Zion School Connection #20 - 19 January 2026

 NO SCHOOL CLASSES - Monday, January 19 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

There will be no school classes on Monday, January 19 for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 20. 

Chapel Service

School families are invited to join us for our morning school chapel service this Wednesday, January 21 at 8:05 a.m. Parents, family and friends are always welcome! This year’s chapel offering is supporting our church’s new ministry work in the country of Australia. Please pray for this ministry and the people it serves.

Sports - Co-Ed Basketball

Practices will continue this week for A and B teams (grades 5-8), who will practice on Tuesday, January 20 and Thursday, January 22 from 3 to 4:45 p.m.   C team practices Wednesday, January 21 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

This weekend our A team will participate in the Michigan Lutheran Seminary Tournament on Friday and Saturday, January 23-24. You can watch the tournament games online at https://www.youtube.com/@MichiganLutheranSeminary/streams .

GO WARRIORS!

Cheerleading/Pee Wee Poms

Cheerleading practices this week Wednesday, January 21 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Pee Wee Poms practices next week Monday, January 26 from 3 to 4 p.m.

MLCS Bookmobile

The Monroe County Library System Bookmobile will be making its monthly visit Thursday, January 22 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. The Bookmobile visits once per month to allow our students to check out selections from the Monroe County Library. Students will need a valid MCLS library card to check out books from the Bookmobile if they wish. Students are asked to please remember to bring your library card if you wish to check out books.

Parent Conversations

Attached to the email and hard copy newsletters is another article from Parent Conversations. 

This week’s article: What Are Developmentally Appropriate Ways of Talking to Children About Sex? Parent Conversations  from  Forward in Christ magazine, offers articles on topics important to parents, written from a Christian perspective. If you are interested in viewing all of the articles available, please visit https://forwardinchrist.net/parents/ .

Winter Clothing

We go outside for recess, and the weather is turning decidedly wintry! Please make sure that your child has appropriate clothing for outdoor play as the weather turns colder: winter coat, gloves, hat, and boots and snow pants if they wish to be in the snow.

School Closures Due to Weather

Please note that Zion does NOT automatically close for weather when Monroe Public Schools close. 

We will contact families via the FACTS alert system when and if we call a closing or delay due to weather. School closures and delays for Zion are also published online at https://www.clickondetroit.com/school_closings/. If you are not sure, you may also call or text Principal Schneck (907-331-7761) or your child’s teacher.

Hot Lunch - this week

Wednesday, January 21 - Salad Bar

Friday, January 23 - Pizza

The sign-up for FEBRUARY HOT LUNCH is available!

Please fill out the attached form to indicate your Zion student's desired hot lunches for November. Please complete the form by Friday, January 30. You will need to fill out one form for each of the students in your family. You may access the sign-up form at https://forms.gle/k8ibek5bNQt49j1LA . If you have any questions, please contact the church/school office.

Warrior Oasis

The Zion Upper Grades “Warrior Oasis” are selling milk and juice options for lunches to students daily.  Students in grades K-8 wanting to purchase milk or juice for lunch can do so across from the school library at the start of lunch hour, 11:45 to 11:55 a.m.

Drink items available:     

Horizon Organic Whole Milk $1.50 or Quik Chocolate Milk $1.25       

Juicy Juice Boxes $0.50 (Apple, Fruit Punch, Grape, Berry)        

Orange Juice (bottle) $1.00

Purchases are cash only. Profits will go towards the upper grade field trip fund.

Coffee with Friends!

The Warrior Oasis Cafe is open on TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS in the gym. After dropping off the kiddos, come enjoy a great cup of coffee or hot tea with fellow parents and friends before heading out for the day, or grab a cup to go. Coffee is served starting at 7:45 a.m.  Cost is a free-will donation to the 7th-8th Field Trip Fund.

On the calendar this week…

Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL CLASSES     Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 20 - Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15am

A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45pm

Wednesday, January 21 - Hot Lunch - Salad Bar

School Chapel Service     8:05 a.m.

C Team Basketball Practice       3-4:30 p.m.

Worship at Zion     7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 22 - MCLS Bookmobile visits 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45 p.m.

Friday, January 23 - Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15am

Hot Lunch - Pizza

MLS Small Schools Basketball Tournament

Saturday, January 24 - MLS Small Schools Basketball Tournament

Sunday, January 25 - Worship at Zion   9am

Sunday School and Bible Class   10:15am

Monday, January 26 - Hot Lunch - Chicken Nuggets/Mac and Cheese

Pee Wee Poms Practice      3-4 p.m.

Zion School Connection #19 - 12 January 2026

 End of Quarter - Friday, January 16 - EARLY DISMISSAL

On Friday, January 16, classes will dismiss early at 11 a.m. marking the end of 2nd Quarter. Student grade reports for 2nd Quarter will be sent home with the students of grades K-8 the following week on Friday, January 23.

NO SCHOOL CLASSES - Monday, January 19 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

There will be no school classes on Monday, January 19 for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 20. 

Chapel Service

School families are invited to join us for our morning school chapel service this Wednesday, January 14 at 8:05 a.m. Parents, family and friends are always welcome! This year’s chapel offering is supporting our church’s new ministry work in the country of Australia. Please pray for this ministry and the people it serves.

Sports - Co-Ed Basketball

Practices will continue this week for A and B teams (grades 5-8), who will practice on Tuesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 15 from 3 to 4:45 p.m.   C team practices Wednesday, January 14 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

This week our A team will participate in the Hope Christian Academy Tournament on Saturday, January 17. We will play HCA-Black at 9 a.m. and Cross of Glory at 11 a.m. GO WARRIORS!

Cheerleading/Pee Wee Poms

Pee Wee Poms practices this week Monday, January 12 from 3 to 4 p.m.

There is no cheerleading practice this week.

Parent Conversations

Attached to the email and hard copy newsletters is another article from Parent Conversations. 

This week’s article: What Are Your New Year’s Resolutions as a Parent? Parent Conversations  from  Forward in Christ magazine, offers articles on topics important to parents, written from a Christian perspective. If you are interested in viewing all of the articles available, please visit https://forwardinchrist.net/parents/ .

Art Club

Mrs. Sordahl has organized an Art Club that meets monthly and is open to all Zion students Pre-K to Grade 8. Parents of preschoolers are asked to attend with their child, but all parents are welcome to attend.

The next meeting of the Art Club is in the church basement THIS WEEK THURSDAY, January 15 from 3:05 to 4:30 p.m. There is no fee to participate, but donations of supplies are always welcome! (Please speak to Mrs. Sordahl to find out what items are needed.) All participants are asked to bring a paint shirt and/or clothing that can get messy.

Projects made at Art Club will be saved for display at our Zion Art Fair in March.

Please speak to Mrs. Sordahl if you have any questions.

School Closures Due to Weather

Please note that Zion does NOT automatically close for weather when Monroe Public Schools close. 

We will contact families via the FACTS alert system when and if we call a closing or delay due to weather. School closures and delays for Zion are also published online at https://www.clickondetroit.com/school_closings/. If you are not sure, you may also call or text Principal Schneck (907-331-7761) or your child’s teacher.

There are a number of events coming up in February and March!

Please see the attached flyers for more information:

• Family Roller Skating Party on Monday, February 16

• Daddy-Daughter Sweetheart Dance on Saturday, February 28

• Zion Fine Arts Fair on Sunday, March 8

Hot Lunch - this week

Monday, January 12 - Chicken Nuggets and Mac and Cheese Wednesday, January 14 - Sloppy Joes

Warrior Oasis

The Zion Upper Grades “Warrior Oasis” are selling milk and juice options for lunches to students daily.  Students in grades K-8 wanting to purchase milk or juice for lunch can do so across from the school library at the start of lunch hour, 11:45 to 11:55 a.m.

Drink items available:      Horizon Organic Whole Milk $1.50 or Quik Chocolate Milk $1.25       

Juicy Juice Boxes $0.50 (Apple, Fruit Punch, Grape, Berry)         Orange Juice (bottle) $1.00

Purchases are cash only. Profits will go towards the upper grade field trip fund.

Coffee with Friends!

The Warrior Oasis Cafe is open on TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS in the gym. After dropping off the kiddos, come enjoy a great cup of coffee or hot tea with fellow parents and friends before heading out for the day, or grab a cup to go. Coffee is served starting at 7:45 a.m.  Cost is a free-will donation to the 7th-8th Field Trip Fund.

On the calendar this week…

Monday, January 12 - Hot Lunch - Chicken Nuggets/Mac and Cheese

Pee Wee Poms Practice      3-4 p.m.

Tuesday, January 13 - Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15am

Zion Monthly Afternoon Worship Service      1:30 p.m.

A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45pm

Wednesday, January 14 - Hot Lunch - Sloppy Joes

School Chapel Service     8:05 a.m.

C Team Basketball Practice       3-4:30 p.m.

Worship at Zion     7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 15 - Art Club     3-4:30 p.m.

A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45 p.m.

Friday, January 16 - Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15am

Early Dismissal      11am

Saturday, January 17 - Hope Christian Academy A Team Tournament     first game at 9 a.m.

Sunday, January 18 - Worship at Zion   9am

Sunday School and Bible Class   10:15am

JESUS CARES Special Needs Worship    1pm

Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL CLASSES     Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Zion School Connection #18 - 5 January 2026

 "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  – Matthew 2:2

One star is all you need. As long as it is the right star.

It’s commonly called the North Star, but it is also known as Polaris. For centuries navigators on land and sea have used it to set their course. All other stars change their positions in the sky as times and seasons pass, yet the position of the North Star stays the same hour after hour, day after day, year after year. But it’s not that easy to find if you don’t know what to look for. The star might be prominent in the sky, but many others are as well. Navigators use the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major, the “Little and Great Bears”, to locate this all important star. Those who know the constellations have no problem finding the star.

The magi, or wise men, saw a new star and knew it was important, but what told them so? How did they know it meant the birth of the Savior? Apparently some exposure to the Old Testament prophecies filled in the blanks, perhaps in prophecies brought to the East during the Jews’ exile in Babylon. God’s Word and prophecies in the Old Testament served as the “constellations” to focus their search for this newborn King.

Today God focuses his people not on a “star” of promise looking for a Savior to come, but on our Savior himself, Jesus, who has completed the work of redemption. Through Scripture and the eyes of faith we can see clearly who our Savior is and what he has done for us. We can follow the path from the manger to the cross to the empty tomb to the heavenly throne, where Jesus reigns as we wait for his return. 

For believers, the Bible serves as the “constellation” pointing out or Savior. But many in this world don’t see it. They stop at the baby in a manger at Christmas, then go on with their lives not realizing what the birth of Jesus means for us.

This new year, don’t let Jesus be just another “star” in your busy sky. Spend time with your family in God’s Word, keeping your hearts and lives focused on the one “star” that matters. The one that was born for you, lived for you, died for you, and rose for you. The one that is in heaven preparing a place for you. The one that will “bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. (2 Tim. 4:28) Don’t forget to share this Gospel joy with those around you, so that they too can “come and worship him”.

God bless your week!

- Mr. Schneck

Welcome back to school!

School classes resume tomorrow, January 5 at 8:00 a.m. We hope your family has had a restful break and enjoyable Christmas celebrations. May God bless your new year!

Chapel Service

School families are invited to join us for our morning school chapel service this Wednesday, January 7 at 8:05am. Parents, family and friends are always welcome! This year’s chapel offering is supporting our church’s new ministry work in the country of Australia. Please pray for this ministry and the people it serves.

Christian Education Association (CEA) Meeting Wednesday

The Zion CEA meets this Wednesday, January 7 at 3:10 p.m. The agenda will include spring activities. All Preschool through Grade 8 parents are invited and encouraged to attend!

Sports - Co-Ed Basketball

Practices will continue this week for A and B teams (grades 5-8), who will practice on Tuesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 8 from 3 to 4:45 p.m.   C team practices Wednesday, January 7 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Our first game of the season is AWAY vs Crown of Life, Warren at Crown of Life this Friday, January 9 for A and B teams at 5:30 p.m. (B) and 6:30 p.m. (A). GO WARRIORS!

Cheerleading/Pee Wee Poms

Pee Wee Poms practices this week Monday, January 5 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Cheerleaders practice this Wednesday, January 7 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Winter Clothing

We go outside for recess, and the weather is cold and snowy! Check your child as they go out the door in the morning and please make sure that your child has appropriate clothing for outdoor play: winter coat, gloves, hat, and boots and snow pants if they wish to be in the snow.

Parent Conversations

Attached to the email and hard copy newsletters is another article from Parent Conversations. 

This week’s article: How Can We Prepare Our Children to Be the Church Leaders of Tomorrow? 

Parent Conversations, from  Forward in Christ magazine, offers articles on topics important to parents, written from a Christian perspective. If you are interested in viewing all of the articles available, please visit https://forwardinchrist.net/parents/ .

Art Club

Mrs. Sordahl has organized an Art Club that meets monthly and is open to all Zion students Pre-K to Grade 8. Parents of preschoolers are asked to attend with their child, but all parents are welcome to attend.

The next meeting of the Art Club is in the church basement NEXT WEEK THURSDAY, January 15 from 3:05 to 4:30 p.m. There is no fee to participate, but donations of supplies are always welcome! (Please speak to Mrs. Sordahl to find out what items are needed.) All participants are asked to bring a paint shirt and/or clothing that can get messy.

Projects made at Art Club will be saved for display at our Zion Art Fair in March.

Please speak to Mrs. Sordahl if you have any questions.

Hot Lunch - this week

Monday, January 5 - French Toast Bake

Wednesday, January 7 - Baked Potato Bar

Friday, January 9 - Pizza

Warrior Oasis

The Zion Upper Grades “Warrior Oasis” are selling milk and juice options for lunches to students daily.  Students in grades K-8 wanting to purchase milk or juice for lunch can do so across from the school library at the start of lunch hour, 11:45 to 11:55 a.m.

Drink items available:     

Horizon Organic Whole Milk $1.50

Quik Chocolate Milk $1.25

Juicy Juice Boxes $0.50 (Apple, Fruit Punch, Grape, Berry)

Orange Juice (bottle) $1.00

Purchases are cash only. Profits will go towards the upper grade field trip fund.

Coffee with Friends!

The Warrior Oasis Cafe is open on TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS in the gym. After dropping off the kiddos, come enjoy a great cup of coffee or hot tea with fellow parents and friends before heading out for the day, or grab a cup to go. Coffee is served starting at 7:45 a.m.  Cost is a free-will donation to the 7th-8th Field Trip Fund.

On the calendar this week…

Monday, January 5 - Hot Lunch - French Toast Bake

Pee Wee Poms Practice      3-4 p.m.

Tuesday, January 6 - Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15 a.m.

A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45 p.m.

Wednesday, January 7 - Hot Lunch - Baked Potato Bar

Zion CEA Meeting 3:10 p.m.

Cheerleading Practice       3-4 p.m.

C Team Basketball Practice       3-4:30 p.m.

Worship at Zion     7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 8 - A and B Teams Basketball Practice       3-4:45 p.m.

Friday, January 9 - Hot Lunch - Pizza

Warrior Oasis Coffee available in the gym      7:45-8:15 a.m.

Basketball Games AWAY vs Crown of Life, Warren ( A and B)

5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 11 - Worship at Zion   9 a.m.

Sunday School and Bible Class   10:15 a.m.