What we're reading (February edition)...

We had such a wonderful time celebrating National Lutheran Schools Week at ILS, and now we’re ready to kick off a new month with our latest edition of "What we're reading..." here on the blog! As we do each month, for your enjoyment this month, we’ve compiled articles that we’ve found to be interesting or thought-provoking recently on a variety of topics.

This month, we include contributions both from Immanuel’s Pastor, Christopher Esget, as well as ILS Music Teacher, Mrs. Marie Greenway. Additionally, please enjoy a selection of articles on beauty and the imagination, recommendations for books worth giving a slow read, prayer, and more.

What have you read lately that you think we, or other ILS families, may find interesting? Please keep sharing links and articles for us to enjoy!

Lutheran Schools Week Greetings from Past ILS Faculty & Staff

As we celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week with schools and educators all across the country, we invited former ILS faculty and staff members to share some favorite memories of ILS, Lutheran Schools Week, and more about the importance of Lutheran Schools. We hope you enjoy their responses!

Kicking Off National Lutheran Schools Week

Faculty and staff are excited to celebrate with students and parents during National Lutheran Schools Week starting on Sunday with ILS 4th and 5th grade students singing for Divine Service at 10am. All are welcome! Faculty and staff will be hosting a coffee hour for the congregation following the service as well.

Some of the week's activities are favorite traditions, other activities will be new, yet just as meaningful. A school-wide schedule, including special dress days, has been shared with families. Please refer to both the printed and emailed schedule throughout the week.

To serve our neighbors both locally and around the world, all students will participate in a house competition penny war to support four different missions:

Ruth and Lyman Stone serving the Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod
Seminarian Aaron Schultz and his family
Assist Pregnancy Center
ILS Tuition Assistance

Follow the week's activities on Facebook and our Instagram page.

We also asked our faculty and staff to share a bit on their own Lutheran schools experiences, as well as what they’re excited for during Lutheran Schools Week. We hope you enjoy their response!

Walk-in-Wednesday: 8th Grade Math with Miss Danielle Davis

This fall, we launched a new series on the ILS Blog offering visitors a sneak peek of our classrooms from each of our teachers. Just as we do with our in-person tours each week, this feature is designed to provide families more of a feel for a classical Christian education at Immanuel and what that looks like in action in our classrooms.

This week, Miss Danielle Davis, our Upper School Math Teacher, continues our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series in the new year with a peek into her 8th grade math class and some of the joyful learning and delightful problem solving underway should you stop by for a visit.

We hope that you are encouraged by these snap-shots to visit us in person to see us in action, and we warmly invite you to visit us for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour or our final Admissions Open House of the year (Thursday, January 10th). Stepping through our red doors, you will be welcomed by the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great discussions and debates in our older grades. Singing and music ring out from the music room, and the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in learning can be witnessed throughout our campus.

What we're reading (January edition)...

Happy New Year! We hope that all of our ILS families and friends enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing Christmas break, and while we all enjoyed the time celebrating the season with family and friends, we are also so excited to be back at school and see all the smiling faces back in the classrooms!

We are ringing in the new year with a brand new edition of "What we're reading..." for January! As we do each month, we’ve gathered a collection of articles that we’ve found to be interesting or thought-provoking recently, and we hope you enjoy reading these as well.

What have you read lately that you think we, or other ILS families, may find interesting? Please keep sharing links and articles for us to enjoy!

Walk-in-Wednesday: 3rd Grade with Mrs. Anastasia Krumwiede

It’s time for our last “Walk-in-Wednesday” feature of the calendar year before we take off the next two weeks for our Christmas break!

Each Wednesday when we are in school, we have been sharing a sneak peek from one of our teachers, highlighting what a visitor might observe when walking into our classrooms. This week our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series is from our 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Anastasia Krumwiede. She shares a bit of insight into the special community formed by our 2nd and 3rd grade students as they share some time together each day.

Join us each week when we are in school for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to see our students and teachers in action and experience a classical, Christian education at Immanuel. Stepping through our red doors, you will be welcomed by the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great discussions of literature or theology in our older grades. Throughout our building, the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in active learning can be witnessed in person, but if you haven’t yet had a chance to visit us, or you would simply like to get more of a feel for the learning in our different grades, we are now offering a weekly glimpse into our classes here on the ILS Blog.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our blog series (or for an in-person visit!) again in January!

Sermon: The Marriage of Yonas Mekonen and Stephanie Lange

On November 18th, our ILS Lower School teacher, Yonas Mekonen, and our Immanuel Lutheran Church Kantor, Stephanie Lange, were united in marriage at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Pastor Christopher Esget performed the ceremony. Please join us in extending best wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Mekonen!

Pastor Christopher Esget
November 18, 2018

Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia

I imagine that from the time she was a young girl, people were saying that Stephanie sings like an angel. She looks like an angel, too – the kind you might find at the top of the Christmas tree, or in the sky singing to shepherds at Bethlehem. 

But those of us who know Stephanie know that she’s no angel. If she was, she couldn’t be part of the seraphim—they’re the angels of fire. Fires have a way of getting out of control around Stephanie. (It’s a good thing Yonas is a good cook.)

Besides, does an angel make her sisters sing backup while she cranks out love songs from Titanic?

But the truth is, Stephanie’s spectacular. Once she’s in your life (or your balcony!), you don’t ever want her gone. Yet here’s why Stephanie is no angel: because angels in the Bible are completely different from today’s sentimental images. Angels are not sweet but scary. Angels are not feminine but masculine. Their voices don’t soar to the top of the church but rumble low, shaking pillars. God’s angels are big and strong. Angels look more like Yonas than Stephanie.

You know I’ve joked about putting stickers on the church with your picture on them, Yonas – you know, the body-building picture where you’re flexing your muscles. They’d be perfect at the door, like a security sticker that says “Protected by Yonas.”

Sermon: The Marriage of Jason Stegman and Rebekah Reistad

On November 17th, our ILS 2nd grade teacher, Rebekah Reistad, was married to Mr. Jason Stegman at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Pastor Christopher Esget performed the ceremony. Please join us in extending best wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Stegmen!

Pastor Christopher Esget
November 17, 2018

John 2:1-11

Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia

Jason and Rebekah, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus says to His mother, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?” Jason, don’t try this at home.

It’s not so offensive as it sounds. The language calls to mind the first woman, the mother of all humanity. “Woman” evokes creation.

God’s created order is predicated on self-giving. The world itself is gift to mankind. Man and woman are then made to be dependent on one another. The woman’s life derived from the man’s body. God made her from man’s side, so she is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. And she in turn would give her body to him. These two, becoming one flesh, giving themselves to each other, find then a third—a child—who receives life from their union.

Walk-in-Wednesday: 5th Grade with Miss Kristin Malcolm

Every Wednesday, please visit our ILS Blog for a brief sneak peek from one of our outstanding teachers, highlighting what a visitor might observe when walking into our classrooms on any given morning. This week our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series features a visit to 5th grade, and a delightful look of what might be happening in literature class with Miss Kristin Malcolm, should you pop in for a visit.

Interested in seeing more? Join us each week when we are in school for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to observe our students and teachers in action and experience a classical, Christian education at Immanuel. Stepping through our red doors, we will welcome you with the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great science experiments or discussions of literature or theology in our older grades. Throughout our building, the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in active learning can be witnessed in person, but if you haven’t yet had a chance to visit us, or you would simply like to get more of a feel for the learning in our different grades, we are now offering a weekly glimpse into our classes here on the ILS Blog.

Please visit the blog each week as we share additional “Walk-in-Wednesday” features, or enjoy looking back to see peeks into other grades and classes!

A Stone's Throw: November Update from Mr. and Mrs. Stone

Responding to a call from the Lutheran Church - Hong Kong Synod, former ILS Manager of Operations, Mrs. Ruth Stone, along with her husband, Lyman, are now serving as missionaries in Hong Kong. Mrs. Stone serves as a missionary and English teaching assistant in a local Lutheran school, and she and Mr. Stone together volunteer their time to support school extracurriculars, church functions and Sunday school classes, Bible study, and evangelism with the Mission of Christ Network.

Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing regular updates from the Stones as they embark on their work in Hong Kong.

Please join us in praying for Mr. & Mrs. Stone as they live and serve in the Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod, and especially the children, faculty, and parents in its’ associated school system.

It is also Mrs. Stone’s birthday this week, so please join with us in wishing a very happy birthday to her!