Philippians 4:5 – “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
April’s Fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS. Many people equate gentleness to weakness. True gentleness is just the opposite. It requires great strength and self-control. It comes from a state of humility. If a person lacks gentleness, they are often prideful and easily angered, or feels the need for revenge. In order to be gentle, they can’t view themselves as better than others.
I shared a story of gentleness from a story in John 8. The Pharisees had brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in adultery. The Pharisees said that the Law of Moses commanded them to stone such a woman. Jesus responded by saying, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Since no one was without sin, they all left. Then Jesus looked at the woman and said, “There is no one left to condemn you. Go now and sin no more.”
Jesus is gentle with us just as He was with the woman. Even in our sin, He continues to love us. He does not keep record of our wrongs, but offers forgiveness if we come to Him. That is the meaning of Easter that needs to be shared. God wants us to be gentle to others. Through prayer, we can ask God to give us a spirit of gentleness and reveal ways we can show it to others so that we may reflect His character.
THE STATE OF OUR SCHOOL
We are down to 6 weeks left of a miraculous, wonderful, and successful year! We are already filling up the classrooms for next year with the new guideline of 3 feet distance. Mrs. Linda Volz, our admissions counselor, continues to give record amounts of tours. There are classrooms that will go to waiting lists very soon.
Mrs. Diane Katz is retiring at the end of this school. Mr. Eric Rogers has been Called to fill that position, and he is accepting a full-time principalship.
The combined afternoon 4/5th grade classroom has grown beyond capacity, so this next year, we will be separating those two classes apart. Mrs. Lora Price will be teaching the 4th graders, and Miss Molly Jordan will be moving up to teach the 5th graders.
Mrs. Sue Wyeth will also be retiring at the end of this school year. We have hired a former student of ours, Miss Cami Heinisch, to replace Mrs. Wyeth. Miss Heinisch has been teaching at Cross Lutheran in Yorkville this whole semester.
Mrs. Angie McKissick has accepted a 1-year contract to teach kindergarten back at her home congregation, Bethany Lutheran in Naperville. Then she will retire to help take care of her mother-n-law. We have offered a contract to a wonderful teacher and are waiting for the acceptance.
The search for a 1st grader teacher and a 7/8th grade homeroom teacher have begun. Interviews will be conducted soon. We know the Lord has just the right persons to fill those spots. Any inquiries for these positions can be sent to Diane Katz at dkatz@stpaulaurora.org.
We will truly miss Mrs. Wyeth and Mrs. McKissick. They have been excellent teachers and remained faithful to their Calling and the ministry of our church and school. We thank them for their dedication and service.
We will be finishing up soccer and running club the beginning of May. We thank Rich Meszaros, Steve Drolema, and Krystal Hardy for their time in coaching our kids. I can see that all the athletes are having fun.
A fun Summer Camp is being planned and spots are filling up. Summer Camp will go from June 7th through July 30th. We have a great staff assembled to take care of your children. For more information, you can go to our website (www.stpaulauroraschool.org) or call the office at 630-896-3350.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and your partnership. We could not have had a successful year without it!
Blessings to all of you!
Mrs. Diane Katz, principal
LOVE and LOGIC
Everyone is stressed these days, especially parents. Parenting during these difficult times can be so overwhelming that simple, daily activities feel like insurmountable challenges. When everyone is stressed and kids start whining, parents can feel their energy draining away.
Do you know any kids who create great discomfort for everyone around them just by using a certain tone of voice? Some kids have mastered a whiny tone that can act like a cheese grater on raw nerves. Whining can send us over the edge and cause what we call “skill slippage.”;
What can we do when our kids whine? First, it helps to remember that whining is just a way kids try to get what they want. And in the real world, it doesn’t seem to be a very good way. So, we don’t want to teach kids that whining “works” and we certainly don’t want to model being whiny ourselves.
Some Love and Logic parents have had great success with Love and Logic’s Energy Drain Technique. The next time you find yourself stumped by whining, or any other behavior that drains your energy, use the Energy Drain Technique! Here are the steps:
Step #1:
Say with empathy, “When you ____________, it really drains my energy. We’ll talk about this later.”
Step #2:
Give yourself some time to calm down and think.
Step #3:
Ask your child how they plan to replace the energy they drained.
Kids can replace energy by doing extra chores, staying home while you rest, hiring themselves a babysitter, cooking dinner, etc.
Step #4:
Give them a deadline for “energy replacement,” and enforce it if they forget or refuse.
Some parents find it necessary to take away a toy or do an “automatic allowance withdrawal” if their energy isn’t replaced by the deadline.
Maxine used the Energy Drain technique with her six-year-old daughter (a champion whiner) for a few weeks and the whining all but disappeared. Whenever little Misty started whining, Maxine would inhale slowly and say, “Oh, it just drains my energy to hear that.” Sometimes, she would disengage from her daughter, if possible. Then she would give her daughter a couple options for putting the energy back: “Some kids decide to do the dusting while Mom takes a rest. Other kids decide to put their mom’s energy back by straightening the bookshelf. You can decide.”
Maxine secretly hoped Misty would NOT put her energy back by doing a chore so that when Misty needed some of Mom’s energy to take her to a friend’s house, Mom could say, “Oh, I’m sad to say I used up all of my driving energy listening to all that whining. Maybe next time I’ll have the energy to take you.”
Be careful, some parents start looking forward to their kids’ whining so they can get some chores done or so their kids can miss out on some things and really learn that whining doesn’t pay.
GRANDPARENTS/VIP DAY – Friday, April 30
We, as a school, are putting together a chapel to honor our grandparents or other special person. This will be done virtually. We will send a link to all of our families. Please forward it to your child’s grandparents or special person. Unfortunately, we still cannot have people in our school during school hours. Lord willing, we will be able to have all our VIP’s back with us next Spring for a fun-filled morning.
Keep on reading for the KANE COUNTY COUGAR tickets!!!!
Schaeffer Bouquet of Flowers Sale is going on. You can buy a card for $30, (the school receives $10 of it), and you are able to pick up a bouquet of flowers each month for a year from Schaeffer’s on Lake Street. The sale will continue until April 23rd.
SUMMER CAMP AT ST. PAUL
Date: June 7 to July 30
Hours: 8:15 – 3:30 (Extended Care is offered from 7:00 to 8:15 A.M. and 3:30 to 6:00 P.M.)
Who: Preschool through 12 years old
Weekly Full Day: $160
One Single Day: $40 flat rate
Contact: Louise DeWig (630) 546-8272 or ldewig@stpaulaurora.org
Space is limited due to COVID, so get your form in ASAP.
SPRING SPORTS
All Spring sports will continue through the month of April. Co-ed Gr. 6-8 Soccer from 3:30-5:00 P.M. coached by Mr. Meszaros. Co-ed Running Club Gr. 6-8 from 5:00-6:30 P.M. coached by Mr. Drolema. Co-ed Running Club for Gr. 4-5 from 3:30-5:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays coached by Miss Krystal.
PTL News
Yearbook Photos Needed: Obviously, this school year looks different than a typical school year, but we still want to remember it with a yearbook.
Due to the cancellation of many school events and extracurricular activities, there’s a lot of pages to fill. Below are some ideas for content for submission.
** We also have a special request for Diane’s retirement – please send along any photos you have of Diane (either with or without your past or present student) for a special tribute section. **
If you have photos to submit, please send them to Addie Hatfield (addiehatfield@yahoo.com). Be sure to note the event along with the classroom and/or students involved.
NOTICE:
We will begin having two classes attending chapel services on Wednesdays. The students will be distanced, and the classes will be separated by an aisle. We will continue to practice all protocols given by ISBE to keep our school safe.
Financial Aid Application
Financial Aid Forms can be requested from Lori Erickson – lerickson@stpaulaurora.org. All financial aid forms need to be in by Thursday, May 27, 2021
UPCOMING EVENTS
Schaefer Flower Card Sale 4/12-23 for $30
Step-Up Day 9 A.M. 4/20
Grade 4/5 Musical Don’t Rock the Ark! –6:30 P.M. 4/29
Grandparents/VIP Day Virtual Chapel Service on 4/30
Teacher Appreciation Week – 5/3-7/21
Awards Day – Gr. 6-8 in Sanctuary, 5/27, 9 A.M.
Closing Service – 10 A.M., 5/27
Graduation – Thursday, 5/27, 7 P.M.
Chapel offerings for April go to Seth Egger Scholarship Fund.
Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness
April’s Fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS. Many people equate gentleness to weakness. True gentleness is just the opposite. It requires great strength and self-control. It comes from a state of humility. If a person lacks gentleness, they are often prideful and easily angered, or feels the need for revenge. In order to be gentle, they can’t view themselves as better than others.
I shared a story of gentleness from a story in John 8. The Pharisees had brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in adultery. The Pharisees said that the Law of Moses commanded them to stone such a woman. Jesus responded by saying, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Since no one was without sin, they all left. Then Jesus looked at the woman and said, “There is no one left to condemn you. Go now and sin no more.”
Jesus is gentle with us just as He was with the woman. Even in our sin, He continues to love us. He does not keep record of our wrongs, but offers forgiveness if we come to Him. That is the meaning of Easter that needs to be shared. God wants us to be gentle to others. Through prayer, we can ask God to give us a spirit of gentleness and reveal ways we can show it to others so that we may reflect His character.
THE STATE OF OUR SCHOOL
We are down to 6 weeks left of a miraculous, wonderful, and successful year! We are already filling up the classrooms for next year with the new guideline of 3 feet distance. Mrs. Linda Volz, our admissions counselor, continues to give record amounts of tours. There are classrooms that will go to waiting lists very soon.
Mrs. Diane Katz is retiring at the end of this school. Mr. Eric Rogers has been Called to fill that position, and he is accepting a full-time principalship.
The combined afternoon 4/5th grade classroom has grown beyond capacity, so this next year, we will be separating those two classes apart. Mrs. Lora Price will be teaching the 4th graders, and Miss Molly Jordan will be moving up to teach the 5th graders.
Mrs. Sue Wyeth will also be retiring at the end of this school year. We have hired a former student of ours, Miss Cami Heinisch, to replace Mrs. Wyeth. Miss Heinisch has been teaching at Cross Lutheran in Yorkville this whole semester.
Mrs. Angie McKissick has accepted a 1-year contract to teach kindergarten back at her home congregation, Bethany Lutheran in Naperville. Then she will retire to help take care of her mother-n-law. We have offered a contract to a wonderful teacher and are waiting for the acceptance.
The search for a 1st grader teacher and a 7/8th grade homeroom teacher have begun. Interviews will be conducted soon. We know the Lord has just the right persons to fill those spots. Any inquiries for these positions can be sent to Diane Katz at dkatz@stpaulaurora.org.
We will truly miss Mrs. Wyeth and Mrs. McKissick. They have been excellent teachers and remained faithful to their Calling and the ministry of our church and school. We thank them for their dedication and service.
We will be finishing up soccer and running club the beginning of May. We thank Rich Meszaros, Steve Drolema, and Krystal Hardy for their time in coaching our kids. I can see that all the athletes are having fun.
A fun Summer Camp is being planned and spots are filling up. Summer Camp will go from June 7th through July 30th. We have a great staff assembled to take care of your children. For more information, you can go to our website (www.stpaulauroraschool.org) or call the office at 630-896-3350.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and your partnership. We could not have had a successful year without it!
Blessings to all of you!
Mrs. Diane Katz, principal
LOVE and LOGIC
Everyone is stressed these days, especially parents. Parenting during these difficult times can be so overwhelming that simple, daily activities feel like insurmountable challenges. When everyone is stressed and kids start whining, parents can feel their energy draining away.
Do you know any kids who create great discomfort for everyone around them just by using a certain tone of voice? Some kids have mastered a whiny tone that can act like a cheese grater on raw nerves. Whining can send us over the edge and cause what we call “skill slippage.”;
What can we do when our kids whine? First, it helps to remember that whining is just a way kids try to get what they want. And in the real world, it doesn’t seem to be a very good way. So, we don’t want to teach kids that whining “works” and we certainly don’t want to model being whiny ourselves.
Some Love and Logic parents have had great success with Love and Logic’s Energy Drain Technique. The next time you find yourself stumped by whining, or any other behavior that drains your energy, use the Energy Drain Technique! Here are the steps:
Step #1:
Say with empathy, “When you ____________, it really drains my energy. We’ll talk about this later.”
Step #2:
Give yourself some time to calm down and think.
Step #3:
Ask your child how they plan to replace the energy they drained.
Kids can replace energy by doing extra chores, staying home while you rest, hiring themselves a babysitter, cooking dinner, etc.
Step #4:
Give them a deadline for “energy replacement,” and enforce it if they forget or refuse.
Some parents find it necessary to take away a toy or do an “automatic allowance withdrawal” if their energy isn’t replaced by the deadline.
Maxine used the Energy Drain technique with her six-year-old daughter (a champion whiner) for a few weeks and the whining all but disappeared. Whenever little Misty started whining, Maxine would inhale slowly and say, “Oh, it just drains my energy to hear that.” Sometimes, she would disengage from her daughter, if possible. Then she would give her daughter a couple options for putting the energy back: “Some kids decide to do the dusting while Mom takes a rest. Other kids decide to put their mom’s energy back by straightening the bookshelf. You can decide.”
Maxine secretly hoped Misty would NOT put her energy back by doing a chore so that when Misty needed some of Mom’s energy to take her to a friend’s house, Mom could say, “Oh, I’m sad to say I used up all of my driving energy listening to all that whining. Maybe next time I’ll have the energy to take you.”
Be careful, some parents start looking forward to their kids’ whining so they can get some chores done or so their kids can miss out on some things and really learn that whining doesn’t pay.
GRANDPARENTS/VIP DAY – Friday, April 30
We, as a school, are putting together a chapel to honor our grandparents or other special person. This will be done virtually. We will send a link to all of our families. Please forward it to your child’s grandparents or special person. Unfortunately, we still cannot have people in our school during school hours. Lord willing, we will be able to have all our VIP’s back with us next Spring for a fun-filled morning.
Keep on reading for the KANE COUNTY COUGAR tickets!!!!
Schaeffer Bouquet of Flowers Sale is going on. You can buy a card for $30, (the school receives $10 of it), and you are able to pick up a bouquet of flowers each month for a year from Schaeffer’s on Lake Street. The sale will continue until April 23rd.
SUMMER CAMP AT ST. PAUL
Date: June 7 to July 30
Hours: 8:15 – 3:30 (Extended Care is offered from 7:00 to 8:15 A.M. and 3:30 to 6:00 P.M.)
Who: Preschool through 12 years old
Weekly Full Day: $160
One Single Day: $40 flat rate
Contact: Louise DeWig (630) 546-8272 or ldewig@stpaulaurora.org
Space is limited due to COVID, so get your form in ASAP.
SPRING SPORTS
All Spring sports will continue through the month of April. Co-ed Gr. 6-8 Soccer from 3:30-5:00 P.M. coached by Mr. Meszaros. Co-ed Running Club Gr. 6-8 from 5:00-6:30 P.M. coached by Mr. Drolema. Co-ed Running Club for Gr. 4-5 from 3:30-5:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays coached by Miss Krystal.
PTL News
Yearbook Photos Needed: Obviously, this school year looks different than a typical school year, but we still want to remember it with a yearbook.
Due to the cancellation of many school events and extracurricular activities, there’s a lot of pages to fill. Below are some ideas for content for submission.
- Athletics (as an individual or with a team)
- Music (playing an instrument or singing)
- Preparing for special events at school
- Learning at home (participating through Google Classroom or with special activities)
- Baking your Luigi’s pizzas at home
- Pumpkin carving contest photos
- Snow day photos
- Dressing up for the Christmas program recording
** We also have a special request for Diane’s retirement – please send along any photos you have of Diane (either with or without your past or present student) for a special tribute section. **
If you have photos to submit, please send them to Addie Hatfield (addiehatfield@yahoo.com). Be sure to note the event along with the classroom and/or students involved.
NOTICE:
We will begin having two classes attending chapel services on Wednesdays. The students will be distanced, and the classes will be separated by an aisle. We will continue to practice all protocols given by ISBE to keep our school safe.
Financial Aid Application
Financial Aid Forms can be requested from Lori Erickson – lerickson@stpaulaurora.org. All financial aid forms need to be in by Thursday, May 27, 2021
UPCOMING EVENTS
Schaefer Flower Card Sale 4/12-23 for $30
Step-Up Day 9 A.M. 4/20
Grade 4/5 Musical Don’t Rock the Ark! –6:30 P.M. 4/29
Grandparents/VIP Day Virtual Chapel Service on 4/30
Teacher Appreciation Week – 5/3-7/21
Awards Day – Gr. 6-8 in Sanctuary, 5/27, 9 A.M.
Closing Service – 10 A.M., 5/27
Graduation – Thursday, 5/27, 7 P.M.
Chapel offerings for April go to Seth Egger Scholarship Fund.
Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness