HOME COMMUNICATOR
Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! Our teachers have been preparing classrooms, organizing materials, and planning lessons to set the stage for a strong start. Summer has been a good season for rest and renewal, but now it is time to begin again, and I believe many are eager to get started. Students are ready to return to a routine, seeing friends, meeting new classmates, and stepping into new challenges. Parents are reestablishing familiar patterns and adjusting to new ones that come with a fresh school year. It is energizing to see our halls and classrooms filled once again with the activity and purpose of daily school life at Hudsonville Christian School.
”Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1–2 NIV
This year, we look forward to how God will work through our school theme: “Follow His Footsteps.” Ephesians 5:1–2 reminds us, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Our calling as a school community is to keep Christ at the center in the way we teach, learn, treat one another, and go about each day. I am eager to see how this theme will take shape across our classrooms and in the lives of our students. Rather than relying on our own strength, following the footsteps of Christ throughout the year is certainly going to lead us down the right path.
My prayer is that this year will be marked by steady growth in faith, learning, and Christlike character. While plans and circumstances may change this school year, we can be confident that God’s Word and His promises remain unchanging. I encourage you to join me in praying regularly for our students, staff, and families as we continue the important work of challenging minds and lives for Christ.
Devon K. Brinks
Superintendnetment
SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
Chapel
This week Friday, August 22, we will have an all school chapel at 9:45 AM. Parents are welcome to join us and may enter through the west gym lobby doors.
FACTS RenWeb
HCS utilizes FACTS RenWeb as our school management software program. Parent login can be found at https://hv-mi.client.renweb.com/pw/. Here you will find your child’s class list, homework and report cards. The HCS school directory can also be accessed through RenWeb. If you experience any difficulty signing in to FACTS RenWeb, please contact Lane Lems at llems@4hcs.org.
Student Allergy/Medical Condition Form
Parents, it is important that you update your student’s medical record form on FACTS Renweb parent portal. We would especially like you to include allergies (food, insect, other) or medical conditions (asthma, seizure, other) that may require attention by our staff during the school year. Please describe the condition, tell us about the symptoms, alert us to medication that may have to be administered in such a situation and where it is located, what steps should be taken to care for your child. Please contact the office with any questions you may have. To access this form on FACTS Renweb, follow these steps.
- Login to FACTS Family Portal
- Click on the Family tab
- Click on Family Home
- Click Family Demographic Form
- Under Student Medical, click on Student Medical Form for the child you wish to edit
- Edit and save information.
HCS Website
The HCS website is an important resource for parent information. From the “Current Families” section of our website you can access the Home Communicator, the school calendar, the parent handbook, homework links, current forms and much more!
HCS Parent Handbook
Thank you for allowing us to partner alongside you in Christian education. The Parent/Student Handbook is intended to help you understand how our school operates and to provide information about how we can effectively communicate with each other.
New HCS Staff
We are excited to welcome new staff members to HCS this year! Click HERE to meet them!
Busing
If you have questions about busing please contact the Hudsonville Public School Transportation Department or Unity Christian High School.
Limited Busing
There are a few school days this year where we will not have regular busing from Hudsonville Public School. Those days are as follows: August 20-21 PM only, August 22, October 31, February 9 & 10, May 22, May 29 PM only. On Limited Busing days HPS will offer limited routes only. The following buses will run their regular route:
- Bus 64 AM/Bus 57 PM (Route 57)
- Bus 78 AM/Bus 9 PM (Route 78)
- Bus 76
If your HPS bus number is not mentioned in this limited busing list, you will need to provide your own transportation on these days
Limited Busing for the first week of school
On August 20 & 21 morning routes will run as normal but afternoon busing will be limited. On Friday, August 22 both morning and afternoon routes will be limited. The following buses will run their regular route: 57, 76, and 78. If your HPS bus number is not mentioned in this limited busing list, you will need to provide your own transportation on these days. Unity busing is not affected by HPS limited busing, those routes will run as normal.
Early Release Dates
We will participate in some of Hudsonville Public’s early release dates again this year. These dates will be on Friday afternoons and dismissal time will be at 11:10 a.m. During these afternoons our staff will be engaged in valuable professional development. The dates we will participate in early release are September 26, December 12, January 16, February 27, March 20, May 8. Please note these days on your calendar. Hudsonville Public buses will be running on these early release dates, but students riding Unity buses will need to arrange for transportation home.
School Pictures
Middle School students will have their pictures taken on September 9. Elementary school pictures will be taken on September 10 & 11. Additional information on pictures will be coming home with students soon.
School Spirit Store – Get your HCS & Firehawk Gear!
Exciting News, HCS Families! Our online school apparel store is now open! Check out a great selection of youth and adult items featuring the HCS logo and a new Firehawks design! Whether you’re looking for gear for your student or something for yourself, there’s something for everyone! The store is open until August 26, 2025. hcsgearstore25.itemorder.com
Visitor & Emergency Management System
We are preparing to implement the Raptor Technologies Visitor Management and Emergency Management Systems. This is another step toward enhancing campus security while maintaining smooth and familiar routines for families. More information will be shared in the coming weeks to help you prepare for this transition.
CHILDWATCH Attendance Line – 616-379-0332
If your child will not be at school when school begins each day, we ask parents to call the Childwatch line (see above) with information about the absence – whether it’s an appointment, illness, vacation, etc. This number will connect you to the answering system and you can leave a message.
Please be sure to call this number BEFORE school starts for the day. You can call this number the night before – or even in the middle of the night – to let us know your child will not be at school. Thank you for helping attendance run smoothly!
Student Photo Use
During the school year, photos and videos may be taken by HCS staff of our students in order to document our events and memories! These images may be included in print or electronic materials( i.e. website/social media/promotional). If you do NOT wish for your child(ren) to be included in these photos/videos, please fill out this form.
School T-Shirts
In order to promote community at HCS, the Parents’ Club has once again provided t-shirts for all elementary students and staff. The shirt design is based on the school theme “Follow His Footsteps” which comes from Ephesians 5:1–2: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Chloe Greendyk, 8th grade student, created the design on the back of the shirt. The shirts will be handed out to all elementary students and to the middle school students who ordered them. Please keep them for the entire school year, as they will be worn for various events all year long.
Substitute Teaching
We would like to build our list of people able to substitute teach in the Middle School and/or in the Elementary School. If you would be interested in subbing, please contact the Middle School office at 616-379-0338 or by email msoffice@4hcs.org or the Elementary office at 616-669-6689 or email cpalmbos@4hcs.org.
Volunteers Needed!
Auction Committee Members
The Parents’ Club Board is asking you to consider volunteering on the Auction Committee! We are in need of additional volunteers to help plan and facilitate the Auction that will take place in the spring of 2026! This is an important event for our school and a great way to build community! If you are willing to serve in this way click HERE to sign up! Questions? contact pcb@4hcs.org or auction@4hcs.org.
Septemberfest
The Septemberfest committee is currently looking to fill some volunteer positions! This is a fun event that is easy to earn your volunteer points for the year! Please sign up HERE.
Room Parent Volunteers
Thank you to everyone that has volunteered to be a room parent for this school year! We are still in need of a few more volunteers in the following classrooms. If you have a child in one of these classrooms listed below, please consider volunteering as a room parent. Email roomparents@4hcs.org for more information or to sign up. Thank you!
- Mrs. DeLong (1)
- Mrs. Anna Shoemaker (1)
- Mrs. Ymker (2)
- Ms. DeBoer (1)
- Mr. Meengs (1)
- Ms. Leerar (1)
Elementary Playground Monitor
We are in need of volunteers to help cover the elementary playground during recess! Having additional adults on the playground helps keep our kids safe. Please check out this SignUpGenius link to sign up and earn volunteer points! Thank you for considering this important opportunity!
Welcome From The Parents’ Club!
The Parents’ Club Board (PCB) greets you and welcomes each parent to this new school year! All HCS Parents are members of the Parents’ Club! We are grateful that parents volunteer their time and talents to bless students, serve the teachers, promote and build the HCS community, and help raise funds to reduce tuition costs.
HCS Clay Shoot
Come out and support the Hudsonville Christian School Tuition Assistance Fund at our annual Sporting Clay Shoot at Blendon Pines on September 6. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert shooter, this promises to be a fun event with something for everyone. For more information or to register click HERE.
Harvest Family Fun Day- Save the Date!
Saturday October 4 from 3:00-5:00. We would love to see all the HCS preschool through 8th grade students, and families come out for an afternoon of fun, food and community! Plan on attending this fun-filled afternoon rain or shine. Outside it is held on the tar behind the early education wing. (Inside would be in the West Gym) Fun games like the pumpkin walk, basketball free throw, cereal walk, plinko, bounce house. Fantastic prizes! Donuts, cider, popcorn, cotton candy. Even if you cannot come the entire afternoon, please stop by anytime between 3 and 5. There will be a small cost of $5 per child (adults are free).
We still are in need of more volunteers! Please go to the sign up genius page for our event to sign up as soon as possible! Volunteers please watch your inbox (or check your spam folder) for incoming email communications over the next few weeks regarding the event! Thank you for signing up to help, we appreciate you!
EARLY CHILDHOOD & KIDS' CORNER NEWS
Kids’ Corner
Kids’ Corner will be opening on August 20 for the school year! Please note that it will be open from 7:00 am-5:45 pm Monday-Friday and will be closed when the rest of school is closed.
Preschool Parent Orientation
We will be having a short parent orientation for 3 School and 4 School parents on Monday, August 25. This parent-only night will be a time to meet your child’s teacher, learn about the class, and ask any questions you have. Parent Orientation details for your child’s class were mailed to you in the information packet.
Preschool Visiting Days- August 26 & 27
3 School and 4 School Visit Days will be on August 26 & 27. These will be special one-hour days where the preschooler and one parent (or special adult) get to meet the teacher, see the classroom, and get an idea of what preschool is all about! Visit Day information was mailed to you in the information packet.
Preschool Family Kickoff – August 27, 6:00-7:30
If you have a 3 School or 4 School child at HCS this year, join in celebrating the beginning of their school year with a fun-filled night of snacks and activities for the whole family! This is a great way for your child to connect with his or her teacher, for you to meet other 3 school and 4 school families, and to celebrate what God will do this year.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Elementary Hot Lunch
Information on the Elementary Hot Lunch program provided by JenHud Food Service can be found on the JenHud Food Service website. Make deposits and monitor your account through the Family Portal. If you have questions please contact the food service at foodservice@hpseagles.net.
Student Drop-off and Bus Loop Information
Please take note of the parking and bus loop areas so that we can work together to ensure the safety of our students. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the office at 616-669-6689.
Bus Loop – All buses (HPS and Unity) will run through the bus loop, which is in the north parking lot off of Hillcrest behind the school. You may see some HCS staff vehicles parked in the middle of this lot, but parents should not enter this lot to park or drop off/pick up their student(s) at all during the day. This area is strictly for bus traffic, so please help us keep our students safe by adhering to this.
Parent Parking and Drop Off/Pick Up Area – The parent parking area and drop off/pick up location is the circle drive off Oak Street. Parents may line up around this loop along the walkway to drop off or pick up their students. The curb along the sidewalk is reserved for those doing a quick drop off or pick up. It is not for parking. Please do not park on the curb by the flagpoles, and please do not double park in the loop. If you do park in a parking spot to drop off or pick up your student, please walk your student across the parking lot so they are not walking alone in front of other traffic. During busy drop off and pick up times, please exit Right (West) only out of this lot to ensure safe traffic flow.
West Parking Lot – Please consider this option when dropping off and picking up your older children. Choosing to use this option helps to keep our children (and parents) safe by reducing some of the congestion near the main entrance.
Spring Street Parking Lot – The Spring Street parking lot, which runs west off from School Street is for Early Childhood parking only. Parents coming for Kids’ Corner Childcare, 3 School, and 4 School are the only ones who should use this parking lot.
Elementary Parent Loop Updates
We love seeing parents connect and students having fun with friends after school! To keep things safe and smooth in the parent loop, please note that:
- Quick hellos are perfect at the curb!
- Longer chats or playtime? Please park in a designated spot and move away from high-traffic areas. The nature space is a great place for kids to run while parents catch up!
- NEW EXIT POLICY: When exiting the parent loop, you must turn RIGHT only. This keeps traffic flowing safely and quickly for everyone.
Thanks for helping us keep students safe and friendships growing!
Birthday Treat Guidelines for Y5s-4th Grade
Students in Young 5s – 4th grade are allowed to bring in a food treat for their birthday. We are asking that treats are individually packaged by the manufacturer and the ingredient list and nutrition facts are included for the teacher’s use. Thank you for following these guidelines! Doing so helps create consistency across the student body.
Please note that some grade levels may choose to recognize student birthdays with a non-food celebration. If this is the case, your child’s teacher will let you know the procedures for birthday celebrations in their classroom.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch will be available at the middle school on Wednesdays starting later in September. More information on the menu selections and prices will be coming soon. Until then – remember your middle school student will need to pack lunch everyday.
PE Shirts- LAST CALL!
If your child is going into 5th grade, is new to HCMS, or simply missing their PE shirt, now is the time to order one! All middle school students MUST wear a school PE shirt for every PE class. Please complete one of the two Google Forms below by Thursday, August 21.
- 5th Grade Students: An email was sent out yesterday to all 5th grade parents regarding PE shirt ordering. ALL parents must fill out THIS FORM. One PE shirt is included in the activity fee on your tuition statement, so no payment is necessary unless additional shirts are desired..
- 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Students (OPTIONAL): Please fill out THIS FORM if you wish to purchase an additional PE shirt. All shirts cost $8.00 and money should be brought to the middle school office.
***NEW STUDENTS: A PE Shirt is needed for PE class so you should purchase a shirt from the above link.
Class Mixers
The 5th-8th grade class mixers will be happening next week Thursday, August 28. Teachers will be sending out additional information however please note that the 8th graders will not be returning from their mixer until 5pm. All other grades will return prior to the dismissal of school.
Student Drop-off and Bus Loop Information
Please refer to this very important information in the Hudsonville Christian School Parent Handbook. Your cooperation with this traffic pattern is very important for the safety of our students, staff and parents.
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- NO VEHICLES – except buses – are to use the circle drive in front of school from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. and from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on school days.
- The student loading area for students being dropped off and/or picked up by vehicles other than buses, is on the east side of the middle school building.
- All traffic must enter and exit on Van Buren Street. The east driveway is for entering traffic only. Please use both lanes, and zipper merge into one lane as you near the parking lot. This is to avoid cars waiting on Van Buren Street.
- When dropping off or picking up students, please pull as far forward as possible to the corner/south end of the sidewalk along the parking lot. This helps keep the traffic flow moving.
- The second driveway is for exiting traffic. There is both a right and left turn lane exiting onto Van Buren Street.
- Parents may NOT drop off or pick up their children on Van Buren St. in front of school.
Faces and Our Cultures Opportunity
For nearly 20 years, Faces & Our Cultures has enriched students’ lives through cultural exchange programs between Guatemala and the U.S. Our school has been part of this amazing program and we’re excited to continue offering global experiences to our students.
Join us for a brief Informational Meeting on Thursday, August 21 at 4:00 at HCS Middle School to learn how your family can host a young Cultural Ambassador from Guatemala for eight weeks (October to December) and create unforgettable memories and lifelong friendships. We will also share about the optional reciprocal Summer Program that Faces offers for our students to travel to Guatemala.
If you are interested in learning more about either program, please fill out the link below with your information to get all the details: https://airtable.com/app9X3LWduAo23NP8/pag1P7f75lWtcyjrw/form
Middle School Cross Country
Unity Christian is pleased to offer a Middle School Cross Country team for boys and girls in grades 6-8 again this year. This program will run from August 25 to October 10 and will consist of practices and meets against other schools. The cost to participate is $70, and the deadline to register is August 22. A printable flyer with practice and meet dates is attached and a registration link can be found here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Homecoming Pig Roast
Unity Christian High School invites you to a community Pig Roast on Friday, September 19 from 4:00-6:30PM. This event will be held in the East Side Addition which is currently under construction. Come out for dinner and check out the progress on Unity’s newest addition. Alumni who attend will be able to pick up free entry vouchers for the HOCO Football game starting at 7pm the same evening. Help us make sure we have enough food for all our guests by registering to attend by Thursday, September 11. This dinner is free to attend with donations accepted.
Employment Opportunity
Post Family Farm in Hudsonville is looking to hire energetic ADULTS for seasonal work for our 2025 fall season. Our Spring season runs from September 2, 2025 – November 1, 2025. Opportunities include donut makers, tour guides, Weekday Festival workers and Saturday Festival workers. Donut making involves working with several others in our bakery making donuts, filling orders and running the cash register. Tour guides take a group of children, teachers and parents around the farm both on and off a tractor (training provided). Festival workers may work in donuts, office, tickets, drive the pumpkin train or drive the tractor to the pumpkin patch. No previous experience is required for any position. Workdays and hours are very flexible to fit your schedule. Hourly pay range is $16.45 to $20.45 per hour Please contact Julie at Post Family Farm, if you have any interest in working in a fun, farm atmosphere. Phone – 616/669-1964, email – tours@postfamilyfarm.com.
