Is St. John Lutheran School accredited?
Yes. St. John Lutheran School is accredited by the National Lutheran School Accreditation, North Central Accreditation and is fully recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Does this school have before & after school care? What is the cost?
Yes. The Before School Program is available from 7:00am to 8:10am. The After School Program is available from 3:15pm to 6:00pm. Children can attend either program on a regular basis or drop in as needed. Activities include time for homework, outside/gym activities, quiet time, recreational time and snack. The cost is $15.00/session or $7.50/first hour.

Does tuition cover the entire cost of educating a child at St. John?
The cost of education factors in all direct and indirect costs associated with supporting a child’s education at St. John. A portion of the cost to educate a student is funded by St. John Lutheran Church including costs such as mortgage, utilities, custodial support and equipment. Tuition and third source funds such as gifts and grants as well as PTL support make up the difference of the per child costs.

Is there financial assistance available?
The Tuition Assistance Program of St. John Lutheran School exists to provide financial assistance for families who desire to have their children attend the school and who demonstrate financial need. The grant, when issued, is applied to tuition only. The Tuition Assistance Program is open by application.

Is there chapel each week?
Chapel services are held each week on Thursday mornings or on certain Church festival days. A chapel service is held at 9:05am for grades 2-8. Preschool 4 – first grade hold chapel twice a month.

Is there a dress code?
Yes. St. John has a standardized dress code which includes the following guidelines:
- Solid color tops in red, white, navy blue and powder blue
- Navy or khaki pants, jumpers, shorts or skirts (jeans are not within the standard dress guidelines)
- Red plaid jumpers or skirts
Clothing that meets the standard dress guidelines can be found at such places as Lands End, Old Navy, Aeropostale, JC Penney, Sears, Kohls, Gap, French Toast and Target. The St. John PTL also offers standard dress clothing for resale.

How can I be involved in my child’s education?
St. John encourages parents to take an active roll in their child’s education. Our school has an active Parent Teacher League that offers a variety of activities and degrees of involvement throughout the school year.

How do St. John’s test scores compare with other schools in the area?
Our students are tested in grades 2-7 using the Stanford Achievement Test. School-wide scores for core academic areas average in the 80th percentile. This score reflects that our students performed approximately 30 points above the national average which was normed at the 50th percentile. On separate assessments of writing performance, our students performed at or above expectation at every grade level tested.

What are your class sizes?
At St. John, we pride ourselves in having small class sizes. The class size will normally be limited to:
Kindergarten: 21 students
Grade 1 & 2: 22 students
Grades 3-8: 26 students

Are all the teachers at St. John degreed?
All of our core teachers are certified hold valid state teaching licenses and are on professional development plans. Six members of our core teaching staff hold master’s degrees.

What does your academic curriculum include?
The academic curriculum includes the following areas of learning:
Religion
Language Arts
Science
Mathematics
Social Science
Physical Education
Fine Arts
Technology
Foreign Language

How does your school address social and emotional needs of children?
St. John recognizes the significant relationship between academic achievement and social/emotional well-being for students of all ages. At St. John, the staff fosters social/emotional well-being by creating a school culture that values each child as an individual with unique gifts and talents from God. Students learn in an atmosphere of caring peer and adult relationships. In addition, teachers promote social/emotional skill building by incorporating specific strategies and techniques that support children as they learn to know and understand themselves, learn how to appropriately interact with others, and develop their social decision making skills.

What is middle school like?
St. John students in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade begin their day with a homeroom teacher before rotating to six different academic periods with subject area specialists. The students also have a period of theology and a period of integrated arts. The middle school students have access to a science lab as well as various forms of technology which are integral to the instructional process.

What foreign language does St. John teach?
St. John provides Spanish instruction to all students in grades 4-8. Spanish Club is available for grades K-3 after school. Successful completion of the Spanish program enables students to move into Spanish 2 in High School.

What Fine Arts does St. John offer?
The middle school students have a Fine Arts period everyday where they can choose to take band, choir, music, art or drama. The students in grades K-4 have music and art classes weekly. Students in grade 5 have art and music once a week, are in choir twice a week and may choose to be in band.

What extra-curricular activities are available to my child?
To encourage students to be the “best that they can be” to the glory of God, St. John offers the following activities: band, choir, Student Council, Chess Club, Caudill Readers, Monarch Readers, Battle of the Books, Spanish Club and sports (cross-country, volleyball, cheer/poms, basketball and track). All students are encouraged and welcome to participate on any of our sports teams. Traditionally, our sports teams have qualified to compete at the State level with much success.

How do St. John graduates do in High School?
We consistently receive positive feedback about our graduates from the various high schools that our students attend. Historically, 75% of our students enrolled in honors classes as freshman and are actively involved in various activities.