HOME COMMUNICATOR
Thanksgiving brings many great things… turkey, football, pumpkin pie, shopping deals, mashed potatoes, family time, stuffing, and apple pie. I could go on about all the good things (especially the food), but one of my favorite parts is hearing about what others are thankful for. Last week I spent time in the Early Childhood halls and classrooms hearing about what they are thankful for.
Preschoolers can be quite adorable and honest when expressing gratitude for the things God has given them. Their responses are often simple, heartwarming, and reflective of their innocence. Here are some responses from HCS preschoolers when asked what they are thankful for:
“Play-doh”
- “Mom & Dad’s hugs and kisses”
- “The sprinkler under my trampoline!”
- “The dentist”
- “Excavators and swing sets”
- “Friends in school.”
- “Cake!”
- “My puppy, Frank.”
- “My teachers”
- “Family and to meet my baby sister.”
What can you add to this list of thanksgiving? A thankful heart is a testimony to the greatness of God!
Jenny Gorter
Director of Educational Support Services
”Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:18
SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
Introducing the HCS Firehawks!
Messengers for Christ, spreading the Word like fire.
After months of brainstorming, many surveys of students, families, and staff, and many conversations with school leaders, HCS officially has a new mascot. Looking at Acts 2:1-4 and Mark 16:15, we see the Holy Spirit moving among Jesus’s followers like a fire and Jesus telling His disciples to go everywhere and spread the Good News! A “Firehawk” is known for exactly that: spreading wildfires! We hope your students enjoyed the assemblies last week, and we are excited to begin using Firehawk to bring our school closer together and tell the story of HCS and the story of Christ.
Apparel Store
An online store for select Firehawk apparel will launch this Thursday! The store will feature select short and long sleeved t-shirt options in youth and adult sizes. The store will only remain open through Midnight on Sunday, December 3, to help us receive orders by Thursday, December 21. Check HCS social media and your email for links to purchase gear!
School Board Update
The HCS School Board met on November 20, 2023. Click HERE to view a summary of the meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for December 18, 2023. Thank you for your prayers and support of our school leadership and administrators.
Robotics Finals
We have 5 Middle School teams that made it into league finals! The finals will be held November 28 and 29 at the Grandville Robotics Center. Competition starts at 6:00 each night. Anyone is welcome to come and cheer on the teams as they compete!
Moms in Prayer
The Moms in Prayer group believes that through prayer God releases His power on behalf of our children and school. Our faith is in God who hears and answers our prayers. This week Friday we will be meeting in the preschool lounge at the elementary building, 8:00-9:00 a.m. Please check in at the main office. We will be focused on praying for the specials and core 2 teachers this week. See you there!
Christmas Blessings – Share Yours!
Some of our HCS families are experiencing struggles due to employment issues, health concerns, etc. Please prayerfully consider how your family can bless another HCS family in need this Christmas season. If you know of a family in need, please contact Devon Brinks, Tricia Kiepert or Chris Achterhof. Gift card donations in any amount to Family Fare, Meijer, Target, Walmart, and Speedway, can be dropped off in the school offices until December 15.
School Closures for Inclement Weather
In situations of bad weather where school needs to be canceled, announcements will be made over the following Grand Rapids radio and TV stations: WOOD FM 106.9 & AM 1300, JOY99 FM 99.3, WOOD Channel 8 & WZZM Channel 13. Parents will receive an email, and parents whose cell phone numbers are in RenWeb will receive a text message when school is closed or delayed. A message will also appear on our website and on the HCS Facebook page.
If school is canceled, Kids’ Corner will also be closed. All athletic events will be canceled for that day as well. If there is a two-hour delay, AM 3 School, AM 4 School, and AM Nature-Based 4 School classes will be canceled and Kids’ Corner will open at 9:00 AM.
EARLY CHILDHOOD & KIDS' CORNER NEWS
Winter Gear
Kids’ Corner and Nature-Based students will go outside every day so please make sure children have hats, mittens, boots, and snow pants for cold or snow.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Chapel
There will be no elementary chapel this week.
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.
Love Bazaar
Here comes the Love Bazaar, here comes the Love Bazaar right down HCS lane! The week is finally here and we are ready to get our CHRISTmas on! You will find everything you need to know in the packet that went home with your child. Please make sure that your child’s shopping list is for immediate family only. The Love Bazaar Committee would like to invite teachers and students to get festive and wear Christmas colors to help celebrate this special day of spreading God’s love! Moms, buckle your seatbelts because the Love Bazaar Committee is making this the best day ever by topping the day off with bringing back the Mom Sale! That’s right! You too can purchase the great items left over from the student shop starting after school in the west gym! THANK YOU to all who have helped make this a great day for our school!
Christmas Celebration
The 1st thru 5th graders are excited to celebrate Christmas with you at Fair Haven Ministries on Monday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m. Students may be dropped off in their holding rooms between 6:30-6:40 p.m. There will be no supervision provided until 6:30, so please keep your children with you until that time. We ask that students wear nice clothes for this celebration.
In an effort to alleviate some of the crowded conditions at the Christmas Celebration, we are opening up our afternoon rehearsal at 12:30 pm on December 4 for those who cannot attend at night or would rather come during daylight hours. There are bound to be some stops and starts as we rehearse, but we’ll be going through the entire program in the afternoon as well. We do ask that everyone attend only ONE of the programs. Thank you for your cooperation with this!
Seating at the Christmas Celebration – The doors to the sanctuary at Fair Haven will open at 6:00 p.m. We ask that out of respect for everyone attending, please no saving of seats before the doors open. If items are left on seats to save spots, they will be removed prior to 6:00 p.m. Thank you for your help in making this a wonderful celebration of the gift of God’s Son!
Boots and Snow Pants
Please be reminded of our guidelines for boots and snow pants. Young 5s – 2nd grade students should have snow pants and boots at school for when the playground conditions warrant wearing them. If the playground is snowy and/or wet these students must wear these items. If they don’t have boots or snow pants, they will still go out but will need to stay on the blacktop. Students in grades 3 – 5 may use their own discretion regarding boots and snow pants, but if they choose to get wet, they will not be permitted to call home for dry clothing.
Lost and Found
Our elementary lost and found is bursting with discarded items. Please remind your child(ren) to check out these 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. All unclaimed items will be donated to REVIVE over Christmas break.
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.
- Tuesday, September 26 – The Conquerors leading chapel
- Thursday, September 28 – Layne Fuller, HCS Director of Marketing
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch this week will be Jets pizza $2.50/slice (cheese/pepperoni). Pop/chips sold $.50 each. The full menu/schedule is listed on our website.
Donuts
Donuts will be for sale at break time this Friday for $1.25 each
Middle School Early Release
There will be an early release at the Middle School only this Friday, December 1. School will release at 11:10, and there will be no busing at that time. Busing will run as normal after school. There will be some supervision for students that are unable to be picked up at 11:10. If your student plans to stay for the afternoon, be sure that they bring a lunch.
Christmas Concert
The Choir, Orchestra, and Band Concert will be next Tuesday, December 5 @ Jenison Center for the Arts. The concert begins at 7:00. Doors open for guests to enter the building at 6:00. Then, the doors to the auditorium open for seating at 6:30. The call time for students is 6:40. Students must be in formal concert attire (black pants/skirts, black shoes and a white plain top). Students MAY add a splash of color (green, red, gold, silver, or blue) with a tasteful accessory. NO santa hats or elf ears, please. Dress code applies. See you there!
Sus Manos
The next service day for Sus Manos after school is Wednesday, December 6. Amazing Avocados (the homerooms of Mrs. Sietsema, Mrs. Roode, and Mr. Prough) have the first chance to sign up. Parents are always welcome. Check this link for information: Sus Manos
Middle School Fundraiser/Coin Wars
We are raising money for the Mosaic Project from now until Christmas. The money raised will be used to renovate a shipping container into a classroom as well as purchase school supplies for impoverished and orphaned children in South Africa. Students are participating in their ‘salad groups’ with coins and bills collected in buckets outside the office.
Concession Fundraiser
There will be concession stands benefiting the Mosaic Project at the boys’ basketball games on November 30 and December 7. Concessions will be sold starting right after school through both the 8th grade game at 4:00 and the 7th grade game at 5:15.
Christian School Management
With the middle school building expansion and renovation project, comes a variety of changes and a need for planning. Some items that must be addressed before the next school year are the many details related to the plan for the 5th grade moving to the middle school building. Hudsonville Christian School has hired a consulting company named Christian Schools Management (CSM) to assist in our efforts in planning for the spacing and scheduling of the entire middle school building. CSM is at HCS this week to research and help us plan for the transitions that will take place next year. Please be in prayer for these imminent changes and the decisions that will be made as we continue to expand our mission at HCS.
Middle School Spelling Bee
The middle school Spelling Bee is scheduled for Thursday, January 25, 2024. Each grade level can qualify up to eight students. Information is available from the 6th-8th grade language arts teachers. If you have any questions, contact Joy De Windt at jdewindt@4hcs.org.
Art Club
If your student is interested in art and is looking for an opportunity to be creative, Art club may be a good fit! It will be held in the middle school art room, two Thursdays through the months of Dec-March from 2:45-4 p.m (specific dates can be found on the sign-up slips) and costs $15, all art materials provided. Sign-up slips can be found in the middle school office; space is limited. Any questions can be directed to Laura Mast at lmast@4hcs.org.
PARENT'S CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
All I want for Christmas is free tuition! (and other raffle prizes)
The Auction’s popular “free tuition raffle” is going live in time for Christmas stocking stuffers! BUT THAT’S NOT ALL – You could win some AWESOME experiences to use this Christmas Break: Paintball, Bittersweet, Rebounderz, Orangetheory, Griffins, Glow Golf, Air Zoo & MORE! Raffles go live Friday, December 8th and close Thursday, December 14th so DON’T WAIT! Winners will be announced on Friday, December 15th! REGISTER NOW to preview items. Questions? Email auction@4hcs.org.
3 on 3 Basketball: Save the Date!
The Hudsonville Christian 3 on 3 basketball tournament will be held on March 9, 2024. Watch the Home Communicator for more details!
Box Tops
Remember to scan or send in your receipts to the app within 2 weeks of purchase. Thanks for your help!
- Earn 4 Bonus Box Tops on Betty Crocker Baking Mix when you buy any 2 participating Betty Crocker Baking Mix products in a single transaction.
- Earn 6 Bonus Box Tops on Old El Paso when you buy any 3 participating Old El Paso products in a single transaction.
- Earn 4 Bonus Box Tops on Pillsbury Pie Crust when you buy any 2 participating Pillsbury Pie Crust products in a single transaction.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Holly Jolly Christmas Market
Zutphen’s 5th Annual Holly Jolly Christmas Market will be on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm! Mark your calendar to attend a festive day of shopping, unique handcrafted finds, live Christmas trees, winter porch pots, and more! Also included are raffle prizes, lunch, and a hot cocoa bar! All proceeds will go toward the Zutphen Youth Mission trip to Guatemala! Holly Jolly Christmas Market is located at Zutphen Christian Reformed Church 3223 40th Ave. Hudsonville.
Unity Fall Musical
Unity Christian is proud to present Holiday Inn this fall under the direction of Mrs. Ashton Foreman. Performances are scheduled for 7:00 pm on November 30 and December 1 and at 5:00pm on December 2. Performances will take place at the Hudsonville High School Auditorium on Allen Street. Holiday Inn is a 1940’s pop style musical with many familiar favorites. Jim Hardy leaves the crazy Broadway life for a simple farming life. There’s just one problem. He has no experience farming. He instead, with the help of the original owner of the farm, Linda Mason, starts a show place hotel that is only open on the holidays. This is a show all ages will love. All tickets are sold online here. You are able to pick your own seats and pay online. For handicap seating, please call the school office at 669-1820.
Cross Train Volleyball
The Cross-train Volleyball League offers local 5-8th grade girls the opportunity to improve their volleyball skills in a nine week league. Experienced coaches facilitate fundamental skill development, position training, and team play in a faith-based environment. Format includes weekly practices and four match dates. Paperwork is available in the HCS office or by email request. The league is coordinated by Hope Hoezee, Unity Christian Varsity Assistant. Registration begins November 18th via Signup Genius (participants must register via Signup Genius first and then send in paperwork). The league runs January 23-March 23, evaluations January 2 and 4. Space is limited. Email crosstrainvb@gmail.com for paperwork or with questions.
