The Lutheran High School of Kansas City

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

Some weeks are better than others.  Last week’s achievements by faculty, staff, and students were phenomenal.  The first great accomplishment was our Academic Team which earned a second place finish in Columbia, Missouri in the MSHSAA State Championship competition.  An exciting day of competition ended with loss to an extremely talented Columbia Independent School in the Division 3 final match.  Remember Lutheran High has been elevated two school classes because of our previous successes in this tournament.  Coach Brittany Mikeska has led teams to three consecutive State Tournaments.  The program is a tremendous boost to our school’s academic reputation.  All-State honors were earned by senior captain Isaac Herkamp, who also captured All-District honors.  Because of our continual successes, the team will compete in Division 4 next season.

On Thursday May 4th, a team from Cognia was both on campus and virtual as the Lutheran High School of Kansas City was on display for its 2023 accreditation visit.  Because of Covid and an array of other complications our 2022 visit had been extended to 2023.  A full report was submitted to Cognia in February of this year and then the subsequent visit occurred last week.  Often times these visits can create anxiety and create an environment of misunderstanding.  Not this visit.  Our faculty members were in step with our report and with the mission and vision of the school as were the students who participated in the interviews.  The Engagement Team is always looking for continuity within the school.  Do students know the vision and mission of the school, do teachers cooperate with each other and the administration in order to set and achieve goals?  Quotes such as “You have a tremendously deep and enriched culture here. Positivity seems to be a constant within the building.” Another comment by the team was “The students speak very highly of their instructors.”  They also mentioned the variety of clubs and sports available for each student. In short, our accreditation process was a huge success for LHSKC.

One concern of the team was over the potential “burn-out” possibility of faculty because of their involvement with the student body.  Another school improvement item focused on the area of data analysis.  While LHSKC gathers a great deal of data, analysis of the data and utilization of these results may assist in the student learning process. We need to continue to service our variety of learning styles we face at our school.  Counseling and guidance positions are crucial to the success of our young people.  All of these ideas are a part of our long term goals.

Running a high school is not an easy task, nor is it a task many people desire to fulfill. There are so many complexities and so many moving parts.  Personalities can conflict and compliment simultaneously. Tension and stress can run high as flawed humans try their very best to serve others.  We do not always agree, but one truth can be told.  We are all trying to serve and honor our Lord in the best way we know.

I am so honored that LHSKC has so many successful programs and achievements.  The two mentioned above are extremely humbling.  Accreditation IS significant. We attempt to validate ourselves to the community.  Other educators viewing us in a positive light, recognizing our positive, caring culture, and sensing our Christ-centeredness allow us to move forward in confidence. Stay tuned…there will be more achievements by our students this spring.  God is so good.

In His Service,

Dr. Stel