WOH For Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017
Greater Things by Sally Heit, Admissions Director
Last Friday night, five friends and I attended a talk given by Christian author Jen Hatmaker and Christian singer/songwriter Nichole Nordeman at Overlake Church in Bellevue. I had no expectations of the evening except to laugh and enjoy the fellowship of these amazing women I went with; however, I got much more from it. We settled into our seats to enjoy the message that Jen had to share. It was about the strength women have to fight and rise through pain with the help of their tribe and God. Main point: You can’t do it alone. You need God; you need community.
Later, in the program she introduced a special guest, Lori Cavender, Executive Director of Ryan’s House for Youth, a 9 year old nonprofit organization that assists homeless youth ages 12-24 on Whidbey Island. Here is a woman who almost single handedly saw a need in her community and acted; she served water and food out of a crock pot from her van and provided a listening ear to troubled youth. She now oversees a 17 acre campus with numerous programs to assist homeless youth in getting back on their feet. On top of that, while she had 4 months to raise the money to purchase the 17 acre property she was also working to change the legislation (Host Home Legislation adopted in 2016) which creates more housing opportunities in rural areas, allowing youth in their community a chance to come in out of the elements and focus on life, not survival. We were amazed. How did she do it all? In her words, “with the help of God.”
Toward the end of her talk my friend Chris leaned over and whispered, “I think I know her.” “How?” I asked. “I think she went to Seattle Lutheran High School with me. I might even know her husband,” she said. Say what?! My heart began to beat faster. As 3,000 women streamed out of the church, Chris approached Lori and her husband and introduced herself. Sure enough, Chris did know them and vice versa! Lori had attended Hope and both she and her husband had attended Seattle Lutheran; they were married at Hope church.
As our group introduced ourselves, reminisced and compared notes about “old school times,” Lori mentions that she actually hadn’t planned on being at the event that evening. That day while she was at another conference she got a text from the tour asking her if she could come share her story that night. Chills went up our spines. Chris said, “Do you see what is happening here? Can you feel it?” God was at work. It couldn’t be a coincidence. We could all feel His presence, bringing us together through the common thread of shared experiences within the Hope and Seattle Lutheran communities. This moment was a God thing.
Before we departed Lori said excitedly, “See! Hopees can do great things!” (Hopees is what she and her classmates fondly called themselves while in school.) And yes, Hopees can and will do great things with the help of God and the loving and nurturing community that surrounds them. I can’t wait to see what great things happen next!
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Wed. 11/8: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Grade 7
Wed. Nov. 8 to Fri. 17: Student Council Hosted Food Drive
Fri. 11/10: No School and No ESC – Veterans Holiday
Tues. 11/14: 6:30 PM All School Open House
Wed. 11/15: 8:00 AM Donuts with Dad / 8:40 AM Chapel led by Grade 3 / 6:30 PM Auction Meeting
Fri. 11/17: Free Dress Day
Mon. 11/20: 9:00 to 11:00 AM Picture Retake Day
School Athletic Events – Click Here
Before & After School Clubs – Click Here
Orange Ruler Fun Run Results
Thank you all so much for helping us reach 71% ($17,693) of our goal of $25,000 during our FUN RUN FUNdraiser! The kids had a great time of teamwork and competition between grades. Congratulations again to Kindergarten for 1st place in the Pig Race and to 3rd grade for 1st place overall. Even though we did not reach our intended goal we are still that much closer to getting new playground equipment for our wonderful students! Thank you again ~ Hope PTH
Hope Church & School Food Drive Begins – November 8 – 17
Join in this joint effort to stock Hope’s food closet, along with our two local food banks! You can help by bringing in the following canned and boxed items: applesauce, fruit cups, raisins, dried fruits, canned fruits / canned vegetables, shelf-stable milk, soy or almond milk / peanut butter-small jars, jam, cereal: box or individual / canned meals: ravioli, spaghetti’s, stew, soups, chili / canned or pouches: chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, ham / snacks – granola or protein bars, fruit snacks, fruit cups, applesauce cups, individual servings of crackers / breakfast items- pancake mix, cereal, oatmeal, juice / spaghetti sauce, pasta, rice-a-roni, pasta-roni type items, cup of noodles, top ramen, potatoes, mac & cheese
Items with pull-tops are preferred since many people don’t have can openers. Please note: we cannot accept any opened/used/expired products.
Note from Admissions
Thank you to everyone who is sharing our Facebook ad promoting our Open House on November 14th at 6:30! It helps so much to get the word out about our great school. In your Yellow envelopes today you will find an Open House Postcard that I encourage you to give to someone who is interested in other educational opportunities in our community such as Hope. Word of mouth is still the best way good news about our school spreads to prospective families.
If you own a business and would like to post a poster or postcards or place a lawn sign at your home or in the community, please let Sally know. You can pick them up in the office.
Hope will also be at the West Seattle Education Fair November 13th from 5 to 7 at the Alki Masonic Hall along with many other local schools.
Auction Meeting/Planning – Nov. 15 at 6:30 PM
In terms of volunteers, we are still looking for a communications coordinator, an event coordinator and 2 sets of room Parents for each grade.
Donuts with Dad! – Wednesday, November 15 at 8 AM
Calling all Dads or special guests! Start your day with delicious donuts and put a smile on your child’s face. PTH will serve donuts, coffee, juice, and milk in the Commons. We will gather in the church commons at 8:00 a.m. Students must be in class by 8:30 a.m. However, you are welcome to mingle and then join the Hope students at chapel starting at 8:40 a.m.
School Pictures Coming Home Today – Retake Day Nov. 20
Your Lifetouch school pictures are coming home today. Please note that our retake day is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20 from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Students who were absent will have pictures taken this day. You can still order at mylifetouch.com, ID: LS117052Q1. If you feel you need a retake, bring your first picture packet in on picture day to return to photographer.
Our Preschool 3 Monday & Tuesday class will be getting their group as well as individual pictures taken this day.
PTH & PIP Opportunities – Click Here
Need one volunteer to assist with picture retake day on Monday, November 20. Please call the school office to volunteer at 206-935-8500.
Open House assists, November 14th. Student council students will be attending the Open house and if you are in need of PIP hours and would like to greet families or answer questions in the classrooms, please email Sally at sheit@hopeseattle.org.
Church News & Activities – Click Here
Gift & Goodies Sale – November 12, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Church Fellowship Hall
Come shop the beautiful displays showcasing the homemade wares from our bakers, crafters, quilters and artists! Everyone looks forward to the wide array of items just begging to be purchased for that special someone on their Christmas list or indulging in the tantalizing delicacies to be sampled and purchased at the bake sale and coffee bar. 100% of the net proceeds from this year’s sale will go to support missions: Ensenada Christian Ministries, Friends of Literacy, Seattle Lutheran High School, and hurricane relief efforts (through Thrivent).
Don’t miss this popular event!
Church Office Assistant Needed
We currently have an open position for a part-time Office Assistant to handle all church and school accounts payable and ensure the timely and efficient payment of creditors. This position supports the Parish Administrator with additional tasks related to payroll and benefits, month end close and other administrative areas. This is a 10 hour per week hourly position with flexible scheduling Mondays through Thursdays, 12 months of the year. Minimum Qualifications: Some accounts payable or general accounting experience, proficient PC and network computer skills, intermediate-level expertise in MS Excel and Word, detail-oriented with good interpersonal and problem solving skills. Please find a complete job description at http://hopeseattle.org/about-us/employment/. To apply, complete an application found on the same page and submit to jdoerr@hopeseattle.org by Wednesday, November 15th.