Over the summer, the school installed all new interactive projectors and screens in the classrooms to upgrade the instructional technology.

The teachers enjoy the new tech and the ability to have innovative and engaging lessons, as do the students, Principal Bruce Hartley said.

“Teachers are able to turn the control over to let the kids share with each other,” he said. “Anytime you get kids being able to teach their classmates, it helps both the students and the classmates to be able to learn better.”

Some of the subject matter inside the classrooms has changed this year.

“We have adopted a new math curriculum, which is helping our students to continue to grow in their math skills and math knowledge,” Hartley said.

This is Hartley’s second year as principal at St. Paul. Prior to joining the staff, he worked in the Fort Dodge Community School District for several decades as a teacher and administrator. During his first year at the helm at St. Paul, Hartley had the huge undertaking of the school’s re-accreditation process.

“We were awarded our accreditation in good standing with the National Lutheran Schools Accreditation Commission,” he said.

The accreditation is active for five years.

After one teacher chose to leave at the end of last school year, St. Paul welcomed back a familiar face — former teacher Heather Roethler, who teaches first grade.

“Through a partnership with Fort Dodge Public Schools, Elise Carlson has begun coming over here for a portion of each day to work with special needs students,” Hartley added. “Prior to this year, we did not have a special education teacher who would come into the building.”

Looking forward to 2023, St. Paul will be celebrating the 160th anniversary of its church and school.

Security will also be a focus, Hartley said. Through the Governor’s Safety and Security Grant, the school did a vulnerability study to identify places to make improvements on the school’s security system,” Hartley said.