Dear Parents,
​
A recent study by Northeastern University in Boston attempted to determine how schools and parents could close the gap between what is expected by state testing and what’s expected by future employers. So what are the skills expected by employers?  In the 2016 study referenced here, 80% of employers responding are looking for leadership skills. The second highest skill, at 79%, is that of communication.

I believe one of the benefits of having students in small classes is that they can experience leadership opportunities in a safe environment. Students have the opportunity to communicate with peers as they present reports and projects. It’s also why we emphasize writing so heavily -- to ensure students have a solid grasp on written communication.

At home you can ask your child why or how they are doing something. Give them the time to explain it completely, allowing them time to revise their sentences as needed. It’s valuable to do this both orally and in written form. Encourage them to write notes of thanks or apology (even to siblings), a diary, or a journal. As older children learn a skill, give them the opportunity to teach that skill to younger children. At school we reinforce these skills by partnering older students with younger students as reading buddies, but you can do the same at home.

We are all leaders in some area of our life and need to be prepared for that. As parents, you are leaders of your children. God has placed you in this position, and hopefully your children will someday be parent/leaders as well.

Blessings on your parenting,
Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
I am sure many of you have made a list of things for which you are thankful. I’d like to briefly share some of mine below.
Number one on the list is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do my best every day, but even that falls short all too often.  I am very thankful for His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
I am thankful for supportive parents. Because of your close involvement in your child’s life, we have the opportunity to partner in raising your children. That’s a privilege. It’s one of the things that makes our school community special.
I am very thankful for teachers who give of their time and frankly work for a lower salary than they could get other places. God has blessed us richly with a staff that is dedicated to ministry with children and their families.
I am thankful for Epiphany Lutheran Church and the support given to the school through the use of space, provision for utilities and insurance, and even financial support.
I am thankful for this country in which we can worship God without fear of violent persecution.
I’m thankful for a wonderful family including my wife, three children, their spouses, and six grandchildren. God has richly blessed us.
I know that you are thankful for your family is well. I hope this next week will be a time during which you can celebrate that thankfulness and enjoy their company.
In His Service,
Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
Today I am writing to you about fears that are on the increase in upcoming generations. You may already recognize some of these in your children.
The first one is FOMO, fear of missing out. In today’s social media world, you can see photos of your friends online doing fun things. It’s logical to assume that you are missing out on something. Your children may see their friends doing things and wonder why they were not included.  They may ask you why your family “never” does anything fun. The fear is real, although it’s obvious they can’t possibly be involved in everything they see online. They’re going to miss out on something. What can you do? Help them understand that you can’t do everything. You must make choices. You must set priorities. Those priorities should be in accordance with your values. As always, we adults can model appropriate behavior as well
The second fear is known as FOBO, fear of being off-line. Even adults are known to experience this when they become disconnected, lose Wi-Fi, or out of range. A recent study of teens in 13 countries across five continents showed 70% of them expressed this fear. We need to help our children understand the human need for silence. Occasionally the body has to re-group, and that happens when the sensory overload diminishes.
The third fear is FOMU, fear of messing up. Again, in today’s social media world our mistakes are broadcast with video. There are even websites dedicated entirely to epic failures. This causes our children stress. In today’s economy there are so many opportunities for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, but how can students take chances when they are so concerned about messing up? Help your children understand the risks versus rewards of any venture. Help them understand and appreciate the input of a few trusted individuals instead of the whole society they see on any social network.
Again, the key to all of this is to model appropriate behavior and talk with our children about the way to make good decisions. When your children do “mess up”, use this as an opportunity to discuss the fact that humans are not perfect. Only God is perfect. Remind them how valuable they are to you and to our loving God. He sent His own Son to suffer on our behalf.  That’s real love, and we should all feel valued.  
Blessings on your parenting,


Tim Miesner
Principal

 Dear Parents,
As parents and educators two questions often arise. Whose fault is this? Whose responsibility is this? The late Dr. Scott Peck, psychiatrist and author, said people tend to gravitate toward one of two directions when something goes wrong. Either they blame themselves for everything (neurosis), or they seek someone else to blame (character disorder).  Neither of these is healthy, yet they happen frequently.
How many times have we heard politicians say something like “Mistakes were made”? Really? Were made (passive verb)? Is nobody taking responsibility? Rather than trying to figure out who’s at fault, be the one who comes up with a solution. Take responsibility, be a problem solver, and your children will learn to do the same.
Recently, at the end of our early morning care as I was about to dismiss the children, I noticed some toys had not been put away. I stopped all the children and asked who was playing with them. Turns out a young child, no longer in the room, was at fault. Immediately, an older student volunteered to pick up the toys and put them away for him. She stepped up and took responsibility for something that was not her fault.  It’s no wonder every other student in her class likes her and respects her so much. That’s what we want to see in our children. That’s character.
It doesn’t happen naturally. It’s modeled and taught by the significant adults in our children’s lives. Let’s join in teaching our children to take responsibility even with things that are not their fault.
In His Service,
Tim Miesner
Principal




 Dear Parents,
As parents and educators two questions often arise. Whose fault is this? Whose responsibility is this? The late Dr. Scott Peck, psychiatrist and author, said people tend to gravitate toward one of two directions when something goes wrong. Either they blame themselves for everything (neurosis), or they seek someone else to blame (character disorder).  Neither of these is healthy, yet they happen frequently.
How many times have we heard politicians say something like “Mistakes were made”? Really? Were made (passive verb)? Is nobody taking responsibility? Rather than trying to figure out who’s at fault, be the one who comes up with a solution. Take responsibility, be a problem solver, and your children will learn to do the same.
Recently, at the end of our early morning care as I was about to dismiss the children, I noticed some toys had not been put away. I stopped all the children and asked who was playing with them. Turns out a young child, no longer in the room, was at fault. Immediately, an older student volunteered to pick up the toys and put them away for him. She stepped up and took responsibility for something that was not her fault.  It’s no wonder every other student in her class likes her and respects her so much. That’s what we want to see in our children. That’s character.
It doesn’t happen naturally. It’s modeled and taught by the significant adults in our children’s lives. Let’s join in teaching our children to take responsibility even with things that are not their fault.
In His Service,
Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
I know all of you want to do what you can to help your child learn and help your child's teacher teach them well. Below I have listed some things that will be beneficial. As you know a well-behaved classroom requires less teacher time for management. As a result, this classroom has more instruction time, and by the end of the school year may receive the equivalent of several extra weeks of school.
To help make our classrooms more orderly we depend upon our parent partners for support. What you teach your children at home is very important in determining how much they, and their classmates, can learn at school. Below are some examples.
Don't give warnings. I have seen so many parents give multiple warnings, when a child should really know to obey the first time. When I hear a parent say something like "this time I really mean it" I know we’re in trouble.
Teach your child to wait for his or her turn to talk. Our whole society has a problem with this, but I believe it still can be done. It will take time and determination.  Be sure to model it for them.
Teach your child to say “yes sir” and “no ma’am”, “please” and “thank you”, “excuse me” and in general to be polite. These social skills will take your child a long way in school, in an interview, and in a job. This is exactly the opposite of the direction our culture is going right now. Unfortunately, the examples students see on social media show people denigrating one another publicly.
Teach your child to share, which is much harder in today's world with smaller families. I had to share one bathroom with nine others in my family growing up, but most of our children now have one or no siblings with whom to practice sharing. Set up experiences with other children to practice this skill.
All these things will help your child’s teacher to teach the class and enable your child to be a better employee in the future. More jobs than ever are now cooperative and collaborative. People skills are just as important as job skills.
Ask yourself these questions. Does my child ignore my requests?  Does my child refuse to do something I’ve asked him or her to do? Do I find myself negotiating with my child? Is my child disrespectful in their words, actions, or facial expressions?  If the answer to any of these is yes, we have work to do. These are the actions that make life more difficult for your child’s teacher and fellow classmates.
Please don’t misunderstand. I love giving children choices, but some things are nonnegotiable. Among these are respect, reverence, and honesty. If you find yourself having difficulty with any of the above, please contact me. I would be pleased to help.
In His Service,
Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
Would you believe there is a concept so universally accepted that Biblical scholars and secular psychologist agree upon it? Even more amazing is the fact that we all tend to ignore it. The concept is that striving for happiness creates unhappiness.
You can find this referenced in Scripture as frequently as in Psychology Today. Still, we all arrogantly think that we can create happiness. Not only that, we think we can create happiness in others. As parents, we try to “make our children happy“, even though we cognitively know it’s impossible.  It’s a part of our human need to be in control.
We overload them with great experiences.  We give them whatever they want. We treat them to things they don’t even want – all in the name of making them happy.
We get so busy that we don’t stop for those teachable moments.  Take time to ask about how someone else felt.  Take time to help them learn to pick up after themselves.  Take time to listen to their stories no matter how trivial they may seem.  Take time to work together helping another person.  Be completely honest yourself.
They will be happier doing the right things than they will striving for happiness. Teach and model for them good character – honesty, self-discipline, polite manners, generosity, empathy, and they will have a far more enjoyable life than the selfish pursuit of happiness.
Resolve to pursue the teaching of goodness.
Blessings on your parenting,

August 14, 2018 
Dear Parents,
We all want good communication, but often we think of it in one direction. We want others to communicate with us, but we don’t always think to communicate with them.
In this writing I hope to outline our communication, and I would love your feedback on ways we can improve. I also want to encourage you to communicate with your child’s teacher or the school office.  Let’s make it a two-way street.
Each week, Mrs. Pooley sends out the Friday Tidbits. This provides you with most of the general information about Epiphany. Each home room teacher also sends out a weekly email or some equivalent describing what’s happening specifically in that class. I write a blog geared more to philosophical issues. This year about 25% of our students are new to Epiphany, so I plan to write explanations of our policies.
If you have a question about something, you are always encouraged to ask. Begin with your child’s homeroom teacher or the teacher of the subject in question. If you do not feel your issue was resolved adequately, you are welcome to talk to me. I am available each morning greeting students outside the school and am always eager for your conversation.
We are small enough that within a couple weeks I will know the names of all students and most parents. We want you to feel right at home here.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
In His Service,


Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
I’d like to address the topic of students and devices, one of many topics that I hope to address in writing to you throughout the school year.  If you are reading this and your children are too young to carry devices with them, please read on. It’s only a matter of time until you encounter the issues addressed below.
As students mature, parents often give them electronic devices that are connected to the marvels of the Internet.  With this comes privileges and responsibilities that are very adult-like.  Much like beginning to drive a car, these students now hold in their hands the power to do wonderful things or to create serious problems.
With privileges come responsibility. New users see the privileges but don’t fully comprehend the problems or responsibilities. How do you as a parent help them learn?
Here are some practical suggestions that I hope will help:

• Ensure your child knows the device comes from you and you are in control.  Even if they’ve earned the money themselves, they could not have done so without you.  You are the parent whom God has charged with the responsibility for raising that child.
• Talk with your child about how the device will benefit and potentially harm others.  Ask how much they know already.  Don’t lecture, ask.  Usually they know, but don’t think about it.  Give them a chance to verbalize.
• Know the password(s) for your child’s device(s), and check on them regularly.  Kids will handle devices very differently when they know someone else is looking.  That’s not surprising, since it applies to adults too.  Accountability is good.
• Know your child’s friends and their parents.  That’s easy at Epiphany, but they may also have online friends.  This is also a good reason to check on the use frequently.
• Resist the urge to feel as if you are violating their privacy.  It’s natural to feel this way, but often this used as an excuse to abdicate parental responsibility.

As a school, we are happy to help, but we have practical imitations. We don’t log into children’s devices, which is the most important way to monitor it.  That’s a parent’s role.  When teachers address social media, they are addressing an entire class. There are things they can and cannot say in that setting. As a parent, you can address these issues more effectively, because you are speaking to just one child. You can address their individual questions and concerns with your own set of family values.
Blessings on your parenting, which is undoubtedly the most important task before you!
Tim Miesner
Principal

Dear Parents,
For the past few years I have written to the parents of our students about a topic relevant to families in today’s world. My goal this year is to share my thoughts with you on a weekly basis. In this writing I want to tell you why I feel so blessed with this school year.
First, on Friday I saw so many returning families, and I was touched by the trust that you have placed in us as your school. We value the partnership and will do our best to work with you and your child.
Second, as I saw new families coming in, I was excited at the prospect of forming additional relationships. Thanks for coming through our doors and beginning this new partnership.
Third, this year we have four new teachers whom I believe bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our faculty. I look forward to seeing them integrate into our current staff.
Fourth, I am completely indebted to all the returning teachers who continue to give of their time and energy in this ministry. It’s no secret salaries are lower at a Christian school than in public school, and these teachers have continued to serve here because of their love for the Lord, His families, and His children.
But the biggest reason I feel excited about this new year is the way in which the Lord blessed us to bring all these new teachers, returning teachers, returning families and new families together! I have truly seen His hand in it. I’m looking forward to see how He will bless this year.
Next week I plan to address the topic of social media.
Thanking God for our Epiphany Lutheran School family,
Tim Miesner
Principal

"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10