In All Things is theme of Lutheran Schools Week at St. John
BY JOY MARQUARDT
Sharing the all encompassing love of Christ with their community and beyond, students at St. John Lutheran School of Merrill celebrate Lutheran Schools Week March 6-11 with fellowship and fun.
The theme of the week “In All Things,” based on Colossians 1:15-20, has been emphasized throughout the year with a variety of projects and activities at the church and school.
“The theme ‘In All Things’ is also the theme of the National Youth Gathering which will be held in Texas this summer,” said first grade teacher Burgandy Krusensterna. “It relates to how God is in all things. He is in our school and He is in our community and He is with us each day.”
Worship services kick off the week on Sunday, March 6, at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the church with students participating in Bible readings and songs.
“The services will be student led,” Krusensterna said. “The students will be doing things like Bible readings, singing songs, and collecting the offering.”
During the year, students attend a weekly chapel service which reflects the theme of the school year. The services are led by students in each grade level on a rotating basis.
“All of our chapel talks have followed the theme of the year,” Krusensterna said. “My first graders recently led a chapel on how God has all authority and how that is displayed throughout our lives.”
Daily devotions throughout Lutheran Schools Week will focus on a variety of topics such as Christ, creation, children, and community.
As a community service project for the week, students will be conducting a Penny War to raise funds for Mighty Maddy’s Mission, a local charity dedicated to assisting families who have hospitalized children. During the school year, students have held several food drives for the Merrill Food Pantry and donated chapel offerings to Camp Luther and other missions.
“Because God lives in us, we can share His light with others and help out our neighbors,” Krusensterna said. “We are always looking at ways we can help out others.”
A highlight of Lutheran Schools Week at St. John will be the Thomas Edison Historical Assembly, an historical reenactment and educational display presented by Mobile Ed Productions. The program features replicas of Edison’s first inventions, an original working phonograph, and discussion of the invention process.
“It will be a presentation in the first person with someone dressed up as Thomas Edison who will talk about the invention process,” said science teacher and Co-Interim Principal John Breitwisch. “They will bring in replicas of his earlier inventions like the telegraph, and there will be some demonstrations, as well.”
Other activities during Lutheran Schools Week will include dress-up days, neon bowling, board games, a cinema day complete with popcorn, and a special hot breakfast served in the school cafeteria.
“We are just like a family here,” Breitwisch said. “The kids get to know their classmates and all of the teachers and other adults in the building. It’s like you are part of a family.”
A science teacher for grades 4 – 8, Breitwisch will host the 23rd annual Science Fair Thursday, April 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the school gym. The fourth grade class will participate in an egg drop contest, constructing a container and letting it fall from various heights. The fifth and sixth grade assignment is to invent a product and make a sales pitch in a Shark Tank type presentation, and seventh and eighth grade students will present traditional science fair projects, learning how to write a hypothesis and analyze data. The event is open to the public.
“I like that science is a hands-on subject and not just a book-based subject,” Breitwisch said. “The students can be very active in it.”
Breitwisch incorporates faith-based learning into his curriculum on a daily basis, discussing elements of science from a Biblical perspective.
“I start teaching science at the fourth grade level, and we talk about God’s design in creation,” he said. “I stress how creation is scientifically supported. We talk about how our faith is incorporated in all aspects of science.”
Parent Krissi Schultz chose to enroll her children at St. John because of the faith-based learning, smaller class sizes, and high level of parental involvement.
“We wanted a Christian-based school for our children to go to,” Schultz said. “My husband went there, so our kids are like the third generation of our family to go to St. John. They go to chapel every week, and I think religion is taught throughout the day.”
Schultz has been involved with the St. John Mother’s Club for more than five years, planning fundraising events and fun activities for the school. The organization holds an annual Fall Bazaar, Holiday Mall, and Cookie Walk, and hosts the Merrill High School Football Banquet and book fairs, among other events. Proceeds from the events are used to provide classroom supplies, fund fieldtrips, and other needs for the school.
The next fundraiser for the Mother’s Club, the annual Spring Carnival, will be held Friday, April 8, in the school gym. The carnival, which had to be cancelled the past two years because of COVID, features concessions, games, and prizes.
“I just like to put the events together and be there to watch all of the kids come through,” Schultz said. “Whether it’s the Holiday Mall or the Spring Carnival, the kids enjoy the events; it’s a big deal for them.”
St. John is now accepting enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year in preschool through grade 8 and is part of the Wisconsin Parental School Choice Program.
“Our small school environment allows us to get to know our students and helps them build confidence,” said Co-Interim Principal Jen Heyel. “We all know each other, and getting to know our students really helps.”
For more information about St. John School or to schedule a tour, phone 715.536.7264.