Yantis was a 4 year starter at Okaw Valley high school, earning all conference honors, as well as IBCA All-State recognition. Yantis averaged 22.6 points, 8 assists, and 4 steals per game her senior year and was named the teams MVP.

 Tracie Yantis continued her basketball career at Millikin University and was a 3 year letter winner. Known for her hustle and defensive presence on the court, Yantis was named her teams defensive player of the year 2007-08 and she averaged 10 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3 steals per game her senior year.  Tracie Yantis was the  JV coach for the  Okaw Valley Timberwolves last season.

Millikin University Coach Lori Kerans had this to say,
“I am so excited that Tracie Yantis has decided to accept the position as Head Girl’s Basketball Coach at LSA.” 

  “She is an outstanding athlete who has enjoyed great success at Okaw Valley and at Millikin University.  Tracie has been exposed to excellence throughout her academic and athletic career:  excellent role-models and educators, outstanding family background, and community support.  The LSA Lions, the Yantis family, and Tracie are winners who expect to be successful in whatever they choose to do.  Tracie Yantis is the complete package who I trust will make a positive impact as an educator, coach, and servant for her student-athletes.”

 Coach Yantis, “I am grateful to LSA for this opportunity and I am very excited to meet the players and families from both the high school and elementary school. I just can’t wait to get started.”

 Yantis is already making plans with the assistant coaches for camps, summer tournaments and conditioning for the elementary and high school girls.

116, 640 meals were packaged at our event, which exceeded our goal!  That amount of food will provide 319 hungry children with meals for one year!   Your few hours of hard work made a huge impact on the lives of children around the world.

We give thanks to God for His abundance in providing these meals for His children and for bringing in 487 volunteers to do the work needed.  If this experience has moved you to want to thank Him, we would ask you to
consider giving a $5 thank offering this week.   It would be included in the classroom challenge, which has been extended to the end of April.  (Checks may be written out to Feed My Starving Children, Event 1204-44). For $5, a child could have three meals for seven days—the amount of meals a healthy American child is likely to eat in a week.

God has worked in amazing ways to accomplish His purposes through this event!  We are so grateful for all that you have done to support this special opportunity!  Many requests have been made for the black LSA Mobile Pack t-shirts.  We have several left in youth sizes, but we would need to place an order for adult sizes.  If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Bayles.

Greetings,

My name is Kari Richter and I am excited to be the new kindergarten teacher.  I would like to share a little bit about my life journey.  I grew up in Lakewood, Colorado.  I have an older sister who has two daughters who are 14 and 16 year old.  My family still resides in Colorado.  

 I went to the Universityof Concordia, in Seward, NE where I got my BA in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood.  I got married right out of college to my husband Nathan.  Our first placement was in San Antonio, Texas.  In San Antonio I taught kindergarten for four years, and during our fifth year in San Antonio I was a stay at home mom and I ran an in-home child care.  Our next call was to Little Rock, Arkansaswhere I taught preschool, and helped develop the curriculum at the Early Childhood Development Center.  We have been living in Iowa the past four years where I have taught first grade, and preschool, and have recently been the director of a Learning Center, Preschool and School Age program.

   I am a mother of two boys; Justin who is currently eight and Josiah who is four.  We love to explore new towns and try out new restaurants.  We love to be outside and go hiking, and camping.  The boys keep us busy with swimming, basketball, soccer and football.

I was born and raised in rural Iowa and benefitted from the upbringing my parents provided me in understanding the importance of hard work and having a solid faith.  My grandfather was a LCMS pastor his whole life and he persuaded me to go to Concordia University in Seward, NE and enter the mission field.  While at Concordia I majored in secondary education in biology, played football, and met my wife through cheerleading.  My first call was as a science teacher and coach at the Lutheran High School in San Antonio, Texas.  During my time there I received two Master’s degrees from Concordia in Austin: one in curriculum and instruction and the other in administration.  I then became principal at the Lutheran High School in Little Rock, Arkansas and learned a lot about administration very quickly and the number of hats that must be worn.  I was the principal and executive director for the Lutheran school in Cedar Falls, Iowa and am now excited to be part of the ministry here at LSA.  I have two sons: Justin (9) and Josiah (5) who will be attending LSA.   Some of my hobbies that I enjoy include: golfing, running, bow hunting, and reading.  I enjoy watching and playing every sport under the sun.

I believe that Lutheran education is about helping students grow both academically and spiritually.  It is through the relationships that we establish with our students and the opportunities that we make to share our faith with them that help them to realize their own potential and then work to meet it.  I am truly thankful that God has brought me here and wants to use me for His work.  I look forward to meeting and working with all the teachers, families, and supporters of LSA.