Singing Schedule:
Kindergarten and 1st grade will sing on January 25 at the 8 am service.

Jr. Choir will sing on Thursday, January 29 at the 6:30 service

Jr. Choir will also sing on Sunday, February 8 at the 9:00 service at Good Shepherd

Friday Dress-Up Day:
Friday, January 23 will be a red, white, black day.

Chapel Piano players for 1/26/26: Somaya and Ezekiel

No School:
There is no school tomorrow Monday, January 19.

Winter apparel:
Please remind students that it is cold out and that having coats, gloves, hats, and possibly even boots is important. We do go outside as long as the weather permits.  It is always easier to remove layers than to sit and wonder why they didn’t bring an article that keeps them warm.

Call meeting:
At the call meeting last Sunday, a divine call was placed to Mr. John Schleis.  He is currently teaching at St. Paul’s in North Fond du Lac WI.  Please keep Mr. Schleis and his family in your prayers as he deliberates where he can serve the Lord best.

Kindergarten Round-Up:
On Monday, February 23, 2026,  we will be holding our annual Kindergarten Round-Up.  This date is different from the school year calendar due to a scheduling conflict.  The event will run from 6:00-7:00.  It is an opportunity for new Kindergarten parents and students to meet and greet the faculty of the school.  If you know of a family that has a child that would be in Kindergarten next year, please encourage them to be part of this Round-up and learn more about the importance of Christian elementary education.

Mission offering:
Quarter 3 mission offering starts tomorrow.  We collected $53.85 of our $500.00 goal this week.  This puts us at 25% of our goal.  Let us continue to show our gratitude to our Lord as we support this mission over the coming weeks.
Excerpt on the work here:  The center of Madison is expected to grow by 200,000 in the future years, with many residents seeking an urban lifestyle. A core group of 14 adults familiar with the area, has been working together since 2022, meeting regularly for Bible study and ministry planning, and has also secured a rental space for worship and community activities.  Twenty prospects have expressed a strong interest in learning more about this new mission.  A new mission plant in the center of urban Madison would allow WELS to reach an entirely new demographic.

LLHS Fine Arts Festival–Grades 5-8 (and 4th Grade Band):
The time has come for us to begin preparations for Lakeside’s Fine Arts Festival. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for our 5-8th graders to showcase their God-given musical talents. All 5-8th graders are REQUIRED to be present as our Junior Choir performs. Our band students will also perform as part of St. Stephen’s Band at the festival.

The Fine Arts Festival is a two-day event. On Saturday, April 11, the choir and band will perform two pieces for the judges. On Sunday, April 12, the choir and band will perform in an afternoon concert with the other schools. The times for that concert and the Saturday performances are not set until March.

Along with the band and choir, some of our students also perform in individual/small group events for judges on Saturday, April 11th. These events can be performed as solos, duets, or ensembles. Students may perform in up to four individual/small group events:

-5-8th grade piano students are REQUIRED to perform a piano piece.

-4-8th grade band students are REQUIRED to perform an instrumental piece.

-All 5-8th graders are eligible to sing a vocal piece, but this is not required of anyone.

For the next few weeks, Mr. Barnett will work with the students to determine what events they will be a part of. Then, he will send home a final permission slip listing all events the student has signed up for.

If your child cannot be present for one or both days of the festival, please let Mr. Barnett know as soon as possible. 

More information will come on the permission slip, and the day schedules for the 11th and 12th will be released in March.

Upcoming Events:
Monday, January 19, No School
Wednesday, January 21, Boys Basketball Practice (3:30-5:00)
Thursday, January 22, Girls Basketball Practice (3:30-5:00)
Friday, January 23, Home Basketball games (5-BGirls, 6-BBoys, 7-ATeam)

St. Stephen’s School Mission:
St. Stephen’s Lutheran School will offer a Christ-centered education to all students. We will instruct them in the Word of God, educate them in secular subjects, train them to become responsible citizens in our community, and prepare them for their eternal victory in heaven when they die. We will do this by holding Jesus and his love before them each day by appropriately using law and gospel as we instruct and discipline.   

Please remember that if you need assistance with anything that you can reach out to the teachers and leaders of St. Stephen’s.  You can also find answers to some questions on the website: www.ssbdwels.com