Panther Paw News

We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Jennifer Coggin as our new Early Learning Center Director. Her first official day was Monday, July 20. Dr. Coggin holds a Doctorate of Education in Early Childhood Mental Health and a Master’s degree specializing in Teaching Adult Learners. With this deep background, Dr. Coggin will serve and bless our children, families, and staff with care and capability.

She brings with her over 30 years of experience in early childhood education across both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She is also active on the state-level advocacy, serving on the Healthy Child Care Colorado Pyramid Professional Development Group and the Assuring Better Child Health and Development Policy Council, among other state policy committees.

We are incredibly blessed to welcome Dr. Coggin to St. John’s, and we look forward to the season of growth and joy ahead for our children, families, and staff. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome when you see her!

Come and meet Dr. Coggin Friday, 7/31, in the Community Room.

Drop in any time between 7:30am and 9:00am for coffee and pastries.

ELC CLOSED

ELC CLOSED August 3rd - August 7th for Teacher In-Service Training and classroom prep for the new school year.

Returning Key Cards

If your child will be continuing in the ELC, and/or if you have a younger child who is joining the ELC for the 2026-2027 school year, please keep your cards for the new school year. If your time has come to an end here with us at St. John's ELC, please be sure to return all key cards (2 per household) to your teacher or ELC office. Thank you for your help in continuing to keep our school, students, and staff secure!

Please be aware that if we do not receive your key cards by Friday, July 31st, you will be charged $50/key card, as agreed upon with the key card policy you signed at the start of the school year. Any unreturned key cards will be deactivated, even if your child is continuing onto Kindergarten here at St. John's.

OPEN HOUSE

Our ELC Open House for the 2026-2027 school year will be on Thursday, August 6th, 4-6pm! For families who will be continuing in the ELC the next school year, this will be an opportunity to come in and see your child's new classroom and meet his or her teachers.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are excited to welcome all ELC-8th grade families to our Annual Parent Night on Wednesday, August 19, at 6:30 p.m. This was previously scheduled for August 26.

This evening is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community as we prepare for the new school year. We will share important information for the year ahead, highlight insights and improvements made in response to last year's parent survey, and discuss the vision for St. John's School and the direction we are heading as we continue to grow and strengthen our mission to Grow, Excel, Thrive.

Whether you are new to St. John's or a returning family, Parent Night is an important opportunity to stay informed, ask questions, and partner with us in making this a successful school year for every student.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Because of your extraordinary generosity and commitment to our school community, this past year has seen tremendous growth and milestone achievements. We want to share an exciting update on how your financial support is already making a direct impact on our campus, our educators, and our students.

Locker Room & Facility Updates: $250,000 Raised

At the end of 2025 and the start of 2026, our community rallied together to support our campus infrastructure. Thanks to your incredible support, we met our goal and raised $250,000 to update our locker rooms and offset some costs of prior refurbishments.

• Current Status: The funds are fully secured and ready to go as soon as construction can begin.

• Behind the Scenes: Our Building Committee has been hard at work finalizing designs, selecting quality materials, and laying out construction plans.

• Next Steps: We are currently navigating the permitting and scheduling process and will share timeline updates as soon as work on-site is cleared to start.

The Bigger Picture:

This facility work is part of a greater plan to refurbish our entire school and church campus, creating an incredible, functional space for your and your families. You can already see the level of excellence achieved in our entrance foyer, gymnasium, and middle school hallways. We are excited to push this excellence into every corner of our facility, providing your students with outstanding spaces to grow, excel, and thrive. Information on how you can partner with this transformation will be coming soon.

Spring Auction Success: Putting Your Generosity to Work

This past April, our community came together for our Spring Auction and raised just over $100,000 dedicated to supporting our staff and our tuition assistance programs. Over the summer, those dollars went right to work delivering immediate, transformative impacts across our school:

• Scholarships: Thanks to auction proceeds and matching support, we funded $146,000 in scholarships for the upcoming school year, welcoming 24 students into our community who otherwise wouldn't have been able to attend.

• ELC Staff Bonuses: We distributed bonus checks to our outstanding Early Learning Center staff to say thank you for their dedication and hard work.

• Welcoming Outstanding Leadership & Staff:

  • We recruited Dr. Jennifer Coggin to lead our Early Learning Center into its next chapter.

  • We welcomed Mrs. Selph to our teaching team as our 5th Grade teacher, providing relocation assistance to bring her talent all the way from Hawaii.

• Dedicated Academic Leadership: We transitioned Mrs. Lohmann from 5th Grade into a full-time leadership role. This shift will drive overall teaching and learning excellence while providing dedicated leadership support for our classroom teachers and team members working with children who have extra learning needs.

The Early Learning Center is looking for a Part-Time Office Assistant to support with administrative responsibilities. We hope this person can start at the end of July or beginning of August. The ideal candidate is welcoming and friendly, familiar with computer-based systems, and organized.

We are excited to announce that the PTO is being rebranded as Panther Parents — a parent community focused on supporting our students, teachers, and school through connection and involvement. We would love for you to be part of it!

Please fill out the interest form to join our email list and stay informed about upcoming meetings and volunteer opportunities.

Our 8th grade class is excited to once again offer delicious, farm-fresh Palisade peaches as a fundraiser to help offset the cost of their educational trip to Washington, D.C. this spring. Every purchase directly supports our students, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the trip.

Peach Pricing:

• Full Case: $50
• Half Case: $30

Pre-sales are open now! We encourage you to reserve your peaches early, as they are always in high demand and often sell out quickly.

Thank you for supporting our 8th graders and helping make this memorable educational experience possible. Reserve your box today before they're gone!

Our 2026-27 ELC School Calendar

July 31st - Last Day of ELC 2025-2026 Year & Meet and Greet Coffee with Dr. Coggin 730-9a

August 3rd - 7th - ELC CLOSED; Teacher In-Service/Classroom Prep

August 6th - ELC Open House, 4-6pm

August 10th - 2026-2027 First Day of School for ELC

September 7th - ELC CLOSED; Labor Day

Monday Lunch: Meatballs in Marinara with WW Pasta

Par Steamed Cauliflower & Carrots

Snack: WW Goldfish Crackers & String Cheese

Tuesday Lunch: Veggie & Cheese Quiche

WW Fruit Bread

Hash Browns

Applesauce

Snack: Cheesy Drop Biscuit & Sliced Peaches

Wednesday Lunch: BBQ Chicken Sandwich with WW Roll

Baked Potato

Southern Coleslaw with Vinaigrette

Snack: Cottage Cheese & Sliced Pears

Thursday Lunch: Beef with Mushrooms

Mashed Potatoes

Par Steamed Broccoli

WW Biscuit

Snack: Hummus & WW Pita

Friday Lunch: Turkey & Provolone Cheese with WW Bread

Chickpea Salad

Par Steamed Carrots

Snack: WW Banana Muffin & Yogurt

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

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

St. John's Summer Picnic 11:15am (sign up here)

RENEWAL CHURCH EVENTS: Follow Here

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.

Editions dating back to October 25, 2024, can be found here.