Happy Summer!!
We want to wish all of our St. John families a happy summer. We look
forward to seeing everyone back safely this fall!
High School Stats are Impressive!
Click here
to check out a compilation of statistics and data regarding our high
school students. The information is quiteimpressive and illustrates
how our St. John high school students are very well-prepared for college.
Thanks to the high school teachers & students whose hard work is
reflected in these remarkable statistics. Go Saints!
Vacation Bible School
Every summer, St. John Lutheran Church
organizes a week-long Vacation Bible School. VBS is an exciting week
of activties that help young people get closer to Christ. This year's
theme is GADGET! (God Always Does Great & Exciting Things!). VBS
will be held from 9:00am-12:15pm the week of June 15-19. All students
ages K3-5th grade are welcome. Click here
for more information and if you're interested, you can download the
registration form by clicking here.
If you have questions about VBS, please contact Mrs. Debbie Scherschel
at descherschel@stjohnocala.org.
Executive Director's Blog
We all know that Mrs. Heath, our executive director, has a
lot to say about education. And now you can check out out her new blog
which features lots of information on St. John's philosophy and performance.
Feel free to pose a question for her to answer in a future entry. The
blog is called "Saints Comperio" and is located at http://sjsaints.blogspot.com.
Some of the most recent entries contain statistics on the outstanding
achievement of our students. Go Saints!
Proposed Amendments to Constitution & By-Laws
Due to the re-organization of our church polity, several amendments
to our St. John Lutheran Church Constitution & By-Laws have been
proposed. Please click here
to download the proposed amendments. A date for a special meeting to
consider these amendments will be announced soon. Please note that the
Task Force members are listed are the first page and comments regarding
the proposed change to the Ministry Council format of governance can
be directed to any of those individuals.
Summer Day Camp
Hard as it is to believe, it's going to be summertime before you know
it. Every summer lots of young people enjoy the St. John Summer Sonshine
Day Camp. If you're interested in having your child become a part of
this fun summer tradition, click here
to download the informational letter about Summer Camp...and click here
to download the registration form.
Sports Physicals
All St. John student-athletes must have an official FHSAA Parent Consent
& Physical Exam on file in the Guidance Office. Sports physicals
must have been performed within the last 12 months to be considered
valid. Parent Consent & Physical Exam Forms are available in the
School Office. Completed forms should be turned in to Mrs. Lausier in
the Guidance Office before students begin practicing with a team.
Summer Golf Camp
Once again, Coach Teddy Lausier (telausier@stjohnocala.org)
continued the St. John tradition of holding a summer golf camp for students
ages 6-18. This summer's camp was the week of June 1st-5th and the students
had a great time and learned a lot. Thanks, Coach Lausier, for all of
your work to put this camp together!
Summer Basketball Camp
A great summer tradition at St. John
was our annual basketball came which was the week of June 8th-12th.
This is a morning camp only (8am-noon) and is open to all students entering
grades 3-8. Thanks to Coach John Westol at jowestol@stjohnocala.org
for all of his work organizing this camp!
Golf Tournament
Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2009 Inaugural St. John Golf
Team Fundraiser on Saturday, May 23rd at Golden Hills Golf & Turf
Club, home of the 2009 USGA Women's Mid-Amateur. Thanks also to Coach
Teddy Lausier who organized this great event at Golden Hills. All proceeds
from this event went towards the county-recognized St. John Golf Team.
If you'd like to see more about Golden Hills, check out their website,
www.goldenhillscc.com.
Shareabration Saturday
Saturday, May 23rd was also St. John Shareabration Saturday. This was
a huge event where the needy in our community came to St. John and picked
up items for FREE. Hopefully, by showing Christ's love in a tangible
way, St. John was able to share the Gospel while giving practical help
to needy Ocalans. Thanks to Mr. Bob VanHoose, who headed up this event,
and to all of the people who helped him out. Check out the Ocala Star-Banner's
coverage of this event by clicking here.
A Special Thank-You to Mrs. Condon's Classes
Over the 2008-09 school year, Mrs. Condon's high school classes have
donated over $700 cash PLUS many, many cans of food, as well as jackets
and blankets, to the North Marion Outreach Ministries! WOW!!! Thanks
to each of you doing your part, one handful at a time, needy families
received assistance with paying electric bills, buying gas, having food
for their children, or keeping warm during this unusually cold winter.
Blessings to ALL of you for pitching in!!
The New Parking Lot!
As of May 4th, carline resumed through the newly finished--
and sharp-looking!-- front parking lot. The Brick City entrances are
now closed. There are new drop-off & pick-up locations for all grades.
Click here
for a map of the new carline route (including the new drop-off/pick-up
locations) and click here
for written instructions for the new carline procedures.
Well Done, Saints On Stage!
The St. John Drama Team (better known as "Saints On Stage")
performed the musical Annie on April 30-May 3. This was the
first musical they have attempted in many years and it was a smashing
success!! The production also raised money to benefit the Arnette House.
What a great way to help make our Ocala community better. Congratulations
on a great show...and we can't wait unitl next year's production!!
Everyone's Invited to Get "Better Together"!
St. John kicked off a great new campaign entitled "Let's Get BETTER
TOGETHER" in April. This campaign is aimed at helping everyone
at St. John grow together as family members in Christ. Everyone was
encouraged come enjoy the blessings that we believe God has in store
for all who participate, such as:
1. A feast of spiritual blessings from growing in the Word.
2. A feast of relational blessings from meeting new friends and getting
to know old ones better from growing in fellowship.
This has been a great time for us all to come together in the unity
of the Spirit and the bond of peace. We are renewing ourselves in the
St. John mission of "shepherding individuals into the family of
Christ, where each will embrace the Spirit of the Risen Lord, and grow
into the fullness of Christ through Word and Sacrament, fellowship,
education, and service." Although this effort is already underway,
you can find out more by e-mailing Mr. Bob VanHoose (bobvanhoose@gmail.com)
or by calling him at 368-2417. We look forward to seeing more of our
St. John family members take part in this renewal of spirit & fellowship.
W-4: Investing in Women, Workout Worship, &
the Word
All women of St. John Lutheran Church & School are invited
to meet behind the gym on Wednesdays at 4:30pm, wearing comfortable
clothes and gym shoes for W-4. The 4 "w's" are for Women,
Workout, Worship, and the Word. Liz Weiss & Liz Short are co-leaders
of this great program. Liz Short leads the group in lively songs of
worship while getting in shape physically and spiritually. The first
Bible study (proceeded by a fitness walk) was titled “Having a
Mary Heart in a Martha World,” by Joanne Weaver. Call Liz Weiss
at 368-4096 or e-mail her at lightisart@embarqmail.com
for more information.
Peanut Butter Safety
There has been much news about the safety of peanut butter in recent
weeks. The Saints Diner is well aware of the issue and takes all precautions
to maintain safe food for our children. Click here
for a statement from SLA Management (the managers of the Saints Diner)
regarding peanut butter safety.
The FCA at St. John
Our school is blessed to have an active group of students involved in
the St. John chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. They are
constantly busy with different activities. Click here
for more information on the St. John FCA.
St. John Wins 1st Place in CFLAA Track Meet!
The Central Florida Lutheran Athletic Association's annual track meet
was held at Brick City Park on Friday, March 13th. For the 29th time
in 30 years, St. John came in first place. This 1st place finish was
decisive with St. John earning 299.5 total points and Grace-Jacksonville
coming in 2nd place with a total of 171 points. Wow, what a victory...Go
Saints!
High School Preview Night
Thanks to everyone who came out to High School Preview Night on Thursday,
February 26th. It was fun and informative evening that was a great chance
for 8th graders, their parents, and their current & future teachers
to enjoy each other and learn about what high school will be like next
year. Thanks also to Mrs. Baxley and Mr. & Mrs. Lausier and their
team of workers who made the evening such a wonderful event for our
Saints!
Girls Basketball Honors
Several members of the 2008-09 St. John Girls Basketball Team have been
recognized for outstanding achievement. Three our of our girls were
Marion County's top rebounders for the season (#1, #2, & # 7!) with
195, 185, & 140 rebounds, respectively. We were also proud to have
another Lady Saint who was #10 for 3-pointers. Another member of the
team was both #4 in assists as well as #6 in steals. Congratulations
to the team for these outstanding achievements this season. Go Saints!
Saints Win First Game of the District
Championship Series!
Congratulations to Coach Rehkop and his Varsity Boys Basketball Team
for their victory over First Academy-Leesburg in the first round of
Districts. Click
here for the Ocala Star-Banner's coverage
of this game. Go Saints!
St. John Student-Athletes Are Highly
Ranked!
Several of our fall athletic teams have been ranked as some of the top
teams in terms of GPA by the Florida High School Athletic Association.
The St. John Golf Team was 9th and the Lady Saints of the Volleyball
Team were 8th. Go Saints!
Boys Basketball Wins First 2 District
Games of the Season
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Basketball Team on their victories
in their first 2 District games of the season. On Thursday night, December
4th, they beat Hernando Christian Academy-Brooksville and on Friday,
December 5th, the team traveled out to Cedar Key High School and defeated
the Sharks to maintain their undefeated District record. Go Saints!
PTL's Christmas Parade Float
Thanks the St. John PTL who put together an outstanding float to represent
St. John in the annual Ocala Christmas Parade on Saturday, December
6th.
An Owl Comes to St. John
Students in Elementary & Middle School got a treat on Wednesday,
December 3rd when they were paid a special visit from the Ocala Wildlife
Sanctuary (OWLS). Students gathered in the gym for a special presentation
which included tips on protecting our local wildlife and interesting
facts about about animals as well as a time for students to ask questions.
The highlight of the event was being able to see Hobie, an owl who lives
at the sanctuary. Click here
for the Ocala Star-Banner's coverage of OWLS visit to St. John.
SE Lake Weir Avenue
Becomes a Two-Way Street Again!
The long-anticipated re-opening of the
southbound lanes of SE Lake Weir Avenue has finally arrived. Although
there will still be areas of construction the road is once again a two-way
street. However, if you find yourself bogged down in traffic each day,
you can look for an alternate route by clicking here
for a detailed street map of this section of SE Ocala.
Pasta For Pennies
Once again this year, St. John took on the challenge of raising money
for the Leukemian & Lymphoma Society through the Pasta For Pennies
campaign. The school raised over $2,700! Thanks to the generosity of
all of the students and parents who participated in this campaign. Your
donations truly go to a great cause.
Doughnuts With Dad
Thanks to all the students and their dads that came to school for the
PTL's Doughnuts With Dad event in the Courtyard. What a great way to
start off the day! Thanks also to the PTL members who made this event
possible.
St. John Flag Football Champions!
The St. John 5th & 6th Grade Flag Football Team became Kingdom of
the Son Champions again. Click here
to check out the Ocala Star-Banner's article about our championship
team. Congratulations to the team and their coaches, John Westol, Paul
Heath, and Ray Hamilton. Go Saints!!
Fall Fest 2008 Shows Off the Saints
Spirit!!
If you had the privilege to enjoy the 2008 St. John Fall Festival on
Wednesday, October 29th, then you saw the famous St. John "family"
dynamic in all its glory! The opportunity for families, friends, teachers,
and students of all ages to celebrate such a wonderful event together
was truly a blessing. From the High School students painting the Elementary
students' faces to singing songs on the hay ride to the coaches &
staff being dunked by their students to the kids laughing, playing,
and racing together-- this was truly a wonderful experience for all
involved. What a special occasion for parents to be so involved in building
booths, scarecrows, and setting aside special time to give back to our
school. It was also great to see teachers enjoying students outside
the classroom and watching our High School students & teachers interacting
with our Elementary. One parent of two High School students said, “This
is really nice for us to gather and just share time with each other–
less of that happens as our children grow up.” An Elementary student
was overheard saying, “This is the best day of my life!”
What a great chance this was to share our Saints Spirit with each student
& family, no matter what the age! Thanks to
all the members of the PTL for organizing this amazing event! Kelley
Spears & Shaana Slaughter deserve a special round of applause…so
please let them know if you enjoyed the event. Thank you to all who
worked, participated, and encouraged your students to get involved!!…Can’t
wait until next year!
St. John Graduate Dominates at
FSU
Click here
to check out the Ocala Star-Banner's article about a 2007 St.
John graduate who is really making a name for herself on the FSU Volleyball
Team up in Tallahassee. Way to go, Megan!!
Become an Athletic Sponsor
A great way to help support athletics at St. John is to become a sponsor
of our athletic program. Click here
to download the form which has all the details.
St. John Golfers Win Districts
& Advance to Regionals
On Monday, October 13th, two Marion County golfers became the District
Champions for both boys & girls-- and both champions are St. John
students! This happened just one week after these golfers won the Marion
County Championship. Click here
to check out the Ocala Star-Banner's article about the District
meet. Congratulations to the entire St. John Golf Team. Go Saints!!
A Look Back at Homecoming Week
'08
October 6-11 was Homecoming Week 2008. It was a GREAT week of fun and
games as well as time to thank God for the school He has provided to
us. The dress-days, halftime show, and Olympiad events were popular
again this year, but a new event that was well-received was the post-Pep
Rally bonfire/tailgating party. All of the students who attended this
late-night social event were responsible & respectful making this
an event we're sure to see again! As you know, a week like this doesn't
happen without a lot of hard work. Thanks especially to the High School
Student Council who organized & coordinated many of the events along
with Mrs. Lausier and Mrs. Tillis. Also, another special thanks goes
out to our Saints Cheerleaders and their advisors, Mrs. Boothe &
Mrs. French, for all the work they did putting together our Pep Rally.
And thanks to our Father for giving us such a great school we can be
proud of & celebrate!!
Fields of Faith was a Success
Thanks to everyone who came out to Fields of Faith on Wednesday, October
8th (which actually was unofficially re-named "Courts of Christ"
when we had to move the event into the gym due to weather conditions!).
This 3-hour event of worship, praise, prayer, games, and testimony was
organized by the St. John chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
It was great to see several local youth groups as well as some athletes
from CFCC in attendance. Highlights of the evening included hearing
several students, graduates, teachers, and coaches share how Christ
has impacted their lives. Thanks to the students of FCA and their advisor,
Mr. Lausier, for all the work they did to make this evening possible.
St. John Players Win the County
Golf Titles!
The Marion County High School Golf Championship was held on Monday,
October 6th and once again this year, St. John was a dominate force.
In fact, St. John is proud that both the male & female champions
of Marion County are Saints! Click here
to read the Ocala Star-Banner's coverage of this event. Go
Saints!!
See You At The Pole
Thanks to everyone who came out for the See You At The Pole event on
Wednesday morning, September 24th. It was a special time for the St.
John family-- students, parents, and staff-- to be united in prayer
& worship. It was great seeing everyone wearing white to symbolize
our unity in Christ. The Saints' Diner even served a special breakfast
for the event. Thanks to them and to the high school students who are
members of the St. John chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
for sponsoring this event yet again this year. For more about the See
You At The Pole event, click here.
Lutheran
Talk Radio
You can't help but hear about talk radio in these days of political
races, but did you know there was such a thing as Lutheran talk radio?
"Issues, Etc." is a radio show produced by Lutheran Public
Radio and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. Topics include: Islam,
Defending the Pro-Life Position, God's Will for Your Daily Life, Religion
& Politics, Biblical Interpretation, the Pop Spirituality of Oprah
Winfrey, Movie Reviews, Christ-Centered Fatherhood, Creation vs. Evolution,
Witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses, and more. Listen to what you want
when you want at www.issuesetc.org.
Disney Comes to St. John!
For the last 10 years, St. John has participated in the Pasta For Pennies
fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Once again,
our students raised so much money last year that Radio Disney came to
throw a special thank-you party for St. John students on Wednesday,
August 27th. Click here
for the Ocala Star-Banner's coverage of this exciting event.
Family Times
Go to www.enjoyfamilytimes.com
to check out the website of our local Ocala/Marion County magazine,
Family Times. This publication promotes the institution of
family in our community. There are many great resources for families
on this site.
St. John Graduate in Costa Rica
Tom Ranieri (class of '99) is living in Costa Rica and helps set up
family vacations down there. His services have been highly recommended
from several independent sources. So, if you ever thought about visiting
this beautiful country, check out his website, http://costaricanresource.com/,
for more information.
A Great Resource on the Web
Check out the Lutheran Hour Ministries website at www.lhm.org
for all sorts of resources including games that kids will enjoy in the
JC PlayZone
and great stuff for parents in the JC
ParentZone.
Safe Driving Course
The Marion County Sheriff's Office is offering a Teen Safe Driving Course
for ages 15-19. Call Lt. Bob Campbell at 369-6766 or go to the Marion
County Sheriff's website (www.marionso.org)
for more information.
Your Online Shopping Can Benefit St. John
Check out www.yellowbrickmall.com/stjohnocala.php
and shop with any of the hundreds of online retailers on that site and
a portion of every purchase you make will be donated to St. John. For
those of you familiar with SCRIP, this is like an online version of
that program. So shop away & thanks for your support!
St. John Lutheran Church
& School is a member of the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)
which is headquartered in St. Louis.
For more information on what the LCMS believes & teaches, click
here.
The LCMS is divided into geographic districts
and St. John is a member of the Florida-Georgia
District
which is headquartered in Orlando.
Contact
us: tischmidt@stjohnocala.org
