December School News - Salem Lutheran

A Message from Mr. Klatt

It is getting colder, which means we are heading into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. What a wonderful time of year when we get to remember all of the gifts that our gracious Father in Heaven has given to us. This leads to the greatest gift he gave us, his son Jesus. The school children are excited to share the Christmas story with their families and the members of Salem throughout the Wednesdays of Advent. The services will start at 4 pm and will be streamed on Salem’s Youtube channel.

As part of the Christmas season, the school will collect gifts for the Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. The hospital asks for new gifts that haven’t been used, and they have a wishlist for gifts for parents/families to purchase for those who have to be in the hospital during the Christmas season. We will fill up our brown bin at the school entrance, and Mr. Klatt will take them to drop them off on Friday, December 20th. If you would like to donate, please have your gifts in the bin by December 18th.

Salem’s 4th-8th grade classes will also be going caroling to Oak Ridge Place before we go on Christmas Break. As of writing this, we don’t have a date for the singing, but we are excited to go back and sing Christmas carols to the residents. They love having us come and sing, and it is a great way to give back to those in our community.

Salem’s band students will be having their recital on December 16th. We have many younger players this year, so it is great to see them continue to grow and learn how to master the instrument they have chosen to play. We look forward to hearing them play for us at St. Croix on December 16th at 7 pm.

Lastly, our Salem students will be having some Christmas fun on December 20th in the morning with some Minute to Win It games. This is an opportunity for the Preschool-8th grade groups to have fun together and for the older and younger students to get to know each other.

From all of us at Salem, we wish you and your families a blessed Thanksgiving. We hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends and are able to have some time for thankful contemplation of all of the blessings God has given to you, your family, and Salem.

Enrollment for 2025-2026

Enrollment for returning school families will open on January 6th for the 2025-2026 school year. Watch for more information soon on how to reenroll for the new school year. New families may begin enrolling on February 1st.

School Survey

The Salem Lutheran School Board is seeking valuable feedback from parents to help shape the future of our school. This short survey is designed to gather your insights on important topics, including:

-Your motivation for choosing Salem for your family
-Potential changes to the school day schedule for the 2025-2026 school year
-School uniforms
-Interest in parent seminars
-Preferred methods of communication

Your responses will play a crucial role in guiding our marketing and shaping decisions for the upcoming school year. The survey should only take 5-10 minutes to complete, and your input is greatly appreciated.

As a thank you for completing the survey, you will be entered to win a basket of Salem Specialties. The basket includes fresh sourdough and baked goods from KJ Treats on the Go, a Christmas wreath from Petal and Stick, maple syrup and soap from Bramblewood Farm, and fresh Salsa from JL Catering. The winner will be announced on December 4, for pick up on December 6.

Here is the link for the survey:https://forms.gle/FGHR3tVKNQQwqmre6

Winter Weather Announcements

With our weather soon turning toward winter, we want to share how Salem will communicate when we close for inclement weather. The first place to look is the ClassDojo App. Mr. Klatt will make a school announcement, and your children’s teachers will also send you a ClassDojo that the school is closed. We will also put our closing on WCCO, FOX, Kare 11, and KSTP. Please check the TV closely as there is a Salem in Greenfield, on the opposite side of the cities. Look for Salem-Stillwater or Salem – Washington County. Mr. Klatt will try to decide whether to close school around 6 am or shortly thereafter. It will also be announced on the school website/parent portal at https://www.salemlutheran.org/news/ and emailed to your family.

School Christmas Programs

Our Salem students will be sharing a Christmas message at our Wednesday Advent Services in December. The services will begin at 4:00 pm with a meal served at 5:00 pm for those who can stay and enjoy supper and fellowship.

Please mark your calendar now and plan to attend the services presented by these grades and on these dates:

Dec. 4th – Saints and Angel Hosts Rejoice Part 1, 4th-8th Grade
Dec. 11th – Saints and Angel Hosts Rejoice Part 2, K-3 Grade
Dec. 18th – His Name is Jesus, Preschool

Jump Up Day/Crusader for a Day

On December 6th, 8th-grade students will have the opportunity to go to St. Croix Lutheran to experience what high school will be like. On this day, we also will have our preschool students “Jump up” to the next grade level to get to know their teacher for the upcoming school year and get to know the classroom as well. This is a great event and allows those students to enjoy being in the grade above them for a little time during the day.

Band Student’s Christmas Concert

Salem’s band students have been taught this year by Roger Zoldan. The students will join the Middle School Christmas Band Concert at St. Croix Lutheran on December 16th. If you would like to hear the middle school band play some wonderful Christmas music, make plans to attend the concert at St. Croix Lutheran on December 16th at 7:00 pm. Band students should contact Mr. Zoldan for more information.

Half Day on Dec. 20 and Christmas Break

Please note that on Friday, December 20 school is in session for only half a day and your student will be dismissed at noon. There is also no bus service or after-school care at the end of this day so please make sure to have a pickup arrangement for your child(ren). The students should also wear their colored shirts for Christmas games that day. There is no school from December 23 – January 3 for Christmas Break.

Upcoming Events

December 1 – Basketball Games at Salem against Christ Lutheran
December 4 – Grades 4-8 – Advent Service @ 4 pm, spaghetti meal served after
December 6 – Jump Up Day for Preschool and 8th grade, Basketball games at Salem against Cross of Christ
December 11 – Grades K-3, Advent Service @ 4 pm, meal served after
December 13 – Basketball games against Christ Lutheran (St John, St Paul)
December 14 – Christmas for Kids (Registration by Dec 9), Basketball games against Good Shepherd (Heritage Lutheran)
December 18 – PreK, Advent Service @ 4 pm, meal served after
December 20 – Half Day of School – Noon Dismissal, Basketball games at Crown of Life
December 23 through January 3 – No School, Christmas Break
January 6 – School Resumes

Referral Program

The school board approved a program that gave an incentive to recruit new families for our school. If a family who has children enrolled refers a new family to Salem, they will receive a $200 tuition credit at Christmas per family they have referred. A church family who refers a new family will receive a $200 script gift card at Christmas per family if they so choose. There is no limit to the number of families you can refer. If you have any more questions about the program, speak to a School Board member or Mr. Klatt.

Box Tops for Education

Raise Right (formerly Shop With Scrip)

You can buy gift cards from your favorite brands to earn money for Salem on your daily purchases. Visit www.raiseright.com/enroll to set up an account today. Use enrollment code: 2241AD6C14415

We Are Also Collecting Aluminum Cans and Pop Tabs

Aluminum cans benefit our athletic program and can be bagged up and placed in the wooden bin next to the garage facing Panama Ave. We will continue to support The Ronald McDonald House by participating in the Pop Tab program. The cash received goes directly to support Ronald McDonald House. They can be dropped off in the bin at the entrance to the school.

Prayer

One way we usually forget about how we can help our school and church is to pray for them throughout the year. Your prayers are always a blessing and it is great to know that you are asking God for his blessings in our school and church year.