Homecoming week celebrations planned

Lakeside Lutheran High School announces its Homecoming activities and events for 2020, beginning with all-school activities on Monday, September 28 and ending with the football game planned for Friday night, October 2.

The 2020 Homecoming Court includes two representatives from each of the freshman, sophomore and junior classes, and four representatives from the senior class. Members of the court include freshmen representatives Ella Ristow and Alex Reinke, both from Watertown; sophomore representatives Marissa Duddeck, Whitewater, and Japheth Yahnke, Watertown; junior representatives Ketia Vater, Watertown, and Jesse Schultz, Columbus; senior representatives Stephanie Schafer, Lake Mills, and Devin Splinter, Ixonia; and Queen Grace Seim, Beaver Dam, and King Graham Hatcher, Oconomowoc.

Members of the Lakeside Lutheran 2020 Homecoming Court include (couples seated in front L-R) junior reps Jesse Schultz, Columbus, and Ketia Vater, Watertown; sophomore reps Marissa Duddeck, Whitewater, and Jay Yahnke, Watertown; (standing at left) senior reps Stephanie Schafer, Lake Mills, and Devin Splinter, Ixonia; (seated back) freshman reps Ella Ristow, Watertown, and Alex Reinke, Watertown; and (standing at right) Queen Grace Seim, Beaver Dam, and King Graham Hatcher, Oconomowoc.

Lakeside will celebrate homecoming with student activities throughout the week of September 28-October 2, both during the school day and after school. The theme for this year is “Holidays.” Students have opportunity to wear clothes during the school day that reflect Halloween, 4^th of July and Christmas on various days. While some traditional activities have been scaled back or eliminated this year, students will participate in class-centered competitions including powder puff football and boys volleyball. A pep rally, skits and a talent show are planned for the end of the school day on Friday, when the Homecoming queen will also be officially crowned. Various sporting events are scheduled after school each day of the week except Wednesday.

The varsity football team is preparing to play Luther Prep at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Warrior Dance Team will perform its halftime routine and the court will be introduced to the limited crowd in attendance (pre-reserved attendance tickets are required for entry into the stadium). A special feature prior and during the football game is the presence of Charlie’s food truck, a Lakeside family-run professional concessions stand that appears at fairs and exhibitions across the country, including the Wisconsin State Fair. The truck will be serving hot food outside the stadium in lieu of the grilling traditionally done by the parent volunteer Warrior Club concessions program.

For anyone without an attendance ticket who wishes to follow Warrior sports, all home games will be livestreamed at livestream.com/llhslive and radio broadcast on either 940 WFAW or KOOL 106.5

Lakeside Lutheran designated “Grief-Sensitive” school

Lakeside Lutheran High School has been designated a “Grief-Sensitive School” by the New York Life Foundation, receiving a $500 Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative grant to help create a bereavement support plan and encourage ongoing staff development in order to better support its grieving students.

Schools confront issues of grief and loss every day: 1 in 14 U.S. children* will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. Studies show that unresolved grief can have a social and emotional impact on children, leading to behavioral issues and poor performance in school. Yet educators often feel under-prepared to lend support to their students, with the vast majority of teachers reporting they have not received any bereavement training.

Agent and Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative Ambassador Jenny McAdow of New York Life’s Wisconsin General Office, presents a $500 Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative grant check to [L-R] Lakeside Lutheran Guidance Director Andy Rosenau, Principal James Grasby and Executive Director Kirk DeNoyer. The grant will be used to support bereaved students and their families in the school community.

The Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative – a pioneering effort that utilizes New York Life’s workforce to help equip local schools to care for the grieving students in their midst – is an extension of the work of the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, a collaboration among leading K-12 professional organizations to develop and deliver best-in-class grief support resources to educators. For more information about Lakeside Lutheran High School, contact Principal Grasby at 920-648-2321 or visit llhs.org.

*Results from the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) developed by Judi’s House/JAG Institute www.judishouse.org/CBEM.

Seniors receive National Merit Scholarship Program recognition

Two Lakeside Lutheran High School seniors have been recognized by the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Lydia Buxa

Lydia Buxa, Oconomowoc, has been named a Semifinalist. Daughter of Greg and Linda Buxa, she is one of 16,000 Semifinalists throughout the U.S., representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

Ashley Grundman, Waterloo, has been named a Commended Student. Daughter of Todd and Sherry Grundman, she is one of 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Though she will not continue in the 2021 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers.

Ashley Grundman

Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, visit nationalmerit.org. 

For more information about Lakeside Lutheran High School, contact Principal James Grasby at 920-648-2321 or visit llhs.org

Warrior Times Weekly receives awards

The 2019-2020 Warrior Times Weekly Staff recently received a First Place with Special Merit award in the 2020 newspaper competition. Lakeside was one of twelve schools around the country that was honored.

_{Warrior Times Weekly Editors: Top: Emma Berg Middle, from left: Morgan Mlsna, Emma Statz Bottom, from left: Katelyn McGurk, Espen Storlie, Ryann Burger}

The letter stated, “You have an excellent school newspaper which shows the creativity and journalistic knowledge of your editors, reporters, writers, photographers, layout/graphics designers, advertising/sales managers, and advisor. Congratulations to all on your First place with Special Merit award!”

The newspaper staff also received recognition for Best High School Weekly Newspaper.

Warrior Times Weekly is available to the students each Friday at lunch.

Principal’s Pen: Trust our ever-present help

Jim Grasby is principal of Lakeside Lutheran.
Reach him at 920.648.2321 or jgrasby@llhs.org

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)

2020 has been incredible! Not long ago, COVID-19 was a distant problem. Now, it affects nearly every aspect of our lives. We’ve had to make many changes. Even as we begin to come together again, there’s a sense that life will never be the same.

Will the future bring a resurgence of COVID or more civil strife? We don’t know. If the past few months have taught us anything, it is that we don’t know what the future holds. Things that appear permanent and unchangeable are not. They can be quickly taken.

God tells us this in Psalm 46. The psalmist pictures the earth and its mountains as symbols of endurance. They don’t appear to move or change. The collapse of these durable objects depicts chaos and upheaval.

Yet, the psalmist also reminds us where we find refuge in troubling times. It isn’t in the things of this world or in creature comforts. It’s not in freedom or economic stability. All these may disappear in a moment.

But, God’s promises can’t be taken away. What Christ said on the cross remains true forever: “It is finished!” Our salvation is sure! Our sins are forgiven. Jesus has a place for us in heaven as the inheritance that cannot be taken away. The past few months haven’t changed that. God’s love and grace have not wavered. Though “the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,” God’s promises of grace, mercy, and everlasting life remain true and last forever.

The coming months may well be challenging. We’ll all have to adjust to a “new normal.”
But “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” That remains true for now and forever.

Lord, lead us to always trust in you as our refuge and strength. Amen.