Gloria Dei Lutheran Church & School

I only visited the church once (and this has nothing to do with the school). The church is lovely, and they have a Saturday service at 6 p.m. — a perfect time for me. But the pastor and congregation belong to a conservative wing of the Lutheran church, which includes considering homosexuality a major sin. Unfortunately, I’m from a liberal wing of the Lutheran church, and since it came up in the sermon (I suspect it comes up every week), I knew this wasn’t the place for me. They believe in «close communion» where they encourage/​allow only like minded people to share in the Body of Christ. If you’re from a liberal wing of the Lutheran church (or a Christian from another denomination), they require you to take a class before you can take communion with them. I got the feeling they want you to agree with their philosophies, or they don’t want to share communion with you.

My children, now 7 and 10, have attended Gloria Dei’s summer, winter and Easter bible camps and have had a great time. The church members are very welcoming and friendly. Both of my children has asked, «Can we go to this camp next year?» every time the camp ended. Happy children make this mom very happy. And my children have been VERY happy at GD.

Excellent school with excellent teachers! Both Miss Marquardt and Ms. Lee are awesome. These two teachers make learning enjoyable for the kids. It is a warm, loving family oriented community.

I am beyond thrilled with Gloria Dei. My two children are in the middle of their second year there, and I have very positive feedback.
Our children started last year and the growth and progress we’ve seen is remarkable. I was concerned about their adjustment… both had been home with me and had no prior pre-​school /​daycare experience outside of extended family. I was thrilled that they were able to attend the same class, in the mixed junior kindergarten /​kindergarten class. Ms. Marquardt was amazing. The second day of school my youngest raced to class and threw her arms around her teacher. My son, who is very shy was allowed to adjust and blossom within his comfort zone. Her caring is evident in the way the children respond to her. The small class size really affords each child the opportunity to receive an education tailored to his/​her needs.
This year they’re in separate classes, and still flourishing.
For the kindergarten classes, the curriculum is one of active and experiential learning. There is good focus on reading and early math basics. I’m thrilled with the use of technology in the classroom in meaningful ways.
For the mixed classroom (grades 1 – 5), the students are encouraged to interact and share in their daily activities. I especially enjoy seeing the children working in community-​based ways, instead of having distinct separation of grades that you experience in larger schools. Mrs. Lee is an especially patient and caring teacher. Her gentle leadership and constant encouragement is inspirational… My son continues to expand his general scholastic and interpersonal skills.
This school promotes community and fellowship. The inclusion of bible-​based teachings provide an extra layer of education that just can’t be found in public schools.
The only drawback for me is there isn’t a «gym» or a rigorous physical education curriculum. That being said, there is ample opportunity for the children to stretch, climb, run and play during the scheduled recess periods. I’ll gladly trade organized sports on site for the caring education that they receive daily.

My daughter is currently attending Gloria Dei Lutheran School in the 4-​yr-​old preschool program and absolutely loves it! She used to be very fussy at drop-​offs at her old preschool and here we haven’t had a single tear in the entire school year. She just got upset a few times when I picked her up as she wanted to stay longer.
Miss Marquardt is an extraordinary teacher who is very enthusiastic, caring and loving, yet firm, which is the perfect combination for my (sometimes goofy) daughter. She has learned so much more than I expected, she knows all her letters and numbers and Anne Marquardt has endless ideas how to make class and learning for the children fun and interesting.
I love the fact that the school is very flexible when it comes to the days and times when the kids can attend school. It has been extremely helpful to be able to leave my daughter at school longer at times in case I needed to help out at my other daughters school or so. It made my life so much easier.
I can only warmly recommend this school!

This is a very family friendly congregation where everyone is welcome. It’s a place to grow your faith through The Word of God and refresh yourself each week. It’s a relaxing and comfortable environment.