Pacific Southwest District School
Ministries
E-Connect
"...speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is,
Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." -Ephesians 4:15-16
October 29, 2014
"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in
the earth." The theme verse for LEC and the command to "be still and know that I am
God" is the end of the great Reformation psalm:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its
waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (Psalm 46, select verses)
A mighty Fortress is our God!
These preschool students are happy to be at Trinity, Litchfield, Park, AZ.
PSD SCHOOL INFORMATION DATA DUE SATURDAY!
Have you completed your three School Information items yet?
They are due this Saturday, November 1! The three pieces of
important information we need to gather from each school are:
Synod Statistical Report (on the Lutheran School Portal--here is
the link to the letter with instructions), Stats at a Glance (click here
for the link), and School Directory Updates (click here for the link
to the School Directory on our website). Please contact Kim
Violette if you have any questions. Thank you for your partnership
in sharing this important data with us!
Contact Us
1540 Concordia Drive E.
Irvine, CA 92612
Website:
www.pswcic.org
Phone 949-854-3232
Fax 949-854-8140
EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR NEWS
Finalists have been named for the four categories of the PSD
Educator of the Year awards for 2014. We are so thankful for all
those who took the time to nominate an educator, and we
congratulate all those who were nominated! Below are the finalists
in each category. The winners will be selected by the committees
within the next week and will be honored at LEC. The committees
would appreciate prayers for wisdom and discernment as the
decisions are made--we have so many outstanding educators in
the PSD!
Rachel Klitzing
Executive Director of
School Ministries
ext. 223
[email protected]
Kim Violette
Administrative Assistant
ext. 226
[email protected]
Early Childhood Educator of the Year
Janell Cox, Christ's Greenfield Lutheran Preschool, Gilbert, AZ
Julene Richhart, St. Paul's Lutheran ECDC, Orange, CA
Deanna Tashoff, Trinity Lutheran Preschool, Temecula, CA
Robin Wells, Immanuel Lutheran Preschool, Orange, CA
Elementary Educator of the Year
Suzanne Black, Christ Lutheran School, Phoenix, AZ
Marissa Moffitt, Gethsemane Lutheran School, Tempe, AZ
Yvette Stuewe, St. John's Lutheran School, Orange, CA
Leah Tornow, Christ Lutheran School, Costa Mesa, CA
Michael Vick, Abiding Savior Lutheran School, Lake Forest, CA
Melissa Wandel, First Good Shepherd Lutheran School, Las Vegas, NV
Jr./Sr. High School Educator of the Year
Jennifer Miklos, Lutheran High School, Orange, CA
Justin Nelson, Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School, Las
Vegas, NV
Paul Pullmann, Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School, Las
Ellen Pratt
Staff Assistant, part-time
ext. 224
[email protected]
Tyler Fewins
Raving Fans Coordinator
for Marketing, Branding
and Sustainability
ext. 216
[email protected]
Anna Preus
Staff Assistant, part-time
[email protected]
Lynne Rose
Vegas, NV
Administrator of the Year
Randy Einem, St. John's Lutheran School, Orange, CA
Lucas Fitzgerald, Pacific Lutheran High School, Gardena, CA
Dave Stuewe, St. John's Lutheran School, Orange, CA
Valorie Wend, Loving Savior Lutheran School, Chino Hills, CA
Early Childhood Consultant,
part-time
(949) 433-2042
[email protected]
Quick Links
PSD School Ministries
NOVEMBER DEVOTION ON WEBSITE
The November devotion is on our website. It is titled "We're Asking
the Wrong Question" and is written by Sarah Salzberg, teacher at
Lutheran High School, Orange, CA. Click here to read it!
SCHOOL SERVICES UPDATE
Praise be to God! Our new School Services total is now $98,028.
Our God is an awesome God - and your partnership is something
for which we thank the Lord!
Above is a photo of students and teachers at Bethany Lutheran
School and Preschool, Long Beach, CA.
LEC NEWS
Registrations continue to come in daily! We are so excited for the
888 of you who have already registered--thank you!
On the LEC website, you will find videos under the Sessions tab
from all five of our Monday strand presenters--just click on their
picture. The video for Jay McTighe's session is now available to be
viewed on the website. These presenters are talking directly to you
about what they will be sharing with you at the strand you have
chosen for Monday. If you haven't yet seen these videos, please
Pacific Southwest
District
LCMS
take a look today!
You can find the link to the LEC website on the School Ministries
home page (www.pswcic.org) in the LEC box under Upcoming
Events.
HOTEL ROOMS AT THE DESERT SPRINGS MARRIOTT
The hotel has informed us that they have sold out of rooms with
two double beds. As of now the only option is a room with a king
bed. The rooms with king beds do give you the option of
requesting a roll-away; however, please note that they only have a
certain number of roll-aways in their inventory. Once those have
been requested at check-in, they won't have any more to
offer. You will not be guaranteed a roll-away when you book your
room. Those are given out at check-in. Our registration is up this
year, which is a blessing; however, it may mean those of you who
have not yet registered for your hotel room may not get your first
choice. We appreciate your understanding of this situation and
not sharing any frustration with the hotel agent who checks you in
on-site. Thank you!
ON-SITE SERVANT EVENT FOR LEC
The past few years we have set up on-site Servant Events at
LEC. This year you will have the opportunity to bring your usable
eyewear and deposit them into the Lions-sponsored collection box
in the conference lobby. Prescription and reading glasses,
sunglasses, plastic and metal frames will all be gratefully accepted.
Children's glasses are especially needed. Please share this with the
families at your school and take up collections these next couple
weeks! Bring all you have collected to LEC!
Here is some additional information from the World Health
Organization:
According to The World Health Organization, 153 million people
have uncorrected vision impairments (near-sightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.) Most of these vision impairments are
quickly diagnosed and easy to treat with corrective lenses. Still,
millions of people in developing nations are pushed deeper into
poverty simply because they don't have glasses. They can't learn
because reading is difficult. They can't work to the best of their
ability because they can't see clearly. For children, clear vision
means a better education, healthier development and a better
quality of life. For adults, it means greater employment
opportunity and economic strength. For seniors it means less
dependence on others.
Help us be a blessing to others!
FIFTH ANNUAL PSD SERVICE DAY IS COMING UP!
Wednesday, November 19th, is our district-wide Lutheran School
Service Day. The goal of this day is that all of the schools in the
Pacific Southwest District would participate in service to their
community. What an impact and witness we could make for Christ
if over 20,000 children and their teachers are participating in
service to our communities! Mark your calendars if you haven't
already, and watch for more updates from us coming soon!
HEARTS FOR JESUS NEWS
Have you visited the Garuna Foundation website and viewed the
Hearts for Jesus video? Here is the link to the Hearts for Jesus tab.
It's a great website with tons of information for you! Fliers, coin
bank covers, and pictures are all on the website! We are
partnering with the Garuna Foundation in prayer and funding to
build a fourth Garuna Christian School in Cambodia. Our total goal
is to raise $40,000, and we can reach this goal with your help! Our
first milestone is to raise $5,000 to purchase the land for the
school, and we are already on our way there! Please share this
information with your staff and students, and support this
worthwhile project.
"Lutheran Schools Building Lutheran Schools" www.Garuna.org
PRINCIPALS OF LARGE SCHOOLS CONFERENCE IN THE PSD!
POLS will again be held in the Pacific Southwest District this year!
Please save the dates of Wednesday-Friday, January 14-16, 2015.
The conference will be held at Christ Lutheran in Phoenix,
AZ. Registration information will be out very soon!
BEYOND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION WEBINAR TOMORROW
It's not too late to register for...
5 Things To Do NOW For Next Year's EdTech Success!
Thursday, October 30th at 10 AM PST
Is it too soon to start thinking about next school year? Not when it
comes to technology. A few minutes preparing today can make a
huge difference in the quality of your technology initiative next
year. Join us for this quick Q&A to learn about the 5 key areas that
can make or break a technology roll-out. We will discuss what
makes a successful plan:
Is professional development important?
Should I purchase a device for every student?
Who should be in charge of our plan and implementation?
What models have other successful schools used?
How is Common Core handled with technology?
Is coding a required skill for our students?
Is it time to move away from a computer lab?
In this 30-minute mini webinar we will provide you with key
information that will give you the confidence and clarity to move
forward with a plan. This information is also valuable if you are
already using technology. The ideas and methods can help you
prepare to be even better.
Sign up today to reserve your spot. A recording of the event will be
available to everybody who signs up in the event you are unable to
attend the live Q&A. To provide your input or to start the
discussion early use #btek12.
Bonus #1 - Everybody who signs up will also be given access to a
daily digital newsletter, The K-12 Daily Dose. Don't miss out!
Bonus #2 - Everybody who signs up and attends will be entered
into a drawing for a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Don't miss out on this
either!
PETAL PUSHERS COLORING CONTEST ENDS THIS SATURDAY
There's still time to get Petal Pushers® Coloring Contest entries
postmarked by Saturday, November 1st, 2014! Preschool through
eighth grade students are invited to enter our coloring contest.
Please be sure to complete all information on the coloring contest
entry page. We regret that we cannot return any entries, and
cannot judge entries with incomplete information.
Who: Students in Preschool-8th Grades
What: Complete the LHM Float Coloring Page:
Coloring Page (PDF)
Educational DVD Offer (PDF)
When: Entries must be postmarked by November 1st, 2014
How: Submit entries to:
LHM Float Committee
PO Box 20044
Riverside, CA 92516-0044
Prizes: Four winners will be selected: one winner from PreschoolKindergarten, one winner from 1st-2nd grades, one winner from
3rd-5th grades, and one winner from 6th-8th grades. Winners will
receive a Family Pass to our Behind the Scenes Party, a float t-shirt,
and a float magnet. The teacher of the winning student from each
category will also receive a Family Pass to our Behind the Scenes
Party.
If you have any questions,please contact the Chairman for details.
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY IRVINE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION NIGHT
Teachers and administrators:
Do you know someone who has the spark and potential to become
a teacher? Would you like to increase your professional value by
adding a credential to your current one?
If so, join us for Concordia University Irvine's Teacher Credential
Program Information Night!
Thursday, November 6, 2014 6:00pm - 8:00pm Grimm
Hall Conference Room, 3rd Floor 1530 Concordia West, Irvine CA
* Learn about program structure and the admissions process
* Meet professors and talk to current CUI student teachers
CUI's Credential Programs:
Multiple Subject Credential, Single Subject Credential
Education Specialist: Mild to Moderate Credential now with
Internship option!
New Program for Fall 2015:
** Clear your Preliminary CA Credential through CUI's new Clear
Induction Program**
Feel the calling? Call CUI. We understand!
RSVP for the School of Education Information Night here or call
949-214-3338.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Each week, prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for teachers,
administrators, support staff, pastors, students, and families
of the Lutheran schools, early childhood centers, and churches
of the Pacific Southwest District are listed. To include names
on the list, please send information to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday of each week. This week we
pray for:
 the family of Jason Manthe. Jason went to his heavenly
home last night at the age of 37. He was diagnosed with
Early Onset Alzheimer's last year. Jason and his wife
Kamara both taught in the PSD before moving to Texas-Jason at St. Paul's, Garden Grove, and Kamara at St. Paul's,
Orange. Jason was the PSD Elementary Educator of the
Year in 2006. Jason and Kamara have four young children.
We pray for peace and comfort for Kamara, their children,
their families, and all those who knew him. Jason touched
many lives with his love of the Lord, his love for teaching,
and his infectious smile. God's grace allowed Jason to have
his first moment of remembering again viewing the eyes of
his Savior.
 Jennifer Fletcher, a teacher at Shepherd of the Desert,
Scottsdale, AZ. Jennifer is having brain surgery this week.
We pray the Lord would calm Jennifer's nerves and
surround her with His love.
November 2
First Lutheran Preschool, Monrovia, CA
Word of Life Christian Preschool, Surprise, AZ
Shield of Faith Christian School, El Monte, CA
We are all connected in Christ!