Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle: The Continuing Story of SFLS Alumni
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More Than Memories
Homecoming naturally invites us to look back.
We remember teachers and classmates, teams and concerts, chapels and traditions—and the countless ordinary moments that become more meaningful with the passing of time.
But Christian education is never primarily about preserving memories. It is about forming people for lives of faith and service long after they leave our classrooms.
Paul writes: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” —Ephesians 2:10
Our alumni are more than former students. They are part of the continuing story of this ministry—and one of the clearest ways we see our mission extending beyond our campus and into the world.
The Mission Continues Beyond Graduation
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop capable Christian servant-leaders in a complex world.
But the fullest expression of that mission does not happen on a stage at graduation. Graduation is when students begin carrying what they have received here into the places God has prepared for them.
Some of our alumni will serve in visible positions of leadership. Others will serve in quieter ways: caring faithfully for their families, encouraging a struggling friend, volunteering at church, helping a neighbor, treating coworkers with dignity, or simply doing their work with excellence and integrity.
Each is a faithful expression of Christian vocation.
Christian servant-leadership is not defined by a title or platform. It is found wherever God’s people use the gifts He has given them in service to others.
That is why the story of SFLS does not end when a student walks across the graduation stage. In many ways, that is when a new chapter begins.
A New Chapter for Our Alumni
This year, for the first time in SFLS history, we are launching a formal alumni initiative.
We want to hear our alumni’s stories, celebrate where God has led them, help them reconnect with one another, and invite them to remain part of the continuing life and mission of Sioux Falls Lutheran School.
And we need your help.
If you attended or graduated from SFLS—or if you know former students who may not receive our communications—we would love to reconnect with them. Every story, every connection, and every opportunity to welcome an Eagle home helps us better understand the continuing impact of this ministry.
This Homecoming season gives us a special opportunity to begin.
Connect with our Alumni Network:
Come Home to SFLS
Alumni Chapel & Fellowship + Pep Rally — Wednesday, September 23
Alumni and former staff are invited to join us for chapel, with two opportunities to attend:
6th–12th Grade Chapel: 8:05–8:35 AM
K–5th Grade Chapel: 8:50–9:20 AM
Following each chapel, alumni, alumni families, and former staff are invited to stay for coffee and fellowship—a chance to reconnect, share memories, and hear what God is doing at SFLS today.
Current SFLS families are welcome to attend chapel and help us give our alumni a warm welcome home. If you see an alum, introduce yourself and share a little of your SFLS storay, too.
In the afternoon, alumni are invited to join us for the Homecoming Pep Rally from 2:30–3:00 PM. Meet our fall athletes, visit with current students, and rally your school spirit as we prepare for Friday’s big game!
Homecoming Football — Friday, September 25
Alumni Tent Opens: 2:00 PM
Kickoff: 4:00 PM
Campus Tours: Following the Football Game
Our Alumni Tent will be reserved for alumni, alumni families, and former staff, giving Eagles from across the years a place to reconnect, receive a name tag and Welcome Home gift, and visit with one another before the game.
This year’s Homecoming will also offer a special opportunity to reconnect with some beloved members of SFLS’s history. School founder and longtime preschool teacher Sandy Tams, along with former principal Rod Lenz and Fantastic Fives teacher Tina Lenz, will be present for Friday’s festivities. We look forward to welcoming them back to campus and celebrating the lasting impact they’ve had on our school community.
Everyone is welcome to come cheer on the Eagles and enjoy Homecoming football!
Alumni will be recognized at halftime, with an opportunity to continue fellowship and tour our new home following the game.
Do you know an SFLS alum, former teacher, staff member, or alumni family? Invite them to come home.
World Ready. Faith Secure.
Homecoming gives us an opportunity to remember. But even more importantly, it reminds us why we are here.
Our prayer has never been merely that students would graduate from SFLS prepared for whatever comes next. We pray they leave world ready and faith secure—ready to serve their neighbors, strengthen their churches and communities, engage a complex world with wisdom and grace, and remain firmly rooted in Christ.
That is the enduring work of a Lutheran school.
And this Homecoming week, we have the joy of welcoming part of that mission back home.
Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle.
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
Sioux Falls Lutheran School is a family community committed to developing capable Christian servant-leaders in a complex world who are World Ready and Faith Secure. We are passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We strive to accomplish this goal by maintaining high academic standards, employing excellent teachers, and upholding a Christian worldview drawn from Scripture. Ultimately, our vision is to partner with families in preparing children, as led by the Holy Spirit, for faithful and bold use of their God-given gifts to navigate and serve a complex world with the love of Christ.