Jeremy May, Pastor David Birnbaum, Principal Sunday Services: 8:30, 11:00 School: 580-762-9950 Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. website: flspc.org Church: 580-762-1111 E-mail: lutheransecretary@yahoo.com www.flcspc.com Child Care: 580-762-1124 FastDirect: fastdir.com/flcspc

February 11, 2015

CARDINAL CHATTER 2/9-13 Spirit Week (See details below) 2/12 10:00 a.m. Pep Rally & Mini-Cheer

Performance 2/12 Deadline for Talent Show Applications 2/13-15 Topeka Tournament; Go Cardinals! 2/13 First Lutheran Church Salad Luncheon;

$7 (tickets in school & church office) 2/16 No School; Professional Development Day

2/19 Freddy’s Night-FLS PTL 2/19-20 Laugh Out Loud Children’s Pics, PS & PK 2/20 Talent Show, 6:30 p.m., Gym 2/21 FLC&S 90th Celebration, 6:30 – 10:00, YMCA

2/26 Class & Individual Picture Day 2/27 M-W-F Class pic day & Make-up pic day 2/27 Sock Hop

IT’S ENROLLMENT TIME! Re-enrollment papers for current FLC&S families went home in the Chatter last week. If you didn’t get yours, please stop by the office for a new set. Enrollment will open to the public on March 1, 2015. We are once again offering a $200 credit to a current school family account in January of next

year, if you recruit a family that is new to our school with a student in grades 1-5, that remains enrolled through the first semester. The new family must list your name as the person who referred them to First

Lutheran on their enrollment form. If you have any questions regarding the enrollment process, please contact the school office at 762-9950.

PRINCIPAL – Mr. Birnbaum: Our Church will be celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year. We would like to

invite all our church and school families to a party at the YMCA on Saturday - February 21 from 6:30-10 p.m. (Swimming will be available from 7:30-9:30.) Please bring some canned food for our food bank or a free will donation to be used for 90th Anniversary expenses.

SPIRIT WEEK/MINI CHEER: This week is Spirit Week! We are celebrating a great basketball season before we head to our last tournament. Remaining dress up days are: Thursday- Spirit Day (FLS clothes/colors), Friday- Love Day (Hearts/Valentines). Thursday we will also have a pep rally to celebrate and show off our mini cheerleaders! Please join us in the gym at 10 am for the festivities.

LAUGH OUT LOUD PHOTOGRAPHY (PS & PK students): Laugh Out Loud Photography will be here on February 19 & 20 taking photo’s for our Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten families. They only do children’s pictures, and the pictures will be with the theme of “Kool Kids”. If you would like to see an example of their work, visit http://laughoutloudphoto.com/. To preview/order photos of your child, visit their table by daycare February 19 or 20 between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. All children photographed will receive two Child Safety I.D. cards.

TALENT SHOW: Be bold all you talented FLS students! Our annual Talent Show will be held on February 20. Parents & Teachers, we’d love to see your talent as well. Talk to your child’s teacher about an application for the talent show. Applications are due by February 12.

STUDENT COUNCIL: We are once again selling greetings as a fundraiser. We did this at Halloween. We will deliver Valentine greetings on Thursday, February 12th, and Friday, February 13th. Greeting order forms are available in each classroom and in the office, and need to be turned in to classroom teachers and/or the office by 3:30 on Wednesday, February 11. Greetings cost $0.25 each.

ACADEMIC MEET: Many, many thanks to all our parents who were able to drive and help with coaching/monitoring responsibilities at the meet. Our seventh and eighth grade teams took first place in their division and all of our competitors represented FLS very well. Way to go, Students!

CHAPEL OFFERING: Our chapel offerings for February and March will go to “Stand for the Silent”—a non-profit that supports an agenda of kindness and gentleness and non-bullying. FLS has a Stand for the Silent group and they will help us as we promote this program.

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH SALAD LUNCHEON: is Friday, February 13 in the First Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $2.00 for pre-school or below, and are available in the church or school office. Proceeds will be used to sponsor church projects. If you haven’t attended this event before, make plans to attend this year. The food is delicious, there is a large variety to choose from, and the proceeds go to a worthy cause! Grab your Valentine for an early date, and join us for lunch!

FIRST LUTHERAN SCHOOL PTL AUCTION: Mark your calendars now; the date for the auction this year will be April 11, 2015! Please consider helping with the auction; this is the biggest fundraiser of the PTL each year, and it takes a lot of help to pull it off! We are in the midst of gathering donations for the Auction. If you would like to donate something yourself, or if you would be willing to assist with calling or visiting businesses and asking for donations, please contact Michelle in daycare, or the school office and they will get your information to the Auction Committee. Thanks for your help!

MORE AUCTION--Teachers and Homeroom Parents: Our 2015 Spring Auction is Saturday April 11. Class Projects are part of our Live Auction and some of our biggest revenue. Please be in touch with each other to start putting ideas together and get the information to me so we can be sure to not have duplicates. You are welcome to text, call, email, or fast direct me with your project ideas and any questions. Thank you for your hard work!! Darleanna Warnecke, 580-716-1057, lawnpest@poncacity.net

TAX STATEMENTS: If you would like a printout of your payments to First Lutheran during 2014 for tax purposes, please stop by the office/send me a FastDirect-mail/or call the school at 762-9950. You can also print them off yourself by logging into your FastDirect account, scroll down to the bar that says “2007 Tax Year Printout”, change the year to 2014, and click the box that has “Tax Year Printout” in it. (The statement also has our Tax ID # on it that you will need if you are able to write off any of your payments.) Remember that not all payments to FLS are tax deductible, and you should contact a tax advisor to find out what can be written off, and what cannot.

SNOW DAY NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE: In the event that school may be cancelled due to inclement weather, we will again follow Ponca City Public Schools schedule. Listen to your radio during the cancellation announcements, and if Ponca City Schools are cancelled, First Lutheran will be out, also; however, there will NOT be a separate announcement for First Lutheran. If you have any questions, please contact the office prior to the snow day event.

PRE-SCHOOL – Mrs. Herard: I can't believe it is already the middle of February! Time does fly when you are having fun and this week is overflowing with fun as we concentrate on all things Valentine. Our Valentine parties are Th/Fri at 10:15. A paper quilt block should be in your child's backpack with instructions. Sorry, I forgot to send it out last week. Have some fun with it and return as soon as possible for our bulletin board display. Remember, no school Monday. God bless!

PRE-KINDERGARTEN - Mrs. Kelly: Happy Birthday Parker! Thank you to all of the parents that went to the Stephen Fite concert! We had a great time! Our Valentine party is on Friday at 2:30. You may send valentines any day this week. We will not have school on Monday, February 16th. Our Bible words this week are, [Forgive}...as the Lord has forgiven you. Colossians 3:13. We are learning the letter "H" and the number "15" this week. Have a blessed week!

KINDERGARTEN - Ms. Miller: Wow, what a fun spirit week! Dressing up has been great. On Thursday we will wear FLS clothes and on Friday we will wear valentine stuff. The pep rally will be on Thursday to celebrate and show off our mini cheerleaders. This event will be in the gym at 10:00 a.m. for the festivities and parents are welcome. Our valentine party is this Friday at 2:30 p.m. so all parents are invited to come. We have 18 kids in our class and you may bring your valentines any time to school. Have an amazing love week and remember Jesus is love!

FIRST GRADE – Mrs. Birnbaum: Memory verse for Friday - Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." John 6:35. I will be out this Friday - I am taking Madison to her last basketball tournament in Topeka. Thank you Kristen Zimmerman for subbing for me! Valentine Party is on Friday at 2:30, parents are welcome to join us. The children may bring their valentine's to share either tomorrow or on Friday. Book orders are being sent home today. These are due on Friday, Feb. 20. For the 1st grade girls that are performing for the talent show, you will have practice on Sunday from 2-3:30 at the gym. Happy Birthday to Brett on February 13! Have a great 3 day weekend!

SECOND GRADE – Mrs. Powell: I thank God for giving me people to love and people who love me. And especially for His everlasting love for all of us! Be sure to tell someone that you love them. We've been loving all of the dress up days for Spirit Week and our girls are enjoying mini cheer. Thanks, Mrs. Hansen and cheerleaders, for getting us all involved. Thank you in advance for the fun Valentine party this Friday. As always, you are invited to join us. I sent home a class list on Monday for the children to address their Valentines. Our boxes are ready to receive those treasures. Enjoy your extra day off! Blessings. . .

THIRD GRADE - Mrs. Steichen: Love is in the air! The Valentine's boxes are looking great! Thank you so much for all your hard work, the kids are loving seeing everyone. Remember that the party is Friday at 2:30. If you signed up to bring anything, Melissa Wilson has sent a reminder note home. This week: Memory: 3rd Article due on Friday. Spelling and Reading Test on Friday. Social Studies Test on Thursday. Math Test next week. We are about a month from the end of the 3rd quarter, please check grades on FastDirect and ask your child how they are doing with their A.R. goals. Have a great week and Valentine's Day!

FOURTH GRADE - Mrs. Sibley: Praise God for the warmer days we have had and that are coming our way. We are still taking applications for the school talent show through the 12th. We will be auditioning in front of our very own class. Be prepared to have the final version of the act ready. Remember that your valentine’s boxes are due this Friday for the contest. Bring them in covered so we don’t know the true owner when we vote with numbers. The categories for prizes are Most Creative or Unusual, Most Traditional, and Funniest.

FIFTH GRADE - Mrs. Schatte: Tests this week include spelling and reading on Friday. Memory due Thursday is the 6th Commandment and meaning. Friday at 2:30 is our Valentine's party. Please bring a Valentine for each person in the class. Blessings!

MIDDLE SCHOOL 2/12 FLS @ Glencoe; 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 2/13-15 Topeka Tournament; Go Cardinals!

2/24 5:00, Po-Hi Auditorium, Future Freshman Mtg for current 8th Graders

PO-HI 2015/2016 FRESHMAN PARENT MEETING: Future freshman parents will meet at 5:00 p.m. in the Po-Hi

Auditorium on February 24th . Ponca City High School administration and counselors will be presenting important information about pre-enrollment, courses, credits, graduation requirements, AP and Pre-AP classes, and student life at Po-Hi. STUCCO members will be giving tours of the high school following the Parent meeting. All parents in attendance will be eligible for door prizes for their Future Freshman. Teachers will be available in the Commons to answer questions about classes. Coaches will be available in the Commons to give information about sports, and teacher sponsors will be there to talk about clubs/activities.

MathCounts—Alex Lin represented us well at the MathCounts competition in Tulsa this past Saturday. We hope to get a team together for next year. Please consider joining MathCounts for next year.

Mrs. Harbeson: I hope all is well with everyone! We're certainly busy around the middle school! Thanks to Mrs. Hanson and the cheerleaders for "hosting" spirit week this week and also for putting on our mini cheer clinic! The girls will be performing tomorrow at 10:00 in the gym. You won't want to miss it! Our last regular season games are Thursday in Glencoe. Good luck to all our players! We also travel to Topeka this weekend for the last games of the season. Thank you to Coach Redwine, Coach Stangland, Coach Killscrow, Coach Bond, and Mrs. Hanson for all your hard work and dedication to FLS! Middle school Valentine parties will be held Thursday at 2:30. If you'd like to bring treats and/or Valentines to give to friends, please bring them on THURSDAY! Finally, after all the above mentioned activities, we will earn a much deserved break next Monday as we will not have school. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to that extra day to recover! Don't forget to thank God for all the good and "busy" things in your life! Blessings!

Mrs. Hanson: Please join us for our MINI CHEER/ TOURNAMENT PEP RALLY tomorrow at 10 am. 6th Grade just finished a chapter and took a test Tuesday. We will be starting a new chapter next week. 7th Grade is testing today, Wednesday, and will also start a new chapter next week. Fundraising material is out

for MixedBag Designs. These orders are due Feb. 20. We will have our Valentine's party tomorrow, STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE TO BRING SNACKS, they may bring valentines if they wish but must bring one for each student.

8th Grade is wrapping up their chapter on DNA Replication, Transcription, and Translation and will test next week.

Cheerleaders, we need to be in Topeka, dressed and ready to go by 2:30 on Friday. You have been excused from all classes Friday. It is up to you when you wish to depart as long as you are at the gym by 2:30.

Mr. Covert: Another week is halfway done! We’re moving right along, business as usual here in social studies. In 8th grade, we jumped ahead a couple of decades, and are finishing up a chapter on Westward Expansion. We should be on pace to start the Civil War in a couple of weeks. In 7th grade, we’re working our way through the continent of Europe, currently Central Europe. And 6th grade is wrapping up a chapter on Christianity and its spread before we move on to the Early Middle Ages.

I hope everyone is keeping illness at bay! I pray for God to watch over everyone travelling to Topeka this weekend, and to bless everyone’s week richly!

Mrs. Goll: Percents, decimals, and fractions are keeping the 6th & 7th graders busy. Pre-algebra is discovering linear functions. Algebra students are exploring exponential functions. Most students took a test last week or this week. Please ask your child to show you his/her test. Students who are struggling will benefit from a few minutes of study time each evening. God bless you as you Seek Him First!

First Lutheran Church & School—Growing up into Jesus, Reaching out with

Jesus, Walking together in Jesus

LUNCHROOM POLICY REMINDER: For the middle school only…in the revised handbook pages that were handed out during enrollment day, there was a change in the lunchroom policy. Beginning this school year, students in middle school who sign up to eat school lunch, and then don’t, will be charged half price for that meal. Thank you in advance for helping us make sure our cooks are not going to the trouble and expense of fixing food for students who aren’t eating, and then having to throw it all away. If your student(s) does not plan to eat the school lunch, they need to remember to tell their homeroom teacher each morning when the teachers take lunch count, and then they will not be charged.

PASTOR’S ARTICLE:

I remember a time in school, not long ago. I was rushing to finish three separate papers and a presentation. I’d been feeling a sort of tightening in my chest. But I also had (what I thought was) a Godsend. Some of my classes for the day had been canceled. So when my early class let out at 9:30, I headed straight for the library to get some work done. Halfway across campus… the big bell rang, “DING…DING…DING.” Just like it does every day at 9:30.

I immediately felt guilty. I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT CHAPEL. How could I have forgotten about God? I’m studying at the Seminary for crying out loud. I mean, the papers I was finishing surely had something to do with the Bible. And yet here was God…calling me through the bell. “DING…DING…DING.” And it began to sink in what He was saying to me. “You can come to Me for rest. You know that tightness in your chest? Yeah…you’re not going to get that to go away by doing more stuff. Working right through chapel… that’s not going to help you any.” In other words, “Don’t just do something…sit there.” I had forgotten.

We need to take time out to remember all of the gifts God has given us…including the gift of time away from routine life!

What gifts has He given us? Well let’s take a look at what we do on a “Sabbath,” let’s take a look at what happens in a small group or Bible study. For one, we pray. God has given us the gift of prayer. We get to talk to God. The Creator of the Universe actually wants to hear what we have to say. That’s what kind of God He is for us. Have you had a bad day? Do you need to unload the week? Have you filled every waking minute, trying to be productive…all so you can get this weight off your chest? Well, take just a moment. Close your eyes. Stop using your hands and fold them. “Don’t just do something…sit there.”

We’re also surrounded with fellow believers. There is a great cloud of witnesses around us! God doesn’t want you to go it alone. That’s what kind of God He is for us. Do you feel like you’re all by yourself? Do you feel like it’s just you against the world? Show up and take a quick look around. God says, “Don’t just do something…sit there.”

So is church or a family devotion time one more thing I have to add to my list? Nope. It’s where I get to unload my list. Is it one more place where I have to struggle to feel like I belong? Nope. It’s where I go to see just how certain it is that I’m not alone. Is this all one more burden to bear… one more thing to feel guilty about doing or not doing? Nope. It’s where God’s Word and forgiveness come to me. So maybe I’ll see you there. Can you believe it? We get to set all of this aside for a bit. We get to spend time with God.

When we take time off to rest, we do better. This is true on a basic physical level. It is also true spiritually. When we live and work in the world… with God close to our hearts and minds… we look forward to our time alone with Him. When we spend time alone with Him, we look forward to reflecting that peace and joy out into the world. Sometimes we need to remember: It’s not a waste of time…don’t just do something… sit there!

Blessings, Pastor Jeremy May

Sports spotlight Name:____Ashana Patel_____

Sports:___Basketball My hero:__Colin Kaepernick

When did you start playing? I started in 6th grade.

Nate and Kate told me to, but now I like it.

My parents always told me… Be successful in life.

Sports memory: Me making 3 points in a game.

Future plans: Be a dentist; Be good in basketball

Pet peeve:When people think they are better than anyone else.

Favorites

Food: Frito Chili Pie

Restaurant: Mahogany’s TV Show: “Hart Dixie”

Movie: Divergent Place to dwell: My house

Artist/Song: “Blank Space” Subject: PE

Most embarassing moment:

Getting pantsed in the hallway at NOC camp. Quotation: Play like you’ve been there before, even if you haven’t

Bible Verse: I can do all things through Christ who

strengthens me.

Name:_____Triston Cunningham__ Nickname:_T-Dog__

Sports: Basketball, soccer

Person I would most like to meet: K.D.

My parents always told me… Never quit if you mess up.

Most embarassing moment:

When I shot a free throw and air-balled it.

Favorites

Subject: Basketball

Restaurant: Braums

Food: Chicken Strips

Place to dwell: Gym (YMCA)