“That’s my buddy!”
“That’s my sister’s buddy!”
“Hi, buddy!”
These are phrases that are commonly heard around the elementary building when students see their older or younger buddies. One of the big reasons we find value in these buddies is the connections that are made between students in different grade levels. “Children need connections to other people so that they know they too belong in the family of God” (Keeley, Dear Parent, p. 36).
We are always looking for new and unique ways to connect our buddy classes. A new thing we are trying this year is having buddies sit by each other during our praise and worship chapels. The results have been amazing. Watching buddies worship together has truly been an unexpected gift. The older buddies are learning about modeling what worship looks like while the younger buddies get to share their enthusiasm for worship.
Our last chapel before Christmas break was a praise and worship chapel with our buddies. Listening to and watching our students sing with their buddies about the birth of our Savior brought tears to the eyes of many staff members. What a privilege to be a part of a school where Christ-centered connections are made between students across grade levels.
Our next praise and worship chapel with buddies is scheduled for Friday, February 7; we would love to have you join us!
In His Service,
Mary Jo Staal
Elementary Media Specialist & Nurturing Faith Coordinator
SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
Report Cards
Report cards will be posted in RenWeb for students in 4 School – 8th Grade on Friday, January 24.
Early Childhood Exploration Night is Coming!
If you are interested in information about 3 School, 4 School, Nature-Based 4 School, Young 5s, or Kindergarten at HCS, mark your calendars for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 30 to attend our Early Childhood Open House at the elementary school. At this meeting for parents, you will have the opportunity to learn more about our Early Childhood and Kids’ Corner programs, meet the teachers, and visit classrooms. Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year will also begin that night! Please mark this date on your calendar and tell your friends and neighbors so they can join us!
Parent Teacher Conferences
This winter we are looking forward to conferences with our parents February 11 and 13, 2025. The goal of Parent/Teacher Conferences at our school is to focus on the child so that the parents and teachers support each other in the nurturing of each child. In the spirit of II Timothy 2:15 we continue this most important cause for our children and for the honor of God.
- School will be in session regular hours on all conference days.
- There will be no school for 3 School through Grade 8 on Friday, February 14
Elementary – NEW this year: Parents will schedule their Y5 – 4th grade child(ren)’s conference(s) through a link that will be emailed to you this week. Directions to sign up through PTCFast will be provided, along with instructions on how to schedule your conference time with your child’s homeroom teacher.
Middle School – All Homeroom and Encore Teachers (5-8) will be available in the south gym to meet with parents in cafeteria-style conferences from 3:30 – 5:45 p.m. and from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. There are NO scheduled conference times for middle school students during the winter conference dates. The cafeteria-style meetings are meant to be short 7-10 minute discussions to allow all parents access to staff members in a timely manner. If you require a longer conference with a particular teacher, please be sure to connect with them via email or by calling the middle school office at 616-379-0338 to make this request and set up an individual conference on a different date and time.
Employment Opportunities
Early Childhood Director
Hudsonville Christian School is seeking a full-time Early Childhood Director for the 2025-2026 school year. This administrative position is responsible for overseeing the 3 School, 4 School, Nature-Based 4 School, and Kids’ Corner childcare. If interested, or would like more information, please contact Devon Brinks at dbrinks@4hcs.org or 616-669-6689.
Digital Copywriter and Social Media Coordinator
Are you passionate about storytelling, social media, and Christian education? HCS seeks a creative and dedicated individual to craft engaging digital content, manage our social media presence, and keep our website fresh and inspiring. This flexible, part-time role (12-16 hours per week) is perfect for a talented writer with a heart for sharing the story of God’s work at HCS. Join us in making an impact through Christ-centered storytelling! Review the full job description here. To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing samples to lfuller@4hcs.org.
HCS Auction
This year’s live Auction will be on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The 2025 Auction Committee is seeking donations of unique experiences (VIP tours, lessons, tickets, vacation spots, etc) to add to this year’s Auction! If you know of anyone who may be interested in giving back to our school in this fun and memorable way, please reach out to auction@4hcs.org. If you are interested in purchasing an item for the auction and need ideas, take a look at our Amazon Wish List!
HCS Auction Tuition Raffle – Don’t miss out!
Wouldn’t it be a DREAM to have a $0 tuition cost for ONE WHOLE YEAR? Buy raffle tickets now (1 for $25 or 5 for $100!) at https://2025hcsauction.cbo.io and you might just have your wish come true! Winner announced at the LIVE AUCTION on Saturday, March 1st (winner does not have to be present to win).
HCS 3 on 3 Tournament
We are excited to partner with our community and host the second annual HCS 3 on 3 basketball tournament on March 8, 2025. Visit the event webpage for tournament rules and team registration information!
Running Club Volunteers
The Boys With A Goal running club is looking for a few more volunteers to help at practices in March and April from 2:50-3:50 sign up HERE.
Moms In Prayer
Join with other moms to pray fervently for our children and our school this week Friday. Moms in Prayer will be meeting in room 28 at the elementary school from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Please check in at the main office. We will be lifting up in prayer the staff and students in the Young 5s Kindergarten and Kindergarten this week. We’d love to see you there!
EARLY CHILDHOOD AND KIDS' CORNER NEWS
3 School and 4 School Conferences
Conferences for 3 School and 4 School will be held on January 27 & 28. There will be NO SCHOOL for 3 School and 4 School on January 27 or 28. Please watch your email to sign up for a conference time with your child’s teacher.
Kids’ Corner – January 27 & 28
Kids’ Corner will remain open on January 27 and 28 for those who are contracted for Kids’ Corner. Please email kidscorner@4hcs.org if your child will need care on those days.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Chapel
This week Friday, January 24, Mrs. Neher’s 2nd grade class will lead chapel from 10:00-10:25. Parents are welcome to join us and may enter through the west gym lobby doors.
Elementary Hot Lunch
The menu and other information on the Elementary Hot Lunch program provided by JenHud Food Service can be found on the JenHud Food Service website.
Campers, Get Ready for Camp Firehawk!
Attention all adventurers! “Pack your gear” and save the dates for an unforgettable experience at Camp Firehawk on March 14 and 15 at HCS. This year’s Annual Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Nights are calling all Kindergarten through 4th-grade campers for a night of fun and excitement.
On Friday, March 14, the girls take center stage for Ladies Night at Camp Firehawk, then, on Saturday, March 15, it’s Lumberjack Night for the boys. Bring a special adult, dress for the theme, and get ready for games, laughter, and special moments around the campfire. Official invites will be sent home with your camper in the next few weeks. We can’t wait to welcome all our adventurers to Camp Firehawk!
Urgent Need – Recess Monitor Help
We are still in need of additional playground monitors for most days, especially before school on Wednesday and Thursday and snack recess on Thursday! If you are able to help please sign up here!
Art Show – Save the Date!
Mark your calendars for the Consuming Fire Art Show on Thursday, April 24 6:00-7:30. Every student from Y5-4th grade will have art displayed throughout the school, so you won’t want to miss it. We cannot wait to celebrate the artistic abilities in every student!
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Chapel
Students and staff will gather in the south gym for chapel from 7:55-8:25 AM on Tuesday and Friday. Parents are welcome to join us! If you would like to view the Middle School Chapels at a later time, you can also find recordings on our Vimeo channel- Chapel.
- Tuesday, January 21 – Student Praise Team leading chapel
- Friday, January 24 – 6th Grade Homeroom Schaap leading chapel
- Tuesday, January 28 – Mary Broene leading chapel
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch this week Wednesday will be Pizza Ranch Pizza $2.50/slice (cheese/bacon).
Donuts
Donuts will be sold during morning break this Friday in the middle school for $1.50 each.
After School Parent Pick-up Reminder
Students MUST wait on the sidewalk for their parents to pull up and pick them up after school. No one should be walking through traffic out to the field/fence area to bypass the wait and meet up with their vehicle in line. This is a serious safety concern so please follow these guidelines. Thanks for your understanding.
Earth Day PaperGator Contest
PaperGator Competition!! We have a chance to earn up to $5,000.00 for our school by collecting as much paper in our PaperGator as we can from January through April! It’s called the PaperGator Earth Day Contest! Spread the word to your family and friends to fill up the middle school PaperGator located in the west parking lot off of the bus loop.
Volunteer Opportunity
The middle school is looking for a few volunteers to help supervise students during their lunch breaks. Volunteers will wander hallways and outside supervising students to ensure safety and that breaks are going smoothly. For more information or to sign up click HERE.
Ski Club
Our next ski club outing will be this week Friday, January 24! A sign-up email was sent out last week to all that had signed-up for ski club and was due last Friday. If you missed the sign-up and your child would like to attend please check with one of the sponsors to see if there is still space. The student’s name must be on the sign-up in order to attend. We will be collecting money for lift tickets and rentals on Thursday, January 23 during morning and lunch break. Please be sure to MAKE CHECKS OUT TO BITTERSWEET SKI RESORT (not HCMS) or bring exact cash. Upcoming dates: Feb. 7 and 24.
Spelling Bee
Congratulations to each of our middle school students who participated in our Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 16, 2025. We are proud of all your work to prepare and be part of the Bee. Special congratulations to Elena Schmuker who took first place this year and to Graham Buursma who was our second place winner. They will both go on to compete at the Regional Spelling Bee!
Exploratory Week
Exploratory week will be happening January 27-31! Many of our HCMS staff members are offering classes for the students to further explore God’s world and creation in different ways during this week. Please know that for this week students will have an abbreviated regular class schedule in the morning and will have their exploratory classes in the late morning/afternoon.
7th Grade Winter Camp
The 7th graders will be going to winter camp Wednesday, January 29-Friday, January 31. Students are to arrive between 7:50-8am Wednesday, January 29, and must be picked up promptly at 2pm Friday, January 31. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the school. We look forward to this time of fellowship and adventure for our 7th graders.
Awesome Arts Day
HCMS is hosting Awesome Arts Day on Friday, March 14. We are looking for more people to present 40 minute hands-on presentations in their area of expertise. Past presentations have focused on visual, performance, and literary arts. If you or someone you know may be interested and available from 8-10:30 am, please contact Sara Jager – sjager@4hcs.org.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Unity Christian New Student Nights
Unity Christian is holding New Student Nights on January 27, 29, February 3, 10, and 12. All 8th grade families should have received a packet in the mail as well as an email with a link to sign up. If you have not received the packet and email and are interested in signing up for an evening, please contact Julie Essebaggers at jessebaggers@unitychristian.org or 616-669-1820.
Unity Christian Flag Football for Boys Grades 2 – 7
Unity Christian will be hosting a Saturday afternoon Flag Football Camp on February 1, 8, 15, and 22 for boys in 2nd through 7th grades. Instruction will be given on basic skills, fundamentals, and rules of football, but most of the time will focus on playing flag football. No experience is necessary, and players of any level are encouraged to participate. Boys in 2nd-3rd will meet from 12 – 1 p.m., 4th-5th will meet from 1:15 – 2:15 p.m., and 6th-7th will meet from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $35, and the deadline to register is January 29. Online registration and a flyer with more information can be found at https://unitychristianathletics.org/main/campsclinics/.
Hudsonville Little League
Hudsonville Little League 2025 Spring Registrations are Open! Click HERE for more information.