Janelle Lafrentz to Serve as A-OK Director at SFLS
Sioux Falls Lutheran School is pleased to share that Mrs. Janelle Lafrentz will serve as our A-OK Before & After School Care Program Director beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
Mrs. Lafrentz is a 2011 graduate of South Dakota State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She holds K-12 certifications in vocal and instrumental music. Prior to joining the team at SFLS as an educational assistant during the 2019-20 school year, she gained valuable classroom experience as a K-12 vocal music instructor and a middle school vocal music instructor in the Hills-Beaver Creek, Parker, Harrisburg, and Mankato, MN, school districts.
Check out the Q&A below to learn more about Mrs. Lafrentz and her passion for educating children.
How did you decide to pursue a career in education?
The Lord blessed me with so many great skills, especially in caring for children. Since the age of 11, I have been babysitting, undergoing CPR training, and facilitating wonderful learning moments. Some of the clearest moments that lead me to teaching happened at church camp in Mt. Morris Wisconsin. I was entrusted with leading music and worship beginning at the age of 15. My background in church music helped guide me through earning my Bachelor Degree in Music Education at South Dakota State University. To sum up my answer; the Lord had my career lined out in front of me, I acquiesced to His will.
Share some of the long-term goals you have for programming in our before and after school/summer care programs.
My professional goal is to mold children into awesome human beings! Each child is coming in with different skills, temperaments, and interests. I hope to maximize the fun, minimize the struggle, and keep everyone safe while they are “on my watch.” Kids will have ample free play time before and after school, and I will provide guided interest sessions for roughly 45 minutes each afternoon. A-OK staff and I will facilitate daily themes for our interest sessions so students receive both structure and variety.
Music Mondays: Composing, moving to fun music videos, music therapy, creating cool sounds with instruments and technology (garage band).
Tactile Tuesdays: Knitting, crocheting, following recipes, science experiments, stitching, and creating fun stuff with our hands.
Wired Wednesdays: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) is a fun frontier of learning! I hope to teach about electricity, conductivity, programming, robotics (utilizing a simple makey-makey circuit board to program things), lego challenges, and more.
Theater Thursdays: Reading scripts, using tone and inflection, role playing, writing scripts, learning stage directions, set design, lighting, improvisation, and all things theater.
Fine-Arts Fridays: Follow the life and times of our composer of the month and artist of the month by painting in that style, listening to his/her music, and creating projects that imitate the art of that historical era.
What excites you most about transitioning from a teaching role into this new leadership position at SFLS?
As a K-12 music teacher in the past, I was used to running a music department, fundraising, lesson planning, grading, recruiting performers, and all the daily tasks of a classroom teacher plus directing concerts, musicals and extra rehearsals. This new position is just what I need as a busy mom–I can be a bit more flexible with my time during the school day and be ready to work in the mornings/afternoons to present my best teaching game! I am excited to transition into this new role, as I think it will bring about a great work/life balance while still utilizing my God-given talents as an educator.
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop 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, we are committed to partnering with parents and the church to raise lifelong learners who use their gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, in faith, to touch a troubled world with God’s grace.