The 2018-2019 school year ended on May 16, 2019. Both the children and their teachers welcomed the conclusion of the year after nine months of being together teaching and learning the prescribed school curriculum. The most important blessing is that each day all the children had the opportunity to hear the Word of God, pray together, and enjoy all the blessings of being in a Lutheran Christian school surrounded by Christian staff members, classmates, and Christian symbols surrounding them. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
The 2018-19 school year marked the first full year that our wonderful facility was being used full time to spread the love of Jesus to children from our congregation and community. Instead of teaching 3, 4 and 5 year-olds for three hours a day for 144 days, our facility and staff offered the blessing of Christian education and care to these same children 10 ½ hours for 250 days. Last summer we provided Child Care and Enrichment to ten children. This year there are 16 enrolled already. Last year our preschool class numbered ten children. This past year we served nineteen children. Our primary school K-2 grew to eleven children this year. Next year we will be offering the third grade.
All this was accomplished by God through a dedicated and very capable staff of teachers and care-givers and a host of volunteers. At our Honoring Ceremony on May 15, forty-one volunteers from our congregation, our school parents, and community members were recognized. These individuals assisted as teachers, office staff, teacher assistants, chapel leaders, School Board members, lunch room helpers, program assistants, student volunteers, and other miscellaneous services. In all, these volunteers gave at least 2,300 hours of valuable service to the children and teachers during this past school year. Without them, Bethesda Lutheran School and ELC would have failed the children and their families. Because of them, we were blessed immensely.
What will the future bring? Summer child care and enrichment began on May 28 with an enrollment of nearly twice as many as last summer. Two classrooms and the multi-purpose rooms will be utilized five days throughout the summer. The staff has developed an ambitious Vision for the Future, and they are committed with the Lord’s blessing to building a stronger school and early learning center that reaches more children and their families in an even more effective way. Thank you, members of Bethesda, for caring for the families and children in our congregation and the greater Hot Springs community for your prayers and for providing the resources to growing the family of believers in Jesus. Jesus spoke these words to the people of his time, and he says that also to us today, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke
18:16
Together we are doing the Lord’s work for now and for eternity.
Kenneth Palmreuter, Principal
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