January pacer news

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January 2014 / Special Edition: Building on Excellence!

I continue to marvel at the partnerships that exist that make Shoreland Lutheran High School possible for families in our congregations, the communities that lie within reach of our campus, and for families in Korea and China. In this issue of the Pacer News, dedicated to the Growing in Grace Campaign and related programs, I want to take time to recognize some partnerships that have been formed specifically to help meet the goals of the Growing in Grace Campaign and the new STEM Academy.

The goals of the Growing In Grace Campaign are to raise $3.8 million to construct three state of the art Science labs/classrooms, a room specifically designed for our new STEM Academy, additional rest rooms, an additional new classroom, renovate the current Science classrooms into general classroom space, expand our SEE Center, and improve our current facility. Pretty ambitious goals! Pretty ambitious indeed! When this project was proposed about 2 years ago, it was met with some skepticism. How would Shoreland manage such a project financially? Why would we want to do this now, when many private and parochial schools are struggling to make ends meet? The Lord has provided the perfect partnerships to make all of this happen.

Key Partnerships: • Mike Brauer and the Mcdonald/Schaefer team

who have played a major role in helping to identify people who would be willing to support this campaign with their financial treasures. The Lord has blessed this partnership by moving his people to pledge or gift almost $3.0 million of the $3.8 million needed to finance this expansion.

• Dave Riley (Bethany, Kenosha) and Eugene Perry (Mt. Zion, Kenosha) who have contributed their time and expertise to help devising and monitor the planning stages of

this campaign. The members of our federation can be 100% confident that all things are in order with these two partners involved.

• Joe Clark, lead architect on our project from Groth Design. It has been a pleasure partnering with him in designing a plan that will serve SLHS extremely well for years to come.

• Bill Strutz (Epiphany, Racine) for his role in helping us plan for our new STEM Academy. He is not only involved in the planning of the academy but has also offered to volunteer 20 hours a week to play a major role in helping us develop community partnerships that will provide amazing opportunities for our students.

• The SLHS team of Jason Lowrey (Dean of Academics), Drew Willems (Director of Technology), and our Science guys - George Povich, Dan Schulz, and Kevin Zimmerman, and the SEE Center team of Jody Denzin and Carol Hermanson. Each has partnered to design new education space in a way that will create an optimal learning environment for our students.

When you take the time to reflect on these partnerships, and the great things that God does through them for His Kingdom, you can’t help but react like the apostle Paul did when he thought about his partners in ministry. He said, “3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Mr. Paul Scriver, Principal

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Compelled by the love of Christ to educate, equip, and encourage students for lives of Christian service.

Shoreland’s New Science Wing:

•STEM Program (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) •Physics/Environmental Classroom •Chemistry Classroom •Biology Classroom

Ready for the 2014-2015 School Year

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Growing in Grace: The Campaign to Build on Excellen ce The campaign is designed to fund a $3.8 million building expansion and renovation. The expanded and renovated facility will help us meet the high expectations of parents and students. Our goal is to have pledges and gifts that equal the $3.8 million by the scheduled completion date of the project, August 1, 2014. To date, the Lord has blessed the campaign with pledges and gifts of just over $2.9 million. This leaves us in a great position to expand our facilities and offer major upgrades to our current facility without any long term debt. Thanks be to God!

Key Partners of Building on Excellence

Expansion and Renovation Details The plan includes: • 3 state-of-the-art Science Classrooms and Labs. These are designed

to create an optimal learning environment for up to 24 students at one time. These rooms will be equipped with the latest technology and tools needed for teachers to instruct and students to learn.

• A dedicated room for our new STEM program. • Three additional classrooms. • An expanded SEE Center which will include more space

for individualized instruction and remedial help. • Restrooms. • Installing much needed insulation and vapor barriers in

the current facility. • Electrical upgrades. • Fire and security upgrades.

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“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To

him be glory both now

and forever! Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18


Bill Strutz STEM Industry Advisor

Dave Riley Steering Committee

Eugene Perry Steering Committee

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A trend has been noticed the last four years at SLHS. More students are graduating with the intent to go into nursing and engineering. With that in mind, last year the faculty and the Board of Directors decided to partner with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and offer STEM classes.

STEM stands for Science, technology, Engineering, and Math. PLTW is the leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM education curricular programs across the US. STEM education is at the heart of today's high-tech, high-skills global economy. STEM education programs engage students in activities, projects, and problem-based learning.

PLTW curriculum is founded in the fundamental problem-solving, and critical thinking skills taught in traditional career and technical education, but integrates national learning standards and STEM principles creating a model for 21st Century career and technical education. The hands-on project-based engineering courses engage students in multiple levels and expose them to areas of study that they typically do not pursue. This can provide students with a foundation and proven path to college and career success.

The construction on a new SLHS

science wing is an opportune time to begin the program as a dedicated classroom will be available. Also Mr. Bill Strutz, an engineer with Insinkerator will be our STEM Industry Advisor. He will help recruit students for the program, build partnerships between SLHS and industry, and help to mentor students active in the STEM program. The new 1:1 initiative at SLHS will increase opportunities for problem solving and encourage students in critical thinking skills across the curriculum. Mr. Andrew Willems will be our first instructor leading the initial class entitled, "Introduction to Engineering Design" (IED). IED is designed for 9th and 10th grade students. However, as SLHS gets the STEM curriculum underway, we will allow 11th and 12th graders to fill the remaining seats. The major focus of IED is the design process and its application. Through hands-on projects, students apply engineering standards and document their work. Students use 3D modeling software to design solutions to proposed problems, and communicate solutions to peers and members of the professional community.

If you have any questions about getting your son or daughter enrolled in classes, or if you would have any expertise and like to assist in any way, please contact our STEM Director, Dr. Jason Lowrey ([email protected]).

-Mr. Andrew Willems,

Director of Technology


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The Shoreland Educational Excellence Center (SEE Center) was started in 2008 to assist Shoreland Lutheran High School in carrying out its mission to EDUCATE, EQUIP, and ENCOURAGE students for lives of Christian service. This Christ focused learning environment is designed to help students who need or desire academic support or enrichment. The SEE Center provides instruction for any student who needs educational support or enrichment to achieve independent learning at the highest possible level.

A center such as this helps our students to discover and employ their God-given abilities to the fullest extent. We pray that the SEE Center will help parents and students of our federation and community to see Shoreland as a viable option. We currently service 54 students whom we identify as Tier 1 students. During their time in the SEE Center they have access to one-on-one tutoring, small group instruction and review, and homework assistance. When necessary, educational accommodations such as shortening assignments, and

reading tests to students are provided. Expanding the SEE Center and having an enclosed office space in the room is a very exciting aspect of the expansion project. It will allow us to easily provide these services for the Tier 1 students. It will also enable us to help more Tier 2

students with the extra room. These are the students who need occasional help during their study halls and are welcome to come to the SEE Center. A larger room will also help us to accommodate more students in the after school study time from 3:00 to 4:00pm. With a larger room, there are many possibilities to grow the SEE Center to provide for many more students and their needs. The SEE Center has been and continues to be a blessing for many.

- Mrs. Carol Hermanson, SEE Center

horeland ducational xcellence

Mrs. Jody Denzin SEE Center Director

Mrs. Carol Hermanson SEE Center

A center such as this helps our

students to discover and employ their

God-given abilities to the fullest extent.


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What makes a great science education? Psalm 111 reminds us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” God tells us in 2 Peter, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” A great science education is one that is centered on the Christ; and where He is glorified through the study of His magnificent creation. At Shoreland, Jesus has been the focal point in the science classrooms for over forty years – and “thanks be to God” for that! “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands”, and we will continue to echo that in our science classrooms. Certainly we can faithfully do that without building a brand new science wing on the school. Yet, we eagerly await the blessings and opportunities

that updated science classrooms will allow. One reoccurring theme throughout our science curriculum is “Safety First.” Standards for what is considered “safe” have been developed for high school science labs. By comparing our current facilities with the recommendations for a “safe” lab, one can easily see the need for new rooms. The following compares what is recommended (R) for safe science labs vs. what we currently (C) have at SLHS: R – Student workspace in a combination classroom/lab should equal 60 ft2 minimum per student C – Overcrowding is an issue – only 39 ft2 per student R – There should be a minimum of 36" of space between desks and between desks and cabinets, and ample space between lab stations. C – There is no separation between desks and lab tables/cabinets. In order to have lab, desks must be pushed out of the way.

R – Exhaust fans should handle one complete air change (ACH) in less than five minutes. A ventilation system should remove the air a minimum of eight air changes per hour or 3,200 cubic feet per minute (cfm). C – Labs have very poor ventilation and/or ventilation that is not separate from the rest of t he school. Most of the school knows when a “stinky” experiment is going on. Only one of the three science labs has fume hoods. The exhaust fan in the chemistry lab does not adequately exchange all the air in the room (a smoky demonstration sticks around for the rest of the class period). R - Plan for at least one handicap accessible workstation. C – No handicap accessible workstations R – Electrical outlets should be GFI protected. C – No GFI protection C – Electrically under-equipped rooms – must limit the number of hot plates we use, or the circu it breaker kills the power on us. R - Large sinks are a must. C – We have tiny sinks that are not handy for much besides drainage. R -OSHA and ANSI compliant safety units C – None of the classrooms have safety showers. R - Master/Emergency cut-off valves for gas, water, and electrical C – There are no easily accessible master/emergency cut-off valves.

R - Gas at each lab station. C – The physical science lab has an insufficient number of gas jets. R – Ample/dedicated/ventilated space for safe chemical storage, and general storage. C – The current chemical storage areas do not have adequate ventilation. The primary chemical storage areas has also been “overrun” by the school’s phone system and solar water heating system.

At Shoreland, Jesus has been the focal point in the science

classrooms for over forty years – and “thanks be to God” for that!

One reoccurring theme throughout our science curriculum

is “Safety First.”

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1:1 means 1 to 1; educationally every student at school has their own electronic device available for them in every class at any time. Currently Shoreland has 307 students enrolled and 78 computers available for them to use. As curriculum changes in Shoreland, students are being asked more and more to create content and not just read and fill out worksheets.

Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, all Shoreland students will be required to bring a Chromebook to school with them every day. A Chromebook is so named because it has no operating system. Instead, it is based on a Linux kernel and runs entirely in the Google Chrome Browser. This allows the Chromebook to have only a small fan as a moving part. There is no hard drive as there is no operating system to install. This also means there are no programs to install and run on the Chromebook. Everything you do is Browser based. Consequently, there are no boot-up issues with the operating system. There are no issues with program conflicts or viruses. This means actual time spent maintaining a Chromebook is almost nothing.

Chromebooks easily integrate Google Apps for Education (GAFE). Shoreland has used GAFE for three years. It is how email is hosted. Documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings are made in GAFE. It includes many other items, some of which are forms, calendars, groups, maps, and contacts which are unique to Google. It

seamlessly integrates with YouTube, Blogger, Lucid Charts, Wallet, and many more websites.

An electronic device is not a magic bullet. It doesn't automatically mean test scores will rise. It does not mean student engagement is higher. It does not mean that every teacher will have the students on their device for every class every day. What it does mean is that a new tool is available for learning at any time. A student needs a device as project based

learning is implemented. Students collaborate to solve problems and think critically about real world situations. More importantly, students make content to help think about and solve problems. The students research information, find data, compare and analyze possible solutions and then make or present the solution. All this is easily done

in the information age we live in when a student controls their own research and makes an artifact to demonstrate what they have learned.

As you can see, education has changed dramatically in the last 25 years. However, teachers at Shoreland are still concerned about the spiritual welfare of each family and will strive to make each student grow academically under the guidance of Christ.

-Mr. Andrew Willems, Director of Technology

Beginning in the 2014-15 school year

all Shoreland students will be

required to bring a Chromebook to school with them every day.

Great teaching and learning can take place just about anywhere, and with the Lord’s blessing it does every day at SLHS- even in our aging science classrooms. Yet, having up-to-date and well-equipped facilities will go a long way in making what we do here even better. Having the

safety of our students as a top priority, and wanting to give them a world-class education – we look forward, with eager excitement, to the blessing of the new science wing. - Mr. Daniel Schulz, Science


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__________

Phone: 262-859-2595 / fax: 262-859-2783 / email: [email protected] or [email protected]

9026 12th Street - PO Box 295 ————————————

Somers, Wisconsin 53171

Keeping God’s creation clean is a priority of our basketball program. Before the snow started to fly the girls and boys of our basketball teams collected garbage along a stretch of hwy 50. A fun day was had by all!

In November, the Student Council hosted a blood drive. 60 people signed up to donate and we had 39 successful do-nations. If you would like to participate, the BloodCenter of Wisconsin will be at Shoreland again on March 3, 2014, from 8am-1pm. Look for information in your church bulletins as the time gets closer.

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