Immanuel
Lutheran School
1964
W. Pearl City Road + Freeport,
Illinois 61032
Phone
815-232-3511 or Extended Care 815-232-3443
+ Fax # 815-233-9158
e-mail
school@immanuellutheranfreeport.com +
www.ourgodwithus.org
Michael
Welton, Principal
Volume V1 Issue IX
Newsletter
April
8, 2009
Our
God is greater than death. He
is Number One!
There
are many references to numbers in the Bible.
They provide a fascinating backdrop to the real story of Easter.
That story will be played out in drama, Holy Communion, song, and
praise during the next week.
On
Thursday, April 9 at 7:00, a presentation called “The Numbers of Lent”
will be shared. Lent is the
40 days of preparation before Easter.
They recall the 40 days of temptation faced by Jesus before he
entered his public ministry. That
number, and several others, will be explored during this special
presentation. Rev. Willis
Schwichtenberg, senior pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, wrote the play.
It tells the story of the 12 disciples and their journey with Jesus
to the cross. Holy Communion
will be celebrated as part of the service.
A
dress rehearsal without Communion will be offered on Wednesday, April 9 at
7 PM. The public is invited.
The
3 days that Jesus was dead will be explored at the Good Friday services on
April 10. Worship will begin
at 12:15 and 7:00. These are
somber services, and for a good reason.
They commemorate the suffering and death of our Savior, Jesus, on
the cross at Calvary.
Three
will also be the number at the 7:00 service on Easter Sunday.
Accounts from 3 witnesses will be shared.
This beautiful service of celebration will include dozens of
“Alleluias.” Choir anthems and songs will proclaim the glory of God, risen
from the dead.
An
Easter breakfast provided by the youth of Immanuel Church will be shared
between 8 AM and 9:15. A free
will offering will be taken for the benefit of the youth.
Between
9:20 and 10 AM, an Easter Parade of Praise will be shared.
Sacred songs and readings will be shared, mostly from the children
of the congregation. This
takes place in the church. All
are welcome.
The
10:30 service will reflect upon the number 153. All are welcome to hear about this number and its
relationship to the resurrection story.
Holy Communion will be shared.
Imagine all of the traditional Easter hymns and the alleluia
refrains. There are so many alleluias sung on Easter that the refrain
will stick in the minds of the people there to celebrate.
Many
numbers will be explored. Many
people will be in attendance. Hopefully,
you will add to the numbers.
No
School: There
is no school on Friday, April 10 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 13
(Easter Monday). Child
care is available; call Mrs. Yarzak at 232-3443.
TALENT
SHOW: The
PTL Talent Show will take place in the church fellowship hall on Tuesday,
April 14, from 6:30 until 8:00. Popcorn
and lemonade will be served. Students
and their parents are encouraged to show off their talents to an
encouraging audience. It
promises to be a good time.
Preschool
Program: The
youngest children at Immanuel invite the community to a delightful evening
of songs and skits in the church on Friday evening, April 17 at 6:30 PM.
SPRING MUSICAL: The kindergarten, first, and second graders will perform “Arkeology”
on Wednesday, April 22 at 8:50 (chapel) and on Thursday, April 23
at 6:30. This lively
musical about the Ark and its animals is sure to please!
Everyone is welcome.
Springtime!!!
Preschool
3 –
The three year olds never seem to have enough time to do everything they
want to do! The children have
been listening closely to letter sounds and trying to figure out what
letter many words begin with. All
through March the children kept track of lion days and lamb days.
At the end of the month the children counted that there was one
more lion day than lamb day. The
children are excited about Easter and can tell everyone that Jesus rose on
Easter and that is why it is a celebration.
Our Spring Program is Friday, April 17th at 6:30 p.m. in
the church. Please join us to
get a glimpse of how three year olds play and learn!
Preschool
4
–The 4-year olds have been getting ready for the upcoming Easter
celebration. They have
learned the true meaning as to why eggs are a symbol of Easter as well as
the importance of Jesus giving His life for us on the cross.
The children examined brown, blue, and green eggs and then enjoyed
eating scrambled eggs. They
have also made many egg and Easter related decorations, and a stained
glass cross. They are also
preparing for their Spring Program on Friday, April 17, 2009 in the Church
at 6:30 p.m. They are
learning a skit as well as many songs to sing.
Please come and join us that evening as the 3 year old and 4 year
old preschool class entertains us all.
Kindergarten-The
kindergarteners have enjoyed learning about magnets, and did a great job
on their math units about time and money.
They are all becoming incredible readers, and look forward to their
reading groups each week. The
children have been practicing hard for their Spring Musical with the first
and second graders. They will
sing at chapel on April 22nd at 8:50,
and again on Thursday evening at 6:30.
Friends and families are all invited to this wonderful performance.
The class has been preparing for Easter with lots of projects.
The kindergarteners would like to wish everyone a joyous Easter!!
Grade
1 – The
first graders are finishing up on the unit of verbs in English. The new
unit will be on adjectives. The children are also finishing addition and
subtraction facts to 12 in math and will begin doing facts to 18. The
class is also working on recognizing and counting money and telling time
to the hour and half hour.
Grade
2 – The
second-graders are using their newly learned cursive handwriting to
complete sections of their daily work now.
Parents, encourage your child to practice writing in cursive at
home. The more it is used the
easier it will be for the students. Insects
will be the topic of the new science unit.
Students who make interesting “catches” at home are welcome
send it in for all the students to see!
The students are so interested in the Easter Story.
Please incorporate this into your Easter celebration.
Parents are truly their child’s best teacher.
Grade
3 The
third graders tried division for the first time and they feel it is not as
difficult as it first appeared to be.
Now that they have gone through all the multiplication facts, the
division facts are just the opposite!
A group from the 7th grade taught the class about how
important it is to stretch before exercise and showed us how fun exercise
can be with a game and an obstacle course.
It was fun to have someone besides Miss Glandorf instruct them.
The new story in reading will be about a giant and will show the
students how to work with possessive nouns.
Grade
4 – The
fourth graders are back from spring break and are beginning the long haul
to the end of the year. The
students will be quite busy. During
April in math the class will continue learning the basics of long division
(chapter 8). In reading they will be completing the theme “American
Snapshots.” In English the students will learn about the how, where, and
when of adverbs. The next
science chapter explores the oceans.
Social studies will continue working through the states, and focus
on Illinois and its place in the USA.
Students will be working on their state projects in tandem with the
Illinois unit. I have asked
the students who are participating in baseball, softball or soccer to
bring in their schedules when they become available.
I would like to attend a game and watch them play.
Grade
5
– The fifth graders have conquered multiplying and dividing decimals.
They will start working with fractions next. The American Revolution continues to be the topic for social
studies. The students are
learning about the Declaration of Independence and the consequences the
Patriots had because of it. In
science, the fifth graders are learning about weather.
Pronouns are the topic for English class. The fifth graders have started their academic fair projects.
They each chose a country from Central or South America.
They will research about that country and write a paper.
For religion, the students have learned about the Lord’s Supper,
Judas’s betrayal of Jesus, Peter’s denial, and Jesus’ death.
May God bless your Easter celebrations.
Grade
6
–The sixth graders are starting a new unit on astronomy in earth science
class. Mr. Dole from the Jets
Observatory will be visiting to show some telescopes and discuss what the
observatory has to offer. The
students are studying angles, lines, and polygons in math class. They are
beginning a chapter on “Subject –Verb Agreement.”
This will be using skills they learned while studying the parts of
speech. In reading they are continuing the theme “Imagination at
Work.” The students will be
hearing some ancient myths as they learn about Greek civilization during
history class.
Grade
7—
The chapter in life science is about circulation and respiration.
The students will construct a lung model in a lab session.
Percents and operations with percentages is the topic in math
class. History students are
continuing their study of early presidents as they explore “Young
USA.” Their presidential
posters are due on Thursday, April 9th. In English, they will begin their study of prepositional
phrases which are used as adjectives and adverbs.
They continue with their study of poetry, in literature class.
Grade
8—
The students are studying electromagnetism in physical science class.
They will be building simple motors and working with generators in
some lab sessions. Geometry
is the topic in math class with particular emphasis on lines and line
relationships. History
students are writing Civil War newspapers as they study that time period.
They also read Across Five Aprils in literature class in
conjunction with this unit. In lit, the 8th graders continue with their study
of poetry. They will be
reviewing how prepositional phrases are used as modifiers in English.
Academic
Fair: On
Tuesday, May 12, Immanuel will host its annual Academic and Art
Fair from 6:30 until 8:00. Invite
friends and relatives to tour the classrooms and view the impressive
projects made by the children.
Summer
Child Care Registration:
Please stop down in the Child Development Center and pick up a registration
form if your child will be attending during the summer.
Return it as soon as possible so staffing decisions can be made.
Are
you receiving our midweek e-mails? Immanuel
has a weekly e-mail that gives you an update on the calendar for the next
12-14 days. If you would like to receive it, stop by the school office
and let us know your current e-mail address.
Remember if you change your e-mail, we need to be informed.
You may also send your address to school@immanuellutheranfreeport.com.
COLLEGE
FUNDING:
Funding your child’s education can be easier than you think—if
you start today.
Join us for a free one-hour educational workshop, “Focus On
College Funding” sponsored by Thrivent Financial For Lutherans.
Offered by: Jennifer
Buck, FSA, FIC
When: Tuesday,
May 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Immanuel
Lutheran School
Register by April 24:
815/636-3939, ext 14
Learn about important strategies that can help you prepare financially for
your child’s post-secondary education, including
* Current costs of a college education
* College funding options and tax advantages
* Pros
and cons of other funding options, such as loans and financial aid
News Worth Noting!
Immanuel collects General Mills “Box Tops for
Education” (we need that particular part), Campbell Soup product UPC
symbols, and Kemp Milk Bottle tops to help with education opportunities
for our students. Please
deposit these items in the drawer stand near the pop dispenser or in the
collection box in the church.
Market Day is a food co-op that offers restaurant quality food with a percentage going
to the school. Order forms
are in a drawer located near the pop dispenser.
Ordering can also take place on their web site, www.marketday.com.
The next Market Day order date is April 24 with pick up on Tuesday,
April 28th from 3-5 pm in the school cafeteria.
SCRIP is simply a word that means “Substitute money.”
They are gift certificates to national and local businesses, purchased at
face value and used at face value. The
businesses that sell the gift certificates give percentages back to the
purchaser for tuition costs and directly to the school. Orders for May
will be placed May 5th & 19th with delivery the following Tuesday.
Dental Health: Remember all
Kindergarten, 2nd graders and 6th graders must have
a current dental report on file by May 9th.
Class Trip: Many thanks to the community who prayed for and supported the efforts of the
8th graders. They
were able to travel to Washington, D.C. over spring break. They saw a Bulls/Wizards game, toured the Capitol building
and watched Congress in session, toured the White House, visited the
Library of Congress, the National Archives, the US Holocaust Museum, the
Smithsonian Art and History Museums, saw several monuments and memorials,
and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
saw Ford’s Theatre and the bed where Lincoln died, and prayed for our
nation at the National Cathedral. They
also went to a water park. It
was a busy, fun, and educational week.
World Book Online: Are your children needing to look up something on the internet?
Immanuel students and their families can log into www.worldbookonline.com.
The access ID is “immanuelfreeport” The password is
“lancers”. Check it out!!! Two
special gifts have assured the students of Immanuel that they will be able
to access the site in 2009.
MEMBERSHIP CLASS:
Membership classes for Immanuel
Lutheran Church are held each Sunday mornings from 9:15 – 10:15 am in
the Pastor’s office. A
basic Bible and doctrine study, called
“I Have Good News for You” is used.
Completion of this class could lead to adult membership at Immanuel
Church. Call 235-1993 (Pastor
Schwichtenberg) for more information.
Smart Tuition: In an effort to offer easier billing and payment options, Immanuel will be
using Smart Tuition as the tuition and fees payment center for the 2009-10
school year for all families. They
offer more variety in payment options than Immanuel presently does and
easier tracking for those paying the bills.
They also do this cheaper than we can.
This “outsourcing” is to an American company with 24 hour
on-line and phone customer service. Participation
is included in the tuition costs for next year.
IMMANUEL
TRACK MEET will be held Saturday, April 25
starting at 9:00 am. at the Pretzel football stadium. This is a change from the 18th due to a scheduling conflict
at the Freeport High School.
EMPLOYMENT
OPENING FOR 2009-2010:
Applications will be taken for the position of assistant cook
for the 2009-2010 school year. Interested
parties need to stop by the school office to fill out an application or
call the school at 815-232-3511 for further information.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
Immanuel Thrift/Rummage/Garage Sale
Set-Up June 1, 2 & 3
June 4 & 5 (8-5) and 6 (8-12)
School
Gym
Gather
your unwanted items (must be in good condition) and save them for the
Immanuel Sale. Proceeds will
be divided between Freeport Area Church Coop and Voices (to
help needy families and
abused women & children in our community).
You may bring your items on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1,
2 & 3. The sale will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 4, 5
& 6. On Saturday, most
items are offered at $1.00/bag. Sign
up sheets will be available in May. We
hope you will say yes to just a couple of hours.
We want to support our community and help those less fortunate
especially in light of layoffs and those finding themselves out of work. Remember, lots of hands make for light work and the
fellowship is great.
OUR CENTRAL PURPOSE
"Immanuel Lutheran School, a ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Church,
exists to call students into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to
move them into active discipleship in a Christian congregation, and equip
them to be effective witnesses in the community.
Immanuel Lutheran School strives to direct the educational
experiences of its students, while developing their talents to their
greatest potentials, so that they may fulfill God's plan for service in
our world."
Board
Meetings: The
Board of Christian Day School Education at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May
13th and the Board of Christian Child Development Center will meet on
Wednesday, April 22nd at 6:00 p.m. Dan
Medler and John Wichmann are the directors.
St. Jude Math-a-thon:
Thanks to the many student heroes who participated
in this year’s event. They
were able to raise approximately $2,400.00
for children with cancer who need medical help though St. Jude’s
Hospital in Memphis, TN. The
top four students were Dylan Meyerhofer, Zac Cummins, Alex Gravenstein and
Amie Gravenstein. Thanks also to Mrs. Truckenmiller for coordinating this
event.
Good Touch/Bad Touch:
The Assault and Abuse Services Organization of
Stephenson County teaches one week courses on topics such as bullying,
harassment, and awareness of predators.
The classes are age appropriate and important. They will take place in the regular classrooms May 4 through
8 in certain classrooms: pre-k 4, kindergarten, 2nd grade, and
5th grade. Lori
Bumphrey can answer parent concerns or provide additional information at
232-7200. An informational
and question time will be held on Tuesday, April 14th in the church
library during the Talent Show.
Sports Physicals: Monday, June 1st at Immanuel is the date for
sports physicals – from 5:30 until 7:00 PM.
Local doctors and health care professionals have donated their
time. The cost is $20 per
physical, and the proceeds go toward athletic uniforms for our Lancers.
BRAT
STAND: Cub
Foods has invited our 7th and 8th graders and their
families to “man” the brat stand on Friday, April 17 and Saturday,
April 18. This lunch
stand serves great tasting brats, hot dogs, pork chops, steaks, and other
specialties. Profits are shared with these classes for their trips.