'Just a great place': Christian school connects to community in Wykoff

Rebecca Mitchell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·4 min read

Jan. 27—WYKOFF, Minn. — In her third year as principal at St. Johns Lutheran School in Wykoff, Mickey Angerman says the longstanding school values Christian education, the family environment and building relationships.

"It's just a great place," Angerman said of the school in the Fillmore County town with a population of 432. "The school I came from was over 300. And I have people say, 'Why?' My husband asks, 'Why did we come?' Because I feel God called me here. There's a purpose for me to be here. But also for me to recommit to my purpose of being a Lutheran teacher was to get to know the kids, to teach them about Jesus, to be a positive impact on their life, and I hope I am here."

The community school, just off downtown's Gold Street, has kindergarten through eighth grade classes in four classrooms. The classes include Christian religion, math, language arts, science, social studies, physical education, art and music. With a total of 32 students, Angerman said "we're very small" but "the kids know that we care."

At the winter carnival on Saturday, Jan. 27, Angerman sat with families in the makeshift jail and played carnival games. Children and parents filled out wanted signs for friends at the event and a sign outside the jail read, "Wanted by God! Reward awaits you in heaven!"

The fundraising event is one way the school shares its presence in the community as well as a bake sale, concession sales in Spring Valley and a golf tournament.

Parent Brenda Nash-Eickhoff, who has seventh and third grade students at the school, said the school is involved in the community, such as local field trips, Adopt-A-Highway clean-up and Monday walks around town. Nash-Eickhoff also attended St. Johns, her mother teaches at the school and her mother-in-law taught at the school.

"I think a community needs an educational source, and since the public school they're joined with Kingsland but it was a big deal for the school to leave from Wykoff (in the 1990s) so the fact that we are still there. Anyone can come, it's a private school but it does keep part of our youth in Wykoff, and I think that's important," Angerman said. She also teaches kindergarten through eighth grade and has been a Lutheran educator for 43 years.

The Kingsland Middle School in Wykoff is now the Wykoff Commons Fitness Center. St. Johns also rents gym space at the Commons.

While students can join sports teams at Kingsland Public Schools, the activities at St. Johns include drama, music, cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, academic competitions and track and field. The school competes in the Southeast Minnesota Lutheran Athletic Conference with schools from Lake City, Winona, Plainview, Lewiston and Rochester. St. Johns also partners with Kingsland on busing and special events.

"We play those same schools (in) every sport. It's been great to see (my daughter Allison) develop that way and socially with her friends," said Jennifer Eickhoff, who has second and fourth grade students at St. Johns. Allison plays soccer, volleyball and basketball.

The "challenging academics" and "loving, caring environment" drew the Eickhoff family to the school. Her husband's family has also attended the neighboring St. Johns Church for generations.

"Believe it or not, we've been here almost 150 years ... a lot of people don't even know we're here," Nash-Eickhoff said. "We have been working as a committee trying to get ourselves out in the public more, to let people know we are here, we are a school. We're a small school but we do a lot."

Angerman said the private school has "something to offer the community, the children that I think is missing now in public school." The school teaches Christian values, morals, responsibility and accountability, she said. The tuition is $2,835 for one child with cost breaks for church members and additional students per family. The school is open to the public and people of all faiths can attend the school.

"It's like a transition. It's not homeschool but it's not the huge public school atmosphere. It's a much more family, tight community and where our children can learn about God," Nash-Eickhoff said.