YOU HAVE QUESTIONS

 

 

DO I HAVE TO BE LUTHERAN?

No.
 
In fact, there are more non-Lutheran families at Messiah School than there are Lutheran. If you are looking for an environment to welcome your family, uphold your values, build a heart for service, nurture your child’s faith, and help you feel successful as a parent; Messiah is a great place to start!
 
Christian education has long been a focus of the Lutheran church. In the early days of the Lutheran Church in America, providing a school was a requirement for every Lutheran Church. The Lutheran School system predates nearly every system of education in America. Click to learn more about our system of schools.
 
Messiah Lutheran Church offers an excellent Christ centered education option for the Lincoln community. Families who are actively involved in the membership life of Messiah Lutheran Church may apply for a member tuition discount.
 
Learn more about PS-12th Grade Lutheran School opportunities available to you through the partnership Messiah has with Lincoln Lutheran.

 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Messiah  School operates on funding from tuition, donor support, and Messiah Lutheran Church mission support. A current Tuition and Fees sheet is available for your review by clicking here. It is our desire that every family who desires a Christ-centered academically strong education experience for their child does not find tuition to be a barrier to their choice. Financial aid and scholarships are available to all families.

 

DO YOU OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS?

Yes!
 
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ALL STUDENTS
Children of Professional Church Workers
Children of Active Military and First Responders
 
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
2nd Child Scholarship
3rd & 4th Child Scholarship
Active Messiah Church Member Scholarship
Ask your home church if they offer scholarships for Christian Education
 
FINANCIAL AID FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
All Messiah elementary students are eligible for financial aid based on need. Requires verification of need through FACTS Tuition Management — this process evaluates your family income and core expenses. Discretionary expenses are also identified, but do not increase your need. Ask for more information on how to apply for financial aid. About 30% of Messiah elementary student qualify for financial aid.
 
FINANCIAL AID FOR PRESCHOOL STUDENTS
When applying for Preschool, please visit with the director to discuss financial need.

 

IS THERE ROOM FOR MY CHILD?

There are occasionally classrooms that fill up, so we encourage families to commit as soon as possible. Beginning in 2020, we will have ample space for more children as our new school addition opens, expanding our K-5 capacity from 156 to 275 children. This will also allow Messiah Preschool to grow into classrooms currently occupied by elementary aged students.

 

DO YOU HAVE A GIFTED PROGRAM?

Messiah’s academic program is quite rigorous. While we do not have a designated gifted program, we have many children in each classroom who enjoy the individualized challenges put before them by their teachers.

 

CAN YOU SERVE MY CHILD WHO HAS A LEARNING DISABILITY?

Messiah partners with Lincoln Public School specialists to diagnose learning disabilities. Children who live in the LPS attendance boundaries and are diagnosed with a learning disability may receive services during their school day at Messiah from LPS specialists who work in our building. Students with more extreme disabilities, especially those requiring assistance throughout their day, may not be best served at Messiah as we do not have the ability to host specialists within our classrooms.

 

DO YOU USE HIGH STAKES TESTING?

It is becoming too common in American public education systems to lean on high stakes testing as the primary determinant for student success and even teacher success. Messiah does use assessment tests, but for very different reasons.
  1. We want to know what students know so that we can help them grow, especially in areas of relative weakness. We use Fall assessments to help us get to know the individual strengths and weaknesses of the children in our classrooms.
  2. We want to know if the curriculum we have designed for Messiah is working — that students are achieving at or above the academic standards for their grade level. We use Spring assessments to measure how well our curriculum planning is working and to ensure the growth we expect to see from students is actually happening.

 

WHAT DO LUTHERANS BELIEVE?

We believe in the Triune God:
the Father, creator of all that exists;
Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and
the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments.
The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
 
We believe that our Salvation comes from God “by divine grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone,” not by anything that we can do ourselves.
 
We believe that Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible and that faith in him alone is the way to eternal salvation.

 

HOW DO MESSIAH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS USE TECHNOLOGY?

Lincoln Lutheran, our sister school who serves 6th-12th graders, was the first school in Lincoln to implement a 1:1 technology program for its students. Messiah Elementary was the second.
 
The idea of a computer lab is in the distant past. Messiah students have full access to technology tools in their classrooms whenever they need it. Kindergarten and 1st Grade teachers have classroom sets of iPads for their students to use when it fits into their learning design. 2nd-5th Graders each have their own Chromebook to use throughout their day.
 
Teachers all have laptops, iPads, and projectors or TVs to use for interactive instruction.
 
A variety of technology tools are available for your child and for your use as partners in student learning and to maintain a strong communications connection between home and school.

 

WHAT KIND OF CREDENTIALS DO MESSIAH TEACHERS HOLD?

Most of Messiah’s teaching staff holds a Masters Degree. All are certified by the State of Nebraska. In addition to academic credentials, Messiah’s teachers have received formal training in helping your child’s grow in their Christian faith.
 
Messiah school is approved by the Nebraska Department of Education under Rule 10 and is fully accredited by National Lutheran School Accreditation.

 

DO YOU WELCOME VOLUNTEERS?

Absolutely!
 
While we do not require volunteer hours of parents, we depend on them for many of the activities we offer. While you volunteer, you will get to know other parents as well. It is important to us that Messiah families know one another and grow close to each other and to their Savior.
 
A volunteer survey is completed each Fall so that our volunteer coordinator knows who to contact when specific needs arise during the school year.

 

DOES MESSIAH REQUIRE STUDENT UNIFORMS?

No. There is a simple, child friendly, dress code.
 
We do not believe that elementary age children require a uniform to succeed in school. Our desire is for children to maintain their unique character. We honor their unique learning styles. And we challenge them to grow.

 

WHERE DO MESSIAH STUDENTS GO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL?

After fifth grade, about 80% of Messiah’s students attend Lincoln Lutheran. The other children typically attend their neighborhood middle school.
 
Messiah sends more students to Lincoln Lutheran than to any other middle school or high school. About 35% of the Lincoln Lutheran student body attended Messiah.

 

DO YOU FOLLOW COMMON CORE CURRICULUM?

Common Core has become a “bad word” in some circles, and for good reason, but maybe not the reason most think. Any set of standards taken is isolation can become a problem if it becomes prescriptive for all students. Standards are meant to provide a framework from which to build.
 
We know the Common Core Standards, the Nebraska State Standards, the Lutheran School Standards, and many other subject specific standard sets. These standards collections all help Messiah teachers design curriculum and instruction for Messiah students based on several sets of standards, and then we exceed those standards.

 

DO YOU HAVE SPORTS TEAMS?

The Nebraska Department of Education does not allow interscholastic athletic competition before 7th Grade.
 
Messiah children often compete on the same team within local youth leagues, including the YMCA, and enjoy having one of the parents from their classroom as a coach. If your child is interested in joining a sports team, be sure sure to let your teacher know so that they can help connect with you with another parent from your classroom.

 

WHAT IS “WEDNESDAYS AT MESSIAH?”

Wednesdays At Messiah is the name of our family centered discipleship program at Messiah. Each Wednesday, we hold an all school chapel service to which parents are invited. Then in the evening we have faith building activities for the entire family.
 
A family devotion kicks the evening off at 6:15 in the church. From there we split into age groups for our learning hour, completing the evening by 7:30. If you need a light dinner, there is one provided beginning at 5:45.
 
Wednesdays At Messiah is for our whole community, not just “members.”