Principal’s Pen: Appreciate the handiwork

This monthly message from Principal Grasby was first shared in the June 2021 FedCon, the Federation Connection publication sent to the schools and churches in the LLHS federation.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Nearly everyone appreciates fine craftsmanship. Whether it’s beautiful furniture with precisely-mitered cuts, an inspiring piece of music with artful design, or fashionable clothing with expert tailoring, true craftsmanship is to be admired.

Paul tells the Ephesians that “we are God’s handiwork.” The Greek word for “handiwork” is poiēma, the basis of the word poem. God crafts us with perfect skill just as a poet crafts ideas, words, and sounds. With God’s divine craftsmanship, we are exactly as he determines: our physical features, our talents, and our thinking. We are just as he plans. After all, “we are God’s handiwork.”

Preceding this verse are two key verses of the Christian faith: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. His grace is unearned and undeserved. Why he offers it to rebellious sinners, no one can fully explain. Yet, he does. God graciously provides his Word to show the only way of salvation through Jesus. Then, when that Word grows into saving faith, he provides opportunities for us—his handiwork—to live by faith. God even specially prepares these works for us to do.

Our world denies God and questions his being. Many ignore the natural signs of God in creation, attempting to eliminate him from daily life. Others question his purpose for us, denying his deity and questioning his created plan for us.

This is where the opening passage comforts us with truth. Who God is, what his purpose is for us, and how he plans for and provides opportunities for us to perform good works by faith—all point to a loving God who created us as his one-of-a-kind handiwork.

“For we are God’s handiwork.” Just as an artisan selects choice material and uses expertise to craft objects of beauty, God deliberately shapes each of us. He makes no mistakes. He makes us just as he intends so that we may serve him and others in love.

Indeed, “we are God’s handiwork!”

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

Lakeside Lutheran recognizes Badger State reps

From left: Sam Knapp, Caleb Koester, Morgan Mlsna, Alyssa Reinke

Lakeside Lutheran High School announced the students selected as 2021 Badger Boys and Girls State representatives. Since Badger State for both boys and girls have been canceled for 2021, these students were recognized for their achievements at the Academic Awards night on May 5 at Lakeside.

The boys nominated to represent Lakeside Lutheran are Samuel Knapp, son of Kyle and Juli of Ixonia, and Caleb Koester, son of Jason and Brenda of Fort Atkinson. The girls who were chosen are Morgan Mlsna, daughter of Ben and Jessica of Lake Mills, and Alyssa Reinke, daughter of David and Tina of Watertown. 

Morgan Mlsna is planning a career as an emergency room physician. She has participated in basketball, volleyball, track and cross country. Mlsna, a member of the National Honor Society, is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and is also on the yearbook committee. She serves on Teens for Christ and the prom planning committee. She also is active in her youth group and with the Rock Lake Activity Center. She will be organizing a sports camp in  Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this summer with Operation Go, the school’s mission trip program. A member at St. Paul Lutheran, Lake Mills, Mlsna works at the Lake Mills library, Lake Ripley Country Club, and Jelli’s Farm.

Alyssa Reinke is a member of National Honor Society, active in Teens for Christ and served as a Student Council rep her junior year. She has participated in softball, volleyball, and basketball. She will be helping with an outdoor camp VBS in  Fredricksburg, Virginia, this summer with Operation Go. She is also active in her St. Luke, Watertown youth group. Reinke is considering becoming a teacher and coach in secondary education. She currently works at River Bend Resort.

Samuel Knapp is a member of the football and basketball teams. He is also in the National Honor Society and helps with the yearly campus blood drive. At his church, St. Matthew Lutheran in Oconomowoc, he participates in youth group and service projects. Knapp had been selected and would have attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy Camp; he has participated in Rotary breakfasts. He is a freight team member at Fleet Farm and  is deciding between a career in sports medicine or law. 

Caleb Koester is a member of Lakeside’s A Cappella Choir, National Honor Society, and Teens for Christ. He has participated in basketball and currently plays football and baseball. He also volunteers with the blood drive. A member at St. Paul Lutheran, Fort Atkinson, he reads Scripture for the Christmas Eve service. Koester, who has attended the Lake Mills Rotary Club breakfast, works at Home Depot and is considering a career in engineering. 

Sponsored by the Wisconsin American Legion and its Auxiliary, the goals of Badger State are to prepare young men and women of high school age for citizenship in a modern world, teach principles of democracy, instill a love of country and desire to preserve our government. Schools are encouraged to select representatives based on a combination of interest shown, leadership qualities, character, fitness, scholarship and extra-curricular activities.

Lakeside Lutheran musicians receive recognition

The Lakeside Lutheran Music Department, led by Choir Director James Buege and Band Director Glen Pufahl, presented music awards for the 2020-21 academic year to several student musicians at its Commencement Concert May 23.

Performing pre-service at the concert were the musicians who qualified for the 2021 virtual state festival of the Wisconsin State Music Association (WSMA). Featured were junior Jonathan Abel, son of Chris and Megan, Fort Atkinson, for a tenor solo; sophomores Jack DePrey, son of Steve and Beth, Sun Prairie, and Isaac Winters, son of Jim and Kimara, Watertown, for piano solos; senior Elijah Wohling, son of Scott and Dawn, Juneau, for his marimba solo; and DePrey, Winters and fellow sophomore Jonah Heyerholm, son of John Heyerholm and Rita Heyerholm, both of Cottage Grove, for their piano trio. All five entries received gold medals at the state festival.

Several student musicians at Lakeside Lutheran were recognized for their contributions to the music program at the school’s Commencement Concert May 23. Award recipients include (back row, L-R) Benjamin Kasper, Helenville; Elizabeth Isham, Watertown; Nick Yaroch, Fall River; Elijah Wohling, Juneau; Austin Haley, Waterloo; Riley Schmidt, Janesville; (middle row L-R) Jack DePrey, Sun Prairie; Grace Seim, Beaver Dam; Ella Butzine, Sun Prairie; Marissa Duddeck, Palmyra; Elsa Johansson, Columbus; Brendan McKenna, Lake Mills; (front row, L-R) Megan Grambsch, Columbus; Hannah Meyer, Jefferson; Jada Gresens, Sun Prairie.

The National School Choral Award® is the highest honor for high school choral performers. It recognizes the dedication and musical achievement of top choral students nationwide and was awarded to senior Jada Gresens, daughter of Michael and Cathy of Sun Prairie. She also received the Senior Accompanist award.

Ella Butzine, daughter of Jon and Michelle, Sun Prairie, and Hannah Meyer, daughter of Matthew Meyer, Jefferson, received Outstanding Vocalist awards for the A Cappella Choir. Three seniors, including, Austin Haley, son of Kathy Haley; Riley Schmidt, son of Stephen and Sandy, Janesville; and Grace Seim, daughter of Steve and Julie, Beaver Dam, received Outstanding Leadership awards. Seniors Brendan McKenna, son of Sam and Missy, Lake Mills, and Elijah Wohling, received Student Speaker Awards for their efforts in A Cappella Choir on its Sunday morning worship service participation at area congregations throughout the school year. Jack DePrey received the M. Gueldner Rusch Music scholarship to attend a summer university music workshop.

In band, Outstanding Musicians are chosen by fellow band members in recognition for  achievements, cooperation and dedication to the Lakeside Lutheran band program. This year’s recipients include six seniors, a junior and a sophomore, including seniors Ella Butzine, percussion; Grace Seim, trombone; Elijah Wohling, percussion; Megan Grambsch, daughter of Chad and Rachel, Columbus, flute; Elizabeth Isham, daughter of Giles and Stacey, Watertown, clarinet; Nick Yaroch, son of Matt and Sue, Fall River, trumpet; junior Benjamin Kasper, son of Caleb and Sara, Helenville, percussion; sophomore Marissa Duddeck, daughter of Timothy Duddeck, Palmyra, saxophone. Grace Seim and freshman Elsa Johansson, daughter of Nils and Lara, Columbus, were recognized in the “300-Point Club” for outstanding participation and leadership throughout the year.

The Louis Armstrong Jazz Award® was inaugurated in 1974 with the consent of his widow shortly after this great jazz artist died in 1971. It honors the outstanding jazz musician at each high school nationwide; this year’s award was presented to Nick Yaroch. The Woody Herman Jazz Award® was created in 1988, shortly after Herman’s death, also to honor outstanding jazz students, and was given to Marissa Duddeck.

Said to be the most prestigious band award given to a high school band member, the John Philip Sousa Band Award is given to recognize superior musicianship, dependability, loyalty, and cooperation, and was awarded to Megan Grambsch.

 All five entries from Lakeside Lutheran High School were awarded gold medals in the 2021 virtual state festival of the Wisconsin State Music Association (WSMA), including (L-R): sophomore Isaac Winters, Watertown, piano solo and piano trio; sophomore Jack DePrey, Sun Prairie, piano solo and piano trio; junior Jonathan Abel, Fort Atkinson, tenor solo; senior Elijah Wohling, Juneau, marimba solo. Missing is Jonah Heyerholm, Cottage Grove, piano trio.

Zweifel and Moyle Memorial Scholarships awarded

Senior Grace Seim, daughter of Steve and Julie of Beaver Dam, received the annual Ryan J. Zweifel Memorial Scholarship for those entering the WELS teaching ministry. Senior Elijah Wohling, son of Scott and Dawn of Beaver Dam, received this year’s Zachary D. Moyle Memorial Scholarship for those entering the preaching ministry. 

These scholarship endowments in memory of Zachary D. Moyle and Ryan J. Zweifel, both from the LL Class of 2008, were established in 2009 after the young men were killed in a car accident after their first year at MLC. The $2,500 scholarships were designed to encourage and assist Lakeside Lutheran High School graduates who attend Martin Luther College to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another LL Link: ‘69 alum closes the book

This article was first published in the 2021 spring/summer issue of Lakeside Lutheran Link, the magazine for LLHS alum.

A 1969 graduate, Phyllis (Heiliger) Huska came back to LLHS in 1992—the year her eldest was a junior— and developed our library into an all-day helpful and comfortable resource for students and staff alike. After 29 years, she’s closing the book on her Warrior career, but she agreed to one last report—on her own history—before checking out.

LL: What was your beginning like?

PH: [Prior to fall ‘92], the library was open one period a day because Linda Seeklander had one free period.

Principal Nelson wanted more and put out a plea to the Federation for anyone interested in helping. Our family had just moved to Lake Mills from the west side of Madison (we had two students at LL, Our Redeemer wasn’t federated yet and busing was only from Eastside and Holy Cross). So I answered the plea, organizing the library on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Only about half the books were cataloged on a simple library software program. There were stacks of donated books filling the storage rooms. I gradually weeded out the books that weren’t appropriate or useful and got the rest on the computer.

LL: How else has the library changed over the years?

PH: The most significant was in 2003; when science and music rooms and the East gym were added, the library also expanded, more than doubling and allowing access to the new courtyard.

When I started, there was one computer in the library, and that was for the librarian. Several years later, we had two computers for student research or word processing use. After the ‘03 addition, it jumped to 12 student computers. Now all students have Chromebooks under our 1:1 initiative.

Years ago, students used free time in study halls to look at magazines, read newspapers, browse books like the Guinness Book of World Records or read a book. Now? If students have free time, they’re watching YouTube videos, Netflix, or playing online games.

LL: Describe some of your favorite times in the library.

PH: My favorite day of the school year was Valentine’s Day (or a school day close to it) when I ran Library Speed Dating for Freshman English. Mrs. Schommer would tease them ahead of time—making them think we were really going to set them up with a human date—so some of them would be really nervous when they arrived. Some may have been disappointed to find out that their dates were books, but everyone seemed to have a good time. Not being able to do that this year was sad.

Mr. Doering has used the library for his end-of-the-semester Government mock trials so they have a more courtroom-like setting. I always enjoy seeing students take on their roles of witnesses, lawyers and jurists. Over the years, some students really were memorable for how deeply they got into their characters.

One student has always stood out as a success story: adamant that they hated reading and proud they had made it to senior year without really reading a book, they were assigned a report and had to find a book. I recommended one, and when returning it, the student thanked me, saying that they didn’t know there could be interesting stories, but they had read the whole book and really enjoyed it— might even want to read another book!

LL: Tell us about family & plans.

Sarah (‘94) is a CPA and husband, Eric, is a pilot. Peter (‘96) is an engineer and wife, Kathryn, a speech therapist; they have two boys. Meghan (‘99) is a graphic designer and husband, Paul, a pastor, with two boys and a girl. As for retirement plans, if the pandemic ever ends, Jim and I will travel. After all, we have five grandchildren. Need I say more?