There are moments in life when God opens a door that you never expected, and returning to Holland Christian as principal is one of those moments for me. As I sit down to write this first welcome letter, my heart is simply filled with gratitude to be back at the high school.
Coming back feels a little like coming home. It is a joy to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new students and families, and work alongside a staff that is deeply committed to helping students grow—not only academically, but in their faith and character as well. I truly believe there is something special about Christian education. Every day we have the opportunity to remind students that they are known by God, deeply loved, and created with purpose.
As we begin this school year, I pray our thoughts are less about calendars, schedules, and to-do lists, and more about the people who will walk through our doors each morning. Every student has a story. Every family has hopes and dreams for the future. Every staff member has chosen to invest their God given gifts in the lives of young people. What an incredible privilege it is to be part of that together.
My hope is that our high school continues to be a place where students are challenged to think deeply, encouraged to ask questions, and inspired to discover how God is calling them to use their gifts. I hope it is a place where kindness is the norm, where students feel seen and valued, where mistakes become opportunities to learn, and where everyone knows they belong.
Students, I encourage you to jump into this year with open hearts. Try something new. Build friendships. Ask for help when you need it. Encourage one another. Celebrate each other’s successes. Most importantly, continue seeking the Lord in everything you do. High school is about so much more than grades and activities—it is about becoming the person God created you to be.
To our parents, thank you for allowing us to partner with you. We know you have entrusted us with your greatest blessing, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. We look forward to walking alongside your family throughout the year.
As you plan for the transition back to school we hope the information in this Back to School Newsletter provides what you need for a smooth start to the school year. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this school year!
Deb Feenstra, HCHS Principal
2026-27 Information
First Day of School
All students report on Tuesday, August 25, at 8am. Be sure to have your class schedule with you.
School Supplies
Holland Christian High School does not have a required list of school supplies for students to purchase, except that math students will need a TI-83 or TI-84 calculator. School supply preferences will vary from student to student.
New to Holland Christian High School?
Our New Family Information Booklet was created to help new families transition into HCHS. We hope you find the information helpful!
Freshman Orientation – August 24
All freshmen will be part of our Freshman Orientation Day. This day is to be a transition day that creates a sense of belonging for incoming students and an overall supportive and positive atmosphere on our campus. The first day for freshmen will be Monday, August 24, at 8am. Senior class leaders will lead incoming freshmen in small group games, mixers, and a scavenger hunt around the school. Students will be given a copy of their schedule and meet their teachers for a few minutes in each class. All freshmen will also receive their laptops at this time, if their check-in documents have been completed. Students will be treated to a pizza lunch and will be dismissed at 11:30am. After this, freshmen can stop on Main Street between 11:30am – 12:30pm for pictures. Concussion testing will take place in the cafeteria after lunch. All students who plan to play any sport must complete a baseline concussion test. Stop in the cafeteria from 12-3 to complete your testing.
New 10th – 12th Grade Students
New 10th – 12th grade students will have an orientation on Monday, August 24 from 9am-12:30pm. Lunch is included.
Check-In/Picture Day
Check-in day is Monday, August 24 and will take place on Main Street from 11:30am – 3pm. This is a chance for you to have your picture taken for your student ID, walk around the building and find your locker, deposit money into your hot lunch account, and pick up a parking permit (if driving).
Parent Laptop Handbook and Check-In Day Forms
Please review the laptop handbook and complete the required check-in day forms. These forms need to be completed before you will be given your laptop. These forms include the student handbook agreement, laptop agreement, cheating/plagiarism, concussion awareness, and field trip/medical treatment permission. Please note that you will need to enter your student ID number in order to complete these forms. These student numbers can be found in Power School (if you are a returning HC student it is the number you already have).
Laptops
Incoming freshmen will receive their laptops during freshmen orientation. New 10th – 12th students will receive their laptops during new student orientation. Returning students will receive their laptops on the first day of school provided they have completed the check-in day forms.
Textbooks
- Students will pick up textbooks from the Bookstore, located in the hallway near the Auditorium, Counseling, and Athletic Offices. Students should bring a backpack to carry their books home from school or may leave books in their assigned locker. ALL students will need to pick up textbooks.
- Bring your HC student ID (from ANY year; your barcode is the same). This will help speed up the checkout process!!!
- To help avoid long lines, students are encouraged to get their textbooks during the following times:
- 9th & 12th grades: 11:30am-12:30pm
- 10th & 11th grades: 1:00-2:30pm:
- If you have any textbooks at home from previous years, these must be returned by Friday, August 21st in order to pick up this year’s textbooks on August 24th. Please note, we will not be receiving previous years’ textbooks on August 24th. If you have lost your books, please bring in the replacement fee. If you have any questions, please email Kim Hekman. Thank you for your help with this.
Photos
All students (including seniors) must have their picture taken whether or not the pictures are purchased. These pictures are necessary for the yearbook, student transcripts, I.D.’s, and for our student management software. Seniors, this picture will be on your high school transcript. You can order online ahead of time from Geskus, or you can send the flyer Geskus mailed out and payment with your student on check in day.
To help speed the picture taking process, we will use the following schedule:
- 9th Grade: 11:30am – 12:30pm
- 12th Grade: 11:30am – 12:30pm
- 10th Grade: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
- 11th Grade: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
- Anyone: 2:30pm – 3:00pm
Picture Makeup day will be Thursday, September 10.
Senior Picture Information – Click here for details on Senior Pictures. The deadline for senior pictures is September 29.
Schedule and PowerSchool Information
The daily schedule consists of 4 block days, and on Fridays students will have all seven classes in one day; it can be found HS Schedule Google Doc. The last day of the first semester is January 11 and exams will be January 12-15. Second semester begins on January 19.
The High School uses PowerSchool for accessing student schedules, tracking grades, attendance, and family contact information. Student schedules will be available in PowerSchool on August 14 . Parents can log in with the username and password you created in a previous year. Parents of students coming from Zeeland Christian and other students new to HC will be sent information for creating a PowerSchool account. If you detect any errors or need to make changes to your schedule, please complete the schedule change form on our Registrar page.
Closed Campus
HCHS is a closed campus. Sometimes parents may like to take their student out for lunch. Parents may take only their own student out for lunch and must personally check them out of the office. Youth leaders or older siblings (out of high school) may also take students out for lunch by signing them out in the office. Seniors do have the privilege of going off-campus for lunch on Fridays only.
Food Services
26-27 Meal Prices:
- High School $3.85
- Free $0.00
- Reduced $ .40
- Milk $.75
- Adult $5.50
To deposit money in your child’s lunch account or to apply for free/reduced lunch benefits please go to Family Portal. There is no fee to use this service. The portal will be ready to receive deposits after August 15. If you were receiving free or reduced lunch benefits in the 25/26 school year those benefits will expire on September 30, 2026, so you will need to reapply for lunch benefits at Family Portal. If you have any questions please email Sue at slambers@hollandchristian.org.
Extracurricular Information
There is a “Pay to Participate Fee” charge of $110 to all students involved in extracurricular activities to help offset some of the costs of the program. For athletics, this fee will be paid through the student’s Final Forms account; for all other activities, this fee will be collected by the director of the activity and must be paid immediately following the selection or determination of the activity participants.
Athletics Information
Fall sports begin on August 10 for high school athletes. Practice and game schedules for each sport as well as tickets and sports passes can be found through Eventlink (or maroonsathletics.org). Sports Passes are now available for the 26-27 school year at MaroonsAthletics.org. Click on the “Season Passes” tab to see options and purchase passes.
There is a “Pay to Participate Fee” of $110 to all students involved in athletics to help offset some of the costs of the program. This fee will be paid through the student’s Final Forms account. Please have payment in by the second week of the season. All athletes must be registered through FinalForms along with a picture of their cleared physical uploaded to their account in order to participate. Coaches utilize FinalForms to communicate upcoming information to athletes and families. Learn more about Finalforms and Eventlink.
Athletic Parent Night
Our Athletic Parent Night is Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00pm at the HC High School auditorium. Our keynote speaker is Sandi Haan, founder of the Nourished Table, a nutritional counseling private practice. With more than 18 years of experience in clinical nutrition, she is dedicated to helping individuals build a healthier, more sustainable relationship with food and their bodies. Sandi combines evidence-based nutrition science with compassion and practical strategies that inspire lasting change, embrace holistic wellness and confidently pursue a nourished life.
Sandi has dedicated her career to working with teens and young adults in the specialty field of eating disorder care and sports performance. She is one of two Registered Dietitians who are board Certified Eating Disorder Specialists and Supervisors in the state of Michigan. In addition to her private practice, Sandi is the campus dietitian for Hope College. Our individual high school fall sports parents meetings will follow the opening keynote.
Fine Arts Department
Fall Musical: Frozen!
We are proud to present Disney’s Frozen this fall on November 19, 20 and 21 @7pm and November 21 @ 2pm!
In the beautiful mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, Frozen is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love.
Auditions will be held in the high school auditorium the week before school starts; please mark your calendars to reserve these dates.
Audition and Performance Schedule:
- Wednesday, August 19 (3:00-5:30pm)
- WORKSHOP: All students learn the audition choreography and vocal music
- Thursday, August 20 (3:00-6:00pm)
- AUDITIONS: All students audition for the production
- Friday, August 21 (3:00-5:30pm)
- CALLBACKS: Invitation only. Individuals read from the Frozen script for lead roles. Individuals may be asked to prepare an additional audition song.
- November 19, 20, and 21 @ 7pm, November 21 @2pm.
- PERFORMANCES:
To prepare in advance for auditions, please join the Frozen Google Classroom. If you have any questions about the musical or the audition process, please contact Ms Beukelman at mbeukelman@hollandchristian.org.
General Information
Moms In Prayer
Important Dates
Save the Date: Parent Night
We will be hosting our annual Parent Night on Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30pm. More details will be sent out; please add this event to your calendar.
Reserve these important dates on your fall calendar:
August
- 10: Fall sports tryouts start
- 14/15: Senior Camp
- 24: Freshman orientation day/picture day (lunch included) (8:00-11:30am)
- 24: Student check in/picture day (11:30-3:00pm)
- 24: New students (non-freshman) 9:00am-12:15pm (lunch included)
- 25: All students report (full day)
September
- 4 & 7: Labor Day, no school
- 8: Parent Night, 6:30 – 8:30pm
- 9: District wide Convocation
- 19: Homecoming dance
- 29: Senior picture deadline
Throughout this school year, our students have spent meaningful time learning and practicing our disciples
hip practices through chapel groups, worship experiences, and daily classroom devotions. These intentional moments have helped us meet each child where they are spiritually, encouraging them to grow in faith, build Christ-centered relationships, and learn what it means to walk in the way Jesus would lead us. Through prayer, worship, Scripture, and conversation, we have seen students develop compassionate hearts, deeper understanding, and a stronger connection to God and one another. It has been a joy to walk alongside them as they continue growing in both faith and character.
In April, we turned our attention to our discipleship practice creation keeping. This is a fun one for students as it’s a tangible way to discuss and discover how to care for the wonderful world God has created. Throughout the last few weeks, students have had meaningful conversations about what it looks like to be faithful stewards of God’s wonderful creation, putting their learning into action in simple, everyday ways.
The schedule will be as follows: