September School News
Salem's 2020-2021 School Theme and Message from Mr. Klatt:
Darkness. It causes problems in our day to day life. Darkness causes tiny problems like being scared to turn off the lights, go into a basement with no lights, or stubbing your toe because you can’t see where you are going. It can also cause major problems like accidents on the road because you can’t see where you are going. Many an invention has been created whose sole purpose is to eliminate darkness.
Our theme for this school year focuses on the opposite of darkness. Salem’s theme is “Living in the Light” taken from John 8:12, “Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Darkness causes problems that are scary. I think many of us, even the most hardened soul, would admit that the situations that darkness can cause are scary. That is why knowing our Lord and Savior is such a comfort. It is through him that we always have light. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter what kind of darkness is trying to creep in, Jesus is there with his light to scatter the darkness.
That is the goal of Salem for our students. We want them to leave our halls knowing that they have a light that never goes out. Many of our students are in the age range where darkness is very scary. They understand what it means to have a light in the darkness as it helps them to sleep, find their way in the dark, or just know what is in front of them. How true is that for everyone. We all need rest either from our daily burdens of life or just to keep our bodies functioning properly. Jesus, our light, is our rest. It is so much easier to get lost going to a destination when it is dark outside. Jesus, our light, guides us and keeps us on the path. Sometimes life has its problems, an unexpected job loss, an unexpected death in the family, a worldwide pandemic, and many other situations that we aren’t even sure what is right in front of us anymore. Jesus, our light, focuses us on what is truly important that should always be in front of our eyes.
In all of these situations, Jesus reminds us that if we focus on him and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, that the darkness cannot win or take us. This is the ultimate comfort when we talk about the final darkness that takes us, death. It is an uncomfortable, scary situation that also is associated with darkness. However, when we focus on Jesus and the light he produces, we know that the end will be one of glorious light with our loving Savior forever in Heaven. That is the joy our light brings to our student’s lives, our Salem family’s lives, and our staff’s lives.
May God’s light continue to guide you in your life, and may it always remind you that although we live in a sin-darkened world, we have a light that will never go out for all eternity.
School Year Begins
On August 31st, Salem will begin in-person classes for the first time in six months. The faculty and staff are excited to have their classrooms filled with children once again. Many meetings and planning sessions went into summer planning to keep students safe throughout the school year. If you would like more information on the policies of the school that will be in place during COVID, please visit the school website. https://www.salemlutheran.org/covid
New Staff
We have four new staff members this year. Our new 2nd-grade teacher is Miss Heidi Kostrzewa. She is from Wauwatosa, WI, and is excited to be teaching 15 little ones this school year. We also added three new aides this school year. Mr. Scharf’s wife, Nikki, will be a new preschool aide. Amy Enter, who has sent four children through Salem, will be helping out in the Kindergarten room. Amy Harrison, who is a parent of a Salem preschooler, will be helping in the first-grade room. We are thankful for their willingness to join our staff and look forward to working with them all this school year.
Grandparent’s Day Revamp
Due to the current pandemic, Salem will not be inviting grandparents to school for our annual Grandparent’s Day. Instead, we will be looking to put something together for grandparents that we can send to them. We haven’t flushed out all of the details, but we want to still thank grandparents for all they do and recognize them someway for that. Stay tuned for more details as to what that will look like at the end of September.
Picture Day
Salem’s Picture Day will be on September 14th. Inter-State Studios is taking many precautions to keep our students safe during these times. The company is asking that if possible, parents should order online to reduce the need to transmit papers to and from the school.
Sports Changes
The School Board decided to not have students participate in Soccer and Volleyball this year as many other schools in our Twins Cities league did as well. Mr. Klatt will set up intramurals for volleyball and is planning on some sort of soccer day for families in September. This will still allow the students to have some fun outside with their friends without coming into contact with other schools. The School Board did approve the students participating in Cross Country and Disc Golf for the upcoming school year. More information on that will be shared as it becomes available.
No School
A reminder that there is no school on September 4th and 7th due to Labor Day celebrations.
Grow in Grace
Grow in Grace classes (catechism classes for non-Salem school students) will begin on Wednesday, September 9th at 5:30 PM. Classes will start out meeting online and hopefully, meet in-person later during the year. Please contact Pastor Jake with any questions or concerns.
Upcoming Events
August 31 - First Day of 2020-2021 School Year
September 4 - No School (Labor Day)
September 7 - No School (Labor Day)
September 14 - Picture Day
Referral Program
The School Board approved a program that gives an incentive for recruiting new families for our school. If a family who has children enrolled refers a new family to Salem, they will receive a $200 tuition credit at Christmas per family they have referred. A church family who refers a new family will receive a $200 script gift card also at Christmas per family if they so choose. There is no limit to the number of families you can refer. If you have any more questions about the program, speak to a School Board member or Mr. Klatt.
No More Clipping Boxtops
Boxtops has come up with a more technological way to earn money for Salem Lutheran School. Instead of clipping the box tops and sending them in, you can now scan your receipt through the app on your phone and the points will be awarded to your school. The website to sign up on is https://www.boxtops4education.com or you can download the Box Tops for Education app on your phone.
Thanks to all who have been collecting these labels for us over the years! Boxtops will still honor any non-expired labels you may still see on their products. However, these will be phased out over time as the new products will not have the old label and scanning the receipt will eventually be the only way to collect points for our school. Bring in any non-expired labels you find. Our school can still get credit for these!
We Are Also Collecting Aluminum Cans
Aluminum cans benefit our athletic program and can be bagged up and placed in the wooden bin that is next to the garage on our property. Thanks for helping our school!
SCRIP
Have you checked out the ShopWithSCRIP.com website? You can now order your own SCRIP any time, anywhere you need it. You can also now order with your credit card! All you have to do is login and sign up! If you have students at Salem, the rebates earned can be applied to your child’s tuition. There will be a flat 5% fee on all orders. This will cover the shipping and administrative fees involved in the orders. You can also apply your profits to your child's lunch account as well as tuition. We have also added an option to direct your profits to church. Contact the church office for more information.
Prayer
One way we usually forget about how we can help our school and church is to pray for them throughout the year. Your prayers are always a blessing and it is great to know that you are asking God for his blessings in our school year.