Dear parents,
Thanks for partnering with us for another successful school year at the middle school. We continually are grateful for your partnership with us as we continually strive to “equip your sons and daughter minds and nurture their hearts to transform the world for Christ.”
Some highlights of the school year include the following:
We are completing our second year of the house system. We continue to look for ways to improve this positive system to give students points and awards for positive behavior. We added more house activities which included the quad cup, and we are now completing GISSH which is the world’s great scavenger hunt. We also had the houses compete to see who could bring in the most food for Community Action House, Christmas decorating contest, and tug-of-war.
Dave Nieuwsma added the 9-week class Creation Keeping to 6th grade. In this class he partnered with the ODC (Outdoor Discovery Center) to look at this Discipleship Practice more in-depth. Their focus was on sustainability and conservation, being proactive when we think about our world and how we care for it, and how to react to the current problems that we see. A few highlights of the class was learning about how composting helps our earth, as well as building nesting boxes for our campuses.
Sam Fox planned and the 7th grade staff executed another successful camp experience at Grace Adventures. I have heard from many that the students had a lot of stories to tell about their experiences at camp. Activities included horseback riding, herding cattle, mountain biking, fire building, improv, canoeing, high ropes, group games,sand castle building, going to the lighthouse, and times of devotions and a chapel service. If you know someone who went and haven’t talked to them about camp, I highly recommend it.
Our 8th grade Bible classes partnered with Kids Food Basket for the first time and packed food for local students who don’t have enough food. Students also took time to decorate paper lunch bags at different times of the year for these students.
We completed year 2 of our PBIS system, making some great strides. As we continue to grow into our PBIS system, we have found great success pairing with our house system to celebrate kids for their positive behaviors around the school. We also began collecting various forms of data that we use to inform our practice in an effort to help students flourish. Our students have continued to practice being honorable, ready, and engaged in their time at school, which has made a great impact on the school culture.
We had a group of 8 students go to South Africa and experience kingdom encounters at Ocean’s Ministry in Fish Hoek, South Africa. This trip was transformational to each of us who went on the trip. We are planning a second trip this fall with another group of 7th and 8th graders.
In the spring we raised money for Unified Sports by participating in the Polar Plunge. I can attest to it being polar as it was the coldest water I was ever fully submerged in.
The year also included many thought-provoking and wisdom-providing chapels, devotions, and conversations led by our staff. We all hope each student grows in their faith in Christ and continues to develop the gifts that God has given them. We pray that you and your family have a summer where you continue to feel God’s presence in all that you do. Take time to enjoy God’s beautiful creation and to enjoy your family during this break from school.
Finally, we pray that each 8th grader flourishes in high school. We will miss each and every one of them as they have been a joy to have in our building.
God Bless!
Tom Strikwerda
Summer at HCMS
Report Cards
Grades will be available on PowerSchool at 8am Friday, June 9. Please check in PowerSchool after this time to see the benefits of all your student’s hard work this school year!
Immunizations for 2023-2024 7th Graders
All students MUST be up-to-date on their immunizations BEFORE they start the new school year. 23/24 7th graders will need to turn in your proof of immunization to the front office anytime in August before the start of the school year. Any students without the required immunizations or approved waivers will not be allowed to enter school until they are complete and approved by the State of Michigan. Please see the attached link for an information sheet listing immunization needs. You can also schedule a call/visit with your primary care physician to discuss any immunization needs for your child before the start of the new school year.
2023-2024 B.O.C. Schedules
As we plan to build student schedules for the 2022-2023 school year, we will plan to schedule your rising 7th or 8th grade students in their current Band, Orchestra or Choir (BOC) class. If they wish to move to a different music class, please inform us by filling out the BOC Change Request Form by Friday, June 2. Forms will only be accepted by a parent/guardian, not by a student. Rising 6th graders should also fill out this form if they want to change their BOC class. As stated before, every student must choose either Band, Orchestra or Choir; no study halls will be offered. Thank you!
Athletics for 2023-2024
Registration is now open for 2023-2024 athletics! All 5th-8th grade students interested in participating on at least one team next year need to sign up for or log into their Final Forms account to register for sports and start planning to get the MHSAA physical requirement completed by their MD/DO/NP/PA for next school year. Detailed instructions and information can be found on our athletics registration webpage.
Important Dates
May
29: Memorial Day- No School
30: M/TH/F Schedule
31: No Late Start
M/TH/F Schedule
Athletic Physical Night 6-8PM
June
1: 8th Grade Service Day (Last Day for 8th graders)
8th Grade Graduation and Party @ 6:00 at HCHS
2: Last day of school; 11:15 dismissal
14: Office closed for the summer
