The annual AR Challenge is set to begin on January 27, 2014. Any elementary LCMS school in the United States and Canada that is presently using the Accelerated Reader program may enter the contest. All students must be independent readers.

The purpose of this challenge is to provide an incentive and motivation for our children at Lutheran schools to read more, get smarter and have fun. Reading for this contest can occur anywhere the children are - at home, at school, in the car, etc. All reporting of points will be submitted by each school's coordinator via the AR Challenge web site.

Register before January 27 to take part in the AR Challenge by visiting the St. Paul's (Janesville, Wisconsin) website 

 www.stpaulsjanesville.com > School > 2014 National AR Challenge 

For information, contact: 

Jim Kroll 

St. Paul's Lutheran School

210 S. Ringold

Janesville, WI 53545

608-754-4471, ext 227

Email: jkroll@stpaulsjanesville.com 

Web: www.stpaulsjanesville.com  

Congratulations to the following educators:

Administrator

Lori Kilps, Good Shepherd, Two Rivers

Elementary
Rebecca Rohde, Divine Redeemer, Hartland 

Early Childhood

Kimberly Hoffmann, St. John's, Racine

These educators will be recognized at a dinner on Sunday, January 26. 

May God continue to bless your ministries. 

In celebration of National Lutheran Schools Week, the South Wisconsin District Education and LCEF offices are establishing a contest for teachers and schools. Stay tuned for contest details and rules. Questions can be sent to Mark L'Heureux or Diana Raasch.

The 2014 Be Well Rewards program opened on January 2 to all active members of the Concordia Health Plan and their enrolled spouses*. This year, the program is focused on "knowing your numbers" and participating in a wide variety of healthy activities.

There are several new components to this year's program:
* Single-sign on through myCPS.org - BeWellServeWell.com will no longer be the access point for entering your Be Well Rewards activities. In order to participate in the program, you will need to log in at myCPS.org using the User ID you received in the mail with your 2014 Be Well Rewards brochure.
* Health Assessment Gateway - in order to earn points through the program, you will have to complete the online Health Assessment and enter your biometric numbers.
* Updated menu and point structure - Dollar amounts, maximums, and activity requirements have changed. Make sure to review the 2014 Menu of Activities in your brochure or online at  myCPS.org.

If you have any questions or to request your myCPS.org User ID, contact us at 888-927-7526 or info@concordiaplans.org.

*CHP members on Medicare are not eligible for the Be Well Rewards program. (1/14)   

To help our members better understand what a health savings account (HSA) is all about, Concordia Plan Services has created a frequently asked questions communication - "What You Need to Know about Health Savings Accounts: HSA 101."

To learn more about an HSA, click here.

An HSA is a tax-advantage account owned by the worker that can be used to pay for qualified healthcare expenses. Also, an HSA has the added benefit of long-term savings potential for workers to use for future medical expenses. (1/14)  

Free Resources to Help You Cover Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

This month, focus part of your social studies curriculum on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We are pleased to offer you time-saving resources to help you bring this important lesson into your classroom

Through the partnership between Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and HISTORY®, This Month in History provides you with standards-aligned Lesson Plans, Teacher's Guides, and Study Guides.

Monday, January 20 at 8 AM (ET) on HISTORY®

King is a moving two-hour documentary that explores the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and examines the indelible mark he left on the world. With veteran journalist Tom Brokaw, this program retraces the journey of Dr. King, focusing on his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.

The IRS just announced its standard mileage rates for 2014.  The new rates will be a slight decrease - a half cent - from the 2013 rates for business, medical and moving expenses.  Effective January 1, 2014, the standard mileage rates for the use of a vehicle such as a car, van, SUV or pickup will be:

• 56 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 23.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

Small business owners, employees, self-employed individuals and other taxpayers can use the standard mileage rate to calculate their tax-deductible costs for using a vehicle for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.