Principal's Thoughts

Friday

2012-01-27T09:55:00.002-05:00

This is the last day for pre-enrollment. It looks like Pre-4 AM will be filled. Grades 1-2 is already filled.

I have a principal's meeting in Dayton this afternoon, thus I will miss everyone coming to pizza lunch today. The students seem to be enjoying the Dress Down Day.

Daily Bible Verse: "Look to Me and be saved." Isaiah 45:22

Parental Thought: Children need to believe they can succeed. Encourage them to keep trying when they fail. Confident children are more willing to try something new and hang in there.

Have a blessed weekend.

Thursday

2012-01-26T10:09:00.002-05:00

The fix-it man is finally here to make sure the broken doors from the robbery work again. That is a secure feelings. At least the honest people will not be able to enter certain areas of the building. I did attend the accused's pretrial yesterday. Although it was delayed until next week, I was able to speak to the prosecutor. He was very interested in some details I gave him that were not in the police report.

Preschool conferences continue today with PK, Pre-3 and Pre-4.

Several classes are almost full for next year. Please return your enrollment form by tomorrow if you wish your children to attend next year.

Daily Bible verse: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" John 3:3

Parental Thought: Open a savings account for each of your children a soon as they get their first job. Then teach them to put a portion of their money away for the future.

Have a blessed day.

Principal's Epistle

2012-01-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

St. Mark’s Lutheran School, 5849 Buckwheat Rd., Milford, OH, 575-3354, www.stmarksmilford.org
http://stmarksmilford.blogspot.com rreisenb@hotmail.com
Calendar

25 Chapel at 9:15
26 Science Club and Dance Club until 4:15, No Preschool
27 Pizza lunch, No Preschool, Principal’s mt. 1PM, $1 Dress Down Day
29 Church at 8 AM and 10:30 AM with SS at 9:15, Open House 1-4 PM
31 Science Olympiad & Dance Club until 4:15
1 Chapel at 9:15, staff mt. 3:30, Pre-chapel 1PM
2 Science Club and Dance Club until 4:15
3 Pizza lunch, principal gone
4
Prayer Families
Austin J. (P4), Sarah L. (P3) & Brandon (4th) and Nathan M. (P4)

Saint Salute
Ø A big Saint Salute to the Spelling Bee winners:
Grade 1st 2nd
1 Markus V. Alaina S.
2 Aaron A. Zach D.
3 Alli M. Jake S.
4 Brendan B. Michael V.
5 Ian M. Vanessa H.
6 Rebecca C. Autumn H.
7 Kyrie S. Ashley A.
8 Jack B. Jason F.

Notes
This is a very busy time of the school year for students and staff. Science Club and Dance Club are in full swing after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We just hosted the Spelling Bee and Geography Bee. The Student Council has held many activities for the students. Scientific students are preparing for the Science Fair in March. The committee is preparing for National Lutheran Schools Week in March. As chairman, I am preparing for the Ohio Lutheran Educator’s Conference in October. The staff is finishing the School Improvement Plan for May publication. Graduation in May is also in the pre-planning stages. Wow! Where is all the energy going to come from? The Lord – He provides.

Dress Down Day
This Friday is a $1 Dress Down Day for the students and staff. Please bring $1 by Friday.

Babysitting
Please contact the office for the name and number of a preschool parent that is willing and able to start watching children during the day.

Book Fair
The Milford library is holding a book fair this weekend – Friday 1-5 and Sat. 10 AM – 3 PM.

Enrollment
Returning students have until Friday, January 27 to turn in their form. On Open House day, all enrollments are on a first-come, first-served basis. New students wishing to enroll must complete a separate enrollment form. The tuition rates for next year can be found on the web site – www.stmarksmilford.org. The annual tuition is published because many more options will be available to families next year. They are the following:
Divide tuition into 12 monthly payments starting June, 2012.
11 monthly payments starting July, 2012
10 monthly payments starting Aug., 2012
9 monthly payments starting Sept. 2012 (preschool only)
Pay entire amount (-5% discount) before the first day of school – August 23, 2012

Parents Night Out Babysitting Fundraiser—February 11The 7–8 grade students of St. Mark’s school invite you to have a night out on Saturday, February 11, 5:00–9:00 pm. Parents with children from infants to 6th grade may drop them at St. Mark’s so they can spend some quality time together. The students will watch them with a variety of activities, games, pizza dinner ($3), and other forms of fellowship. Children will be divided into groups based on age. A free will donation will be taken upon pickup. The proceeds will go toward their end-of-the-year trip. When was the last time you had a date with your spouse or time to shop without the kids?

Parents
Do you have a skill, talent, or passion you would like to share with the students? A few years ago, we held “mini lessons” during Lutheran Schools week in which parents would teach a group of students something. A few students from that time remember that and have been asking for it again. For example, in the past there were lessons on how to do magic tricks, cake decorating, scrapbooking, and much more. If you are interested in holding a mini-lesson, please contact Don Hoffmann or Gene Postenrieder- our numbers are in the book.

Box Tops for Education
Help your class win the classroom contest for the most Box Tops for Education. Meijer has a great offer going on right now. If you purchase any 10 or more Box Tops for Education products, you will receive a coupon worth 70 Box Tops. That number added to the 10 you get from the products equals 80 Box Tops. Think what would happen if you made 2 or 3 trips to the nearest Meijer this week! Qualifying products can be found at boxtops.meijer.com.

Pull-tab Contest
As a community service project, St. Marks' Pack 847 Webelos 1 is collecting Pull Tabs to donate to Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House. We’re helping keep families together when it matters most, and we’re teaching our Den and the school the value of recycling! Each classroom has a container for students to deposit pull tabs from soda, soup, fruit, vegetable, pet food, etc. cans. The classroom with the most pull-tabs (by weight) will get an ice cream social courtesy of the Webelos 1. The contest runs through May 11.

Ronald McDonald House provides a “home away from home” for the families of critically ill children seeking medical treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Pull tabs are recycled to earn money to help provide all the comforts of “home” to these families. Your support of this program and the families of critically ill children is greatly appreciated.

Student Council
The winners of the snowflake contest were:
1st Margaret L. 2nd Natalie H. 3rd Dylan M.
4th Brandon M. 5th Joel B. 6th Rebecca C.
8th Leo H.

Happy Birthday
25 Haley K. (3rd) & Michael B. (K) 26 Ava B. (1st)
29 Nolen E. (PK) 30 Natalie H. (2nd) & Mr. Postenrieder
31 Judah P. (P4)

Classroom Information

Mrs. Ruemmele
The twos will be hearing three books: God Knows You, The Mitten, and Three Little Kittens. Our crafts will be mitten related and also shape stamping. We will review our Bible verses and learn how much God loves us.

Mrs. Esselman
This was a short week for our preschool as we had parent teacher conferences Thursday and Friday. Fours studied the letter 'I,i,' and read books about various polar animals. Threes studied the letter 'N.' We read the 'Napping House,' and decorated the letter 'N' with noodles. Both classes learned about Jesus calling his disciples. Today God continues to call us to love others. Threes memorized, "Come, follow me," Jesus said. Matthew 4:19. Fours memorized the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come."

Mrs. Sherman
Kindergarten and Pre-K will hear about the miraculous catch of fish as Jesus calls the disciples to become fishers of men. Through this story, the boys and girls will learn that Jesus wants them to become fisher of men also, following Him and sharing the Good News. The igloo is finished. Now, it is time for both classes to enjoy reading and doing activities inside. Also, the dramatic play area has become a sandwich shop! The children busily fill out order forms, read menus, make sandwiches and collect money. Kindergarten begins a new literacy unit about growing up. They will play "guess who" as the boys and girls share baby pictures and create a chart about ways in which they are special. Pre-K will learn interesting and fun facts about penguins. They will complete a penguin glyph, recite penguin poems and eat a penguin snack. The class will conduct experiments with ice...brrr!

Mrs. Reisenbichler
This week the children learned about the calling of the rest of the disciples and how Jesus has time for children. In math, the second graders learned to divide while the first graders worked on developing fact power. Both grades were excited to start their second math book of the year. First graders learned to capitalize city and states this week. Second graders continue to work on their stories. The moon was the topic of discussion in science this week.

Mrs. Mayo
In religion we will continue to talk about prayer this week. In reading we'll begin to read the book, Catwings. We'll also be working on singular and plural nouns. In Science, we'll study Earth's place in the solar system and explore lunar and solar eclipses. In Social Studies, we'll learn about Wisconsin and Minnesota and continue to learn about consumers and markets. In math, the 3rd graders are measuring angles, working with symmetry, and doing some exploration activities. The 4th graders will review fractions and work with probability.

Mr. Postenrieder
In Bible time this week we will complete our look at idolatry and Jeroboam. We will also read in the Psalms and discuss meaning for us today. In Science we will study how to classify matter and work with the Periodic Table. In Language Arts we will continue reading The Bridge to Terabithia. In 5th grade math we will work with exponential notation, order of operations, and negative numbers. In 6th grade math we will continue to work with fractions and mixed numbers while we also study polygons and geometric solids. In Social Studies we will study the road to the Revolution.

Mr. Hoffmann
This week in the 7th and 8th grade, students will refresh their memories about how to conduct a scientific investigation for their Science Fair experiments. Then we will begin the next chapter in our human body textbooks on the digestive system and how food provides our bodies with energy. Students will question how the Lutheran Reformation began a series of reformations within other countries and even the Roman Catholic Church in Social Studies. We will finish our unit on theme and symbolism in Literature and begin a new one on facts and information. We will also look at how to skim and scan text for information and then how to summarize that information in help with their research for the Science fair paper. Then in Writing, students will use that knowledge in order to summarize their particular research they will include in the Science Fair project. We will also have a lesson in grammar and agreement with indefinite pronouns, and well as the doubling rule of 1+1+1 in Spelling. In Art, we will continue the printing center with a lesson on linoleum block carving. Interestingly enough, a few boys have expressed an interest in wood carving and wood burning as well. After the Kingdom of Israel breaks apart, the people really struggled with idolatry. We will contemplate how we also today have idols, and what is it we do to worship them. We will finish with a lesson on Elijah, what challenges he faced and how the Lord enabled him to exercise HIS will.

Mr. Reisenbichler
Students in grade 7 math are learning algebraic addition and calculating volume. Students in grade 8 are solving direct variation word problems and conducting a probability simulation.

Tuesday

2012-01-24T09:51:00.002-05:00

I was impressed with the Pre-3 class this morning. They were doing everything Mrs. Esselman asked of them. Their line was in order and they were quiet - especially at the restrooms.

Enrollment forms are coming into the office in quantity. Please make sure we have received your form by this Friday, if at all possible.

Technology isn't all it is cracked up to be. We have 3 laptops "down" in grades 7-8. I thought Lenovos were better than that. They are less than 1 year old. Welcome to technology.

Daily Bible verse: "Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God.'" John 20:28

Parental Thought: Require your children to help with chores. Even little ones can fold socks. It teaches them responsibility.

Have a blessed day.

Monday

2012-01-23T12:50:00.003-05:00

As you can see, Ashley (7th) won the school spelling bee with Brendan (4th) runner-up. Congratulations to both

Parents of preschool children in P3, P4, and PK are reminded that there is no preschool this Thursday and Friday for conferences. Our Thursday P2 class will meet.

This is the last week to return enrollment forms and beat the community sign up this Sunday.

Daily Bible verse: "I heard the voice of the lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?'" Isaiah 6:8

Parental Thought: School aged children do better in school when they eat well-balanced meals. Provide healthy lunches and avoid junk food and soft drinks.

Have a blessed day.

Friday

2012-01-20T14:07:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Ashley A. (7th) for winning the school spelling bee today. Brendan B. (4th) was runner-up. The grade winners will be posted next Wednesday in the Epistle. The bee had to be postponed with the pizza getting cool in the Fellowship Hall. It was finished after lunch. Several of the grades took longer than expected with several very good spellers competing.

Haley K. (3rd) completed the state Geography Bee test today. I wish her well. She was our school champion last week.

Daily Bible verse: "The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." Zechariah 8:5

Parental Thought: When dealing with behavioral problems, work with one or two problems at a time. Be patient; don't expect overnight results.

Have a blessed weekend.

Thursday

2012-01-19T09:41:00.002-05:00

As a family gathers this morning to say goodbye to their beloved husband, dad, uncle, etc., I am reminded how precious the gift of life is from our God. We are only on this earth a little while. What can I (we) do to make an impact that would bring joy to the face of God?

The spelling bee is tomorrow at 11AM. Grade 1 will go first with 2nd grade following. The School Championship will be last, before lunch.

Some very pretty snowflakes have been seen around the school this morning. I am glad someone else is judging this contest.

Daily Bible verse: "Just as Christ was raised from the dead...even so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4

Parental Thought: Eat dinner at the same time whenever possible. Eating together regularly can be a wonderful source of family time and a perfect way to keep a family in contact during a hectic week.

Have a blessed day.

Principal's Epistle

2012-01-18T09:51:00.001-05:00

St. Mark’s Lutheran School, 5849 Buckwheat Rd., Milford, OH, 575-3354, www.stmarksmilford.org
http://stmarksmilford.blogspot.com rreisenb@hotmail.com
Calendar

18 Chapel at 9:15, Market Day 11:30 AM
19 Science Club & Dance Club until 4:15
20 Pizza lunch, Spelling Bee 11AM
22 Church at 8 AM and 10:30 AM with SS at 9:15
24 Science Olympiad & Dance Club until 4:15
25 Chapel at 9:15
26 Science Club and Dance Club until 4:15, No Preschool
27 Pizza lunch, No Preschool, Principal’s mt. 1PM

Prayer Families
Ethan M. (P4), Ethan Q. (P3), and Brendan (4) and Bridget B. (K)

Saint Salute
Ø A big Saint Salute to those students moving up on the AR Wall of Fame
Jake S. (3rd) 400 Point Club Audrey Cook(6th) 1000 Point Club

Notes
We are starting a new grading period this week. That also means that the chapel offerings are being sent to support a new mission. For the 3rd quarter, the offering collected in chapel will be given to Lutheran World Relief. This ministry is a disaster response group that helps people who are in need because of poverty. This also means that students may set new AR goals that will challenge their ability to read more. Each student can “start over” with a new slate for all grades. However, many of the skills required for the first half of the year are also necessary for continuing success in the second half of the year.

Enrollment
Since is it now January, enrollment for next year will start. An enrollment form for returning students has been sent home. Returning students have until Friday, January 27 to turn in their form. On Open House day, all enrollments are on a first-come, first-served basis. New students wishing to enroll must complete a separate enrollment form. The tuition rates for next year are attached and can be found on the web site – www.stmarksmilford.org. The annual tuition is published because many more options will be available to families next year. They are the following:
Divide tuition into 12 monthly payments starting June, 2012.
11 monthly payments starting July, 2012
10 monthly payments starting Aug., 2012
9 monthly payments starting Sept. 2012 (preschool only)
Pay entire amount (-5% discount) before the first day of school – August 23, 2012

Spelling Bee
The Annual Spelling Bee will be held on Friday, January 20 beginning at 11AM. Each grade will have their own “champion” with all the champions in grades 4-8 spelling for the school championship which will qualify them for the chance to participate in the Regional Bee in Cincinnati.

Parents Night Out Babysitting Fundraiser—February 11The 7–8 grade students of St. Mark’s school invite you to have a night out on Saturday, February 11, 5:00–9:00 pm. Parents with children from infants to 6th grade may drop them at St. Mark’s so they can spend some quality time together. The students will watch them with a variety of activities, games, pizza dinner ($3), and other forms of fellowship. Children will be divided into groups based on age. A free will donation will be taken upon pickup. The proceeds will go toward their end-of-the-year trip. When was the last time you had a date with your spouse or time to shop without the kids?

Student Council
The Student Council has planned quarter wars. This will take place the first week of March. There will be containers in the lobby for each class. If you would like to participate, please bring in quarters in, and place them in the container for you grade. The money will be going to Kids Against Hunger. Each quarter feeds one person for a day. We would like to raise 1,500 quarters, so start saving your quarters!

The Student Council has planned a Paper Snowflake Contest.. Please have your snowflakes at school on January 19, which is this Thursday. The Snowflakes should be given to the teachers, so that they can be collected later. Please bring your snowflake in on a black or blue piece of paper so that the judges will be able to see them clearly. Also, please put your name and grade on the snowflake. The snowflakes will be judged by grade, and there will be a grand prize for the best overall snowflake. We would like to ask that the students cut out the snowflakes without help. After the contest, we will be hanging the snowflakes on the walls so that everyone can see them.

Pull-tab Contest
As a community service project, St. Marks' Pack 847 Webelos 1 is collecting Pull Tabs to donate to Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House. We’re helping keep families together when it matters most, and we’re teaching our Den and the school the value of recycling! Each classroom has a container for students to deposit pull tabs from soda, soup, fruit, vegetable, pet food, etc. cans. The classroom with the most pull-tabs (by weight) will get (Mr. R., insert what you deem appropriate: a dress down day, a pizza lunch courtesy of the Webelos 1, ice cream courtesy of the Webelos 1). The contest runs through May 11.

Ronald McDonald House provides a “home away from home” for the families of critically ill children seeking medical treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Pull tabs are recycled to earn money to help provide all the comforts of “home” to these families. Your support of this program and the families of critically ill children is greatly appreciated.

Happy Birthday
20 Leo H. (8) 22 Pastor Fenker

Classroom Information

Mrs. Ruemmele
This week the twos will end our wild animal section by making binoculars and going on a safari. Circle time will include the book; Who Lives in the Zoo. We will also talk about shapes and identify those in our room. We continue reviewing our Bible verses and the story of Daniel.

Mrs. Esselman
During Bible Time threes and fours heard "Jesus Is Baptized." We read the children's Bible to help us learn the account. We also traveled to the church's baptismal font to see where we baptize today. Three's memorized, "Be baptized and wash your sins away." from Acts 22:16. Fours continued with the first petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be thy name." Threes studied the letter "M". To help learn the letter they read "The Mitten," by Jan Brett and decorated their own mitten. They also painted with marshmallows. Fours studied the letter 'B' for bears. Each child was able to bring in a bear as we talked about hibernation. We placed our bears into a cave (cardboard box) to hibernate until spring.

Mrs. Sherman
During Jesus time, the classes will learn that Jesus chose 12 ordinary men to be His disciples. The boys and girls of Kindergarten and Pre-K are similar to the first disciples. They are growing in their faith and can share the Good News too. At math time, Kindergarten will compare shapes and begin to use geoboards. They are also counting and trading coins. Last week, the class painted snow globes. This week, the snow globes will be decorated. Pre-K's focus is S for snowman. A few of their snowy projects are to measure objects using the snowman's scarf, create a language experience chart about how to make a snowman and stamp snowflakes. They will have "snow" much fun!

Mrs. Reisenbichler
In Jesus Time this week we learned about the baptism of Jesus and the calling of His disciples. Second graders are writing original fairy tales and using collage art to illustrate the stories. First graders started sewing their pigs and learning about real pigs. In math, first graders worked with turn around facts and the second graders started multiplication.

Mrs. Mayo
We were excited to have been able to present our chapel play this week. We'll also be learning what it means to be a child of God and about prayer. In reading, we will continue to read several fantasy stories from our anthology. In Social Studies we will learn about Illinois and about consumers and producers. In Science we will be studying space. In math, the 3rd graders will be working on drawing and measuring angles. The 4th graders will finish their chapter by working with grids, then taking a test.

Mr. Postenrieder
In Bible time this week we will look at idolatry and Jeroboam. In Science we will study how to classify matter and work with the Periodic Table. In Language Arts we will continue reading The Bridge to Terabithia. In 5th grade math we will work with exponential notation. In 6th grade math we will continue to work with fractions and mixed numbers while we also study polygons, probability, and chance. In Social Studies we will have our chapter 7 test and begin to study the road to the Revolution.

Mr. Hoffmann
This week in 7th and 8th grade the students will finish up their chapter on bones, muscles, and skin. They will assess their knowledge in this material with review questions, games, and study sessions for a test next Tuesday on 1/24. How do the history books remember the Reformation? We will answer that question in Social Studies this week as students mull over a section on Martin Luther, as well as look at points-of-view within text. In Literature, students will read three different selections about Anne Frank and ponder the question “What impact will you have on the world?” The Science fair is two months away, but students will review what material needs to be covered in their Science Fair research paper this week in Writing. In preparation for Spelling bee this Friday, students will learn their grade-level words in a variety of review methods. In Art, we will open a new studio on printing techniques – it fits in nicely with our Social Studies lesson on the Gutenberg press. Students contemplate the tongue this week in Religion as they write their personal devotion on James 3:5-9.

Mr. Reisenbichler
Students in grade 7 math are solving ratio word problems and studying the properties of polyhedrons. Students in grade 8 are solving percent word problems and finding the sample space in a probability problem.

Tuesday

2012-01-17T10:10:00.002-05:00

I sure am glad all this rain this morning isn't snow. I'm sure most parents agree with me.

The students in grades 3-4 are practicing for their chapel presentation tomorrow. The preschool students will also be able to see their play.

Our chapel offerings are being directed to Lutheran World Relief this grading period. This organization does a wonderful job of responding to disasters around the world as they happen.

Daily Bible verse: "I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" Isaiah 6:8

Parental Thought: To create strong readers, create a book-rich environment. Place books in every room in the house. Let your children see you reading.

Have a blessed day.

Friday

2012-01-13T07:56:00.005-05:00

Reminder - No School on Monday

Of course some of the students (and I suspect parents and staff) thought we might have a snow day today. Not so. The students and staff are happily studying.

Some of you may have heard that the Supreme Court was ruling on a case in a Lutheran School in Michigan. One of their teachers had been let go and she then sued for discrimination. The Court made a decision on Wednesday that a religious institution can expect their teachers to teach the full Gospel message and that there can be consequences if they don't. It did not surprise me that the Court ruled in favor of the school, but it did surprise me that it was a 9-0 decision. I am glad that we now have the Court's favor in teaching the truth of the Bible.

Daily Bible verse: "I now send you to open your eyes...that they may receive forgiveness of sins." Acts 26:17, 18

Parental Thought: Family nights are wonderful ways for families to connect. Schedule a weekly night just for playing games and having fun.

Have a blessed weekend.

Thursday

2012-01-12T10:03:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Haley King for winning the Geography Bee yesterday. Tyler Frith was runner-up.

Many enrollment forms were received today. Thank you for desiring a Christian education with high standards in academic performance for your children. Forms should be received by January 27 to have your children's walk through life continue at St. Mark's.

On a personal note - some of you know that I run a lot. Last year I did reach my goal of 2,800 miles (about 54 miles/week). Also, I was cheered up by my two grandchildren coming to visit last night. Lukas had to get up this morning at 6:30 to see Grandpa before I left. They are visiting so that our two families can enjoy the weekend in Gatlinberg.

Daily Bible verse: "May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless." I Thessalonians 5:23

Parental Thought: Impossible situations are God's specialty

Have a blessed day.

Principal's Epistle

2012-01-11T10:39:00.002-05:00

St. Mark’s Lutheran School, 5849 Buckwheat Rd., Milford, OH, 575-3354, www.stmarksmilford.org
http://stmarksmilford.blogspot.com rreisenb@hotmail.com
Calendar

11 Chapel at 9:15, Geography Bee at 9:45 AM
12 Science Club & Dance Club until 4:15
13 Pizza lunch
15 Church at 8 AM and 10:30 AM with SS at 9:15
16 No School
17 Science Olympiad & Dance Club until 4:15, 3-4 grade field trip
18 Chapel at 9:15
19 Science Club and Dance Club until 4:15
20 Pizza lunch

Prayer Families
Ryan E. (PK), Ashby G. (P4), & Joel B. (5th), Jade B. (2), and Jenna B. (K)

Saint Salute
Ø A big Saint Salute to those students moving up on the AR Wall of Fame
Calvin B. (3rd) 200 Point Club Jake S. (3rd) 300 Point Club
Lindsey B. (5th) 300 Point Club Judah C. (4th) 600 Point Club
Brandon M. (4th) 600 Point Club
Ø A big Saint Salute and thanks to April Hughes for making many costumes for the Christmas service.

Notes
We are in the Epiphany season. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. For many Protestant church traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6th until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter. Depending on the timing of Easter, this longer period of Epiphany includes from four to nine Sundays. Epiphany, January 6, looks ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of the Nativity.

Enrollment
Since is it now January, enrollment for next year will start. An enrollment form for returning students will be sent home next week. Returning students have until Friday, January 27 to turn in their form. On Open House day, all enrollments are on a first-come, first-served basis. New students wishing to enroll must complete a separate enrollment form. The tuition rates for next year are attached and can be found on the web site – www.stmarksmilford.org. The annual tuition is published because many more options will be available to families next year. They are the following:
Divide tuition into 12 monthly payments starting June, 2012.
11 monthly payments starting July, 2012
10 monthly payments starting Aug., 2012
9 monthly payments starting Sept. 2012 (preschool only)
Pay entire amount (-5% discount) before the first day of school – August 23, 2012

Box Tops
Happy New Year! To kick of the New Year and our Box Top collecting, we are having a contest between the classrooms to see which one collects the most. The winning class will get a special treat for their effort! Please send in your box tops and help St. Mark's earn extra money!!! The contest will end on May 1st, 2012. Thank you, Heidi Antal, Box Top Coordinator, (513) 234-8477.

Spelling Bee
The Annual Spelling Bee will be held on Friday, January 20 beginning at 11AM. Each grade will have their own “champion” with all the champions in grades 4-8 spelling for the school championship which will qualify them for the chance to participate in the Regional Bee in Cincinnati.

Student Council
The Student Council has planned a Paper Snowflake Contest. The judging will take place on January 20. Please have your snowflakes at school on January 19. There will be a table in the fellowship hall for your snowflakes. Please bring your snowflake in on a black or blue piece of paper so that the judges will be able to see them clearly. Also, please put your name and grade on the snowflake. The snowflakes will be judged by grade, and there will be a grand prize for the best-overall snowflake. We would like to ask that the students cut out the snowflakes without help. After the contest, we will be hanging the snowflakes on the walls so that everyone can see them.
The Student Council has planned quarter wars to help sponsor Kids Against Hunger. This will take place next week, starting on Monday. There will be containers in the lobby for each class. If you would like to participate, please bring in quarters any time next week. Each quarter feeds one person for a day. There will be a small reward for the class that collects the most quarters.
Upcoming Events
· Door Decorating - February
· Swimming Party - February 25, 6-7:30PM at Milford H.S.

Happy Birthday
12 Tristan P. (P4)

Classroom Information

Mrs. Ruemmele
Our twos will be learning about lions this week by making a lion’s mask for a craft, the Lions Roar poem and the book, Wild Animal Babies. Daniel and the lions den will be told through flannel board pictures. We will continue reviewing our Bible verses.

Mrs. Esselman
Threes studied the letter "L." To help us learn this week’s letter we stamped with lemons and limes, used popsicle sticks to form the letter, and did leg exercises! We read winter books such as Let It Snow and Snow Days. Fours studied the letter 'S'. We read wintry books like The Mitten and The Snowbelly Family. We used our math skills by measuring how tall we were in snowflakes and playing a mitten number matching game. During Bible Time both classes heard the account of "The Boy at the Temple." Threes memorized Jeremiah 7:2, "Hear the word of the Lord." Fours began memorizing the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven."

Mrs. Sherman
After hearing about Jesus as a baby, both classes will learn about Jesus as a young boy. They will hear about Jesus' trip to Jerusalem for Passover. When His family returned home, Jesus remained behind at the temple. He was in His Father's house. Kindergarten will work with calculators and symmetry in math. They will participate in several winter themed activities such as winter roll a number, writing winter words and mitten addition. Pre-K will complete a study of several of Jan Brett's books. The boys and girls will retell The Mitten, graph animals from The Hat, and measure Hedgie. They will even eat a "hedgehog" at Kids Kitchen...yum!

Mrs. Reisenbichler
This week we learned about Jesus being presented in the temple, and His return to the temple as a boy. First graders worked on plural forms nouns, practiced alphabetical order, and sequenced the events of a story. Second graders continued to learn more cursive letters, became aware of our expanding world, and began planning an original fairy tale. In science, we started learning about the solar system.

Mrs. Mayo
In religion this week, we will be talking about Jesus' work as a priest and a king. We'll also be working on our chapel play that we will be presenting next week. In reading, we will finish listening to the stories written by classmates. Then we will begin a unit on fantasy stories. In Social Studies, we will be learning about Indiana and Michigan, as well as talking about consumers and producers. In Science, we will be learning about renewable and non-renewable resources and recycling. In math, the 3rd graders will begin a unit on lines, rays, and angles. The 4th graders will be using protractors this week as well as working with grids.

Mr. Postenrieder
In Bible time this week we will look at the book of Ecclesiastes. In Science we will study the life cycle of a seed plant and seed germination. In Language Arts we will continue reading The Bridge to Terabithia. In 5th grade math we will continue to work with fractions. Our Unit 6 test is Friday. In 6th grade math we will continue to work with fractions and decimals. Our 10th test will be Tuesday. In Social Studies we will look at the French and Indian War. We will also
prepare for the Geography Bee on Wednesday.

Mr. Hoffmann
This week in 7th and 8th grade students will investigate bone and joint injuries, the muscular system, and the skin this week in Science. They will apply this knowledge in a lab involving chicken wings in the later part of the week. There is a geography bee for the upper grades this week. As a result, students are brushing up on their geography facts in Social Studies. Then, they will look at how the renaissance moved north from Italy. In Literature, students ponder how we treat our elders and what gives meaning to simple things. It is time to pull together our January edition of the school newspaper. Therefore, students are working on their articles for writing class. We are going to hold a school wide spelling bee a week from Friday. That gives the students an opportunity to learn the basic words from the list and I will give an actual spelling test this Friday from the first half of their handout. In Art, we will hold a studio lesson on painting techniques; in particular, how to control the wet-on-wet method.
After Solomon dies, the nation of Israel splits into 2 kingdoms. For religion, students will look at the two separate nations and contemplate how God’s will fits within the framework of government.

Mr. Reisenbichler
Students in grade 7 math are finding areas of quadrilaterals and classifying triangles. Students in grade 8 are graphing inequalities and converting rates.

Monday

2012-01-09T11:45:00.005-05:00

All the student and staff files are now "together" in the right spot and in the right order. It took a little of my weekend time but it is finished. I really don't wish to go through another robbery again. They can mess up so much in such a short time. I don't want to think about the number of hours this caused me (us) to work.

Enrollment forms for next year will be coming home on Wednesday. They can also be downloaded from our web site.

Daily Bible verse: "There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord." Genesis 12:8

Parental Thought: Remember, being a good parent doesn't mean being perfect. It's a learning process that takes time.

Have a blessed day.

Friday

2012-01-06T13:08:00.002-05:00

Students in grades 3-4 are in music right now beginning to learn how to play a recorder. We start them with this simple instrument so they can read music and begin learning the simple steps of playing in a band.

Enrollment for next year will start on Wednesday. It looks like grades 1-4, Pre-3AM and Pre-4 AM will fill quickly. A warning to parents - If your child is entering these classes, we must have your enrollment form before the Open House on January 29.

Pizza lunch went well today except that Pizza Hut cut the pizzas into 8 pieces instead of the usual 12. We made it ok. Some of the children looked like it had been awhile since they have had pizza.

Daily Bible verse: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Parental Thought: Words to say daily: "Tell me more." This encourages children to talk to you.

Have a blessed weekend.

Thursday

2012-01-05T14:18:00.002-05:00

At 11AM this morning, the students were treated to a half-hour assembly about Camp Lakeview. This is a camp in southern Indiana, by Seymour. Many of our students attend one of their sessions. Registration and information can be picked up in the office or online under Camp Lakeview.

Heat finally was restored to the Fellowship Hall today just in time for band, speech, and lunch. The heater in Mrs. R. room doesn't make the loud noise anymore, all thanks to our HVAC man.

Daily Bible verse: "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Parental Thought: When dealing with teenagers, keep in mind that you were young once. Your parents probably wondered about you from time to time, too.

Have a blessed day.

Principal's Epistle

2012-01-04T13:38:00.001-05:00

St. Mark’s Lutheran School, 5849 Buckwheat Rd., Milford, OH, 575-3354, www.stmarksmilford.org
http://stmarksmilford.blogspot.com rreisenb@hotmail.com
Calendar

4 Chapel at 9:15 AM, staff mt at 3:30
5 Camp Lakeview assembly at 11AM, Science Club until 4:15
6 Pizza lunch
8 Church at 8 AM and 10:30 AM with SS at 9:15
10 Science Olympiad until 4:15, 3-4 grade field trip, Dance Club starts
11 Chapel at 9:15, Geography Bee at 9:45 AM
12 Science Club until 4:15, Dance Club
13 Pizza lunch

Prayer Families
Jorja S. (P2), Nathan A. (P3), & Cameron B. (P4)

Saint Salute
Ø A big Saint Salute and thanks to Mrs. Reisenbichler for designing and helping reorganize my office. It now looks very presentable.

Notes
I was informed last week that the person that robbed St. Mark’s was indicted on three counts. Since he entered a not guilty plea, he will now go to trial. Most of the damage has been completed. We still need three doors to be replaced. Does anyone know a contractor that installs commercial doors?

Enrollment
Since is it now January, enrollment for next year will start. An enrollment form for returning students will be sent home next week. Returning students have until Friday, January 27 to first-come, first-served basis. The tuition rates for next year will also be published next week. New students wishing to enroll must complete a separate enrollment form.

Chapel Offering
This quarter’s chapel offering is supporting H2O for Life. This organization supplies foreign countries without ample safe water supplies with filters and other equipment to allow them to drink safe water. Next Wednesday is the last chapel to collect offerings for this project.

Dance Club
Dance Club will start next week with grades 1-4 on Tuesdays after school until 4:15. Grades 5-8 will start on Thursdays until 4:15.

Box Tops
Happy New Year! To kick of the New Year and our Box Top collecting, we are having a contest between the classrooms to see which one collects the most. The winning class will get a special treat for their effort! Please send in your box tops and help St. Mark's earn extra money!!! The contest will end on May 1st, 2012. Thank you, Heidi Antal, Box Top Coordinator, (513) 234-8477.

Snow Days
Mark’s is closed, open, or delayed? Most of you will receive an email. Also, check channel 9 for St. Mark’s Lutheran School. Also, if Milford is closed, so is St. Mark’s.

Spelling Bee
The Annual Spelling Bee will be held on Friday, January 20 beginning at 11AM. Each grade will have their own “champion” with all the champions in grades 4-8 spelling for the school championship which will qualify them for the chance to participate in the Regional Bee in Cincinnati.

Geography Bee
Students in grades 4-8 will participate in the annual geography bee on Wednesday, January 11, starting at 9:45 AM. A written test will be taken by all students, followed by a 5 person semi-final round. The top two will then compete for the championship. The champion will take a test to try to qualify for the state competition.

Student Council
The Student Council has planned a Paper Snowflake Contest. The judging will take place on January 20. Please have your snowflakes at school on January 19. There will be a table in the fellowship hall for your snowflakes. Please bring your snowflake in on a black or blue piece of paper so that the judges will be able to see them clearly. Also, please put your name and grade on the snowflake. The snowflakes will be judged by grade, and there will be a grand prize for the best-overall snowflake. We would like to ask that the students cut out the snowflakes without help. After the contest, we will be hanging the snowflakes on the walls so that everyone can see them.
The Student Council has planned quarter wars to help sponsor Kids Against Hunger. This will take place next week, starting on Monday. There will be containers in the lobby for each class. If you would like to participate, please bring in quarters any time next week. Each quarter feeds one person for a day. There will be a small reward for the class that collects the most quarters.
Upcoming Events
· Door Decorating - February
· Swimming Party - February 25

Pizza order forms for January are due by tomorrow, Jan. 5 at 1PM.

Happy Birthday
8 Asia Q. (8) 10 Brooklyn R. (P4)

Classroom Information

Mrs. Ruemmele
The twos will be making snowflakes today with glitter. Circle time will be fun, counting snowmen, learning a poem about snow and reading the book: Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice. Our Bible verse for January is: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding," Proverbs 3 vs. 5.

Mrs. Esselman
Welcome back! Both classes discussed the season of winter and what changes they see, feel, and hear. Threes studied the letter 'K' and crafted a wintry scene using snowflakes and glitter. Fours studied the letter 'W' for Walking in a Winter Wonderland and made a winter drawing using chalk. We also reviewed our rules and routines of the classroom. During Bible Time threes learned that Jesus was just like us as a child in the theme of "Jesus Grows as a Child." Just like us, Jesus played with friends, played games, had parents to teach him, etc. Jesus was special because only He would die on the cross to save us from sin. Words to Remember were, "Jesus grew and became strong." Luke 2:10 Fours heard the account of 'Simeon and Anna." Two people who heard of the prophesy of Jesus and lived to see him born in their old age." Words to Remember were, [Jesus said,] "You are My friends." John 15:14

Mrs. Sherman
Happy 2012! Kindergarten and Pre-K begin the new year by learning about the Wise Men's journey to visit the newborn king, Jesus. When the men found Him, they fell down and worshipped Jesus. God also leads the boys and girls - and all of us - to worship our Savior, Jesus, with gifts of love. Kindergarten begins a new liteacy unit focusing on friends and family. During math, the class will review teen numbers and work with a number line. The Kindergarten boys and girls will begin their combined social studies and science unit as they learn about igloos and Inuits. W is for winter as Pre-K learns about animals in winter. They will make feeders for the birds that do not migrate in wintertime. Did you know that the Pre-K boys and girls are readers? They will demonstrate their reading skills as they explore environmental print.

Mrs. Reisenbichler
This week we celebrated Epiphany. The children worked on finishing their poetry books on weather in Artist/Writer's workshop. Second graders began cursive writing instruction, and the first graders started their book in language arts on The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs. Each student received their science fair question.

Mrs. Mayo
In religion we will be working on learning our play to present in Chapel. It will be about how we can show Jesus's love to other people. In reading, the students will be reading the stories they wrote to the rest of the class. Then we will begin a unit on fantasy stories. In Social Studies, we'll be doing a lot: learning about the Plains state beginning with Ohio, studying about goods and services, and hearing about Mrs. Mayo's trip to Germany that she took over Christmas break. In math we'll be doing a little review by playing math games. Then the 3rd graders will be working with protractors while the 4th graders investigate lines, rays, and angles.

Mr. Postenrieder
In Bible time this week we will look at the book of Ecclesiastes. In Science we will finish up our Bluebird houses. In Language Arts we will begin reading The Bridge to Terabithia, an exciting story of an unlikely friendship between two kids with very different backgrounds. In 5th grade math we will continue to work with fractions and organize data into stem and leaf plots. In 6th grade math we will continue to work with fractions and decimals. In Social Studies we will study the differences between the Spanish and French approaches to colonization.

Mr. Hoffmann
This week in 7th and 8th grade we start a new book in Science this week on the Human Body. We begin with a chapter dealing with bones, muscles, skin, and the skeleton. Our next chapter in Social Studies examines the beginnings of the renaissance. In Literature, we will read stories about what makes something priceless, and is curiosity a gift or curse? In Writing, students will review their papers on our medieval project and start looking at how we will use this model for our Science fair research paper. In Spelling, students will research their spelling bee words and work on learning them. They will also review the Unit 3 vocabulary words and take an assessment test on them Friday. In Art, students must critique one of their works of art they created the past few weeks and fill out an artist statement in order to make it a portfolio piece. In Religion, we will study the downfall of Solomon, and ask how the fruits of the Spirit can help us overcome those same problems Solomon struggled with.

Mr. Reisenbichler
Students in grade 7 math are adding integers and classifying quadrilaterals. Students in grade 8 are calculating experimental probability and interpreting data.

Tuesday

2012-01-03T12:43:00.003-05:00

As you can see, Miss B. became Mrs. E (Esselman) during the Christmas holiday. They had a wonderful wedding in a very pretty church in SE Missouri. I wish them all the blessings from the Lord.

Some of the students, especially preschool ones, were not ready to joyfully come back to school. Thanks to several teachers, the sadness turned to happiness quickly.

I just found out the we will be without electricity for 30 minutes this afternoon. How come a company can't do their necessary work last week when we weren't in school? I can do without the light faster than the heat today.

Daily Bible verse: "Jesus answered him, 'Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.'" John 13;36

Parental Thought: You can talk to your children about making good choices, but they won't do so unless you give them the opportunity to try.

Have a blessed day.