RAIDER REPORTER

Grace Lutheran School

Menomonee Falls, WI

December 17, 2015

Volume 1.3

Spreading Christmas Cheer

By Madeline (8th) & Iyana (6th)
Inside the issue:
Raider Sports
Classroom Updates
Christmas Games
Featured Staff Member
School Events
Jesus Page
School Contest &
Survey

The Christmas season is in full swing,

and these first few weeks of December
have been a blast! Grace had three amazing performances by the school choirs.
They did a fantastic job of spreading the
Good News of our Savior to all who attended.
The 3rd-5th graders performed The
Lone Manger. It was a western theme that
told the story of realizing the true meaning
of Christmas through all of the chaos going on in our lives. God sent Jesus to help
us and save us from our sins.
The 3K-2nd graders performed Christmas in Our Jammies, which told the story
of Christmas while getting ready for bed.
God is always with us and we are reminded of His love especially at Christmas
time. The message of Jesus truly is amazing!

Arts Attack

rate into the art piece. Fifth

grade learned how to mix
primary colors to make new
By Ming (8th) & Sienna (7th) ones. They also learned and
liked how they could make
interesting
3-D effects with the
Art for Grace Lutheran
mixed colors and shapes. Fifth
School has always been a favorgrade liked the way that the video
ite subject to all students. So a
explained all the steps.
couple weeks ago, Grades 5-8
Sixth grade created a customstarted a new program called
ized face drawing of a playing
Arts Attack. As most of you
card. They said that they liked
know, our art program was run
designing their own face card.
by Mrs. Mueller who just retired
They learned new techniques
this past year. We as a student
about making patterns and liked
body loved the way Mrs. Mueller
expressing themselves in their art
taught, and we thought that we
work.
could do a similar program to
Seventh grade worked on
honor the tradition of art at Grace
castle drawings using shading
Lutheran School.
and visual texture. The class liked
This program is a little differthat they got to hang out and
ent than a normal art class. Sturelax while they did their art prodents watch a video that teaches
skills on techniques to incorpo-

The 6th-8th graders closed out the

performances with a bang, performing
Christmas This Year. They showed us a
new perspective on Christmas and how
we can apply the story to our lives in the
modern world. Jesus came down as the
light of the world, and our mission is to
let His light shine through us every day
proclaiming the true meaning of Christmas.
Each program performed by the Grace students shared the story of
Jesus in an amazing and
unique way and has encouraged us all to continue spreading the Good
News to everyone!

ject. They also like the slight challenge within the simplicity of the
project which gave some contrast
to the piece.
The eighth grade class did a
3-D perspective drawing of a landscape scene. They learned about
how to make objects look like it
was coming out of the page. They
also liked the tranquilizing atmosphere that they were in as they got
to relax and draw their landscape
scene.
Overall, our students liked the
new program and hope they can
experience it again. From underwater scenes to our own school
hallways, there is always something interesting to draw and express your feelings on a canvas.

6th Grade Face Cards

7th Grade Castles

Principals Piece

By Jimmy (8th), Sophiah (7th) & Brianna (6th)

Question & Answer Time

with Mr. Gieschen
Q: Do you have any future
events that you could give us
insight on?
A: Two full weeks of Christmas
Break, Lutheran Schools Week
(Jan. 25-29), Jump Rope for
Heart (February), and the upcoming tournaments (The Classic and The Shootout).

Q: What is your favorite area on

the school campus?
A: The learning lab/ bonus room
next to the 3K room
Q: Has the coyote problem been
handled?
A: No sightings have occurred in a
while. Luckily there have been no
close calls. But other communities
are having problems. This issue is
still a hazard.

Raider Reporter

Q: What other careers did you

possibly seek out or pursue
before becoming a principal?
A: A banker, an engineer, a
math teacher, a taco bell employee, and a spring maker.

Featured Staff Member: Mr. Hoeppner

By Jacob (7th) & Calla (6th)
Mr. Hoeppner is the Social
Studies and P.E. teacher for
the middle schoolers. Even
though he likes social studies,
he enjoys P.E. more because
it allows kids to move around
more than in the classroom.
He loves coming up with creative games for kids to play.
Over the holidays, Mr.
Hoeppner will be hanging with
his family, going to his parents
house in Watertown, and
maybe going on a daddy
daughter date. He loves to

watch tennis, football, and soccer.

His role model is his mom who is
always positive and sees the best
in everyone. This helps him stay
calm and not get frustrated easily.
In sports, Mr. Hoeppner admires
Roger Federer and his demeanor
on and off the court. Aaron Rodgers is a close second because he
makes the game look easy, is enjoyable to watch, and says,
Relax! when things get hard.
Mr. Hoeppners least favorite
part about teaching is when he
knows a student is not reaching

his/her potential. His favorite

part is seeing students working
hard, trying their best, being role
models for others, and shining
Jesus light. He says it is a privilege to be a staff member here
at Grace and said this about his
homeroom, There is never a
dull moment!

Nutrition-Health-Happiness
Join Us
For A Lunch
Serving lunch from
11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Monday thru Friday
Salad bar & Hot lunch

Volume 1, Issue 3

Raider Sports

Girls Basketball

a very aggressive sport and

it is fun. Everyone likes to
think of the team as a family. The team works through
the good and bad times together as a family. They are
playing well together and
improving each game.

By Claire (6th)
The teammates of the 5/6
girls basketball team think
that their coach is amazing!
They are amazed that she is
the athletic director and a
teacher. Miss Benter thinks
the girls are very coachable.
A few of the teammates told
me that they joined basketball because a lot of their relatives did it when they were
that age. Most of the team
joined because basketball is

Boys Basketball

7/8 Champs
By Kate (5th)
The 7th and 8th grade girls
basketball love the coaches.
They are great leaders and set
great examples for the girls.
They are extremely fun to work
with and are positive, creative,
and athletic. The teams feel

and hope that they are going to

play well this year because during hard times, they get back
up and push through. Every
mistake the team makes, they
get better. The players are very
positive and have fun playing
with their friends on the team.
They show great sportsmanship and do better when they
listen to each
other and have
fun. Let's give it
up for the
Grace girls that
are going to
rock it this season!

7/8 Boys Basketball

By Jake (6th)
The 5th and 6th boys team has
just starting their season. All of the
nine players were very excited and
couldnt wait for their season to start.
Coach Plopper is the boys coach
along with his dad as the assistant
coach. Coach Plopper is great coach
and is very good at coaching the
boys.
Their first tournament was at the
Living Word Tip-off Tournament.
Their first game was on Thurs-

day, December 3 against Trinity

Jackson. They lost 15 to 29, but
they played great. Their second
game was against Trinity Home
School and they lost 29 to19. Their
third and final game was against
St. John and they lost 27 to 17.
Overall for their first tournament,
they played great. They are all
ready for a great year of improving
and growing in their skills.

GO RAIDERS!

By Be (7th)
The 7th and 8th boys have been
waiting for their season to start since
school started. They have been practicing since early November on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. They
have already played a couple games
and have learned from the experiences
already. This will be the best season
yet, said Jake Miller, a sixth grader on
the team. Our team is fit for the job!
said Be Ware. They won Consolation
at the Living Word tournament and are
looking forward to the Grace Classic in
February.

The Cheerleading Experience

By Claire (6th) & Kate (5th)
From a cheerleader's perspective, the new coaches are nice, funny, and fun.
Some of the cheerleaders have been cheering for a couple years and some
are just starting. They all are excited to cheer at the Shootout and stunt and tumble. One of
the girls said she likes to cheer because meets new friends and gets closer to the girls on
the team. Go Raiders!

Hot Lunch Update

Behind the counter with Mrs. Patty.. Almost all of the ingredients Mrs. Patty uses are freshly made in the morning. Every
morning she gets a list of how many people are getting each
meal that day. The extra food goes into tomorrow's food if possible. Mrs. Patty does NOT like to throw away the food!
Mrs. Patty said everything is going well, and the only complaint is that theres no dessert. The most compliments I hear is
about her mashed potatoes and gravy,
said Gracie Lyczak. Mrs. Patty wishes
that there was a dishwasher to make the
day go by smoother, but everything else
is great. We love Mrs. Patty and hope
she stays for years and years to come!

School Events
Grace Lutheran School

Menomonee Falls, WI

Christmas Break:
December 19-January 3

7/8 Boys and Girls West

Bend Tournament:
January 28-31

December 17, 2015

Volume 1.3

5/6 Boys and Girls

Shootout Tournament:
January 7-10

7/8 girls First Immanuel, Cedarburg Tournament: January

8-10

National Lutheran Schools

Week: January 25-29
By Alex (7th) & Julia (5th)

Do You Have Grace Spirit?

By Calla (6th)

As you probably know, the Grace Shootout is the week we come

back from Christmas break. Friday, January 8 will be a Spirit Day
along with the pep rally.
We also have a new logo for Grace! The teachers along with a
graphic designer came up with five choices, and the students helped
narrow it down to two. These were combined to create the logo you
see here. The first deadline to order this new spirit wear was before
break, but there will be another one in the spring.
All the classes did really well on dressing up for Spirit Day in December. Thank you for supporting the Raiders!!

Jesus Page
By Jackson (8th), Mark (6th), Julia (6th), Lydia (5th) & Madeline(5th)

Devotion:
For God so loved the world that the gave his only beloved son that whoever believes
in him would not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 God has loved us forever and
forgives our sins every single day. We thank him for dying on the cross so that we may
live on earth. God has gave us a miracle, and we
should be thankful for Christmas and the gift that we
got that day. The gift that we got on Christmas is the
best gift that we could ever imagine. On Christmas
our Savior was born, and He gave us the best gift that
we could ever receive. Christmas isnt about the presents or the money. Its about our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. We need to celebrate Christmas the way
its supposed to be celebrated.
Prayer:
Dear God, We ask that you will be with us today and bless the rest of the year. We thank you for the
things that you give us every day and for sending your Son to be born in a manger on Christmas.
Bless us this Christmas season and help us have a good break. In your holy and precious name we

A Few Christmas Quotes

Maybe Christmas is not from the store. maybe Christmas means a little bit more. - Grinch
Its not what's under the Christmas tree that matters; its who is around it. Charlie Brown
The magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in HIS presence!

Prayer Request Column:

Adoration (praise)
Confession (admit faults)

> You are awesome, God!

> For cheating on homework
> For being mean to my brother
> For saying mean words

Thanksgiving (blessings)

> For creating animals

> For healing Leahs grandmother
> For protecting Lydias brother on his trip
> For our family and friends

Supplication (ask for help) > Be with Emilys uncle who is traveling to Afghanistan
>Help heal Angelas dog

Christmas Games
Grace Lutheran School

Menomonee Falls, WI

December 17, 2015

Volume 1.3

By Sarah (8th) & Emily (5th)

JOSEPH
GIVING
MARY
CANDY CANE

ANGEL
SNOW
RED

LIGHTS
TREE
GIFT

JESUS
MANGER
DECEMBER

FAMILY
GREEN
CHRISTMAS

Raider Reporter

CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD

Across
4. We decorate Christmas _____.
6. The manger scene is called the _______.
7. What Jesus was laid in
9. We sing this to praise God
10. We go to ______ on Christmas.
12. We celebrate Christmas with our ________.
13. The wise men brought myrrh, frankincense, and ______.
Down
1. The holiday on which we celebrate Jesus' birth
2. What the Wise Men followed to find Jesus
3. Jesus is God's ______ to us.
5. They came to worship Jesus after they were visited by angels
8. A messenger sent from God
11. The king who wanted to kill Jesus

Volume 1, Issue 3

By Carson (8th)

What does

Tannenbaum
mean?
A. Christmas tree
B. Fir tree
C. Tree with lights
D. Sunshine on a tree
Answer: Borigin means literally fir tree

School Survey
By Eli (8th) & Nathan (6th)

Whats your
favorite?

School Contest

By Kara (7th) & Emma D. (6th)

What was Mrs. Jansens job before she became a teacher?

Airplane pilot?
Finger printer?
Garbage man?
Firefighter?

Captain of a ship?
Train driver?
Navy Seals Officer?
Waitress?
Sucker factory worker? Paper girl?
Farmer?

Only 11 people got it right! Winners will be announced

soon!

An a-MAZE-ing Star in the East!

By Natalie (6th)

CLASSROOM UPDATES
Grace Lutheran School

3K News

Menomonee Falls, WI

December 17, 2015

Volume 1.3

By Matthew (8th) & William (5th)

The Monday/Wednesday/
Friday class includes
Robert Schmit, Maya Froemming, David Howard, Jacob
Bree, Emma Collins, and Ty
Leibham. They are very excited
for Christmas! Their favorite
part of Christmas is to go to
their grandmas and cousins
houses. They really want to
play with toys this Christmas.
Earlier this year they went to a
pumpkin farm and also met the

Fun in 4K!

service dog, Dora. They will be

going to a park and then DQ later this year! They have so far
had a very fun, entertaining, and
exciting year.
The Tuesday/Thursday class
includes Molly Jacques, Nolan
Knuppenburg, Elise Ludin, Matthias Pampalone, Kylie Seider,
Cora Ware, Harper Zirbel, and
Edward Zirbes. They have done
a lot of exciting things this year
including painting, playing dress

By Ivory (7th), Caleb (6th) & Olivia (5th)

The four-year-olds are really
liking their classmates and teachers. They really like when Mrs.
Strehlow does Jesus time and
magnetic tiles. She helps them
learn how to read and does art
with them. They also like the letter of the week.
The 4k classes are having so

Lous Towing and

Service
4305 N. Teutonia Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53209
(414) 445-2355
Loustowingandservice@yahoo.com

Owner: Josh Balsewicz

up, and
riding on
a bus.
They
were really excited when their
grandparents got to come and see
where they got to go to school.
They loved going to the pumpkin
patch as well as seeing Dora the
therapy dog. They are so excited
for Christmas year so they can
celebrate Jesus birthday. They
are counting down the days!

much fun playing with their friends and

doing art. They are all excited for
Christmas when they get to open presents in their pajamas. They liked their
Christmas Program because of the
songs, the hand motions, and that they
got to wear their jammies. They liked
that they got to tell their families about
Jesus.

Kindergarten
Kindergarten has
a lot going on lately. They just got
done with their
Christmas program,
and they all loved
getting to do the
program in their pajamas. On December 9, they had Polar Express day and
they each received
bells and got to
watch the movie.

They have been

making Christmas
presents for their
parents, and all
seem really excited
about them.
Kindergarten has
been reading a lot of
books lately. They
have been reading
the story of Jesus
birth and Elf on the
Shelf, which is about

Grade 1 News
The first graders
love having two
teachers because
both of them are
so special. They

By Sierrah (8th), Madi (6th) & Alex (5th)

elves going to children's houses and
reporting if the kids
are naughty or nice.
They also have been
reading Polar Express, Frosty the
Snowman, and Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer. Their favorite part of Christmas is opening presents, decorating the

tree, decorating
around the house,
and putting up the
tree.

By Keith (8th), Eriana (7th) & Emma C. (6th)

like recess, workshops, art, math, and
social studies.
Theyve been drawing flowers, turkeys,
robots, and self-

portraits and love

spending time with
their sixth grade
buddies.
The teachers
love coming to

school to see their

17 smiling faces
each day. We love
to laugh a lot and
enjoy being their
teachers!

By Chris (7th) & Kaylynn (6th)

The second graders

are having a blast in
their class! Savannah
likes reading, Usif really likes recess, and
Olivia likes math. Nick
liked learning about
landforms, and Payton
enjoyed the narratives
they were writing. The

whole class also liked

learning about matter. A
survey of the class
showed that 4 people
like math, 7 like reading, and 6 like science.
The second graders sure
do have a lot of fun!
When talking
about Christmas, Josh is

looking forward to go
to his grandmothers
house, Travis wants an
Xbox 360, and Mitchell
wants a Nerf gun. They
are all excited for
Christmas break!

THIRD GRADE
The third graders
are very busy in their
class. Many exciting
things have happened
or are coming up. They
just finished their
Christmas program.
Many of them loved
that some people got
to be a speaker, they
got to sing, they got to
wear costumes, and

4th Grade
We asked
some of the fourth
graders some
questions about
their experience in
fourth grade so
far. What are
some of your favorite things you
have done this
year? Some of

By Katie (7th) & Abby (6th)

couldnt be more excited
for Christmas. They are
counting down the days.
They are going to have a
fun party that will include
an ugly sweater contest
and more. Each day they
read a special devotion as
they praise our Savior.
Its very exciting for the
third graders to be upstairs. They especially like

they got to worship

Jesus.
Almost all of
the third graders love
all of their different
subjects. Some specific
subjects are science,
math, art, P.E and religion class. They enjoy
doing fun things in these subjects.
The third graders

By Maddie (7th) & Max (6th)

the girls said that
they like to stay in
from recess and
help out Mrs. Rosenberg around the
classroom. They
also said that Social Studies was
one of their favorite subjects. One
of things that they

What is Going on in 5th Grade?

During our interview with Mrs. Zirbel,
we got some insight
on what its like to be
a fifth grade teacher.
She said they are old
enough to be independent but young
enough to still like
school - and their
teacher! She loves
teaching at Grace

having their own locker!

Having a locker makes
them feel mature and
older. They all enjoy
having their own space
that is all theirs. Third
graders love that they
get to be with their
friends and awesome
teacher, Mrs. Culli.

because of the family atmosphere, her

co-workers, and all
the students. She
also likes her colorful
classroom, the storage space, and the
new SMARTboard.
Her favorite subject
to teach is English
since she really enjoys grammar and

did was making

stamps.
What are you
looking forward to
doing this year?
They all said the
Madison trip. Everyone in the fourth
grade class is
looking forward to
riding the coach

bus and getting to

tour the capital. Another thing
they are looking
forward to doing is
the wax museum.

By Makayla (8th) & Trinity (5th)

writing. Shes looking forward to spending Christmas Eve at her parents

house and Christmas
Day at her in-laws.
The fifth grade students have been working
on many different things.
They include social studies (their big test coming
up right before break),

memory work of the

Ten Commandments
and petitions, and irregular verbs. Fifth
grade has also participated in the Hour of
Code (Minecraft version). They love this
year so far and love
their new teacher.

Whats Happening in 6th Grade?

The sixth graders
are really liking their
teacher, Mrs. Jansen.
They like that she is
organized and has a
sense of humor. Lots
of them also love science with Miss Benter.
Even though school
may be unbearable at
times, the sixth grad-

ers do not feel as if

they are being overwhelmed by homework.
They agree that study
hall this year is very
helpful for getting work
done.
The sixth graders
are also very excited
about the Shoot Out in
January. They love the

fact that theres a

basketball tournament
all for the 5th and 6th
graders. They love
hanging out with their
friends, and it brings
them closer as a
team. The cheer team
is ecstatic to jump
around and cheer on
their home team.

What is New & Exciting in 7th?

For the second
trimester, everybody
is having a good time

8th Grade
Eighth grade: the
last year and the
most exciting year of
a Grace student's
life. The eighth graders have been learning many things such
as the periodic table,
provinces and capitals of Canada, and
algebraic equations.
Coming up soon is
Christmas, so we
asked them what

and learning a lot from

their favorite teacher,
Mr. Hoeppner. Since
it's already the second
trimester and a third of
the school year is
over, kids are already
talking about what
they are going to miss
about Mr. H. and be-

By Sarah (7th) & Rachel (5th)

They are also excited
for pep rallies to get
ready for the games.

Megan & Jake hard at work!

By Cody (8th) & Bryan (5th)

ing in seventh grade.

Sarah says that she
is going to miss Outdoor Ed. Others say
that they are going to
miss their friends.
The class says that
Mr. H. is the best
teacher because he
sings, is the PE

teacher, and brings in

food. In January, the
students are going to
learn about fractions
and decimals in math.
Mr. H. is always happy and excited and
loves sharing his faith.
Teaching at Grace
helps him do that every day!

By Dani (7th) & Megan (6th)

their plans are for
their party. Matthew
said, We are doing
a white elephant gift
exchange. Steven
and Sarah say that
they are excited to
hang out with friends
at the Classic this
year. They love all of
their teachers and
are very excited to
go to high school.
The eighth graders

love all of their friends at Grace and

will miss them, but they are excited
to go to high school and make even
more friends while moving forward
in their education.

Volume 1, Issue 3

Book Recommendations
Clementine

The Donkeys Christmas Song

Author: Nancy Tafuri Book Level:1.6
Ages 3K-5K Students
This book is about how all the animals in the
barn wanted to say hello to Jesus in the manger.
The donkey thought he was too loud, so he was
scared to say hello. So when it was the donkeys
turn to say hello to baby Jesus, the donkey
walked forward and said hello. The baby laughed
and smiled at the donkey. The baby Jesus hugged the donkey
and the donkey was so proud of himself.
I recommend this book because it is a great story that has to
do with Christmas. The 3K-5K students will love all the animals
and the noises that the animals make. I hope you enjoy this story
as much as I have. Have fun reading! Mya (5th)

Travel Team

Author: Mike Lupica

Book Level 5.4 Ages 10-16
This book is about a kid, Danny Walker, who loves the game of basketball
more than anyone else. He is one of the
best passers on the team and is a able to
be creative and get open for easy shots.
A lot of the kids on the team dont like
Danny because of is size, but he is on a
mission to prove himself worthy.
I recommend this because it is an easy
read, and it is very interesting to
learn how this character, Danny
Walker, progresses and is able
to overcome the difficult times.
Nick (8th)

Join the WAC!

Located at:
N91W15700 Falls Parkway
Men. Falls, WI 53051
(262) 255-5700
Mon.Thurs. 5 a.m.11 p.m.
Fri. 5 a.m.9 p.m.

Author: Sara Pennypacker

Book level: 4.5
Ages 7+
This book is about a girl named
Clementine who always gets into
mischief. She tried to help out her
best friend Margret
by cutting her hair
and she gets sent to
the principal's office.
She likes to try to
solve problems, but it
always seems to go wrong. I recommend this book because it is
very funny and exciting to read.
Lauren (6th)

The Crippled Lamb

Author: Max Lucado
Book level 3.2 Ages 9+
There was a crippled lamb that was in a flock of
sheep. His name was Joshua, and he was different
from all of the other sheep. One day the shepherds
were going to lead the sheep to another valley, but
Joshua was to slow to keep up and had
to stay at the stable. That night he woke
up to a baby and a mother. That baby
was the Messiah that everyone had
been waiting for. Joshua was blessed
to be there for Jesus birth. This is a
great book for the Christmas season!

From the Editor: Mrs. Jansen

G RACE L UTHERAN
S CHOOL
N87 W16173 Kenwood Blvd.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
262-251-7140
www.grace-connect.org

Thank you to all my Media students for working hard at this

Christmas edition. Blessings to you all as you celebrate the
true reason for the seasonJesus!
Advertisements

Photojournalists

Delaney (8th)

Steven (8th)

Matthew (7th)

Eliana (8th)

Edison (6th)

Hannah (6th)

Mallory (5th)

Logan (6th)

December Birthdays
Logan Reinke
Rachel Ripke
Nora Schneider
Elliana Knuppenburg
Chase Balsewicz
Megan Howard
Claire Cronce
Daniela Goodwin
Mallory Karrels
Colin Moore
Mya Goodwin
Kaleah Alles
Kara Eggold
Jessica Howard
Jackson McGillivray
Javian Pride
Addison Bushkie
Jesus
Micah Tillman
Eliana Toga
Samantha Scherdin
Makiah Alles
Cora Ware
Keith Schultz
Levi Daub

12/01
12/01
12/01
12/02
12/03
12/03
12/04
12/05
12/06
12/07
12/07
12/13
12/13
12/14
12/18
12/18
12/25
12/25
12/26
12/26
12/27
12/28
12/28
12/29
12/30

January Birthdays
Jonas Hien
Hannah Howard
Rebekah Sterett
Sierrah Stiller
Nathan Zanon
Nolan Knuppenburg
Matthew Holcomb
Christian Eggold
Dominic Zindler
Elizabeth Wheeler
Carter Maltz

01/04
01/04
01/10
01/15
01/17
01/20
01/21
01/22
01/26
01/29
01/30