Dear HCHS Families,
Welcome to March and the introduction to the season of Lent. Before I moved to West Michigan, the launch of Lent typically began with an evening Ash Wednesday service; however, after breaking the ice with a few folks who grew up here, they introduced me to Michigan’s official start to the season: eating a paczki. I’ll always remember the first time I participated in this sacred Michigan ritual and made the mistake of eating more than one within five minutes. After more than ten years of participating in this tradition, the cravings have subsided, but the inertia of cultural obligations has kept me a consistent participant.
Annual traditions and rhythms can often dull the senses that were sparked during a first experience of anything. Early in my career, I decided, maybe mistakenly, to teach Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey to my grade 9 and 10 students. I had read and taught it for quite some time, so it was always refreshing to witness their first experience with these stories. Every year they would make the observation that the gods within these ancient texts from the 8th century BC acted and spoke very immaturely and seemed to cause drama at the cost of humans because they were simply bored, having lived forever and had no first experiences to look forward to. Eternity almost seemed like a punishment for them.
Human beings in these ancient Greek stories, on the other hand, desired to live forever like the gods, but their only mechanism to do so was to be remembered. In The Iliad, the warrior Achilles wrestles between these two options: being remembered yet dying young in battle or being forgotten yet living a quiet, peaceful life. He ultimately chooses neither and seeks, instead, vengeance after his friend is killed in battle, which leaves him in Hades, the mythological location in which all deceased people reside. Eternity has been on the hearts and minds of people since the fall, and for the Ancient Greek and Roman, Hades was the eternal reality that awaited mortals no matter what they achieved in life, leaving many hopeless.
Lent offers us an important reminder that Jesus shattered the hopelessness embedded in surrounding culture with declarations like this: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” (John 6:51) and “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Even though Jesus repeatedly testified to this message, the beautiful reality of God’s outpouring, self-sacrificial love for us did not sink in until he laid down his life, rose from the dead, and returned to those who abandoned him. He made the inaccessible accessible and tasked his disciples to spread the good news that his Kingdom was at hand.
Dallas Willard put it like this in The Divine Conspiracy:
Eternity is not something waiting to happen, something that will commence later. It is now here. Time runs its course within eternity. With the coming of Jesus it was not only here, as it had always been, but was directly and interactively accessible to every one of the Israelites, no matter what their standing in life or what they had or had not done—to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They did not have to be among the glitterati, the humanly blessed. All they had to do was to trust this man Jesus as the one anointed to bring God personally into human history and therefore the Lord of that history. This message of the present availability of God’s rule to everyone was to be announced, or “preached.” Jesus did that, and soon he sent his disciples to do the same thing. And once the foundation had been historically laid in flesh-and-blood Jews, historically prepared for that purpose, it was to be preached to all “nations.”
As we enter this Lenten season, may this time be one of remembrance that the Lord of Heaven and Earth deeply loves his image-bearers and desires for us to return to the Garden, which is his presence. At Holland Christian, our desire is for each student to transform the world for Jesus by first becoming his disciples, “being transformed into his image with every-increasing glory” (I Cor. 3:18). Thank you for your continued partnership in establishing the Kingdom of God in your homes, our school, and our city, making them places where what God wants done is done.
With Thanks,
Miles
General Information
Spring Break: April 4 – 13
If you are planning on leaving early for spring break, please send a note, email Kelli Van Eerden, or call the office at 616.820.2905 before you leave. This will help us greatly with attendance.
Parents & Guardians of the Class of 2025
Help make your child’s end-of-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 17, 2025!
Senior Exam Exemption Policy Reminder
During the second semester, seniors may work towards being exempt from their final exams. To earn this exemption seniors must meet at least one of the following:
- Have a B average in the course for which there is an exam through the final day of that course;
- Have handed in all homework on time with a passing grade, and have no more than two days absent in that course for the whole semester (for any reason except “school activity.”)
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.
Athletic Physical Nights
We encourage every child to see their PCP for their well-child visit, but also understand that MHSAA pre-participation sports physical requirements do not always align with the annual well child visit with your physician due to insurance requirements. It is beneficial to see your PCP as they know your previous history and can note any oddities, but MHSAA requires that physicals must be dated after April 15.
Sports physicals through the school allow a way to fulfill the MHSAA requirements when insurance does not cover an additional physical. We will be holding Athletic Physical Nights on April 16 and May 15. More detailed information to follow!
Please note: Any parents willing to volunteer their time as any of the following: Physician, nurse, PT, expert crowd control or healthcare professional, please email HC’s athletic trainer, Karianne.
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
Spring Theatre Production, The Play That Goes Wrong
We invite you to come experience a night of laughs, drama, and a murder mystery gone wrong! May 1-3 at 7pm HC Theatre presents The Play That Goes Wrong – and everything from poisoned actors, falling sets, exploding props, mutinous set crew, and much worse! Despite the catastrophe, the cast fights to keep the play on the rails…after all, “the show must go on!” Tickets go on sale April 8, so keep tabs on the HC Theatre page for more information, and we hope to see you there.
Living Hope Showcase 2025: Music through the Decades
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 TODAY!
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
Testing Information
- All 11th grade students will take the SAT during the school day on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. 9th and 10th grade students will take the PSAT on this day. Students do not need to register for these tests, and there is no cost for students.
- Upcoming Saturday SAT dates are available in May. You can search testing sites in our area when you go to the SAT website to register.
- Upcoming Saturday ACT test dates are available in April. You can search for 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 for the 24-25 school year, including the registration deadlines.
College Financial Aid
The FAFSA process has been much smoother this year, and we’re thankful for this! The financial aid office of the college(s) you are considering is the best place to go if you have specific FAFSA or financial aid related questions.
Scholarships
Internal scholarships are available to current, full-time Holland Christian seniors (this includes Tech Center seniors). Details have been emailed to all full-time seniors. These are listed on Google Classroom under the course “HCHS Internal Scholarships.” The due date for these applications is Monday, March 31, 2025 by 8am. There is still a list of outside opportunities listed on the HC website under the counseling section.
Seniors’ Honors Night
We would like to celebrate the accomplishments of our 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 from a college you know he/she will be attending, please provide Mrs. Silva in the high school office with written verification of the award. You may copy the letter or the email notifying you of the award received. This does not include need-based financial aid awards. Please have all scholarships turned in by Monday, April 21, 2025. Once a student turns in scholarship(s), he/she will receive an invitation letter to Honors Night. Please reserve the evening of Thursday, May 15, 2025 for this event. It is a special night to acknowledge the hard work of our seniors, and we want to celebrate their accomplishments!
College Visits
We encourage juniors to begin exploring colleges of interest. Students are allowed two school-related absences per semester for college visits. School-related absence means the absence does not count toward the ten absences allowed. There is a form that the student must fill out before the visit. This must be completed and signed by the college official and returned to the high school office in order for the absence to be cleared. The college visit permission form is available in the high school office and the counseling office. We hope this helps encourage students to explore college/career options without worrying about accruing too many absences. Please note that parents do need to call in the absence ahead of time. Once the completed form is turned in to the office, the absence will get coded as a college visit and will not count against the student.
24-25 School Calendar
Important Dates
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
- 4-13: No school, Spring Break
- 14: School resumes
- 25: HCHS Oratorio
- 26: Junior/Senior Banquet
May
- 1-3: Spring Show, The Play That Goes Wrong
- 8: Grandparents Day, special schedule, Tulip Time (half day, 11:10 dismissal)
- 12: Orchestra Concert at Jack Miller Center 7pm
- 13: Band Concert at Jack Miller Center 7:30pm
- 14: Spring Choral Concert, HS Auditorium, 7:30pm
- 15: Senior Honors Evening 7pm
- 16: Last day for seniors
- 19: Senior exams
- 20: Commencement for Class of 2025
- 26: Memorial Day vacation
- 30: HCHS exams begin
