Hello Concordia,
How many times have we been asked, or asked, the opening question at the dinner table, “What did you learn at school today?”
Learning is a lifelong task and Jesus himself set the example for us. At age twelve, Jesus is sitting among teachers in the temple, listening to them and asking them questions. At the height of his career, he tells a group of His disciples, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.” Then we see Him in the final excruciating hours of His life on earth, when “he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Jesus was a lifelong learner.
The Concordia faculty and administrators will be engaged in learning at our upcoming Connections Conference sponsored by the Lutheran Education Association (LEA) and the LCMS districts of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. We are convening in Fort Wayne, Nov. 21-23 at the Grand Wayne Center, with 1300-plus colleagues from our Lutheran preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. This will be a very exciting time with friends, colleagues, and fellow brothers & sisters in Christ! Additional highlights of the conference include the participation of our A Cappella Choir in the opening worship service and a handful of our CLHS staff leading workshops for other teachers and administrators attending the conference.
Throughout the school year, CLHS teachers and administrators are engaged in lifelong learning. Some of our courses include training sessions required for teaching/administration licensure, classroom management, social/emotional development, spiritual growth, and content subject areas for the courses we teach. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, many of the workshops and conferences that educators attend are resuming in person. Like students, us older folk in school, learn better with others, in person. The teacher conferences we attend help us in our ministry of teaching, understanding, and supporting students and their families.
This past summer, Mr. Brackmann completed a two-year program titled, “Future Administrator Candidate Training” (FACT) with other young, up-and-coming administrators of Lutheran high schools in the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS). Congratulations Mr. Brackmann! Ms. Behrendt and Mrs. Underwood attended summer institutes for the Advanced Placement courses which they teach.
I love to learn and my love of learning has been a tremendous asset in my evolution as an educator through the roles God has called me to be as a teacher, coach, director, and school leader. I recently completed a year-long program titled, “Principal 360,” which was organized by the Chicagoland Lutheran Education Foundation, a group similar to our Lutheran School Partnership of NE Indiana. During my work with Principal 360, I was mentored by a former superintendent, and worked closely with LCMS school leaders from a variety of schools throughout the USA.
During this school year other teachers and leaders in our school have plans to participate in other formal studies and programs to expand their learning, skills, and understanding.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Go Concordia!
Pat Frerking,
Principal