November 22, 2019
St. Peter Lutheran School Hemlock, MI
Pictured are our artists and their creative stars that will be used to decorate the trees on the altar for these upcoming Advent and Christmas seaso ns. T hank you to Ms. Parsell, our legendary artist, for organizing this.
Calendar of Events
Nov. 22: 5:00pm Home Bball Game vs St. Lorenz
Nov. 27: Parents' Day 1/2 Day/No Busses/Child Care Available
Nov. 27: WIW Spirit Day
Nov. 27: Chapel: 5th & 6th Grades
Nov. 27: 6:30pm Thanksgiving Eve Communion Service
Nov. 28: 10:00am Thanksgiving Day Communion Service
Nov. 28-29: No School/No Child Care Available
Dec. 3: 4:30pm Away Bball @ Bethlehem
Dec. 4: 8:05am Chapel: Mr. Hagenow
Dec. 4: 6:30pm Advent Service
Dec. 5: 9:30am-2:15pm 5th-8th Grades Christmas Shopping/Ice Skating Field Trip
Dec. 6: 4:30pm Away Bball @ Holy Cross
Dec. 7: 9:00am-2:30pm PTL Bazaar
Nurturing the Faith
In Our Prayers: This week we will be praying for these St. Peter alumni who graduated from our school: Grace Hearth, class of 2013; Greyson Curry, class of 2010; Hannah Bauer, class of 2012 and Hans Ross, class of 2018.

Devotion of the Week: Keys of the Kingdom Bible verse from 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." It is very interesting how our liturgy, hymns, and Bible readings are all connected and point us to our Savior. This past Sunday we sang the hymn from LSB 664 Fight the Good Fight which has as one of its Bible references being 1 Peter 5:7. Verse four of this hymn directs us to fear not, because Christ is our strength and through Him we will live eternally. Through God's grace we are able to cast our anxieties on Him, because we know He cares for us and loves us. On a daily basis, there are many things that cause us to fear, worry, and to be anxious. Through worship, Bible study, and daily being in God's Word, we are reminded that we have nothing to fear because of what Jesus has done for us.
Faint not nor fear, His arms are near;
He changes not who holds you dear;
Only believe, and you will see That Christ is all eternally.

Quote of the Week
"I can’t tell you how much I/we appreciate this newsletter, and that it shows up electronically. Great, positive information, and this way I can read it on my phone during whatever moments of downtime come, as they occur, and put important dates right into my calendar."
-Comment from Mr. Gary Hahn
In the Classroom
Super Snack: The second graders were able to work on their measuring skills by making a snack mix. They were able to use measuring tools from 1 teaspoon all the way to 1 cup. When the students were done mixing all their ingredients together, they were able to eat their treat. Many 2nd graders told Mrs. Sherry this was the best snack mix they had ever tasted in their whole life. They were very eager to write down the recipe to try at home with their families. 
Balloons over Broadway: The first graders read a book, Balloons over Broadway, which was about the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. As you can see from their mural outside their room, the first graders are holding balloons that they would like to fly in the parade.
Parents' Day: This Wednesday, November 27, we will be celebrating Parents' Day in which all parents (or if parents are unavailable, a special adult) are invited to come to school for the day. (Note: There is no bussing on Nov. 27.) Our schedule is as follows:
  • 8:00am - We will begin with our opening chapel service in the church. Parents and students should go to church first. Students that do not have a parent or special person coming, should be dropped off at school by 7:50 so that their teacher may walk them over to chapel.
  • 9:00am - Parents will visit classrooms.
  • 10:15-11:15 - Breakfast will be served. We will be sending preschool students and parents first, followed by Young 5's and Kindergarten, then 1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, and 5th-8th. Parents and students are dismissed for the day after breakfast.
  • Breakfast will be $2.50/person and will be charged to your family's lunch account.
  • The menu will be a breakfast burrito/taquito, cubed fresh fruit (pineapple, strawberry & blueberries), blueberry muffins, and assorted milk.

Parents' Day Flyers: Below are some images of the Parents' Day flyers that the 5th and 6th graders ( Lydia Faubert, Maryn Hyatt , Addy Breternitz , and Laini Wardin ) created in technology class. These flyers are posted around the school.
What's Your Story
This week has been very challenging for me. Along with my regular job, I am getting my family ready for a very special trip and trying to complete my volunteer commitments (which I love to do!). Along with all that, there were several bumps in the road that I didn't account for. Wednesday was my daughter's birthday and in the rush of everything, I forgot to make/get a treat for her and her classmates. I was definitely not feeling my best. Another mother saw that I had a lot going on, stepped in, gave me a hug and asked what she could do. My immediate response was, "Thank you so much but it's ok." She didn't let that deter her. She decided to go to Meijer and get two dozen cupcakes for Vivian's class. It made my and Viv's day. Another mother answered my call for help and offered to run the register for me at the book fair, even though she also had a busy schedule. These two random acts of kindness filled my bucket back up. It definitely is a reminder that even the smallest things can make a big impact. I'm so grateful for our St. Peter family. Thank you! -story submitted by Mrs. Julie Ryan (Note: Julie is a PTL board member, organizes our annual bazaar and book fair, clips and counts our Box Tops, and even helps to work at our concession stand for home basketball games even though her kids are not even playing basketball. We appreciate all of her volunteer work.)

We are always looking for additional stories to share. Please click here to send us your story to be published in the Panther Press .
News & Notes
Child Care:  Christmas break is Dec. 23-Jan. 3. School will resume on Jan. 6. Child Care (including Toddler Care) will be available only two days during the break, Jan. 2-3. Please plan accordingly. Thank you.

Attachment: The December calendar/menu is going home with your student today.
Christmas Wreath: Thank you to Ms. Lois Parsell for making a Christmas wreath on behalf of St. Peter Lutheran School for the Hemlock Holiday Market this December. She did a wonderful job!

VisionTesting: Thursday, December 12, vision testing will be done in grades Preschool, Y5's, 1, 3, 5 and 7. The Saginaw County Health Department conducts the testing. Preschoolers can come for testing if he/she is not in school that day. (Hearing and vision tests are required for kindergarten entrance). If you have a student in one of these grades, he/she will be bringing a flyer home December 6.
Thank You: Mr. Harold Schroeder built a new PA rack for our receivers for our wireless microphones. We appreciate his expertise and time building this for us.
LEAP News Nugget: Meet our New LEAP School Admissions Coordinator (welcomed in November, 2019, by some of the LCMS member churches and schools of LEAP – The Lutheran Education Advancement Plan in Michigan’s Great Lake Bay Region) Planning for the “job creation” and the hiring of a part-time Admissions Coordinator to serve some of the schools of LEAP (initially, five such schools) has been in the works for quite a few months now. There are and will be more pieces of the story to be told, and very possibly more schools involved. However, for now, through this News Nugget, we are pleased to introduce to you the “brand new” LEAP Admissions Coordinator, Mrs. Carol Sweebe . Carol is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Midland, and she has two children who are graduates of that school. She has been a very active member and leader within her church and school. She is the Founder and Executive Director of “Ministries of Hope,” a not-for-profit organization which helps couples and individuals live as children of God. Mrs. Sweebe is pleased to report that “I am very excited to be working with Lutheran schools in the Great Lakes Bay Region, as I believe they provide a much-needed opportunity for parents who choose to give their children an education that is academically sound and Biblically based. Our children were blessed to experience that gift and are strong in their faith and in life as a result of it.”
Athletics
Basketball Recap: The Panthers hosted the Wildcats last Friday, and the girls put on a show in front of the home crowd. It was a close game all the way through and they were able to pull out a big win to stay undefeated. The girls won 1 7-16 with Isabella Curry leading the way with 11 points followed by Keirstyn Curnutt with 4 points and Kendelle Klemish with 2 points. The boys had to battle against the top team in the league, but they fought hard to stay in the game, especially in the second half. They lost 17-32 with Patrick Cowling and Zach Holifield leading the team with 8 and 7 points, respectively. Brady Klemish also chipped in 2 points. On Wednesday, the Panthers played Holy Cross at home and both B-teams had exciting games. The girls had another close one and pulled out the victory over the Blue Jays 25-20. Keirstyn was the high scorer with 13 points; other scorers were Isabella (6), Laci Harry (4), and Kendelle (2). The boys were so close throughout their game with the Blue Jays as it was tied at half-time, 8-8, and also tied 18-18 with about 30 seconds to go. Despite their best efforts, the boys came up a bucket short and lost 18-20. Patrick led the team with 10 points; Zach added 6 points and Brady had 2 points. The Panthers have another home game tonight with the girls tipping off at 5:00. Go Panthers!
PTL Information
SCRIP Christmas Gifts: You may purchase SCRIP certificates through the school if you are looking for a gift idea for your child's teacher. You can purchase a certificate which would allow the teacher to choose the gift card of their choice.

SCRIP: A reminder that the next SCRIP order is due Friday, December 6. This order will be received in time for Christmas.
Thank You: Thank you to Mrs. Julie Ryan for organizing our book fair this past week. We appreciate all of her work with this. Thank you also to Mrs. Liat Marlow for helping to sell books.
St. Peter Lutheran School
(989) 642-5659

2440 N. Raucholz Rd.
Hemlock, MI 48626
WORSHIP TIMES:
Saturday at 5:00pm
Sunday Morning at 8:00am & 10:30am

Sunday School & Bible Class at 9:15am Sunday Mornings