NEW ULM — With school underway for students in New Ulm again, The Journal has contacted the schools in the area to see what is new and what will come up during the next months.

At Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School enrollment numbers are growing. Tim Plath, MVL’s principal, said in an email that “Our enrollment at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School this year is 214. We anticipated and budgeted for an enrollment of 208, but were blessed with a higher total than expected. Last year’s enrollment was 196. We are optimistic that our enrollment is going to continue to grow in the next five to ten years.”

Changes have been made to the curriculum as well. Plath explained: “We added a Robotics course to our curriculum this year. This new robotics course will provide the students with the opportunity to apply scientific principles to the fields of robotics and automated mechatronics. Mr. Dobberpuhl, the teacher in charge, has worked with representatives from 3M on robotics over the last several years and also received a very generous grant from Minnesota Independent School Forum (MISF) to help get the program started.”

The curriculum is not the only thing that has been updated, though. Dr. Plath stated that “As the result of the Spirit of MVL Gala in November 2017, MVL was able to purchase iPads and Microsoft Surface tablets to provide more students with the opportunity to work on projects individually and in collaboration with others on a variety of devices.”

MVL is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with the theme: “The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.” Dr. Plath noted that there will be an emphasis throughout the year on the 40th anniversary in chapel services, at Homecoming, at concerts and as part of other activities. Plath also noted that “We are extremely grateful to the many individuals over the years from our association congregations and the members of the communities that have sent students to MVL.”

Homecoming this year is on Friday, Oct. 5. During the week, the students will have class competitions, dress up days and the Powder Puff football games. At the game, the Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned and the MVL Foundation will be recognized for their continued commitment to providing tuition assistance to the students of MVL. The 1993 MVL football team will also be recognized on the 25th anniversary of their special season. After the game, MVL alumni and friends are invited to the New Ulm Community Center for a social gathering while the students enjoy their Homecoming Dance.

This year, the school is undergoing a self-study as part of its ongoing accreditation with Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA). MVL has been accredited since 1999 with MNSAA. Plath noted that there is a great deal of time and energy spent on the self-study, but that this work helps shape the future of the school for the next accreditation cycle of seven years. In addition to the self-study, the school is still functioning under its strategic plan for the current seven year cycle. That plan calls for the school to continue its efforts to address the anticipated enrollment growth that will necessitate additional staff and possibly additional classroom space through a capital campaign.