When I walk into our 3s preschool classroom, I’m greeted with the biggest smiles and an enthusiastic chorus of “Mrs. Haig! Mrs. Haig!” as little hands tug me over to see what they’re working on. Whether they’re enjoying a snack, reading a favorite book, or proudly taking the cap off a glue stick to begin a project, our preschoolers are eager to show off their growing “school skills!”
But this confidence didn’t appear overnight. I remember those first weeks of school so clearly—tiny faces tucked into a parent’s shoulder, too shy to say hello, or the uncertainty of learning how to pause play and clean up when it was time to go home. Since then, these little learners have already grown in remarkable ways. They’ve moved from not knowing that their names are made of letters to now being able to “spell their names in lights.”
Our 3s preschoolers are flourishing. Flourishing is one of our core Holland Christian values and something we pray over all our students at South Side. We want them to grow in knowledge as they learn to read and count, to grow in strength as they run, play, and learn to put on snow gear independently, and to grow in heart as they experience God’s love and share it generously with others.
Christy Haig
Announcements
Discover South Side
Calling all families interested in preschool-kindergarten programs at HC! There are many opportunities for current & new families to check out what we offer at our upcoming Discovery Night on Tuesday, January 13 at 6-7pm. Since we prepare individually for each family visiting these Discovery Nights, an RSVP is necessary. We also invite you to share these times with your friends and family. For more information, please email admissions@
Preschool and Young Fives Admission Enhancements
HC has enhanced the application process for all currently enrolled 3’s preschool, 4’s preschool and young five students. Starting January 2026, currently enrolled preschool and young five students will no longer be required to re-apply for the following academic school year. Preschool is now a part of HC’s Continuous Enrollment. Instead, they will be asked to fill out a Commitment Countdown form. This Commitment Countdown form is a quick and easy way for currently enrolled preschool and young five families to let HC know what their hopes are for their child’s 2026-27 enrollment. Completing it lets Admissions know their intentions, but it does not guarantee placement or availability. The information families share will help HC thoughtfully plan for class sizes, teacher placements, and learning spaces that support every child’s academic, faith, and character growth.
Enrollment for 26-27
New Student Applications open to the public on Monday, February 2, 2026 at 9am
Note: Continuous enrollment means that once a student is enrolled at HC, they remain enrolled automatically each year until they graduate or formally withdraw. This includes ALL current kindergarteners.
South Side Building Renovation
During this season of transformation, our South Side community will temporarily relocate for the 26–27 school year. While our location may look different for a time, the heart of South Side will remain the same. Our staff, students, and families will continue to bring the belonging, creativity, and strong sense of community that makes South Side such a special place.
If you want to share in our excitement or have any questions, please feel free to stop by the office and chat with us.
To our Parent Board
Thank you for the wonderful Christmas lunch the Parent Team provided for the staff. Also, thanks for covering the noon recess duties too! The time spent together over lunch was so fun for the teachers. Your generosity and extra thoughtfulness is so very much appreciated.
Student Life and Discipleship Highlight
Ask a student what their favorite thing about school is, and many will quickly reply, “Recess!” Free play and outdoor exploration are both things we deeply value at South Side. Recess is certainly fun, and it gives students an important brain break from classroom learning. But it’s also a rich time of social growth. On the playground, students learn to share, make friends, solve disagreements, and speak kind words. These moments are key to developing servant living, grace breathing, and community growing—three of our core discipleship practices.
This winter, as part of our South Side Stars focus, we’re emphasizing safe play on the playground. We want students to “control myself” by keeping themselves safe, and to “think about others” by making choices that keep their classmates safe as well. For example, during football games, we can throw and catch the ball, but we don’t tackle since we’re not wearing football pads or helmets. When climbing snow hills, we can slide down on our bottoms or bellies, but we don’t pull or push others off the hill. And when it comes to snowballs—ask your child! I bet they can tell you some of the fun, safe snow play ideas we’ve been practicing.
Report Cards
God is so faithful! We can’t believe we’re already nearing the end of the first semester! It officially ends on Friday, January 16 and Report Cards will be available electronically on Friday, January 23. Take some time to celebrate and reflect on the growth your child has already made this year, and let’s continue to find ways to keep challenging your child during the second semester.
Drop Off Reminder
To help make sure our morning drop off lines run smoothly, please remember that if you are going to get out of your car to help your child with drop off please park in the left lane. This will allow cars in the right lane to move through the line quicker. Thank you for your help with this.
Substitutes Needed
We can always use more available substitute teachers! If you love working with kids, have obtained 60 or more college credits, and are willing to have a background check/fingerprinting done, we would love to add you to our list! If you are interested, please email Rachel Hendershot, or you can start an application on the Edustaff Website.
We’re Invited
One of our local partners in education, Outdoor Discovery Center, is hosting a 4-part speaker series featuring nationally-renowned experts who will explore how technology is reshaping our lives. Please see the attached flyer to register for these free opportunities!
Important Website Links
Upcoming Dates
January:
- 1-2: No school
- 5: Classes resume
- 13: Discovery Night at South Side 6pm
- 16: End of first semester
- 19: No school (MLK day)
- 23: Report cards
- 28: Preschool and kindergarten 2026-2027 enrollment open for current HC families
February:
- 2: Preschool and kindergarten 2026-2027 application open for new families at 9am
- 13: No school (Teacher professional learning)
- 16: No school