Student Life
To fully develop leadership potential, students may participate in student government. Elections for Student Council occur the last week of October. The elected Student Council leadership team remains active for the full school year. New council members are elected each year. The Leadership Team consists of 11 students plus a few assigned staff members. The elected positions include: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Environmental Affairs, Director of Outreach & Publicity, Director of Religious Affairs, and Class Representatives for grades 3-8.
The Student Council provides an important leadership role at Salem Lutheran School. The students elected to the council represent the student body at the student council meetings, set a list of goals for the year, coordinate fundraisers to reach established goals, speak at numerous school events, lead prayers during event weeks such as Lutheran Schools Week, and help promote student and school events.
Student Council activity extends beyond the school to include outreach to the greater community. In line with Salem’s mission to be Committed Christians and Responsible Citizens, students engage in active service to others and demonstrate compassion. The students visit places such as City of Hope where a tremendous amount of experiential learning takes place, creating further understanding of the value of science and medicine and how both can help people. The members of the Student Council then raise and donate resources to help organizations such as the City of Hope. Through their activities both within and beyond the Salem community, leadership skills are fostered and students become active participants in serving others.
Salem has a strong commitment to both the local and global communities. Involvement in the community fosters compassion and brings people together. Salem Lutheran School’s outreach involves children, families, animals, and a variety of organizations. Recently through its offerings, Salem has supported the following:
- Compassion International
- Glendale Humane Society
- World Vision
- Glendale Free Clinic
- House of Grief
- The Gentle Barn
- Create Now
- Red Door
- Lutheran Disaster Response
- ELCA World Hunger
- Lutheran World Relief
An active and energetic PTO is an important and dynamic component of the Salem Lutheran School community. While many schools require hours and fees that must be donated by parents, Salem has a community that is able to rely on allowing parents the option to volunteer and donate as they choose. One of its most noteworthy contributions has been the creation of a student library. The Parent-Student Organization is led by volunteer parents under the supervision of the School Board and the principal.
The purpose of the PTO is to support the mission of Salem Lutheran School through fellowship activities and special events. The PTO strives to provide a strong relationship between the faculty, staff, and parents of Salem Lutheran School, and to enhance the quality of education for the students by raising funds for school supplies and programs that compliment the school budget. Positions within the PTO are numerous and include a wide variety of leadership roles.