Dear Prospective Family: Thank you for your interest in St. Stephens Lutheran School and welcome to our webpage. I hope that as you work your way through the information on this site that you will be interested in learning even more about us and will give us a call to schedule a visit to the school. Our school, located on Springs Road in Hickory, North Carolina, is a private church related school associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Its educational program supports instruction for kindergarten through eighth grade, along with a “Five Star” rated preschool program serving three and four year olds. The school supports a student body of 275 children and is jointly accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Accreditation Association and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as being licensed by the state of North Carolina. In 2003, St. Stephens Lutheran School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a “No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon School”, acknowledging the high achievement of our students and the dedicated work of our teachers and staff. Driven by its philosophy, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22.6), the school is diligent in providing a learning community responsive to a child’s individuality. In meeting this challenge, the school’s curriculum is purposely designed to meet North Carolina state standards for all subject areas with exception to its added religious instruction. Students are assessed yearly in the areas of reading and math through the use of the Stanford 10 achievement test. In blending the standards provided by both church and state, St. Stephens is mindful not to forget that all education is Christ-centered with a strong commitment to the Lord and possesses a value system grounded in Christian principles as defined by Lutheran doctrine. Extracurricular activities available to students include “Battle of the Books” for grades 3-8, string orchestra for grades 4-8, scouts for grade 1-8, intramural basketball for grades 1-4, interscholastic basketball for grades 5-8, and track for grades 1-8. Other sports offerings for upper grades include soccer, volleyball, softball, golf, and tennis. For further information about SSLS, please feel free to contact me by e-mail, principaljon@charter.net, or by telephone (828) 256-2166. I will be happy to share more “good news” about the school, as well as scheduling a time that you can visit our campus.