November 26th, 2008
A year ago a new school for St. Mark’s was an idea barely on paper. Today it’s a reality greater than we imagined. God has blessed St. Mark’s with so much! Our thanks and praise belong to him!
The big news this week is the concrete. It’s dry! The concrete floors in the classrooms, lunchroom, commons, offices and gymnasium have all passed the test for moisture content and now are ready to receive flooring. Over the Thanksgiving break, crews will begin laying tile in the classrooms. Kids, you’ll have a new look when you come back to classes next week!
The gymnasium floor was also tested this week for levelness. By requirements, our floor could not vary more than 1/8″ within a 10-ft. section. 
According to construction superintendent Matt Hollman, our floor tested better than any other examined by the inspector. Kudos to Middleton Construction for their superb work for us!
And, as pictured here, the wood flooring for the gym arrived! A whole truckload of it! Our gymnasium is really taking shape.
This Thanksgiving we say thanks for our new school, dedicated contractors and their quality work, our wonderful volunteers and most of all, our loving God.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving…” Psalm 95:1
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November 20th, 2008
Sitting quietly in the back of church, you’ll often see Eric Howlett with his wife Jackie and their adorable 11-month old daughter. As unassuming as he appears, Eric has played a very important role in our school building project.
Eric is a man whom God has blessed with great skills. Since 2003, he’s been co-owner of Midwest Electric, a local contracting company that provides commercial, industrial and residential service throughout Wisconsin. This spring, when the opportunity arose, Eric put his expertise to work for us here at St. Mark’s.
Not only has Midwest Electric given St. Mark’s excellent service, Eric has also taken extra measure to help us with rebates offered by WE Energies for the purchase of energy efficient technologies to replace older, less efficient technologies. To date, St. Mark’s has received $13,770 in rebates, all of which Eric has applied for and completed the necessary paperwork.
Our thanks to Eric for all he’s done for the St. Mark’s project. More importantly, our thanks to God for giving Eric these great gifts!
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” I Peter 4:10.
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November 13th, 2008
The lights of St. Mark’s Church have always created a striking nighttime picture and now the same can be said for our school. With the pillars and trim painted white and deep red brackets added, it certainly is an inviting entry!
We’re also now proud to display our school name and new cornerstone, both located on the south wall beside the entryway. This cornerstone commemorates the new building, as well as each of the
previous sections of our school.
Sports fans, be glad to know the gymnasium is coming along as well. While the concrete continues to dry, crews have completed the white paint and now are personalizing it with a St. Mark’s red stripe. They’ve also tested the newly-installed basketball hoops with a game of Horse and, according to construction superintendent Matt Hollman, they are in good working order—he won!
All in all, the project is progressing very well. Thanks everyone for your hard and diligent work!
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October 30th, 2008
Crews have been busy painting this week and our new gymnasium is looking bold and bright as a result. Statz Drywall continues their work in the kitchen and commons area and soon those rooms will also be painted.
When St. Mark’s initially discussed needs for a school addition, one of our main concerns was a lack of accessibility. The problem was resolved this week with the installation of an elevator by Otis Elevator. 
This enables access to all three school levels, as well as giving St. Mark’s compliancy with the Americans Disabilities Act.
And, hey, where are all the trailers? Have you noticed how neat and landscaped the area is becoming? Contractors are gradually clearing out the parking lot—very indicative of the progress. This week even Maas Brothers Construction shut down their trailer and Matt Hollman, our project superintendent, moved his office inside the school.
As Matt says, “Things will look a little different for the students when they come back from their days off.”
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October 16th, 2008
What a special day for St. Mark’s School!
At noon, everyone came outside to watch work crews install a new flagpole. As A.J. Ritschke raised the first flag, Mr. Uttech led everyone in a Pledge of Allegiance. Wow, there was lots of cheering going on! And reasonably so—this is a meaningful day to remember.
There’s a lot to cheer about inside the school too. For our school cooks, who have been cooking and serving lunch in the Parish Center for the past month, a new kitchen comes closer to reality with the installation of a walk-in cooler and freezer. In other areas, Statz Drywall completes work in the computer room, crews have started painting the gymnasium and windows are installed in the newly constructed areas.
We’ve had some beautiful days of autumn this week and our school’s looking beautiful as well. God is blessing St. Mark’s!
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