November 7th, 2023
Principal Corner
I wear a fit bit that tracks my steps. I usually get 10,000 steps every day. Fit Bit updated their app earlier this fall, and one feature I was used to seeing went away. The 10,000-step streak notification is not on the new app. Having a day step streak kept me motivated to reach the 10,000 steps each day. Some evenings in the past years if I was short on steps, I would either go out and take the dog for an extra walk, or if the weather was bad, I would walk around the house till I reached the goal. The other night I was short on my steps. We had two workshops at school, which were very informative, but that meant I was not walking for that time. I realized late that I had not met my step goal and I started to walk around the house but then I decided to just go to bed. There was no longer anything tracking my step streak reaching 10,000 steps, so why bother! Sometimes I think our lives are like that. What is the motivation to keep doing the right things? We know if we believe in God, we will go to heaven. And if we truly believe in God, we will want to do those things that are pleasing to God and helpful for our neighbors so that they may see our good works and give glory to God in Heaven. Our motivation is not only for our salvation, but also that through our actions many more people will come to know about our Lord and Savior and receive the blessing of eternal life. Live the Light!
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held TONIGHT, Tuesday, Nov 7th from 3:30pm-8pm & Thursday, November 9th from 3:30pm-6pm. See the calendar below to find the links for each class sign up if you haven’t already. You can also change your schedule by clicking the link as well. Conferences will be scheduled to last 15 minutes.
PTL Graciously supplies a meal for the teachers on Tuesday of conferences! THANK YOU PTL and all the volunteers!
MILITARY PHOTOS NEEDED
We know there are many families in our school with veterans from many different branches. We want to honor all the loved ones and friends during the 6th - 8th Grade Musical that is performed the day before Veteran’s Day! (It was accidentally stated that it is ON Veteran’s Day last week, apologies, Veteran’s Day is observed on the 10th, but it is the 11th. The play is Nov 10th) Please send any photos of parents, grandparents, cousin’s, friends or anyone else you’d like to honor on that day to Jacqie! You can upload them directly to this GOOGLE ALBUM or email them to jmalzahn@trinityjanesville.com. Please send over what branch and how they are related to your student(s) as well!
Due by Nov 8th.
WE’VE GOT SPIRIT
YES WE DO!
We are bringing back SPIRIT days again this year, but we are celebrating ONCE a month. We encourage students to wear any Cardinals gear OR wear RED! This Friday, Nov 10th, will be our first Spirit Day. The students that wear red will receive a small treat from Mr. Stockman and Ms. Jacqie and get put in a drawing for a bigger prize every couple months. Show your school spirit and wear red! The more you participate, the more entries you get into the drawing!
Need Spirit wear? Check out Gidgets’ shop next to the post office or on her website.
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
Once again, our Trinity families have an awesome opportunity to make a child’s Christmas special! It is quick and simple to pack a shoebox and to put a smile on a child’s face for Christmas. Chapel offerings in October & November were to help with the $10 cost to ship each Operation Shoeboxes to very special children all over the world.
It’s time to start packing a shoebox or more if you’d like. Flyers will be sent home so you can start packing your own shoebox! Shoesboxes are due to the school by Nov 16th.
Shoebox stations can be found at Hobby Lobby - they have everything you need to pack a shoebox! You can also pack a shoebox online: https://samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/
For more information visit: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
HELP WANTED
JWP holds an annual tournament each November and they use our gym, which means we have an opportunity to run concessions and earn some money for our school and our athletics. We are looking for parents, with students in 5-8th Grade, to work concessions. We want those 5th - 8th Graders to have an opportunity to earn money for a class activity or trip and each hour the student and an adult counterpart work in the concessions stand, during this JWP Tournament, will earn money on behalf of that student toward that trip or activity. This will also earn Parent Service Hours. Please click the button below to sign up for a slot. If we don’t have enough people working, we will have to cancel and lose out on the potential earnings for our school. Please sign up by Nov 10th.
The tournament is Nov 18th & 19th. Hours are in the Sign Up Genius.
November
Choir Dates
6-8 Grade Musical Fri, Nov 10th @ 1:30 for school performance & 6:30 pm for the public
3-5 Choir Sunday, Nov 12th @ 8 am
TIME CHANGE :K-2 Choir Sunday, Nov 19th @ 10:30
Clothing for Cooler Weather
Here are the guidelines we use to determine what the students should wear outside. Be advised that we are very firm on these rules, so please make sure that your child has the appropriate clothing that is needed.
Below 55, they need long sleeves
Below 50, they need a sweatshirt or jacket
The Fall Festival was a hit; we had around 60 people attend. There was a hot chocolate station, face painting and balloon animals by Making Faces Mankato, balloon darts, cake walk, photo booth, corn pit, and many more activities. A huge thank you to Gidgets, Indian Island Winery, and Wistes whose generous monetary donates helped to fund the face painting and balloon animal station and hot chocolate station and Autumn Acres who donated pumpkins and a variety of squash.
E-RATE Funding
E-Rate Funding: Bridging the Digital Divide in Education
In today's rapidly advancing digital age, technology has become an integral part of education. However, ensuring access to reliable and high-speed internet connectivity, as well as necessary digital resources, is a challenge for many schools across the nation. This is where E-Rate funding comes into play.
E-Rate funding, established as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, has been instrumental in bridging the digital divide in education. Managed by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), E-Rate provides discounts to eligible schools and libraries, enabling them to afford necessary telecommunications and internet services.
The impact of E-Rate funding is profound, especially in schools serving underprivileged communities. It has opened doors to new possibilities by ensuring that all students, regardless of their economic backgrounds, have equitable access to digital learning resources. By doing so, E-Rate funding has helped level the playing field, providing equal opportunities for academic success.
With E-Rate funding, schools have been able to upgrade their infrastructure, improve their internet connectivity, and install Wi-Fi networks to support a large number of students and staff who rely on digital tools daily. This funding has also facilitated the purchase of essential hardware and software, such as computers, tablets, and educational software, to enhance the learning experience.
Furthermore, E-Rate funding has encouraged schools to embrace new technologies and adopt innovative teaching practices. Teachers have been able to utilize interactive presentations, online learning platforms, and virtual reality tools to create engaging and immersive lessons. Students have benefited from personalized learning experiences that cater to their unique needs and learning styles.
While E-Rate funding has been a game-changer for many schools, it is important to recognize that the digital divide is not completely bridged. There are still challenges to overcome, particularly in remote and rural areas with limited connectivity options. Efforts should be made to further expand and enhance the reach of E-Rate funding, ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to thrive in a digital society.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
As a school, we would love to look into E-Rate Funding more, but it is a time consuming process. Many companies out there will help connect all the information for you, but at a cost (and too be honest, a cost that seems a little ridiculous). That is where our lovely parents and community members can help!!!
Some of the research Ms. Jacqie and Mr. Stockman have done so far, has at least found some resources on getting started and all the information that is required. They both, are honestly too busy to dive deep into this while trying to tackle all the other ongoing projects and day to day involved with school.
If you’d like to help out, or if a group of you would like to tackle this together, we think it could make a huge impact.
Below are some resources if you’d like to take a look and decide if you can help make this possible for our school.
Did you know you could earn money for our school and toward your tuition? Did you know it’s as easy as purchasing gift cards for things you likely are already spending money on like gas and groceries? With RaiseRight (formerly Scrip) you can do that!
How does it work? We purchase gift cards at a discount and pass along the savings to you in the form of tuition credit. We have physical cards at the school, the order form (Click HERE) shows what we typically have on hand. You can send in your order with your student or send an email or stop in the school office.
Earn from anywhere! There is also a website and app! You can get instant access to E Cards right at your fingertips! You can also order physical gift cards to pick up at the school. Even family and friends can support our school by using the website or app wherever they are!
Check out more information here: https://www.raiseright.com/
To sign up and link our school, enter the School Enrollment Code: F6CE27485255
classroom mentorship
Calling All Community Members: Join Us in Making a Difference at Trinity Lutheran School!
We are reaching out to you today with an exciting opportunity for you to become a vital part of our school's journey, one classroom at a time!
We are looking for parents, grandparents or members of the congregation that would be willing to help mentor and expand our student’s learning by helping with reading, spelling words, math facts, and many other subjects on a regular basis. We invite you to ask questions and come visit to find out which classroom needs fit where you feel you can help the most! We will provide a brief orientation and training so you know exactly what is expected! Contact the school at 507-231-6646 and talk to Wade or Jacqie! You can email us at jmalzahn@trinityjanesville.com too!
CHAPEL OFFERING
In October, we collected offering to help alleviate costs of shoeboxes! November we will continue to do so.
We have received $165.75 in offering for these shoeboxes.
TUESDAY, NOV 21st - we have chapel because there is NO SCHOOL the 22nd-24th.
We will collect food and money for the food shelf that day! Bring in non perishable items that day which will go toward the Janesville Food Shelf. Any money collected will go towards the new food shelf building in Waseca. Let’s try to for a ONE & ONE Hungry Challenge for Nov 21st Chapel. One Food item and $1 for chapel that day!
You can also check out the Google Calendar under Parents > School Calendar to subscribe.
COMING SOON…..
Jacqie is working on getting it arranged to make payments via Procare! You’ll have the option to pay by card or ACH. Paying by card will have an added processing fee. You’ll be able to pay via the MyProcare.com where you all registered for school OR the app! You will also be able to set up auto payment if you want that option. No invoice sent, just a receipt and payment will be automatically deducted from your bank account. More information will be emailed out to parents when it is ready!
FRIENDLY REMINDERS:
Arriving at school before 8:10 am, please go through the gym unless you are a Preschool parent.
At the end of the day, please remain outside and wait for your student. They are released at 3:05 pm.
When a child is going to be absent, please send a message via Procare (it gets to both the teacher AND the office) OR make sure you are sending a message to both the teacher and the office if not using Procare.