Testimonials
My husband and I had a very difficult decision to make… should we chance uprooting our son from a popular charter school, and moving him to a smaller private school where he would need to move again?! After careful consideration and prayer we trusted God and took a leap of faith. We are SO grateful for that decision!! The extra support he's received at St. John, not just academically but personally and spiritually as well, has started him on his own personal path of self discovery. Our son is taught with a teaching style that works for HIM! It's like having a private tutor all to ourselves! He is recognized, and appreciated for who He is as an individual, and we are grateful for that recognition. His teachers have gone way above the standards of teaching by offering support and encouragement to our son as well as being great role models. He has been introduced to activities that we never dreamed would be available - such as Robotics, a class Camping trip, and 4-H. He is maturing with self confidence like never before, and is excited about school! We have not once regretted our decision-- it's been absolutely amazing!! Can't wait to see what's in store for our kids next year!
Teresa Nelson
Teresa Nelson
We are so thankful our son has had the opportunity to attend St. John for 6th grade! We really wanted him to be in a safe, smaller, God centered environment for the middle school years which, in our opinion, are the most impressionable years for a child. We are SO glad we made this decision! He has absolutely thrived this year. He has done so well with the smaller class size and with having more 1 on 1 time. He has really loved all the new technology that has been implemented this year, as well as Lego Robotics and now, 4-H. We, as his parents, have really appreciated that teaching our son the Word of God and the gospel message has been made a priority at St. John, that academics are top notch and that our son is in a safe place to navigate his way through middle school. We know this is helping prepare him for high school and beyond. It really makes a parent smile to hear from their child, "This has been the best year ever!"
Becci Anderson
Becci Anderson
St. John Lutheran School has been a wonderful place for our son to be in 6th grade. The smaller class size has provided a very good learning environment to pick up on the new things the kids are introduced to in middle school. In addition, the smaller class size seems to have really brought the kids together as a team. I have heard so much from our son about the opportunities the kids have had to work together, learn each others’ strengths, and support one another. What a wonderful lesson for life, as we are constantly working with and relying on those around us! Mr. Inselmann is a wonderfully creative and engaging teacher, and our son has had so much fun this year. The students have had fabulous exposure to technology through the use of Chromebooks and Google Classroom embedded in the curriculum, and the addition of the Lego Robotics team. There has been a lot of hands-on learning from dissections and rocket building in science class, Outdoor Education at Lutheran Island Camp, the class pets (Houdini and fish), baking cookies for 4-H, and many other examples. I have seen the kids encouraged to set a direction and accomplish things independently, and I have seen our son growing more confident in his abilities as a result.
I wanted to mention Lego Robotics on its own briefly, because as a parent I was completely new to what Lego Robotics was really all about. I was completely amazed by what was all involved, as it was far more than a robot or programming. I saw the kids research, interview, build, experiment, do creative writing and write papers, complete presentations, learn to work as a team, and through it all have fun. There were so many amazing life skills the kids learned through this one activity that stick with them through their lives.
Through it all, God has been kept at the center. St. John does a wonderful job of faith-based education. As the kids reach middle school and are starting to really develop who they are, that solid foundation of faith has been a fantastic encouragement for them, really helping them have the confidence to grow and learn. Our son and our whole family have been very blessed by St. John, and look forward to continuing middle school here!
Kim Sweet
I wanted to mention Lego Robotics on its own briefly, because as a parent I was completely new to what Lego Robotics was really all about. I was completely amazed by what was all involved, as it was far more than a robot or programming. I saw the kids research, interview, build, experiment, do creative writing and write papers, complete presentations, learn to work as a team, and through it all have fun. There were so many amazing life skills the kids learned through this one activity that stick with them through their lives.
Through it all, God has been kept at the center. St. John does a wonderful job of faith-based education. As the kids reach middle school and are starting to really develop who they are, that solid foundation of faith has been a fantastic encouragement for them, really helping them have the confidence to grow and learn. Our son and our whole family have been very blessed by St. John, and look forward to continuing middle school here!
Kim Sweet
From the Students
This has been an AMAZING year! All of the technology and hands on science have definitely been positive experiences.
It has been very exciting to do so much of our work on the chromebooks. Things like spelling, assignments, group projects, and brainstorming are so much more enjoyable now that they can be done using technology.
All of our hands on science labs are also very exciting. Our earthquake lab, where we attempted to build earthquake-safe buildings and then shake them, was very interesting and helped us learn more about earthquakes. Our Lego physics labs were very fun. It is interesting to use something that is usually thought of as a toy as an educational learning tool. We did multiple dissection labs. It was, while kind of gross, very informative.
Robotics was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much while having fun. The programming was probably my favorite part. It was so exciting to see the robot come to life after giving it instructions in programming format. Building the robot was also very fun and challenging. It was also very interesting to do all of the research and write all of the papers for the project.
We have recently started a 4-H club. In it we do video editing, Rube Goldberg, and model rockets. The video editing has been fun because it has been a past hobby of mine, so it was very exciting to continue my hobby in school. The Rube Goldberg machine is very interesting and educational at the same time. I am new to building and launching model rockets, so this will be a fun experience.
In conclusion I would like to say that my time at St. John has been very pleasant and I am excited for next year.
It has been very exciting to do so much of our work on the chromebooks. Things like spelling, assignments, group projects, and brainstorming are so much more enjoyable now that they can be done using technology.
All of our hands on science labs are also very exciting. Our earthquake lab, where we attempted to build earthquake-safe buildings and then shake them, was very interesting and helped us learn more about earthquakes. Our Lego physics labs were very fun. It is interesting to use something that is usually thought of as a toy as an educational learning tool. We did multiple dissection labs. It was, while kind of gross, very informative.
Robotics was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much while having fun. The programming was probably my favorite part. It was so exciting to see the robot come to life after giving it instructions in programming format. Building the robot was also very fun and challenging. It was also very interesting to do all of the research and write all of the papers for the project.
We have recently started a 4-H club. In it we do video editing, Rube Goldberg, and model rockets. The video editing has been fun because it has been a past hobby of mine, so it was very exciting to continue my hobby in school. The Rube Goldberg machine is very interesting and educational at the same time. I am new to building and launching model rockets, so this will be a fun experience.
In conclusion I would like to say that my time at St. John has been very pleasant and I am excited for next year.
This has been wonderful. I liked the hands-on science. It was fun to actually see the inside of an animal was awesome. I also liked the Lego physics labs because it helped me better understand mechanical advantage.
Camp was awesome. I had fun doing the obstacle courses. Social studies are fun this year. The simulations help you learn what it was like in the civilizations we studied. My favorite was History of the World. The eBooks are an awesome way to incorporate tech and language arts.
Robotics was a great experience, I learned how to do many things like programming and engineering. My favorite activity in robotics was building the robot and the prototype. It was awesome to have Dr. Charles Anderson come and show us zebra mussels and how we can help. I also liked that we integrate robotics into regular school. The robotics party was fun. I enjoyed jumping with my team at sky zone.
I LOVE the high-speed internet. I can now use the internet faster. I really like the Chromebooks. They are a great way to write papers and do online homework. I also like how we use the I pads for reading.
4-h is so cool. It is an awesome extracurricular activity. My favorite thing in 4-h is making the rube Goldberg machine. We are also building really cool rockets and raising baby chicks.
This is the best school year I have ever had and I have learned so many new things.
Camp was awesome. I had fun doing the obstacle courses. Social studies are fun this year. The simulations help you learn what it was like in the civilizations we studied. My favorite was History of the World. The eBooks are an awesome way to incorporate tech and language arts.
Robotics was a great experience, I learned how to do many things like programming and engineering. My favorite activity in robotics was building the robot and the prototype. It was awesome to have Dr. Charles Anderson come and show us zebra mussels and how we can help. I also liked that we integrate robotics into regular school. The robotics party was fun. I enjoyed jumping with my team at sky zone.
I LOVE the high-speed internet. I can now use the internet faster. I really like the Chromebooks. They are a great way to write papers and do online homework. I also like how we use the I pads for reading.
4-h is so cool. It is an awesome extracurricular activity. My favorite thing in 4-h is making the rube Goldberg machine. We are also building really cool rockets and raising baby chicks.
This is the best school year I have ever had and I have learned so many new things.
I have gone to St. John since fourth grade. Four years in all. I’m twelve years old, and I love technology and music. Most of my friends have gone here all their lives. Me having gone to different schools gives me a completely different perspective of my time here. And how much I have left.
St John’s has academics (of course) but it also has after school activities such as robotics and 4-H (these are only for 6-7). They also have after school sports such as basketball and softball.
The first day I came here, I was in love with the small classes. The teachers are more one on one, and things aren’t as crowded. In Parker Elementary (I went there for Kindergarten and first grade), there were classes broken into segments with at least fifty students in each class. Personally, I less people, being an introvert, but that isn’t the only comparison. In big schools like Parker, teachers can’t keep as much of an eye on bullies. In schools where there are lots of students stuffed into a small class, more people can be picked on without the teacher noticing. In smaller schools, the teachers pay more attention to their students.
This year has probably been my favorite year of all. Our new teacher, Mr. Inselmann, brought us new technology, new curriculum, and faster internet. We do things like dissection labs, and we get to use our Chromebooks for everything except tests. The internet speed in past years has been so slow, when we had our “technology classes”, we would barely be able to do one activity in a whole class period. That’s about thirty minutes of loading and lag. Ever since this year, our internet has been so fast, we can get into one page and load another in a matter of seconds.
Another highlight has been the dissections. In our 6-7th class, we have no memory of any class having dissections. This year, we had one every Wednesday. We started off with the easy stuff like worms, and we ended with fat frogs and pregnant rats.
In summary, this school has changed my life completely. I started as an insecure girl who didn’t like to talk, to an independant twelve year old who is wise, happy, and not afraid to speak her mind. In our class, we treat each other as family. A privilege most students don’t get. We’ve represented our school from winning awards in statewide tournaments in robotics, to making 4-H projects like the Rube Goldberg. All of these things are amazing feats for a first year class of seven. I love this school, and I would give the world to be able to come here after eighth grade.
St John’s has academics (of course) but it also has after school activities such as robotics and 4-H (these are only for 6-7). They also have after school sports such as basketball and softball.
The first day I came here, I was in love with the small classes. The teachers are more one on one, and things aren’t as crowded. In Parker Elementary (I went there for Kindergarten and first grade), there were classes broken into segments with at least fifty students in each class. Personally, I less people, being an introvert, but that isn’t the only comparison. In big schools like Parker, teachers can’t keep as much of an eye on bullies. In schools where there are lots of students stuffed into a small class, more people can be picked on without the teacher noticing. In smaller schools, the teachers pay more attention to their students.
This year has probably been my favorite year of all. Our new teacher, Mr. Inselmann, brought us new technology, new curriculum, and faster internet. We do things like dissection labs, and we get to use our Chromebooks for everything except tests. The internet speed in past years has been so slow, when we had our “technology classes”, we would barely be able to do one activity in a whole class period. That’s about thirty minutes of loading and lag. Ever since this year, our internet has been so fast, we can get into one page and load another in a matter of seconds.
Another highlight has been the dissections. In our 6-7th class, we have no memory of any class having dissections. This year, we had one every Wednesday. We started off with the easy stuff like worms, and we ended with fat frogs and pregnant rats.
In summary, this school has changed my life completely. I started as an insecure girl who didn’t like to talk, to an independant twelve year old who is wise, happy, and not afraid to speak her mind. In our class, we treat each other as family. A privilege most students don’t get. We’ve represented our school from winning awards in statewide tournaments in robotics, to making 4-H projects like the Rube Goldberg. All of these things are amazing feats for a first year class of seven. I love this school, and I would give the world to be able to come here after eighth grade.
This year we did a lot of fun and memorable things. Some of my favorite things included robotics, sports, 4-H, Camp, and several other fun activities.
Early in the fall there was cross country. It was an exciting season. Some of the most exciting meets were the Camp Omega meet, State meet, and the National meet. The Camp Omega meet is a generally fun meet. You get to take the day off from school, run a race, and just hang out with your friends. The State meet is in Mayer, Minnesota. The most fun cross country meet was the National meet in Mequon, Wisconsin. The most fun part of the national meet was after the race we went to Wisconsin Dells and had a party!
Another fun and new thing we did this year was Lego Robotics. It was great being able to spend time with my friends and being credited for your ideas. It was cool that we all had our own part, when we all did our parts we worked like a well oiled machine. We made it all the way to the state meet and made it into the newspaper twice. When we were doing robotics we did a lot of integrating of subjects, such as doing a class in physics and tons of hands-on lego labs.
This year the time that I bonded with my friends the most was when we went to camp together. At camp we did many exciting things. We saw the horses, played games, did obstacle courses, and did team building exercises. One thing that was really great is that when we played games the teachers, Mr. H and Mr. Inselmann, joined us.
This year I had many great experiences this year. I have learned from them and continue to learn from them.
Early in the fall there was cross country. It was an exciting season. Some of the most exciting meets were the Camp Omega meet, State meet, and the National meet. The Camp Omega meet is a generally fun meet. You get to take the day off from school, run a race, and just hang out with your friends. The State meet is in Mayer, Minnesota. The most fun cross country meet was the National meet in Mequon, Wisconsin. The most fun part of the national meet was after the race we went to Wisconsin Dells and had a party!
Another fun and new thing we did this year was Lego Robotics. It was great being able to spend time with my friends and being credited for your ideas. It was cool that we all had our own part, when we all did our parts we worked like a well oiled machine. We made it all the way to the state meet and made it into the newspaper twice. When we were doing robotics we did a lot of integrating of subjects, such as doing a class in physics and tons of hands-on lego labs.
This year the time that I bonded with my friends the most was when we went to camp together. At camp we did many exciting things. We saw the horses, played games, did obstacle courses, and did team building exercises. One thing that was really great is that when we played games the teachers, Mr. H and Mr. Inselmann, joined us.
This year I had many great experiences this year. I have learned from them and continue to learn from them.