. Thanks, also, to Honey Baked Ham for cutting their box lunch prices in half for Leslie.

THANK YOU!

A BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Terri Ross for all the extra painting and special touches she added to the Kindergarten room over the summer months. Stop in and check it out. It looks great.   Thanks Terri!

MUSICAL
Do you hear singing around your house? Grades 1-4 have been practicing for an upcoming musical about The Prodigal Son which is scheduled for November 19 (afternoon matinee) and November 20 (evening performance). I recently stopped in to listen to 1st and 2nd grades practicing together, and they sounded great!

E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Thank you for the prompt response to supplying e-mail addresses.   About 50% of our families have requested this form of receiving the newsletter.   Very soon, I will be sending a test message to this list, and parents who asked to have the weekly Principal’s Newsletter sent via e-mail will begin receiving these in this manner.

COMPUTER CLASSES

In case you haven’t heard, we have been able to dramatically increase the ‘time on computers’ for our students this year. Thank you to Mr. Kern, Mrs. Jackemeyer, Mrs. Beach and Mr. Wallace for working on a new ‘floor plan’ and schedule which allows us to set up computers in more of a lab setting this year. The key to this new arrangement is that computers have remained set up in the Commons Area all week (no daily set up and take down), making them more readily available to teachers for a class-style setting. Mr. Strohacker has currently been working with three student groups on Keyboarding Skills (5th & 6th grades, 7th grade, and 8th grade). In the coming weeks, we will move into additional areas of Computer Literacy.

Christ Lutheran School saves Boxtops for Education, Campbell’s Soup Labels, Tyson UPCs, and Roger’s grocery receipts.

SPIRIT WEAR

Order forms and information to order school spirit wear is coming home with students today. There are several options offered on the form and shirts/sweatshirts can be ordered in a variety of colors.   We will accept orders through Friday, October 2.

SPORTS KORNER

Soccer scores last week were:

      Christ 7/8th – 2; Hackett – 4

      Christ 7/8th – 1; LMC – 1

      Christ 4/5/6th – 2; Trinity, SJ – 8

This week’s soccer schedule is:

Monday, Sept. 21: 7/8th @ Fennville 6pm

Tues., Sept. 22: 5/6th @ Grace @ 4pm

Wed., Sept. 23: 7/8th @ Rockey Weed @ 6pm

Thurs., Sept 24: 7/8th @ Upton @ 5pm

Thurs., Sept. 24: 5/6th @ Rockey Weed @ 4pm

Volleyball scores last week were:

Christ 5/6th – 3; Grace 4th – 0

Christ 8th – 3; Berrien Springs – 0

Christ 7th – 1; Berrien Springs – 2

Christ 5/6th – 2; Grace 6th – 1

This week’s volleyball schedule is:

Mon., Sept. 21: Christ 7th @ Christ 8th 5:00pm

Wed., Sept. 23: ML 7th @ Christ 7th @ 5:30pm

                         ML 8th @ Christ 8th @ 6:30pm

                So. Haven @ Christ 5/6th @4:15pm

This Saturday the 7th & 8th teams will be participating in a tournament @ Grace.

ALL ARE INVITED

Michigan Lutheran is hosting an informational event featuring former television personality Charlie Adams on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m. Attendance is free, and is open to all area Lutheran elementary schools and Red Arrow Conference schools. Mr. Adams will share information regarding participation/scholarships in colleges of all sizes. For additional information contact the ML Athletic Department at 429-7861 x 215.

September 14, 2009

Little Things

One of the smallest parts of our body is the tongue, but oh what power this tiny instrument wields!

In Sunday’s Epistle reading, James warns us about the destructive power of the tongue. You’ve likely seen on television news the horrific fires burning in California recently. Fire officials have ruled that those blazes were caused by arson. Most likely, one tiny match was used to set ablaze something more substantial which in turn touched off an even bigger chain of events. One match. James makes a similar point when he compares the tongue to a small fire which can set an entire forest ablaze.

However, the tongue can also be used for great good. In yesterday’s Gospel lesson, Jesus casts out a demon that has been afflicting a boy since childhood. What does he use to accomplish this great thing? His words. Jesus simply speaks, commanding the evil spirit to come out of the boy and never return. And the spirit obeys Jesus’ voice.

I unfortunately identify more with the first lesson rather than the second. There are many instances I recall when my words have caused harm, but I can’t think of a single time I’ve cast out a demon or evil spirit. Perhaps you feel the same way.

There is hope, however. At the end of Sunday’s Gospel reading, the disciples ask Jesus privately, “Why could we not cast it (the evil spirit) out?” Jesus replies, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

On my own, I’m never going to control my tongue as I ought or any other part of my life for that matter. But, with God’s help, through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, God can enable me to use my tongue and every other gift He has given me to His glory.

MAGAZINE SALES

The magazine sale is off and running. First collection day will be tomorrow, September 15. Students are asked to please report to their classrooms and a member from the committee will go to the classrooms to collect orders after the start of the school day. Additional collections days are Thursday, September 17 and Tuesday, September 22.

All volunteers are welcome to join us as we process orders on collection days. It takes a lot of helpers to check all the orders. Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Gretchen Pantaleo for stepping forward and agreeing to chair the sale. Thank you also to the group of moms who have offered their assistance.

INSTANT ALERT

I mentioned last week that CLS has contracted with the Instant Alert service for this school year, and our office will receive training soon. In the coming days, look for a letter to come home with your child which explains how to go on-line and set up your account and preferences for how to be contacted when CLS sends out messages via the Instant Alert system. For those who have children in local high schools (ML, Lakeshore, St. Joe), this is the same company used by those schools, and you will follow the same procedures for registering to receive alerts from CLS.

While the primary use for Instant Alert will be to eliminate the old CLS Phone Pyramid that we used in the past for contacting everyone about weather-related school closings in the morning, this tool can also be used for other announcements, updates, and reminders. Please note that we will still be posting closings on radio and television stations in the morning. Also, note that should the system be activated to announce weather-related cancellation of after school activities (like games), that we understand the need will still remain for some students to make direct phone contact with parents to check on changes in transportation plans.

E-MAIL ADDRESSES

While the Instant Alert system above is a great tool, it is basically “one way” communication – CLS sending out a message to you. Frequently, there is a need to ask parents for feedback, and the ‘back and forth’ of paper surveys via student backpacks leaves a lot of room for improvement. This week you will receive a form asking for an e-mail address at which the school can send out surveys or just simple questions once in a while to get parent input. It is my hope that everyone will supply CLS with an e-mail address that we may use for this purpose. Thanks for your help.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

One final item regarding e-mail addresses. On the form mentioned above, I will be including a question at the end: “Would you like to receive the weekly Principal’s Newsletter via e-mail?” Currently, the Principal’s Newsletter that students receive on Monday, is also posted at our web site in a pdf format for ease of printing at: http://christ-luth.org/CLCnewsletter9-8-09.pdf. However, if you’d like to have it e-mailed directly to you, we can create an e-mail grouping from the responses received on the forms, and provide this also.

JR. HIGH RETREAT

This Friday, September 18, CLS junior high students will gather with neighboring Lutheran School junior students at Grand Mere for their annual fall retreat. Please keep our students, teachers and parent chaperones in your prayers as they travel, do Bible study, and recreate together. Something new this year! Mrs. Beach and her students will also be doing a service project while at Grand Mere – an Adopt A Beach (no joke here) program where students will be doing some clean up work as well as gathering certain types of rocks for later study back here at school.

BAND

It’s not too late to register and join the school band. See Mr. Farrand if you are interested. Returning students will find their Band Handbooks in their church mailboxes. Concert Band practice begins tomorrow morning, September 15, at 7:15 a.m.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School began last Sunday, September 13, and it meets from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. Thank you to Mrs. Essig and her many volunteer teachers as well as Pastor Measel, Mike and Susan Jackemeyer and Mr. Strohacker who work with our 7^th and 8^th graders. For any further information on Sunday School or to volunteer to help, please contact Mrs. Jeri Essig.

SPORTS KORNER

Boys soccer kicked-off last week with our 7/8^th grade team losing to Marcellus 0-3.

This week’s soccer schedule is:

Tonight – Christ 7/8^th @ Kalamazoo Hackett @ 6 pm

Tues., Sept.15 – Christ 5/6^th vs. St. Paul @ Rockey Weed Fields @ 4 pm

Wed., Sept. 16 - LMC vs. Christ 7/8^th @ Rockey Weed Fields @ 6 pm

Thurs., Sept. 17 – Christ 5/6^th vs. Trinity, SJ @ Rockey Weed Fields @ 4 pm

Girls will begin volleyball this week with the following schedule:

Tonight – Christ 5/6^th @ Grace 5^th @ 4pm

Wed., Sept. 16 – Grace 6^th @ Christ 5/6^th @ 4pm

- Trinity, Berrien @ Christ 7^th @ 5pm

- Trinity, Berrien @ Christ 8^th @ 6pm

ALL ARE INVITED

Michigan Lutheran is hosting an informational event featuring former television personality Charlie Adams on Tuesday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m. Attendance is free, and is open to all area Lutheran elementary schools and Red Arrow Conference schools. Mr. Adams will share information regarding participation/scholarships in colleges of all sizes. For additional information contact the ML Athletic Department at 429-7861 x 215.

All school fees are now past due. If you still owe registration fees for this year, please let the school office know when they can ex pect to receive payment. All school tuition payments are due on the 1^st day of each month unless other arrangements are made with the office.

September 8, 2009

The Same

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Lutheran schools across the nation are starting this school year under the theme, “Securing Each Child’s Future – For a Life of Service.” The theme text is in the middle above – 1 Corinthians 12:5.

In looking at the verses above, there are different directions in which we can go. Whoever chose the theme, decided to emphasize service. In titling this lead-in, I chose the words the same – used three times in the text. However, I also could have chosen the word different – also used three times.

Service is a fine word to focus on in this text, a good word for Christians, for churches and for schools. It is also something with which our families and our students are familiar. Christ Lutheran School and its families do, indeed, enabled by the Spirit and out of love for Christ, serve others.

Different stands out to me somewhat because it is a word we hear so often in our world today, although we more likely see and hear it as diversity. We frequently are reminded that we are a diverse people – yes, whether we like it or not, we’re different one from another. The text reminds us that these different gifts, abilities, interests, etc. are a blessing from God, for use in His service.

However, the words that stand out to me most of all in the text are the same. The reason for our service and the source of our different kinds of gifts and service is…the same God. God’s blessing to all this new school year as we use our different gifts for a variety of service all to the glory of the one God and Father of us all.

Sunday School will begin a “Great Exciting New Year” this coming Sunday, September 13^th @ 9:30 a.m. All children in PS – 6^th grade are welcome to come and learn about a few of the “Great Exciting Thing”s God has done for us.

WELCOME

We welcome the following new students this fall to our family at Christ Lutheran: Kindergarten – Elise DeWeerd, Tim Dokter, Mia Harris, Samantha Johnson, Drew Kelleher, Andrew Lies, Samantha McLean, Elliott Measel, and Malachi Messenger; Grade 1 – Bryan Schadler; Grade 2 – Sarah Moore; Grade 3 – Andrew Measel; and Grade 6 – Lauren-Kate Harner.

We also welcome Pastor Martin Measel to our Christ staff. Pastor Measel is a recent graduate of Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN. He and his wife, Jill, are the parents of 3 boys: Andrew, Elliot, and Isaac, and are expecting another child in February.

CALENDAR THINGS

Lito Ramirez (and sketch artist Bob Williams) will be with us this fall conducting the Coaches Against Bullying program with our 5^th graders starting the week of September 21. Mr. Ramirez will also be making follow-up contact with our 6^th graders who took his class last spring.
MEAP tests will be given to 7^th and 8^th graders during the month of October.
Teachers Conference is October 29-30, and school will not be in session those days.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Gerry Kabelman for installing our third interactive board over the summer. The new board, made possible by a generous memorial gift from Cora Littke (grandmother of the late Heidi Tanner), has been installed in the 2^nd grade room. Thanks, also, to Fred Huff for fashioning a bracket to enable hanging this board low enough for young students to reach.

Thank you to Mike Jackemeyer for installing white boards in the 6^th grade classroom. Thanks, also, to Mike, for securing a load of fresh wood chips for the playground.

Thank you to Mr. Wallace and last year’s 8^th grade class for the terrific job they did on the yearbook!

Thank you to Mrs. Sukupchak, Mrs. Beach and Mrs. Jackemeyer for volunteering to do our next yearbook.

INSTANT ALERT

CLS has signed up through the Berrien RESA to participate in the Instant Alert System which is used by many public school districts in our county. This has done away with the need for developing our own phone calling pyramid that has been in place for so many years. I know many of our families are already familiar with the Instant Alert system if you have older children in high school, and this is the same company. As with your other children’s schools, you will be asked to go on-line to input your personal contact information with Instant Alert. In the event of a weather-related school closing, messages will now be sent to you automatically from Instant Alert to as many devices as you designate (home phone, cell, computer, etc.). This system will also be used to contact families and subgroups in our school with other school-related information.

SWINE FLU

I got “yelled at” by a couple fellow principals this summer for using what apparently in some regions has become a politically incorrect term – swine flu. But since government and health officials are still using it, I’m probably going to continue to err. Pretty much what you’ve already heard through the media is all I have to report. We will be reminding students to cough into their elbow, wash hands regularly and thoroughly, etc. and ask that you reinforce such practices at home. We will also rely heavily on health department officials for current information and guidance regarding closings. Anyone interested in donating a few containers of those disinfectant wipes that many of us use at home to their child’s classroom, please contact your child’s teacher and let them know – these could certainly be helpful in wiping down toys, desks, doorknobs, etc. Thanks for your help.

MAGAZINE SALES

The annual PTL Magazine Sale begins tomorrow with a kick-off assembly at 9:00 a.m. Look for all the information needed to come home with your student tomorrow afternoon. For many years the bulk of our Parent-Teacher League’s budget has come from the Student Magazine Sale, and P.T. L. spends that money almost entirely on things for our students. I greatly appreciate being in a school where we are not constantly having our students out selling items, and I thank our congregation for their strong support of the Magazine Sales.

HOT LUNCH

Hot lunches begin tomorrow, Wednesday. Look for the September menu to come home with students today. A volunteer will be selling tickets out in the hallway tomorrow morning.

Cost is $2.50 per lunch for students in grades 1-5 and $2.75 for students in grades 6-8.

Free & reduced price lunches are available through the State of Michigan for low income families. Information and applications are being sent home with each student.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:

All school fees were due by today. Please submit to the school office or let the office know when they can expect to receive your fees.

Kindergarten students pay for their morning milk/juice by the semester. The cost for the first semester is $36.00. Please drop your payment off at the school office.

Kindergarten green health forms should have been turned in by today, as well as Hearing & Vision Screening forms. 6^th grade students are also required to submit an updated green health form.

If you are a tuition family, we have assigned you a mailbox out in the Commons area. The school secretary will be happy to show you where your box is located. Tuition payments are due the 1^st of each month beginning with September and running through June, 2010.

Time for students to turn in their Summer Reading forms.

There is no parking before or after school in the front row, up to the second walkway. This rule is to allow everyone a clear view of children crossing the drive. Please watch carefully for children when backing up. Please remember that there is no dropping or picking up students from the main drive whenever a school bus is present.

All students need a separate pair of gym shoes for use in the school gym.

All students playing sports in grades 5-8 should have turned in a sports physical form by today.