What We're Reading (March edition)...

As we prepare to enter the penitential season of Lent, our latest edition of "What we're reading..." includes some resources and family devotions for the season, as well as a variety of other articles we have compiled on a variety of topics.

This month, we include a selection of articles on beauty, hospitality, art, fair tales, and more! Also included, the latest article from our own ILS Music Teacher, Mrs. Marie Greenway, writing on keeping reverence in church.

Have you read (or written!) anything recently that you think we and other ILS families may enjoy? We always welcome you to share any articles or blogs with use to consider including in future blog features.

On Learning, Growth & Grades

ILS students have reached the midway point of the 3rd Quarter of their academic year, which means that mid-quarter reports will be shared with parents this week. While grades are simply one type of teacher feedback for student to understand their progress and growth in any given subject, students may sometimes wrestle with how best to apply this feedback in their on-going learning process.

Mr. Shawn Barnett, ILS Upper School Latin and History teacher, shares a brief insight into this struggle in which students engage as they attempt to put the right value on grades in the learning process. He encourages parents to use graded work (or mid-quarter grades) as an opportunity to further encourage and engage students in an ongoing dialogue to deepen their understanding their own learning, mastery and growth. As students grow and mature, parents and teachers work together to help them appreciate a variety of feedback and apply it appropriately to their own growth and learning.

A Look Back at Lutheran Schools Week (and 2019 MathCounts Success!)

As January came to a close, Immanuel Lutheran School students, teachers and families celebrated National Lutheran Schools Week (January 27 -February 2) alongside more than 2000 LCMS schools across the US. With a full week of activities, beginning with the school's annual Chili Cook-off, and concluding with an outstanding performance by the ILS MathCounts team at the Northern Virginia Regional competition, it was a wonderful time for the entire school community.

Throughout the week, students competed in a Penny Wars contest to raise funds for four different missions: former ILS Manager of Operations, Mrs. Ruth Stone, now serving as a missionary in Hong Kong, former ILS Upper School teacher, Mr. Aaron Schultz, now a student at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Assist Pregnancy Center, and the ILS Tuition Assistance Fund. Students raised more than $1000 to support these projects. 

Two Articles from ILS Faculty Included in Classical Lutheran Education Journal

Last summer, six ILS faculty members were invited to present at the eighteenth annual Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE) Summer Conference. Ms. Katherine Kramer, Assistant Headmaster, and Miss Kristin Malcolm, 5th grade teacher, were then invited to submit their presentations as articles for the CCLE’s Classical Lutheran Education Journal.

Please enjoy these two excellent articles from Ms. Kramer and Miss Malcolm, and to read the entire journal issue, view exclusive videos, and listen to conference recordings, join the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education to receive Member access.

Literacy: "To him who has much, much will be given"

“Literacy is more than simply the ability to decode phonetic symbols. “

In this brief peek into 6th grade at Immanuel, Mr. Shawn Barnett, Upper School Latin and History Teacher, explores literacy in a broader context. Rather than simply the reading of words, deeper literacy involves the understanding of context, which in turn requires a broader basis of knowledge. In helping students to understand the connections between their learning - from language, to history and geography, we help our students to look beyond themselves, our own times and culture as they learn about the world around them. Studying multiple fields of knowledge in an integrated way allows students to develop a deeper literacy and greater wisdom.

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!