Grace Story, Aryn Dilger, Grade 4

Grace is a great school because there are nice teachers and friends.  You get to go on fun field trips and do fun activities and projects.  A field trip we do is we go to the Pumpkin Patch.  We also get to learn a lot about Jesus and a lot of His miracles.  We get to celebrate the 100th day of school.  At the end of the year we do fun activities and have a picnic.    We also collect chapel offerings for places like Harvest Pack.  Harvest Pack is when we raise money and that money gives food to people who don't have it.  We can give a poor family food for a whole year.  Grace does way more.  It's really fun!  I think this is a great way to grow up.

Grace Story--LISA SANDE

I first walked into the doors of Grace Lutheran School almost exactly twenty years ago as a student teacher.  I had a two year-old little girl, and I was expecting my second.  I didn’t know what to expect upon entering into my student teaching experience, as I grew up going to public schools.  The first thing I noticed was the small atmosphere, which made me immediately feel welcome.  The parents, teachers, and students welcomed me and made me feel immediately a part of the GLS family.  I learned so much in those weeks of my student teaching, and I always had Grace in the back of my mind as well as my heart as I continued the remaining months of my college years and into graduation.

After I received my degree, and still feeling the love from my student experience, I put in my application to become an aide at Grace.  I was so blessed to spend the year working in the first grade classroom for the first full year, and my perspective changed from being a student teacher to an aide, and then to a perspective parent.  It was then that I made the very smart decision, knowing now that God directed me the whole time, to enroll my oldest child in the PreK program with Mrs. Beth Scholten. I watched my little girl grow in her faith and academics, reciting letters and numbers as well as sharing her love of Jesus in song and art projects.

Now having two little girls, I was very blessed to be offered the sixth grade teaching position for the 2000-2001 school year.  From there, I had not only grown in my faith and love of Jesus, but I had watched how that faith and love grew in my children, adding on my son in 2004.  God had special plans for my entire family when I received that student teaching experience back in 1996. 

Over the years, having two of my now-adult children spend their entire educational years at Grace up through eighth grade, I see not only the evidence of the quality in their education received, but how the seeds of faith were planted very deeply. Academically, our children thrived, graduating from Fargo North High School with academic honors and scholarships.  Currently, my oldest is a nurse at Essentia, and my middle child is attending NDSU on a fully-paid ride, holding a 4.0 GPA and working towards a degree in respiratory therapy.  They hold firm in their faith, ready to share the gospel with those around them. Our son is still attending Grace Lutheran School, and we are excited to see the fruits of his academic and faith building experiences he is receiving here!

While many may be concerned of the smaller class sizes at Grace Lutheran School, I can assure those people from experience that having our children stay through eighth grade has been the best decision we could have ever made for them.  When they were asked about attending other schools, and in this area the public schools are excellent, my children always responded with “I want to stay at Grace to learn more about Jesus!” While their answers always made us smile, we knew in our hearts that those extra years spent at Grace not only helped them become the people they wanted to be without fear of exclusion or being questioned about why they believe what they do as Christians.  They are able to defend their faith with memorized scripture, Bible stories, and an overall feeling of holding pride in what they know to be true. When our girls left the school they had known for ten years of their lives, even in a small class size, they headed out to the larger schools being rooted in their belief in Jesus and made fast and life-long friends on top of the ones they made at Grace.

As parents, every bit of sacrifice we made to have our children attend Grace Lutheran School was completely worth it.  We have only one shot in raising children to become strong, Christian, and productive adults.  Like I tell my own children and students as well, our times on Earth are very short compared to the eternity we spend with Jesus.  We wouldn’t have done it any other way.  

Grace Faith

Grace Story, Melissa Cameron

 A few years ago, I was looking for a smaller, more family-centered church and found Grace Lutheran.  I went through confirmation a second time as an adult with my husband, and it was a wonderful thing to do as a couple. I got so much more out of it as an adult. God’s grace helped get me and my family through my grandfather’s death.  I feel like my faith has never been stronger, and I’m more comfortable now sharing Jesus’ love with others.

 I’ve really loved seeing Grace Lutheran School work with my son’s faith, and it warms my heart to hear him singing songs of praise and quoting his favorite verses.  He’s recently been singing a fun song about Martin Luther to commemorate the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation next year.

  When I attended Thor’s kindergarten graduation, I had tears in my eyes listening to the eighth graders speak at their graduation.  It was clear what kind of young adults had been shaped by Grace Lutheran School.  I am so proud of the school and what it stands for in the midst of all the things going on in our world.

Melissa Cameron

Current student parent

Grace Story--Kari Lugo

What does Grace Lutheran School mean to me?

Growing up as a kid, in any day or age, isn't always easy. Children, especially today, are faced with innumerable amounts confusion and world conflicts. Having a safe, Christian environment to learn is crucial in these trying times. Grace Lutheran School provides that to so many families, a gift from God above!

 I can remember way back to attending Grace Lutheran School in kindergarten, not necessarily my first day, but still I can remember that far back. I can remember the feeling of safety, security and love I felt within these walls.  As I continued my education at Grace through 8th grade, I enjoyed wonderful friendships with fellow students, some who I still see and talk with, important relationships with my teachers and most cherished of all, a built up backbone of faith in Christ Jesus. 

My parents were middle class working parents, like many still are today. They worked hard to be sure my brother and me could attend a school that taught us the ever saving grace of God and instilled in us the deep roots of faith. We learned how to practice those beliefs in our everyday lives. We had special attention academically when we needed it, stern but loving correction when we needed it and wonderful musical praise opportunities, which have enriched me throughout life; I still remember learning how to count time to music from Mrs. Hall!

When I transitioned to public school in 9th grade, I had a very difficult time learning the way of the outside world. I was a bit naive and shocked to see what my peers were involved in and it took me a long while to assimilate. But, despite these obstacles, I always had my backbone of faith behind me. When faced with questionable situations or ideas or attitudes, I always knew intrinsically what was right and what God wanted. I knew this because I had been raised up and educated by the wonderful teachers and staff of Grace Lutheran School.

All these years later, my answer is always the same when people ask me about Grace Lutheran School. I tell them how it molded in me an unshakable faith, a strong backbone that I could always align to in times of fear or uncertainty. In fact, I still cling to that strong backbone of faith to this day. Life never gets easier, but through my education at Grace Lutheran School, I  learned that I will always have a safe and true place to land; in the arms of my Savior, Christ Jesus!

Kari Lugo

Former Grace student 1980-1988