HOME COMMUNICATOR
What type of school are we? Many will identify us as a Christian school and some may define us as a Private school. Although both are technically correct in the simplest terms, there is a much deeper answer to the question. Those who are more familiar with Public, Catholic or Lutheran schools might be puzzled by our setup.
Hudsonville Christian School is set up differently. With Christ being the center of why we exist as a school within a community of Christian families. We do not represent one particular church council or diocese. Although we have close connections to many local churches in the Christian Reformed denomination, we are technically a non-denominational school that teaches from the Reformed, Christian perspective. We do so while intentionally integrating faith and learning. Our stated purpose of Christian education indicates that it is not solely the church’s chief responsibility to train children from their parish, but rather it is the parents’ responsibility to train their children. Local churches walk beside parents in helping them grow as adults and to help train their children in God’s ways. But at HCS, it’s Christian parents that come together to create a school that points out man’s sinful state, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and the lordship of our God over creation.
When Hudsonville Christian School was founded in 1917, there was a school society of parents and supporters who gathered together and elected a board of directors to help give direction to the school. The board was responsible to select and hire staff, set the policy and procedures for the smooth running of the school, and make sure that a quality, Christ-centered education from a Reformed perspective was made available for their children. Those foundational traditions endure today.
Last evening, March 18, parents and supporters of Hudsonville Christian School convened for the annual society meeting. Presentations on the next school year’s budget were delivered, and updates on HCS activities were shared. Additionally, two new school board members were elected. It was a joyous occasion, serving as a reminder of God’s continuous presence as He is the center of Christian education at HCS. Make sure to mark your calendars for next year’s society meeting, scheduled for Monday, March 17, 2025. Your support and involvement are invaluable to the school board.
Devon Brinks
Superintendent
ALL-SCHOOL NEWS
Society Meeting
The annual HCS Society meeting was held last night. The 2024-2025 budget was approved unanimously. Brian Mast and Mike VandenBerg were voted in as new board members. We thank our retiring board members Evamarie Eggebeen and Joel VanNoord for their service.
Report Cards
The 3rd nine-week marking period will end this Friday, March 22. Report cards will be posted to RenWeb on Friday, March 29 for students in 1st-8th grade. If you experience problems or have questions about accessing this information through RenWeb, please contact Terry Steenstra at tsteenstra@4hcs.org.
Spring Break
Spring Break is March 28 – April 5. School will resume on Monday, April 8. If you plan on taking your child out of school early prior to spring break, please make sure that you notify your child’s teacher and the school office.
6th, 7th & 8th Class Registration 2024/2025
Yesterday an email was sent out to parents of current 5th, 6th & 7th graders regarding Music and Fine Arts options for your child for the upcoming school year. Please read through the information and complete the form linked in the email. This information is important as we start to form schedules for next year. Please be sure to submit this form by Wednesday, March 27. If you have any questions please contact the middle school office at 616-379-0338.
HCS Walkathon Pledge Forms
HCS Walkathon Pledge forms were sent home and it is time to start getting pledges! There is a lot of important information included in your Walkathon packet so make sure you open it and check it out. Also, don’t forget to create and/or update your family page on Just Giving.
Fiddle Fest Concert
Join us for Fiddle Fest tonight, March 19 at 7:00 at Fair Haven Church. The theme is music from around the world. Come on a musical journey with us and experience cultural music, folk, fiddle tunes, and more. Students can wear jeans and plaid, we want to fill the stage with lots of color. The brighter the better!
Moms in Prayer
Moms in Prayer invites you to have a profound impact on your children and HCS by praying scripturally with other moms each Friday. This week we will be meeting at the Middle School 8:00-9:00 a.m. Check in at the main office and they will direct you where to go. We will be focused on praying for the office staff and custodians this week. See you there!
Summer Hiking Trips
If you are interested in going on either the Manistee or UP hikes this summer, please go to this link where you will find more information and can sign up.
HCS Employment Opportunities
If you are interested in joining the dynamic staff at Hudsonville Christian School, there are some employment opportunities for the coming 2024/2025 school year. We are looking for some ESS staff as well as a part time middle school counselor. If you are passionate about working with students, are team-oriented, and have a strong love for our Lord and Savior (or if you know someone who is), the applications can be found on our website.
Tuition Assistance – FACTS Program
Hudsonville Christian will again be participating in FACTS, a grant application program. Families who wish to apply for tuition assistance will need to use the FACTS application format online via their confidential website. The application fee will be paid by HCS. The FACTS organization will analyze the information of each applicant. Through FACTS, HCS has the ability to more evenly distribute available tuition assistance funds based upon factual information the families provide in the application. Please note that any additional information provided in the comments section at the end of the application is very helpful when making the decision for distribution.
Parents who have children in more than one EOCS school need only to fill out the application one time — the information will be available to the schools where their children attend. The FACTS online website application is available now. Please contact FACTS at 1-866-315-9262 with any questions. The deadline for submitting this application is March 31. For registration please go to www.factsmgt.com.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Chapel
All elementary students will gather in the west gym for chapel on Friday from 10:00-10:25 AM. Parents are welcome to join us and may enter through the west gym lobby doors.
Elementary Hot Lunch
The menu as well as other information on the Elementary Hot Lunch Program provided by JenHud Food Service can be found on the JenHud Food Service website.
Game On!
If you’ve turned in your registration form, get ready to score big at our sporting extravaganza, Game On! Kindergarten – 5th grade students and their champions are invited to join us for an action-packed evening of bonding and fun at HCS. Lace up your sneakers and get in the game with a lineup of activities to keep your adrenaline pumping, including an obstacle course, dodgeball matches, basketball showdowns, creative plays in friendship bracelet making, temporary tattoos, and a concession stand serving victory snacks. Whether you’re a mom, dad, or someone special, this is your chance to huddle up with your young athlete for an unforgettable night of Game On! Mothers/Special Person and Daughters on March 22 from 6-7:30pm and Fathers/Special Person and Sons on March 23 from 6-7:30pm. Don’t forget to gear up for the competition by wearing matching colors or sporting your favorite team jerseys together.
Incoming 5th & 6th Grade Students/Parents Hot Lunch Survey
Lunch at the middle school looks different. Hot lunch is only offered one day a week, on Wednesdays, beginning on September 18th. This is an optional opportunity for your child to purchase pizza (DJ’s, Jets, Pizza Ranch on rotation) Chick Fil A, and Mr Burger (offered 3 times a year each). Please look for a schedule at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
A very important part of ‘how’ we make hot lunch work is student surveys on what they will and will not purchase. NEW THIS YEAR- Entering 5th and 6th grade students will do this survey with their parents. The google form can be found here, 2024-2025 5th/6th Grade Hot Lunch Survey or a paper copy is available that can be filled out and returned to the middle school office or emailed to Kim Racey at kracey10@gmail.com. Please complete and or return forms by MAY 30, 2024. We really need parent cooperation with turning these in timely.
Living Water Art Show
The HCS Living Water Art Show is less than a month away! Save the date for April 18 from 6:00-7:30. All students will have at least 2 pieces of art displayed in the show so this is a wonderful family event. We are excited to show off our work that has been created for God’s glory this year!
Lost and Found
Please remind your child(ren) to check out the lost and found items in the hall by the lower elementary office to see if anything belongs to them. Parents – please check out the lost and found when you are at school.
Summer Tutoring
A list of teachers that are available for summer tutoring can be found on our website.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Chapel
Students and staff will gather in the south gym for chapel from 7:55-8:25 AM on Tuesday and Thursday. 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.
- Global Awareness – Tammy Holwerda leading chapel – Tuesday, March 19.
- Global Awareness – Joel VanDyke leading chapel – Thursday, March 21.
Hot Lunch
Hot Lunch this week Wednesday will be Pizza Ranch $2.50/slice (cheese/bacon). Pop and chips will also be sold for $.50 each. The full menu/schedule is listed on our website.
Firehawk Frenzy Week (AKA Spirit Week)
Starting TODAY we will have special dress-up days and games against the grade levels at breaks. Each game will have a Firehawk-themed game to show your school spirit.
- Tues (3/19): Dress up- School Colors Day/ St. Patrick’s Day
- Thurs (3/21): Dress up- Mathlete vs Athlete
- Mon (3/25): Dress up- Decades Day- 6th 60’s, 7th 70’s & 8th 80’s
- Tues (3/26): Dress up- Country vs Country Club
- Wed (3/27): Dress up- Teacher student swap day
World of Wonders Day
WOW Day is on Friday, March 22. The goal of WOW Day is to provide experiences for students to appreciate diverse cultures and ethnicities. Students will see various videos, projects and outside speakers, all in hopes to appreciate the variety of people God has blessed us with.
8th Grade Choir
8th Grade Choir Members will be heading to the District Choral Festival tomorrow, March 20 at Lowell High School. Students need to be dropped off at the middle school at 7:00am for a 7:10 departure. All parents, grandparents, and friends are welcome to attend the performance at 8:20 @ Lowell High School. They will sing two pieces of contrasting nature and they will be judged on tone quality, pitch, rhythm, diction, interpretation and presentation elements. Additionally, students will sight-read a piece of music and sing it for the first time. Parents of 8th Grade Choir Students, please see Mrs. Schreur’s email sent Friday (3/8) for many important details.
8th Grade Career Quest
8th graders will be spending most of the day on Wednesday, March 27, attending the CareerQuest at DeVos Place in GR. They will leave at 10:30 AM and return by 2:00 PM.
Faces and Our Cultures Program 2024
For many years, our school has participated in a cultural exchange program for Guatemalan students through Faces and Our Cultures. We are excited to continue the program once again next fall. The Faces And Our Cultures program is designed to provide Guatemalan students the opportunity to spend 7 weeks in our community. Over the years, we have had a number of Guatemalan ambassadors come to our campus and many have built lasting relationships with their host families. We are looking for host families to host this fall. Each participant will attend Hudsonville Christian for seven weeks as a full-time student, have their own schedule, and will participate in all aspects of the school day. These student ambassadors are fluent in English and will arrive on Sunday, October 20th and depart on Saturday, December 14th. All the school related costs will be covered by the Faces Program. Host families kindly provide homestay and make them part of their family’s routine for 7 weeks. Each child will need a host home and the assigned child will be the same age and sex of the host child. To learn more you can register at the following link: LEARN MORE HERE
PARENTS' CLUB NEWS
Box Tops Bonus Offers for March
Scan receipts into the app within 2 weeks of purchase. All offers end March 31.
- Earn 2 Bonus Box Tops on Dunkaroos when you buy any 3 participating Dunkaroos products in a single transaction.
- Earn 5 Bonus Box Top on Lucky Charms when you buy any 3 participating Lucky Charms products in a single transaction.
- Earn 4 Bonus Box Tops on Totino’s Pizza Rolls when you buy any 3 participating Totino’s Pizza Rolls products in a single transaction.
- Earn 2 Bonus Box Tops on Old El Paso when you buy any 2 participating Old El Paso products in a single transaction. Offer excludes seasoning packets.
- Earn 6 Bonus Box Tops on Pillsbury Toaster Strudel when you buy any 4 participating Totino’s Pizza Rolls products in a single transaction.
- Earn 40 Bonus Box Tops at Target when you buy any 4 participating Annie’s products in a single transaction.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Job Opening – Part-Time Administrative Assistant
Immanuel CRC (3520 Kiel St, Hudsonville) is looking to fill the Administrative Assistant position. Responsibilities include: Office management, Recordkeeping, Publications, Staff support, etc. Accounting/payroll experience is a plus but not required. For more information, please contact Allen Vedders, Chr of Administrative Committee (avedders@att.net).
Middle School Tennis Team
Unity Christian is pleased to offer a Middle School Tennis team for boys and girls in grades 7 & 8. This program will run from April 9 – May 16, and will consist of practices and matches against other schools. All experience levels are welcome! The cost to participate is $60, and the deadline to register is March 26. Please go Unity Christian High School (unitychristianathletics.org) for more information and for registration link.
8th Grade Mixer for EOCS Schools
8th grade students are invited to attend a night of bowling and bonding with other 8th graders from the Eastern Ottawa Christian Schools. Join us April 26 from 7:15-9:15 pm at Hudsonville Lanes. Cost is $10 per student which includes shoes and unlimited bowling for 2 hours. The snack bar will be open if students wish to purchase food. See you there!
Unity Spirit Store
Unity’s Online Spirit Store is open now through Wednesday, March 20! Merchandise will be ready for pickup (from Unity) the week of April 8. All online sales are final.
Unity Summer Sports Camp Schedule and Registration Information
Unity Christian will be hosting several summer sports camps for students ages three to 12th grade. Our summer camp schedule is currently available on our website at this link, and registration will open on April 10. We look forward to hosting your students at Unity sports camps this summer!
