Academics and meaningful lessons blended
By Pastor Jonathan Buescher, Zion Lutheran School, Mount Pulaski

[March 01, 2021]  It has been a different year at Zion Lutheran School in Mount Pulaski, as it has been for every school. We are blessed to have had classes in person for almost the entire year so far, and we have developed a new appreciation for meeting face-to-face! There is something very human and therefore very meaningful about being in the same room with other people.

It has been evident that learning happens better in person, but we have always tried to inculcate more than just academic success. Our goal at Zion has been to train up godly people that can contribute to our churches, workplaces, and communities in positive ways. You need a good education to accomplish that, but you also need good character and a servant heart.

Making cards

C.A.R.S. award

Of all the things that we want the community to know about Zion, this year we wanted to highlight some of the ways in which we foster a love for helping others. One way is our C.A.R.S. award. Each week at chapel we get to sing, pray, and learn about Jesus. We also take the time to celebrate students’ successes in kindness and generosity. That is something which is so important, but doesn’t always show up on a report card. Caring Acts of Random Service (C.A.R.S.) is a way to recognize two students each week as they are “caught” by a staff member or another student going above and beyond to be helpful and kind.

Card

We also gather an offering during chapel that we give away to a different group each month. Sometimes it is a local cause, and other times we try to help people on the other side of the world. It helps remind us to be grateful of everything that we have, so that we can be a blessing to others.

Over the years we have tried to make service projects an integral part of our program.

Pre-COVID nursing home visit

One long-standing tradition has been for students to visit the residents of our local nursing home during the week.

Nursing home visit Christmas 2021

Nursing home visit Christmas 2021

That has not been possible this year, but we were able to give a “Christmas parade” to those residents through the windows. The students were so excited to be able to share Christmas with the residents. And the residents were so grateful; many happy tears were shed!

Senior citizen breakfast

Quilt making

Some other ways to serve our community have been through senior citizen breakfasts, gifts for servants in our community, making quilts, and cards we’ve made for shut-ins and veterans. The students love to make cards and send them out to brighten up someone’s day.

These are some of the things that we believe are essential to the formation of godly people and productive citizens. We value good academics, but also good character. As ideas about education change over time, Zion has been and remains committed to teaching our young people, faithfully, according to God’s Word.

We believe that God’s truth about the world around us and what it means to be human does not change. Jesus became our servant to give us forgiveness, life, and salvation through his death and resurrection. And now we have an amazing opportunity to serve those around us, and it is such a privilege to see our students learn and serve together.

For more information about Zion Lutheran School in Mount Pulaski, you can visit us online at zionmp.org or fb.com/zionmpil or call 217-792-5715.

 

Read all the articles in our new
2021 Education Magazine

Title CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES	Page
Educating in a most challenging year	4
A preschool that is exciting, educational and engaging	5
Local educators creating practical math	6
The efficacy of remote learning	9
Differences in college education during the pandemic	13
Changing the social dynamics of education	19
School resource officer makes positive impact	24
What's a dog doing in school?	26
Academics and meaningful lessons blended	31
The return of school sports	35
Logan County School profiles	38