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Dear HCHS Families,

Welcome to February and the start of the second semester! After a week of exams and three consecutive snow days, this semester began with much enthusiasm to get back into the classroom and re-enter the natural rhythm of a school schedule. Other than parents of elementary students, no one was more excited for the start of the semester than RVL, who has been eager to reignite the lecture hall with his Discipleship class. It’s wonderful to hear his distinct voice out on Main Street once again. Recently, a few colleagues and I overheard RVL yelling in his class, “Who are you? What are you doingBa here?” Just to be clear, this was part of a deeply meaningful lesson and not a reprimand of a student walking into his class late. In another context, RVL provided a great devotional study on these fundamental questions in his signature light blue vented long sleeve shirt, and in it he encourages us to engage with Isaiah 43:8-12 and examine how we also are to live as God’s witnesses through our words and actions.

As a Christian school community, we must ask ourselves these same two questions. In the first century, most likely starting with the Catechetical School of Alexandria, which opened 20 years after Jesus’s ascension, the primary focus of Christian schools was to produce resilient followers of Jesus who loved God, embodied Jesus’s teachings, and were equipped to serve God and their neighbors in whatever capacity He desired from them. This holistic approach to education is why I appreciate the powerful simplicity of our mission statement: equipping minds and nurturing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ. First and second-century discipleship transformed the world for Jesus in ways well beyond how we count the years, and the need to produce resilient followers of Jesus today has become ever more urgent.

In 2023, Barna research Group found that only 20 percent of self-identified U.S. Christians meet Barna’s definition of a “resilient disciple”: Christians who 1) attend church at least monthly and engage with church more than just attending worship services; 2) trust firmly in the authority of the Bible; 3) are committed to Jesus personally and affirm he was crucified and raised from the dead to conquer sin and death; and 4) express desire to transform the broader society as an outcome of their faith. In 2019, Barna asked U.S. Christians in their twenties these same four questions, and only 10% met the definition of resilient disciple.

As a father of four children under the age of eight, these statistics were intimidating when thinking about how my wife and I might counteract this trend in our own home. One resource I deeply appreciated was Pastor Jon Tyson’s The Intentional Father, which utilizes much of the data gathered by Barna. One clarification that he makes is that the title of the book is not called “The Perfect Father.” Rather, Pastor Tyson simply encourages parents to take a few moments to develop a plan, as they might in their own professional work, and think strategically about how they can raise their children to be resilient followers of Jesus. His simple, achievable approach is part of the catalyst for reinstituting the Public Reading of Scripture gatherings on Tuesday mornings and lunches for any students or staff and a new Just Show Up book club focused on discipleship. These are no-homework opportunities for students to participate in and learn about a few of the core disciplines of the early church.

As a school community, we are so thankful for the opportunity to partner with you in this critical venture, and we look forward to the opportunity to see you once again in person at parent-teacher conferences to pause and reflect on our joint effort in the academic and spiritual formation of the children God has entrusted to you. To this end, while we see academic progress as important, here are a few other questions we encourage you to ask: 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)?

As we pursue the fulfillment of our mission to equip minds and nurture hearts to transform the world for Jesus, may we be reminded that the transformation of the world came about through the transformation of imperfect people as they walked in the dust of the Good Shepherd and loved their fellow image-bearers with what they had as the Lord originally intended.

With thanks,
Miles Colago
High School Principal

General Information

25-26 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 25–26 classes now in PowerSchool; current students should submit their course selections by noon Friday, February 14. All parents are encouraged to discuss with students the opportunities that are available. Updated information and course descriptions for all classes are on the Registrar Page.

PSAT & SAT for HCHS Students

On Wednesday, March 19 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). Seniors do not need to attend school on March 19. 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 25-26 school year begins on April 1, 2025. The athletic department requires a pre-participation physical dated after April 15, 2025, to participate in school sports for the 25-26 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 25-26  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 the 25-26 school year on April 1, 2025
  • MHSAA Dead Week: June 30 – July 6  (no team activities or use of facilities)
  • MHSAA Fall Sports Pre-Season Downtime: August 1-10 (limited activities for fall teams)
  • High School Fall Sports begin: August 11
  • Middle School Fall Sports: Football begins August 18,  all other middle school sports begin August 25

Fine Arts Department

MIFA Home Benefit: The Trojan Women

All family, friends, and community members are invited to our MIFA Home Benefit show of The Trojan Women on Tuesday, February 18 from 6-7pm. This winter, our theater team is partnering with Bethany Christian Services, specifically their Refugee Foster program. Every year, hundreds of children arrive alone in the United States as refugees of warfare, famine, or political violence. Many of them have become separated from their families as they fled. BCS works to place these children in safe and loving temporary homes where they will be provided for as BCS works to reunite them with their families.

Instead of charging admission for our Home Benefit, we are asking our audience to consider donating to Bethany Christian Services to help this program. There will be more information about the refugee foster program at the show on the 18th. We would love to see all of you there! If you have any questions, please contact Jill Davis.

Calvin Symposium Worship Service

The HCHS Symphonic Orchestra is excited to have been invited to help lead the opening worship service for the annual conference, the Calvin Symposium on Worship. This is a conference that gathers worshipers from across Canada, the United States, and around the world to learn about worship. The orchestra will take part in the Symposium worship service on Wednesday, February 5 at 1pm at the Calvin University Fine Arts Center and you are invited to attend!

Living Hope Showcase 2025: Music through the Decades

SAVE THE DATE! Join the Living Hope Singers on a musical journey through the decades! Showcase 2025 will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 21 & 22 at 7pm in the HCHS Auditorium. Tickets are $10, and $1 of every ticket sold will benefit Caroline’s PEACH Foundation. Purchase your tickets starting February 10. See you there!

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 7, from 6:45 to 9pm. 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 6:45pm-7:30pm 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 19. 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

Seniors & Parents of Seniors

Just a reminder that if you have improved your ACT/SAT scores and would like your intended college/university to have these scores, you must have your updated scores sent directly from your ACT or SAT student account. Your HC transcript does not list or include test scores. If you did not put down the 4 digit codes for the college(s) you wish to receive your test scores when you registered for the SAT/ACT, you can log into your account and request that your new scores be sent. There is a fee to send additional scores.

Likewise, some schools require a mid-year transcript through the Common Application. If your school(s) don’t require this, but you would like to send your updated transcript at the end of semester one, please log in to your Parchment account and request a transcript.

If you have questions, please contact your counselor.

Scholarships

It is very important for seniors to regularly check their email and to read the daily announcements, as information about scholarship opportunities and deadlines is communicated via both.

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 January and early 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.

Careerline Tech Center

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, we will have representatives from Careerline Tech Center here to present to students who are interested in attending during their junior or senior year.  All sophomores and any interested juniors will be able to attend this presentation. There is also an open house at the Tech Center scheduled for February 4, 2025 from 5:30-7:30pm.

The Tech Center online application for the 2025-26 school year 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 14, 2025.

Testing Information

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 beginning in December. Be sure to check the financial aid link on each college website for specific information on their timelines. For helpful information on the FAFSA, check out this FAFSA Application guide.

The federal student aid estimator 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.

Helpful Resource for Financing College

The MI Student Aid website has helpful information, links, and resources for students and families to use in navigating the college financial aid and scholarship landscape.

The Sallie Mae Paying for College Resource is a helpful destination to guide students and families make a plan to pay for college. The resource is free, easy to use, and includes great information on all the important paying-for-college topics.

College Athletics

If you are considering attending a NCAA Division I or II school, and you hope to compete in  athletics, the NCAA Eligibility 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

HCS School Calendar

February

  • 8: Parent-sponsored Winterfest Dance
  • 14: 2025-26 course registration deadline
  • 14: No school
  • 17: No school, Presidents Day
  • 27: Parent-Teacher Conferences (5:30-8:30pm)

March

  • 6: Parent-Teacher Conferences (3:30-6:30pm)
  • 7: Swingin’ the Night Away, 6:45-9pm
  • 19: Band Extravaganza Concert, 7pm
  • 21 & 22: Living Hope Showcase, 7pm

April

  • 4-11: No school, spring Bbreak
  • 26: Junior/Senior Banquet