Our Young Fives students love going on field trips, and they have many opportunities to learn beyond our classroom walls. Recently, I stopped by their room during snack time, and they could hardly wait to tell me about their upcoming trip to visit their second-grade Forest School buddies at Sassafras Ridge. Eager voices shared plans for building snow bricks and tree forts, climbing trees, and practicing letter writing alongside their older friends. They also told me that the second graders are always excited when they visit because they are “so friendly.”
“So friendly” may be a Young Fives description, but it beautifully captures the heart of hospitality. Hospitality is one of our Holland Christian values and something we intentionally practice at South Side each day. At its core, hospitality is about giving and receiving grace. We see this on the playground when a student accidentally knocks over a snow creation, or in the classroom when two children reach for the same marker at the same time. Hospitality means interacting with care and kindness. It is evident when second graders lead younger students during Create Time and when classmates help a friend find the playground teacher after a fall and scraped knee.
Hospitality also extends beyond the walls of South Side. We welcome family and community volunteers who read and serve alongside our students. Our classes ring the Salvation Army bell downtown, visit local nursing homes, and share blessing bags within our neighborhood. We also build reciprocal relationships with other Holland Christian classrooms, learning and playing together in meaningful ways. Through these experiences, our students are growing into gracious, caring members of their school and wider community, getting to practice hospitality every day.
Christy Haig
Announcements
Enrollment for 2026-27
As of January 2026, preschool is now a part of HC’s Continuous Enrollment, which means that currently enrolled preschool and currently enrolled young five students will no longer be required to re-apply for the following academic school year. A Commitment Countdown form has been emailed to all preschool & Young Five families at South Side Elementary, if you have not submitted yours, please fill out the Commitment Countdown form ASAP. For more enrollment information please reference the previous email from Admissions sent on January 28th.
New-to-Holland-Christian-
Discovery Night
Thank you so much for coming out to our preschool, young fives and kindergarten Discovery Nights, and for passing along information about our school district to your family and friends. We had a great turn out, and are so grateful for the partnership we get to continue with families at HC!
Wacky Wednesdays
The Parent Board has some fun Wacky Wednesdays planned to spruce up our winter Wednesdays at South Side and Pine Ridge! Here is the schedule:
- February 4: Pajama Day
- February 11: Sports Day (Clothing and hats only; no equipment please)
- February 18: Hawaiian Day
- February 25: Backwards Day
The winning class for each week (highest % participation) will win a voucher for a hot chocolate party on a date that works for the class.
Lost & Found:
The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Album as items come into the gray tub in the office. Please check it out to see if any of these items belong to your child. Feel free to email Rachel Steen, to claim your item(s), and we will be sure to get it into your child’s backpack.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are coming up for parents of kindergarten-second grade students! You will receive an email with instructions on how to register for conferences in a few weeks.
- Thursday, March 26: 4-8pm
- Monday, March 30: 4-8pm
Spring Program
We will be having our Spring Program on Thursday, March 12 at 6:30pm with Pine Ridge and Forest School. Please join us at Christ Memorial to celebrate everything we’ve learned this year and to worship together.
Student Life and Discipleship
Our students have done it again! Another South Side Star poster has been completely filled, and we couldn’t be more proud. This accomplishment reflects the many fun and safe choices our students are making with their friends on the playground each day.
What better way to celebrate than with extra time outside? We will be kicking off the month of February with a special sledding party to celebrate their hard work. Please take a moment to congratulate your students on this achievement—they are incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished, and we are too!
News from Food Service
Did you know that you may apply for lunch benefits at any time of the school year? Situations change, so don’t be hesitant to apply to this confidential resource. Go to familyportal.cloud and apply for Lunch Benefits. This is very easy, no need knowing your student’s ID number, and it’s extremely confidential. If you have any questions, please contact Sue at 616.820.2934.
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 edustaff.org.
Important Website Links
Upcoming Dates
February
- 2: Preschool and kindergarten 2026-27 application open for new families at 9am
- 4: Wacky Wednesday: Pajama Day
- 11: Wacky Wednesday: Sports Day (Clothing and hats only; no equipment please)
- 13: No school (teacher professional learning)
- 16: No school (Presidents Day)
- 18: Wacky Wednesday: Hawaiian Day
- 25: Wacky Wednesday: Backwards Day
March
- 12: Spring Program at Christ Memorial
- 13: End of 3rd Quarter
- 20: Report Cards
- 26: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
- 30: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
April
- 3-10: No school: Spring break
- 13: School resumes