Faith
Children are immersed in a faith-based environment at St. Paul’s School.
At St. Paul’s, education goes beyond textbooks, making connections to faith an integral part of daily life. Nurturing spiritual growth and the development of life-long faith are as vital as academic achievement.
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St. Paul’s Lutheran School offers an ecumenical, Christian environment which embraces students, parents, and staff from diverse faith backgrounds. This diversity enriches the collective experience, fostering an environment where everyone contributes to a richer, and more inclusive, learning community.
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Daily devotions, prayer, and worship are naturally embedded within the school day at St. Paul’s. Faith education is an integral component of the overall learning experience.. We begin with building upon the strongest of foundations: the Gospel. This is the good news of God’s gracious gift of life, healing, forgiveness and love for the whole world. With Jesus as our cornerstone, we build our faith education in ways that lets God’s grace shine.
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Students lead a weekly worship service on Thursday mornings at 8:30, providing a unique opportunity to share faith, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence in public speaking. More than 21 local church denominations are represented among the students, staff, and teachers at St. Paul's. Guest speakers from these faith communities are regularly invited to speak at our weekly worship services.
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The Fruit of the Spirit is embraced daily through uplifting the St. Paul’s F.R.U.I.T. Values:
Faithful — I am faithful to God, myself, and others.
Respectful — I am respectful by listening, using self-control, and accepting authority.
Use manners — I use manners by saying “Please,” “I’m sorry,” ”Thank you,” “You’re welcome,” not interrupting, patiently waiting.
Integrity — I am doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Teachable — I am flexible, adaptable, and ready to learn.
We live and learn in faith together (L.I.F.T.) through the guidance provided by Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Highlighting a different fruit value each month, we celebrate students during monthly L.I.F.T assemblies which feature our parent “Spirit Squad”.
Academics
St. Paul’s offers challenging academics that stimulate intellectual growth.
St. Paul’s students achieve remarkable results, embodying the pursuit of knowledge. Students engage with certified teachers, who hold valid Iowa teaching licenses, in an educational journey that not only challenges but empowers all scholars to excel academically.
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St. Paul’s is fully accredited through the Iowa Department of Education and utilizes the Iowa Core in all content areas. The school follows educational standards adopted by the State Board of Education. As an accredited institution St. Paul’s students are held accountable to high standards, measured by the same testing platforms that all Iowa public schools utilize to evaluate student achievement.
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St. Paul’s offers curriculum and programs that meet and exceed what is offered in the public school. Testing results consistently show that on average:
St. Paul’s students reach an 88 to 98% Proficient or Advanced Achievement Level (the top two designations) in the tested areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
St. Paul’s students outperform other Iowa students by 39–54 percentage points.
Source; Iowa Department of Education, ISASP scores 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, St. Paul’s Lutheran School, 3rd-6th Grade #8537
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St. Paul’s distinguishes itself from local schools in many ways. Spanish is taught in preschool-6th grade. Highly qualified teachers provide instruction in PE, music, art, ELP (Extended Learning Programs), thinking skills, library, and computer literacy. Additional instruction includes band, orchestra, handbells, choir, and multiple opportunities for offsite learning and field trips. St. Paul’s is fully accredited through the Iowa Department of Education and utilizes the Iowa Core in all content areas.
Completely unique to St. Paul’s is our Foundational Kindergarten program. Foundational Kindergarten focuses intensely on foundational readiness skills needed for future success. Foundational Kindergarten most often serves as the fi rst year of a two-year Kindergarten experience, but students can also be considered for 1st grade the following school year.
Community
A commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of St. Paul’s.
Believing that a strong sense of community enhances the overall educational experience, students at St. Paul’s form enduring friendships while parents build connections with other involved parents.
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St. Paul’s maintains close relationships with Wartburg College and Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community which allow St. Paul’s students to apply the values they learn in school to real-world situations. The ongoing collaboration and cooperation with the local Waverly-Shell Rock (W-SR) public school system, through a myriad of ways, help ease the transition to W-SR Middle School in 7th grade. St. Paul’s utilizes a compatible curriculum and thoroughly prepares students for middle school expectations. Partnerships with W-SR include the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program, Title One, Special Education, band, orchestra, and transportation.
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The active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), as well as multiple opportunities for families to join in for weekly worship and special events, ensure that St. Paul’s parents are engaged, valued partners, and allow parents to network with other parents and staff that are invested in quality Christian education.
Excellence
A commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of St. Paul’s.
Experienced faculty ensures top-notch education. St. Paul’s teachers are caring and dedicated educators, and are certified and licensed by the State of Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Teachers value and invest in their own professional growth, with 90% of the teaching staff acquiring additional certifications, endorsements, or master’s degrees beyond their initial teaching licenses.
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Teacher longevity at St. Paul’s is strong, with an average tenure of 15 years. Teachers love St. Paul’s because of the support from families, caring administrators, and the respectful school culture which facilitates an optimal teaching and learning environment.
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St. Paul’s offers opportunities for interaction and collaboration for both large and small groups. Teacher and student technological resources enhance instruction, with 1:1 devices provided for all students K-6.
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The St. Paul’s School experience is characterized by smaller class sizes and lower student-to-teacher ratios. Students in early childhood classrooms, from preschool to 2nd grade, are supported by two adults per classroom, ensuring an individualized and optimized learning environment.
Service
St. Paul’s students are engaged in service learning.
Students engage in transformative experiences, developing a sense of purpose beyond the classroom. Throughout the school year, the students have opportunities to serve others in many different ways.
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St. Paul’s School priorities community outreach through its many partnerships with community organizations. Students participate in activities that give back to the community and help the students steward relationships beyond the school walls. St Paul’s students conduct local food drives, provide companionship with the elderly residents at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community, offer community meals and have opportunities to interact with local veterans.
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Worship offering is collected weekly to support local, national, and global outreach projects and missions. The school worship committee gathers to determine need, often involving input from students, parents and staff. Some recipients of these offerings include Ewalu Camp & Retreat Center, Water to Thrive, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and other missionaries and organizations that provide support for people in crisis.
The Capstone Program
The St. Paul's Legacy Program began in 2012 as a year-long program that incorporated all areas of curriculum with a focused learning of our nation's history.
Today, all students at St. Paul's School begin to learn the stories of others. Through age-appropriate projects, our students learn about the history of our country. During 5th and 6th grade, our students take a focused approach to learning how the dedication and sacrifices of others have given us the freedoms we enjoy today.
The Capstone Program focuses on curriculum-based learning and culminates with a trip to Washington DC where students and their adults visit the memorials of events they have learned about.
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With a focus on the Capstone Project, our K-6 students are engaged in projects, the curriculum, and books, learning about our nation's capitol and the history of our country. Through stories, interviews, and connections, our 5th and 6th grade students learn what it means to leave a legacy and begin to contemplate the type of legacy they would like to leave to future generations.
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Fundraising is a part of the Legacy Project and one the students always say is one of their favorite parts. Learning that trips like this aren't free and it takes hard work to raise the funds. Students take pride in working together to raise money to support their class. No student will ever be left behind for financial reasons.
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During November of their 6th grade year, the students and their adults travel to Washington DC to visit the places they have learned about. Visiting the sites creates a tangible connection between our history and the words on the page. Parents, grandparents, and important adults are encouraged to join their students.
