Dear Parents-
We are in the middle of parent-teacher conferences, and if you spent time at the middle school last Thursday, thank you for making that investment in your child’s education. If you haven’t signed up yet, I encourage you to meet with three or four of your student’s teachers next Thursday. These face-to-face conversations are a valuable way to stay informed on your child’s progress, strengthen the partnership between home and school, and set goals for the months ahead. If you’ve already attended or plan on attending, consider taking some time to talk with your child about what was discussed and work together on setting goals moving forward.
This month, we will roll out “Change for Change” at chapel on March 12. Students will have the opportunity to collect and donate spare change to help provide uniforms for children at the care center we visit in South Africa. In addition to supporting students, we hope to bless the teachers, who earn very little while dedicating themselves to the young. One teacher is currently on maternity leave and will receive no pay while she cares for her newborn. This is a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate generosity and share Christ’s love in a meaningful way.
If your son or daughter is interested in joining the mission trip to South Africa in October, please email me @ tstrikwerda@hollandchristian.org to express interest. We will host an informational meeting in April to share details and answer questions.
I pray that you and your family continue to grow in your relationship with Christ and flourish in His grace.
God bless,
Tom Strikwerda
Principal.
March at HCMS
South Africa Trip 4.0
Holland Christian Middle School is inviting eight incoming 7th and 8th graders to a kingdom encounter in South Africa October 16 through October 27. The vision of this trip is to raise up a generation of servant leaders to have a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Father, and to provide a process for students to make His heart known.
Parent survey
We are continuing to evaluate and improve our process for communicating behavior expectations to students. Our desire is to come together as a community to help our students grow into people of God. One of the central components of this initiative focuses on working to recognize and acknowledge positive student behavior. We have created a school-wide system for teaching and addressing behavior in our students.
We would love to have your input about the overall climate of our school community. The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Many of these questions are required as this is a nationally recognized program. Your responses will be kept confidential.
Spring Sports
Boys and Girls Track, Girls Soccer, Boys Volleyball, and Girls Tennis are slated to begin on March 17! Make sure you are signed up on Final Forms for the sport your student is interested in to receive information from the coaches. Students must have a valid physical form on file before they are able to participate. Thanks!
Athletic Physical Nights
- We encourage every child to see their PCP for their well-child visit but also understand that MHSAA preparticipation sports physical requirements do not always align with the annual well child with your physician due to insurance requirements. MHSAA requires that physicals must be dated after April 15.
- A sports physical night through the school helps alleviate those insurance issues. It is beneficial to see your PCP as they know your child’s previous history and can note any oddities. However, sports physicals through the school allow for a way to fulfill the MHSAA requirements when insurance does not cover an additional physical.
- It is important to have your physical before the first day of your sport’s season. You are required to be cleared through an MD, DO, NP, or PA who will check for major medical concerns that may arise during the sports seasons.
- Holland Christian will participate in two community-wide Athletic Physical Nights this spring: April 16 and May 15. Stay tuned for sign-up information!
- Any parents willing to volunteer their time as any of the following: physician, nurse, PT, expert crowd control or healthcare professional, please reach out to Karianne.
Save the Date!
The Middle School Grandparents’ Day will be Friday, May 9 in the afternoon. Stay tuned for more details!
Important Dates
March
1: MS Play 2 and 7pm @ HCHS Auditorium
5: MSBOA 7th/8th grade Band Festival AM
6: MSBOA 7th (AM) and 8th (PM) Orchestra Festival
Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:30-8:30pm
7: Swingin’ the Night Away 6:45pm @ HCHS
19: 5th-12th Band Extravaganza 7pm @ Jack H. Miller Auditorium
20: 8th grade PSAT (½ day for 8th grade only)
21: End of Q3
24: Begin Q4
April
4: No school: Spring break
14: School resumes
23: 6th Grade Launch Night
May
8: Half day (Tulip Time)
9: Grandparents’ Day 1:45pm
12: Orchestra Concert 7pm
13: Band Concert 7pm
15-16: 7th Grade Camp
22: MS Choir Concert 7pm
26: No school: Memorial Day
