December 10th, 2025
Principal Corner
Over a year ago we bought a car, new to us. We needed an upgrade and bought a car that was only about 5 years old. This car had many features that I had never had in a car before. Keyless entry and keyless start, automatic headlights, and adjusted cruise control that slows you down if you come upon a slower car. It even has a heated steering wheel. I loved these new features, especially not having to get my keys out to open the door or start the car. The other day I had to move my daughter’s car, so I grabbed her keys sat down in the seat and then had to think for a second about what I needed to do. No keyless start, no automatic headlights. I had started a car the “normal” way. For 46 years of my life I had started a car the same way, but with having our newer car, I had to go back and think for a second about what to do. Then I got to thinking: is Christmas becoming that way for some of us? Is it about the next Christmas decoration we are adding to the inside or outside of the house? The next great Christmas food we want to prepare for our great Christmas get together. The real meaning of Christmas has not changed since the first Christmas. A baby born in a manger. The Savior of the world coming to earth. The celebration of Easter happens because of the baby born at Christmas. That is what we celebrate at Christmas and what we need to keep on our hearts and minds.
Treasure Trunk - Dec 11th & 12th
We have our annual Treasure Trunk in December. This is a fun little shop for our students to purchase presents for their loved ones! All proceeds goes toward our Secret Angel fund, helping families afford tuition. It has raised almost $10,000 since it’s start. Each grade will get a chance, or two, to go shop during school hours. You should send money with your student, labeled in an envelope for them to spend on their loved ones. Many items are only $1 or $2, thrift store prices. And seriously, the kids love this every year!
We always need wrapping (bags, tissue paper, cellophane) to help wrap up the gifts that students purchase. Please drop off to the office if you have any wrapping to donate. We love volunteers for this as well! Check out the sign up below!
DECEMBER CHAPEL
We have a box for toy donation - unwrapped NEW toys - for the Toys for Tots toy drive. All chapel donations will also go to Toys for Tots in December.
Check out our digital Classroom Christmas Wish Lists this year!
Yearbooks of the 2025-2026 School Year can already be purchased online!
Orders due by the last day of School, May 23rd, 2026.
Just click the image below! All current 8th Graders will receive a complimentary Yearbook from the TLS PTL!
MAJOR REMINDERS & Key Points
Please try to use Procare to send a message regarding students being absent. Remember when sending a message, to make sure it is clear when the student will be absent by using dates and times. Right now, we are waiting on some repairs of some of our technology so you cannot be let in unless someone is in the office. So in order to let you in properly, we need to know the date and time. This also helps reduce confusion as well. Your time is precious so we are trying to be as efficient as possible.
Our doors open at 8:10 am - 8:20 am. All K-8 students here before 8:10 am must enter via the gym door. Only if you need to speak to the office should you be ringing the doorbell and coming in the front before 8:10 am. The gym door is open, from 7:00 am - 8:20 am. You may have to tug a little harder but it should be open.
At the end of the day, doors open at 3:05 pm. We encourage you to wait outside for your child to ease congestion in our hallways.
If you come in the building during school hours, you must stop in at the office. This is a requirement, not a suggestion.
If children are being picked up during the day they MUST be signed out in the office. Please do not go searching the school for your child(ren).
Even if family members are “approved” for pick up, we still need to be notified when someone other than their parent/guardian is picking them up. Having them approved just means we have all the information we need from them ahead of time.
SAC and PK families: DO NOT share your door codes and please DO NOT use someone else’s door code. I will deactivate your code if I see they are being abused.
Even if you have a door code, it is only usable during those program hours i.e. SAC is from 3:15 pm - 5:30 pm.
TEACHER FEATURE
SOUNDS LIKE CHRISTMAS
If you missed the Band/Choir Concert on December 5th, we have you covered! You can click below and watch the entire thing on YouTube!
We plan for the Christmas Program tonight to be recorded and uploaded to the Church’s YouTube Channel as well. If you subscribe you’ll be able to see it as soon as it is uploaded, otherwise you can wait for an email with the link sent out. Below is a little preview of what you will witness at the program.
We encourage you to share photos so others can enjoy them as well, during events and field trips! Plus, we can always use more for our yearbook. Add your photos to either place by clicking the corresponding button below.
LOOKING FORWARD
CHRISTMAS CONCERTS & PROGRAMS
December brings many festive occasions, including our very own Choir/Band Concert as well as the Christmas Programs.
3-8 Christmas Program is Wed., Dec 10th at 6:30 pm in the Discipling Center
K-2 Christmas Program is Wed., Dec 17th at 6:30 pm in the Church sanctuary
HOME GAMES HELP
Come cheer on our Basketball Teams and get parent service hours at the same time! We need volunteers to run the clock, do book and run the concession stand for all basketball games. If we don’t have the volunteers, the games can’t happen. Click on the cardinal to be taken to our sign up for each home basketball game. December’s are all in, more games to be added.
The public review and comment period is open for the Waseca County Hazard Mitigation Plan from 11/24-12/8. See the posting below for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS!!! See Calendar below! You can also check out the Google Calendar under Parents > School Calendar to subscribe.
Social time starts at 7:15pm and Crossfire begins at 7:30pm in the Trinity Discipling Center.
What to expect at Crossfire…
-Opportunities to sing contemporary Christian music with fellow youth believers in Jesus
-A short devotional led by one of the youth leaders followed up by break out discussion groups
-And a time for silent reflection and prayer
Come and see what it’s all about!
PTL President Position to be Open
After many years, Tina Schoenfeld has decided this will be her last school year as the president of the TLS PTL. They are actively looking for her replacement and wanted to give plenty of time for those interested to come to many meetings, experience first hand what happens “behind the scenes” of the events that get put on by the PTL, and shadow to help them decide. Contact Tina if you are interested: 507-573-3894 or trinityjanesvillePTL@gmail.com
Parent Corner
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Parent Corner +++
NEED PARENT SERVICE HOURS?
Trinity Lutheran School would not run or function without our families and all your hard work! We strive on showing our students a great work ethic and a drive to help and volunteer! Because of this, we ask that each family completes 10 hours of volunteer hours throughout the school year (if you only have a child in the Preschool, we only ask you complete 5 hours). Many events put on by PTL, Athletics and just helping around at the school provide plenty of opportunity to help out! Please don’t hesitate to check out the volunteer page on the website: https://seal-leopard-8yt2.squarespace.com/volunteer
CLICK HERE
DOOR CODES
IF you are not picking your child up and someone else on your list is, please let us know ahead of time so we can get them a door code. If you did not get a code and your child is not a regular, please contact the office for a code BEFORE your child will be attending SAC.
Preschool Parents, PLEASE USE YOUR code before school (before 8:10 am) and after school (after 3:15 pm). The teachers should not and cannot leave the students they are in charge of to open the door.
SAC Parents, your door code is only useable during PM SAC hours. If you are coming to the school for any other reason at any other time, you will need to ring the doorbell. This is for your child’s safety.
COMING SOON: SAC will use the SIDE door, the old “SAC Door” - currently there is a key pad there but the door is waiting on a part for it to fully function. Please use the front door or gym door still until further notice. When that door is finished, you’ll have access to the SAC door and the Gym door only instead.
RAISE FUNDS FOR OUR SCHOOL WHILE SHOPPING
An easy way to help our school is through the Box Tops for Education program. If you have a smart phone, you can do the following to start helping our school earn money.
Download the Box Tops for Education App
Open the app and connect Trinity Lutheran School Janesville (School ID: 84936)
You can pick a class to associate with your earnings (optional)
Buy products on the list and scan your grocery store receipt.
Anyone can earn box tops for Trinity so you can send a referral to aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and family. If you refer a friend and they download the app both you and the referred person can earn 25 bonus box tops. Box tops are worth 10 cents each. As a bonus, if you have a Walmart account, you can link your Box Tops to your Walmart account and any time you make a purchase at Walmart it automatically adds your box top points for you!
We get money for collected Hy-Vee Receipts!
This money goes directly to our school. For every $150 in Hy-Vee Receipts, the local Hy-Vee donates to schools enrolled in the Kash4Kids program.
They have a bonus competition this year and the school with the highest amount turned in for receipts also gets a bonus $100 given to them!
RECEIPT GUIDELINES:
Receipts can only be from 9/1/15-5/31/26 – anything from this past summer doesn’t count. Same for next year, don’t collect over the summer, they can only be collected during the months that school is in session.
ONLY Mankato Hy-Vee Locations
NO alcohol, prescription or gift card purchases count.
NO receipts that say “Cancelled” or “Duplicate”.
Hy-Vee gave over $5000 to local schools last year. We received $510.76!!! YAHOO.
TECH GUIDES
Need help setting some technology limits for your kids? We highly encourage it but sometimes its hard to know where to start. https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog/4-essential-tech-guides Contains lots of information, even links to four other blogs about helping setting policies for your children on tech.
GOT PHOTOS?
Google Photo Album
We want to make photos that you’ve taken and others have taken shareable among families! Please share pictures you’ve taken at our events or with your child’s classroom to our yearly Google Photo Album. This album is only accessible if you have this link. Click the red button below to access the album.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Janesville Library Events
