Friday, March 11, 2016

Parent Connection March 11th

SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK. There will be no school from Monday, March 14th through Friday, March 18th.  Classes resume March 21st.

Pennies for Patients
FLS students will be participating in this program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to raise awareness and funds to help in the fight against blood cancers.
Yesterday students brought home collection boxes. Students can bring their spare change or donations in at any time from now until April 1st.
You can find out more about the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Pennies for Patients program by visiting

Congratulations to 5th Grader Olivia Zanto , who qualified for the state competition of the National Geographic Bee.
Olivia will be representing our school at the Alaska State National Geographic Bee on March 31st. Well done!

Faith’s First Annual Ice Fishing Tournament – Join us on Saturday, March 12th at Sand Lake starting at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome and invited to participate in this family event. We will have gear available for all to use if you don’t have any of your own. Bring what you have. Not only will you have the chance to enjoy some fellowship with the people of Faith, but there will be prizes as well! Fish on!


On Saturday, March 19th, the Faith Lutheran family will be hosting Easter for Families. Families are invited to come and join us at Faith for an Easter egg hunt, egg decorating, and a multisensory exploration of the Easter story. Stop in any time between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We hope you can join us!
Easter for Families can use egg donations! Plastic eggs and hard boiled eggs will be needed for decorating and for the egg hunt.   If you would like to donate plastic eggs you may drop them off any time at the office.  For hard boiled eggs, please drop off Friday, March 18th 10:00-2:00.

You are invited to join the Faith Lutheran family in worship this Easter!

·        Palm Sunday Worship
March 20th – 10:30 a.m.

·        Good Friday Worship
March 25th – 7:00 p.m.

·        Easter Sunday Worship
Match 27th – 7:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Easter Breakfast – 8:00 a.m.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Parent Connection March 7th

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. – Matthew 7:3-5

Let me start off this week by expressing my gratitude and thanks to the parents and staff members who quickly came to my aid this past Thursday morning, as well as the fellow called workers who made accommodations and took on extra work to grant me a couple of sick days. Thank you for being a blessing to me.
I assume most if not all of the school family has heard about my epic face-plant into the carpet in the fellowship hall shortly before last Thursday’s chapel. One minute I was having a conversation but feeling a little queasy, the next I was waking up face down on the floor surrounded by concerned friends and feeling extremely embarrassed. 911 had been called, so a check-over by the paramedics (very nice guys, by the way), a trip to the ER in an ambulance (my first ever that I can recall, but no sirens) and what was probably my most expensive check-up ever (including X-ray AND CAT scan) and the verdict was in: nothing was wrong. Well, nothing but severe hydration caused by the flu – something I could have easily remedied had I been more careful. You see, I was feeling ill over Wednesday night, but I thought I was okay for Thursday. I wasn’t.  I thought I had been drinking enough. I hadn’t. As a result, I learned an embarrassing lesson.
Which brings me to the Bible passage above. You see, just Wednesday afternoon, I was reviewing the excretory system with my upper grade science students. One point that I clearly remember (I don’t know if they did, but I hope so) was how I emphasized the importance of proper hydration, especially when sick, and how dehydration can cause all sorts of problems for your body. In what was to be the greatest object lesson ever in my classroom, I failed to carefully heed my own advice.
You see, by Wednesday afternoon I was feeling a little tickle in my throat and probably already on my way to Thursday morning’s result as I lectured my students on what they should do. Talk about a plank in my eye. Oh, to be fair, I didn’t know I was getting dehydrated at the time, but I have had plenty of warnings in my life about making sure to drink enough water. I just wasn’t paying attention.
When Jesus said these words in Matthew 7:3-5 to his followers, he was warning them that, before we point out the sins of those around us, we need to look at ourselves and make sure that we are not allowing sin to continue in our own lives first. That doesn’t mean that we don’t in Christian love go to a brother or sister caught in a sin who needs to be warned of the danger that sin poses to their faith. God calls us to do this out of love for each other. But when I point out a brother’s sin while denying or excusing my own, I make myself out to be a hypocrite and hurt my witness to my brother.
That is why we daily approach God’s throne of grace in prayer, asking him to search our hearts as we confess our sins to him and are comforted by his forgiveness and promise of salvation through Christ. Then, as we have opportunity, we can go with the Gospel to those who need to hear not only God’s call to repentance, but also his promise of forgiveness to those who put their trust in him. Rather than a hypocritical message of “do as I say, not as I do”, our witness then becomes, “Let me help you, brother, to find freedom and forgiveness in the one that has freed and forgiven me.”
I doubt that I will forget this past week’s lesson. Feel free to encourage me to have a glass of water any time. I will probably be embarrassed, but definitely grateful.  But more importantly, may God remind us daily in his Word and in the encouragement of fellow believers to watch our lives and our witness to others closely, that we may clearly and lovingly share God’s grace in Christ Jesus.
God bless your week,
Principal Schneck J


SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK. There will be no school from Monday, March 14th through Friday, March 18th.  Classes resume March 21st.
On Friday, March 11th, classes will dismiss at 12:00 noon. There is no aftercare on Friday.

The end of this week is also the end of 3rd quarter.

Auditions for parts in our Spring Musical, “It’s Cool in the Furnace”, will be held this Tuesday, March 8th during lunch hour. Students may sign up for tryouts on the sign-up sheet in the school hallway or in Mr. Schneck’s room. Please see Mrs. Schneck for more information.

 Co-Ed Indoor Soccer practices this week on Tuesday, March 8th  and Thursday, March 10rd from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Taku Elementary. There will be Soccer Rally games on this Friday, March 11th at 5:45 & 6:45 p.m. at Anchor Lutheran.

The ACSAA soccer tournament is scheduled for April 8th, 4:00-7:00 at UAA, Wells Fargo Center.  More information will be made available as the date nears.

Junior Choir meets this week Wednesday, March 9th at 12:20 p.m.

The school family is invited to join the Faith Lutheran Church family for Lenten worship on Wednesday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m.
You are also invited to join us for soup supper prior to worship at 6:00 p.m. Bring a dish to share.  Don’t worry if you are unable to bring anything, come and join us anyway! We look forward to seeing you there.

You are invited to join us for our weekly school chapel service this Thursday, March 10th, from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. Families and friends are invited to come and join us in starting our day with the Lord!

Handchime choir meets this week on Thursday, March 10th at 12:30 p.m.

Coming Soon!
On Saturday, March 19th, the Faith Lutheran family will be hosting Easter for Families. Families are invited to come and join us at Faith for an Easter egg hunt, egg decorating, and a multisensory exploration of the Easter story. Stop in any time between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We hope you can join us!
Easter for Families egg donations.  Plastic eggs and hard boiled eggs will be needed for decorating and for the egg hunt.   If you would like to donate plastic eggs you may drop them off any time at the office.  For hard boiled eggs, please drop off Friday, March 18th 10:00-2:00.

Making Life Better is a Bible class led by Pastor Ewings in which participants will discover how God has made their lives better. This class, covering the basic truths of the Christian faith, is for newcomers to the faith and long-time Christians alike. Making Life Better continues this evening, Monday, March 7th at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome!

Toddler Time is an hour of educational activities, structured play and a snack for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Toddler Time meets Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. in the Faith fellowship hall. For more information contact Mrs. Cara Ewings at
907-792-9388.

Invitations to our school family from Faith Lutheran Church. Events this Saturday:

Men’s Bible Study meets Saturday, March 12th at Barbie’s CafĂ© on Lake Otis Parkway at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Ewings is currently leading the study “Five Things You Can Do to Live a Jesus-Centered Life”. Please contact Pastor Ewings at 792-9788 to sign up or order a book.

Ladies Craft Day on Saturday, March 12th from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This month bring a new craft idea to learn. We will enjoy a devotion and snacks as we work on our projects. Bring any project to work on even if it isn’t new. Contact Claire Zarnstorff at 792-9688 for more information.

Faith’s First Annual Ice Fishing Tournament – Join us on Saturday, March 12th at Sand Lake starting at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome and invited to participate in this family event. We will have gear available for all to use if you don’t have any of your own. Bring what you have. Not only will you have the chance to enjoy some fellowship with the people of Faith, but there will be prizes as well! Fish on!