Author: Rachel Steen

The first picture we have of God in the Bible is of a magnificent Creator. Creation is a favorite Bible story for many of our young students. God creates so many amazing things: the stars, the flowers, the octopus, the elephants. He takes the void and makes beauty. And then God creates people, uniquely in His image. One of the ways South Side students display the image of God is by being creators themselves. The next time you are in the building to drop off a preschooler, help supervise lunch, or to check a locker for the lost sweatshirt, take a look at the amazing art work up on our walls. From creating owls, to sharing God’s amazing story, to writing about being kingdom builders, our students are displaying their God imaging creativity in so many ways!

Christy Haig
Principal

 

Announcements

Thank You!

A sincere thank you to the Parent Board, and many of you, for bringing in delicious food to refuel teachers during parent-teacher conferences. The meal was greatly enjoyed and appreciated!

Also, thank you for taking the time to come out and meet with your child(ren)’s teacher(s). These conversations are so valuable as we partner together to continue our mission of equipping minds and nurturing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.

From the Parent Board

• November is our MONTH OF THANKS! Keep your eye out for an email with more details from the South Side/Pine Ridge office and consider blessing our teachers and staff! Remember, cards and small tokens of appreciation go a long way. Thank you for your support of those who care for our kiddos!
• Thank you for signing up to bring meals for conferences. Stay tuned for more opportunities to volunteer coming up in the coming months!
• November 12, 6-8pm: Rollxscape has been reserved for Southside students, preschool – 2nd. Cost is $5.00 per person. (This event is for South Side Students only – no siblings) Parents are required to stay.
• Mark your calendars for the Book Fair coming to Pine Ridge December 9-12.

Lost and 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 the secretary, Rachel, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it in your child’s backpack.

Thanksgiving Break

There will be no school Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29 so families can celebrate Thanksgiving. Enjoy this special time together as a family celebrating our great God, and the many blessings in our lives.

Illness Reminders

Please remember that we do have a 24-hour policy for any fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. For colds and coughs, please use your discretion as we know these things can linger.

Important Website Links

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

Upcoming Dates

November:

• 12: South Side Fun Night at RollXscape 6-8pm
• 27-29: No school: Thanksgiving break

December:

• 23-January 3: No school: Christmas break

January:

• 6: School resumes

On our wall at South Side is the first part of our theme: SEEK. It is made up of over 150 pairs of glasses. Each pair of glasses has a name of one of the students or teachers on it. At one of our chapels we each made a commitment to seeking God this year and put the glasses up to remind us. The next time you are in the building, it might make for a fun picture for your child to find his or her name and stand next to it!

In October we will add to the wall the word FIRST. I will be sharing with the students how we can seek God first in all we do. We pray at the beginning of our meal, we ask God for help first when we get hurt, and we can always rely on him first when we are nervous or scared because he is always with us.

Christy Haig

Announcements

Thank You

Thank you so much for your generous donations to the 2024 Parent-Board sponsored Walkathon! Our students had so much fun getting their laps 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 17 when they are here for conferences. If you are willing to contribute, please sign up here. 

Save the Date! November 12, 6-8pm: Rollxscape has been reserved for Southside students, preschool – 2nd. Cost is $5.00 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.

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 30. 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

Important Website Links

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

Upcoming Dates

October

• 4: End of first quarter
• 10: Grandparents & Grandfriends Day
• 11: Report cards live in PowerSchool
• 17: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 21: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 23-25: No school: Teachers attending CEA convention
• 30: School picture retakes

November

• 12: South Side Fun Night at RollXscape 6-8pm
• 27-29: No school: Thanksgiving break

Our theme this year is Seek First. At our first chapel we cupped our hands around our eyes to make “binoculars” and then we looked around our chapel space to see what we could seek and find about God. We found a Bible and learned that God’s story is the best story. We found a cross and learned that Jesus died for us because he loves us so much. We found some candles and learned that they can remind us with their light that God’s spirit if always with us. We are excited to learn more about seeking God first in our lives this year in chapel!

If you ever want to join us, we’d love to have you. We have chapel every other Thursday at 10:40am on these dates this semester: September 5, 19; Oct 3, 17; Nov 7, 21; Dec 5, 19.

Christy Haig
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 18. Once we receive the order forms 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!

Lost & Found

The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost & 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 email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.

Student Safety

After student drop-off, all external school doors are locked. 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.

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 6 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, November 12 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:

September

• 2: No school/Labor Day
• 7: Fall Kids Stuff Resale: HCHS 9am-12pm
• 13: Holland Christian homecoming
• 18: PreK-2nd picture day
• 25: Walkathon

October

• 10: Grandparents Day
• 17: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 21:  Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 23-25: No school: CEA Convention

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6

This Psalm of praise is special to South Side. Our teachers and students LOVE to praise the Lord together. Over the summer Rachel Lohman, one of our preschool staff who is also an amazing artist, has been painting a mural on our playground that highlights this verse. I’m so excited for you to see it at our upcoming ice cream social.

This year our every other week chapel service will be moving to Thursday mornings at 10:40. Hannah York, our music teacher, is excited to help lead our school in praise and worship during chapel. Families are always welcome to join us for these special times. You will definitely want to pay attention to teacher blogs to find out when your child’s class will be leading our chapel.

Blessings,

Christy Haig

Announcements

Welcome to New Staff

We are excited to welcome Alexa Bushong to our South Side preschool teaching staff this year. She taught threes preschool in Saugatuck previously and is excited to join our Holland Christian family.

Class Lists & School Supplies

We are so excited to welcome your child back to school! Below you will find the links for class lists and school supply lists per class and/or grade level:

• 24-25 South Side Preschool-2nd Grade Class Lists
• Preschool-2nd Grade South Side Supply Lists

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 13 @ 6:30pm
• Young 5s – 2nd grade: Thursday August 22 @ 5:30pm-6:30pm

Ice Cream Social

On Thursday, August 15, 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 gets to head out to the playground to enjoy an ice cream sundae bar and have fellowship as a school community.

First Days of School

• Our first day of school is a full day, Tuesday, August 20.
• For our 3 day preschool and young 5s students, their first day will be Wednesday, August 21.
• 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 7:50.

Picture Day

For those of you really planning ahead, South Side’s picture day is Wednesday, September 18. 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 Cuprey, 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 5 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

• 13: Preschool parent night 6:30pm
• 15: PreK-2nd grade Ice cream social 6:00-7:00pm
• 20: First day of school
• 22: Y5-2nd Parent Information Night 6:30pm
• 28: All School Convocation
• 30: No School

September

• 2: No school: Labor Day
• 18: PreK-2nd picture day
• 25: Walkathon

October

• 17: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 21: 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. I have loved interacting with them, seeing their joy as they learned new things or their determination as they tried hard things. I have enjoyed being their principal this year and am already excited for next year. 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 5. 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 K-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.

24-25 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, 2024:

• 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  24-25 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 6: The office will be closed in the morning due to an off-site meeting
• June 7-13: The office will be open from 9am-3pm to assist parents.
• August 5: 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 24-25 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 24-25 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 reamining items will be donated to Ditto after our final day of school on Wednesday, June 5.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• School transportation

Calendar

June

• 5: Last day of school: 2nd grade sendoff chapel 10:25-11:15am, preschool dismissal at 11:15am, K-2nd dismissal at 11:30am
• 6: Office closed in the morning for an off-site meeting
• 7-13: Office open 9am-3pm

August

• 5: 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
• 13: Preschool meet the teacher night for 3’s and 4’s (parents only)
• 15: South Side Ice Cream Social for preschool-2nd grade 5:30-6:30pm
• 20: First day of school for preschool-12th grade, full day
• 21: Parent information night (Young Fives-2nd grade, parents only) at 6:30pm- tentative
• 30: No school

September

• 2: No school: Labor Day

Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! Psalm 147:1

Last month, we gathered with all of the Holland Christian community in the high school gym to praise God together. We heard from Mr. Russ about Eastertide and the great celebration we can have because Jesus is alive! Each time Mr. Russ said, “Jesus is alive!” we all responded with “Hallelujah!” It was amazing to hear the loud “Hallelujah” as we all celebrated in unison.

This past week, Joel Schoon-Tanis came to share with us at chapel. Joel is an amazing artist who is sharing God’s love and truth through his paintings. He showed us how pictures can bring joy, teach us things, and show us the truth of God’s great word. If you get a chance, ask your student about the lion who said “moo” and about the Faith Like a Child painting of Joel’s that we have hanging at our school.

Next month, we get to have one more very special chapel. On June 5, we will be gathering at South Side for our end of year chapel. This is always one of my favorite memories of the year because we get to celebrate our “big kids”–the 2nd graders–as we release them to what God has next for them. God has used them in tremendous ways to lead our school this year and we know through God’s grace they will continue to transform the world for Jesus Christ.

Christy Haig

  

Announcements

Tulip Time

On Thursday, May 9, 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 their normal time (11-11:15am) with no afternoon enrichment. Kindergarteners will be dismissed at 11:30am. All 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 is coming home with all first and second graders. Please return the bottom portion of this slip to your child’s teacher by Friday, May 3 so she has the contact information of the person who will be picking up your child at the parade. Thank you!

Kindergarten Visit Day

On Friday, May 17, we will be welcoming our newest group of kindergarteners, the class of 2037, to visit South Side from 9-10am. There will be fun activities for newly enrolled kindergarteners for the 24-25 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 5. 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 save and protect these precious lands! Through your support, we raised $436.18! We feel so blessed by your support with this project–it’s a great, hands-on way for us to teach our students about stewardship of this beautiful Earth God has blessed us with!

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.

HC Storytelling

Holland Christian Schools is more than just buildings; it’s a community made up of many families, each with different backgrounds and unique stories. We want to give our community the opportunity to share their positive stories. Whether it’s heartfelt, humorous, or contains an instance of divine inspiration, the story of how families came to HC and choose to invest in its mission has the potential to encourage and inspire others as we walk through life together.

How to get Involved

• Listen to or read our HC Stories page!
• Share your story! Submit your pre-written story or answer our story prompts using the HC Story Form.
• Like, love, and share our HC Stories on your Social Media accounts! By following Holland Christian’s official social media accounts and sharing our posted HC Stories, you assist in lengthening the reach to our target audience.
• Help us find more stories! Email any leads you have to the HC Mar/Comm team.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Calendar

May

• 9: Tulip Time ½ day: 11:30am dismissal for kindergarteners, 1st & 2nd graders stay at school for Kinderparade
• 17: South Side Kindergarten Visit Day for incoming kindergarteners & their parents
• 27: No school: Memorial Day
• 28: Field Day

June

• 5: 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.

Have you stopped by our story walk yet? If not, come out over spring break or on a weekend and read and walk around the outside of our school building. Many of the classes have already visited, so your children might have a favorite page in the book to show you. It is always fun to read and reread good books like this one. This is a “community growing” event so share with your friends and family about it and invite them to check it out too!

Speaking of sharing, this is a great time of year to share about Holland Christian with friends and family. Our preschool and kindergarten enrollment is open and we have a few spots left. We’d love for you to invite others to join our HC family.

Christy Haig

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!

Tuition Grant Application

The Tuition Grant online application process for the 24-25 school year began February 1. The Facts Application 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! An email was sent out on February 26 asking for your child’s preference for the Tulip Time parade this year. If you have not already filled it out, please fill out this Tulip Time Survey so we can make sure we are prepared with the correct props.

On Thursday, May 9, school will be dismissed for kindergarteners 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.

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.

Moms in Prayer

Moms In Prayer meets on Fridays 8:30-9:30am at Providence church. Come meet with other moms and pray over our students, teachers and staff. If you have any questions, please email Nicole Shook or follow on Instagram hc_momsinprayer for announcements.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Calendar

April

• March 29- April 7: No school: Spring break
• 8: School resumes

May

• 9: Tulip Time ½ Day; 11:30am dismissal for kindergarteners, 1st & 2nd graders stay at school for Kinderparade
• 15 All School Convocation 9:00am
• 17 South Side Kindergarten Visit Day for incoming kindergarteners and their parents
• 28: Field Day
• 27: No school: Memorial Day

June

• 5: Last day of school: ½ day with 11:30am dismissal; Report cards available in PowerSchool

It has been such a blessing to me this year as I think about our theme of “Faith Like a Child” to be  surrounded by God’s precious children each day. As I talk with the children, hear them praising God in worship, and walk the halls to see their projects displayed on the walls, I am in awe of their faith. In many ways it is simple and straightforward and yet in spite of that (or maybe because of that) is so deep and full of joy and truth. Here are a few examples I’ve seen of childlike faith on display at South Side recently.

• Preschoolers and Y5 students learned in class and heard our 2nd graders share in chapel about how each snowflake is unique and learned that God created us each uniquely. They created snowflakes to display their uniqueness.
• Kindergarteners shared a faith selfie about who they are in Christ.:”I am loved. I can do it. I have Jesus.”
• After learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. first graders dreamed about how the world would be better, coming up with ideas like “share God’s word, give more hugs, and love everyone.”
• Second graders studied character traits in reading and then did a deep dive into a Biblical character and what traits that person displayed. Did you know Mary was brave and Moses was wise? Ask a 2nd grader to tell you how they know that!

Christy Haig

Announcements

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences for Young Fives through 2nd grade students are coming up Thursday, March 21 and Monday, March 25, from 4-8pm both days. You received an email on February 16 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

South Side Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to South Side during conferences in March. It will be open Thursday, March 21 and Monday, March 25 from 4-8pm in the After School Care Room at South Side. We are in need of a few volunteers to make this a success. Please sign up here if you are willing to help out!

Spring Concert

Our all-school spring concert will be Thursday, March 14 with Pine Ridge and Forest School. Please join us at Christ Memorial at 6:30pm for this special evening.

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 March 18-28 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.

Tulip Time

An email was sent out on February 26 asking for your child’s preference for the Tulip Time parade this year. If you have not already filled it out, please fill out this Tulip Time Survey so we can make sure we are prepared with the correct props.

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

• 2: Kids’ Stuff Resale 9am-noon @ HCHS
• 14: Spring concert at Christ Memorial
• 21: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 21: Report cards available
• 25: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 29-April 7: No school: Spring break

April

• 8: School resumes

Our South Side students are Super Stars! This year we are focusing on three star behaviors:

• SELF – Students are doing the work of controlling their own behaviors.
• SERVANT – Students are thinking about others before they act.
• STUFF – Students are working to care for our things around the school.

Our new favorite place to practice our star behaviors are on the sledding hill.

• SELF – Students are careful not to crash into others.
• SERVANT – Students go up the sides of the hill so that there is room for others to come down the middle and take turns with the sleds.
• STUFF – Students stack our sleds nicely at the end of recess.

If you get a second, ask your child what is one way they are being South Side Stars?

Christy Haig

Announcements

Enrollment for 2024-2025

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 (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!

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 had with this years’ Wacky Wednesday themes that added some fun to our wintery Wednesdays! The class with the highest percentage of participation for each week received a voucher for a hot chocolate party. We have two Wacky Wednesdays! Many thanks to the Parent Team and volunteers that put this together and helped serve the nice, warm treat for the winning classes.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons at the Holland Aquatic Center are returning for 1st-4th grade students at Holland Christian. Our 1st and 2nd grade lessons will be March 18-29.

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.

Spring Concert

We will be having having our spring concert Thursday March 14 with Pine Ridge and Forest School. More details will follow.

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 21: 4-8pm
• Monday, 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.

HC TRIP Program

Are you getting the most help you can for paying your tuition? The TRIP program is designed to help you pay tuition without extra cost to you. Have you checked it out lately? There are so many instant and electronic opportunities now available that make it easier, more convenient, and comfortable to use! Give it a try and see if it doesn’t lighten your financial load. See the TRIP page for more information and as always help is always just a quick question away.

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.

Important Website Links

• School calendar
• Lunch menu
• School transportation

Upcoming Dates

February

• 1: Preschool and kindergarten 2023-2024 application open for new families at 9am
• 7: Wacky Wednesday
• 16: No school (teacher professional learning)
• 19: No school (Presidents Day)

March

• 2: Kids stuff resale 9am-12pm @ HCHS
• 14: Spring Concert
• 21: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm (in person)
• 22: End of 3rd Quarter
• 25: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
• 29-April 7: No school: Spring break

April

• 8: School resumes

Have you walked the halls at South Side and seen all of the amazing student artwork and class projects hanging up? Our students are amazing creators and artists. The arts are such a vital piece of what we do at South Side. Young children are creative by nature – I believe it is one way we image our Father and one way “faith like a child” can be seen. Children take risks, try things, experiment, make messes, and see beauty in small things. Young children also need to learn in concrete ways and with hands-on materials. Art gives them physical things to touch and manipulate. It helps them to learn because it allows them to move and feel and see things. Their thoughts become tangible through art.

Our Young 5s and Kindergarten classrooms worked really hard on a Christmas musical performance in December. Music is another way we express ourselves artistically. These students learned about Christmas. They took the story of baby Jesus – God with us – and rooted it deep in their hearts throughout the whole month. Then they shared the good news through their songs, acting, and beautiful artwork with each other, some nursing home residents in the area, the other students at South Side, and eventually with their parents through their many performances. I am so proud of them and also immensely blessed by their praises to our Father! I can’t wait to continue on this journey of Christian education with them and with you in the new year.

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 2024-2025 school year? We’ll be having our Discovery Night on January 16 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 2024-25 school year begins on February 1, 2024.

Enrollment for 2024-2025

Applications for preschool and kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year will open to the public Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 9am. Please visit our Apply Page to fill out your online application. Again this year: Current HC families and HC staff will have early access to our 24-25 application. 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 during the week leading to the Christmas break. 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 12 and Report Cards will be available electronically on Friday, January 19. 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.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons at the Holland Aquatic Center are returning for 1st-4th grade students at Holland Christian. Our first and second grade lessons will be March 18-28. More details to come.

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 17: Pajama Day
• January 24: Sports Day (Only apparel please- no sports equipment or hats)
• January 31- School Spirit
• February 7- Twin Day (find a friend to match with)

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:

• 1-5: No school
• 8: Classes resume
• 16: Discovery Night at South Side 6pm
• 17: Pajama Day
• 12: End of first semester
• 15: No school (MLK Day)
• 19: Report Cards live in PowerSchool
• 24: Sports day (Only apparel please- no sports equipment or hats)
• 30: Preschool and kindergarten 2023-2024 enrollment open for current HC families at 9am
• 31: School Spirit

February:

• 1:  Preschool and kindergarten 2023-2024 application open for new families at 9am
• 7: Twin Day (find a friend to match with)
• 16: No school (Teacher professional learning)
• 19: No school