Category: School Newsletters

Dear Middle School Parents,

The second semester is officially underway—despite a snowy start with three snow days last week! As we settle into the rhythm of a new semester, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your student’s school year so far. If you feel led, consider sending a quick note of appreciation to a teacher who has made a difference in your child’s life.

Speaking of appreciation, February 20 marks Todd Smeenge’s 60th birthday! This would be a great opportunity to celebrate this milestone by sending him an email at tsmeenge@hollandchristian.org.

I also want to highlight two exciting things happening at the middle school:

Beauty and the Beast Jr. Production
Students and staff are working hard to bring Beauty and the Beast Jr. to life! This year’s production is a big one, featuring singing, dancing, and a larger cast, so it will take place in the high school auditorium. Many hands are involved in making this show a success:

• Actors (Directed by Meredith Beukelman)
• Set Design Crew (Led by Jenny Geuder)
• Hair, Makeup & Costume Crew (Led by Katie Boer)
• Vocal Coaching (Led by Vickie Crouse)
• High School Helpers supporting each of these areas

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic production, and I highly recommend coming to see the show the weekend of February 28!

Small Group Chapels
This month, we’ve shifted our chapel time to small group discussions. Each staff member is leading a group of about 15 students, exploring topics such as:

• What About Faith?
• Worship from Around the World
• Reading and Writing Parables
• God’s Presence in the Hard Times
• Finding Rest in Creation
• Encouraging Others with God’s Word
• Carrying the Torch of the Gospel
• Walk & Wonder

By changing up our routine, we hope to engage students in new ways and encourage meaningful conversations about faith.

Thank you for your continued support—we’re grateful to partner with you in your child’s education!

Blessings,
Tom Strikwerda
Middle School Principal

February at HCMS

8th Grade HS Registration:

High School Course Registration for incoming 9th graders is due February 14. Our registrar, Dan Vos, will be available at the middle school on February 3 during Homeroom to answer any questions students may have.

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Parent Teacher conferences will be held February 27 from 3:30-6:30 and March 6  from 5:30-8:30. Instructions for conference sign-up will be emailed to you in February. We look forward to meeting with each of you!

From the Parent Board:

The Parent board has a tradition of providing meals for staff during conferences. Look for an announcement in the daily announcements to sign up to help provide food on February 29 and March 7.

Save the Date for the MS Spring Skating Party- March 4 6-8:30 PM at RollXScape. More details to come in the daily announcements.

MS Play

The Middle School Theater department is excited to present Beauty & the Beast JR.

Performances will be Friday, February 28 at 7:00 PM and March 1 at 2:00 and 7:00 PM. All performances will be at the HCHS auditorium. Tickets will be available on the HC website on February 3.

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!  Take a quick look at it and see how easy it’s become.  Give it a try and see if it doesn’t lighten your financial load.  Help is always just a quick question away.  We love to help you make it work for your family! You can find out more information by going to our webpage.

 

Important Dates

February

14: No School- Staff PD

17: No School

27: Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

28: MS Play 7:00 @ HCHS

March

1: MS Play 2:00 and 7:00 @ HCHS

5: MSBOA 7th/8th Band Festival AM

6: MSBOA 7th (AM) and 8th (PM) Orchestra Festival

Parent Teacher Conferences 5:30-8:30

7: Swingin the Night Away 6:45 PM @ HCHS

20: 8th Grade PSAT (½ day for 8th grade only)

21: End of Q3

24: Begin Q4

Community Opportunities

The below list of organizations are not affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities.

Hope College Family Math Fun Festival:

Hope College is hosting a Family Math Fun Festival on Saturday, March 8, 10 am – 12 pm on campus that is free and open to families with children in Grades K-8. Our festival features a wide variety of interactive low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that will engage families in creative problem solving that won’t even feel like mathematics! We’ll also be giving away goody bags to all participants with math games and other school supplies. See flyer for more information.

Holland Junior Police Academy:

JPA is a free, 3 week summer program hosted by the Holland Department of Public Safety and is designed to teach students about First Responders (Police, Fire, and Medical), as well as develop teamwork and leadership skills. This summer JPA will run from July 14th to July 31st. We meet each day, Monday through Thursday, from 8am to 1pm. Students are eligible if they will be entering 7th or 8th grade. You can learn more about the program and apply here.

Dear Parents,

First, I want to thank all of you who attended our Parent University on October 29. We had a wonderful turnout, and it was a meaningful time of discussion and learning. During the meeting, we distributed copies of Anxious Generation, a book that examines how digital technology and social media are affecting our children’s mental health. After reviewing the data, it’s clear that the rise in social media use is contributing to a number of challenges for our students.

We also shared some concerning data from Jonathan Haidt’s research. Here’s a graph that illustrates the trends over the past two decades:

• The red line shows the percentage of adolescents reporting anxiety or depression from 2005 to 2023.
• The blue dashed line represents the average daily hours of social media use during the same period.As you can see, there is a noticeable correlation between the increase in social media usage and the rise in mental health challenges among young people. This highlights the importance of being proactive in how we guide our children through the digital world.

In today’s world, social media is a significant part of our children’s lives. While it provides opportunities to connect, learn, and share, it also brings risks like cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and unhealthy screen time habits. As your partners in guiding our children toward healthy and God-honoring choices, we want to equip you with some tools to help manage their social media use in a way that supports their well-being.

Depending on the type of phone your child has, there may already be parental restrictions you can activate and monitor content and time use. In addition, here are a few apps that align with our values and can help you monitor and manage your child’s digital activity:

• Bark: Sends alerts for potentially harmful content while respecting your child’s privacy.
• Canopy: Filters inappropriate content in real-time and blocks harmful material, like sexting.
• Net Nanny: Provides robust web content filtering and screen time management.
• OurPact: Simplifies app blocking and sets screen time schedules.

Each of these apps can help you promote healthy habits, stay aware of potential risks, and establish boundaries that reflect the biblical principles of accountability and stewardship.

Biblical Guidance:

• Proverbs 4:7 – “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding.”
  This reminds us to prioritize wisdom in all areas of life, including how we guide our children through the digital world.
• 1 Corinthians 10:23 – “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.”
  This verse encourages us to consider whether the things we engage with, including social media, are truly beneficial for us and our families.
• Proverbs 22:6 – “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
  By helping our children develop healthy habits now, we are setting them on a path of wisdom that will serve them throughout their lives.

Bonus Tip:
Take time to regularly talk with your child about why these tools are in place or why, as a family, you’ve chosen not to have a cell phone for your middle schooler. Open and honest conversations help them understand that these decisions come from a place of love, wisdom, and care, not from restriction. By fostering this understanding, we help them grow in wisdom and discernment as they navigate the online world.

I pray that each of you enjoys a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving, surrounded by family, friends, and gratitude for all the good gifts God has given us.

In His Service,
Tom Strikwerda
Principal

December at HCMS

Recess Attire:

During the snowy, cold days of December-March, please supply your middle schoolers with the proper clothing as we will keep going outside for our 15-20 minute breaks, even if the tundra is frozen. It’s wise to label coats, hats, mittens, as things may get lost.

Giving:

Did you know that in Ottawa County alone, 32,000 people, roughly 10% of the population experiences food insecurity? Thank you for contributing to our “Food Fight” food drive for Community Action House. We are waiting on our official totals, but we want to thank you for helping and encouraging your child to reach out in love of our community in this way! We are directly called to feed and care for the hungry. Thank you for your servant hearts and generosity to this important cause!

Ski Club:

Ski Club kicks off on December 13! Please be sure to have your student sign up the Tuesday/Wednesday lunchtime before each trip, and bring money for the admission, bus fee, rentals, etc. Checks can be made to Holland Christian Schools. Ski Club will run as often as possible, weather permitting.

Mark your calendars for the following ski club dates:

• Jan. 10 and 24
• Feb. 7 and 21
• March 7

Save the Date:

Monday, January 27 from 6:30-8:30pm

Attention All Middle School Students and Parents!

That’s right—all middle school students in grades 6-8 and their parents are invited to our annual Holland Christian High School Showcase. Come and meet our fantastic teachers, athletic coaches, music conductors, and theater directors, and visit your future classrooms to capture a picture of what a high school experience at HC could look like for you at our high school.

Band/Orchestra Concert:

The HCMS Band and Orchestra Christmas Concerts are on Tuesday, December 3 in the Holland Christian High School Auditorium. The 6th grade orchestra, 6th grade band, and 7th grade orchestra are performing at 6pm and the 8th grade orchestra and 7th/8th grade band are performing at 7:30pm. We will be wearing our maroon polos, plus the pants indicated by the groups’ directors. If the new band shoes arrive by concert time, the band students will wear them with white socks as part of their performing concert dress. Parents, please watch for a concert information sheet that will be sent home with call times and more detailed information.

Choir Concert:

The middle school choir concert is Thursday, December 5 at 7pm at the HCHS auditorium. The 6th, 7th and 8th grade choirs will be performing. We will be wearing our maroon polos with black pants or skirts (knee length or longer) and black socks/shoes (dark shoes acceptable). Parents, please watch for a concert information sheet that will come out next week with call times and more detailed information.

From the Parent Board:

We love our Middle School teachers and staff and want to shower them with gifts of appreciation during the Christmas season.  Would you like to join us?  We plan to present each teacher and staff member with a gift on behalf of all of our Middle School families. The Parent team will create the care packages that will bless our teachers and staff. We will be taking donations until December 8. Thanks for helping us show our appreciation and bless our Middle School family at Christmas time!

We are also looking for volunteers to help with the staff Christmas Luncheon on December 19. Please sign up below if you’re willing to help!

• Cash donations: We will have a Christmas chest in the MS office to collect donations.
• Make a Digital Payment
• I can bring food!
• I can supervise lunch while teachers eat!

Upcoming Events

December:

3: HCMS Band & Orchestra concerts
5: HCMS Choir concert
23: Beginning of Christmas Break

January:

6: School resumes
15: End of Q2/S1
20: No school MLK Jr. Day
27: HCHS Showcase