Author: Justin Dreyer

Project-based and experiential learning is being infused into Holland Christian Middle School.

In contrast to HC’s Spanish Immersion program, Forest School does not extend into Holland Christian Middle School as a distinct program. That is purposeful, and based on research and experience with middle school kids: “What we’re doing is better than having a separate program at this age level,” said Andrew Kleyn, HC’s Director of Learning. “We’re taking what’s best about learning and education in general and infusing it into every grade and subject. And HC is working to include it for all students.”

Basically HCMS teachers are borrowing the best of “Forest Schoolesque” style of experiential, hands-on, authentic and off-site learning to slowly and intentionally infiltrate middle school learning in general. Not completely, and nothing is set in stone, but more project-based and experiential field-study learning can be found seeping into a class here, a unit there. “The world beyond school isn’t separated into class hours and subjects and this gives kids an opportunity to see that,” Andrew explained.

It’s been a steadily growing emphasis in the Middle School for a couple of years now, sparked in part by sixth grade science teacher Dave Nieuwsma’s interdisciplinary 9-week course called “Creation Keeping.” In Creation Keeping students “learn a little bit about everything, but the main goal is much more experiential—how do we live out what we’re learning, under the umbrella of creation keeping as a discipleship practice that we say is important,” Dave explained. “It’s super fun—it’s awesome!”

In the Creation Keeping class, sixth graders learn how they can be more appreciative and observant of this earth, how can they help take care of God’s world from a Christian perspective. They have been taking weekly expeditions to the ODC, Saugatuck Dunes, Eighth Day Farm, or even their own Middle School pond to journal, help, observe, collect data, research, pray. They learn how to compost, build bird nesting boxes, build shelters, tie knots, but also observe, help others, sit still in wonder.

“That’s hard for kids! It’s giving kids more exposure to how what they learn connects to outside of school,” Dave said. “You learned how to make an angle in math—can you do that on a nest box, put it up, and then see a bird there at the end of the year?”

Similar learning is happening in core subjects: Katie Boer ’06 enhanced sixth grade math by adding several life-relevant projects like “Ratio Restaurant,” where kids cook a meal based on accurate ratios and fractions, and “Geometrocity” where kids apply shapes and angles to build a miniature city together. Meredith Beukelman ’09 has added multiple excursions and dune studies to seventh grade science, where students gather real life data and compare with past students’ dune and lakeshore findings. Michelle Styf ’99 and her eighth grade science students studied invasive species, then actually ripped them out around the HCMS pond, and presented their findings to the parent community. Lisa Lundy takes her eighth grade English students outside for journaling, reading, and research conversations. Sixth grade English teacher Jamie Dannenberg ’01 and Nieuwsma plan monthly interdisciplinary sixth grade “edventures” at places like Camp Beechwood, VanRaalte Farm, and the Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC).

One of these interdisciplinary excursions was at the ODC in September, where sixth grade science students researched the water’s health, studying macroinvertebrates, then applied their research back in the classroom, sorting through what water health means for them personally and their daily water use. For English, the same sixth grade students practiced reading and decoding informational text, as well as nature journaling—learning that can better fit the attention span of a 12-year-old student outside than inside all day on a block day, the teachers found. Besides, taking vocab quizzes and reading outside in hammocks involve more learning than you may think: Just imagine 40-some sixth graders problem solving how and where to hang hammocks, how to tie them up, how to get them down, how to read comfortably and sustainably in them—a whole learning aspect that doesn’t typically happen inside walled classrooms!

“There’s a component of all of this that is mental health and emotional health—whole child wellness. There’s a factor of getting outside and doing stuff that is engaging,” Dave explained, describing how much calmer and composed students are on the bus ride back after these “edventures” than on the way out.

At VanRaalte Farm, sixth graders assessed stream habitat as part of their water unit—just using real geologist tools and in an authentic setting. “Let’s do real science the real way, not just ‘dumb it down’ for kids,” Dave said. “It also gives exposure to a career connection—if you like this, you can do this for your job. They’re learning collaboration and had to work as a team. They’re practicing non-fiction reading—how do I read non-fiction text to gain understanding?”

Not only does authentic outdoor learning offer “a meaningful chance to reflect on the beauty and wonder of God’s handiwork…allowing them to engage their senses in a more natural, hands-on environment,” HCMS principal Tom Strikwerda commented, but “both experiential and outdoor learning spark curiosity and excitement as students interact with creation and see relevance in their learning, leading to greater engagement.”

Ted Malefyt, Education Network Manager at the ODC and former middle school teacher himself, agrees that this version of education is better for middle school kids: “Middle school students need to have these relevant connections to knowledge and skills included in education, and we have this easiest through the outdoors, where it’s readily available,” he said. “And it should not be something that is only for some kids, but for all kids. From a Christian faith, we have these discipleship practices, but it doesn’t mean just Creation Keeping—our responsibility is to infiltrate all of students’ other learning as well, living these core values out outside of just Bible class.”

Plus “middle school kids are still kids, and need opportunities to play, explore,” Ted added. “That should all be a part of their growing up and becoming the adults that we are wanting them to be.”

Believe it or not, teaching outside and intentionally experientially does not make teachers’ jobs easier: It’s not just letting kids play outside, but includes hosts of additional details to plan things like busing, make chaperone and weather arrangements, intentionally arrange off-site learning to match with state standards and school discipleship practices, prep kids for authentic research tasks, teach them how to learn outdoors and in public, be able to adapt and adjust on the fly. Teachers are “on” continually and in ways much more difficult than staying inside their four-walled classrooms.

“Our incredible middle school staff has done an outstanding job of bringing learning to life by incorporating experiential and outdoor learning into their lessons,” Tom added. “Their creativity and dedication to making learning meaningful and engaging for students is truly commendable!”

“HC is blessed with some really amazing teachers willing to do it, who are willing to do the hard work,” Ted reiterated.

Research has shown a significant increase in the learning of students who do not have access to their phones during the school day. Based on this research HCHS decided to go phoneless last school year, resulting in a surprisingly positive reception.

“We LOVE no phones in the school. Our kids would say they see a difference in the way that kids interact with each other in between classes and at lunch,” ​​commented Jamie Langejans, parent of two current HCHS students and one 2024 graduate. “One of my concerns for this next generation is their lack of interpersonal skills due to the escape of pulling out a cell phone. Whatever we can do to combat that is going to give our kids an advantage in the workplace, but more importantly in their communities. To be able to notice others…. not just withdraw into our own devices. Way to go HC on this one!” 

Overall HCHS teachers appreciated the new rule of no cell phones during the HCHS school day as well, even though they end up the rule’s main enforcers, removing over 272 student phones last school year: “I really enjoyed when kids would enter a room, they would talk to each other and to me instead of retreating into their phones,” HCHS band and orchestra teacher Scott VandenBerg noted. “It led to many interesting conversations and chances to get to know kids and for them to know each other.”

Looking back to a year ago, when HCHS first implemented its rule of no cell phones during the school day, it seemed a whole lot more controversial than it actually was, or is now. Especially since so many schools, school districts, even whole states, are going the same route—banning cell phones in schools throughout the school day. 

Two states, Florida and Indiana, have already banned cell phones outright in classrooms. Ohio requires school districts to create cell phone policies minimizing student cell phone use, while other states are currently investigating cell phone bans based on school state funding. Just last month, the nation’s second largest and most diverse school district, Los Angeles Unified, with 429,000 students, became the largest district to adopt a full-fledged ban on phones during the school day. 

Locally, Unity Christian High School plans to implement Yondr Monitors this school year for all students’ phones—a locking device that students lock their phones into immediately after walking into the school building in the morning, carry around with them all day, and then unlock when they leave at the end of the school day. Other area high schools such as The Potter’s House, Coopersville, Zeeland, and Grand Haven have all banned student cell phones during school hours to varying degrees, while Spring Lake High School is currently debating a ban.

HCHS principal Miles Colago explained that the no phones in school conversation actually started with Deb Feenstra, before Miles came to HC in the 22-23 school year. Miles simply continued the conversation started by Deb and the staff, adding his own research on the growing topic, including stats like how much bullying decreased in Spain and France when students didn’t have phones. How academic performances went up. Researchers even noted the differences in student learning when the phones were left on students’ desks vs. in their backpacks vs. out of the classroom entirely. Guess which option students learned best with?

Research on schools without phones in students’ hands throughout the day finds students interacting more with each other, building community better, and in general, learning better, Miles added. 

One of his number one reasons for banning phones in high school, however? 

“To bring back childhood,” Miles said, explaining that the reasons behind no phones in the high school are “pretty similar to what Miska [Rynsburger] said about why Forest School. This is part of childhood learning—how to pick up on social cues, and learn how to respond to verbal messages on the fly. I’ve noticed over the last few years the effect [cell phones] have on students—technology is not neutral.”

And Miles can rattle off all the research, including Jonathan Haidt’s extensive research and recent book, The Anxious Generation, on how social media and cellphones can lead to greater anxiety in teens.

“Once you put something into writing, it’s out there,” Miles said, explaining how he wanted to take the social anxiety off of students at school at least, so they can focus on learning instead. With social media, “kids are thinking how is this one person going to perceive me, and even how are 1000 people who are going to perceive what I’m about to say—which creates a ton of anxiety.”

Miles adds that the typical argument against the no cell phones in school hours rule is that teens need to learn to handle cell phones at some point, so why not learn to manage them earlier rather than later?

“It’s an addiction!” Miles said, adding “With that analogy, we should let kids have alcohol or heroin. Developmentally their impulse control is miniscule. Nicotine is less addictive—the effects of social media are way worse than smoking was when it was popular in high school!”

You might think that most students wouldn’t be huge fans of the rule, but you’d be surprised.

“I liked it, honestly,” said Kelsey Dokter ’24, who as a member of the student council helped approve the rule when Miles proposed it to the student council. “I had a lot more in person conversations, people were just there. In the past, people were just glued to their phones. I saw a big benefit this year.”

“I have mixed opinions about it,” Lydia Rodriguez ’24 said. “Obviously it’s not good to be on social media and phones constantly, and limiting that has been very beneficial for me.

“But on the flipside, we’re supposed to have more independence—especially during our junior and senior years—but without the ability to call work or call my mom, that independence is limited. As a freshman it would have been really easy for me, but as a senior [with a job] it was really hard.”

However students aren’t always looking at the research and long term stats. Through social media “Children are being told the world is a very dangerous place, and are encouraged to be inside and play video games,” Miles added. “Young boys aren’t breaking bones as much as in previous generations, since they’re not outside roughhousing. Instead male depression and suicide numbers are increasing.

“If you take the phones out of their hands for seven hours a day, that’s at least seven hours when they don’t have to worry about that pressure,” Miles said.

“I loved it!,” Spanish teacher Jane (Geerlings) VanderBeek ’90 commented about the rule. “I loved that I saw significantly more face-to-face student-student and student-teacher conversations between classes because people were interacting with each other instead of on their phones. It helped, too, that for the most part the staff was consistent in keeping kids accountable for the new expectations. All in all, definitely two thumbs up from me!”

“I absolutely feel like kids were more engaged with what was happening in the room and with each other in person in the classroom as a result of not having the phone to worry about all the time,” added business teacher Duane Baker. “I think kids were more engaged with each other outside of the classroom as well. Having a blanket rule made enforcing it very simple and took away the confrontation that always seemed to be potentially be there with phones in past years. 100% the right choice for education and for kids’ mental health and relationships!”

In order to fit every single HC volunteer and everything they do into one article, we would need 100 pages, or at least all 32 of this magazine. But we didn’t realize the extent of this problem until we were well into the planning, interviewing, and investigating phase, discovering the sheer number—and high quality—of volunteers who keep Holland Christian alive and well.

Unfortunately we didn’t plan for 100 pages, or even all 32 pages. So we are left with a paltry bit of space to do justice to so many who give so much to Holland Christian on a daily basis.

But we also met amazing people and heard wonderful tales about Holland Christian volunteers so it’s worth at least sharing the tip of the iceberg. We have volunteers in almost every aspect of our school—from finances (thank you ditto), to leadership (thank you Board of Trustees), to landscaping (thanks, John Wood), classroom assistants, libraries, athletics, extracurriculars, parent organizations, and high school winter dances. And we were struck not just with the fact that all these people are at Holland Christian regularly giving their time and talents for HC students and staff, but especially with the sheer quality of their giving and talents. People with degrees and experience who could so easily take their time elsewhere to earn both money and greater recognition. But instead donate it to us. We are so amazed—and so grateful!

There are several programs and opportunities that would be either nonexistent or lower quality without our volunteers. Take our elementary libraries, for example:

There are other regular volunteers in Holland Christian’s elementary schools, people under the radar, but who fill important niches: Nancy Mulder plays piano at South Side for praise and worship, for chapels and special events. Yvonne Bengelink has volunteered in the junior kindergarten classroom for years working on reading and math skills in small groups with students. Jamie Lanser ’85 reads with students in the library regularly. Sandy Stielstra packs reading level books for South Side first graders twice a week so they can practice reading at home, and then reads it one more time with students back at school. “Students are always excited to get to read their book to Mrs. Stielstra to show off their reading,” South Side principal Christy Haig commented. “It is fun for them to have someone other than their teacher or parent to read to!”

“And there are so many more that randomly help for lunch breaks, field trips, and all kinds of random things,” added Katie VanFaasen, secretary at Rose Park. “It’s truly a blessing and enables the teachers to do some amazing things!”

Then there are all the parents who are on parent boards at each HC campus, groups who meet regularly to plan and organize the Walkathon fundraiser, organize meals at parent-teacher conferences, encourage and support staff with Christmas gifts, classroom supplies, and treats. Even plan school events and outings like Forest School’s night hikes, and Rose Park’s Family Nights.

“The core of Parent Board is supporting the teachers, and showing them how much we appreciate them,” said Peggy Gorno, who has been on parent boards at South Side, Pine Ridge, HCMS, and is now helping to start one at the high school. “In the younger years it was doing the Walkathon, filling the principal’s needs, celebrating the kids and making sure they have fun activities. In the middle school it was more about leadership and meeting new families, and at the high school we’re focusing on the staff—it’s really about bringing joy. In some small way letting them know how much we appreciate them, honoring what they give.”

“They’re with our kids more than we are sometimes!” Peggy added. “They have such an impact on their lives, so it’s one small way I can give back!”

Kerri deVries ’96 joined the HCMS Parent Board when her youngest was in middle school, once she had more time. “What I love about the parent team is you don’t have to do every single thing yourself—you just pick up when the time works in your life,” Kerri said. She also is working to bring the parent board into the high school on a more official basis, cleaning the teachers’ lounge, bringing in snacks more regularly. “The teachers need to be doted on—they’re doting on our kids, so it’s important they get some appreciation!”

Kerri also helps with the senior graduation party, a committed group of parents that plan, collect prizes, and chaperone the all-night senior party the night after graduation. “That’s just fun,” Kerri said. “The goal of senior night is to keep kids off the road graduation night, and celebrate the kids after 13 years!”

HCHS athletics would not be what they are without so many dedicated volunteers—from ticket takers to even coaches. Sally Swets, who first worked for years as a professional tennis coach in Grand Rapids and Florida, then with the US Tennis Association, started volunteering back in 2008 as an assistant tennis coach at HCHS when her nieces were on the high school tennis team, and her own kids were in elementary school. Her nieces didn’t have anyone to hit with, she said, so she would hit with them an hour before practice.

But that was 16-17 years ago. And since then, Chuck Brower joined her when his son played on the boys tennis team, and now both assist both boys and girls teams.

“”The beauty of it is that the kids are what bring you back,” Sally said. “I’m blessed to have great relationships with all the players—boys and girls. They keep asking me to come back—this is my wheelhouse that God gave me!”

Like Janet, Sally also relishes being a volunteer rather than a paid coach: “The head coaches do all the detail work—it’s a blessing to go down on the court and just be with the kids!” she said. “I’m not the nice coach—go ahead and fire me!” she laughs.

And then the line we’ve heard from so many HC volunteers: “Both Chuck and I would say that we don’t need to be recognized—we do it because it’s just a joy!” Sally said.

Another program that couldn’t exist without volunteers, ditto, the nonprofit resale shop that helps make Christian education more affordable at both HC and Zeeland Christian School, lists over 120 volunteers. Cora Dykema ’45 is one of those, ever since 2004 when she started volunteering when her husband, Henry, was hired as the first ditto director. “They got two for the price of one!” Cora laughed, “I went along with him to do everything a pastor’s wife is supposed to do.”

Her husband quit a number of years ago due to Alzheimers, but Cora keeps coming back, even though she is 86, “Because ditto is more like family!” she said. “The first half an hour we just have therapy around these [breakroom] tables!”

But also because “Christian education is very important,” she added. “My kids didn’t have Christian education except through me,” Cora explains since the family were missionaries in Guam for 12 years, and her oldest was 16 when they came back to the States.

Cora used to work up front at ditto at the cash registers, but now “I like it better in the back,” she said. “We let our hair down—we have more fun in the back if we want to goof off!”

Jan Jonker ’66 and her husband, Jim ’67, both volunteer at ditto regularly—but not together. “I just feel ditto is an excellent way to give to the schools,” Jan said. “Plus it provides a wonderful service to the community that goes beyond just selling them stuff. The relationships you form with customers, with people! They strike up conversations, share needs, ask you to pray for them!”

Where do we even begin to thank all these volunteers? And there are so many more that go unnamed here, but are known and loved in their own niches throughout our various campuses. This whole article feels a little like a Hebrews 11 list of God’s faithful—ways that God’s people show up and give, “unto the Lord” by giving to all of us at Holland Christian, improving our learning, making our work more effective. Words don’t seem enough, but we are supremely grateful to them all—for their time, their talents, their joy and energy, their example to not just our students, but to us as staff and teachers as well: Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ in our community!