Dear HCHS Community,
Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! As a faculty and staff we are full of gratitude and anticipation as we welcome both returning families and those joining us for the first time. It is a profound joy to continue the mission of equipping minds and nurturing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ, and we are honored to partner with you in this sacred calling.
This year, we are excited to deepen our mission through several updates to our school: renovated industrial arts facilities, new equipment in our weight room, a continually growing international program, a strengthened commitment to rigorous academics and integrating faith in every classroom, and much more. As we continue cultivating the part of God’s garden entrusted to us, thank you for your faithful partnership.
Our spiritual theme for the school year is “The Joy of the Lord,” rooted in Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
In a world brimming with noise and distraction, we believe true joy is found not in circumstances, but being in the presence of God. Under the leadership of Mr. Bryant Russ, HC’s Director of Faith Formation, we will explore how this joy can shape our HC community. We will reflect together in chapel, spiritual retreats, and small groups on how joy flows from God’s nearness (Zephaniah 3:17), leads us in practicing the way of Jesus, and gives us strength for each day (Nehemiah 8:10).
This kind of joy is not fleeting emotion, but a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), anchored in Christ who says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). Our prayer is that this joy will saturate every part of our community—from our worship to our learning, from our friendships to our work—so that all who enter may sense the gladness that comes from knowing and walking with Jesus.
We are also especially grateful for our incredible custodial and maintenance team, who have spent the summer deep cleaning every classroom and office, repairing and refreshing our spaces, and ensuring that our building is a welcoming and healthy environment for all. Please be sure to thank them personally upon your return. They are a vital part of the joy and excellence we seek to embody at HCHS.
We are also thankful to provide you with some exciting updates to our faculty and staff and welcome new members to the team:
- Mr. Joe Brunson: Math Teacher
- Ms. Taylor Byrne: Spanish Teacher
- Mr. Clenon Fincher: Science Teacher
- Mr. Ian Grell: English Teacher
- Ms. Lisa Klamer: Athletic Administrative Assistant
- Ms. Katherine Lamer: Math Teacher
- Ms. Suzanne Rutherford: (Update) HC2 Secondary Schools Coordinator
- Ms. Sarah Terpstra: English Teacher
- Ms. Nona Westfall: (Update) Head Custodian
Throughout our hiring process, it was evident that each of these individuals is not only professionally gifted, but also deeply rooted in their faith and desire to serve Jesus through education. We are thrilled to welcome them and look forward to the ways they will enrich our school community.
Finally, as we prepare for the school year, we encourage you to carefully read this Back to School Newsletter to ensure a smooth and joyful start to the year.
Thank you for your ongoing support and your commitment to making Holland Christian a place where God is known, joy is present, and lives are transformed.
With thanks,
Miles Colago, HS principal
2025-26 Information
First Day of School
All students report on Tuesday, August 19, at 8am. Be sure to have your class schedule with you.
School Supplies
Holland Christian High School does not have a required list of school supplies for students to purchase, except that math students will need a TI-83 or TI-84 calculator. School supply preferences will vary from student to student.
New to Holland Christian High School?
Our New Family Information Booklet was created to help new families transition into HCHS. We hope you find the information helpful!
Freshman Orientation – August 18
All freshmen will be part of our Freshman Orientation Day. This day is to be a transition day that creates a sense of belonging for incoming students and an overall supportive and positive atmosphere on our campus. The first day for freshmen will be Monday, August 18, at 8am. Senior class leaders will lead incoming freshmen in small group games, mixers, and a scavenger hunt around the school. Students will be given a copy of their schedule and meet their teachers for a few minutes in each class. All freshmen will also receive their laptops at this time, if their check-in documents have been completed. Students will be treated to a pizza lunch and will be dismissed at 11:30am. After this, freshmen can stop on Main Street between 11:30am – 12:30pm for pictures. Concussion testing will take place in the cafeteria after lunch. All students who plan to play any sport must complete a baseline concussion test. Stop in the cafeteria from 12-3 to complete your testing.
New 10th – 12th Grade Students
New 10th – 12th grade students will have an orientation on Monday, August 18 from 9am-12:30pm. Lunch is included.
Check-In/Picture Day
Check-in day is Monday, August 18 and will take place on Main Street from 11:30am – 3pm. This is a chance for you to have your picture taken for your student ID, walk around the building and find your locker, deposit money into your hot lunch account, and pick up a parking permit (if driving).
Parent Laptop Handbook and Check-In Day Forms
Please review the laptop handbook and complete the required check-in day forms. These forms need to be completed before you will be given your laptop. These forms include the student handbook agreement, laptop agreement, cheating/plagiarism, concussion awareness, and field trip/medical treatment permission. Please note that you will need to enter your student ID number in order to complete these forms. These student numbers can be found in Power School (if you are a returning HC student it is the number you already have).
Laptops
Incoming freshmen will receive their laptops during freshmen orientation. New 10th – 12th students will receive their laptops during new student orientation. Returning students will receive their laptops on the first day of school provided they have completed the check-in day forms.
Textbooks
- Students will pick up textbooks from the Bookstore, located in the hallway near the Auditorium, Counseling, and Athletic Offices. Students should bring a backpack to carry their books home from school or may leave books in their assigned locker. ALL students will need to pick up textbooks.
- Bring your HC student ID (from ANY year; your barcode is the same). This will help speed up the checkout process!!!
- To help avoid long lines, students are encouraged to get their textbooks during the following times:
- 9th & 12th grades: 11:30am-12:30pm
- 10th & 11th grades: 1:00-2:30pm:
- If you have any textbooks at home from previous years, PLEASE bring them back ASAP! We need them to make sure we have enough to distribute on August 18. Thank you for your help with this. If you have lost your books, please bring in the replacement fee. If you have any questions, please email Kim Hekman. Thank you! Mrs. Hekman
Photos
All students (including seniors) must have their picture taken whether or not the pictures are purchased. These pictures are necessary for the yearbook, student transcripts, I.D.’s, and for our student management software. Seniors, this picture will be on your high school transcript. You can order online ahead of time from Geskus, or you can send the flyer Geskus mailed out and payment with your student on check in day.
To help speed the picture taking process, we will use the following schedule:
- 9th Grade: 11:30am – 12:30pm
- 12th Grade: 11:30am – 12:30pm
- 10th Grade: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
- 11th Grade: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
- Anyone: 2:30pm – 3:00pm
Picture Makeup day will be Thursday, September 5.
Senior Picture Information – Click here for details on Senior Pictures. The deadline for senior pictures is September 22.
Schedule and PowerSchool Information
The daily schedule consists of 4 block days, and on Fridays students will have all seven classes in one day; it can be found HS Schedule Google Doc. The last day of the first semester is January 12 and exams will be January 13-16. Second semester begins on January 20.
The High School uses PowerSchool for accessing student schedules, tracking grades, attendance, and family contact information. Student schedules will be available in PowerSchool on August 8 at ps.hollandchristian.org. Parents can log in with the username and password you created in a previous year. Parents of students coming from Zeeland Christian and other students new to HC will be sent information for creating a PowerSchool account. If you detect any errors or need to make changes to your schedule, please complete the schedule change form on our Registrar page.
Closed Campus
HCHS is a closed campus. Sometimes parents may like to take their student out for lunch. Parents may take only their own student out for lunch and must personally check them out of the office. Youth leaders or older siblings (out of high school) may also take students out for lunch by signing them out in the office. Seniors do have the privilege of going off-campus for lunch on Fridays only.
Food Services
25/26 Meal Prices:
- High School $3.75
- Free $0.00
- Reduced $ .40
- Milk $.75
- Adult $5.00
To deposit money in your child’s lunch account or to apply for free/reduced lunch benefits please go to Family Portal. There is no fee to use this service. The portal will be ready to receive deposits after August 15. If you were receiving free or reduced lunch benefits in the 24/25 school year those benefits will expire on September 30, 2025, so you will need to reapply for lunch benefits at Family Portal. If you have any questions please email Sue at slambers@hollandchristian.org
Extracurricular Information
There is a “Pay to Participate Fee” charge of $100 to all students involved in extracurricular activities to help offset some of the costs of the program. For athletics, this fee will be paid through the student’s Final Forms account; for all other activities, this fee will be collected by the director of the activity and must be paid immediately following the selection or determination of the activity participants.
Athletics Information
Fall sports begin on August 11 for high school athletes and on August 18 for middle school athletes. Practice and game schedules for each sport as well as tickets and sports passes can be found through Eventlink (or maroonsathletics.org).
There is a “Pay to Participate Fee” of $100 to all students involved in athletics to help offset some of the costs of the program. This fee will be paid through the student’s Final Forms account. Please have payment in by the second week of the season. All athletes must be registered through FinalForms along with a picture of their cleared physical uploaded to their account in order to participate. Coaches utilize FinalForms to communicate upcoming information to athletes and families. Learn more about Finalforms and Eventlink.
Athletic Parent Night is scheduled for August 19 @ 7pm in the HS Auditorium. Parents of all middle school and high school athletes are invited to attend! In addition to athletic training and some general information, our keynote speaker is Austin Hatch. Following the opening session in the auditorium, high school fall sports will each have their individual sport parent meetings.
Partner with CHAMPS – our athletic fundraiser arm – to support student athletes! One way to partner is to buy a CHAMPS coupon book. For more opportunities, see our CHAMPS Athletic Boosters page.
Sports Passes are now available for the 25-26 school year! This link takes you to the ticket webpage and then click on the “Season Passes” tab to see options and purchase passes!
Fine Arts Department
Fall Musical: Pride and Prejudice!
This Fall, we are proud to present the brand new musical, Pride and Prejudice! Based on the beloved novel by Jane Austen, the story follows clever and headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and her family, who are facing mounting pressure to marry off five daughters before their estate is inherited by a distant cousin. The family’s situation is complicated by the arrival of two gentlemen in their town: charming and wealthy Mr. Bingley, who instantly forms a crush on the eldest Bennet sister, and Mr. Darcy, his pompous and cold friend who becomes Elizabeth’s nemesis after a disastrous first encounter. As Bingley and Jane’s romance keeps pulling them into each other’s orbits, Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves sparring over their ideas of love, freedom and happiness. Their fiery exchanges and mutual disdain only seem to deepen, but underneath it all, something more complicated stirs. Can their intense animosity evolve into something deeper, or will their pride and prejudice tear them apart forever? The first day of auditions is Wednesday, August 20. Any interested students can sign up on the Pride and Prejudice audition form! If you have any questions about the musical or the audition process, please contact Mrs. Davis at jdavis@hollandchristian.org We look forward to seeing you all in August!
General Information
Public Reading of Scripture (PRS)
Parents, students and staff are invited to join us every Tuesday morning from 7:30-7:50am in the High School Cafeteria for Public Reading of Scripture. Light food and coffee are provided. We will be reading from the Old Testament.
In addition, students and staff are invited to attend PRS every Tuesday during lunch from 11:00-11:30am in room 267 (Art Room). Lunch will be provided! RSVP is not required but helpful! We’ll be reading from the New Testament.
Important Dates
Save the Date: Parent Night
We will be hosting our annual Parent Night on Tuesday, September 2 at 6:30pm. More details will be sent out; please add this event to your calendar.
Reserve these important dates on your fall calendar:
August
- 7: Fall sports tryouts start
- 15/16: Senior Camp
- 18: Freshman orientation day/picture day (lunch included) (8:00-11:30am)
- 18: Student check in/picture day (11:30-3:00pm)
- 18: New students (non-freshman) 9:00am-12:15pm (lunch included)
- 19: All students report (full day)
- 27: All School Convocation
- 29: Labor Day weekend, no school
September
- 1: Labor Day, no school
- 2: Parent night (6:30pm)
- 22: Senior picture deadline
- 27: Homecoming dance
