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Joy Elowski, Fourth Grade |
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Hi! I'm Joy Elowski, fourth grade teacher, YOUth Praise and Church Choir Director. I am so blessed to be able to use the talents and abilities God gave me in the areas of ministry that I truly enjoy serving! I was born and raised in Zion, Illinois, a town about the size of Oconomowoc, and went to Our Savior's Lutheran School, which was about one third the size of St. Matthew's. I graduated from Shoreland Lutheran High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Having been encouraged by many of the wonderful teachers I'd had in grade school and high school, I headed off to the school now known as Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota to become a teacher myself. I graduated in 1982, and was assigned to Bethel Lutheran School in Bay City, Michigan, where I taught grades 3-4, played organ, and directed the youth and adult choirs. My home congregation called me to teach in 1987, so I returned to Zion and taught Kindergarten-3rd grades in a two room school! I also played organ and directed the youth and adult choirs. In 1991, I accepted a call to St. Paul's Lutheran School in Muskego, Wisconsin. During my 11 years there, I played organ, directed the youth and adult choirs as well as the Jr. Handbell Choir, and taught various combinations of grades 3, 4, and 5 while also teaching music to grades 6-8. I began a three and a half year retirement from the full-time classroom when Abigail was born in 1997. During this time I continued playing organ, directing all the choirs, teaching the upper grade music and did quite a bit of substitute teaching. When I went back to teaching full-time, I also moved out of the middle grades and taught English and music to grades 6, 7, and 8. St. Matthew's called me to teach and direct the choirs, and we moved to Oconomowoc in the summer of 2002. Since music has always been such a big part of my ministry at each congregation, I went back to school to further my education in the area of worship. I graduated from Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin, in 1998 with a Master's of Church Music degree. When I'm not busy with teaching, choir responsibilities, or playing organ, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, playing piano, bike riding, and my favorite of all sports -- shopping. My husband, Dale, works at a factory here in town. Abbie attends St. Matthew's and enjoys swimming lessons in the summer. We like to camp and spend time visiting our families. We are excited to be in Oconomowoc and be part of the ministry here at St. Matthew's. |
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