WOH, Tuesday January 24, 2023
National Lutheran Schools Week by Jennifer Neafcy, Kindergarten Teacher
When I was 5 years old, my parents enrolled me in Kindergarten at Redeemer Lutheran School in Austin, TX. My family was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and for my parents, it was the obvious choice where I would go to school. I stayed at Redeemer through first grade when my family moved to an area where there was not a Lutheran school. Even though my time in a Lutheran elementary school was short, and a long time ago, I have many great memories of my time at Redeemer and the friendships that were made. Some of the highlights were making Stone Soup with the class, learning some basic sign language, swinging on the tire swing, singing songs, and listening to Bible stories. Mrs. Turner and Miss Rex had made a huge impact on my life.
While I had always wanted to be a teacher, it wasn’t until I reached high school that I began to consider teaching in a Lutheran school. During my high school years, I was a member of the Texas District Youth Board, which consisted of high school youth, pastors, youth workers, and teachers. Spending time with these church workers influenced me to pursue teaching in a Lutheran School. After high school, I went to Concordia University in Austin, TX to study elementary education with the intent of teaching in a Lutheran school.. As I was sitting in freshman orientation, I saw some familiar names and faces. There were five other freshmen that were either in my Kindergarten or first grade class. What a great time we had catching up and reliving memories from our earlier days.
My entire teaching career has been in Lutheran schools, sharing the love of Jesus and education students for 28 years. Even before social media, I was able to keep in touch with many of my former students. I have celebrated with some of my former students at graduations and weddings, and cried with them as we attended funerals for classmates or their parents. Some of my students have also gone on to become pastors or teachers in Lutheran schools. The connections I have made through my time in Lutheran schools, as a child and as an adult, are so precious to me, and I am honored to be able to continue my school ministry here at Hope.
This week, Hope School and over 1,800 Lutheran Schools across the nation are celebrating National Lutheran Schools Week. These schools educate over 180,000 students in the United States. Hope students will be participating in many activities that include an online mission trip to India, service projects, and craft projects. We are looking forward to a great week! Thank you for being part of our Hope community.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Mon-Fri, 1/23/23-1/27/23 National Lutheran Schools Week
Wed, 1/25 & Fri, 1/27 Auction Wine Wagon
Wed, 1/25/23 Donuts with Grownups Event -7:45am-8:25 am
Sat, 2/4/23 7th/8th Grade School Dance – details below
Sat, 3/4/23 Auction “Celebrate Together with Hope”- 5:30-10:30 pm; The Hall of Fauntleroy
SCHOOL NEWS
NATIONAL LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK is coming January 22-27! Students will participate in all kinds of special activities including an online Mission Trip to India! We will kick off the week putting together hygiene bags and picking up litter around our campus and our neighborhood.
BUY YOUR AUCTION TICKETS TODAY! Thank you for purchasing your Early Bird Auction Tickets last week. Looking forward to seeing all of you March 4th to Celebrate Together With Hope!
ADMISSIONS
Re-enrollment for current families for Fall 2023 is open! If you haven’t re-enrolled your student(s) please do so by January 31st. Current families should re-enroll their student(s) for the following year through GradeLink (Select Re-enroll tab) and submit the $200 registration fee/child at the end of the registration process. If you need help with your GradeLink login, please contact the school office.
If you need to enroll a sibling new to Hope, please fill out an application for them through this link. This would include students entering preschool or new to the elementary or middle school programs. Beginning February 1st, new applications will be processed and placed into programs, so in order to secure a spot for your child next fall, please make sure to apply or re-enroll them before January 31st.
PTH/PIP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Auction Wine Wagon – Wed, 1/25 & Fri, 1/27
Donate wine for the auction at d/off and p/up. Sign up with link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0545ADA823AAFA7-wine1
Volunteers Needed! The 7th & 8th Middle School Dance- Sat, February 4, 2023
Calling ALL parents! Help us make this event a great one!
SIGN UP TO HELP WITH THE AUCTION– PIP Hours apply!
We need your help to make this event a fun and successful one! Many hands make light work!
PTH EVENTS
Weekly Auction Thursday Newsletters:
The “Celebrate Together with Hope” Auction is getting closer. Every Thursday the PTH will send out a weekly newsletter. It will contain helpful information and links.
Donuts with Grownups Event – Wednesday, January 25th, 7:45am-8:25 am Kid(s) and their Special Grownup will gather in the Commons to socialize and enjoy donuts/refreshments before their class start time. Grownups are invited to stay to attend Wednesday Chapel service after the event.
Auction Wine Wagon – Mon, 1/23, Wed, 1/25 & Fri, 1/27
Donate wine for the auction at d/off and p/up.
The 7th/8th Grade School Dance – Sat, 2/4/23: 7:30 pm 10:00 pm
at the Seattle Lutheran High School Gym
CHURCH EVENTS
NEW WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY A Study of First Corinthians is a twelve week video series by Jennie Allen filmed in Greece. Join us Thursday mornings, 9:00-10:15 am in the Commons. CLICK HERE to watch the trailer. CLICK HERE for all of the details and to register. Questions, contact patramueller@hopeseattle.org.
Save the Date: Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be July 10-14, 9:00-noon. Watch for more details to come!
