Rose Park Newsletter - September 2023 | Holland Christian Schools

Dear Rose Park Friends,

Thank you for all of your support, prayers, feedback and commitment at the start of this new school year. Together we are grateful for a smooth launch to all that God has in store for us together in 23-24! It is an absolute JOY to have our learning spaces filled with the LIFE your children bring to us! I pray that our relationship continues to be marked in truth, respect, care, and love.

Speaking of caring for one another, I have a unique request to share with you as we’re building habits this school year. As a community, we deeply appreciate our teachers and all they do to pour into the lives of our children. It’s a tall task and they each serve so faithfully. The calling of teaching has changed dramatically in the digital era. You, as parents, and I, as their administrator, can access our teachers’ attention around the clock, seven days a week if we so desire. A message or two on the weekends is absolutely expected and manageable. However, a full inbox, particularly on a Sunday, means our dedicated teachers may not be able to celebrate the God-given gift of restoration and rejuvenation on the Sabbath.

My request to you: Might we all commit to messaging our teachers when necessary using the “schedule send” feature when we’re thinking of something in the off hours? If we all limit our communication to their working day utilizing the “schedule send” option, we’ll be able, together, to allow teachers to enjoy tech-free moments in the evenings and particularly on Sundays. If and when you have an imminent need on a particular topic, would you please message me at mrynsburger@hollandchristian.org? I will help as I am able and then, together, we’ll connect with our teacher at the appropriate time.

All joy and thanksgiving,

Miska

Announcements

Security

Our staff at HC is grateful for the consultative guidance of our local law enforcements in keeping our facilities safe. This year our staff has been trained in upgraded language and practices. You will notice a few upgrades when you enter the building as well.

Our “doorbell buzzer” has two-way speaking capability. When you ring the doorbell of door A, you will be asked to identify yourself and your needs at school. This is not meant to feel restrictive. This will help our new office staff become familiar with our community and keep our building secure.
Our door will unlock every morning to welcome children at 7:55am. Prior to 7:55am we do not have adequate supervision to support children throughout the building. At 7:55am our doors will unlock, children may enter and we have several staff members supervising our beautiful playground!
The first several weeks of the school year are a big transition for families. And Rose Park is a big building! We welcome parents to help support our little ones in navigating their way to their locker and classroom. As your child becomes independent, we encourage you to bring them to the front door for your goodbyes. The more we are able to minimize crowds from coming inside the building, the safer our building is for our children and staff.
When you do enter the building during school hours, please continue to keep the habit of checking in at the office. We’ll be happy to welcome you, thank you for coming, and share a name tag with you!

Thank you for helping to keep our building safe!

Convocation

You are invited! On Wednesday, August 30 at 9am our entire HC community will come together for a time of praise and worship as well as learning a bit more about how Faith Like A Child can guide our faith walk. We will convene at the football stadium and there is MORE than enough room for you to join! If you’re able, we’d love to see you there!

Walkathon

What is Walkathon? Walkathon is an HC-wide fundraiser where elementary students walk to raise money for their school. The funds raised by Rose Park students go directly to Rose Park needs. These needs include classroom supplies, educational outings, and other resources. Last year’s donations helped contribute to our barn, greenhouse and playscape. They provided bookshelves for multiple classrooms, adventuring supplies and teacher appreciation and support. Parents are welcome to watch the event from the bleachers, while the track is reserved for teachers and students.

Walkathon forms will be sent home in your child’s backpack soon and are due back by Wednesday, September 20. Thank you for helping to keep Rose Park thriving!

Grandparents Day

Please pass along our invitation to your special Grandparents/friends! We’d love to pull out all of the stops and welcome them to our beautiful space at Rose Park. Thursday, October 5 in three different celebrations we will give thanks to God for surrounding us with the support and care of loved ones. Please note the timeframes for each age level:

Save the Date for our Ranch Family Fall Festival!

Put it on your calendar for Friday, October 27 in the evening. Our parent board is planning some fun activities for your family to enjoy, meet new friends, and celebrate our beautiful playscape and ranch. More details forthcoming!

Before & After School Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures

We ask that you adhere to the following traffic policies for drop-off and pick-up as specified. We appreciate your cooperation and doing your part to keep our children entering and exiting school safely each day.

Picture Day

For those of you planning ahead, Rose Park’s picture day is September 13 and 14. Once order forms are received from GPI they will be sent home with students. If you are ordering a yearbook this will be the time to do that also.

Medication at School

If your child needs to take medication at school, we need an updated form signed by their physician each school year. If you have not done this yet, please do so ASAP. The medication forms can be found on the Medical Information and Forms Page for your convenience. You are welcome to contact our school nurse, Hendrina Cupery who will help you set up a plan for the office to assist in administering the medication. For safety reasons, Holland Christian Schools is not able to dispense any medication (prescription or non-prescription) to our students without a doctor’s order. Thank you!

Absences

Please call the school office at 616.820.4055 any time before 8:30am to let us know each day your child will be absent. You may leave a voicemail any time and it will be checked in the morning when the office opens.

Transportation

Busing is available for some students needing transportation to and from Rose Park. For complete busing details and to register, please visit our Transportation page.

Student Safety

After the school day is underway, all doors will be locked. All students who arrive late for school must stop in the school office. Parents are asked to sign children in and out at the school office if they are coming or going any time within the normal school hours.

PowerSchool

PowerSchool is our student information database. You will want to bookmark this site! There is also an app available for PowerSchool for your phone which can be very helpful. If there is a change in your phone number or address any time during the school year, it is important that we are informed right away. Parents can update their information on PowerSchool directly on the Demographics Change tab. This assures up-to-date contact information for your child.

You must update your demographic information in Powerschool each fall with your latest and most accurate contact information. Simply login, then either an “update demographic screen” will automatically pop up, or simply click the “change demographics” button on the left of the screen. This information is necessary for field trip participation, emergency response and treatment, student photo permission, and for the office to easily be able to contact a parent or guardian as needed or desired. When listing your child’s emergency contacts, please be sure to list two contacts other than yourself.

Elementary Handbook

The Elementary Handbook linked here is a great resource for parents providing important details on things like our curriculum, discipline policy, etc.

Rose Park Newsletter – September 2023