100th Day In Person

Collaboration Days

Are almost upon us. Take a look at our dates and times. We'll be meeting in the admin board room all spaced out and masked. 😷😀

100th Day Celebration

Our count might be off by a smidge but what do you think about celebrating with IMMENSE gratitude our 100th time of coming to school IN PERSON on Friday? 

I don't want to brag....but look what shirt came floating up the ol Amazon! Let's have fun on Friday! 

• We have a few fun ideas in mind to help celebrate with our students and share in our collective gratitude for 100 days of in person learning! God is GOOD! 
• You will each have a classroom set of eye droppers if you'd like to have your kids to the classic water tension experiment on a penny. They likely won't make it to 100 drops but perhaps they can find a partner penny total that would get them to 100! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVd3hv4b1FU&ab_channel=RaisingDragons-ActivitiesForKids
• I have a fun pencil for each student you may pass out as well....I KNOW! A pencil! Can you even believe it?!? .....the budget didn't have allowance for a new car for each teacher so we opted for a pencil for each kid. Almost as exciting! 

Wacky Wednesday

We haven't really done these together in the Forest. Do we want to join Rose Park in Wacky Wednesdays? 

PD 

Is Monday, February 15. Erin will be letting everyone know where to report for the day of learning and developing. Plan on a full day together in a variety of locations. It should be a busy, valuable day together! Our Forest team will spend time in planning and calibrating in the afternoon. Ron? Can we plop at your place? 

Enrollment

Please pray over these very special upcoming dates. This is big decision for families and our desire is to serve God with the mission at HC with more and more of our next generation of Kingdom bringers! 

21-22 kindergarten enrollment begins on February 2 at 7 am (no deposit required).

21-22 preschool enrollment begins February 9 at 7 am and requires a $75 non-refundable deposit. 

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences 

Elementary: March 29 4:00-8:00 and March 31 4:00-8:00

Semester Two, Here We Come!!!

Remember way back to the start of this school year? We prayed that God will protect our students, families and staff in terms of health and day-to-day schooling. Here we are. In person! Our children rock their drop off independently, fully trusting YOU to welcome them and care for them! Thank you for praying, for faithfully serving and for living in HOPE each day this semester. God has done amazing work through your hands in a pandemic. Let's keep serving faithfully and with prayer as we approach semester two! 

PD Details for the 15th

Erin will be sending out notification soon regarding our PD on the 15th of February. There's a good deal of individualized work that we'll be taking part in. Any staff member who has yet to complete level 1 or 2 of our CQC work will likely be provided some valuable learning on that day. This will include hourly employees as well as salaried (weird distinction, I know). If you are an hourly employee who has completed level 1 and 2 of CQ training, we might not require meeting times. Again, more details forthcoming from Erin. 

Collaboration Dates/Times

Looks a little something like this:

Report Cards Go Home January 22

 

If you would like your cards printed and packed, would you please plan to have them ready to rock by Wednesday, January 20 by noon. 

 

Data Meetings

 

Week of January 25. Would you please email me and Lydia the date/time that works best for you/your team? We'll get those on the calendar!

Black History Month

Who are your authors? Who are your heroes? Let's all remain intentional about representing ALL of God's children, ALL perspectives of history, ALL talent and contribution from the children of the world. Thank you for your compassionate eye for the things we teach both overtly and covertly every day.

Our God Reigns

Some school days go by and I feel so focused on all of the tasks at hand that I never lift my head enough to see what's happening in the world at large. Yesterday was one of those days. Boy. Tough news to comprehend when we closed the school day after our staff meeting yesterday, wasn't it? After updating ourselves on the information, TJ and I turned the TV off and turned to Romans 12:9-12. We all know these words well, but in light of the events that filled our minds and hearts yesterday at our nation's capital, hear these words from the book that we love written by Paul who also knew earthly chaos all too well. "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another in showing honor. do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, preserver in prayer." May it ever be so. 

Friday Afternoon Meeting

I'll confirm with each of you which time slot you are meeting with Erin and me tomorrow afternoon regarding academic norms for the sake of laying groundwork for third grade. A sub will be coming to cover each of you for a one hour rotation. Confirmation coming soon! Stay tuned! 

Want Some $$$?

My creative, innovative friends. You have spent nearly 12 months living, connecting, loving and thinking outside of the box! You deserve a tropical island as payment for all you have done and continue to do. I have yet to find a bunch of those that fit within the budget....but what about $2,500? Check out this amazing and generous grant opportunity! Thank you, State Farm Insurance for this opportunity! Can I help you write a proposal? With all of the creativity in technology, outdoor education, new emerging programming....this is worth the effort! 

Assessment Reminders:

Delta Math

January 4-8th (for first and second grade only)

NWEA MAP

January 11-22

Report Cards Go Home January 22

If you would like your cards printed and packed, please plan to have them ready to rock by Wednesday, January 20 in the morning. 

Data Meetings

Week of January 25. Would you please email me and Lydia the date/time that works best for you/your team? We'll get that on the calendar! 

Thank You Notes

If anyone would still like to send a thank you card to our Christmas Bonus donors, I will collect them from you during our meeting on Friday. They will be delivered by Friday afternoon. 

When our donors asked about providing a Christmas bonus again, they had saved each of the thank you cards from the previous year. They were so encouraged to read the words of appreciation from our staff, which is why they decided to do it again and do even more! We'd love to drop off a big stack of thank-you's again this year!

Please copy and paste the following: 

Requested Announcement:

Little Maroons Parents,

Thank you for your patience as we navigate changes to the winter season. With the high school basketball season being condensed and changed, there will be some adjustments to the Little Maroon schedule. We are doing our best to give your child the best schedule while also following COVID guidelines and best practices. Please note the date changes as well as some further health department guidelines that will need to be enforced. This is the schedule assuming that sports can resume as of January 16.

Guidelines that will need to be followed:
Each athlete will need their own water bottle, no water will be provided.
Each athlete will need to wear a mask or face covering for the duration of Little Maroons.
New: Only athletes will be allowed in the gym. Parents may walk in to drop their kids off but must leave at the start of each session. Parents may enter with five minutes of the session to pick up their child. This is to stay within compliance with the health department.

Adjusted Schedule:

MONDAY January 18: (No school)

8:30-10. 3/4 SKILL

10:30-12 k-2 SKILL

12:30-2 5-6 SKILL

January 23:

8:30-10. 3/4 SKILL

10:30-12 k-2 SKILL

12:30-2 5-6 SKILL

January 30:

8:30-10. 3/4 SKILL

10:30-12 k-2 SKILL

12:30-2 5-6 SKILL

February 6:

8:30-10. 3/4 League

February 13:

8:30-10. 3/4 League

February 20:

8:30-10. 3/4 League

February 27:

8:30-10. 3/4 League

Merry Christmas

I pray each of you enjoy the glow and hope of our Father's love and promise this Christmas. Rest, friends. Play a new game. Read a new book. Walk a new trail. Enjoy the blessings around us in life. To each of you a very Merry Christmas! 

MLK Jr Day

Monday, January 18 we remember all that Martin Luther King Jr gave to this world in teaching inclusion and love. Not simply because it is a school board adopted goal but because this teaching is gospel living, please make note to bring this learning to your children particularly surrounding this important day. 

Delta Math

Testing window will be the week of the 4th of January. 

Staff Meeting

Thursday, January 7. Will this work? 

MAP Testing

Testing window will be the week of January 11.

Data Meetings

Is it possible to get running records on reds and yellows into the data sheets by the 22nd of January? Then we can start to plot our data meetings on the calendar. 

Collaboration Days

January 28 and 29

Semester Ends January 15

Report Cards Home January 20

Establish the Work of our Hands (and Hearts!)

 It's probably safe to say we're all missing the beautiful sound of our children regularly singing Christmas songs during this season in we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Yet, have you been blessed to hear, perhaps on spotify or your Alexa, the song "What Can I Give Him?" This is one of my favorite songs I love to hear our children sing. It's a blessing to let that song rumble around the heart throughout the day while buzzing around school as well. YOU, our dedicated and faith-filled staff members, live out the words of that song: "What can I give him? Poor as I am. Give Him my heart." God has clearly blessed each of you with a uniquely designed heart. Your heart was molded by God in a special way to LOVE children unconditionally and patiently tend them to grow in fertile ground back to know HIM! Sometimes I tell parents that the heart of a teacher is a bit odd. Your hearts have been designed by God with a bunch of pockets! It doesn't take long and each child settles right in to the pockets of your heart! Sometimes they never leave! You've been blessed by God with that compassionately beating heart of yours and, in return, you are giving him your beautiful heart in servitude every day within our schools. 

Thank! You! 

The words of Psalm 90:17 paired with that song in my prayer for each of you recently. "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands--yes, establish the work of our hands." May God see fit to bless the dedicated efforts each of you have so beautifully offered to Him. These are your first fruits! You've stayed up late at night planning, accommodating and modifying. You've connected with people seeking answers to questions, collaborating with others and offering support to colleagues. You've patiently listened to parents, accepted their anxieties and concerns with 'all the things' of this year and loved every imperfect child vulnerably placed in your care. You are serving God so faithfully. We pray that, for a lifetime, God would bless the work of your hands (and heart) to mold, stretch, shape and design each child for his glory. 

One more week to celebrate our way through and let's enJOY a merry Christmas together! 

Printer

While in Ron's room yesterday I noted that, hmmmm, where is that printer we were told in July would be coming. I texted Charlie and he apologized stating it just simply got forgotten in the midst of 'all the things'. A printer is on the way! I'll keep it on my radar as well! 

Angie's Angels

Charlie's Angels got nothin' on Angie's fleet! Beautiful job, second graders! 

Christmas Lunch

Thursday, December 17, our parent team would like to provide YOU with a lunch as their way of sharing their thanks and love! Please leave your peanut butter and jelly at home! The lunch will be boxed but you can sit for a spell in the media center if you'd like! 

Report Cards

C'mon! For real?!?! For those early planners among us, report cards will go home on Friday, January 22. Students who are reading below benchmark need another running record recorded in our data sheets please. Let me know if I can help with this effort! 

2nd grade

1st grade

Kindergarten

Thankful Heart

 

Gratitude fills the epicenter of these days, doesn't it? In our classrooms, small groups at church and in living rooms across our community we come together to express our deep and abiding gratitude for the small and big blessings in life. This school year has not been an easy one. For Pete's sake, 2020 has not been easy. But despite the hardship and the valleys, we have been blessed to see God's hand clearly and presently in all things! 

I am grateful for each one of you! I am grateful for your grace and your faith. I am grateful for your creativity and your 'can do' attitude. I am grateful for your laughter and your joy! I'm telling you, I am so grateful to do life with each one of you! We have a unique bond. God has woven us together in community to help raise a group of beautiful children! We live in relationship marked in truth and grace! Thank you for faithfully serving God with your best! Thank you for dusting each other off when we trip up! Thank you for praying over one another in our times of weakness. I am grateful, this Thanksgiving Day in 2020, to be woven together with you for such a time as this! 

Chapel on the 1st! 

We have Mrs. Render on next! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like ideas or support, Charity! 

Turkey Trot

Well team, I'm putting on a Turkey costume and trotting around the playground with our Rose Parkers on Monday. Tuesday afternoon....anyone around? Want to have your kids trot with a turkey on the track? Send me an email with a 15 minute window of time that works for you and I'll meet your kids on the track! Ron? No hunting gear allowed! ;) 

For your blog please:

Little Maroons Basketball Update

Due to the current safety protocols, our kindergarten through sixth grade Little Maroons basketball programing will be postponed till after Christmas break.  Current registrations will be automatically registered for the new dates.  City of Holland Recreation will also be postponing our 5/6er programing as well, but more specific information will be coming from them as well.  The dates we are planning on at this point for our grade levels are the following: 

K-2: Skill Sessions on 1/9, 1/16 and 1/23.

(10:30-12pm: Girls at Pine Ridge & Boys at High School) 

3-4: Skill Sessions on 1/9, 1/16 and 1/23 & League Play 1/30, 2/6, 2/13 and 2/20. 

(8:30-10am: Girls at Pine Ridge & Boys at High School)

5-6: Skill Sessions on 1/9, 1/16 and 1/23 & City of Holland Dates Coming. 

(12:30-2pm: Girls at Pine Ridge & Boys at High School)

More information about specific safety protocols may be communicated as we get closer to January, but the plan is to continue with our current practice of wearing face masks, 1 spectator per participant, distancing, and washing of hands and equipment.