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Pastor's Letter | Philosophy | Registration | Registration Form | Financial Procedures
Gloria Dei Lutheran School
250 FOX HILL ROAD, HAMPTON, VIRGINIA 23669-1793
TELEPHONE: (757) 851-6292 ● FAX (757) 850-3935
The Reverend L. Douglas Stowe, Sr. Pastor/Headmaster
The Rev. Edmund T. Freeborn III, Exec. Assoc. Pastor/Assoc. Headmaster
The Rev. Edwin R. Kopp, Assoc. Pastor/Director, Gloria Dei Academy
The Rev. Garrett B. Bugg, Associate Pastor
Mrs. Linda K. Robinson, Principal
Mrs. Ann L. Riley, Child Care Director
February 28, 2008
Dear Congregation and Parents,
Gloria Dei Lutheran School announces its 36th year as an educational ministry of our congregation. In September, children and teachers will return for our 2008-2009 academic term. Together with parents and administrators, Gloria Dei will continue its long tradition of Lutheran witness through the nurturing of children in education and childcare.
The faculty and staff, you as the congregation and parents, and the focal point of our effort – our children – make this ministry of nurturing and caring a remarkable experience. Empowered by God’s grace, we continue to make a positive difference in our time in this place. I know as you do there is no perfect pastor, congregation, parent, teacher, child, learning center, or caring place. But I hope you understand that empowered by God’s Holy Spirit, our goal, and the purpose of our witness, is to maximize our gifts in providing an educational opportunity and a childcare environment that are the best we can offer.
On Saturday, March 8, registration for next fall will begin for members of the congregation and families of our current students. This will enable returning families to take advantage of registration for children (age three through fifth grade) before the opportunity is opened to the broader community on March 17. Check the enclosed registration procedures for the schedule of times. Please spread the word of these dates to your friends. Reminder: You must re-register your child each year if you plan for him/her to return in the fall.
Again this year, we will offer kindergarten parents the choice of enrolling for the half-day program (8:45-12:00) or our full-day program (8:45-3:00). We are excited about this option for our students.
I thank God for all of you and for your continuing trust in the leadership and the educational ministry of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. As I have said to you many times, we never take your trust for granted. You give us an awesome responsibility as you charge us to care for your children. We continue to do our very best to justify that sacred trust as God gives us the power, wisdom, resources, and perseverance to continue our “pursuit of excellence.”
Yours in Christ’s service,
The Reverend L. Douglas Stowe
Senior Pastor/Headmaster
PHILOSOPHY
Gloria Dei Lutheran School is a concentrated response to Christ's Word, "Suffer the little children to come unto me.." and "As you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me..." This school's ministry is both an expression of God's loving care and an example of how education and child care are best implemented. We as Christians are Christ's hands, minds, voices, and hearts in the world. Children come to Gloria Dei Lutheran School as a sacred trust. Parents place the lives of their children directly into our care, trusting that we will demonstrate in deed who we say we are—the people of God—sensitively aware, lovingly caring, and creatively positive, all with the consistency of faithfulness.
The guiding philosophy of Gloria Dei Lutheran School is to build on the natural excitement for learning that a child normally demonstrates. This school believes that the child's progress of educational, physical, emotional, social, and religious growth can best be met by providing a Christian learning environment through teachers who have the capacity for loving and learning with their children. Our teachers are called upon to identify the child's "growing edges" and to stimulate, but not force, the student's growth. We want each of our children to be positively reinforced in his process of becoming the best he can be. This goal can be met by providing an educational environment and educational materials that surpass what is generally offered elsewhere, and one that is grounded in the pursuit of excellence.
The New Testament uses the Greek word "Diakonia" to express the mission of the church in terms of service. By cradling clearly defined goals and objectives and proven learning programs and materials in an environment of Christian love and acceptance, this school is an example of meeting the call to service in God's world.
GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN SCHOOL
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Enclosed you will find a registration form for the 2007-2008 school year and also a registration form for summer child care.
Below you will find guidelines for registering for the 2007-2008 school year. For ease in the registration process, we encourage you to follow these guidelines:
* You must register your child(ren) each year. Children returning to Gloria Dei for the 2007-2008 school year are not assured a place in school without a new registration.
* Registration will begin in-house on Saturday, March 17, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon in the new Atrium at the Fox Hill Road Campus.
* Registration will open to the public on Monday, March 26, 2007.
* March 19-23 registration hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. On Monday, March 19, registration hours will be extended to 6:00 p.m. to assist working parents. Registration will be held in the Luther Library at the Fox Hill Road campus during the weeks of March 19 and March 26. Signs will be posted directing you to the Library. After March 31, please register in the school office.
* Registration Fee: $75.00 for all new students
$70.00 for students re-enrolling
* Physical forms and additional registration forms for fall and summer are available in both the school office and the church office.
* Birth Certificates are required for all new students. Virginia state law requires that a member of our staff see a certified copy of the birth certificate, hospital record, or passport to verify identity. Please be advised that the law requires Gloria Dei to obtain this proof of identity. Should you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Robinson, Principal, prior to registration.
* Physical forms and immunization records: All new students to Gloria Dei Lutheran School must have a current physical form on file prior to the first day of school. All students entering kindergarten must have an updated immunization record on file.
* To expedite accurate processing of the application, please be sure that both sides of the application are filled out completely.
* If your child lives with both parents, both parents' signatures are required following the Registration Contract at the designated spots.
* The summer child care registration form should be returned prior to May 15.
* A reprint from the Parents' Handbook is provided as a reminder of the "Pupil Placement and Teacher Assignment" policy of the school:
“Placement of pupils and assignment to a particular classroom teacher is the responsibility of the Principal. A variety of testing and evaluative procedures are used to assure objectivity and the best interest of the pupil in the admission and assignment decision. An effort is made to balance each class within a grade level as to the number of boys and girls in a heterogeneous academic grouping.”
We have implicit confidence in the personal integrity and professional capability of each faculty member. Several grades and preschool levels have more than one class; thus, more than one faculty member teaching at that level. Each teacher is thoroughly competent. The same curriculum will be followed. These and other factors insure a similarity of high quality teaching/learning environment for pupil and teacher.
Gloria Dei Lutheran School is an auxiliary ministry of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and operates as a non-profit, parochial educational facility.
Gloria Dei Lutheran School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school-administered programs.
Birthday Eligibility for Kindergarten
The official cut-off date and age requirement for entrance into the kindergarten program at Gloria Dei Lutheran School is September 30 – five years of age. The cut-off date has been extended for students with October and November birthdates who pass the entrance evaluation. Students with a December or later birth month will not be accepted into the kindergarten program.
Rev. 2/07
FINANCIAL PROCEDURES
The following information is provided to help you in understanding our financial procedures, the method of payment, and other applicable information.
MONTHLY PAYMENTS: All monthly fees (including tuition, transportation, child care, and school lunches) are due by the 15th of each month and are considered delinquent if not received by 5:00 p.m. on the 20th or the last working day prior to the 20th. Checks should be mailed or brought directly to the Receptionist or the School Office. In order to credit your account accurately, please write the child's first and last name in the memo section of your check.
ACCOUNT INFORMATION: Tuition, transportation, and full-time child care amounts are consistent every month and are due by the 15th of each month. School lunches, hourly child care, and charges for incidental transportation usage will be maintained throughout the month on a charge basis. A monthly statement will be sent home with your child no later than the 10th of the following month showing all charges. Please note: incidental charges are posted on your statement the Friday of the week they are incurred or the last day of the month. Payment may be made for the combined total. Payments received after noon on the last working day of the month will not be reflected on the statement. A written request to change your regular charges for bus and/or child care must be given to our Student Billing Bookkeeper, at least two weeks prior to the change becoming effective. If you have questions concerning your account, please contact our Student Billing Bookkeeper between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
GENERAL: Receipts will be written at the time of payment for cash payments only. For payments by check, the canceled check will serve as the receipt. All payments will be reflected on the next monthly statement. Please retain your monthly statements. These are needed for filing the child care tax credit with the I.R.S. and/or employer reimbursement of child care costs. A $5.00 charge will be assessed for copies of statements or for a consolidated statement for tax purposes.
A $5.00 late fee per child will be assessed on all past due accounts paid after the 20th of the month (or the last working day prior to the 20th) unless prior arrangements have been made. This includes past due tuition, lunches, transportation, and child care charges. Returned checks will be assessed a $25.00 service charge.
There will be no pro-rating of child care or school tuition due to sickness, holidays, vacations, absences or withdrawals. Parents and/or guardians will be billed either the full-time monthly rate or hourly rate for child care expenses. Child care ends at 6:00 p.m. each day. If a child is picked up beyond 6:00 p.m. from child care, the student’s account will be charged at a rate of $1.00 per minute/per child thereafter.
The Gloria Dei registration agreement advises, "Fees are considered delinquent on the 20th of the month... Payments not received by the end of the month may result in your child not being able to return to school until the account is current."
In the event that some difficulty arises, please contact our Student Billing Bookkeeper, so that mutually agreed upon arrangements for payment can be made.
Gloria Dei Lutheran School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
Rev. 2/08