Letters from our Leaders
Our Head of School
LHS families, friends, and alumni.
As we approach the end of the fall semester, our team is focused on planning, supporting our staff, and strengthening our Christ-centered community.
Financial Planning and Sustainability
Budget preparations for the 2026-2027 school year are underway. This early planning helps us thoughtfully set tuition and consider compensation to attract and retain excellent teachers. Additionally, we’re developing a comprehensive facilities master plan with input from experts to prioritize updates like kitchen improvements, HVAC maintenance, and long-term projects.
Safety and Community
We’re exploring grants to fund security upgrades and collaborating with the St. Peters Police Department on reviews of cameras, door locks, and entry points. These efforts aim to make our campus even more secure without disrupting daily routines. On the community front, the Mia Rose development across Mexico Road has been approved, and we’re making progress on adding a stoplight at our main entrance—potentially by mid-2026—to improve traffic flow and safety for everyone.
Supporting Our Staff and Team
To keep LHS strong, we’re benchmarking our staffing against 37 Lutheran high schools nationwide and 10 local private/Christian schools. This includes gathering insights on admin roles, leadership structures, and innovative approaches like job-sharing, especially as we grow to 500 students. In a spirit of care, we’re researching a “Bridge & Benevolence” program to provide one-time grants for staff facing unexpected medical costs, reflecting our commitment to supporting those who serve your families.
Strategic Plan and Ministry of Care
Our strategic plan is on track, with an updated accountability chart tracking 25 action items across five priorities. Quarterly check-ins ensure we’re making progress and adjusting as needed. Through our Ministry of Care initiative, we’ve hosted expert Brian Minarcik from GCU for campus visits, listening sessions, and professional development. His upcoming training will focus on mission-aligned communication, active supervision, and welcoming practices to embody Christ’s love in every interaction.
Our Principal
Cougar Nation,
A positive school culture has a tremendous impact on student learning, and we know that a strong culture doesn’t just occur by accident. Last year, our faculty and staff studied the book “Culturize” by Jimmy Casas. This year, in our faculty meetings, we have continued to draw from and work to apply the main points of last year’s study. Like our students, our faculty and staff should also be lifelong learners, continually growing in the way we serve our students and families. Our culture is already strongly rooted in the four core values of LHS, and as I wrote this summary, I tried to assign my updates to one value exclusively. But I discovered that all our values were present, each threaded throughout, making our work and the growth of our students possible. I thank God for blessing us with the servants and students who make our culture possible.
A quick look at academic life
In October, parent-teacher conferences provided parents with insights into their child’s progress, challenges, and successes. It was a prime time to reinforce positive habits or to identify areas for improvement in the final half of the term. This strong partnership between school and families helps ensure spiritual, academic, and personal growth! Thank you to the many parents who met with teachers! As part of this update on academic life, I’d also like to spotlight Mr. Corey Dowden and senior Cameron Bell. Mr. Dowden oversees our Academic Recovery and Peer Tutoring programs. Whether facilitating communication between coaches and teachers or connecting students with peer tutors or small group table studies, Mr. Dowden provides consistent academic support and accountability to help our students succeed in our rigorous academic environment. Finally, we are proud to announce that Cameron Bell has been named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. This is a tremendous honor for Cameron and for LHS. Throughout our school’s history, only a handful of students have accomplished this achievement. Nationally, more than 1.3 million students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program, and less than 1% are named a National Merit Semifinalist. Please include Cameron in your prayers as he continues the process for a National Merit Scholarship.
A little on student life
We are so proud of all of our Cougars for their many successes and accomplishments throughout the fall athletics season. Our student-athletes represented LHS at the state level in Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys Swim, and Cheerleading. Beyond the achievements on the court, course, or playing field, we are most thankful for the lifelong lessons of determination, self-discipline, and teamwork that our student-athletes learn through extra-curricular experiences. LHS Arts has also been in full swing this fall. In October, the LHS Theatre Department, under the direction of Mr. Brian Scheller performed “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” with nearly 10% of the student body involved in the cast and crew. A special thank you to Immanuel Lutheran St. Charles for hosting our performances as the LHS Commons was renovated. We hope to see you at the “Sound of Music” in our newly renovated theatre space this spring!
The support and development of our teachers
Taking time to visit classrooms is a key ingredient to providing instructional leadership for teachers. Each week, I have the opportunity to visit classrooms and observe teachers and students in action. Observations lead to ongoing conversations and collaboration, which create continuous improvement in our students’ educational environment. Discussion on methods of effective instructional practices and classroom dynamics encourages reflection and helps maximize the strengths of our already talented teachers.
Rededication of the Commons
After six months of construction, the LHS community came together on November 12 for the rededication of our campus! With the Commons now open and available for use as a true multi-use space, it will be a catalyst for worship, fellowship, and creativity. Whether participating in worship, attending events, or simply gathering to be together in Christ, students and guests will benefit from a larger stage, LED walls, an upgraded sound system, better lighting, and the ability to stream events outside of LHS.
Next for the Empowered by Christ Campaign
Through the Empowered by Christ campaign, Lutheran High continues to be blessed by the generosity of our families, friends, and alumni. With the renovation of the Commons complete, the next phase of the campaign is focused on the baseball and softball fields and the multi-purpose building. A topographical study of the back fields has been completed, a critical step to allow discussions to begin with Bax Engineering, the LHS building committee, and the city of St. Peters on the plans for the multi-purpose building and the potential for a combined baseball and softball field.
Other projects underway are the final touches on the science lab (casework and countertops) and the furniture for four classrooms in the main school wing. And, already looking ahead to this summer, plans for the parking lot to be repaved and reconfigured are in progress.
A Night for Blue and White, 2025
Celebrating one of our favorite Cougar traditions, our annual auction brought our community together for an unforgettable evening filled with fellowship, fun, and the chance to bid on exciting items. This year $115,000 was raised through Fund the Future to offset the cost of completing the remaining five classrooms near the Academic Success Center and Lecture Hall with new desks and furniture. In total, supporters of LHS gave more than $200,000 to build our tomorrows.
Around the den
The experiences of our students playback how LHS is carrying out our mission and living our values. Through Around the Den we ask our students to reflect on what’s happening in their classes, with their friendships, as leaders, and on their faith journeys. Their stories, observations, and experiences will help guide decisions and ensure that our school is a place where faith, learning, and community come together.
Spiritual and Academic Growth
“I love Mrs. Rueckert’s class when we talked about how change can influence our faith lives, which was a new and interesting topic for me.”
Servant Leadership
“Students have shown responsibility during their service with Key Club. We rebuilt the club from the ground up after both of our advisors left.”
Building Character and Purpose
“Recent national events really affected students’ lives and their perspectives on God’s power and knowledge. My American Literature class has had a lot of successful conversations about who we are and our place in society.”
Authentic Relationships
“I have had conversations with Pastor Millard about my faith and my struggles in my faith, and I have gotten advice from him, and also my peers.”
Last word with Luther
He lets the godly become powerless and to be brought low, until everyone suposes their end is near, whereas in these very things He is present to them with all his power, yet so hidden and in secret that even those who suffer the oppression do not feel it but only believe. There is the fullness of God’s power and His outstretched arm. For where man’s strength ends, God’s strength begins, provided faith is present and waits on Him. And when the oppression comes to an end, it becomes manifest what great strength was hidden underneath the weakness. Even so, Christ was powerless on the cross; and yet there He performed his mightiest work and conquered sin, death, world, hell, devil and all evil… Thus, too, all who suffer and are oppressed overcome.
From The Magnificat (Luther’s Works 21:340)
