Pilgrim Lutheran School News
January 29, 2016
Trivia Night is Saturday!
January is coming to a close and report cards go live for all students today after 3 p.m. NWEA MAP testing is also officially done for Winter; just a few students who need to do make-ups have finished up. Please look at your child’s grade report in SIS and contact your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any questions. Our next Parent-Teacher Conferences happen in March, which is more than half-way through 3rd quarter, so if there is a problem, please do not hesitate to contact the homeroom teacher.
Attention 5th and 6th grade parents: The basketball tournament at St. Andrew's has been cancelled. See the announcement below.
Reminder: Next week, Wednesday, February 3rd is a half day of school. It is a Teacher In-Service day and dismissal will be at 11:45 a.m. No EC class that afternoon.
Wildcat Basketball
St Andrews Park Ridge JUNIOR VARSITY Tournament has been canceled for both Friday and Saturday. We have experienced a flood on our main floor and lower level. Because we are unsure of when the situation will be resolved, we have no other alternative than to cancel. The tournament will not be rescheduled. We apologize for any convenience. Schools will be receiving the entry fee returned within the week. Once again we apologize and please enjoy your weekend.
Susan Kloess
Teacher/ Athletic Director
St. Andrews Lutheran School
Park Ridge, IL
The Pilgrim 7th/8th Basketball Season has officially begun. The boys team plays Grace Christian at St. Paul’s/Austin today at 4:15. Come out and cheer the boys on! Congratulations to the 5th/6th Basketball Teams on a job well-done this year. Thanks also to coaches Gillespie, Jones, Negron and Weiss. For 7th/8th Basketball, Carol Schlensker is coach for the girls; Malik Kvamme for the boys. Basketball clinics for 3rd & 4th Graders continue this Saturday at St. James Gymnasium. These clinics are designed to teach students basic skills in basketball. If you have any question, please contact Mike Suhajda, our Athletic Director.
Gallery Opening
Auction News
Planning for the Pilgrim Auction 2016 is well on its way! If you would like to make a donation, there is a box available in the school office for drop-off, or contact parent Samantha Doerfler. Sam is also happy to answer questions if you are not sure what or how you might contribute to the Pilgrim Auction. Save the date of April 30 for the best party of the year!
Pilgrim hard at work...
The Pilgrim Board of Education meets this Tuesday, February 2, at 7 p.m. in the 7th/8th Grade classroom. Agenda items include a vote on the school calendar for the 2016-2017 school year, changes to the Pilgrim Personnel Policy Manual, and a review of the Handbook statement concerning the relationship between the Pilgrim congregation and the school. The main discussion topic is a continuation of the DSA from January: Special Education at Pilgrim. All parents are welcome to attend.
Playground Planning Committee met this week on Wednesday. The project for Summer 2016 is the Early Childhood Play Deck. Thanks to our committee of Tricia Koning, John Llewellyn, Mindy Wieland, and Chad Smith. Thanks also to Mr. Knuth and Mrs. B., who came to give their input about the needs of our Early Childhood students. Plans include the removal of the chain link fence, replacement of the door and stairs leading out of the Pre-K room, new roof on the annex, new decking material or rubber tiles on the roof, padding for the brick/concrete walls of the church and a re-positioning of the sandbox. Look for an architectural drawing of the proposed renovations soon!
Pilgrim’s Annual Congregational Meeting is this Sunday, January 31, in Maring Hall. This is for members of the Pilgrim Congregation, but if you would like to find out what is happening in the congregation, a Book of Reports is available in the school office for review. If you would like more information, please contact Pastor Kristian.
Registration for 2016-17
Pre-registration letters for 2016-2017 have gone out to all current Pilgrim School families. If you have not received one. Please contact Halley Williams in the School Office. If you know that your family will not be returning to Pilgrim for 2016-2017, please let me know. Transitions are natural in school communities which we all understand. An accurate count of returning students helps Pilgrim leaders plan for budget and staffing for the coming school year. Thanks for your help by letting us know your plans.
Pilgrim is highlighted in Chicago Parent Magazine!
Gift Cards
Congratulations to everyone who purchased gift cards during 2015! $131,159 worth of cards were sold, generating a profit of $6557.95. 24% of total sales were in the "6 weeks of Christmas", from November 16th until December 28th. Just think how much we would earn if we had a killer week like that once each quarter! We have added $50 Saks 5th Avenue (12% profit) to our list. Thank you again for your support of the program!
Don't forget to renew your magazine subscriptions throughout the year to support Pilgrim. Our account number is 2633014 through www.gaschoolstore.com. Reordering this way starts or continues your subscription faster than through the publishers and Pilgrim earns 40% of your order. Contact Anne Barsano at cbarsano@aol.com or 773-472-6037 with questions.
Come to El Salvador 2016
If you have ever wanted to go on a mission trip, now is the time! Come with us to El Salvador, Central America July 31st- August 10th, 2016. We will be witnessing the dedication of a new Resurrection Lutheran Church in San Salvador, El Salvador. We will be able to meet Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Bishop Medardo Gomez and the leaders in the Lutheran Church of El Salvador. We will accompany the church in their work to resettle and feed refugees, help children attend school, help bring solar electricity to rural homes, minister with the homeless, and encourage our sister churches who raise Christian voices for human rights on a daily basis. This trip is open to all people. ALL AGES WELCOME, no Spanish knowledge required. Please talk to Pastor Kristian or Pastor Anna-Kari for more information!
First Communion Class-Begins in February
Join us for Chapel/Ash Wednesday
One of our recent visitors to Pilgrim joined us in chapel. After the service, she turned to me and said..."Wow! Chapel at Pilgrim ROCKS!"
It really does... if your schedule allows, we encourage you to join us some Wednesday at 10:10 a.m.
Note: We will be having an Ash Wednesday themed chapel on Wednesday, February 10th. Our student choirs will be singing on that day.
Lent
Lent at Pilgrim 2016 “40 Days of Creativity”
Because we are all made God’s image… we are all creative! (Genesis 1:26) Our Lenten Theme is “40 Days of Creativity”. Each Wednesday starting on February 10th, we gather at 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. for a community dinner for all ages, followed by a creative activity that will draw us closer to God, to one another, and our community! We will also have some creative projects that will be running throughout Lent.
We are looking for creative ideas and people to weave together as we put this journey together... please talk to Pastor Kristian about your ideas, or email him at pastorkristian@pilgrimchicago.org
You are always welcome in classrooms, and I welcome your feedback and questions. Feel free to contact me (ccomella@pilgrimchicago.org) whenever something arises. If you would like to become involved in events and activities hosted by the Parent Teacher League (PTL), please contact either Anna Lambros or Carrie Goerne. Parents are also welcome to attend weekly chapel services. The students are always happy to see you there!
Chris Comella, Pilgrim School Principal
Pilgrim Lutheran School
Email: office@pilgrimchicago.org
Website: pilgrimchicago.org
Location: 4300 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Phone: 773-477-4824
Facebook: facebook.com/pilgrimlutheranchurchandschool