Dear Parents,
It has been a cold snowy February, but March has arrived which means spring is not too far away! With the beginning of March, the life cycle of the high school gets even busier and it feels like time goes even faster than before as we begin to finalize schedules and confirm plans for the upcoming year.
I wanted to thank all of you who were able to join us this past week for parent teacher conferences, and we look forward to seeing more of you on March 4. Even though conferences were virtual this year, it is very important for us to connect as we partner together to make your student’s high school experience as smooth as possible, and we thank you for taking the time to meet with us.
Due to COVID restrictions many of the things that are normally a part of high school life have not been able to happen in the same way as before. One of the most difficult things for us has been not being able to gather as a school family to worship together during chapel. A bright spot that has occurred is that since we have returned from Christmas break we have been able to have up to 100 people in the auditorium. We have taken advantage of this opportunity and have had 3 classes per week participating in chapel in person while the rest of our student body watches it live in their classroom. I have had the opportunity to join the live chapel, and even though the group is small I can’t tell you what a gift it is to gather and worship our God together. We are prayerfully waiting for the day when we can all gather together again.
With the busyness of spring please be sure to have your students check the Daily Announcements and keep up to date with things that are happening so that they do not miss out on important opportunities and events.
I pray this Lenten season is a time of reflection and prayer as we walk the path to the cross and rejoice in the promise and hope of the resurrection.
In Him,
Deb
/ General Information
Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 25 (5:30 pm – 8:30 pm)
March 4 (3:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
Spring Break: April 2 – 9
If you are planning on leaving early for Spring Break please send a note, email Kelli Van Eerden at kvaneerden@hollandchristian.org or call the office at 616.820.2905 before you leave. This will help us greatly with attendance.
Batons
Parents and students, if you have not returned your baton yet this year, please turn it in to your Family Flex teacher as soon as possible. If you are unsure if your baton was returned, check with your Family Flex teacher or stop in the office and ask. These must be returned before spring break so they can be prepared for this school year. All 9th grade ZCS students will receive a new HC baton this year; you do not need to turn in your ZCS baton.
Parents and Guardians of the Class of 2021
Help make your child’s end of their high school career even more memorable by surprising them with a message in the yearbook! Purchase an ad for your senior with this Senior Graduation Ad opportunity. We can accept submissions only until March 15, 2021!
Reminder Senior Exam Exemption Policy
During the second semester, seniors may work towards being exempt from their final exams. Our policy allows seniors to be exempt from taking the exam in that course if:
- They have a B average through the final day of a course
- Or have handed in all homework on time with a passing grade, and have no more than two days absent the whole semester (for any reason).
/ Athletic Department
Spring Sport Tryouts
Start the week of March 22. Please check the website for details about the spring season.
Athletic Physicals
The athletic department anticipates the requirement of a pre-participation physical (dated after April 15, 2021) by the MHSAA to participate in school sports for next year. Typically, Holland Christian offers physical night appointments each spring for athletes to meet this requirement, but at this point in time we are still working on the feasibility of this opportunity. Athletes may need to individually schedule an appointment with their primary care provider between April 15 and the start of their first practice or try-out in any upcoming season. Physical forms will be available to be printed from individual Final Forms accounts to take to your appointment for your DO/MD/NP/PA to sign.
Final Forms
2021-2022 school year is the third year Holland Christian will be using our online sign-up for athletic teams, FinalForms. Those already on FinalForms only need to login and update any changes in your information, print the updated 2021/22 physical form to take to the physical appointment for the doctor to complete, and sign up for any sports that your child will be trying out for. Registration for 2021/22 sports on FinalForms will be open on April 1. Because of this online process, we will not have hard copy physical forms available for you for the 2021-2022 school year.
Down Time
July 3 – July 9, 2021 is a dead week for all athletics. Preseason down time is August 1 – 8, 2021. Fall high school sports begin on August 11 (football August 9).
/ Fine Arts
Band & Orchestra
Congratulations to the 44 HCHS band and orchestra students participating in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) Solo and Ensemble Festival in March!
These students recently performed a recital at HC and will soon be taking part in this year’s virtual MSBOA event! Congratulations to Isaac Baggech, Jason Bos, Maddie Brink, Emma Chase, Caleb DeMaster, Tanner DeKruyter, Nathan Disher, Ava Ferlaak, Clara Greussing, Lauren Hemmeke, Kyah Hicks, Haleigh Honeck, Jackson Horjus, Barrett Huffman, Quinten Huffman, Chris Kingdom-Grier, Hannah Knot, Sam Knot, Daniel Koning, Paige Lampen, Jenna Ly, Jaclyn Meyer, Samantha Meyer, Sylvie Mulder, Sam Nicely, James Oosterhouse, Paul Quinn, Jack Rutherford, Aliah Smith, Jamin Smith, Isaac Snyder, Braden Stradley, Kristen Sybesma, Stella Ten Brink, Henry Teusink, Noah Tinholt, Megan Tolsma, Loden VanDeWalker, Ella Vanden Berg, Baylee VanderZwaag, Shawna Veenstra, Katy Westra, Joshua Woolsey and Jeremy Wyngarden.
Congratulations to our fine musicians!
Band Extravaganza
Mark your calendars for Holland Christian Schools Band Extravaganza for a wonderful night of music on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in the HCHS gym. HC’s 5th and 6th bands will perform at 6 pm, the 7th and 8th grade bands will perform at 7 pm, and HCHS Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Orchestra will perform at 8 pm. Each student will be limited to 2 guests in keeping with safety protocols.
Come Alive! (A Living Hope Showcase Event)
Join the Living Hope Singers for an evening of song and dance that celebrates the power of music to lift our spirits and unite us, even in hard times. Showcase 2021 will be held as a live streamed event on Friday and Saturday, March 19 & 20 at 7 pm. LHS is partnering with Hand2Hand this year in an effort to help fight child hunger in our local communities. We are excited to share that the livestream tickets for this event are available for FREE thanks to the generous donations of several individuals who are underwriting the show. Livestream tickets are available now at hollandchristian.org/lhshowcase. We look forward to sharing our music with you!
/ Counselors’ Corner
Seniors/Parents of Seniors:
FAFSA & Financial Aid
If you have filed your online FAFSA you will receive your SAR (Student Aid Report) by email. The SAR explains your eligibility for student aid and lists the calculation for your EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Some colleges require an Aid Package from each college that you listed on your FAFSA application. This package is usually made up of (a) grants and scholarships (gift money you don’t need to pay back), (b) work-study (money earned by the student on campus), and (c) loans (you need to pay back + interest). The package may cover all of your need or a portion of it. The balance is your responsibility. You are encouraged to compare packages from similar colleges. If you want to attend the college that did not offer you the best financial aid package, contact the college financial aid officer to see if they will match the best package.
Scholarships
Internal scholarships offered to current, full-time Holland Christian seniors (this includes Tech Center seniors) are available. Details have been emailed to seniors and also posted on the HC website under the counseling section. These are listed on Google Classroom under the course “HCHS Internal Scholarships.” The due date for these is April 1, 2021 by 8:00 am. There is still a list of outside opportunities listed on the HC website under the counseling section.
Honors Night/Graduation Programs
We would like to celebrate the accomplishments of your seniors by including a list of all merit scholarship recipients in the Honors Night and Graduation Programs. If your senior son/daughter is receiving a merit scholarship (not financial aid) from a college you know he/she will be attending, please provide Mrs. VanderLaan in the high school office with written verification of the award. You may copy the letter or the email notifying you of the award. Please have all scholarships turned in by April 23, 2021. Once a student turns in scholarship(s), he/she will receive an invitation letter to Honors Night. Please reserve the evening of Monday, May 17, 2021 for this event. Stay tuned for details on how this evening will be held in compliance with COVID restrictions. It is a special night to acknowledge the hard work of our seniors, and we still want to celebrate their accomplishments!
ACT/SAT
Upcoming ACT test dates are: April 17 (registration deadline March 12), June 12 (registration deadline May 7), July 17 (registration deadline June 18). SAT test dates are: May 8 (registration deadline April 8), June 5 (registration deadline May 6) . The ACT and SAT may be taken more than once; colleges accept the highest score for admission and scholarships. To register visit www.actstudent.org and also www.sat.org/register.
College Visits
We encourage juniors to begin exploring specific colleges. Juniors and seniors may use parental approved absence days to visit colleges during a school day. For seniors, college visit days DO count toward the minimum of two absences for exam exemption. Spring break of junior year is an ideal time to visit colleges.
/ Calendar
March
4 – Parent Teacher Conferences (3:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
19 & 20 – Living Hope Showcase (7 pm)
24 – Band Extravaganza (8 pm)
April
2-11 – Spring Vacation (No School)12 – School resumes
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