50 years of blessings

Every time teacher Linda Dettmer Gardiner tries to explain how she feels, she starts to cry.

All around her are her friends, co-workers and students where she has worked for the last 48 years, and when she’s asked to comment on Christ Lutheran School’s 50th anniversary, she can hardly get the words out.

“It brings a lot of tears and memories,” she said. “I feel tremendous gratitude to God for the blessings showered on the school and me.”

For Gardiner, things have changed drastically over the last 50 years at the Costa Mesa school.

“Technology has advanced; changes have occurred in families,” she said. “Today, we need to be a lot more compassionate and caring toward children coming from single-parent families and their needs.”

When the school started, it had an enrollment of 28 students in three classes, the only teacher being the principal.

Today, it has grown to include kindergarten to eighth grades and a preschool, and has an enrollment of more than 300 students.

“It feels wonderful to be celebrating 50 years,” said former Principal Duane Rohmaller, who held the position for 21 years before retiring in 1999. He and his fellow former staff members gathered in the school gym Friday afternoon along with students and prepared for the weekend’s upcoming celebrations.

At noon, students and teachers gathered in the gym to sing “Happy Birthday” to their school. Students decorated the gym all day for the first big event, the Friday night ’50s sock hop.

Eighth-grader Gianna Jason was excited about dressing up in a poodle skirt and dancing to old songs.

“The eighth grade is putting together snack shops that will have sodas from the ’50s, root beer floats and candy jars. We are all looking forward to it,” said Gianna, who has gone to Christ Lutheran since preschool. “I like that it’s such a small school. It feels like a family; I know everyone here.”

The school will also serve up an alumni dinner at 5:30 tonight. “Four-hundred people will be coming; it’s going to be really big,” eighth-grader Branden Paz said.

School staff members have been eagerly anticipating today’s dinner.

Gardiner is looking forward to seeing staff members from 1961.

Newer members of the school are also equally excited about the celebrations. Principal Richard Nordmeyer has worked at the school since 2006.

“Saturday’s dinner will be a great opportunity to hear stories of alumni members,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing where everyone is now.”

The school will also have an open house between 2 and 5 p.m. today for visitors.

On Sunday, there will be a number of services in the Christ Lutheran Church, followed by breakfast for students and guests.

The entire weekend is a part of several events that are being held in the school throughout the golden jubilee year.

This year Christ Lutheran School will see a major expansion of its facilities.

“We have been able to raise $6 million through the congregation’s fundraisers for building and development of the school,” Nordmeyer said. “The first phase will be worth $1.5 million and will start in the summer. We’re adding more music rooms, an administration building, a media center library and a coffee shop, among other things.”

In a state battling a huge deficit and a troubled education system, Nordmeyer thinks the school is very fortunate to be growing.

“It is important to teach students to help the community,” he said. “While we are raising money for the school, we are also participating in food drives every month and mission camps to help not just the neighborhood, but many parts of the world.”

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