Thankfulness by Kristen Okabayashi, Hope Principal
Like many families, my family takes turns on Thanksgiving sharing something we are personally thankful for. As I look ahead towards Thursday, I’m also reflecting on our busy fall here at Hope Lutheran School, and thinking of all the things I am already thankful for in the 2 ½ months since school started! A few of my highlights include:
- The new school bus! I am SO thankful to so many of you who donated towards funding our bus. It is gorgeous and will have a lasting impact on our many students who will use it over the years.
- Our updated preschool garden space…. the preschool staff worked hard on this during our late October teachers’ conference break, and reworked the space to be fresh and inviting to our youngest students. Thank you Mrs. Figgins, Mrs. Olsen, Mrs. Gardner, and Mrs. Olsen’s son Michael for providing some muscle to the project as well!
- Robotics…I am just thrilled to add this new elective to our choices in middle school, and appreciate our Hope Church Foundation for funding it for us, along with Mrs. Kunkel’s leadership. What a great learning experience for our students!
- Band…. Such a joy to add this musical experience for our intermediate students, who practice faithfully and play together every Wednesday after school. I’m grateful to Patra Mueller for gathering information about this program last spring, and thankful to our resident musical genius Thad Franklin for putting it all together.
- Report cards! It might sound weird to be thankful for new report cards, but soon all our K-8 families will receive these new progress reports. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to all our teachers for putting in countless hours researching, gathering information on standards and other schools’ report cards, and putting it all together into our new standards-based report cards. I’m especially thankful for Lisa Richardson and Kevin Jones for making this happen!
Lastly, I am so thankful for all of YOU, our families, for making our school the special place that it is. God has called us all here for a reason, to learn together as a community, and we are grateful! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Calendar of Events
Tues. 11/24: 7th & 8th Grade Finals / No Lego Club
Wed. 11/25: 8:40 AM Chapel led by 7th Grade / Noon Dismiss / ESC Closes at 3:00 PM / Trimester 1 Ends
Thurs. & Fri. 11/26 & 11/27: No School & ESC Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday
Wed. 12/2: 8:40 AM Chapel led by 2nd Gr. with Guest Speaker
Wed. 12/9: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Pastor Eilers / 7:00 PM 1st – 5th Gr. Christmas Concert
Fri. 12/11: 6:30 PM Preschool & Kindergarten Christmas Concert
Wed. 12/16: 7:00 PM Sounds of Christmas
Sports Events Calendar – Click Here
Reminder – Extended School Care & Sand Dollar Club
Please remember that our Extended School Care and Sand Dollar Club will be closing at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, 11/25 and closed Thursday & Friday 11/26 & 11/27 in observance of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Eve Hope Church Service – Wednesday, November 25th, 7:00 P.M.
Plan to join us in worship and thanksgiving to God. Our service will include a children’s message and blended music with the best of traditional Thanksgiving hymns and contemporary songs of praise.
Fill the Food Closet – Results
Thank you once again for supporting our food drive this season. I am reminded every day of the abundance God has given to us all. You added 2083 items to the food closet! Our winning class was 7th grade. They gave over 500 items for the hungry. Thank you to parents for driving to Costco and hauling all the food to the classrooms. Thank you to student council for counting and delivering to the commons. And thank you to Patra Mueller and Sunday School families for sorting.
Isaiah 58:7-8 “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter?…Then your light will break forth like the dawn…”
Thank you for sharing the light of God.
Believe Fundraiser Results
The final numbers are in and we are pleased to report we exceeded our $5000 goal for the Believe fundraiser by 150%! Thank you so much for all those who participated and a special shout out to our top producing student Karin V., 6th grade, who sold 64 items in all and won the Beats Speaker prize. Orders along with students’ additional prizes should be available for pickup on December 17th.
Mioposto Dinner Raffle Winners
Thanks again to all of you who came out and supported our Washington D.C. fundraiser at Mioposto! The dinner and raffle were a big success. We’d like to congratulate the following winners of the raffle drawings:
Peter K.: Nike Elite socks and free dress pass
Andrew M.: Mioposto Gift Certificate
Olivia T.: Scrip Gift Certificate
Afterschool Activities – Click Here
Auction News & Opportunities – Click Here
Parent Involvement Program Opportunities – Click Here
After School Club Volunteers needed
Auction help
Hope School Christmas Performances
Get in the spirit of Christmas by attending one or more of Hope School’s Christmas performances this December! First is our Christmas performance by students in grades 1-5 on Wednesday, December 9, at 7:00 PM, followed by Hope’s early childhood program (preschool and kindergarten) who will perform C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S is Coming!” on Friday, December 11 at 6:30 PM.
Hope’s middle school musicians will perform in our annual “Sounds of Christmas” concert coming up on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00 PM. The concert will feature our middle school chapel band and choir, handbell choir, and glee club performing with the Seattle Lutheran High School band. We hope you can join us for at least one of these festive events, all of which will be held in the Hope Church sanctuary. Merry Christmas!
