Panther Paw News

Thanks to everyone for helping us usher in Autumn with the Fall festival. It's my favorite time of year (as evidenced by my annual grandkid fall photo). I hope you all had fun! Next week the ELC is closed October 14th, 15th and 16th for Teacher's conference and in-service days. We have a lot of Professional Development planned and are looking forward to bringing what we have learned into the classroom! Thank you for honoring this important time for our staff development.

Reminder: The ELC and K8 School are closed Wednesday through Friday next week (October 14-16) for a conference and teacher training. We hope that you have a great fall break!

SUGARlight Photography is offering a make-up day for anyone who missed out on our picture day.

When: Saturday, October 24th OR November 14th

Where: DTC area

The sign-up with details is below.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions!

team@sugarlightphoto.com

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. 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

• A Halloween outing for the whole family!
• Join Renewal Church for Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 31, from 3–5pm. Little ones can come in costume, visit decorated trunks, and enjoy some Halloween fun!

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!

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!

Our 2026-27 ELC School Calendar

• 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

October Menu (whole month)

Monday Lunch: Beef Tacos

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Pinto Beans

Cold Corn Salad

Snack: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffin & Sliced Turkey

Tuesday Lunch: Chicken Paprikash

Whole Wheat Pasta

Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing

Par Steamed Broccoli

Snack: Whole Grain Graham Crackers & Sliced Peaches

Wednesday Lunch: ELC Closed for Teacher Training

Thursday Lunch: ELC Closed for Teacher Training

Friday Lunch: ELC Closed for Teacher Training

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!

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.

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!

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."

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 July 22, 2026, can be found here.