Dear HCHS Families,
Welcome to February and to the 2nd semester of the school year! Before we get too far into the first few weeks of the new semester, I encourage you to take a few moments to pause and reflect on the incredible work that God has done in the lives of our students since August. When I was teaching English 9 and 10, I always found it to be a powerful practice to take the final exam essay and hold it next to a student’s first in-class essay and watch each student’s face as they read and compare the two. Almost every time, the students would mark the contrast with comments ranging from “Wow. I was terrible” to “Please, don’t show the first one to my friends.” Observable growth is a powerful motivator for continued endurance, and oftentimes it takes a moment of solitude and reflection to see what God has done in and through us, and the same goes for our school community at Holland Christian High School.
Our mission at Holland Christian Schools is to “equip minds and nurture hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.” This does not mean that we’re trying to do anything that Jesus cannot already do on his own. Rather, HC is simply identifying for whom we’re doing all of this. Every school is equipping minds, nurturing hearts, and transforming the world whether they’re intentionally trying to or not, and the only words that separate our school from others is that we’re doing all of this distinctively for Jesus.
This means that while we experience great thankfulness for our high SAT scores, co-curricular victories, beautiful facilities, and increases in our enrollment, we see our mission fulfilled when our students share practice balls with the other team if they didn’t bring their own; when our student-fans clean the bleachers they were on at an away game; when our seniors are so generous to other McDonald’s customers during Friday lunch that they inspire an elderly gentleman to send me an encouraging email; and when a nursing home manager tells me how HC students spent time with their residents during the Christmas season. These are all real-life examples that we got to witness this fall that bring great joy to our work and show the type of eternity-minded work our students are doing.
Artist and theologian, Makoto Fujimura (2020), says this about our work in God’s kingdom in, A Theology of Making: Art and Faith:
Let’s think a bit more about the notion that God does not need us to do anything. God’s creation is a gratuitous exercise of love. We know that God rested on the seventh day; it follows that God worked on the others. Then God, who makes humans in God’s image, expected Adam and Eve to do the same: to create out of their love of Eden. Whatever Adam and Eve would have created, it would not have been to fix the world, which did not yet need fixing, but to make a gratuitous gesture of love. (pp. 64-65)
What a gift it is to be able to conduct our work as simply a “gratuitous gesture of love” extended to God and our neighbor. This brings ultimate purpose and meaning to all of the work that we do despite the awareness that what we make and assemble will someday be undone. Thus, as we enter into the Parent-Teacher Conference season, here are a few recommended questions you might want to ask in addition to seeing the overall grade that your students have in their classes:
- Are they treating their neighbors with hospitality (Rom. 12:13)?
- Are they showing honor to others (Rom. 12:10)?
- Are they being patient in tribulation or challenges they face (Rom. 12:12)?
- Are they associating with the lowly instead of the proud (Rom. 12:16)?
- Are they feeding their enemies if they’re hungry and giving them something to drink (Rom. 12:20)?
Babylon built grand structures, Rome conquered vast territories, and the Persians had the wisest sages, but these exhortations from Paul to the church in Rome transformed the world for Jesus. May we do likewise as we contend for and engage this small portion of God’s Garden.
With Thanks,
Miles
General Information
24-25 Class Signup
Registration information was presented to all current 9th-11th grade students during Family Flex in the last two weeks of January. Students should be signing up for their 24–25 classes now in PowerSchool; current students should submit their course selections by 12:00 pm Friday, February 16. All parents are encouraged to discuss with students the opportunities that are available. Updated information and course descriptions for all classes is on the Registrar Page.
PSAT and SAT for HCHS Students
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 8:30am at HCHS, 9th graders will be taking the PSAT 8/9, 10th graders the PSAT 10, and 11th graders the SAT. The PSAT and SAT showcase the classroom skills and knowledge that are essential for college and career readiness. In addition, this benchmark data helps Holland Christian to continuously improve its strong approach towards academic excellence. Students will be dismissed when the testing is finished, approximately 11:30am (no cafeteria services that day). If you are a senior you do not need to attend school on March 20. Tech Center is required for seniors, but juniors will be excused from Tech Center due to the testing.
Athletic Department
Registration on Final Forms for the 24-25 school year begins on April 1, 2024. The athletic department requires a pre-participation physical dated after April 15, 2024, to participate in school sports for the 24-25 school year. Athletes will not be allowed to participate in tryouts until a current physical form is on file with the athletic department. If you have any questions please contact the HCHS athletic department.
- All families with 6th-12th grade potential athletes need to be registered with our online registration system Final Forms. For those already registered for the current year, you simply need to login, select the sports your child is interested in and update any changes to your and your child’s information. This is also the place where you print the updated 24-25 physical form to take with you to your DO/MD/NP/PA appointment and have that individual sign the form.
- For complete information about all athletic opportunities at Holland Christian, please take a look at the Athletic Opportunities page
- For information specifically about Summer camps, go to the Summer Camps page.
Important Dates
- Final Forms registration opens for 24-25 school year on April 1, 2024
- MHSAA Dead Week – July 1-7 (no team activities or use of facilities)
- MHSAA Fall Sports Pre-Season Downtime – August 1-11 (limited activities for fall teams)
- High School Fall Sports begin – August 12
- Middle School Fall Sports – Football begins August 19, all other Middle School Sports begin August 26
Fine Arts Department
MIFA Home Benefit: The Importance of Being Earnest
You are cordially invited to celebrate our competitive theater team as they present a free home show of this season’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The show is held on Tuesday, February 20 in the High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:45pm, and the show will begin promptly at 7:00pm. Our students would love to show you what they have been working on this season! If you have any questions, please contact Jill Davis at jdavis@hollandchristian.org.
Living Hope Singers present Showtime! Songs From Stage and Screen
Join us for Living Hope Showcase 2024 on March 15 and 16 at 7pm at the HCHS Auditorium. You won’t want to miss this fun performance of music from Broadway, the movies, and television. Tickets are $10 each, and $1 of every ticket will benefit Upward Bound Ministries. Visit Choir Page for details and ticket sales starting February 12.
All State Orchestra
Congratulations to Holland Christian High School senior violist Barrett Huffman who earned a spot on the Michigan All State Orchestra. Over 1,500 students in the state of Michigan auditioned for the Michigan All State Band and Orchestra. Congratulations to Barrett! The All State Orchestra will perform on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids. Congratulations Barrett!
Swingin’ The Night Away
The Holland Christian Jazz Bands and the Old Timer’s Jazz Band are proud to present the Swingin’ the Night Away in the HCHS cafeteria on Friday, March 22, from 6:45 to 9 pm. Admission is $5, and goes to support the music program at HCHS. New to swing dancing? No worries! Dance instructors will be on hand from 6:45 pm-7:30 pm to teach us the basic steps of swing, so the evening can be enjoyed by novice and experienced dancers alike. Not in the mood for dancing? Come socialize, indulge in some delicious desserts, punch, and enjoy the music of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and more.
Band Extravaganza
Come one, come all to the Holland Christian Schools Band Extravaganza for a wonderful night of music on Wednesday, March 13. HC’s 5th grade, 6th grade, Middle School, and High School Bands will perform at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts on Hope College’s campus at 7pm. Hear a wide variety of musical styles and sounds and you won’t want to miss the closer, featuring over 200 musicians combined!
Counselors’ Corner
Scholarship Listings
Throughout the school year, various scholarship opportunities will be posted online through the Counseling Department. A listing of outside scholarships, both regional and national, is updated as we receive notices of scholarship opportunities. Beginning in February, there will be information online about the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland scholarships that are open to Holland Christian students, and also internal HC scholarships, which are for full-time Holland Christian students only. Be sure to check the Scholarship portion of the Counseling Department webpage. We also encourage you to keep a diligent eye on your email, as information will be emailed to you specific to scholarship opportunities and other senior year reminders.
Careerline Tech Center
The Tech Center online application is open and available on the OAISD Website. Please remember that you must print out your completed application and bring it to the Student Services/Counseling office. Applications are due by February 9, 2024.
Testing Information
- All 11th grade students will take the SAT during the school day on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Students do not need to register for this test, and there is no cost for students.
- Upcoming Saturday SAT dates are available in March, and May. HCHS is a testing site for the March date. You can search for other testing sites in our area when you go to the SAT website to register.
- Upcoming Saturday ACT test dates are available in February, and April. HCHS is a testing site for the February date. You can search for other testing sites in our area when you go to the ACT website to register.
- Here is a chart of the upcoming ACT and SAT dates, including the registration deadlines. This covers the 23-24 school year, so we hope you find this helpful as you look ahead for possible testing dates that work for your student.
College Financial Aid
All students seeking financial aid (institution-based, state & federal funds) must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online via the FAFSA Website. The FAFSA will be available for you to complete in late December. Be sure to check the financial aid link on each college website for specific information on their timelines. For helpful information check out this FAFSA resource.
There is a federal student aid estimator that can provide you with an estimate of your Student Aid Index (SAI). This index is used by colleges to determine what types of student aid you may receive. Again, the financial aid office of the college(s) you are considering is a great place to start if you have specific FAFSA or financial aid questions.
College Athletics
If you are considering attending a NCAA Division I or II school, and you hope to compete in athletics, the NCAA Eligiblity Center is an important place to start. It is the responsibility of the student and parents to be familiar with eligibility requirements and course specifics. If you are considering participating in athletics at the NAIA level, check out the NAIA eligibility center.
Important Dates
February
- 3: Parent-sponsored Winterfest dance (8-11pm)
- 16: 24-25 course registration deadline
- 16: No school
- 19: No school
- 29: Parent/Teacher Conferences (3:30-6:30pm)
March
- 7: Parent/Teacher Conferences (5:30-8:30 pm)
- 15-16: Living Hope Showcase, 7pm
- 13: Band Extravaganza Concert, 7 pm
- 20: Half day
- 22: Swingin’ the Night Away
- 29-April 7: No school, spring break
April
- 26: Junior/Senior Banquet
