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.com

Michael Welton, Principal 

Volume V1 Issue IV                                                                                 Newsletter                                           December 18, 2008

 O Holy Night! O Holy Day!! 

 Happy holidays!  Over the next few weeks, you’ll be hearing that greeting countless times.  Some will respond back, Merry Christmas! 

A holiday, by some definitions, is a holy day.  Let your holidays be holy.  Let them be set apart.  Let them be sacred.  Let them be profoundly special.  That’s what holy means. 

Christmas brings several extra opportunities to worship.  That’s a huge part of keeping the holidays holy. 

Thursday, December 18; 6:30 – Several classes will be performing at this Advent service.  The 1^st graders will be singing a number of Christmas songs.  The 2^nd and 6^th graders will be performing the drama, “Angels We Have Heard.”  And, the 7^th and 8^th graders will by playing the bells.  It will be a wonderful night. 

Sunday, December 21; 8:00 and 10:30 – Immanuel Lutheran Church’s adult choir, under the direction of Mrs. Diane Dietmeier, will be leading services of praise and adoration.  Everyone is welcome.  Their voices can stir the spirit and kindle the Christmas light. 

Wednesday, December 24; 4:00, 6:00, and 11:00 – If you are looking for a place to celebrate Christmas, consider Immanuel Church.  Pastor Willis Schwichtenberg and Pastor Ros Schultz will be leading the services.  Each service will be a little different.  There is a family focus in the 4:00 service.  The choir sings in the 6:00 service.  The 11:00 service is a “candlelight” service and includes Holy Communion.  Uplifting carols and preludes start a half hour before each service, and all services will be feasts for the senses.  Visitors are always welcome. 

Thursday, December 25; 10:30 – Christmas morning is a time of packages and gifts for many families.  Jesus is the best gift any of us could ever receive.  Those in attendance are welcome to open a family gift at the church that morning.  The gift can be brought in that morning or delivered ahead of time.  Pastor Ros Schultz can help answer questions about the gift logistics.   The Christmas morning service includes Holy Communion. 

Wednesday, December 31; 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM – New Year’s Eve and Holy Communion can be celebrated through church services.  The passing of time and the timelessness of God are themes that will be explored.  Daycare and latchkey chapel will be expanded in the morning to include this special service at a time when weather and travel conditions might not keep people away.  Even the evening service is earlier than other years.  Consider yourselves invited. 

Consider yourself invited at any Immanuel service (Thursdays at 6:30; Sundays at 8:00 and 10:30).  Some people try to make a greater effort to keep the holidays special by going to church.  You may want to go beyond making Christmas merry.  You may want to keep it holy.  Holiday worship helps.  Happy holidays! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

from the Immanuel staff 

Office Hours:  The school office will be open from 8 AM until 12 PM Monday and Tuesday, December 22 and 23, as well as December 29, 30, 31, and January 2^nd. 

Merry Christmas 

PreSchool 3 - The three year olds went all over the building looking for the gingerbread cookies that ran away from them.  The children asked many of the teachers if they had seen the gingerbread cookies anywhere, and finally Mr. Welton told us that they might be in the nursery in the church taking a nap.  That was where the children found them.  The cookies were a yummy snack and the children were very careful to eat their legs first so they could not run away again!  The children have been busy making gifts, singing songs for the Christmas program and learning about angels and shepherds. 

PreSchool 4 –The preschoolers performed their Christmas musical on December 10^th.  They had practiced since the end of October and did a great job!  The preschoolers have also been learning the importance of Christmas and that we celebrate Christmas for reasons other than Santa!  The preschoolers will finish up the year by have a birthday celebration for Jesus on Friday, December 19. 

Kindergarten-Busy!!  That would describe the kindergarten classroom during the month of December.  The class did a wonderful job telling the good news of Jesus’ birth in their Christmas program with the preschoolers on December 11^th. The children have also been working on many Christmas projects, and are looking forward to their Christmas party on Friday December 19.  Many thanks to Mrs. Bertram and Mrs. Stone for helping us.  The kindergarteners would like to wish everyone a joyous Christmas!  

Grade 1 –  Waiting is the theme of our new unit of Bible study as we all wait for the arrival of Jesus’ birthday. What a time of celebration for all. May you and your family be blessed during this holiday season. The first graders are doing geometry and fractions in math class. They are learning about plane and space shapes. A plane shape is a square, for example, while a space shape would be a cube. Children are learning to describe space shapes. A cube has corners and faces. A cylinder has curves, a face and no corners. In phonics, the children are working on the short u vowel. The class will begin working on long vowels after Christmas.  

Grade 2 –  The boys and girls in second grade have been busy preparing for Christmas.  They have created beautiful ornaments for the classroom tree, designed Christmas trees made with hearts, purchased gifts for their parents with their Accelerated Reader points and even made gifts for their parents during art class.  More importantly, the students are preparing their hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ. The students are singing songs of praise, reading from the Bible and learning the real Christmas story.  Happy Birthday, Jesus! 

Grade 3 –“It’s a Wonder-full Life” was the theme of the Christmas musical and the third graders did an excellent job of preparing and proclaiming the importance of Jesus in this season of His birth.  The class is also working in religion class on the Bible story of the announcement to Mary and how she and Joseph prepared for the special birth of the Son of God.  In math, the class is computing addition and subtraction with regrouping using higher numbers.  The students are also excited about selling the most magazine subscriptions and earning the right to be in the famous pig race on December 19 to see who will win the pizza party.  They named the pig ‘Greenie’.  Happy Birthday Jesus! 

Grade 4 – The fourth grade class has been learning about the Exodus in religion and will be touring the church with Pastor Ros before completing an assignment to design their own church.  In math, the multiplication facts have been a challenge, but the students are working hard to master them.  The class will be taking a test over verbs in English.  In social studies, the children will be testing on chapter three, “Looking at Regions”.  Matter and weather are the current topics in science, and these topics will carry over into the new year.  The cereal box book reports are amazing!  Be sure to check them out in the front hallway after Christmas break.   

Grade 5 –  The fifth graders have been learning about the journey to the Promised Land and how God provided for the Israelites along the way.  They also learned how God protected and enabled the Israelites to take control of the Promised Land.  In math, the fifth graders are working on one digit division.  After Christmas, they will work on dividing by two digits.  For reading, they are listening to Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis.  After they listen to the story, the students will watch the Disney movie; hopefully they will able to see the differences from the book to the movie.  In social studies, the students are learning about the early colonies in America.  The sea and the animals of the sea is the current topic in science.  The students are learning about verbs in English.  Each student continues to read, read, read!  They are doing great with Book-it and Accelerated Reader!  Have a blessed holiday!  Merry Christmas! 

Grade 6—The sixth grade concluded a unit on pronouns and are beginning a unit on verbs. Oral book reports will complete their reading work until after Christmas.  At that time a new theme will be studied on the topic of  “Unwrapping Ancient Mysteries.”  The history unit about Egypt has helped to prepare the students for their upcoming reading unit.  The next history unit will be on Africa.  The class will celebrate Kwanzaa as a way to learn about African culture.  The students are finding the area of a variety of geometric shapes in math class.  They are studying “water on Earth” in earth science class.  In lab, they were able to use a multiple step process to purify water. 

Grade 7— The topic in science is “cells”.  The students are learning about duplication, mitosis, and cell division.  The math chapter is about geometry.  They are studying parallel and perpendicular lines as well as learning all about angles. In literature they are studying short stories.  They are focusing on the 4 styles of writing in English.  They have completed their descriptive and expository essays.  They have their narratives and persuasive pieces left.  The seventh graders have used a lot of their expository and narrative writing skills in history class.  Their upcoming history unit is the 13 English colonies in America. 

Grade 8— In physical science, the students are studying chemical reactions.  In labs, they have mixed chemicals and observed synthesis and decomposition reactions.  They are learning that balancing chemical equations can be fun as well as challenging.  In literature they are studying short stories.  They are focusing on the 4 styles of writing in English.  They have completed their descriptive and expository essays.  They have their narratives and persuasive pieces left.  Our basic rights, as enumerated in the Bill of Rights, come into question every day in America.  They are so important to the citizens of this great country.  The 8^th graders are learning about our first 10 Constitutional amendments before the holiday break, and will learn the remaining amendments when they return in January.  

Open House:  Immanuel Lutheran School and Child Development Center will be hosting an open house on Tuesday, February 3^rd from 6:30 until 8:00.  Prospective families are encouraged to visit.  Tell your friends about Immanuel and encourage them to tour the school and daycare.       

Geography Bee:  On Friday, December 19, at 10 AM in the gym, the National Geographic Geography Bee will take place.  Everyone is welcome.  Classroom winners from the 4^th through the 8^th grade will participate. 

Physical Work Over Break:  The Child Development Center hallways will be waxed after 6 PM on Friday, December 19, through Saturday, December 20.  Then, the wax will be allowed to thoroughly dry and items will be placed back onto the floor by 6 AM, Monday, December 22^nd.  Please stay out of the CCDC that weekend.  The sprinkler system will be inspected on Friday, December 26^th.  Some minor work will also be done, possibly requiring the water to be shut off.  Please stay out of the facility that day.  The gym floor will be thoroughly cleaned, treated, and waxed the week of December 22^nd.  The gym will not be available until December 30th.  Some harsh smells may permeate the school because of the treatments, especially December 24 – 26.

News Worth Noting! 

Immanuel  collects General Mills  “Box Tops for Education” (we need that particular part), Campbell Soup product UPC symbols, and Cub Food receipts 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 turn in is January 23rd with pick up on Tuesday, January 27th 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.  Many families are using this program for Christmas purchases, even using the gift certificates themselves so that they can get a rebate.  Record sales (over $8000) in December have meant tuition discounts for several families, as well as additional revenue for the school.  If you’re planning on shopping in January or February, you might want to pre-plan your purchases and take advantage of the Scrip program. 

PTL Bingo & Blizzard Night   Tuesday, January 13 at 6:30 is the night of the annual BINGO evening in the church fellowship hall.  Games, prizes, and an ice cream sundae bar will be featured.  All parents, students, and staff will be welcome. 

Pancake Day:  Sausage, applesauce, beverage, and “all the pancakes you can eat” will be offered at the school’s annual Pancake and Sausage Day, held in the gym on Saturday, January 31^st from 7 AM until 2 PM.  Tickets will be available after we return to school in January.  Contact any Immanuel student or the school office at 232-3511 for additional information or advanced sale tickets.  

Family Fun Snow Day:  We’re expecting it to snow by Saturday, January 10^th.  That day, from 1 until 2:30, Immanuel families and friends are welcome to sled down the hill behind the school.  Cocoa and cookies will be provided.  At the rate we’ve had winter storms so far, there should be plenty of snow on the ground.  Bring your own sleds, or use the school’s.

MEMBERSHIP CLASS:   A new membership class for Immanuel Lutheran Church is beginning in pastor’s office on Sunday mornings from 9:15 – 10:15 am.  The title of the booklet, a basic Bible and doctrine study, is “I Have Good News for You.”  Completion of this class could lead to adult membership at Immanuel Church.  Call 235-1993 (Pastor  Schwichtenberg) for more information.  Alice Schwichtenberg is the teacher. 

Hats Off to Top Sellers of Magazines:  Thanks to all of you who worked for and supported the PTL Magazine Sale.  So far, 340 magazine subscriptions were sold, totaling $7694 in sales and $3078 in profit.  The 3^rd grade and 5^th grade had the highest per capita sales and will be able to race their pigs on December 19^th.  Top sellers were Zachary Cummins (20 subscriptions), Jackson Heimer (17), Ashley Babler (14), Maxx Bradshaw, Erin Kohlbauer, and Madelyn Drehmer (12 each), Lucas Hill, Naomi Mullen, and Tyler Geiken (11 each), and Shania Fischer (10).  Thanks to these students and the wonderful PTL parents for conducting the sale. 

The Lancer Invitational Tournament was won by Belvidere (boys) and Aquin 6^th graders (girls).  Our boys came in 4^th place and our girls won the Consolation bracket.  Thanks to the many helpers and the teams.  Congratulations players! 

Classroom Size: Immanuel has policies in place regarding such issues as when to add teacher aides and when to add sections of grades.  With the possible closing of Tri-County School, Immanuel may have to implement some of these policies.  However, Immanuel does not want to compromise what it offers to its present families.  Community requests, as well as current obligations, will be balanced in an effort to do what is right.  A special committee has already been formed to work with Tri-County, should they request our input. 

Long Weekend: January 16 is a half day with teachers working on report cards in the afternoon.  January 19 is a day off in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day.  Daycare and latchkey are available both days 

No Bus/No School:  There is no school from December 22^nd through January 2^nd.  We return to school on January 5^th. The CCDC center will be open during those two weeks except for Christmas Day and the 26^th and New Years Day.  However, you must sign up to reserve your space. 

Board Meetings:  The Board of Christian Day School Education at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14th and the Board of Christian Child Development Center will meet on Wednesday, December 17th at 6:00 p.m.  Dan Medler and John Wichmann are the directors.  

 SNOW DAYS:  When District 145 (Freeport Public) cancels school because inclement weather, such as extreme cold or snow, then Immanuel Lutheran classes are also cancelled.  If possible, Immanuel’s daycare and latchkey will still be open.  Call ahead (232-3443) to make sure.  School closings are announced on  television channels 13, 17 and 23 as well as radio stations WFPS Country 92.1, The Big Easy 93.7, Q 102.1, and WFRL AM 1570. Check these stations before calling the school. 

State Recognition:  Immanuel voluntarily complies with state educational regulations such as certification, safety, and hours of school.  There are many state codes that apply to the school.  Private schools are not required to comply with all codes, but Immanuel chooses to meet and exceed state minimums.  A representative from the Illinois State Board of Education, as well as at least one other public and private school administrator will visit Immanuel on January 15^th.  They will check many files and a lot of paperwork and see for themselves how we operate.  Immanuel has met state recognition requirements for many years and anticipates meeting them again with this upcoming visit. 

Friends Dinner and Alumni Game:  Thanks to all of you who attended the November Immanuel Friends Dinner or Alumni Basketball Games.  Approximately $6000 was raised for the school.  More importantly, awareness of the school’s mission was raised.  Friends got together and had fun.  Many prayers were shared for the mission of the school.  Volunteers offered their talents for a good cause.  Thanks to those who contributed to the themed gift boxes.  The winners were grateful.  Both evenings were successes! 

Click to retrieve School Newsletter:

2008-2009 School Needs List

Education for Today, Tomorrow and Eternity
Immanuel has openings in all classes, Pre-K3 to 8th grade  
·           Christian atmosphere
·           Quality education
·           Spacious campus
·           Well-equipped facility
·           Daycare and extended care available  

Call for more details
Visit the classrooms and register today

Short-Term Goals for Immanuel
As presented by principal, September, 2008

Physical

1. Add air conditioning and improved air flow, particularly in the primary wing
2. Install more equipment in the playground
3. Improve locker rooms
4. Re-model Title I room
5. Upgrade intercom

Program

1. Offer Spanish language classes
2. Grow band program
3. Incorporate daily physical education, including health class
4. Lengthen school day (8:30-3:30) 

Philosophical

1. Incorporate wellness into daily routines
2. Carry “respect” theme throughout year and further
3. Encourage teachers to be life-long learners
4. Embrace technology
5. Become more mission-minded 

Ideas Involving Other Boards

1. Offer worship or Spiritual events for parents (Elders, Worship)
2. Begin monthly youth events for 6^th – 8^th graders (Youth)
3. Encourage preschool program as a gateway into ILS (CCDC)
4. Activate Alumni Association/Friends of Immanuel (Stewardship) 

Teacher comments included adding #6 to “Physical” area: Primary wing bathroom upgrades, wellness could be encouraged in the newsletter and through home ec. education, technology could be encouraged through individual teacher web pages, and more preschool families might enroll into ILS if the “Growing God’s Family” $1000 discount applied to them.