From the desk of Sally Ruecking, our Advancement Director:
Greetings from Walther!
As spring comes to the corner of 9th and Chicago (sort of), we have much to be thankful for at Walther. Our sports programs are all in the midst of their seasons, including our first-ever girls’ soccer team! Our drama department is busy preparing the spring musical, Cinderella (Come check it out June 9-11!). We also continue to teach the importance of service; Walther just participated in the NID Shine event by assembling blankets for community organizations that distribute them to those in need.
On a personal note, this will be the end of my fourth year at Walther–I guess that means I’m a senior! However, I won’t be graduating. I still feel just as blessed to be a part of this amazing community of servant leaders and the greatest collection of students in any school, anywhere. And there is a lot of good work to do! As always, your prayers and support are appreciated.
I’ll end with a short story. I was recently observing a teacher and while I was sitting in the back quietly taking notes, a student walked back to me and told me to write down what a great teacher she was–“She expands our minds,” he said. “You should give her a raise!” What a joy it is to be in a school where our teachers are outstanding–and our students appreciate it.
God bless.
Tim Bouman
Head of School/Principal
Dear Walther Alumni and Supporters,
April has been a very busy month!
On April 14 our high school students experienced our 2023 Career Day and College Fair. A special thank you to Fred Kaufman and Brittany Shaw who were our dynamic keynote speakers! And on April 17, Tim and I took Aura students on a field trip to Chicago to experience the American Writers Museum and the Art Institute.
I have had the opportunity to meet with several alumni in person this month seeking additional support for Walther Christian Academy. It has been a joy to visit with donors and to hear about how Walther changed their lives. On one of my visits, I made friends with a dog, a horse, and two donkeys!
Finally, on April 22, 2023, I had the honor of attending the 30th anniversary Gala for the Chicagoland Lutheran Educational Foundation. Janet Klotz and her team put together a beautiful event, and it was such a great experience to take a tour of Soldier Field! A special shout-out to Walther’s recent alumnus Jacob Kimble, Class of 2022, who gave thanks to Walther–and to CLEF– for supporting his education. It was a joy to truly get to know Jacob since he was an involved Aura club member for three years. Jacob, like so many former Walther students, had a transformational experience being part of our Walther family. Your donation to our current Semi-Annual Campaign supports students like Jacob.
Thank you for your gifts and for keeping Walther in your prayers.
On April 14, Walther Christian Academy hosted its annual Career Day and College Fair. 26 speakers including two successful keynote speakers talked to our high school students about the myriad of career choices they could pursue.
Our morning started out with a “Campfire” chapel and our Head of School instructed all of our students to absorb the day and use it as a tool to help determine the direction they might want to take once leaving our school.
25 classrooms had professionals representing faith-based careers, health and science careers, IT and web app design careers, teaching careers, and more. In addition, a College Fair represented by 27 traditional Universities as well as Trade Schools were represented, along with the US Army, Marines, and the National Guard.
The students reacted positively to the day, and a few mentioned they had other careers to consider after listening to our speakers.
Walther is hosting its 3rd annual Bucking Bronco 5K Run/Walk at Walther on Saturday, June 3. Are you an alumnus who would also like to get involved with Walther? Please consider registering and inviting your friends, family, and co-workers to do so. It’s a great day to support this school and its students while enjoying connecting and reconnecting with others. What a fun day to help out and create your own reunion!
Our Aura Club produced a high-quality magazine each year featuring artwork and writings by our students. This year, the Aura Club Field Trip was spent in two Chicago museums. The first stop was to tour the American Writers Museum. The students enjoyed all of the exhibits that showed a variety of ways writers have expressed themselves in literature, songwriting, and children’s books. All of the Aura students enjoyed using a typewriter to compose a poem or prose.
The next stop was the Chicago Art Institute where we toured the American Wing and viewed famous paintings by Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Grant Wood, Georgia O’Keefe, and many more. Driving home, several students told me what a fascinating day it was, and that they really appreciated the field trip.
Established in 1997 in honor of Armond and Lorraine Clauss in appreciation for the love and support received by their children, two senior students (one boy and one girl) are chosen each year after writing an essay. Sydney Richardson and David Foley were each awarded $500 to be applied to their tuition. Both Sydney and David wrote wonderful essays describing their heroes. Congratulations, Sydney and David!
Do you want to support Walther and leave your mark? Or, purchase a gift for someone you love?
The time is NOW to become a permanent part of Walther by purchasing an engraved paver. You can purchase one on our website by choosing the paver purchase option to honor your time here at Walther, thank a parent for sending you here, thank a teacher, honor a memory, or give recognition to your business!
The pavers are $200 each.
Alan Rosenwinlel Class of 1963
Sharon Arnst Class of 1964
Richard Rausch Class of 1965
Dawn Pucci Class of 1980
Ken Brackmann Class of 1962
Walther Christian Academy is operated for the purpose of providing Christian Education at the secondary level for the families of Lutheran congregations. However, it admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, and religion to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and religion in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
