A couple of weeks ago we were able to partner with the Entrepreneurial Class at Holland Christian High School. The students cut vinyl letters and put them up by our front entrance. It says “Equipping minds and nurturing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.” This our Holland Christian mission statement. I hope that you have the opportunity to come in some day soon and see what a great job they did.
“Equipping minds” is an integral part of every school. We are working to teach your children how to read, add numbers, and learn about the science of God’s great world. “Nurturing hearts” speaks to our desire to develop your son/daughter holistically by building their faith and helping them to become caring individuals. Then we get to my favorite part of the mission statement. We are working to equip minds and nurture hearts not just to help your child grow. We also want to help them impact the world in a way that brings the peace and love of Jesus to others. This is what we hope for our students when they graduate, but it also what we hope for them every day, even when they are young. I see it when 3-year-olds share a toy (community growing), when a kindergartener smiles at me as I greet them in the morning (grace breathing), and when second graders offer to help me pump up recess balls that have gone flat (servant living). This past week a group of our preschoolers even got to visit the houses in our neighborhood to share blessing bags and songs with our neighbors, using their love and joy to transform the world for Jesus.
Christy Haig
Announcements
Illness
We continue to use precautions at school to keep everyone healthy and in school each day. Thanks for your help with this in monitoring your child for any symptoms he/she may be experiencing at home. For fevers, your child must be fever free without the use of fever reducing medicine for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child will not be present at school, please remember to report the absence and symptoms by calling 616.820.3535, or by emailing rsteen@hollandchristian.org.
Just a friendly reminder that the office is not able to administer medication without a doctor’s signature on a medical consent form. This includes both prescription and over the counter medication (Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough drops, ointment, etc.). You can find the medical forms needed on Medical Forms and Information Page.
Sledding Hill
Along with the snow comes recess time on the sledding hill! South Side will be providing sleds again this year, so please do not bring your own sleds from home. This will allow us to keep them stacked neat and tidy in the building, and give all students a chance to sled!
Lost & Found
Our South Side lost & found items are in a gray tub in the office. If you are missing anything, please stop in and take a peek, or check out our South Side Lost and Found Photo Album before Christmas break, as we will be donating the remaining items.
Book Fair
Pine Ridge Book Fair will run December 6-13 and we are in need of parent volunteers to staff the times that are open for shopping! Interested in helping at the Book Fair? Please check out this link for the Book Fair sign up for 2024.
Your child will have the opportunity to shop with his/her class on Tuesday, December 10. If your child plans to purchase books during the school day on their own, please send cash for them to use. The book fair has an abundance of books, but there are also pens/pencils, posters, and other fun items to purchase. It may be a good idea to talk to your child about their choices ahead of time and your expectations for their purchases. It is also important to note that SALES TAX will be added on to their purchase, so please plan accordingly.
The Book Fair will be open for families to shop Wednesday, December 11 2-4pm and Thursday, December 12 3-5:30pm. If you plan to shop with your child Wednesday or Thursday, the Book Fair will accept cash, check, or credit card. Checks can be made to Holland Christian Schools.
We appreciate your support of the book fair which supplies funds for the library!
Christmas Spirit Week
To get in the spirit of Christmas, we are going to have some fun, themed days our last week of school before Christmas Break, December 16-20. Here’s what we (along with Pine Ridge & Forest School) have planned:
- 12/16 Monday: Christmas headgear (antlers, hats)
- 12/17 Tuesday: Christmas sweater
- 12/18 Wednesday: Red/green day
- 12/19 Thursday: Christmas socks
- 12/20 Friday: Christmas PJs
Thank You From the Parent Board!
The Parent Board would like to thank you for your support of our teachers and staff during the month of November! Your cards and tokens of appreciation brightened their days.
Preschool and Kindergarten Discovery Nights
Tuesday, January 14, 6-7 pm: Families welcome
South Side Elementary, 913 Pine Avenue, Holland
Includes information about our Young 5s program
Please use this RSVP link to sign up.
If you are unable to make it to Discovery Night, you are still welcome to visit Holland Christian Schools in person and see things in action for yourself. Feel free to schedule a campus tour through our Admissions Department at admissions@hollandchristian.org or 616.820.2806. You can begin by filling out our Inquiry Form.
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 contact Rachel Hendershot at rhendershot@hollandchristian.org, or you can start an application on Edustaff.org.
Important Website Links
- School Calendar
- Lunch Menu
- Medical Information & Forms
- School Transportation
- Before & After School Programs
Upcoming Dates
December:
- 16: Christmas headgear day (antlers, hats)
- 17: Christmas sweater day
- 18: Red/green day
- 19: Christmas socks day
- 20: Christmas PJs
- 23: Christmas break begins
January:
- 6: School resumes
- 6-17: Delta Math and MAP testing
- 10: End of second quarter
- 14: South Side Discovery Night 6pm
- 17: Report cards live in Power School
- 20: No school (MLK Day)
