CRUSADER CHRONICLE Volume 13, Issue 21 St. John’s Ev. Lutheran School – Wauwatosa January 21, 2016

St. John’s Mission Statement: We exist to prepare our children for a lifelong relationship with Christ, proclaim the gospel message, and provide excellence in education in order to equip students for life and eternity.

THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL January 21 - 31, 2016

1/21 Th Piano w/Mrs Bauer & Guitar w/Mr Krellwitz

Handbells w/Mrs Handeland

1/22 Fr 2:40 pm PEP RALLY

3-3:15 Gift Card Sales in School Commons

Band

Basketball: Tosa @ St. Jacobi Girls B 4:30, Boys B 5:20, Girls A 6:10, Boys A 7:10

1/23 Sat 5:30pm Worship

7:00pm Worship in Chinese

1/24 Sun Mission and Ministry Sunday

8:00 & 10:30 Worship

9:15 Sunday School

9:15 Mission and Ministry Presentation

11:45am Fellowship Meal (please RSVP via www.sjtosa.org website)

2-4:00pm Love & Logic Presentation (please RSVP via www.sjtosa.org website)

Crusader spirit week January 25-29

1/25 M Wisconsin Pride Day

Piano w/ Mrs Horton

9:45 (K5) to Zoo “Penguins Program”

10:15 (Gr2) to Zoo “Ocean Commotion”

1-3:00pm (Gr5-8) Geography Bee

1/26 T Pajama day

Parent/Teacher Conferences (optional)

Piano w/ Mrs Horton

1/27

W Excessive accessory day

Parent/Teacher Conferences (optional)

8:00am Children’s Chapel

Piano w/Mrs Bauer, Band, Handbells & Violin

6:30 Tosa District Spelling Bee

1/28 Th “Your class picks” day

Report Cards issued

Piano w/Mrs Bauer, Guitar, and Handbells

1/29 Fr St. john’s spirit wear day

Band * 10:15am PEP RALLY

3:00-3:15pm Scrip/Gift Card sales in commons

Basketball: Conference Tournament Boys B @ St. Jacobi / Girls B @ Zion

1/30 Sat 5:30 Worship 7:00 Worship in Chinese

Basketball: Conference Tournament Boys A & Girls A @ St. Marcus

1/31 Sun Happy Birthday Mr. Uecker !

8:00 & 10:30 Worship (Jr. Choir & Jr Handbell)

9:15 Sunday School & Bible Classes

From the Principal’s Desk

Greetings, This Sunday morning at 9:15 during Sunday School we will have the annual presentation providing information about the plans for the next year at St. John’s. School and Church information will be open for discussion and questions during this hour long presentation. It is worth your time and the coffee is on. You can also stay for a light lunch after church and before the afternoon CES presentation. Check the website to sign up for this so the planning can be appropriate. THIS SUNDAY, January 24th at 2pm CES is providing a chance to learn about a parenting plan called Love and Logic. This is a positive alternative to all the common opinions about what not to do to discipline children. Mr. Aaron Bauer is a WELS 4th grade teacher at Garden Homes Lutheran School who has given this workshop a number of times. This past summer Mr. Henning, Mrs. Buske and Mrs. Kreuser attended his workshop and recommended this opportunity. (Mr. Bauer is the husband of our piano teacher Sara Bauer.) Open House scheduled for February 7th. This is the beginning of setting up our Preschool and Kindergarten classes for next year. Please check with those you know that might be interested to assure they have received information from us for this event. TAX SEASON - We have included in today’s Chronicle the information that will allow you to claim your tuition as a deduction on your Wisconsin state taxes. Take a look at the form and the information on it that has been provided through our accrediting agency WCRIS. You will see two new faces around St. John’s. Mr. Henning, 5th grade, will be working with a student teacher from our teacher training college, Martin Luther College in New Ulm. Mr. Nathan Deering is from Michigan. He will be joining us starting the last week of January. Welcome to Elsie Yu who joined our 8th grade class this past week. She is from China and will be staying with the Ebeling family this semester. Mr. Henning has received a call to be principal of Zion Lutheran School in Hartland WI. Please keep him and his ministry in your prayers as he considers where God might best use his talents.

Lord’s Blessings on your New Year,

Mr. Uecker

Saturday/Sunday Scripture Readings

This week’s scripture readings are:

The First Lesson: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19

The Second Lesson: Acts 4:23-31

The Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:14-21

Sermon Theme: Light shed on prophecy

Usher Assistant Schedule

Date 8:00 AM 10:30 AM Sunday

January 24 Elsa Gregory Nora Gregory

Evan Starkey Aidan Sullivan

Sunday January 31

Garrett Doan Nate Doan

Jared Henning Ben Haackenson

Sunday February 7

Gaby Verduzco Ashley Rouse

Rayana Hoene Chloe Todor

Parent/Teacher Consultations January 27 & 28, 3:15-5:30pm Our next Parent/Teacher consultations are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, January 27th and 28th, from 3:15-5:30pm. These January consultations are optional and are scheduled to benefit especially those children who are having difficulties in school, but the faculty welcomes consultations with all interested parents. Please note that report cards are being sent home today with students and academic progress can also be accessed through the Engrade internet program. (Please contact your child’s teacher if you have questions regarding Engrade access or information.) Parents who would like to schedule a parent/teacher consultation should complete and return the attached Parent/Teacher Consultation form by tomorrow, Friday, January 22nd. If your child’s teacher would like to request a parent/teacher consultation to discuss your child’s progress, they will contact you directly.

School/Childcare Closings For snow emergencies or other school closing information, please listen to WTMJ 620AM or WISN 1120AM or to television reports on channels 4, 6 or 12. If Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) or Wisconsin Lutheran High School (WLHS) closes, St. John’s School and Childcare will also close. It is generally easiest to watch for MPS or WLHS, but if you are watching for “St. John’s”, be sure to listen for St. John’s, Wauwatosa as here are many St. John’s within the counties. Note: If school is closed due to inclement weather, St. John’s Childcare is also closed!

Parents’ Preview for January 24 The Parents’ Preview highlights an aspect of next week’s

service: a liturgical song, a Psalm refrain, or a hymn stanza.

Our hope and prayer is that parents will teach this portion of the

service to their children at home during the week so that

children can participate more fully in the worship service.

“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”

Refrain (Christian Worship Supplement 771)

The Epiphany season focuses on Jesus as the light for our lives.

In the refrain of this hymn (the sermon hymn for January 24),

we are reminded that Jesus is Light from Light, our perfect

Lamb of God.

____________________________

Parents’ Preview for January 31 The Parents’ Preview highlights an aspect of next week’s

service: a liturgical song, a Psalm refrain, or a hymn stanza.

Our hope and prayer is that parents will teach this portion of the

service to their children at home during the week so that

children can participate more fully in the worship service.

----------------------------------------- Piano with Mrs. Bauer I am excited to say that all of the beginning students are on the grand staff! How exciting to see them reading notes and playing more familiar songs! Please help your child reinforce the note names by working through flash cards with them before or after their practice time! This will really help them read their music more comfortably as they make this transition. All students should be recording their practice times on their weekly assignment sheet. This will help me know if they are getting sufficient practice in between lessons. We have started to set goals each week, and many of them are doing a wonderful job of getting those practice times in!

School Mission Project: Thank you for supporting our first quarter mission project to Illumine church. Your generous gift of money and supplies will be greatly appreciated by the members of this mission church. This semester we turn our attention to help the smallest of souls. The children’s mission money will be supporting two organizations that help women who may be faced with an unplanned pregnancy. We will be supporting Eye Witness for Life now through March and New Beginnings from April to May. Eyewitness for Life is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate pregnant women about their baby’s development through the use of ultrasound images. This is provided FREE of charge. Eyewitness for Life believes that every unborn child’s life is inherently valuable from the moment of conception. It supports women who are considering abortion by providing an educational ultrasound examination which introduces them to the development of their unborn baby. Money received in the children’s envelopes from church or brought to chapel will be collected to support this organization. We have two school activities planned to help raise awareness and money for Eyewitness. Next week we will have a BAKE SALE on January 29th! Baked goods can be purchased at lunch or after school for $1.00 per serving. Watch the school hallways for more information! Let’s show our LOVE St. John’s…help keep those little hearts beating!

Preschool/K5 Open House

Our Preschool and Kindergarten Open House is scheduled for Sunday, February 7th from 11:30-1:00. This is an opportunity for parents with children who will be 3, 4 or 5 by September 1, 2016 to visit the school and meet the staff. Our preschool programs fill up quickly. If you know of anyone interested in our preschool programs, please check with the office for more details. At 1:30 PM following the open house, we will host a Kindergarten Parent Orientation meeting for parents who have expressed an interest in enrolling their child in our Kindergarten program, and have not previously attended this meeting. This meeting will be held in the school Lecture room on the lower level. Detailed letters were sent home. If you did not receive this information, please contact the school office.

Childcare News Childcare for February 15th: Information was sent out via email regarding requests for childcare on Monday February 15th; a full day off of school. If you need childcare on this date please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LLR53ST to register. If this is a normal day you would use childcare please fill out the registration online as to whether you will or won’t use childcare. All submissions are due by Friday, February 5th. Parking along Harwood Avenue: If you are parking along Harwood Avenue for drop-off or pick-up, please do not block the walkway from the street to the sidewalk. During snow season, we will try to mark this area with orange cones as a reminder. Thank you for your consideration.

Lost & Found Oftentimes there are items in the Lost & Found that people don’t even realize they are missing, so be sure to check St. John’s Lost & Found bins on a regular basis. Lower Level: We now have a “Lost and Found” bin for the lower level. It is located next to the door leading out to the playground. All items left in childcare or anywhere on the lower level will be placed in this bin. Main Level: Lost & Found items can regularly be found in the “Lost & Found” bin which is located in the southwest corner of the commons, just past the Athletic Trophy case.

District Spelling Bee

Congratulations to Alyssa Ebeling (7th), Nathanael Gaub (7th), and Elizabeth Farley (8th), who will represent St John's in the District Spelling Bee next Wednesday, January 27th. The top thirty spellers from the Wauwatosa School District will compete for a chance to participate in the Regional Bee in February. The top 6 spellers move on. Results will be posted in next week's chronicle. Good luck and God's blessings to these three gifted individuals.

Forensics Volunteers The winter forensic season for the 5th & 6th graders is around the corner! The students have started to work on forensics in class with Mrs. Rindfleisch. I’m looking for volunteers who would be willing to help the 5th and 6th graders practice by listening to their selections and offer feedback. This would take place during the school day starting in Feb. and going through the first few weeks of March. Please contact Mrs. Henning (carrie.henning@sjtosa.org) if you are able to help support our students in this way. Thanks!

Lutheran Girl Pioneers Our next meetings will be:

Tuesday, February 2 (6:30-8pm)

Tuesday, February 16 (6:30-8pm) Please bring about one cup of a snack item in a zip-lock bag for the trail mix. Thank you!

Wisconsin Lutheran High School 5th Grade Extravaganza Attention all 5th grade students and parents! Wisconsin Lutheran High School is hosting a 5th Grade Extravaganza just for you on Sunday, January 31, 5:30–7:30 p.m. The evening is free and includes dinner and a fun night of entertainment. Plus, we’re giving away an iPad and other prizes! We’ll have exciting science experiments, robot demonstrations, music, basketball and lots more. To reserve your spot, please RSVP by January 25, by clicking here.

Recommendations Requests for Distribution of

2015 Sportservice Funds We once again had an awesome year, earning over $30,000 working concessions at Miller Park and State Fair Park events during the 2015 season. At this time we are compiling a list of recommendations for distribution of the 2015 funds earned. Recommendations should be submitted via email to school@sjtosa.org, or joannschmidt@sbcglobal.net. Paper requests may be turned into the school office. All requests must include: 1) the name of the item or cause, 2) an explanation of the item/cause and 3) the cost or amount to be designated. After the recommendations are approved by the Exec Board, the 2015 volunteers will be voting on how the funds are distributed. All requests must be submitted by Saturday, January 23rd. Please contact JoAnn (414-217-7170) or Dawn (414-640-5902) if you have any questions.

Sportservice Volunteer End-of-the-Season Gathering We are working on setting a date for our End-of-the Season Sportservice Party. All 2015 volunteers (and their families) and anyone interested in hearing more about helping during the 2016 season will be invited to attend. (Generally we have a pizza/sub party.) More information to come soon…..

….The 2016 Season Begins…. Concessions at State Fair Park World of Wheels (February 19-21) Sports Show (March 3-6) St. John’s volunteers will be doing concessions at 2 events this winter at State Fair Park (no training is needed to help with these events – we will train you as we go). These are BIG events and many hands are needed to help things run smoothly. Please consider helping if you are available. In 2015, these two events earned $7,391 for our school! World of Wheels Fri, Feb 19: 2pm-11pm (open 3pm-10pm) Sat, Feb 20: 9am-11pm (open 10am-10pm) Sun, Feb 21: 9am-7pm (open 10am-6pm) Sports Show (may add Thursday - generally do Friday-Sunday) Thur, Mar 3: 11am-10pm (stand open noon-9pm) Fri, Mar 4: 11am-10pm (stand open noon-9pm) Sat, Mar 5: 9am-10pm (stand open 10am-9pm) Sun, Mar 6: 9am-7pm (stand open 10am-6pm) Please let us know if you might be available to help. (email school@sjtosa.org or joannschmidt@sbcglobal.net)

Mission and Ministry Sunday

Mission and Ministry Sunday is January 24. We have a special presentation to the congregation during Bible Class hour, and this year we are also going to offer a fellowship meal after second service. (FYI: This will not be a pot-luck, but served similar to the way our Advent & Lenten meals are served.) A special thank you to the group of volunteers who are helping serve and prepare this luncheon. The Love and Logic presentation (as described below) will follow this fellowship meal.

Love and Logic Special Presentation Sunday, January 24 (2:00-4:00pm) All parents of St. John's are invited to the special presentation "Love and Logic" on Sunday, January 24 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the church Fellowship Hall. Led by Garden Homes Lutheran School teacher, Mr. Aaron Bauer, the presentation will cover: how to discipline your kids without losing their love and respect, plans for ending bedtime battles, techniques for avoiding power struggles over eating, picking up toys, and more. To register please click here, and for any questions, contact Mary Gaub at mgaub@earthlink.net or 414-312-3801.

St. John’s Father Daughter Dance Dads put on your dancing shoes and enjoy a

night of fellowship and dancing with your little

sweetheart!

WHO: K3-8th grade girls and their dads

WHEN: Friday, February 12th

6:30pm-8:30pm

WHERE: St. John’s Gymnasium

Invitations will go home next week

After School Dismissal Reminders Here’s a friendly after school dismissal reminder that will help keep our students safe: Your child/children will be allowed to cross from the school

to the parking spaces only on the crosswalk. Remember that there is no crosswalk located by the basketball hoops. We simply cannot have students darting across the parking lot by that corner. It may be more convenient for some, but it definitely is not safe. Please remind your student(s) of this safety tip.

Crusader Athletics Go to www.sjtosaathletics.org to view updated schedules for all Crusader sports (practices, games & tournaments).

Basketball News: It’s hard to believe that Crusader Basketball is already nearing the end of its 2016 season. Last night was our last home-game of the season and we will wrap up our regular season games at St. Jacobi tomorrow night (Girls B @ 4:30, Boys B @ 5:20, Girls A @ 6:10, Boys A @ 7:10). Be sure to come out and cheer our teams on to victory. The Crusaders will be participating in several tournaments in the coming weeks. Check the Athletic website for tournament grids and details. It was exciting to see St. John’s Crusaders walked away from their basketball court with 4 wins last night, but I have to say that the most exciting game of the evening was the Boys B-team…… Boys B-Team: Crusaders B-Team Basketball ended its last home game of the season in thrilling fashion. The Crusaders beat St. Paul’s Franklin in overtime! The Crusaders were led by Josh Knueppel’s offensive attack and Riley Rindfleisch anchoring the defensive. The team played together and made exciting plays. The game was tight, but Jacob Alejandro and Alex Hernandez made clutch free throws down the stretch and in overtime. Tony Jones grabbed the game winning rebound as the clock expired. Way to go! The team has steadily made improvements throughout the season. We play our last regular season game at St. Jacobi on Friday at 5:20pm. The conference tournament is next weekend. Be sure to watch for more information. The Crusaders would like to thank our parents and fans for their support this season. It has been fun watching them improve throughout the season.

~Coach Duncan

Wrestling News: St. John’s wrestling season begins Thursday, February 18th with practice from 5-6:45pm

Pizza Hut Cheese Pizza Day Friday, January 29th. Next Friday is Pizza Hut Cheese Pizza Day. A red form will be sent home with all students in grades K5 to Grade 8 tomorrow. (A copy is also attached to this Crusader Chronicle.) Please complete the form and return it to your child’s teacher by Tuesday, January 26th.

State Tax Deduction for Private School Tuition The state of Wisconsin allows you to deduct your tuition for our school. This savings is not just for those who itemize. To make use of this deduction you will need the Federal ID number of St. John’s. It is 39-0986622. The additional information below is provided by WCRIS…

Help WCRIS Parents Claim Their Tuition

Tax Deduction

The annual unpleasant tax season has arrived, but there is a bright side for private school parents. Thanks to advocacy by WCRIS, state law allows Wisconsin parents to deduct private school tuition on their taxes. Under the program, parents statewide can deduct up to $4,000 per student in grades K-8, and up to $10,000 per high school student. In total, the deduction has the potential to provide up to $30 million in tax relief for taxpayers with children in private schools. This is the second year the private school tuition tax deduction has been available, so parents and tax professionals may not be aware of this enormous opportunity. Please help spread the word to your families so that they can take advantage of this financial benefit. WCRIS suggests sending the Schedule PS home with your students, available for download below. You can give parents a head start by filling in your school's name in the first column, and school/church Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) in the third column. Official DOR Schedule PS The links below provide an overview, including how to claim the deduction. General Information Frequently Asked Questions Tuition Tax Deduction Examples For more information visit the WCRIS website here, http://www.wcris.org/tuitiontaxdeduction.cfm or contact WCRIS at wcris.staff@gmail.com or by phone at (608) 287-1224. You can also contact the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Customer Service Bureau by email at income@revenue.wi.gov or by phone at (608) 266-2486.

K3 News The doctor’s office in our theme corner has been very busy this week. The children have enjoyed dramatic play as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, x-ray technicians, and parents bringing their babies in for well check-ups or patients in need of care. They especially liked bandaging, using the stethoscope and otoscope, giving immunizations, writing out prescriptions, filling their prescription at the pharmacy, and having x-rays taken. Some excellent picture books in our ‘waiting room’ helped us learn about our skeleton, brain, heart, bones, muscles, and skin. We have also had a toy hospital, ambulance, and “flight for life” helicopter. The children used blocks to build a hospital room where they arrange all the equipment used for the care of the patient. We enjoyed reading a book about visiting the doctor. Ocean animals have been our new theme. We learned about whales, sharks, and dolphins this week using our wonderful books. The children have been very eager to play in our two fishing centers. We have a diorama set up with ocean creatures. The children enjoy pretending/telling stories with these creatures. Our puzzles, a fishing game, and a shell game complete the new activities we have at play time. We have learned that Jesus wants us to go and tell others about His great love and forgiveness through the Bible lesson, “Jesus Helps His Friends Catch Fish”. With our songs, prayers, and actions, we are learning to share Jesus’ love.

~Mrs. Henning

Parking along Harwood Avenue If you are parking along Harwood Avenue for drop-off or pick-up, please do not block the walkway from the street to the sidewalk. During snow season, we will try to mark this area with orange cones as a reminder. Thank you for your consideration.