Grateful to be a Lutheran School by Kristen Okabayashi
Next week is Lutheran Schools Week, which we celebrate as part of the greater network of LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) schools. This includes 1,200 early childhood centers, 880 elementary schools, and 130 high schools which serve over 200,000 students overall. As part of that celebration, our school will join in an online missions trip to Cambodia, we will make good neighbor baskets to serve to the community around us, and we will create care kits to pass out to people who are homeless as part of serving those around us. Lutheran schools are typically academically strong and provide a well-balanced education to students, including meeting the needs of students in all areas – physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
But what does it mean to be a Lutheran school? We were all reminded of what it means to be Hope School last week, as we embraced the Mitchell family after the passing of their father. I was stunned by the reaction of our students when the teachers shared about the loss, as they immediately discussed what they could do to help, and most of our older students made cards of comfort for the family. A meal train sign up was started the very next day, and by the end of that same day it was filled up. We prayed for the family as a staff and school; THIS is what it means to be a Lutheran school.
We are a school that is great at caring for our families, and I am going to ask for prayer for one of our much loved teachers, Lisa Meyer. Her mom was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer just a few short weeks ago, and despite undergoing treatment, she passed away yesterday. Mrs. Meyer was with her mom in Portland most of last week and she will be gone this week as well. Please lift her up to God in prayer as she deals with this sudden loss. And please pray for our staff and students as well. I feel so blessed to be part of this school, which supports not just the academic health of students but the spiritual and emotional needs as well.
Re-enrollment Begins Today – 1/16
Current families can now register for Fall 2018 enrollment. Hope will continue to use the online admissions module, K12Online, which has recently undergone an upgrade so read through your re-enrollment information that is coming home today, January 16. Please note all students were issued a new Access key and in addition now need the student ID number to register and access forms. This information is located at the top of your re-enrollment letter. Call the school office at 206-935-8500 or email Sally Heit at sheit@hopeseattle.org with any questions.
Applications for new students will begin to be processed on January 29, 2018.
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Tues. 1/16: Re-enrollment Begins
Wed. 1/17: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Grade 4
Fri. 1/19: Free Dress Day
January 22 to 28 – Lutheran Schools Week!
Wed. 1/24: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Mrs. Okabayashi with Special Guest Jim Scriven – Celebrating Lutheran Schools Week
Mon. 1/29: Open Enrollment Begins
School Athletic Events – Click Here
LEST Events – Click Here
LEST Update
We have posted updated information about LEST on the school website here https://hls.hopeseattle.org/events/lest/. This includes a tentative schedule including basketball games. We plan to send home LEST folders including the most updated schedule next Tuesday, January 23, 2018. Also, we have added some rooms to our block at Embassy Suites for Wednesday night February 14 because of the early games on Thursday, if you would like to add a night.
Before & After School Clubs – Click Here
A new afterschool chess club will be starting up on Monday s starting January 29th. Visit our website to register.
PTH & PIP Opportunities – Click Here
Auction News & Opportunities – Click Here
Have you marked your calendar for our totally awesome 80’s Party and Auction? Hopecoming is April 21 at 6pm! We’re counting on all Hope families to help us raise Big Money (No Whammies!) Procurement forms and information on Class Baskets are coming home today in the yellow envelopes. This year, each class will assemble a basket worth $300 or more to be auctioned off at the event. Each basket should have a theme and is due to the auction planning team by February 28. Even though it’s tempting to donate that wooden trout carving that Uncle Buck gave you for Christmas, we are looking for donations of rad experiences, getaway destinations, fine dining, sporting events, beer and wine. Reach out to friends and businesses that may be interested in making a donation, turn in those procurement forms, and help your auction co-chairs from faking sick days to pound the pavement in search of silent auction items. Ferris Bueller mastered that – and we can’t match his performance. Contact Heather Paar (heatherpaar@yahoo.com or 206-300-5233) with any questions!
School Survey by Hope Board of Directors
Hope Lutheran Church and School has a Board of Directors that supports the work of both church and school programs. In the Board’s policies it states that one of the roles of the Board is to seek feedback that might benefit church, school and support of the leadership that serve both. To that end, we have created a survey designed to help us understand what you love about Hope and what keeps your family invested at Hope. Completing the short, 10 question survey will just take a few minutes of your time, and we ask that you complete it in the next two weeks.
Thank you so much from Hope’s Board of Directors.
Click here to complete the survey http://cts.vresp.com/c/?HopeLutheranSchool/85915114f2/TEST/38be610806/c=0&w=1
Church News & Activities – Click Here
