Early Childhood Education / Preschool

The purpose of the St. John Early Childhood program is to provide quality education for young children in our church and community. 

Beginning in 2025-2026, St. John Lutheran School will offer a half-day preschool program from 8:30-11:30 five days a week. Families will have the option to choose a 2, 3, or 4 day program.

preschool background with illustrations of trees, cherrys, frogs, etc.

Our program is aimed at nurturing the whole child and providing opportunity to expand and grow in these areas:

Intellectual

  • To help the children become observant of the world around them.
  • To encourage the children’s natural curiosity and develop problem solving skills.
  • To help children enjoy literature and instill in them a love for reading.
  • To expose children to the uses of numbers, letters, and symbols in our world.
  • To encourage children to choose, make decisions, and pursue their own ideas and interests.
  • To encourage children to express themselves in many ways. (Movement, music, arts, etc.)

Spiritual

  • To know and experience that we are God’s children. He created us, loves us, and we are special to Him.
  • To begin to understand that the Bible is God’s book, His Word.
  • To express appreciation of the world God has created.
  • To identify things and persons for which to thank and praise God.

Physical

  • To encourage a positive attitude toward exercise and physical fitness.
  • To use and enjoy gross motor equipment.
  • To develop fine motor skills such as drawing, cutting, and stringing beads.
  • To recognize physical changes and growth in self and others.

Social

  • To provide a safe comfortable environment where children can leave their parents
    without difficulty and join into play with other children.
  • To provide a Christian atmosphere, in which children may interact easily with others,
    developing friendships and positive social skills.
  • To help children develop abilities to cooperate, plan, and follow through in group activities.
  • To communicate desires and feelings to others effectively.

Emotional

  • To reinforce that children are valuable to themselves, to others, and to God.
  • To provide activities and materials that will allow the children to be successful and that will lead to further confidence in learning efforts.
  • To provide opportunities for children to make judgments and decisions, to enhance their self-esteem and independence.

In addition to the key points above, we also guide our students with:

  • Children are provided with developmentally appropriate, hands-on activities.
  • Jesus time four days a week in the classroom featuring Bible stories, songs, and prayer. Chapel with the rest of the school is one day a week.
  • Get Set for School (Handwriting without Tears) is used not only for letter formation but also for literacy and numeracy components.
  • Weekly themes are developed to introduce concepts through large and small group
    experiences, play, exploration, and the use of centers.
  • Early childhood and kindergarten students participate in music, PE, and  library rotations once a week.
  • Early childhood students buddy up with 3rd and 4th grade students once a week to read together or sit together in chapel.

The Christian Educator

The Christian Educator:

  • sees the whole person as God’s foremost creation, given a rational mind and impressionable personality.
  • views the alienated human as one who is sinful and mortal, in need of repentance and the Gospel.
  • focuses upon the redeemed child through God’s love and forgiveness.
  • envisions the person as a responsible being, who has an obligation toward our Lord, fellow creatures, and himself.
  • believes that all children and families are capable of growth.

Education must cultivate in each student a life-long intellectual pursuit of curiosity. We strive to perfect the learning tools and techniques with the individual so that he/she can design a personal habit of self-education to continue throughout life as an ongoing activity.

Christian educators guide, comfort, and show possibilities, and they do so using best practices of teaching and learning.

Education Objectives at St. John Lutheran

We hope to achieve the following objectives through our Christian education:

  • Teach the Word of God so students can more completely understand and apply its teaching to their own lives.
  • Lead students to a stronger faith in Christ and to guide them so they will walk more closely with Jesus.
  • Teach students thoroughly the fundamentals of Christianity through daily instruction in Biblical truth and in training for Christian living.
  • Encourage personal experience in prayer life, devotions, and worship.
  • Assist and encourage students to serve as witnesses in order to win more souls for Jesus.
  • Prepare students for communicant membership in the church and to assume Christian leadership in home, church, and community.
  • Develop an attitude of love and respect for one’s fellow man that will result in Christian action and service.
  • Teach students to recognize and accept in a Christian manner their responsibilities, duties, and privileges in an organized society.
  • Foster growth of a Christian personality by providing for the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social, and physical welfare of students through an integrated program of Christian education.
  • Assist parents in training their children for Christ-centered living by providing instruction and fellowship in a Christian environment.
  • Acquire an adequate knowledge of the environment in which they live.
  • To be prepared for the next steps in their educational journey.
  • Help students grow in practical skills required in everyday living.
  • Develop an appreciation of the arts.

Curriculum & Instruction at St. John

Learning is a process that takes place over time and requires active participation by all those associated with that process – teacher (providing feedback), student (opportunities to practice and present knowledge/skills), and parent (supporting the process).Child's drawing with love God written on a rainbow with flowers.

Our grading and assessment practices should create a scenario in which all parties are able to engage in pointed and meaningful conversations about that learning process. As learning is reflected, instruction adapts to support continued growth.

We believe that grades should accurately represent learning and that a growth mindset is necessary for learning. As a result of this, only assignments and assessments used to gather evidence of learning will be graded. Additionally, students will be allowed to make mistakes because that enables them to determine how and where improvement can take place.

  • The teacher will provide appropriate instruction based on the objectives.
  • The teacher will provide multiple practice opportunities prior to an assessment.
  • Teachers will provide feedback to students based on practice in the classroom.
  • Assessments will be based on objectives.
  • Relearning and retesting will be provided for students, multiple times if needed, as long as students are making efforts to learn the material or complete assigned work.

  • Successfully complete the practice work (assignments, quizzes) before the assessment.
  • Focus on what opportunities there are to improve (growth mindset) and monitor grades and feedback from the teacher.
  • Make adjustments based on teacher feedback: review previous material, revise assignments, resubmit if required.
  • Ask for clarification if there are questions on practice work.
  • The first attempt at assessment is important. Failure to prepare adequately is a violation of the learning agreement between teacher and student, and you may be denied the opportunity for a reassessment.

  • Support the process.
  • Provide opportunities for the student to talk about learning.
  • Allow the student to demonstrate learning on his/her own.
  • Communicate with the teacher.

GROWTH MINDSET

Mindset #1
We believe that intelligence and abilities are changeable, therefore the teachers will have relearning and interventions in place for when students have not yet developed a skill or understanding.
Mindset #2
Learning is an ongoing process so there will be more than one opportunity to demonstrate learning.
Mindset #3
We believe the act of learning is more important than when it was learned, therefore teachers will offer flexibility in allowing students time to demonstrate learning.
Mindset #4
We value mistakes as part of the learning process, our goal is that students use those as an opportunity to further learning and growth.

Kindergarten-Grade 8 Yearly Tuition for 2025-2026

Student 1

$6,300
  • $6,300
  • Family Total (with discount)

Student 2

$5,670
  • $11,970
  • Family Total (with discount)

Student 3

$5,130
  • $16,500
  • Family Total (with discount)

Student 4

$000
  • $16,500
  • Family Total (with discount)

Student 5

$000
  • $16,500
  • Family Total (with discount)

Enrollment Fee – $175

Preschool Yearly Tuition for 2025-2026

5 days

$4590

3 days

$2646

2 days

$1944

Enrollment Fee – $150

Crusader Care (Before and After School Care) 2025-2026

Before School (7:00-8:00) – $5
After School (2:40-5:30) – $15

Admission and Enrollment Information

We have adopted an admissions policy that opens the school to families who are like-minded spiritually, who are supportive of our philosophy, objectives, and standards of education, and whose children meet our enrollment standards. Our purpose is to serve families who desire not simply a private education, but a distinctively Christian education for their children.

Before applying for admission to our school, please read our Statement of Faith and our Student and Parent Handbook linked below. The Student and Parent Handbook will introduce you to many of the school’s policies, procedures, and expectations for both parents and students.

Teaching His Word

This school believes, teaches, and practices the lordship of Jesus Christ and acknowledges the authority of God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, without reservation. Our faculty integrate biblical teachings and answer questions from a biblical viewpoint consistent with our mission and statement of faith.

Biblical principles are integrated into every subject taught at our school. Our staff is committed not only to academic excellence, but also to teach students how to apply the truths of God’s Word to every aspect of life. If you agree with the teachings of God’s Word, this school will complement the beliefs and ideals your child is taught at home. We look forward to partnering with you to educate your child in God’s truth.

Early Childhood & Pre-school Staff

Early Childhood Director & Teacher

Lorna Rudolph

Lorna Rudolph has an undergraduate degree in education from Concordia University in St.Paul MN and a master’s degree in early childhood education also from Concordia University. Lorna and her husband Jim live in Elk River. They have three grown children.

Lorna enjoys reading, gardening and going to antique stores.

Early Childhood Teacher & Lutheran Special Education Ministries

Jen Voigt

Jen Voigt has an undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Concordia University Wisconsin and a master’s degree in early childhood special education from Concordia University Wisconsin. Jen also works for LSEM (Lutheran Special Education Ministries), giving students extra one on one support. Jen is married and has four children. Jen enjoys coaching, spending time outside, playing games and watching her children play sports.

Preschool Aide

Gloria Tatkenhorst

Gloria Tatkenhorst - Preschool Aide
Preschool

Cali Hudson

Cali Hudson - Preschool Aide

Early Childhood & Pre-school Staff

Early Childhood Director & Teacher

Lorna Rudolph

Lorna Rudolph has an undergraduate degree in education from Concordia University in St.Paul MN and a master’s degree in early childhood education also from Concordia University. Lorna and her husband Jim live in Elk River. They have three grown children.

Lorna enjoys reading, gardening and going to antique stores.

Early Childhood Teacher & Lutheran Special Education Ministries

Jen Voigt

Jen Voigt has an undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Concordia University Wisconsin and a master’s degree in early childhood special education from Concordia University Wisconsin. Jen also works for LSEM (Lutheran Special Education Ministries), giving students extra one on one support. Jen is married and has four children. Jen enjoys coaching, spending time outside, playing games and watching her children play sports.

Preschool Aide

Gloria Tatkenhorst

Gloria Tatkenhorst - Preschool Aide
Preschool

Cali Hudson

Cali Hudson - Preschool Aide

Early Childhood & Pre-school Staff

Early Childhood Director & Teacher

Lorna Rudolph

Lorna Rudolph has an undergraduate degree in education from Concordia University in St.Paul MN and a master’s degree in early childhood education also from Concordia University. Lorna and her husband Jim live in Elk River. They have three grown children.

Lorna enjoys reading, gardening and going to antique stores.

Early Childhood Teacher & Lutheran Special Education Ministries

Jen Voigt

Jen Voigt has an undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Concordia University Wisconsin and a master’s degree in early childhood special education from Concordia University Wisconsin. Jen also works for LSEM (Lutheran Special Education Ministries), giving students extra one on one support. Jen is married and has four children. Jen enjoys coaching, spending time outside, playing games and watching her children play sports.

Preschool Aide

Gloria Tatkenhorst

Gloria Tatkenhorst - Preschool Aide
Preschool

Cali Hudson

Cali Hudson - Preschool Aide