Mount Calvary Blog

Better Together with a Fourth School

Written by Christine Oldenburg | Jul 20, 2021 7:16:00 PM

We welcome Mount Calvary Lutheran School as the newest school and first K-8 school of the LHSAGM!  Mount Calvary and the LHSAGM began initial discussions in 2020. Pastor Dan Czaplewski of Mount Calvary wrote to the congregation and staff, “As we looked for ways to better serve our students and to provide more resources for our teachers in their ministry, it became clear that the best way to do this was to have Mount Calvary Lutheran School become a part of the LHSAGM.”

 

Mount Calvary Lutheran School now has the full support of LHSAGM administrative services, such as finance and marketing, while maintaining its own school culture and personality. Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church will remain independent and continue to support the school ministry in many ways, including through spiritual leadership. The Mount Calvary congregation approved the agreement on March 21, 2021, and the LHSAGM Board of Directors approved the agreement on March 23, 2021, with both approvals being unanimous.

 

CEO Cole Braun of LHSAGM says, “Since 1952, Mount Calvary has been a close partner in supporting our mission of Sharing Jesus, Shaping Lives, and Developing Leaders. With 80% of Mount Calvary’s 8th grade class already attending our high schools and the natural alignment in our mission statements, we can now better serve our families together.”

 

Mount Calvary was not a stranger to the LHSAGM before this joint endeavor. The church has been a part of the Association of churches for over 70 years, since LHSAGM was founded, and remains so. 

 

Serving as a church and school, Mount Calvary has been passionately bringing Christ’s hope to the heart of the city for over 95 years. Starting in 1925, they had only 9 students in a duplex on 53rd and Locust. In 1927, its first school building with two classrooms was built as an addition to the church. Increasing enrollment between 1948-2007 prompted multiple building expansions for a library, gym, kitchen, computer room, science lab, and additional classrooms. Today, Mount Calvary is blessed to serve 170 students and their families.

 

Since joining the LHSAGM, Mount Calvary students were able to return to in-person learning for the last months of school. The school’s re-opening plan was edited and revised so that the City of Milwaukee’s Health Department could approve the plan and allow the students to come back to school on Monday, March 23rd. An open house, landscaping, maintenance work, and planning for more physical and technological infrastructure are recent updates the LHSAGM made to make sure Mount Calvary reflects the high level of education it provides. Looking to the next year, the middle school program will be completely re-built with new teachers, as well as an updated curriculum.

 

Mr. Rob Lunak accepted the Call to be the new principal of Mount Calvary. He previously served as principal at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Janesville, WI, and officially began his ministry with us on July 1. He is excited and thankful to receive this opportunity and looks forward to working together with the Mount Calvary community in this ministry. We are grateful for Mr. Otto and his willingness to step into the role of Interim Principal last October and his service to Mount Calvary over these past six months.

 

The school also received a new look in promotional material to match the WeTeachTruth brand. A new website is being built and new logos were designed, keeping a bit of the previous school identity in them. Follow the school on social media to see more amazing things happen with our youngest member. 

 

Please encourage your family, relatives, friends, and neighbors to join our new school family. We want to share the love of Jesus with as many kids as possible and look forward to future growth at Mount Calvary!