Back to School Details

We can’t wait to meet you all! In fact, we’d love to meet you if possible before the first day of school! Here are a few student and family orientations to help make that possible, and although the elementary Ice Cream Social are optional, they’re really fun!

• Sports Parent Night: Tuesday, August 15, 7pm at HCHS Auditorium for parents of athletes, both middle school and high school, as well as all the athletic seasons.
• Preschool Meet the Teacher Night: Tuesday, August 15, 6:30-7:30pm at Rose Park & South Side, and is a planned event for parents only, please! Young 5s are not considered preschool, so do not attend this evening, but the Parent Information Nights on Wednesday, August 23 at 6:30pm instead with all students.
• Elementary Family Ice Cream Socials: Thursday, August 17:  @ South Side (5:30pm-6:30pm), @ Pine Ridge & 3rd-5th grade Forest School (6:30pm-7:30pm), @ Rose Park (6pm-7pm). PreK-elementary students and their families can see their classrooms, meet their teachers, put school supplies away in their desks and/or lockers, play on the playground–and then eat ice cream with new and old friends!

• Holland Christian Middle School New Students Only Pizza Lunch: Monday, August 21, 11:30am-1pm @ Holland Christian Middle School
• HCMS 6th-8th grades Student Open House: Monday, August 21, 1-4pm @ HC Middle School: Get school photos taken, find lockers, sign up for lunch, catch up with teachers and friends, etc.

• Freshmen Orientation: Monday, August 21, 8am-11:30am @ HCHS
• HCHS Student Check-In Day: Monday, August 21, 11:30am-3pm @ HCHS

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 22, and all Holland Christian Schools have a full day.

• All elementary schools preschool-5th grade begin at 8:15am
• South Side dismisses at 3:12pm.
• Rose Park and Pine Ridge dismiss at 3:15pm.
• HCMS & HCHS both begin at 8am.
• HCMS dismisses at 2:55pm.
• HCHS dimisses at 2:45pm.
• HCHS will have late start on Wednesday, August 23.
• HCMS will NOT have late start Wednesday, August 23.
• All 3-day kindergarten and 3-day preschool classes (that meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) will begin on Wednesday, August 23 at the regular starting time of 8:15am.

Once we meet your kids, and are starting to settle in just a bit, we love to meet their parents, and show you your child’s spaces here at Holland Christian Schools. So we hold Parent Information Nights for each of our schools that are for parents only at each of our school buildings. Last year the elementary schools were held virtually, but this year, back by popular request, we are in person at each of our elementary buildings. Those dates are as follows:

• Sports Parent Night: Tuesday, August 15, 7pm at the HCHS Auditorium
• South Side Parent Info Night: Wednesday, August 23, 6:30pm
• Rose Park Parent Info Night: Thursday, August 24, 6-7pm
• Pine Ridge (& Forest School 3rd-5th grade) Parent Info Night: Thursday, August 24, 6:30pm
• Forest School Kindergarten: Monday, August 28, 6-7pm
• Forest School 1st grade: Monday, August 28, 6:30-7:30pm
• Forest School 2nd grade: Monday, August 14, 6:30pm
• HCMS Parent Info Night: Wednesday, August 30, 6:30-8pm
• HCHS Parent Info Night: Tuesday, September 5, 7-9pm

All school supply lists are linked here at the top of the Parent Page. HCHS students do not have a specific list but choose their own supplies.

The State of Michigan requires that your child(ren) be immunized for enrollment at Holland Christian Schools, and every year we are required by the State to report each student that we have enrolled in preschool, kindergarten, seventh grade, and all those who are new to our district along with their immunization records. You can review the required childhood immunization guidelines set by the State of Michigan through the links to the right.

Please note that last year the State of Michigan has revised its law on immunization waivers: If you intend to complete a non-medical waiver to the State of Michigan immunization policy, you must contact the Ottawa County Health Department to schedule an appointment to speak with a health educator, complete the waiver process, and then submit the original certified waiver to the school office. By state law, the original certified medical waivers must be completed and signed by a physician then submitted to the school office. A new medical waiver is required each year that your child is reported.

Written evidence that your child’s immunizations are current, or a copy of a certified waiver by law must be received before the start of the school year and is due by or on August 8, 2023 to allow for proper processing before the first day of classes. (If you’ve already missed this date, please get it in asap!)

Please reach out to your school’s secretary if you have any questions. We greatly appreciate your efforts taking care of these immunizations before schools starts, as it is a top priority to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all students!

• Bus routes information will be sent out via email by August 3 for those who have already registered.
• If you still need to register for transportation, please call our Transportation Coordinator Rose Rodriguez at 616.820.2805 or email her at transportation@hollandchristian.org.
• Questions? Please email transportation@hollandchristian.org.
• Families who use HPS or ZPS transportation will need to contact their provider’s district directly to be informed of any busing updates, including cancellations, delays, etc. This will effect the first week of school as well, as their districts begin school on separate dates. HPS: 616.494.2950; ZPS: 616.748.3425

Holland Christian uses hollandchristian.familyportal.cloud as the online way to monitor and pay your student’s lunch account. There is no fee for depositing money into your student’s lunch account through the hollandchristian.familyportal.cloud, though you can also send a check with your student to school to pay for their lunches in the lunch line as well.

Families are encouraged to apply for lunch benefits even if they think they won’t be able to receive them, as income criteria recently changed at hollandchristian.familyportal.cloud. 

Lunch prices remain the same as last year: PK-5: $2.75; 6-8th: $3.00 and 9-12th: $3.25.

We look forward to seeing you at your elementary school’s ice cream social, or at your student’s HCMS or HCHS check-in, where you can also deposit money on your student’s account and ask questions. Got questions before then? Email slambers@hollandchristian.org

Watch for our school newsletters from your particular Holland Christian School hitting your email inbox typically on the last Friday of every month, though this first one will be on the first Friday of August, August 4. These newsletters are filled with all the important back to school info. Plus it’s a great way to stay informed of all the things going on at multiple campuses!

Most of the needed info for parents is given right here on this back to school webpage, but there are a few more details on how to get involved, etc. on our Parents page below! Joining any of the parent support groups listed are great ways to get to know the HC community!

Feel free to call our HCS Admin Office at 616.820.2805 with any questions! Or contact individual HC schools through our Schools page –the secretaries are back in the buildings!