HOME COMMUNICATOR
A recent extension to our curriculum at the Middle school has our children learning how, and why, we as Christians give generously. Through the programming of Training Generous Hearts, a curriculum developed by one of our own HCS families, students are reminded that everything belongs to God. Students go through a process of discerning ministries to support, and are actively engaging in this process with research, prayer, decision making and disbursement of funds. In fact, five different ministries will be presenting to students after spring break and our children will begin a process of learning and discerning.
The deeper foundations of this course has our children learning to acknowledge God’s ownership over everything, reaffirming their trust in Him as their sole provider, and blessing Him and others. They will be practicing the spiritual act of generosity with the stewarding and disbursing of His resources.
It is a blessing to see our children being nurtured in the spiritual practice of giving generously especially as we approach the season where we celebrate the ultimate gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. As we strive daily to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this broken world, let us not forget that we are a reflection of God to others when we give.
Rachel Landstra
Mission Advancement
ALL-SCHOOL NEWS
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.
Report Cards
The 3rd nine-week marking period ended last 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.
6th, 7th & 8th Class Registration 2024/2025
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.
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.
Employment Opportunities
Hudsonville Christian Elementary School is seeking applicants for a full-time teaching position in 3rd grade for the 2024-2025 school year. Interested applicants should have (at minimum) a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a valid teaching certificate. Varying levels of experience are welcome. We are looking for team-oriented candidates who have a strong love for Jesus and are passionate about working with all of God’s children. If interested, please complete the online application. You’ll be asked to attach your cover letter and resume when you apply. Questions can be directed to our elementary principal, Mrs. Tricia Kiepert. Applications will be accepted through Monday, April 8, 2024.
We are also looking for someone to teach our Kindergarten library classes on Tuesdays from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. This is an hourly position which will likely require some planning and may include some other tasks like checking in and shelving books, cleaning up after the classes, and processing new books. If you love books, have the ability to inspire some of our littlest people to love reading, have the skills to wrangle a class of kindergarteners, and feel like you might be interested in this position, please reach out to elementary principal, Mrs. Tricia Kiepert for more information.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
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.
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 gather in the south gym for chapel each Tuesday & Thursday from 7:55-8:25 AM. 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.
- 6th Grade Homeroom – Mrs. Sietsema leading chapel – Tuesday, March 26.
Hot Lunch
There is no Hot lunch this week. Be sure to pack a lunch Wednesday! The full menu/schedule is listed on our website.
Drop off & Pick-up
When dropping off and picking up your child from the middle school be sure to utilize both lanes when entering the drive and use the zipper merge behind the barn to merge into one lane. By doing so, we are able to prevent traffic back up on Van Buren as much as possible.
Firehawk Frenzy Week (AKA Spirit Week)
Firehawk Frenzy continues this week! There are 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 (3/26):Dress up- Country vs Country Club
- Wed (3/27):Dress up- Teacher student swap day
6th, 7th & 8th Class Registration 2024/2025
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.
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 and return by 2:00.
Library
The library will be closing for the school year after spring break. All books are due back on April 8, the Monday we come back to school. Thank you for your understanding, and we’ll see you next year in the new library space!
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).
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 Christian New Student Co-Curricular Night
Unity Christian will hold a Co-Curricular Night for incoming freshman/new students on Tuesday, April 16 starting at 7:00 p.m. Students and parents will have the opportunity to meet with the coaches and organizers of Unity athletic teams and activities such as Student Council, Science Olympiad, Robotics, the play, the musical, and more to learn about areas where they might like to become involved at Unity. A schedule for the evening will be emailed to parents of incoming 8th graders following spring break. We look forward to seeing you on April 16, and feel free to contact us at 669-1820 or athletics@unitychristian.org with any questions you may have!
Unity Christian Sports Physical Night
Unity Christian will host a Sports Physical Night on Tuesday, April 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the high school. A sports physical is required for all 7th and 8th grade Unity Christian Youth Football athletes. Per MHSAA rules, all students who wish to participate in athletics next year must provide school with a physical dated after April 15, 2024 PRIORto tryouts/practice for their first sport. The cost for this sports physical is $15, payable that evening to Unity Christian High School. Students seeking a physical need to arrive with a physical form that is filled out with all signatures complete before they will be examined. You can find a physical form at this link or they can be picked up at Unity’s main office.
Unity Christian Summer Sports Camps
Registration for Unity’s Summer Sports Camps for students ages 3 – 12th grade opens on Wednesday, April 10. The registration link and schedule of camps can be found at unitychristianathletics.org under “Camps & Clinics”. Please contact Unity’s Athletic Office at 669-1820 or athletics@unitychristian.org with any questions you may have!
- Register between April 10 – May 8 – Receive a 15% multi camp discount on four or more camp registrations and can pay by check/cash (due May 15) or credit card.
- Register between May 9 – June 5 – Only credit card payment accepted.
- Register June 6 or after – $10 late registration fee and only credit card payment accepted.
- Please register your child in the grade they will be entering in fall of 2024.
