Author: Rachel Steen

When people talk about South Side School, two specific things are often mentioned: The first is our strong sense of community. Classrooms become homes away from homes and classes build family-like bonds throughout the year. We laugh together, tackle challenges together, learn together, and even sometimes cry together. Second, we are a place full of creativity. Students are building things, singing praises to God, creating new games, and writing stories. Our hallways are full of art projects that show off the uniqueness of each student.

These two aspects of South Side match two of our discipleship practices at Holland Christian:

Community Growing: Students extend and deepen community through their relationships, their learning, and their play. See Psalm 133 and 1 Peter 2: 9-10.

Beauty Creating: Students enjoy, create, and share beautiful creations in the classroom and beyond! See Exodus 35:30-35 and Colossians 3:23.

I am excited this year to put up pictures on our walls of students living out their calling as Community Growers and Beauty Creators. Next time you are in the building, make sure to take a look at all that we have been doing.

.

Christy Haig

Announcements

Thank You

Thank you so much for your generous donations to the 2025 Parent-Board sponsored Walkathon! Our students had so much fun getting their steps in at the high school, and we are so grateful for the funds raised!

From the Parent Board

Parents: we would love to bless our teachers with a meal on the evening of October 16 when they are here for conferences. If you are willing, please sign up to contribute.

Save the Date! October 28, 6-8pm: Rollxscape has been reserved for South Side students, preschool – 2nd. Cost is $5 per person. (This event is for South Side Students only – no siblings) Parents are required to stay.

Note from Food Service

Food service is in full swing! Please continue to use the Family Portal to deposit funds into your lunch account. We are a pre-pay system, and appreciate families having funds in your child’s account when they choose to take hot lunch. There is no fee to deposit money into your account online. Familyportal.cloud is where you can deposit funds, or apply for lunch benefits. If you do not know your student account number, reach out and email Rachel.

For those families receiving lunch benefits and who want only milk, the NSLP does not give benefits for milk only. If your child wants free or reduced-price milk, students may take a fruit or vegetable, and the milk will be under their benefits.

Parent Opportunity – Library

Would you like the opportunity to come into South Side and help in our library? We are looking for a few parents (or grandparents) who would be willing to come in once in a while and help keep our library up and running. As students bring back their books each week, we need a team to check them in  and carefully put them back on the shelves, and as new books are purchased, we need help getting them ready for circulation. If you are interested, please email Mary Hofman, our amazing librarian.

Student Life and Discipleship

Do you know your student is a South Side Star? Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” As a South Side community, we have been practicing three ways we can shine like stars:

• Self: We control ourselves. We make kind and safe choices at school.
• Servant: We think about others. How we act can help others learn and have joy.
• Stuff: We take care of our stuff. We want to keep our school, our supplies, and our toys working well and looking nice.

Ask your student this week, “How were you a South Side Star at school?”

Picture Retakes

As soon as we receive school pictures from GPI, we will send them home. If you are unhappy with the way pictures turned out, retakes will be Wednesday, October 29. Please remember to email your child’s teacher so she can note that you need retakes, and also send your child’s original picture packet back to school.

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Photo Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it in your child’s backpack

Community Opportunities

Click here to see some community opportunities These organizations are not affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities.

Important Website Links

• School Calendar
• School Supply Lists
• Lunch Menu
• Medical Information & Forms
• School Transportation
• Before & After School Programs

Upcoming Dates

October

• 3: End of first quarter
• 10: Report cards emailed home 
• 13: Grandparents & Grandfriends Day
• 16: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 20: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 22-24: No school: Teachers attending CEA convention
• 28: South Side Fun Night at RollXscape 6-8pm
• 29: School picture retakes

November

• 26-28: No school: Thanksgiving break

These first couple of weeks at South Side have been full of new experiences! Some students took their very first bus ride. Others used scissors for the first time. Many made new friends, and some even enjoyed their very first lunch at school.

At Parent Night, we briefly mentioned the importance of healthy eating, but it’s worth highlighting again. The food your child eats throughout the day has a big impact on their energy and learning. Teachers especially notice the difference in the afternoons. For example, students who had some protein with breakfast and lunch usually have more energy and focus to carry them through the school day. Small sugary treats are always fun, but because children’s bodies are still little, we often see how strongly big treats affect them.

In the Haig household, our kids always liked helping pack their lunches. Our family rule was simple: include at least one protein, one fruit, and one vegetable. After that, you could add crackers, Goldfish crackers, granola bars, or even a small treat. For students who eat school lunch, a protein, fruit, and vegetable are always offered, and we strongly encourage students to eat at least most of those healthy options. As you look over the menu with your child, you might encourage them to give the fruit and vegetable a try each day. You can even remind them, “Mrs. Haig says it will help you do your best learning!”

Christy Haig, South Side Principal

Announcements

Absences

Please call the school office at 616.820.3535 any time before 8:30am to let us know each day when your child will be absent. You may leave a voicemail at any time, and it will be checked in the morning when the office opens. If you’d prefer to send an email, please email Rachel Steen. Please be sure to mention symptoms your child is experiencing (fever, vomiting, headache, cough, etc.), as we need this information to submit our weekly health report. Thank you for your help!

Picture Day

South Side’s picture day is Wednesday, September 17. Once we receive the order forms from GPI, we will send them home with students. If you have multiple children at Holland Christian, please remember that order forms are student-specific. If you are planning to order a yearbook, be sure to check that box on your order form.

Medications at School

If your child needs to take medication at school, we need an updated form signed by the physician each school year. If you have not done this yet, please do so as soon as possible. You are welcome to email Hendrina Cupery, our school nurse, if you have any questions. Holland Christian medical forms can be found on our Medical Information & Forms page. For safety reasons, Holland Christian Schools is not able to dispense any medication (whether prescription or non-prescription) to our students without a doctor’s order. Thank you!

Student Safety

After student drop-off, all external school doors are locked for your students’ safety. All students who arrive late for school must arrive through the main front door (Door A) by buzzing in to the school secretary, and check in at the school office. Parents are asked to sign children in and out at the school office if they are coming or going any time within the normal school hours.

Family Connections

We are working on some connection opportunities for this year when families can come into our school, to see what their students are up to and meet other parents. One way we will be doing this is through family lunches after chapel. Each class will be hosting one Thursday chapel this year and families are always invited to come and watch. On the day that your child’s class leads chapel this year, we will also be inviting you to stay and have lunch with the other families in the class right after chapel. Additionally we are planning to offer a couple of open houses and some volunteer opportunities. These are by no means meant to add things to your busy schedule, and if they don’t fit around your work or other commitments, that is fine. However, we are hearing from some families that they would like more opportunities to see what is going on at school and to connect with each other. Specific details will be coming soon, so keep your eyes out for them!

Moms in Prayer

Moms in Prayer is a great way to connect with other moms, pray for your child, and have an impact on South Side. Please join us on Fridays starting September 5 at Providence Church from 8:30-9:30am. Email Nicole Shook with questions.

Save the Date

Parent Board is planning a fun night for South Side students and their families on Tuesday, October 28 from 6-8pm at Rollxscape. There will be a $5 charge per person and Parent Board will cover the rest. More details to come.

Important Website Links

• School Calendar
• School Supply Lists
• Lunch Menu
• Medical Information & Forms
• School Transportation
• Before & After School Programs

Upcoming Dates:

August

• 29: No school

September

• 1: No school/Labor Day
• 6: Fall Kids Stuff Resale: HCHS 9am-12pm
• 17: PreK-2nd picture day
• 24: Walkathon
• 26: Holland Christian Homecoming

October

• 13: Grandparents Day
• 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Young Fives-2nd)
• 20:  Parent-Teacher Conferences (Young Fives- 2nd)
• 22-24: No school: CEA Convention

Our theme this year is JOY of the LORD! Psalm 16:11 tells us that in God’s presence “there is fullness of joy.” I’m so excited to celebrate this theme with our students. And to be honest, I think that the students will be able to share a lot with me this year about joy.

Joy is something that often radiates from young children. One of the darkest and saddest seasons of my life was years ago when my mother passed away suddenly. As we would gather as an extended family to process and to grieve, we were constantly struck by the presence of my two sons and my nephew. They were ages 1-4 and they brought to our gatherings joy and hope at a time when joy was sparse.

This year, when you or your children come into South Side, I pray that the JOY of the LORD will radiate from our classrooms, our playground, our actions, and our words. I hope that you leave with more of God’s full joy than you came in with. I’m excited to see this joy in action at our ice cream social as students see their friends again, on the first day of school as they open up their new box of crayons or markers, and throughout the year as they learn about God, His creation, and the unique way he has gifted them.

Blessings,

Christy Haig

Announcements

Class Lists & School Supplies

We are so excited to welcome your child back to school! Class lists were sent to your email. Please let us know if you did not receive this communication. Here is the list of school supplies for each grade level/class preschool through 2nd grade.

Parent Information Nights

This will be a night where just parents come to meet Mrs. Haig and your child’s classroom teacher. You’ll be able to ask more detailed questions about your child’s school and classroom experience.

• 3s/4s Preschool: Tuesday, August 12 @ 6:30pm
• Young 5s – 2nd grade: Thursday August 21 @ 5:30pm-6:30pm

Ice Cream Social

On Thursday, August 14, 6-7pm, all preschool-2nd graders and their families are invited to come together and walk through their classrooms, meet their teachers, find their lockers–all the fun things about starting a new school year! Once your family has had a chance to do that, everyone heads out to the playground to enjoy an ice cream sundae bar and fellowship as a school community.

First Days of School

• Our first day of school is a full day, Tuesday, August 19.
• 3-day preschool and 3-day young 5s students enjoy their first day on Wednesday, August 20.
• Dismissal will be at 11:15am for AM preschool students and 3:15pm for full-day preschool students and Young 5 – 2nd grade students

Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures

We ask that you adhere to the following traffic policies for Drop-Off and Pick-Up as specified. We appreciate your cooperation and doing your part to keep our children entering and exiting school safely each day. Please note that in the mornings the front doors will be locked until 7:50am.

Picture Day

For those of you planning ahead, South Side’s picture day is Wednesday, September 17. Once order forms are received from GPI they will be sent home with students. If you are ordering a yearbook this will be the time to do that also.

Medication at School

If your child needs to take medication at school, we need an updated form signed by their physician each school year. If you have not done this yet, please do so asap. The medication forms can be found on the Medical Information and Forms Page for your convenience. You are welcome to email Hendrina Cupery, our school nurse. She will help you set up a plan for the office to assist in administering the medication. For safety reasons, Holland Christian Schools is not able to dispense any medication (prescription or non-prescription) to our students without a doctor’s order. Thank you!

Absences

Please call the school office at 616.820.3535 any time before 8:30am to let us know each day your child will be absent. You may leave a voicemail at any time and it will be checked in the morning when the office opens.

Summer Office Hours

The South Side office will be open starting August 4 on Mondays-Fridays from 9am-3pm until school starts. There will be a few dates TBD for beginning of the school year all-staff off-site meetings, and those dates will be posted on the door once they become available.

Student Safety

After the school day is underway, all doors will be locked. All students who arrive late for school must stop in the school office. Parents are asked to sign children in and out at the school office if they are coming or going any time within the normal school hours.

PowerSchool

PowerSchool is our student information database. You will want to bookmark this site! There is also an app available for PowerSchool for your phone which can be very helpful.  If there is a change in your phone number or address any time during the school year, it is important that we are informed right away. Parents can update their information on PowerSchool directly on the Demographics Change tab. This assures up-to-date contact information for your child.

You must update your demographic information in PowerSchool each fall with your latest and most accurate contact information. Simply login, then either an “update demographic screen” will automatically pop up, or simply click the “change demographics” button on the left of the screen. This information is necessary for field trip participation, emergency response and treatment, student photo permission, and for the office to easily be able to contact a parent or guardian as needed or desired. When listing your child’s emergency contacts, please be sure to list two contacts other than yourself.

Elementary Handbook

The Elementary Handbook is a great resource for parents providing important details on things like our curriculum, discipline policy, etc.

Important Website Links

• School Calendar
• School Supply Lists
• Hot Lunch Information
• Medical Information & Forms
• School Transportation
• Before & After School Programs

Upcoming Dates:

August

• 12: Preschool parent night 6:30pm
• 14: PreK-2nd grade Ice Cream Social 6-7pm
• 19: First day of school
• 21: Y5-2nd Parent Information Night 6:30pm
• 27: All School Convocation
• 29: No school: Labor Day weekend

September

• 1: No school: Labor Day
• 17: PreK-2nd picture day
• 24: Walkathon

October

• 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 20: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 23-25: CEA Convention: No school

Thank you for partnering with us this year at South Side and sharing your amazing children with us. Our students this year have learned how to be South Side Stars who shine Jesus’ love around our building and to our community. Our South Side Stars saying is “Self, Servant, Stuff.” We have practiced all year controlling our behavior, serving others, and taking care of our belonging. To celebrate, Joy99 came with their Joy truck and threw us a bubble and popsicle party. The kids had an absolute blast. To quote one of our preschoolers, “This is the most joy filled day!”

Your children have brought joy to my days all school year. I have enjoyed being their principal and am already excited for next year. We will have one staffing change for next year – Mrs. Hirschenberger will moving from 1st grade to 2nd grade. I pray God’s blessing over your summer as you make memories as a family. We can’t wait to hear all the stories when kids are back at school in the fall.

Christy Haig

Announcements

End of the Year Chapel

Save the date! We will have a special end of the year chapel to send off our 2nd graders on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 4. Feel free to gather with us from 10:30-11:15am for a time of worship together. We’ll be out on the playground, so bring a lawn chair if you’d like (if there’s rain we’ll move it to the gym). After chapel, preschool students will be dismissed, and Y5-2 students will have a quick 15 minutes to close out the year in the classrooms with their teacher, and their dismissal will follow at 11:30am.

Medication Pickup

If your child has medication at school, an email will be coming to you regarding pick up, since medication is not stored at school through the summer. All forms for bringing/administering medication at school are available on the Forms and Medications page, and they need to be filled out by your doctor at the beginning of each school year.

25-26 Enrollment & Medical Paperwork

All students entering preschool, kindergarten, and new transfers need to fill out and turn in a variety of paperwork by August 8, 2025:

• Preschool Forms
• Young 5s/Kindergarten Forms
• New Transfer Forms

Please be sure your child entering these grades is up to date on all immunizations, and if you are pursuing an immunization waiver through your county health department, please call them for an appointment ASAP as appointments fill up quickly, and it needs to be done before attending the first day of school.

Waiver Information:

If your child is a new student coming to HC from a different school district, your old waiver is invalid and you will need to schedule an appointment. If your child with a waiver is returning to Holland Christian for the  25-26 school year and moving from:

• 3s preschool to 4s preschool: The current waiver on file is good unless you have chosen to complete a vaccine series during the year that was waived on the waiver.
• 3s/4s preschool to Young 5s: New waiver needed; please schedule an appointment
• 4s preschool to kindergarten: New waiver needed; schedule an appointment ASAP at your county health department.
• Young 5s to Kindergarten: Current waiver on file is good unless you have chosen to complete a vaccine series during the year that was waived on the waiver

Contact Rachel in the school office if you have any questions 616.820.3535.

South Side Office Hours

• June 5: The office will be closed due to an off-site meeting
• June 6: The office will be closed in the morning due to an off-site meeting
• June 9-13: The office will be open from 9am-2pm to assist parents.
• August 4: The office will reopen daily from 9am-3pm, and then resume regular office hours when school begins. There will be a few dates TBD for beginning of the school year all-staff off-site meetings, and those dates will be posted on the door once they become available.

Class Lists

The 25-26 class lists will be available via email in early July.

School Supply Lists

If you would like to access preschool through second grade school supply lists for the 25-26 school year, you can find them on our South Side Christian website.

Let’s all keep reading this summer!

Thank you for partnering with us this past school year and celebrating the end of this year with us! One of your celebrations might be how your child(ren) grew as a confident reader this past year. Each of our educational campuses, including South Side, have made a concentrated effort to grow the mechanics of reading as well as each child’s love for reading. Unfortunately, there is an alarming amount of research that shows how much students might slide backward during the summer vacation. Fortunately, there is a relatively easy remedy to keep your child flourishing in reading by having your child read at least six “just right” books over the summer. This “6 to Make It Stick flier” will give you information on how to find a just right book using the “Five-finger Rule.”

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack. All remaining items will be donated to Ditto after our final day of school on Wednesday, June 4.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• School transportation

Calendar

June

• 4: Last day of school: 2nd grade sendoff chapel 10:30-11:15am, preschool dismissal at 11:15am, Y5-2nd dismissal at 11:30am
• 5: Office closed for an off-site meeting
• 6: Office closed in the morning for an off-site meeting
• 9-13: Office open 9am-2pm

August

• 4: Office opens daily from 9am-3pm
• 8: All preschool, Young 5’s, and kindergarten paperwork is due via email/mail/drop-off to the office
• 12: Preschool meet the teacher night for 3’s and 4’s (parents only)
• 14: South Side Ice Cream Social for preschool-2nd grade 5:30-6:30pm
• 19: First day of school for preschool-12th grade, full day
• 21: Parent information night (Young Fives-2nd grade, parents only) at 6:30pm- tentative
• 29: No school

September

• 1: No school: Labor Day

Have you seen the flags that hang in each of our classrooms at Holland Christian? They are our discipleship flags. These flags help us see how God’s mission for our lives is intertwined into all we do. God is present in our learning in math and reading. He is also present in the ways we learn to interact with each other and do life together.

One of the flags says, “servant living.” Students at South Side have a multitude of ways to practice servant living throughout their days. They help serve lunch and empty and stack lunch trays. They support friends at recess who fall down and are hurt or pick up forgotten trash they find on the playground. They help teachers pass out materials at the beginning of an activity ,and classmates clean up materials when they are done. Maybe one day when you pick up your child, you can ask them, “How did you show servant living today?”

Christy Haig

Announcements

Tulip Time

On Thursday, May 8, our 1st and 2nd graders will participate in the Tulip Time Kinderparade. We will have a normal school schedule in the morning: Preschoolers will be dismissed at 11-11:15am with no afternoon enrichment. Young Fives and kindergarteners will be dismissed at 11:30am. All young five and kindergarten students will need to use carpool that day, as all buses are being used for getting students to the parade. First and second graders will remain at school, eat a sack lunch from home (hot lunch is NOT provided), have recess, change into their marching apparel (if they choose not to wear it to school that day), and be bused to the parade route.

An information page and pick up slip  was sent home with all first and second graders. If you haven’t already done so, please return the bottom portion of this slip to your child’s teacher so she has the contact information of the person who will be picking up your child at the parade. Thank you!

Young Fives and Kindergarten Visit Day

On Friday, May 16, we will be welcoming our newest group of young fives and kindergarten students to visit South Side from 9-10am. There will be fun activities for newly enrolled young fives and kindergarten students for the 25-26 school year, and a time of information for the parents. Families who enrolled will be receiving more communication via email.

End of the Year Chapel

Save the date! We will have a special end-of-the-year chapel to send off our 2nd graders on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 4. You are welcome to gather with us from 10:25-11:15am for a time of worship together. We’ll be out on the playground, so bring a lawn chair if you’d like (if there’s rain we’ll move it to the gym). After chapel, preschool students will be dismissed, and Y5-2 students will have a quick 15 minutes to close out the year in the classrooms with their teacher, and their dismissal will follow at 11:30am.

Thank You

A huge thank you to all for supporting the 1st grade Rainforest Bake Sale initiative to raise funds to help middle and high schoolers going on a mission trip to Africa! Through your support, we raised almost $500! We feel so blessed by your support and are excited for how this money will help build God’s Kingdom!

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Calendar

May

• 8: Tulip Time ½ day: 11-11:15am dismissal for preschoolers, 11:30am dismissal for young fives and kindergarteners, 1st & 2nd graders stay at school for Kinderparade
• 16: South Side Kindergarten Visit Day for incoming young fives and kindergarten students & their parents
• 16: Field Day
• 26: No school: Memorial Day

June

• 4: Last day of school: 2nd grade send-off chapel 10:25-11:15am, half-day with 11:30am dismissal. Report cards will be sent out.

At South Side we celebrate that each child is created uniquely in the image of God with gifts they can use for His kingdom and His glory. Some students are skillful with their hands and can build things or draw things. Others are amazing storytellers and use words and actions to share their thoughts. Our teachers at South Side are excited to come alongside each child and to help them grow as a learner and creator. Like our God, we create beauty, and we do it to glorify Him and share his love with the world.

One of the opportunities we have at South Side is our Create Time. This is a time when students can step away from the normal school day routines and gather with friends to create together. Some students choose to build with Legos. Others get out the paints and fill paper with colors. Some choose to write a story, and others use toy animals to create their own village. When you get a chance, ask your child what they made at Create Time this month!

Announcements

Thank You

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with teachers for conferences. What a wonderful time of celebrating all the growth that has already happened this year!

Also, many thanks to the Parent Board and parents who signed up to provide meals for teachers during conferences. The meals were delicious, and the teachers enjoyed gathering around the table together without having to worry about packing extra meals in the midst of conferences. Your generosity is SO appreciated!

We also want to extend a big thank the volunteers who helped with the book fair for your time and dedication. Your hard work in setting up, assisting shoppers, and ensuring everything ran smoothly made a huge difference. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Tuition Grant Application

The Tuition Grant online application process for the 25-26 school year began February 1, and the Facts Application for tuition assistance is available on the FACTS website. If you have questions, please email Terry VanDerKolk, our tuition accounts manager, or call her at 616.820.2807.

Tulip Time

1st and 2nd grade families: Tulip Time will be here before we know it! Please fill out this Tulip Time Survey so we know which section your child will be participating in.

On Thursday, May 8, school will be dismissed for preschool starting at 110am. Young fives and kindergarteners will be dismissed at 11:30am. 1st and 2nd graders will remain at school, eat a sack lunch from home, have recess, change into their apparel (if they choose not to wear it to school that day), and be bused to the parade route. More information will come as we get closer to the parade.

Swimming Lessons

Holland Christian elementary students have the privilege of receiving swimming lessons each year through the Holland Aquatic Center. These lessons are provided  during the school day for 2 weeks. First and second grade will be doing lessons on April 28-May 9 in the morning. We recognize this program could be a little uncomfortable for children. However, because our children are blessed to be raised in Michigan and surrounded by bodies of water, we believe this safety instruction is a blessing that we pray they will never need, but that we feel responsible to equip them with. If you find yourself pondering over the “why” of lessons, please take listen to HC mom Jenny White on the why swim safety. This HCAC Swim School welcome video might help you understand a bit about the logistics. Please feel free to contact the South Side office with any questions.

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Calendar

April

• April 4-11: No school: Spring break
• 14: School resumes
• 23: Eastertide

May

• 8: Tulip Time ½ Day; 11am dismissal for preschool, 11:30am dismissal for young fives and kindergarteners, 1st & 2nd graders stay at school for Kinderparade
• 16: South Side Kindergarten Visit Day for incoming kindergarteners
• 16: Field Day
• 26: No school: Memorial Day

June

• 4: Last day of school: ½ day with 11:30am dismissal

Parents, I am so thankful that we get to partner with you on your child’s educational journey! You are raising magnificent children created in the image of God who are already impacting the world for Jesus. Some of my favorite parts of the week are the mornings I get to greet families out front before school. I love receiving high fives and smiles from the kids, but I also appreciate the quick moments I get to say “good morning” to you and to hear a little bit about the lives of your family. In addition I love seeing you waiting in the hall to drop off preschoolers, helping in the classrooms during lunch, or sitting in the carpool line. Joining with you and supporting each other as we love and teach these precious children is a blessing.

We also have a team of parents on our Parent Board who support South Side in so many ways. They coordinate our walkathon, provide meals for teachers during parent-teacher conferences, coordinate family events like Donuts at Dawn, and help us keep a good supply of playground toys. Most recently they helped us set up Wacky Wednesdays which are such a fun way to have to fun in the long winter months. Thank you Parent Board and thank you to all our amazing parents.

Christy Haig

Announcements

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences for Young Fives through 2nd grade students are coming up Thursday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 25, from 4-8pm both days. You received an email on February 13 about how to sign up. Teachers deeply value your partnership, and are looking forward to this time of conversation with you!

From the Parent Board

Parents: We would love to support our teachers with a meal the night of conferences on Thursday, March 20. If you are willing to contribute, please sign up through the Conference Signup Genius.

South Side Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to South Side during conferences in March. It will be open Thursday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 25 from 4-8pm at South Side. We are in need of a few volunteers to make this a success. Please sign up through the Book Fair Signup Genius if you are willing to help out!

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Calendar

March

• 15: Kids’ Stuff Resale 9am-noon @ HCHS
• 19: Report cards available
• 20: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 25: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm

April

• 4-11: No school: Spring break
• 14: School resumes

I am blessed to go out on the playground with the students at South Side each week. This winter so far we have had a lot of snow so the students have gotten to build some fun snow forts, speed down our sledding hill, and roll huge snow balls. The joy on the playground is always so invigorating to me – oh to have the energy of a 5 year old! We value this play time for our students and they are outside each morning, during lunch, and again in the afternoon.

Playground time is also great learning time. Students are learning how to make friends, navigate disagreements, and handle having to wait their turn. They are learning to serve others and to look out for someone who might need a friend. They are learning to jump higher and challenge themselves to make it across the monkey bars. And this learning time is FUN! If you ask a South Side student what there favorite things are about our school, recess always makes the list. Maybe you want to take some time to ask your child what their favorite thing is about our South Side playground?!

Christy Haig

Announcements

Enrollment for 2025-26

For full information on enrollment dates and links, please see the separate email sent out earlier to all HC parents. However, for all parents with children in kindergarten or above, it’s nice to be reminded that Holland Christian is a continuous enrollment school. This means, in an effort to simplify the process for our current K-12 families, you will not need to re-apply every year after kindergarten. We are happy that you are a part of the Holland Christian family, and our hope and plan is that you want to continue partnering with us in the years to come!

Discovery Night

Thank you so much for coming out to our preschool and kindergarten Discovery Nights, and for passing along information about our school district to your family and friends. We had a great turn out, and are so grateful for the partnership we get to continue with families at HC!

Wacky Wednesdays

What fun we’ve had with this years’ Wacky Wednesday themes! The class with the highest percentage of participation for each week will receive a voucher for a hot chocolate party. We still have two Wacky Wednesdays left: Hat Day & PJ Day! Many thanks to the Parent Team and volunteers that put this together and helped serve the nice, warm treat for the winning classes.

Lost & Found:

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are coming up! You will receive an email with instructions on how to register for conferences in a few weeks.

• Thursday, March 20: 4-8pm
• Tuesday, March 25: 4-8pm

News from Food Service

Did you know that you may apply for lunch benefits at any time of the school year? Situations change, so don’t be hesitant to apply to this confidential resource. Go to familyportal.cloud, put your school district in the drop down (Holland Christian), and apply for Lunch Benefits. This is very easy, no need knowing your student’s ID number, and it’s extremely confidential. If you have any questions, please contact Sue at 616.820.2934.

Substitutes Needed

We can always use more available substitute teachers! If you love working with kids, have obtained 60 or more college credits, and are willing to have a background check/fingerprinting done, we would love to add you to our list! If you are interested, please email Rachel Hendershot, or you can start an application on edustaff.org.

Community News

We’ve heard of some community opportunities you might be interested in. These organizations are not affiliated with Holland Christian Schools, but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Upcoming Dates

February

• 3: Preschool and kindergarten 2025-26 application open for new families at 9am
• 5: Wacky Wednesday: Hat Day
• 12: Wacky Wednesday: PJ Day
• 14: No school (teacher professional learning)
• 17: No school (Presidents Day)

March

• 14: End of 3rd Quarter
• 19: Report Cards
• 20: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 25: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm

April

• 4-11: No school: Spring break
• 14: School resumes

 

What is your favorite thing about Holland Christian? For me it is the people. I am beyond blessed to get to work along side amazing teachers and staff who love Jesus and love children and love each other. As a parent, I am honored to have faith filled teachers pouring into my own children, challenging them, encouraging them, and praying for them. We have our Discovery night coming up on Jan 14th. Can you think of anyone who might be interested in checking out Holland Christian? I would love it if you would share with them what you love about our school and invite them to discovery night. We have some fun activities planned for the kids and our staff will be available to answer any questions people might have. You can check out the announcement below for information or look on social media for the event and share it that way!

Christy Haig

Announcements

Discover South Side

Do you or any of your friends or extended family have a prospective preschooler or kindergartener? Are you looking into options for the 2025-2026 school year? We’ll be having our Discovery Night on January 14 from 6-7pm, and we’d love to have you come and explore South Side’s preschool and kindergarten programs! Since we prepare individually for each family visiting this Discovery Night, an RSVP for the Discovery Night is required.

If you are unable to make it to Discovery Night, you are still welcome to visit Holland Christian Schools in person and see things in action for yourself. Feel free to schedule a campus tour through our Admissions Department at admissions@hollandchristian.org or 616.820.2806. You can begin by filling out our Inquiry Form. Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year begins on February 3, 2025.

Enrollment for 2025-2026

The 2025-2026 Applications for Preschool, Young Fives and Kindergarten will open to the public Monday, February 3, 2025 at 9am. Please visit our Apply Page to fill out your online application. If you are applying yo Young Fives, you will find the program under the “Grade” Kindergarten, not Preschool. Again this year: Current HC families and HC staff will receive early access to our 25-26 application via email. Please apply from January 30 at 9am to January 31 at 9pm. We thank you for choosing Holland Christian.

Holland Christian is a continuous enrollment school. This means, in an effort to simplify the process for our current K-12 families, you will not need to re-apply every year (this is, after Kindergarten). We are happy that you are a part of the Holland Christian family, and our hope and plan is that you want to continue partnering with us in the years to come!

To our Parent Board

Thank you for the wonderful Christmas lunch the Parent Team provided for the staff. Also, thanks for covering the noon recess duties too! The time spent together over lunch was so fun for the teachers. Your generosity and extra thoughtfulness is so very much appreciated.

Report Cards

God is so faithful! We can’t believe we’re already nearing the end of the first semester! It officially ends on Friday, January 10 and Report Cards will be available electronically on Friday, January 17. Take some time to celebrate and reflect on the growth your child has already made this year, and let’s continue to find ways to keep challenging your child during the second semester.

Drop Off Reminder

To help make sure our morning drop off lines run smoothly, please remember that if you are going to get out of your car to help your child with drop off please park in the left lane. This will allow cars in the right lane to move through the line quicker. Thank you for your help with this.

Wacky Wednesdays

The Parent Board has some fun Wacky Wednesdays planned to spruce up our winter Wednesdays at South Side and Pine Ridge! Here is the schedule:

• January 15: Sports Day (Clothing and hats only; no equipment please)
• January 22: PJ Day
• January 29: Neon Day
• February 5: Hat Day

The Winning Class for each week (highest % participation) will win a voucher for a hot chocolate party on a date that works for the class.

Substitutes Needed

We can always use more available substitute teachers! If you love working with kids, have obtained 60 or more college credits, and are willing to have a background check/fingerprinting done, we would love to add you to our list! If you are interested, please email Rachel Hendershot, or you can start an application on the Edustaff Website.

Important Website Links

• School Calendar
• Lunch Menu
• School Transportation
• Medical Information & Forms

Upcoming Dates

January:

• 1-3: No school
• 6: Classes resume
• 10: End of First Semester
• 14: Discovery Night at South Side 6pm
• 15: Wacky Wednesday: Sports Day (clothing and hats only; no equipment please)
• 17: Report Cards
• 20: No School (MLK day)
• 24: Wacky Wednesday: PJ Day
• 29: Wacky Wednesday: Neon Day
• 30: Preschool and kindergarten 2025-2026 enrollment open for current HC families at 9am

February:

• 3:  Preschool and kindergarten 2025-2026 application open for new families at 9am
• 5: Wacky Wednesday: Hat Day
• 14: No school (Teacher professional learning)
• 17: No school

A couple of weeks ago we were able to partner with the Entrepreneurial Class at Holland Christian High School. The students cut vinyl letters and put them up by our front entrance. It says “Equipping minds and nurturing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.” This our Holland Christian mission statement. I hope that you have the opportunity to come in some day soon and see what a great job they did.

“Equipping minds” is an integral part of every school. We are working to teach your children how to read, add numbers, and learn about the science of God’s great world. “Nurturing hearts” speaks to our desire to develop your son/daughter holistically by building their faith and helping them to become caring individuals. Then we get to my favorite part of the mission statement. We are working to equip minds and nurture hearts not just to help your child grow. We also want to help them impact the world in a way that brings the peace and love of Jesus to others. This is what we hope for our students when they graduate, but it also what we hope for them every day, even when they are young. I see it when 3-year-olds share a toy (community growing), when a kindergartener smiles at me as I greet them in the morning (grace breathing), and when second graders offer to help me pump up recess balls that have gone flat (servant living). This past week a group of our preschoolers even got to visit the houses in our neighborhood to share blessing bags and songs with our neighbors, using their love and joy to transform the world for Jesus.

Christy Haig

Announcements

Illness

We continue to use precautions at school to keep everyone healthy and in school each day. Thanks for your help with this in monitoring your child for any symptoms he/she may be experiencing at home. For fevers, your child must be fever free without the use of fever reducing medicine for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child will not be present at school, please remember to report the absence and symptoms by calling 616.820.3535, or by emailing rsteen@hollandchristian.org.

Just a friendly reminder that the office is not able to administer medication without a doctor’s signature on a medical consent form. This includes both prescription and over the counter medication (Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough drops, ointment, etc.). You can find the medical forms needed on  Medical Forms and Information Page.

Sledding Hill

Along with the snow comes recess time on the sledding hill! South Side will be providing sleds again this year, so please do not bring your own sleds from home. This will allow us to keep them stacked neat and tidy in the building, and give all students a chance to sled!

Lost & Found

Our South Side lost & found items are in a gray tub in the office. If you are missing anything, please stop in and take a peek, or check out our South Side Lost and Found Photo Album before Christmas break, as we will be donating the remaining items.

Book Fair

Pine Ridge Book Fair will run December 6-13 and we are in need of parent volunteers to staff the times that are open for shopping! Interested in helping at the Book Fair? Please check out this link for the Book Fair sign up for 2024.
Your child will have the opportunity to shop with his/her class on Tuesday, December 10. If your child plans to purchase books during the school day on their own, please send cash for them to use. The book fair has an abundance of books, but there are also pens/pencils, posters, and other fun items to purchase. It may be a good idea to talk to your child about their choices ahead of time and your expectations for their purchases. It is also important to note that SALES TAX will be added on to their purchase, so please plan accordingly.

The Book Fair will be open for families to shop Wednesday, December 11  2-4pm and Thursday, December 12  3-5:30pm. If you plan to shop with your child Wednesday or Thursday, the Book Fair will accept cash, check, or credit card. Checks can be made to Holland Christian Schools.

We appreciate your support of the book fair which supplies funds for the library!

Christmas Spirit Week

To get in the spirit of Christmas, we are going to have some fun, themed days our last week of school before Christmas Break, December 16-20. Here’s what we (along with Pine Ridge & Forest School) have planned:

• 12/16 Monday: Christmas headgear (antlers, hats)
• 12/17 Tuesday: Christmas sweater
• 12/18 Wednesday: Red/green day
• 12/19 Thursday: Christmas socks
• 12/20 Friday: Christmas PJs

Thank You From the Parent Board!

The Parent Board would like to thank you for your support of our teachers and staff during the month of November! Your cards and tokens of appreciation brightened their days.

Preschool and Kindergarten Discovery Nights

Tuesday, January 14, 6-7 pm: Families welcome
South Side Elementary, 913 Pine Avenue, Holland
Includes information about our Young 5s program
Please use this RSVP link to sign up.

If you are unable to make it to Discovery Night, you are still welcome to visit Holland Christian Schools in person and see things in action for yourself. Feel free to schedule a campus tour through our Admissions Department at admissions@hollandchristian.org or 616.820.2806. You can begin by filling out our Inquiry Form.

Substitutes Needed

We can always use more available substitute teachers! If you love working with kids, have obtained 60 or more college credits, and are willing to have a background check/fingerprinting done, we would love to add you to our list! If you are interested, please contact Rachel Hendershot at rhendershot@hollandchristian.org, or you can start an application on Edustaff.org.

Important Website Links

• School Calendar
• Lunch Menu
• Medical Information & Forms
• School Transportation
• Before & After School Programs

Upcoming Dates

December:

• 16: Christmas headgear day (antlers, hats)
• 17: Christmas sweater day
• 18: Red/green day
• 19: Christmas socks day
• 20: Christmas PJs
• 23: Christmas break begins

January:

• 6: School resumes
• 6-17: Delta Math and MAP testing
• 10: End of second quarter
• 14: South Side Discovery Night 6pm
• 17: Report cards live in Power School
• 20: No school (MLK Day)