ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.
To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!
NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK... 
ENDURE: Hebrews 12:1-3
“Providing a foundation in Jesus Christ and to develop the God-given talents of learning.”
“Providing a foundation in Jesus Christ and to develop the God-given talents of learning.” October has become the fast month of the school year for me. We had a teachers’ conference, a big field trip, the end of the first quarter, report cards, parent-teacher conferences, you add in a fund-raiser (yard sale) the week before October begins and a fund-raiser (pork chop supper) the week after October ends and you go from mid-September to Veterans’ day in a blink of the eye! As we continue to focus on our theme of Endure, we realize to endure takes many forms. There are struggles that involve “lifting” heavy tasks. There are struggles that involve “surviving” hard tasks. In October my struggles involved keeping my head above water when the tasks were not necessarily heavy or hard, but kept coming in wave after wave. What an awesome God we have who helps us endure ALL our challenges and struggles! He gives us His Word, friends, families, and His Spirit who strengthen us in our struggles. GOD IS GREAT!
MATCH DAY (ALMA & WAMEGO) – Thank you for your tremendous support for SJLS! It was humbling to see the totals for our first Alma Match Day ($22k + $5k match) and the Wamego Match Day ($9k + ? match).
1ST QUARTER CHAPEL OFFERINGS – We collected chapel offerings during the 1st quarter of the school year for mission work in West Africa. Students brought their coins and paper money to the front and dropped them in our Guinea Pig (for Guinea Africa). It was a lot of fun for the younger students and our visitors. We sent $275 to the LCMS mission board to be used for their work in West Africa.
HURRICANE RELIEF – We peeled off the final Wednesday chapel offering of the 1st quarter and added it to the first Wednesday’s offering of the second quarter and sent a gift to the people recovering from hurricanes Helene and Milton. We made both chapel offerings noisy days just like we do on fifth Sunday’s in church. We gathered $96.42 that was sent the LCMS District office in Topeka and from there it will be sent to schools in North Carolina and Florida.
NOVEMBER EVENTS – Veteran Day Chapel (11/11/24); Thanksgiving Break (11/21-11/25)
Mr. Butler, SJLS Principal
MRS. MILLER, KINDERGARTEN & FIRST GRADE:
". . .casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! With your support, our challenge to Keep Reading Alive in 2025, has been fully funded. K-3 students have received their first book and will have their second NEW book in their hands in the next two weeks. We have also curated a list of books to purchase for The Eagles Nest.
Thank you to: Wayne & Ruth Wille, Marcy Merritt, Kathryn Bruning, Linda Miller, Cindy Holle, Kathy Cox, Karen Wright, Gwen Hendricks, Joyce Diehl, Mark & Hanna Anderson and family, Kelli Schutter, Helen Holenbeck, Alynne Anderson, Judy Peddicord, Ashley Seematter, and several anonymous donors. Blessings
Mrs. Mindy Miller
FALL GREETINGS FROM 2ND AND 3RD GRADES
The students are marching right through the old testament in Religion and will be moving from Moses to King Saul and David shortly.
In reading we continue to work on realistic fiction as well as historical fiction with a few myths and fables mixed in.
Second grade is working on double-digit addition in math, while third grade is learning all about lines, angles, and shapes.
This month, we are working on understanding voting in Social studies and will be taking a tour of the courthouse in conjunction with the 3rd graders at Wabaunsee Elementary School.
In Science, we will continue to observe our ants, but will focus mainly on social studies this month.
In PE we have finished volleyball and hope to do some basketball skills.
We look forward to our Veteran's Day Chapel on November 11th and hope you will join us.
In Christ,
Mrs. Howard
NOVEMBER GREETINGS FROM MRS. GREENE!
In language arts, the 4th-8th grade students have been busy learning about different types of nouns. The 7th and 8th grade students completed a project on collective nouns, compound nouns, common nouns, proper nouns, abstract nouns, and concrete nouns. The students will be learning about the different types of pronouns in the next few weeks.
In reading classes, the 4th-5th grade students have been working on reading “persuasive articles,” while the 6th-8th grade students have been reading informational texts.
In writing classes, the 6th-8th grade students will be working on how to research a specific topic, identify bias in sources, create bibliographies, and cite sources correctly. The 4th-5th grades will be refining their skills in writing a narrative story. The students will be focusing on character traits, setting, and the plot of a story.
In social studies, the 4th-5th grade students are learning of the “War of 1812” before beginning states and regions curriculum. 6th-8th grade students are busy learning about when Kansas became a state, the first constitution of Kansas, and the three branches of the government. The students enjoyed a field trip to the Wabaunsee County Courthouse to learn about how the courtroom works, and what type of jobs there are in a courthouse.
In technology class, the 4th-5th grades are busy learning how to type with correct hand placement, as well as becoming familiar with creating Google slide presentations.
In strategy class, the 6th-8th grade classes are working on brainstorming and learning to edit and revise paragraphs.
Art classes have completed their recycling art projects and had a small art showing for the kindergarten and first grade students. It was such a fun time. Students have just started their next project of creating a representation of Westward Movement with craft sticks.
Recently the students enjoyed a field trip to the Strataca Salt Mines and Hutchinson Zoo. The students really enjoyed these learning experiences. Many of the students are busy learning how to play a variety of string instruments and having a great time doing so. We have our own little orchestra forming at St. John Lutheran School. It is such a joy to be part of the students learning and growing in Christ.
Many of the students are busy learning how to play a variety of string instruments and having a great time doing so. We have our own little orchestra forming at St. John Lutheran School. It is such a joy to be part of the students learning and growing in Christ.Mrs. Greene
MUSIC CLASS QUARTER NOTE
You may have heard rumblings coming from the school during the first half of the first quarter as the fourth through eighth grade music classes devoted their music time to using body percussion and beating out rhythm patterns on percussion instruments such as tubanos and hand drums, pool noodles on the tables or floor, and using drum sticks on buckets. We focused on learning note values by listening to and imitating what they heard and by reading the associated note values - whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes, as well as those often overlooked but important rests. The fourth graders have been learning how to play the recorders during the second half of the first quarter and the fifth graders have been getting a good review of the skills they learned last year by helping the younger students. We are learning to read line and space notes and their finger positions on the recorders. The students are learning how note values we discussed during the first half of the quarter can be used to play some simple tunes. Our goal for the second quarter is to build on these skills to learn to play songs for Veterans Day and Christmas. The students will improve their skills by practicing at home. Please remind them to bring their recorders and music home for practice and back to school on Wednesdays for music class. The sixth through eighth grade class has moved on to play handbells during the second half of the quarter. They each got to choose the bells they wanted to play, which has worked out very well. The sixth graders are learning the art of ringing the bell, which takes a little focused practice until it becomes more of a natural movement. They are also using the skills they learned when playing the recorders last year - notes (A-G), note values, timing, listening to those playing around them, and playing as a "team". I have been repeating often that music is not like a sport, in that the first one who reaches the end of the music is NOT the winner! We are focusing on a patriotic anthem and the Doxology to play for Veterans Day. I think you will enjoy the fruits of our labor and learning when we play for you in November and December. Charley Gann is providing lessons on all things stringed - guitars, banjos, mandolins, the bass, ukeleles, and, soon, the violin for students in fourth through eighth grades that want to learn them. He is providing the lessons in groups during an extended music time on Wednesday mornings. Charley offers his time, talent, and love for teaching for free to eleven of our students at St. John. He had an ensemble play Amazing Grace during chapel on October 16th. This ensemble consisted of Brynn on the bass, Kade on the banjo, Finn on the ukelele, and Kooper on the mandolin. . If your child is taking lessons with Charley, please encourage him/her to practice daily and to remember to bring their instruments with them on Wednesdays.Kathy Schultz
LUTHERAN PARENT TEACHER LEAGUE HAPPENINGS
LPTL PORK CHOP DINNER: The annual pork chop dinner is Saturday, November 2nd from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Hall. The menu includes a pork chop, scalloped potatoes, green beans, a roll, and dessert. A silent auction is also included this year. Join us for some good food, fun, and fellowship.
2025 UPCOMING LPTL MEETINGS
Wednesday, January 15th at 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16th at 6:00 p.m.
(A meal and child care will be provided.)
WAYS TO SUPPORT
ST. JOHN LUTHERAN SCHOOL
ST. JOHN LPTL takes orders for gift cards, as a fundraiser, and a percentage of the purchase goes to the school. To order, click on the St. John Lutheran School website link: https://stjohnalma.eduk12.net/, then select the Scrip Gift Card order form link found on the left side of the page. The school will be placing orders on Nov. 11 and Nov. 25. Thank you!
STOP TO SHOP: St. John Lutheran School now has a Kickback Card at Stop 2 Shop! When you check out, just tell them you would like to use the SJLS Kickback card and then key in 7-8-5-7-6-5-3-9-1-4 (the school’s phone number). It’s so easy…be sure to participate all year long!
DILLON’S COMMUNITY REWARDS: We encourage anyone who is a Dillon’s PLUS card shopper to please take a couple of minutes to sign up for the rewards program. This is a program offered by Dillon’s to give back to local schools. Each time you make a purchase using your PLUS card, a percentage of your sales is donated back to SJLS in the form of cash. There is no extra charge to you, it is simply a donation by the Dillon’s company. Please use the following link to add your PLUS card to the rewards program: www.dillons.com/communityrewards and use the code AU093 to support SJLS.
BOX TOPS: Box Tops have changed to fit today’s families! Scan your receipt in the new and improved Box Top mobile app. The app will instantly find participating products and add the earnings to our SJLS account. No more cutting, sorting and counting Box Tops. Scan any receipt from Dillons, Hy-Vee, Aldi’s, Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, etc. Simple, easy money for our school. Box Tops for Education helps teachers purchase supplies for their classrooms, art/music/science/PE supplies and much more! Get the app today and start scanning!
YOUTH CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAM & CONTEST: The League of Kansas Municipalities invites our school to participate in the Youth Civic Education Program. The League offers an activity book for elementary students, as well as a writing contest called “Local Leaders of Tomorrow” for 7th graders.
The “Local Leaders of Tomorrow” Essay Contest encourages 7th grade students to answer a compelling question about local government, community members, and civic engagement. As a compelling question, it meets the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) requirements and could be used as a Classroom Based Assessment (CBA) by educators. Six regional winners will receive cash prizes, and their essays will be published in the Kansas Government Journal. Deadline to submit essays is March 3, 2025. This will allow both fall and spring classes to participate. Winners are invited to a special ceremony in May in Topeka. For more information, visit the website www.lkm.org/essaycontest.In This Month's
St. John Witness
NOVEMBER WITNESS
The Eagle Cry
