What's Happening . . .

ALUMNI:

The electronic e-newsletter, TALES OF THE TIGER, is sent to those alumni who have provided their e-mail address to the school at sptigers@bellsouth.net.  If you are an alumnus and want to be added to the list please send us your information!

        The 2011-2012 School Year

Normally the halls of St. Paul Lutheran School are empty and it is pretty quiet during the months of June and July.  Not this year!  Our Title I services provider, Catapult Learning, sponsored a free all-day summer school session for the month of June, geared especially to our Title One students in the subjects of reading and math.  Our teachers and staff were also the proverbial 'busy little bees', working on their various projects for the new school year.  Lots of painting took place throughout the building, and the walls and trim are looking fresh and colorful for the new school year...

We began our 171st consecutive school year on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011, with an opening worship service led by St. Paul's pastor, Kevin Kieschnick, using the school theme of 'Let's Get Connected'. He reminded the students, the faculty and staff, and our guests that it was God who chose to 'connect' us to himself with the gift of His son, Jesus Christ. That's real love!  Afterward, over 170 excited students trooped to their new classrooms to discover what was 'in store' for them at St. Paul this year.  And so, "WE WERE OFF AND RUNNING" once again!

After school on Thursday, September 15th, and all day Friday, September 16th, we hosted Parent-Teacher conferences.  Why so early?  By having conferences half way through the first quarter instead of waiting until the end of the quarter we can make sure that everyone is "on the same page"...  What's going 'right'?  What needs to be changed?  How can we work even better together so that this school year will be the best it can be?  After all, at mid-way there's still time to impact the final grades!

On Friday, September 23rd, we had our first Outdoor Education experience for the Junior High.  The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders ventured up to Covington, LA, via chartered coach to the Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery.  What a great way to learn about American Alligators and the alligator conservation efforts in the state of Louisiana.  They fed the alligators and even "petted" several of them on the snout! (O.K., the gators' mouths were taped shut at the time!)  Our first Parent-Teacher-League meeting (complete with a potluck supper!) took place on Thursday, September 29th, and Lutheran High School's annual 7th and 8th grade open house took place on Friday, September 30th.  We had a busy month! 

October brought the delivery of the first quarter report cards.  Judging by some of the smiles and some of the frowns that I saw that afternoon, they arrived home with 'mixed reviews'...  In any case, there should have been no surprises because we send home a 'Test Slip' every Tuesday of the school year that details the grades reported for that week... and we had mid-quarter parent conferences to give a preview of how the quarter was shaping up!  The end of October also brought our annual P.T.L. 'Halloween Event'. Although we had planned to show some 'spooky cartoons' in the St. Paul courtyard, cold weather, wind, and some sprinkles chased us into the cafeteria.  Sharing the space with the diners using our snack bar made it REAL cozy . . . and noisey!  We judged the evening a success though, having raised over $200 for our chapel fund, and we sent the 'ghosts and goblins' on their way with sacks of parent-donated Halloween candy treats. 

And then came November!  We started the month with our annual hearing and vision screenings done by Senior student nurses from L.S.U.  We are very grateful for Professor Marge Krauss who ensures that we have a rotation of nursing students to conduct screenings, process immunization records into the state's computer system, and to present topics such as bicycle safety, nutrition, seat belt use, and healthy choices to our various classes throughout the year.  My favorite is 'Body Works' for the kindergarten class.  They construct paper grocery sack bodies complete with balloon stomachs, macaroni noodle spines, and plastic baggie lungs!  November always finishes up with 'Special Persons Day' - our annual event for students' grandparents, parents, neighbors, 'babysitter', or anybody who is special to come to school for the day.  This year we had special student performances, a band and recorder concert, Thanksgiving chapel service, and in-the-classroom experience. 

And then along came December... that extra busy month for all of us. Our annual School Support Dinner Auction always takes place the first Saturday in December.  It's a fun evening that includes before-dinner drinks and snacks as our guests browse the various 'booths' - Kitchen, Children, Decorator, Christmas, Outdoor, Art, and Bed and Bath - to see what items are 'must haves'.  A catered dinner (think shrimp fettuccini for the main course and homemade bread pudding for dessert) followed.  The highlight of each auction is when our auctioneer, also known as The School Administrator', gets up on stage and begins the verbal auction portion of the evening.  What happens at St. Paul's auction STAYS at St. Paul's auction!!!  Our goal was again $20,000 to help fund scholarships for families who want their children to get a Christian education but can not pay for the full cost...  Also in December was our traditional Christmas worship service. The children and faculty were responsible for giving the message of the service through their art, music, and drama.  The teachers also held their traditional 'Christmas Cookie Sale' following that service to raise money for various professional development activities.

Then... 2012 arrived quickly!  The month of January found the Early Schoolers and the First Graders searching the classrooms (and my office!) for the "baby Jesus" on the Twelfth Day of Christmas. . . the beginning of the church season called Epiphany.  Thanks to Roland Guidry, our fourth grade teacher, they inadvertently found "King Herod" when they searched in the fourth grade classroom!  January also brought the National Lutheran Administrators' Conference in Orlando, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on the 16th, the delivery of 2nd Quarter report cards, and a visit to the Chalmette Battlefield for the annual 'Battle of New Orleans re-enactment' for our 7th and 8th graders.  And so the school year continues!

We are currently accepting registration for all students who are currently enrolled at St. Paul Lutheran School.  Enrollment for all new students begins on February 1, 2012.  Don't miss out!

If you are new to St. Paul, just scroll down a little farther and check out last school year's 'What's Happening' notes and get an idea of the kinds of things in store for you and your children this year.  WELCOME!

The 2010-2011 School Year

We began our 170th consecutive school year on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010.  St. Paul's pastor, Kevin Kieschnick, led the opening worship service with the school theme, 'Love Lives Here' Part II.  Afterwards 170 excited students trooped to their classrooms and met their new teachers who had been preparing for them all summer with in-service workshops, meetings, and individual and group planning sessions!

First on the this school year's agenda was our traditional free spaghetti supper P.T.L. meeting, hosted by St. Paul Lutheran Church, on Friday, August 27th.  Close to one hundred parents, grandparents, and students attended the event, which concluded with the pastor of St. Paul giving a brief overview on 'what being Lutheran' is all about.

Next up this school year was our 'Middle-of-First-Quarter' parent-teacher conferences, which were held on Thursday and Friday, September 16th and 17th.  Progress was shared about what's working well, and what's working "not so much"!  We believe that these conferences are especially valuable for the first quarter, when parents and students are new to our school or to their teachers.

On Friday, September 24th, the students in Junior High (6th through 8th) were especially excited to be traveling to Fontainebleau State Park, outside of Mandeville, LA, for their first 'Outdoor Education Day' of the year.  Pickle dissection, owl pellet dissection, nature poetry, and team building games (plus snacks and pizza!) were all on the docket.  Native American, Ranger Grayhawk, provided a running commentary on the history of Baron Bernard Marigny de Mandeville while hand carving a cedar gumbo paddle on an antique shaving horse.  The baron's sugar mill plantation which was located on the same site as Fontainebleau State Park is today.

St. Paul Lutheran School's Auction Gift Gathering Party for school parents was held on Friday, October 7th.  The school courtyard sported a festive tent, and faculty-made refreshments were provided for everyone who donated a gift item to be auctioned off at our annual dinner/auction on Saturday, December 4th.  The Gift Gathering Party for St. Paul Lutheran Church members was held on Saturday, October 23rd.  Wine, cheese, and live music combined to make a fun evening for all who attended.  All profits from our auction go to fund our tuition scholarship program. 

Next up on the agenda was our annual Halloween Event on October 29th.  Games, food, a costume contest, and a clever magician made the evening Frighteningly Fun! 

On Friday, November 19th, St. Paul hosted Special Person's Day.  Each student was invited to bring a relative, a neighbor, a babysitter, or other "special person" in their life to school for a fun morning of activities. Guests had a special 'Say Yes to No' class led by Chuck Schiller and then were joined in church by their "special students" for a band, recorder, and choir concert, a Thanksgiving chapel service led by St. Paul's pastor, Kevin Kieschnick, and individual class performances in song, poem, and play forms.  Finally, all of the "special persons" went to the individual classrooms for more activities before being dismissed for the day.

A special highlight of each year is the St. Paul Lutheran School Support Dinner Auction which is held on the first Saturday of each December.  This fund raiser generates funds for tuition scholarships given to families with economic needs who would otherwise be unable to afford to send their children to St. Paul. This year the school cafeteria was transformed into a golden candlelit restaurant as Bywater Restaurant served dinner salads, roasted pork loin, baby new potatoes and onions, and a medley of winter squash, capped off with bread pudding and sauce!  As the verbal auction proceeded after dinner, the various silent auction booths closed with frantic last minute bidding by those who had their eye on a special item or two.  This year's goal was $20,000 . . . and after paying the bills to the caterer and to others involved in the preparation, the final profit was almost $22,000!   We thank all of those who donated gifts to be auctioned and to those who came to the event and 'bid high and bid often'. To God be the glory!

Once the new year (and the third quarter!) started, we were 'off and running' once again.  Alethea Johnson, our social worker from Title I Catapult Learning, also presented the first program of the new calendar year for parents on Test-Taking Skills on Thursday, January 20th.  January 29th was our third quarter P.T.L. meeting featuring a free hot-dog supper.  Phase two of Dr. David Walsh's 'SAY YES TO NO' program was presented to the parents following the dinner.  His program teaches parents that it's "O.K." to say NO to their children, when appropriate, and teaches children to eventually learn to take responsibility for their own decisions.  What a great idea!  Session Three was presented on February 24th with a 'brown bag picnic supper'. The final session was presented on Thursday, March 31st following a soup supper prepared by the faculty.  I strongly urge all parents to pick up a copy of his book, "NO - Why Kids - of All Ages - Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It".  Dr. Walsh is also the author of the national bestseller, "Why Do They Act That Way?"  The Jr. High loved their second Outdoor Education experience. . .  On Friday, February 25th, they boarded a chartered coach to Baton Rouge and toured L.S.U.'s Rural Life Museum.  I have to say that the weather was perfect and so were our students! 

The month of March brought the annual St. Jude Children's Hospital Math-A-Thon fundraiser.  St. Paul students sent a record $2,700+ in contributions following their math problem solving fun.  We also held our third Quarter Parent-Teacher consultations on Thursday evening, March 17th, and all day on Friday, March 18th.  I don't know who looked more nervous... the parents or the students!  The entire faculty was able to attend the national Lutheran teachers' convocation in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the end of March, and returned filled with new knowledge and ideas to finish the school year with excitement in the classrooms!

April brought the third and final Junior High Outdoor Education event, which was held at Camp Salmen in Slidell, Louisiana, on Friday, April 15th. Mrs. Birch (yes, like the tree) was a fountain of information, ideas, and fun as the students created nature charts, took a walk through the swamp area, and participated in a nature scavenger hunt.  We'll be back next year!

The annual track meet for area Lutheran Schools took place on the first Saturday of May.  We came in 3rd!  During the week of May 9th through the 13th our students again focused on taking the annual Iowa Standardized Achievement tests.  We traditionally score at least a grade level higher on a class by class basis.  Our annual spelling bee and our St. Paul Art Gallery of student work took place on Friday, May 13th.  Thanks to Mr. Guidry and the rest of our staff, our cafeteria was visually transformed by a barrage of colorful art work hanging on the walls for the last two weeks of school.  St. Paul's Eighth grade graduation took place on Friday, May 27th, and our annual 'Awards Day', complete with special band and choir concerts and student performances finished the school year's activities on Monday, May 30th.  WOW... another school year has already come and gone! 

If you have friends, neighbors, or relatives who may still be looking for a quality Christian education for their children, please have them contact me at the school office (504) 947-1773 and we can arrange a personal tour.

Blessings,

Chuck Schiller

P.S. Scroll down and look over the many photos below.  They will really give you an idea about "life" at St. Paul Lutheran School!

                     St. Paul Lutheran Church

Morning Opening                                                                                                                                               Every school day at St. Paul Lutheran School starts with morning devotions, prayer, and pledges in the courtyard with all classes from Early School to Eighth Grade.

PICTURES from OUTDOOR EDUCATION at Fountainebleau State Park

Mr. Schultz and Mrs. Ragas are feeling fresh and ready to go before our 'history hike'!

'Our Group' in front of 'the old oak tree'...at the site of the original plantation buildings.  We found pottery shards from the 1800's!

'Ranger Steve' helps focus on a wild heron at Fountainebleau's swamp area.

The staff are all dressed up by their group for 'their' sports.  Mrs. Ragas is ready for a game of tennis, and Miss Koester is dressed for her hockey match.  Mr. Schultz is ready for L.S.U.'s football team.  Mr. Schiller is going to play in the World Series, and Mrs. Acosta has joined the National Basketball League.  Oh, my...

Miss America, Katie Stam, poses with our fourth and fifth graders.                                  

Gee,I wonder why Mr. Schiller, Mr. Guidry, and Mr. Schultz look so happy to be there. . .!

Second grade shares their 'pinwheels for peace'.

School Board member, Gordon Linge, often shares his African drums during after school Extended Day Care.

Mr. John Price, from the Insta-Gator alligator ranch

shows off one of his 'gators' to the primary grades.

This 'gator' is only nine inches long, but our kindergarteners are impressed!

Our Early School "makes a joyful noise" with Mrs. Turner!

Ask the sixth graders about their 'bird beak' ecology exercise!

Check out the "Scary Creatures" at our Halloween Event

Trick or Treat!

Our Cafeteria was again transformed for the Annual School Support Dinner Auction!  We were able to raise just over $10,000 for tuition scholarships for families with economic needs this school year.  

The verbal items are always displayed on the stage to allow for a thorough preview by the guests before the auction begins!  Things like original artwork, three signed SAINTS footballs, a Wii console and game, and themed baskets of goodies assembled by the different grades were among the many items auctioned off.  Next year's auction is already scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd, 2011.  SAVE THE DATE!

St. Paul Lutheran School Night at the New Orleans' HORNETS' "Hive".

The Early School visits Mr. Schiller's office with their new hats.

Our faculty enjoyed their summer first aid training...  Mr. Guidry was all tied up! (Did Mrs. Acosta and Mrs. Ragas enjoy it TOO much, Roland???)

A "terrible" accident has befallen Mrs. Acosta at first aid training, but she seems to be in good hands!

The sixth graders try their hand at 'engineering' bridges for science class.

How did the bridge come out?

Our Early Schoolers get into the 'rhythm' of the school day...

Mr. Schultz's junior team after a hard fought game at Atonement Lutheran School.

Each day starts with an opening devotion in the school courtyard.

Special awards for Early Schooler's!

"Fynn's mom", Mrs. Peck, does a healthy fruit and vegetable demonstration for Early School.

Chuck Schiller receives the National Distinguished Principal Award from the U.S. State Department and the National Association of Elementary Schools in Washington, D.C. 

L to R - Bill Cochran , Head of National Lutheran Schools, Chuck, and Dr. John Laabs, Director of the Lutheran

Education Association

Honor Roll 'A' Recipients - Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.5 to 4.0!