Academic Excellence at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Lutheran School (SPLS) is nationally accredited from National Lutheran School Accreditation and AdvancEd. We offer the highest quality Christian education for students in kindergarten through grade 8. We have a rich tradition of academic excellence which is provided by a dedicated, caring and professional faculty.
With advanced work in all curricular areas, strong MAPS results (the average SPLS student scores in the top 20th percentile nationally) and a challenging grading scale, our students are well-prepared for high school and beyond.
Our Curriculum
Core Knowledge ®
The Core Knowledge Sequence is a detailed outline of specific content and skills that every child should learn in language arts and literature, history and geography, mathematics, science, music, and the visual arts. The Sequence offers a coherent plan that is designed to encourage cumulative academic progress as children build their knowledge and skills from one year to the next. Teachers have more time to think about how to teach and not spend hours researching and planning what to teach. They know what children have learned in previous grades and what they will need to learn in the grades that follow. This prevents the many repetitions and gaps in instruction that often result from vague curricular guidelines.1
Along with the Core Knowledge Sequence, our curriculum includes:
- Faith development
- Foreign language
- Computer class
- Physical education
- Geometry
Our music program accommodates children of all levels, from beginner to the advanced. Children as young as 4th grade can take music electives.
1 Adapted from www.coreknowledge.org
At St. Paul’s Lutheran School we are committed to teaching a Biblical worldview to all children. In our strong academic program, many opportunities arise to teach, from a Biblical perspective, about such things as creation, civic responsibility, diversity, and moral living.
We aspire to be a regional leader in academics and Christian service and to prepare our students to live in the world as excellent, involved citizens and as bold witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Children who attend our school know that Jesus loves them so much that He died to forgive their sins, and He is making a place for them in heaven someday. Using the Bible as our guide, we help our students see their place in this world and how God uses each of us to make it a better place.
St. Paul’s also offers many outdoor education activities – from local lake and environmental studies to week long camping opportunities. Our 5th, 6th, and 7th graders head to Camp Luther in Three Lakes each May for a three-night stay of outdoor activities, bible study and fun.
Our 8th grade students class trip is to South Dakota in the early fall of the year. The students tent camp for a week in the Badlands and Custer State Park.
The purpose of this extended field trip is threefold. First, much time is spent on team building and leadership training through Bible Study and various outdoor education activities. Secondly, the location of this trip provides a rich source of field experiences in earth and life sciences and history. There is ample opportunity to reinforce history and science classes by visiting various natural landforms and historical sites in South Dakota. Finally, relationships are strengthened through interaction with classmates, teachers, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ.