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Panther Paw News

Friday, October 2, 2026

PantherPaw NewsFriday, October 2, 2026
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The Early Learning Center The Early Learning Center

Note from Dr. Jennifer Coggin

Hello ELC Families,

High Tea is such a special event for our students and the women in their community. Thank you to everyone who attended. Next Friday, October 9th, is our Fall Festival which is one of our favorite student events. Please note that the ELC will close at 4:30 on the 9th so that our staff, families and students can enjoy the festival as a community. The CLASS observations are well underway. We will wrap all the observations up by October 9th and look forward to studying the data!

Happy Fall!

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ELC Picture Day Photos

Hi Parents!


Picture Day photos are ready! You should have received an email to view and order your child's pictures.

Didn't get it? Check your SPAM folder, or use the login info on your child's printed proof.

Still need help? Email: support@sugarlightphoto.com


Ordering Details:


  • Order online by midnight, October 2nd for free delivery to the school
  • Late orders will ship to your home with a small fee
  • Have a special request? Email us before placing your order!


We can't wait for you to see those smiles!


Thanks,


The SUGARlight Photography Team

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Missed Picture Day?

SUGARlight Photography is offering make-up sessions for anyone who missed Picture Day. If you go to a make-up session, please let the photography team know that your child attends St. John's ELC so that they can give us your child's photo for our school yearbook!


When: Dates are listed on our website

Where: DTC area

Details & Sign-Up:

Picture Make-Up Days

Fall Open Houses

Know a Family Who Would Love St. John’s?


Our fall Open Houses are coming up! If you have a friend, neighbor, coworker or family member who is looking for a school, we’d love for you to tell them about St. John’s.

Prospective families can visit during the school day, see our classrooms in action, meet teachers and students, and learn more about our Early Learning through 8th Grade programs.

Tuesday, October 6 | 12:00–2:30 PM

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RSVP Here

MomCo

Calling all mamas! Whether you’ve been coming all year or this is your first MomCo night, come as you are. No pressure, no perfect mom expectations — just great mamas, good conversation, and a chance to fill your cup.


Join us every other Tuesday for dinner and discussion in the Community Room. Childcare is provided if needed. We'd love to see you!

  • Oct. 6 at 6:00 PM: Emily Jacobson, a Denver-based parenting and life coach, will share practical tools for nervous system regulation and building emotional resilience as parents and caregivers.
  • Oct. 20 at 6:00 PM: Our wonderful kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Mari Koester and Mrs. Meg Brake will join us to talk all things kindergarten readiness!



For additional details and to RSVP, please visit: SJ Wash Park // Momco


Join our WhatsApp group LINK

Follow us on Instagram LINK

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Pie-a-Thon

26th Annual Pie-a-Thon Fundraiser - Order Your Pie Today!

Once again, the St. John’s community will be working together to raise money to support the ARISE! Women’s Empowerment Program of India Transformed.

Support the cause by ordering a delicious homemade apple pie.

● Regular 9-inch apple pie: $25

● Small 6-inch apple pie: $17

● Choose baked or frozen/unbaked

A frozen pie is easy to save and bake fresh for a holiday gathering. A baked pie makes a tasty treat to share with a neighbor or to give away as a thoughtful gift. All pie purchases and financial contributions help move us closer to our $25,000 goal.


Don’t miss out! You are only guaranteed a pie if you pre-order.

Order Pies
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Advent By Candlelight - Save the Date!

Monday, December 7th 6-8:30pm. Join us for a festive and beautiful evening of reflection allowing our hearts to settle into the advent season. It’s our largest women’s community event which so many look forward to every year. It takes place in our Worship Center. Men, we need you as well to serve that night. More info to come!

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ELC Staff Meeting Snacks

Our teachers are awesome and occasionally spend the classroom naptime having staff meetings and/or training! We like to bless them with some snacks for them to enjoy during staff meetings. We are looking for one volunteer on each of the following dates to donate treats for 30 and drop them off in the morning to the ELC office. This is a great way to get involved and show our teachers how much they are appreciated!

Sign Up to Bring Snacks

UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS

Our 2026-27 ELC School Calendar

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  • October 9 - Fall Fest 4-6pm; ELC closes at 4:30pm
  • October 14-16 - ELC Closed for Staff Training
  • November 4 & 5 - Kindergarten Open House 4-6pm
  • November 24 - Grandparents Day 8-10am
  • November 25-27 - ELC Closed for Thansksgiving Break
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Lunch and Snack Menu ~ October 5-9

September Menu (whole month)


Monday Lunch: Teriyaki Chicken with Veggies

Brown Rice

Edamame Coleslaw with Vinaigrette

Snack: Cottage Cheese and Pineapple


Tuesday Lunch: Beef Meat Loaf

Whole Wheat Biscuit

Mashed Potatoes

Cold Pea Salad

Snack: Sliced Cheddar and Whole Grain Pita


Wednesday Lunch: Baked Whole Wheat Chicken Mac N Cheese

Steamed Green Beans

Par Steamed Carrots

Snack: Animal Crackers and Sliced Ham


Thursday Lunch: Light Curried Red Beans

Brown Rice

Cucumber Salad

Sliced Pears

Snack: Whole Grain Homemade Zesty Chex and String Cheese


Friday Lunch: Italian Pasta Salad

Ranch Dip

Par Steamed Carrots

Orange Quarters

Snack: Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffin and Applesauce

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* PLEASE NOTE - CALENDAR CHANGE *

Due to a scheduling conflict with our program space, we need to adjust the time of our ELC Christmas Program on December 5. The program will now begin at 3:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 p.m.


We apologize for the change and appreciate your flexibility and understanding. We look forward to celebrating this special Christmas program with you!

Updated ELC Calendar
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Remind App

In the event of a schedule change (closure, delayed start, or early dismissal) or an emergency situation, we will notify parents as soon as possible via email and the Remind app. If you haven't signed up for Remind notifications yet, please follow the instructions below. Parents with multiple students only need to join one group - all groups receive identical communications simultaneously.


  • To join the ELC notification list: text @26f23d to the number 81010
  • To join the K-5 notification list: text @4fc467 to the number 81010
  • To join the 6-8 notification list: text @he3acac to the number 81010


We only use Remind for urgent, time-sensitive alerts.

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Lost ELC Key Cards

If you lose one or both of your key cards, please notify the ELC office staff right away so we can deactivate the card’s building access. If the card is later found, we can easily reactivate it—there’s no need to purchase a replacement.


For the safety and security of our ELC, it’s important that we know where all active key cards are at all times. Thank you for helping us keep our students, families, and staff safe!

School Resources School Resources

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Support St. John's through Groceries!

An easy way to support St. John’s School is through your grocery shopping! We’ve partnered with King Soopers in the Community Rewards Program. Simply create an account at www.kingsoopers.com by either using your loyalty card or alternate ID. Once you have logged in, select My Account and then Community Partners. Search for St. John's Lutheran School or select organization number HM299.


Each purchase made, King Soopers donates to St. John’s. All proceeds go to the Teacher Wish

Our Church Our Church

"We walk together towards renewed hope and life in Jesus Christ."

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Wash Park

St. John's Wash Park campus has in-person worship at 8am (classic-style), 9:45am (modern-style), or join our Livestream at 9:40am (click the link) St. John's Church

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Highlands

Renewal, St. John's Highlands campus: Sundays at 10:00am in-person, or Livestream. (click the link) Renewal Church

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Built for This

The Christian life isn't meant to be lived through a screen — it's a real, embodied thing to be walked together, not consumed like content. This series calls us to move from watching Jesus to following Him, from outsourcing our faith to being truly present with Him and with each other. Because the church wasn't built by convenient people — it's built by those willing to show up, in real life, and help others find their way into the room with Jesus.

Thank you to our St. John's School Platinum Sponsors Thank you to our St. John's School Platinum Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of St. John’s School. Their partnership strengthens our mission and helps us see our Graduate Promise—Grow in Faith, Excel in Education, Thrive in Community—come to life in the lives of more than 300 children each year.


When it fits your family’s needs, we hope you’ll consider supporting the sponsors who pour into our school community and into your children.


Please click on a sponsor for more information.

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Learn about Sponsorship Opportunities here

Are you looking for previous editions of Panther Paw News?

Editions dating back to July 22, 2026, can be found here.

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