WOH For Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Easter Thoughts by Tim Allen, Middle School Teacher
He is Ri….wait, we will get there. I can’t start with Easter. I have to start with Good Friday.
Tetelestai- It. Is. Finished.
This year, more than maybe any other year in recent memory, we have to start at the beginning of Holy Week. We have been through so much in the last year, from the general pandemic and all that entails, to the loss of beloved Hope family members (including the difficult loss of Hope parent Kory just recently), to whatever else you are personally dealing with. This Easter might not seem as joyful as it usually does because of all our collective trauma, grief, and loss.
Because of this, I find myself going back to that first Good Friday in my mind…Jesus has just been crucified. His last words, Tetelestai (it is finished) have been said and…now what? What do the disciples do? Jesus said he would come back, but they just watched him die. We know now what was going to happen, but the disciples most certainly did not know at the time.
One of my favorite things to do is listen to music and focus on the lyrics; there are two songs that have been sticking with me that I want to share my favorite lines of which have new meaning to me in this season of life especially. The first is ‘Christ is Risen’ by Matt Maher.
‘Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave’
I love that second line…’trampling over death by death.’ We know that it is through His death that death was defeated for good.
The second song is ‘Battle Belongs’ by Phil Wickham and the lyrics that stick in my head and always give me pause are, “When all I see is the cross, God you see the empty tomb.” We, as is human nature, often get so focused on the problem, tragedy, or mountain in our way; we don’t focus on the way God is going to be using this situation for HIS good. The Empty tomb. And it is with those reminders that I can joyfully say this Easter: He is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Tues. 3/30: Trimester 2 Report Cards Sent/Mailed Home
Mon. 3/29 – Thurs. 4/1: Holy Week – Short Online Chapel Services each morning
Fri. 4/2: Free Dress Day / 8:40 AM Good Friday Online Chapel led by Mr. Jim Scriven, Executive Director NW District LCMS / 11:45 AM and Noon Dismissal
Mon. – Fri. 4/5 to 4/9: No School and No ESC – Spring Break
Wed. 4/14: 8:40 Online Chapel led by Mrs. Mueller, Family Life Minister
Thurs. & Fri. 4/15 & 4/16: Online Parent-Teacher Conferences / No School / ESC & Sand Dollar Club programs open
Closures during Spring Break
Please note that our Extended School Care and Sand Dollar club programs will be closed during our spring break, April 5-9, 2021. Our school office will be closed during this week as well. We pray this is a time of rest and renewal for our staff and families!
Trimester 2 Report Cards
Report cards will be sent home today, Tuesday, March 30. Please sign the envelope to acknowledge receipt of report card and return to your students’ homeroom teacher. Hybrid Th/F groups report cards will be sent home on Thursday and virtual student’s report cards will be mailed. Please contact your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any questions.
Parent Teacher Conferences – April 15 & 16, 2021
Preschool student spring conferences are required and K-8 student spring conferences are optional. Conferences provide an opportunity to discuss how each child is performing, primarily cognitively but also socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Teachers will review MAP test results and parents/guardians will have the opportunity to ask questions.
This year, most conferences will be held with the homeroom teacher only, including middle school. Please click on the link below to sign up for a conference on April 15 or 16, 2021, with your student’s teacher. All conferences will be held via the homeroom teacher’s Zoom and will be 20 minutes in length.
Please let us know in the office if you have any questions about parent/teacher conferences; we look forward to meeting with all of you!
https://sites.google.com/hopeseattle.org/hls-ptc-booking/home
ESC & Sand Dollar Club Open April 15 & 16
Our extended school care programs will be open during our parent/teacher conferences on April 15 & 16. Our ESC families will need to pre-register their students for these full days for staffing purposes. Prepay forms can be found on our website here. Thank you for your understanding.
Pandemic Update
COVID-19 Symptom New Update: Current guidelines from the Department of Health allow a slight change in protocols for COVID-19 symptoms. Students and staff can return to school without a COVID-19 test under the following limited conditions:
- Have ONLY ONE short-term symptom (fatigue; headache; muscle pain/body ache; sore throat; congestion/runny nose; nausea or vomiting; or diarrhea)
- Symptom lasted less than 24 hours and is fully resolved prior to return
- NO close contact of someone with COVID-19
At Hope, we could see this being utilized if someone has a minor temporary headache or stomachache, for example. It cannot be used if someone has more than one symptom or it lasts more than 24 hours. Feel free to follow this link for more information on screening: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/schools-childcare/~/media/depts/health/communicable-diseases/documents/C19/schools-toolkit/K-covid-19-screening-flow-chart.ashx
Social Distancing Change: The Washington State Department of Health has accepted the social distancing change recommended from the CDC, going from six feet to three feet in schools. As shared previously, transmission rates are shown to be low in schools like Hope Lutheran who follow strict protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. While the high majority of our students in preschool through 4th grade have returned to in-person learning, this also opens the door to the possibility of bringing back our hybrid students in grades 5-8. We have research to do and equipment to purchase as we determine the best steps forward in bringing back all students in a safe manner. We will have more information soon!
Travel Reminder: Based on continued directives from the Department of Health regarding quarantine after travel and on current recommendations from the CDC, Hope families who travel out of state during spring have the following options:
- Upon return home, quarantine for 14 days
- Upon return home, quarantine and take a COVID-19 test between days 3-5; if test is negative and there are no COVID symptoms, quarantine will end after 7 days
- Vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine
Church Events – Click Here
Holy Week – March 29 – April 2, 2021
Drive Thru Communion will be offered Maundy Thursday, April 1st. Click here for all the details and sign up for a time slot.
Good Friday Prayer Vigil – Consider being part of our Good Friday Prayer Vigil on April 2nd, either in person in the Hope sanctuary or from your home. Our vigil will be based on The Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross found in the Gospels. Half-hour time slots will be available in the afternoon and a signup will be posted next week. A prayer guide will be provided to lead you in this experience. Good Friday Worship will be available online on Friday, April 2.
Easter Sunday In-Person Worship
Hope Church is offering 2 in-person worship services this Sunday, April 4 at 9:30 and 11:00 am.
The services will require you to register in advance online. If online registration is difficult for you, you may contact the church office for assistance at 206-937-9330.
http://hopeseattle.org/event/2022269-2021-04-04-easter-sunday-in-person-worship/
