History of Salem Lutheran School

Celebrating 60th Anniversary

In July 1948, at the semi-annual congregational meeting of Salem Lutheran Church, members voted to begin a Christian Day school. Pastor William Gentz became the first principal. The school started with only one teacher, Ms. Clara Sampson, who was hired to teach first through third grade. Classes were held in the Fellowship Hall and Ms. Sampson received $1,750 for the 10 months that she taught that year. In 1949 a half-day kindergarten class was added. The kindergarten was taught by Sylvia Gentz and met in one of the small rooms next to the stage in the Fellowship Hall. Ida Weber was hired soon after. She taught the first and second grades who along with the third grade were all moved upstairs to the loft of the Fellowship Hall. The school now boasted 38 pupils.

Ms. Helen Aaseng arrived at Salem in 1950. she taught nursery school in the morning and kindergarten in the afternoon. The new third grade teacher was Dorothea Anderson, who later became principal after Pastor Gentz accepted a call in 1952 to serve a parish in Oregon. The school's tuition was $10 a month for church members and $15 a month for non-members. In 1955, the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes were discontinued. That same year Ms. Aaseng succeeded Dorothea Anderson as principal and also taught the first and second grades.

By the time the new church sanctuary was dedicated in 1959, two new classrooms above the Fellowship Hall were also completed. In the spring of 1964, an Educational and Administrative building was completed on campus. six grades now occupied the three large ground floor rooms of the new building. In each room, there were two grades with one teacher. By the fall of 1964, a Kindergarten class was once again offered. A Nursery Department was added in 1968 with two half-day classes, and in 1969 the school began the process of separating grade levels. The first and second grades were divided in 1969, the third and fourth grades in 1971 and in 1973 the fifth and sixth grades. Of special note was a young teacher named Claire Kinzinger who joined the staff in 1972 to teach the fourth grade. To this day Mrs. Kinzinger holds the record for the longest tenure of any instructor or staff member to be employed at Salem Lutheran School.

When the new school year began in 1973, each grade level had its own separate room with one teacher per grade. That same year, after 18 years as both principal and teacher, Ms. Helen Aaseng resigned her administrative duties in order to teach exclusively. Mr. John Kober was hired as principal and fifth grade teacher. In 1974, the School Board decided that Mr. Kober should serve as a full-time principal and teach Physical Education classes part-time. There were now seven full-time teachers and one part-time teacher. School enrollment was 165. In 1979 Thomas Blevins was hired to serve as the school's fifth principal. In the years to come Salem flourished as Mr. Blevins added more specialized part-time teachers, earned professional status in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as an Associate in Ministry (A.I.M.), and supervised the second-story addition of a new Computer Lab. When Mr. Blevins retired in 1989, Mrs. Ghada Huleis was hired as the new principal. Mrs. Huleis had served on the school faculty since 1989 as third grade and later fifth grade teacher. During her tenure as Salem's principal, she upgraded the Computer Lab, supervised the remodeling of the Fellowship Hall/Gym, created an outstanding Summer Daycare program, was nominated and selected Principal of the Year, and spear-headed the school's most recent achievement as a Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School in 2005.

The school now has approximately 180 students, operates classes for grades Junior Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. The school is governed by a School Board of six members and one chairperson, elected from the church congregation. The chairperson also sits on the Church Council as one of twelve Stewards helping to govern the affairs fo Salem Lutheran church.

The Principal administers the school -- which includes the elementary classes and other special programs such as music, physical education, art, computer and foreign language. Salem school operates extended day care for working parents during non-school hours, including summer. Our school children experience major field trips and our fifth and sixth graders go to El Camino Pines and Washington D.C.

Salem Lutheran School also boasts an active Parent Teacher Organization. The PTO supports the mission of the school and provides opportunities for fellowship and fundraising that benefit the entire Salem Community.

We give thanks to the Lord for our 60 year legacy of quality Christian education...and especially for the dedicated men and women, both present and past, who have served the many children who fondly recall Salem Lutheran as their beloved elementary school.

Soli Deo Gloria