Good News and Things You Rarely Hear in Church

Hi, again! I didn't get a chance to check in yesterday, so I thought I'd make up for it with an extra-long post today! : )

A quick update for you on our recent Open House ... It went great! We had a very solid turnout and several families expressed some fantastic interest in the Middle School. I love having a chance to visit with the families of potential students and give them a glimpse of all that the school has to offer ... this really is a truly special place. Thanks to all that attended the Open House!

Also, I ran across the following while surfing the ol' World Wide Web, and thought I'd share it with you. It brightened my day and hopefully it'll do the same for you. Anybody have an addition to the list?

Things you rarely hear in church ...

1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew.
2. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.
3. Personally I find witnessing much easier than golf.
4. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.
5. Forget the denominational minimum salary, let's pay our pastor so he/she can live like we do.
6. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!
7. Since we're all here, let's start the service early.
8. Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.
9. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!
10. I couldn't find space to park outside. Praise God!
11. My teenager loves going to church. He/She only wishes it was longer than an hour.

No Lunch This Week ... Why?

Our students will get some good grub, but it won't be care of our district food service. Instead we're serving up some good eats that will benefit a couple of great St. Croix causes -- the China Trip (slated for this summer) and the Athletics Department (Go Crusaders!). Here's what's on the menu:

Monday: Little Caesar's pizza (2 slices), baby carrots, a cookie and a drink

Tuesday: Walking tacos, a cookie and a drink

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, chips, a cookie and a drink

Thursday: Chili dogs (or regular hot dogs -- your choice), baby carrots, a cookie, chips and a drink

Each lunch will cost just $3.50 and tickets will be on sale throughout the week. So relax, don't worry about packing a lunch for your child this week. Instead, support some of the wonderful activities happening on St. Croix's campus and beyond!

Don't Forget

Just a quick shout-out reminding you all of our Open House THIS WEEKEND. Here's what you need to know:

Sunday, March 28
2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
St. Croix Lutheran Middle School (Map here)
(1200 Oakdale Avenue, West St. Paul, MN 55118)

See you there!

50

 
50. Thankfully, it's not my age. So what's the big deal?

In just 50 short school days our first cohort of middle schoolers will graduate and move on to all of the excitement that awaits them in the next year ... and for our eighth graders, that means High School! This year has been a wild and crazy ride, but one that I wouldn't trade for the world.

There are a lot (I mean A LOT) of things I've learned in the last year as Director of the Middle School. I plan to compile a top-ten list for your reading pleasure, but for now I'll leave you with just one thought: While I have an office, I'm never there!

Until tomorrow ...

Field Trip Volunteers Needed

 Images from the Festival of Nations website.

On Thursday, April 29, Middle School students will travel to the River Centre in St. Paul to take part in the Festival of Nations, and we're looking for 2-3 parent volunteers to join us. What's the Festival of Nations, you ask? Let me tell ya ...

It's an awesome opportunity for our young people to learn about the different people and cultures across the globe. This culturally-rich event will feature authentic food, educational exhibits, ethnic dance ensembles and musicians, art demonstrations and more! In a nutshell, our students will experience a whole lot of the world in just one day! A full description of all of the happenings can be found on the Festival of Nations website.

If you're interested lending a hand, post a comment with your e-mail address and we'll be in touch.

  Images from the Festival of Nations website.

We've Got People!

We're building quite the following of loyal readers here on this blog and we have a number of new fans on Facebook. If you haven't yet seen St. Croix Lutheran Middle School's Facebook page, check it out here. (Oh, and the High School can be found here!)

Tell you what: If we can add 20 new fans to our Facebook page by Easter (that's 20 friends in 2 weeks) then I'll make my video debut on both the blog and Facebook page.

Thanks and keep reading. Really, you won't want to miss this!

Vacation Brain

Hello again from beautiful West St. Paul! Vacation was wonderful, but I'm happy to be "back at it" at St. Croix. I missed my school family while I was gone!

 
Anyway, vacation brain must have taken over when I posted my last message because I forgot to mention the THIRD reason to come on out to St. Croix on March 28 ... In addition to the Open House and Spring Sacred Choral Concert, we'll also host a Spaghetti Dinner from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. For just $5 you'll be treated to a delicious plate of spaghetti and all proceeds will benefit 14 St. Croix students who will travel to Beijing, China, this summer to volunteer at a Vacation Bible School camp. So come on out and enjoy a family-friendly day at St. Croix. We look forward to meeting you!

Two Must-Attend Events on March 28

My vacation is winding down, but I wanted to make a quick point to connect with all of you and ask you to mark your calendars ... St. Croix is hosting TWO great events on Sunday, March 28 (just a little more than one week away!).

1 -- Spring Sacred Choral Concert

St. Croix's Crusader Choir, Crusader Chorus and Croixaliers will present their annual Spring Sacred Choral Concert at both 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The concerts will be performed in our beautiful Chapel and will feature traditional and contemporary sacred songs. Everyone is invited, so tell your friends!

2 -- Open House and Tours

St. Croix Lutheran High School and Middle School will host an Open House from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Faculty will be present to conduct tours and answer questions about St. Croix's program of education for grades 6--12. 

Alright, now I've gotta get back to the beach. There are only a few precious hours left before reality hits!

Until Monday ...

What Are Your Plans?

First off -- congratulations to our winner, Lorena M! Lorena answered all three of yesterday's math questions correctly. If you're reading, Lorena, please send an e-mail with your contact information to middleschool@stcroixschools.org so we can get you your free t-shirt!

Also, today marks our last day of classes before spring break. I won't tell you exactly where I'm going, but it will be warm and wavy, and the sound of Mariachi bands will fill the air! : ) I'll make a point to touch base next week and would enjoy hearing what you all are up to as well ...

Math Giveaway!

Students in Mrs. Strehlow's Math 1 class have been adding and subtracting fractions, mixed numbers and decimals. They have also been finding the surface area and volume of 3-D objects. So I was thinking ... Why not ask our blog readers to solve three sample questions?! And, to add a twist to the challenge, the first person to post a comment that answers all three questions correctly will receive one of our new Middle School t-shirts for free!

Have fun and don't forget to check your work!


Question 1
3 2/3 + 6 2/3 = ? 

Question 2
3.4567 + 11.521 = ? 

Question 3
What is the surface area of a cube that is 3" x 3" x 3"?

Spring T-Shirt Design Chosen

Our student council recently selected a design for the new Middle School spring t-shirt. I'll leave it up to the student council and those that worked on the design to explain everything in the pattern, but for now I'm wondering ... what do you think?

You can get yours by clicking here.

We're in This Together

Today marks the first of two evenings of parent/teacher conferences at St. Croix. I'm sure many of you have attended similar such events in the past. But have you ever stopped to consider what makes a parent/teacher conference at St. Croix different from any other? Let me tell 'ya ...

We know that as teachers and staff, we are a critical extension of you. We understand that from the moment you drop your children off in the morning to the very minute you pick them up after school, they are in our care. We are responsible for their growth. We are responsible for showing them God's love. We are responsible for challenging them to reach ever-higher heights.

At St. Croix, it's about more than a child's performance in one class or another. It's about the big picture. Academic performance is important, but it's equally important to us that a child is growing in his or her spiritual and emotional maturity. And that makes all the difference.

Thank you for allowing us to partner with you on this rich journey.

See you tonight, beginning at 5 p.m.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This is the verse upon which St. Croix was founded and we find hope and renewal in it each and every day. What a wonderful gift!

What verse is guiding your journey?

Mark Your Calendars -- March 28!

Why, you ask? Because St. Croix Lutheran Middle School is hosting an Open House and you and your family are invited!

Sunday, March 28, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Tours will be offered.

Questions will be answered.

You won't want to miss this up-close-and-personal view of one of the Twin Cities' fastest going private schools!

To learn more, visit our website or give us a call at 651-455-1521. See you there!

Spring Has Sprung -- Maybe?

Talk about Spring Break abounds here at St. Croix and with temps in the 40s, I can't help but think spring has officially "sprung." I know we're here in Minnesota and we can't ever be too careful when it comes to talking about the weather, but after looking at photos like the one below, I'm looking forward to the day when all of the white will be replaced by green!

Leave a comment at the bottom of this post and let us know what your plans are for Spring Break. Oh, and in case you're wondering, St. Croix will break March 15--19. : )

This Day in History

 From the History Channel's website.

If you haven't ever checked out the History Channel's "This Day in History" site, it's probably worth a look. It's exactly what it sounds like it'd be -- each day of the year features events that happened on that day over the course of history. The lead story for today -- March 3 -- says that on this day in 1887, Helen Keller first met her teacher, Anne Sullivan.

After a quick read of the remarkable teacher-student relationship Anne and Helen shared, I can't help but think about the dedicated teachers we have on our staff at St. Croix Lutheran Middle School. Like Anne Sullivan, our teachers believe wholeheartedly in our students -- your children -- and want nothing more than to see them succeed as individuals, growing in their faith and finding their place in the Kingdom.

Blessings to all!

The "Real Deal"

At St. Croix Lutheran Middle School, we believe the best way to ensure that our students grow and develop is to appropriately engage and challenge them at every opportunity. You can be sure that we're challenging our students in all of their courses, including math, Bible class, science, history, art, world language and more. But in addition, we're also going to do everything we can to see that learning is fun and that our highly qualified teachers support our students in the academic journeys.

So you've heard why we think we're the "real deal," but take a look at the pictures below and see what our students think!


 

A Win-Win

Looking for a fun way to support St. Croix Lutheran Schools? We've got just the thing for you!

Kwik Trip gift cards are available for purchase at the concession stands of all home athletic events. Cards are available in $20 and $50 amounts and can be used at all Kwik Trip locations. The best part? Fifteen percent of the proceeds from the sale of the cards goes directly to St. Croix's Annual Fund.

So come on out and cheer for the Crusaders and pick up a Kwik Trip gift card or two ... It's a win-win for you and the school!

Happy Monday, everyone!