To Voucher or Not to Voucher?

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Written by Rendy Koeppel

That is a question many more WELS school leaders are asking themselves. Government-funded programs that give parents vouchers or tax credits for school tuition are on our national landscape for the foreseeable future. Accepting state funding for tuition in WELS schools has been implemented for at least 20 years. It is a somewhat controversial concept in our Lutheran schools and congregations. Leaders have to decide whether they will participate. And why! Continue reading →

Early Childhood Ministry: Addressing Staffing Challenges

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Written by Julianna Kiecker

Early Childhood Ministries (ECMs) are consistently growing in Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) churches! Did you know that 10,754 children attended a WELS ECM in 2017? (Commission on Lutheran Schools, 2017). For some congregations, the results are easy to see: adult confirmations and families joining their congregation. Others struggle to see these blessings from their ECM efforts. “We’ve had the preschool open for years without so much as one worship visitor!” Continue reading →

Working Together in Support of Lutheran Elementary Schools

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Written by Nathan Reich

Historically, most congregations that operated Lutheran elementary schools (LES) did not have any sort of outreach program. They really didn’t need it. It was almost a given that member children would attend the LES. That is not true anymore. Principals, school boards, and councils need to have plans to promote their school among their members and the greater community. Cradle rolls, moms-and-tots outings, and Sunday school programs are excellent ways to promote an LES within a congregation. Continue reading →

Teaching Bible Lessons to Our Preschoolers

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Written by Bonnie Homan

This article was written in May 1995. Does it still apply today?

Last summer, Professor Beverlee Haar came to Jordan Lutheran School for a course in early childhood education. This was an intensive workshop in two-and-a-half days. I felt like my head was spinning from all the invaluable information we received. The greatest and newest piece of information for me was about telling Bible stories. It was completely different than the way I had been teaching Bible stories for the last 20 years. Continue reading →

The Shema – Hear and Carefully Obey

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Written by Kenneth Kremer

We live in a godless age. Historians have dubbed it The Post-Christian Era. Believe it or not, we have been living in a secular culture for a half-century. Who knew?

Some of us are still having a hard time accepting this fact. Others have accepted it, but have no clue how to deal with it. A few lash out in anger and frustration, without knowing who the enemy is. But on the whole, most people have assimilated this radical shift in norms without a lot of fuss. They have moved on, living with a new set of ethical standards that have redefined the moral life in godless ways.   Continue reading →

Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 2

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Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested

In “Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1,” we discussed the importance of producing high-quality newsletters. As your public face, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you’re professionals who are giving their children an excellent education, and that you’re strong Christians who love Jesus and their children.

Part 1 listed three important directives for achieving this goal: (1) write with a smile on your face; (2) write humbly, which translates to “be brief”; and (3) write for the eye as well as the ear, which means using an easy-to-read format.

Part 2 has three equally important directives. Please read on. Continue reading →

Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1

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Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested

Your newsletter is your public face. In fact, for prospective families and for families who don’t have much contact with teachers—because of work schedules or a strained relationship or simple shyness—it may be your only face.

That’s why the quality matters. In both content and format, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you’re professionals who are giving their children an excellent education, and that you’re strong Christians who love Jesus and their children.

How do you send those two messages? Here are a few tips. Continue reading →

Balancing Act in Kindergarten

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Written by Brandi Bivens

Kindergarten has been in existence for almost 200 years, but what children learn and how they have been taught has changed quite drastically. Kindergarten teachers have been put in the difficult position of balancing play and academics as a push for more academics has made its way into kindergarten. First we will look at several reasons why kindergarten has changed. Continue reading →

Creation Apologetics in the Science Classroom

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Written by Jenny Retzlaff

I love teaching physics! I love sharing the incredible order in God’s creation, the laws that govern the universe, and the amazing discoveries and innovations that come from the study of this gift. I absolutely love it! However, there was one topic that left me more anxious than excited: creation apologetics. Continue reading →

What Is the Predominant Role of the Principal?

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Written by Joycelyn Christmas-John

In our Lutheran community, principals wear many hats. They are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave the school. You can find them doing some pretty odd jobs on the school compound. These jobs range from shoveling snow to unclogging toilets because toys are stuck, from taking apart the projector to recharging the battery of a teacher’s car. Many people may wonder: What is the real job of a principal? Continue reading →