Our theme this year is JOY of the LORD! Psalm 16:11 tells us that in God’s presence “there is fullness of joy.” I’m so excited to celebrate this theme with our students. And to be honest, I think that the students will be able to share a lot with me this year about joy.
Joy is something that often radiates from young children. One of the darkest and saddest seasons of my life was years ago when my mother passed away suddenly. As we would gather as an extended family to process and to grieve, we were constantly struck by the presence of my two sons and my nephew. They were ages 1-4 and they brought to our gatherings joy and hope at a time when joy was sparse.
This year, when you or your children come into South Side, I pray that the JOY of the LORD will radiate from our classrooms, our playground, our actions, and our words. I hope that you leave with more of God’s full joy than you came in with. I’m excited to see this joy in action at our ice cream social as students see their friends again, on the first day of school as they open up their new box of crayons or markers, and throughout the year as they learn about God, His creation, and the unique way he has gifted them.
Blessings,
Christy Haig
Announcements
Class Lists & School Supplies
We are so excited to welcome your child back to school! Class lists were sent to your email. Please let us know if you did not receive this communication. Here is the list of school supplies for each grade level/class preschool through 2nd grade.
Parent Information Nights
This will be a night where just parents come to meet Mrs. Haig and your child’s classroom teacher. You’ll be able to ask more detailed questions about your child’s school and classroom experience.
- 3s/4s Preschool: Tuesday, August 12 @ 6:30pm
- Young 5s – 2nd grade: Thursday August 21 @ 5:30pm-6:30pm
Ice Cream Social
On Thursday, August 14, 6-7pm, all preschool-2nd graders and their families are invited to come together and walk through their classrooms, meet their teachers, find their lockers–all the fun things about starting a new school year! Once your family has had a chance to do that, everyone heads out to the playground to enjoy an ice cream sundae bar and fellowship as a school community.
First Days of School
- Our first day of school is a full day, Tuesday, August 19.
- 3-day preschool and 3-day young 5s students enjoy their first day on Wednesday, August 20.
- Dismissal will be at 11:15am for AM preschool students and 3:15pm for full-day preschool students and Young 5 – 2nd grade students
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. Please note that in the mornings the front doors will be locked until 7:50am.
Picture Day
For those of you planning ahead, South Side’s picture day is Wednesday, September 17. 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 email Hendrina Cupery, our school nurse. She 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 616.820.3535 any time before 8:30am to let us know each day your child will be absent. You may leave a voicemail at any time and it will be checked in the morning when the office opens.
Summer Office Hours
The South Side office will be open starting August 4 on Mondays-Fridays from 9am-3pm until school starts. There will be a few dates TBD for beginning of the school year all-staff off-site meetings, and those dates will be posted on the door once they become available.
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 is a great resource for parents providing important details on things like our curriculum, discipline policy, etc.
Important Website Links
- School Calendar
- School Supply Lists
- Hot Lunch Information
- Medical Information & Forms
- School Transportation
- Before & After School Programs
Upcoming Dates:
August
- 12: Preschool parent night 6:30pm
- 14: PreK-2nd grade Ice Cream Social 6-7pm
- 19: First day of school
- 21: Y5-2nd Parent Information Night 6:30pm
- 27: All School Convocation
- 29: No school: Labor Day weekend
September
- 1: No school: Labor Day
- 17: PreK-2nd picture day
- 24: Walkathon
October
- 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences
- 20: Parent-Teacher Conferences
- 23-25: CEA Convention: No school
