Upon initial reading of the title, one might think it a bit dramatic.  Good!  It is.  The title comes from President Mark Zarling of Martin Luther College who presented “Christian Education: A Matter of Life and Death”. Is it really a matter of life or death?  When we consider the church’s mission (and by church I mean the body of believers not a physical building or specific denomination) as presented in Scripture, yes, it is. Really?  How can such a claim be made?

Let’s see what Scripture tells us. First, we look at our spiritual condition. Scripture is ripe with God’s law which points out our sinfulness.  In Romans 3 and 6, God tells us through the Apostle Paul that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (3:24) and “the wages of sin is death” (6:23). Scripture is very clear; we are naturally sinful individuals who, try as we might, are unable to keep God’s law.  The consequence for sin is eternal death in hell.  This message is sometimes glossed over in some Christian circles.  In Lutheran schools, and Apostles being one, that message is broadcast loudly and clearly.

Yikes!  That sounds horrific, doesn’t it?! It is. But, that’s only half the message. The importance of Christian schools does not lie in God’s law; man is born with a conscience — a natural knowledge of God’s law.  The importance lies in the Gospel with which Scripture is also ripe.  It is found by identifying the second part of each of the aforementioned verses and seeing the treasure that is revealed through God’s Grace.  Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 2:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The gospel message is a matter of life and death.  Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  The Gospel preaches sins forgiven, salvation secured, and life everlasting.  We hold to that Gospel by Faith. Faith is created by the regular teaching and hearing of the Word and the Holy Spirit working through it.  How will our precious children be aware of this life giving message if they are not placed at the feet of the Word each day in their classrooms and home? Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

Why a Lutheran school? I’ll quote President Zarling, “The Lutheran school, by God’s grace, is a place where the Word of God is taught daily and young hearts and minds learn Jesus revealed as our Life, who is the Truth. Jesus our Life! What joy to know that each teacher in a truly Lutheran school shares a common Spirit-worked worldview, a Biblical worldview centered in Christ Jesus, our Life and our Lord. … Each Lutheran teacher prays that each child leaves with another “E” on the grade chart — “E” for eternity as the child has again heard the news of eternal salvation in Christ.”

Our school’s mission “to serve families of our congregation and community with excellence in Christ-centered education” goes beyond the boundaries of our campus. It prepares our students for life. It is not just preparation for the next step in their educational path; it prepares them for life eternally with Jesus.

A matter of life and death?  When we consider it as a matter of eternity, most certainly, yes.  Of course we want our students to be well educated. We want them to be problem solvers, critical thinkers,  and to express themselves articulately.  Above all, though, one thing is needed (Luke 10:42) – to be continually nurtured at the feet of Jesus, our Life and our Savior.

“Wisdom’s highest, noblest treasure, Jesus, lies concealed in Thee;
Grant that this may still the measure of my will and actions be,
Humility there and simplicity reigning, In paths of true wisdom my steps ever training.
Oh, if I of Christ have this knowledge divine, The fulness of heavenly wisdom is mine.”
One Thing’s Needful by Johann H. Schroeder

That’s not to say that discipline is enjoyable.  The Bible mentions discipline over 25 times, and even states that is not pleasant (Heb 12:11). However, with many lessons, the teaching (and learning) produces fruit.

Here are the tips from the article:

1. Practice Consistency.  Of course not all rules (and consequences) apply to all situations so being 100% consistent is impossible. However, it’s important try our best to enforce consistent rules, goals and approaches. This is especially important as more people are responsible for discipline – parents, child care providers, teachers.  Communicate with these people to be sure common practices are in place.

2. Seek the Why.  Your child ever thrown something across the room or broken something out of frustration?  Mine has (my youngest isn’t quite there yet, but he will be…soon).  Before rushing to a decision, it helps to investigate the motive behind the action. The motive can certainly determine how the situation is handled.

3. Avoid Power Battles. The parent is the parent. Sometimes, “Because I said so” is all that is needed.  Some issues aren’t worth a battle and are more easily passed over.  When a line is drawn between two sides, though, there’s always a winner and a loser.  It’s imperative the parent “wins”.  Allowing the child to win presents mixed signals and weakens the consistency of practice.

4. Praise Good Behavior.  It’s often too easy to focus on the negative – especially after a long day at work.  Emphasizing positive behavior shows children good behavior is rewarded.  Simple gestures like hugs, high fives, or even a smile can show your affection and pride for your child.

5. Keep Your Cool. I didn’t always understand as a child why my parents told me “go to your room”. A cooling down period is often necessary.  Emotion – especially anger – can cause us to say and do things we’d otherwise not condone. It also sets a positive example for your child on how to resolve conflict.

6. Seek Supporters.  If a strategy is working at home, share that with the teacher.  On the opposite side, it’s helpful to match what’s being done at school with home strategies.  Parents and teachers work as partners to educate and train children – discipline is no exception.

What Are We Doing?
Here are some of the ways we are addressing bullying at Apostles:

• We emphasize Jesus as a model for Christian living.
• We discuss the loving treatment of others in our Word of God classes, daily devotions, and prayer times.
• We celebrate students who model Christian living.
• I have a personal safety class with all our students at the beginning of the year in which I define the types of bullying as well as how students can react, prevent, and report bullying.
• Our teachers remain vigilant to prevent, stop, and react to any bullying issues of which we’re aware.

What Can Parents Do?
These tips were adapted from an article posted on edutopia.com.

• Talk with and Listen to Your Children Everyday – Ask questions about their school day, including experiences on the way to and from school, lunch, and recess. Ask about their peers. Children who feel comfortable talking to their parents about these matters before they are involved in bullying are more likely to get them involved after. 
• Spend time at School -  Volunteer to assist the teacher in and out of the classroom. 
• Be a Good Example – When you get angry at waiters, other drivers or others, model effective communication techniques. As Education.com puts it, “Any time you speak to another person in a mean or abusive way, you’re teaching your child that bullying is ok.” 
• Create Healthy Anti-Bullying Habits – Starting as young as possible, coach your children on both what not to do (push, tease, and be mean to others) as well as what to do (be kind, empathize, and take turns). Also coach your child on what to do if someone is mean to him or to another (get an adult, tell the bully to stop, walk away and ignore the bully). 
• Make Sure Your Child Understands Bullying – Explicitly explain what it is and that it’s not normal or tolerable for them to bully, be bullied, or stand by and watch other kids be bullied.

(These tips were adapted from materials by the National PTA and Education.com.)

I wasn’t surprised by the amount of media consumed by young people today.  However, the amount of time spent reading books was alarming.  Children between 8-18 read an average of 17-23 minutes each day.

Any teacher will tell you that literacy is the foremost academic need for all students. The ability to read, write, and comprehend, goes beyond books and language arts texts. It influences everything we do.  Justified or not, individuals are often judged on their ability to articulately express themselves.

Do you have a favorite author?  My favorites report being voracious readers. It’s no secret that reading influences the use of language in spoken and written form.

As a parent of two young ones, I know how demanding schedules can be.  After a long day at work, it’s easy to turn on the television and use that to manage my children.  I even justify it by thinking Little Einsteins (or a similar show) is fairly educational.

If your child is like mine, sitting down to read a book can be quite a chore.  Yet the investment in that short amount of time pays dividends down the road.  Need that quiet time to yourself after getting home from work?  Have your child(ren) read a book.  Want a great way to connect to your child?  Read with them (or to them).  Want to open their imagination and foster creativity? You get where I’m going…

Let’s partner together encourage reading.

Whether or not you agree with Ron’s standpoint or tone, two key items can be pulled from his article.

The Partnership
Schools exist to assist parents in their given calling to train their children in their physical, academic, and social development. Christian schools exist to do all this and assist in spiritual growth.

The key word in the above paragraph is assist. Schools do not replace the role of the parent; therefore, this partnership, based upon mutual respect and trust, must exist.  Each party must also understand the others role.

As teachers we know that no one on earth cares for our students as their parents do. We know parents always have the best interest in mind for their child, and every parent is doing the best job he/she/they know how.

Parents must also know that teachers care deeply for their children and truly desire to see them develop into formidable students and exceptional people. We are trained educators doing the best job we know how.

We must also understand that both parties are imperfect.

There will be bumps along the road. When those bumps occur, it’s important to communicate with mutual respect and trust. It is essential both sides listen to one another and know there is likely a reason certain decisions were made. And, those choices probably were made with the child’s best interest in mind. Its is important that teachers remember that parents are looking out for their child’s welfare, and parents must know the teacher is doing the same.

Failure is an Option
The second important point is — It’s ok for kids to fail. I’m a parent; I never want any harm to come to my children. Yet, I also know some of the best lessons I’ve learned are from mistakes (both major and minor) that I’ve made.  For instance, I forgot my uniform for a basketball game in 8^th grade. Because I forgot, I couldn’t play. Guess how many times I forgot my uniform thereafter?

I know we all want our kids to be as happy as possible, but sometimes (not always, of course) the hard lesson is the best lesson.  Sometimes it takes getting answers marked wrong to remember the correct one. Sometimes it takes a forgotten uniform. Character is built not only by what we achieve, but also by the obstacles we have to overcome to reach our goals. When teachers and parents let students receive undue excuses, we rob them of learning opportunities.

Teaching is a challenging profession, and parenting is an even more difficult calling.  Let’s continue to be partners on the students’ path to success.  Together we can help them – Aspire, Learn and Succeed.

Our ESLRs are divided into four categories: Spiritual, Academic, Social, and Physical.  These four domains represent the whole education a child receives at Apostles.

This year we are focusing our student celebrations around our ESLRs – specifically what it means to be EAGLES.

Apostles Eagles are:

Evangelizing – Knowing Jesus is their Savior and spreading that Gospel Message
Achieving – Using God-given abilities to demonstrate a strong academic foundation and pursuing academic excellence.
Glorifying – Reflecting God’s love and respecting all people
Leading – Lifelong learners modeling Christian living in all pursuits – academic, physical, social and spiritual.
Expressing – Effective communicators who demonstrate academic excellence
Serving – Humbly living to serve God and fellow man in all that we do.

It is my privilege to recognize our students for meeting and exceeding these standards.  This year we’ve already acknowledged students for exceptional memory work, reading initiative, service initiative, and welcoming new students.  I know we’ll celebrate students for many more achievements this year.

As you have time acquaint yourself with these expectations and see how your child achieves them each year.

Pastor Nate Scharf from Luther Prepatory School (LPS) visited our campus this past week. Luther Prep is one of two high schools that our church body owns and operates. The mission of these schools is to train high school students for future ministry as pastors and teachers in our churches and schools.

Pastor Scharf spoke to the students about LPS’s ministry and how our church body supports this school’s work. He asked the students to pray for their work, and to possibly consider attending as 9^th graders.

During his presentation, Pastor Scharf spoke about a few key Bible passages upon which the LPS mission is founded. He showed these passages to the students in symbol form.  It was impressive to see our students decipher these symbols and recite them from memory as an entire student body.

This brought me great joy.  I began my teaching ministry at Luther Prep, and I was exceptionally happy to see a former student, Pastor Scharf, doing such positive things in our church body.  Secondly, I was exceedingly overjoyed to hear our students make such a confident profession of Scripture.

Our school’s motto is, Connecting Children With Their Future.  The academic foundation they receive will prepare them for future schooling and life. Yet, we know the spiritual nourishment they receive on a daily basis will train them to handle life’s challenges with grace and courage.

Hearing our students so boldly proclaiming Scripture assures me that no matter what life may bring, they have the faith foundation to tackle whatever may come. I am  a proud principal, and I know you’re proud parents, too.

This spring 888 students in the San Francisco area competed in the Stock Market Game.  Our 8th grade student, Christian Larson, finished 4th.  Congratulations to Christian!  Perhaps we have a future investment specialist in our midst.

This year’s graduating class is the top performing class in the last 10 years.  The 8th graders achieved an average percentile score of 88 across all curricular areas.   Also worth noting is the class percentile in Total Score.  Total Score is a combination of the Reading, Math, and Language composite scores.  This year’s eighth grade class had an average Total Score at the 97th percentile.

This is an outstanding accomplishment to say the least.  The TerraNova Series 3 test is a well respected standardized test across the globe chose for many public and private school systems.

These students exemplify our motto of Aspiring, Learning and Succeeding.

WELS schools across the nation are separated into divisions by enrollment size.  Apostles is in the largest school division (about 40 schools) and our third place finish is an exciting accomplishment.  Four of our students — Christian Larson, Zac Bork, Lia Vick and Griffin Aseltine — finished in the top 25 of all the students that participated in the contest.

We are proud of our students for their exemplary efforts!