When people talk about South Side School, two specific things are often mentioned: The first is our strong sense of community. Classrooms become homes away from homes and classes build family-like bonds throughout the year. We laugh together, tackle challenges together, learn together, and even sometimes cry together. Second, we are a place full of creativity. Students are building things, singing praises to God, creating new games, and writing stories. Our hallways are full of art projects that show off the uniqueness of each student.
These two aspects of South Side match two of our discipleship practices at Holland Christian:
Community Growing: Students extend and deepen community through their relationships, their learning, and their play. See Psalm 133 and 1 Peter 2: 9-10.
Beauty Creating: Students enjoy, create, and share beautiful creations in the classroom and beyond! See Exodus 35:30-35 and Colossians 3:23.
I am excited this year to put up pictures on our walls of students living out their calling as Community Growers and Beauty Creators. Next time you are in the building, make sure to take a look at all that we have been doing.
.
Christy Haig
Announcements
Thank You
Thank you so much for your generous donations to the 2025 Parent-Board sponsored Walkathon! Our students had so much fun getting their steps in at the high school, and we are so grateful for the funds raised!
From the Parent Board
Parents: we would love to bless our teachers with a meal on the evening of October 16 when they are here for conferences. If you are willing to contribute, please sign up here.
Save the Date! October 28, 6-8pm: Rollxscape has been reserved for South Side students, preschool – 2nd. Cost is $5 per person. (This event is for South Side Students only – no siblings) Parents are required to stay.
Note from Food Service
Food service is in full swing! Please continue to use the Family Portal to deposit funds into your lunch account. We are a pre-pay system, and appreciate families having funds in your child’s account when they choose to take hot lunch. There is no fee to deposit money into your account online. Familyportal.cloud is where you can deposit funds, or apply for lunch benefits. If you do not know your student account number, reach out and email Rachel.
For those families receiving lunch benefits and who want only milk, the NSLP does not give benefits for milk only. If your child wants free or reduced-price milk, students may take a fruit or vegetable, and the milk will be under their benefits.
Parent Opportunity – Library
Would you like the opportunity to come into South Side and help in our library? We are looking for a few parents (or grandparents) who would be willing to come in once in a while and help keep our library up and running. As students bring back their books each week, we need a team to check them in and carefully put them back on the shelves, and as new books are purchased, we need help getting them ready for circulation. If you are interested, please email Mary Hofman, our amazing librarian.
Student Life and Discipleship
Do you know your student is a South Side Star? Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” As a South Side community, we have been practicing three ways we can shine like stars:
- Self: We control ourselves. We make kind and safe choices at school.
- Servant: We think about others. How we act can help others learn and have joy.
- Stuff: We take care of our stuff. We want to keep our school, our supplies, and our toys working well and looking nice.
Ask your student this week, “How were you a South Side Star at school?”
Picture Retakes
As soon as we receive school pictures from GPI, we will send them home. If you are unhappy with the way pictures turned out, retakes will be Wednesday, October 29. Please remember to email your child’s teacher so she can note that you need retakes, and also send your child’s original picture packet back to school.
Lost & Found
The office is continuing to update our South Side Lost and Found Photo 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 in your child’s backpack
Community Opportunities
Click here to see some community opportunities These organizations are not affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities.
Important Website Links
- School Calendar
- School Supply Lists
- Lunch Menu
- Medical Information & Forms
- School Transportation
- Before & After School Programs
Upcoming Dates
October
- 3: End of first quarter
- 10: Report cards emailed home
- 13: Grandparents & Grandfriends Day
- 16: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
- 20: Parent-teacher conferences 4-8pm
- 22-24: No school: Teachers attending CEA convention
- 28: South Side Fun Night at RollXscape 6-8pm
- 29: School picture retakes
November
- 26-28: No school: Thanksgiving break
