August 2013Maverick

Don’t Miss Out!

In This Issue

2 The Story

4 Dealing with Separation

5 Administration Update

6 Communication Guide

8 Education Opportunities

10 A Word From Staff

ContactsSenior Pastor Rev. Robert B. Donovan Jr.

pastor@stjames-lutheran.org

Principal Warren Gastwgast@stjames-lutheran.org

Early Childhood Director Lynda Adamsladams@stjames-lutheran.org

Communications / Admissions Kate Donovancommunications@stjames-lutheran.org

Business Manager Martha Bulinmbulin@stjames-lutheran.org

Office Manager Catherine Sitzchurch@stjames-lutheran.org

Children’s Ministry Jennifer Donovanjdonovan@stjames-lutheran.org

St. James Lutheran School2101 N. Fremont St.

Chicago, IL 60614

Phone 773.549.1615Fax 773.326.3645

www.stjames-lutheran.org

Curriculum and Cocktails

St. James Lutheran School

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Don’t be Tardy! The bell rings at 6:30 p.m.

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 1

5Attending a Pep Rally with Marty Maverick

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor

Making New Friends

12

3

5 4

Listening to Student Performances

Taking Part in Parent

Education Opportunities

See page 8 to learn what’s in store for this year!

St. James students are talented! Don’t miss an opportunity to hear them perform. Throughout the year early childhood and elementary students will sing in church and the middle school Honors Choir and Band will have concerts. Additionally, middle school students will participate in a Spring Operetta.

The first performance of the year is Sunday, September 8. All early childhood students are scheduled to sing at the 10:30 a.m. service.

Sure, you expect your child to make new friends at school this year. But, what about you? There are many opportunities for parents to meet new people and make friends at St. James. The best way to make new connections and friendships is to get involved and attend community events. Here are a few of the upcoming ones you don’t want to miss:

Block Party · Harvest FestivalCurriculum and Cocktails · Oktoberfest

Barnes and Noble Bookfair

Event Details are Available on the Calendar

Go Mavericks! We offer a wide array of athletics including cross-country, basketball, volleyball and track. St. James is an inclusive environment; therefore there are no tryouts for sports teams. Everyone is encouraged to participate and parents are invited to attend pep rallies and games. Make sure to read eTempo for upcoming events.

Things to Get Excitedfor This Year

A whole person is someone who is more than just academically, socially and physically prepared for life. A whole person is one who also has a relationship with the Triune God through Jesus Christ. By grace Christ calls us into faith and through the Holy Spirit nurtures our hearts to return love to God by loving our families, friends, and neighbors. This is our vocation.

2 August 2013

Welcome to another year!

August 25 marks the beginning of the 156th year of St. James Lutheran School. It is an honor and blessing to oversee this ministry and witness the good work God does through this staff. There are a lot of good things happening that you will learn about as we begin the school year, but there is one thing in particular I am really excited about.

Beginning on October 6 we will enter into a 31-week campaign to work through the entire Bible story. You heard me correctly, each week on Sunday morning hear a new part of God’s story in chronological order. Sermons will be available online in case you can’t make the Sunday worship experience or if you have another church home other than St. James.

If you have ever wondered why something is in the Bible or felt unprepared to talk about Bible events or want to refresh what you learned in your youth this is your chance.

The truth is that the Christian Church revolves around God’s work through Jesus Christ. God calls each of us into faith to live in harmony with him and our neighbor. But how will we know Him if we do not know His story?

To help you engage we will offer materials to review the weeks story before Sunday morning and to discuss the story in the week following at home, and in Bible study. These materials will be available beginning August 25 on Sunday mornings and in the office during the week. A small fee will be charged to keep the cost off the church or school budget.

Our intention is that by hearing and exploring these events of the history of God and His people we will all grow in faith, devotion and service to God and neighbor. Please take advantage of this opportunity to discover the big picture and learn how loving God is to find us and give us the gift of grace that restores and maintains our eternal life with Him.

By Rev. Robert B. Donovan Jr., Senior Pastor

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 3

The Story Resources

The following materials will be available through St. James for purchase to participate in this campaign. Or, consider making one a gift for someone to learn about the grace of God and His faithfulness in caring for us in spite of our rebellion.

The Story, hardcover – Intended for adults and families to read and review before each week’s sermon.

The Story: Teen Edition – A simplified version of the hardcover tailored for middle school learners.

The Story for Kids – The perfect young reader version for elementary students.

The Story for Little Ones – A beautifully illustrated companion for the adult version perfect for early childhood ages.

eReader versions are also available through multiple online providers.

Other Resources for Bible Study

Lutheran Study Bible – NIV translation with study notes from Lutheran scholars

Luther’s Small Catechism – Luther’s original text with expanded explanations

The Book of Concord – The Lutheran Confessions in one hard-bound resource

ESV Bible – Current translation used for worship and Bible study

Sunday

October 6October 13October 20October 27November 3November 10November 17November 24December 1December 8December 15December 22December 29January 5January 12January 19January 26February 2February 9February 16February 23March 2March 9March 16March 23March 30April 6April 13April 20April 27May 4May 11May 18

Lesson

Creation(Marathon Sunday)AbrahamJosephMoses10 CommandmentsWanderingJoshuaJudgesRuth SaulYoung David(New Year’s Sunday)King DavidSolomonKingsProphetsFall of IsraelFall of JudahDanielEzraEstherNehemiahJesus’ BirthJesus’ MinistryNo Ordinary ManSon of GodHour of DarknessResurrectionEarly ChurchPaul’s MinistryPaul’s Final DaysHeaven

SCHEDULE

RESOURCES

4 August 2013

Dealing with SeparationFor many children, coming to school is the first experience away from their parents for an extended period of time. For others, it may be the first experience in a group setting. Many may be returning to a familiar place but are now confronted with new faces, new teachers and a new room. There may be feelings of uncertainty, shyness, nervousness or fear. Each experience that calls for separation is different and requires each child to draw on his/her developing inner resources. The separation experience is an on-going developmental issue—both emotionally and intellectually. A child is met with a new set of circumstances each time s/he needs to separate from a parent or familiar experience. We approach separation as a gradual and individualized process. We believe in allowing separation to take

place over a period of time because it is about building relationships and trust. This only happens as a child becomes familiar with school and comes to feel that school is a safe, secure and predictable place. Even if a child is excited by the prospect of going to school it takes time to get to know exactly what this is all about. It takes time to get to know the routines, what the classroom is like and to form relationships with the teachers and other children. Our overall goal is to make school a positive, comfortable and worthwhile experience for you and your child. Our teachers will have met your child at a home visit to begin to develop that trust relationship with you and your child. Teachers will spend time each day helping your child feel

An Early Childhood Open House the first day of school helps with separation.

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 5

Helpful Guidelines After you have done the sign in and follow the toileting routine with your child, come into the classroom and help him/her settle into an activity. Tell your child you will pick him/her up after school is over (or before lunch for the half-day program), give a hug and be on your way. Never sneak out of the room. It may be helpful to involve your child in creating a routine that you will follow at drop-off. For example: one hug and two kisses. Once you tell your child you are leaving, you need to go. Unexpectedly staying “another five minutes” creates confusion and anxiety for your child. When you have left, stay out of the room; do not linger in the doorway. Make sure you are on time to pick up your child when the school day is over. Remember, you must have a positive feeling towards sending your child to school; if there is any apprehension in your mind, the child will sense this. Be positive about all the things the child will do with friends at school—play with toys, do art projects, have outdoor or gym time, have a snack, read books, etc.

safe and comfortable in class. They will spend time going over rules, routines and helping every child know what to expect. Time is spent every day protecting each child’s space and work. This helps children begin to trust that the adults are there to help and protect them.

The teachers will work with you to determine the best way to make your child’s adjustment to the classroom and the group as comfortable as possible. Be sure to let your child know exactly what to expect regarding separation, car pools, family schedules, etc. If your child is perfectly comfortable the first day of school and doesn’t express any separation fears, that’s great. However, we caution parents that some children show a delayed reaction and become anxious a week or a month later. If this occurs, your child’s teacher will speak with you.

Administration Update

As many of you know, Joy Mullaney decided not to return to St. James for a third year. The responsibilities of managing a family in Wheaton while commuting to the city became burdensome. We wish her well and hope for her future success.

To be certain that all of the administrative responsibilities of the school are handled we have made some staff adjustments. First, we are excited to announce the promotion of Lynda Adams to Early Childhood Director. Lynda will teach the half-day classes in the morning and serve the early childhood division as administrator in the afternoons.

Lynda brings great energy and respect from her team to the table, which we believe will increase the value of a preschool education measurably.

Catherine Sitz will assume more administrative responsibility for all of the reporting and paperwork necessary to comply with state and accrediting agencies. She will report to Warren Gast who will oversee the school as head administrator in addition to his current responsibilities.

To help Warren with testing and educational assessment, Kristina Kaldis will work for Lynda Adams in the mornings and Warren in the afternoons. Kristina is a fully qualified teacher who served last year on a part-time basis.

For the long-term health of St. James, we will begin a national search for a school administrator to lead us forward. This effort will be led by Pastor Donovan, as prescribed in the by-laws, and assisting him will be Clark Everett and Phil Spahn from the Fellowship Council as well as Carl Larson and Katie Hockman from the congregation. Carl and Katie are also St. James parents.

We will continue to have the school administrative team of Warren and Lynda meet with selected teachers and parents as the Principal’s Curriculum Advisory Council (PCAC) as in the past. As always, your input as parents is appreciated. Please direct your thoughts to the appropriate person.

Don’t be left in the Dark

A Social Media and Communications

Guide

6 August 2013

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 7

St. James Website There’s a wealth of information on our website, www.stjames-lutheran.org, including a calendar, staff directory, social media hub, uniform guidelines and shopping link, pdfs of required forms, back issues of Maverick, governance information, online giving and more.

Online Calendar The official school calendar is on our website, school.stjames-lutheran.org/calendar. This is a dynamic resource that is updated with regularity. If you have an Apple product, you can instantly get updates to your iCal by clicking the iCal icon on the calendar page.

eTempo Our weekly school newsletter, eTempo, is emailed on Monday, or the first day of the new school week. It includes current school news as well as notices and information important for school-home communication. Please take the time to read eTempo each week.

Blogs Each division —early childhood, elementary, middle school— has a blog on Blogger. Classroom teachers write a post for each Monday that contains important class-specific information. Every week blogs are linked to in eTempo. They can also be accessed directly:

If you’d like blog posts emailed to you, you may choose to subscribe by signing up in the FOLLOW BY EMAIL box located on each blog. Posts can also be sorted by class and date.

Maverick, the St. James Magazine, is published throughout the year to educate and promote the school’s purpose and mission to the community. There is very often important information that requires more space than an email can provide. Maverick may be electronic or sent home as a print piece.

fellowshipNet An online directory is maintained on a site called fellowshipNet, www.fellowshipnet.org. An invitation was sent to each family by email, allowing access to your family’s page. Parents are responsible for checking the accuracy of your family information and keeping it current as your contact information changes. A current email address must be maintained as your primary contact with St. James. fellowshipNet also allows each family member to upload a picture. Please take the time to include pictures; they help others in our community put a name with a face.

Facebook To access our Facebook page, go to facebook.com/stjameslutheran. Our Facebook page includes stories, pictures and upcoming events.

Twitter Our twitter handle is @stjchicago. We’ll be tweeting throughout the day to keep you in the know.

Instagram last year we started an Instagram account, @stjchicago. Pictures taken throughout the school day and at events will be posted. If you don’t have an Instagram account, pictures can be viewed online, instagram.com/stjchicago and are on the front page of the school website.

#stjearlychildhood is our new Early Childhood Instagram hashtag! Early Childhood teachers will be taking photos to help show parents what students are learning. If you have an Instagram account and have pictures from an early childhood field trip or class party, tag them with #stjearlychildhood so everyone can see. They can all be viewed on the Early Childhood Blog, stjearlychildhood.blogspot.com, under Photos. Don’t miss out!

Social Media Hub Our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds can all be viewed in one spot on our Social Media Hub. This is a great way for members of the community that don’t have social media accounts to stay current with St. James news. It can be viewed on both church and school websites, church.stjames-lutheran.org/socialmedia and school.stjames-lutheran.org/socialmedia.

Early Childhood Blog stjearlychildhood.blogspot.com Elementary Blog stjelementary.blogspot.com Middle School Blog stjmidschool.blogspot.com

8 August 2013

Curriculum and Cocktails Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m.

A parents-only evening that begins with briefing from the classroom teacher on what to expect for the year and ends with a cocktail party in the gym.

Elementary Math NightThursday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m.

An overview of the University of Chicago’s Everyday Math Program, which is used in our elementary classes.

High School ForumThursday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m.

An introduction to the high school admissions process with time for questions and answers.

Parent Education Opportunities

The Learning Lab provides the opportunity for parent and child interaction in a controlled area appointed with a variety of play based activities and centers. Come and meet other parents and share the experiences and joys of parenting. An on-site staff person will facilitate games, songs, discussion and sharing about a variety of parenting and developmental issues. Additionally, our Resource Library will offer valuable articles and information about what is happening to your child as he or she is growing. Located on the second floor of St. James Lutheran School, the Learning Lab is open on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. This is free and open to any parent and child (ages 0-4).

Learning Lab

This year, we’re offering several educational opportunities for parents.

Early Childhood Seminars

St. James early childhood teachers will present current research-based strategies for children in different areas of development and provide ideas for incorporating them into the home. Seminars will take place from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Community Center. Please note this is a parents-only event.

2013-2014 Schedule

Topic Date Presenters

Positive Discipline October 17 Jennifer Kolovos, Lynda AdamsBig Body Play January 30 Liz Koehneke, Lynda AdamsReading April 10 Meredith Boese, Lynda Adams

Wednesday and Thursday MorningsBeginning September 25

Get SchooledThursday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Current St. James parents are invited to “Get Schooled” on what’s happening in grades 1-8. This evening is specifically geared toward parents with students in grades k-7 to gather information on our elementary and middle school programs. Parents will attend different grade appropriate mini lessons followed by a question and answer session.

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 9

Welcome

Students and Parents aren’t the only ones with education opportunities. St. James staff participated in conferences and workshops over the summer. Read about two of their recent conferences below.

On Friday, August 9, 2013, all of the early childhood teachers attended The Concordia Early Childhood Conference “Say Yes to the Mess: Transforming Relationships.” Teachers had opportunities to attend workshops and network with other early childhood teachers. In addition, they heard from keynote speaker, Marie L. Masterson, PhD, an assistant professor at Dominican University, River Forest, IL, past coordinator of The Director’s Institute at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, and an educational consultant to state and local schools and early childhood organizations. Dr. Masterson spoke about building better relationships with students. The Early Childhood Team had a great time growing and learning at the conference and is looking forward to the upcoming school year!

On Monday, August 12, 2013 teachers in grades 1-8 along with Warren Gast, Lynda Adams and Andy Macaione attended the CLEF Networking Conference at Walther Lutheran High School. The theme of CLEF’s

Staff Development

2013 Networking Conference was “Quality Schools Making a Difference.” The keynote speaker was Dave Anderson, graduate of Chicago’s Luther North High School and founder of Famous Dave’s restaurant chain. Individual courses were offered in the areas of technology, literacy and special needs. New this year, was a program specially developed for principals and school board members on ways to help their schools grow and thrive. The event concluded with a presentation by Mr. Stephen Dinger on “The Best and Fastest Way to Grow a School.” St. James teachers enjoyed networking with other teachers while learning how to make St. James a bigger and better place.

Krissy Cornelius (second grade), Stephanie Bending (third grade), Jessica Lore (first grade) and Liz Koehneke (preschool) participating in an all staff team-building activity. Nicole Cantrell-Hantel

Middle School MathGrades 2-4 Religion

Bachelor’s Degrees in Secondary Education and

Political Science from Concordia University

Chicago

Kristina KaldisSupport Teacher

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education

with a minor in Child Studies from Miami University in Ohio

Abby ParsonsPhysical Education

Health

Bachelor’s Degree in K-12 Physical Education with

an Endorsement in Middle School Math from St. Ambrose University

Full professional profiles are available on our website.

What Was Your Fav orite School Supply to Buy When Yo u were in School?

Crayola crayons and a pencil box.

Jennifer Donovan, Children’s Ministry

My favorite back-to-school item was the backpack. My Gizmo backpack was the ultimate in back-to-school fashion.

Becky Gorcyca, Middle School

Lisa Frank supplies were always fun to buy!

Kate Donovan, Director of Communications and Admissions

Easy . . . hands down a pencil box.

Meredith Boese, Preschool

Folders

Kristina Buschle, Kindergarten

10 August 2013

My favorite school supply to buy as a kid was the Trapper Keeper. And now I have dated myself!

Jennifer Kolovos, Kindergarten

Learning to Love God and Love Neighbor 11

What Was Your Fav orite School Supply to Buy When Yo u were in School?

A new big box of Crayola Crayons.

Martha Bulin, Business Manager

I always liked the packs of crayons. There is something great about a fresh box of brand new crayons that just makes me happy. Oh and I loved the sharpeners that they put on the back of the really big boxes!

Lynda Adams, Early Childhood Director

My favorite back-to-school item was the Trapper Keeper.

Kim May, Middle School

I loved buying it all! The most exciting part was getting it home and organizing it all. This was done by subject, of course, and there was usually some sort of color coding system. Not much has changed. . .

Catherine Sitz, Office Manager

I loved the big box of crayons with the built in sharpener!

Jessica Lore, First Grade

The fun starts at 12:00 p.m.

St. James

Sunday, September 8

Live Music · Food and BeveragesGames and Crafts · Bouncy SlideChocolate Dessert Competition