Nuts and Bolts

OK, friends! The goal? Let's just try not to implode over the next two weeks! On top of all of the amazing learning and transformational experiences you have planned in your classroom, we've got school-wide experiences planned galore as well! I'm trying to boil this down to just the fact, ma'am (+Ron). 

Kids Food Basket Week

This event begins on Monday. I'm so grateful for this opportunity allowing us to step into servant living. We’re approaching Holy Week during which Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an act of service and love. Our act of service and love to our neighbors is help offer relief from food insecurities. It may be a beautiful discussion to hold during snack time which can be so easily taken for granted. Thank you, friends, for passionately growing Christ followers by leading and modeling with your heart!

Day 1-Why is Healthy Food Important? 

1. Why is healthy food so important? What could happen to a student if they weren’t able to get access to healthy food? 

2. What are some positive benefits to eating healthy food? 

3. “All children have a right to healthy food.” Do you think all children currently have access to healthy food? Why or why not? 

Day 2-What is Food Insecurity? 

1. Food insecurity is where a person (or a family) can’t get enough food where everyone can live healthy. 13.7% of children experience food insecurity. How does this make you feel? 

2. Sometimes it's easy to assume that certain people are food insecure, but it can happen to anyone. All it takes is lower pay, fewer work hours, or higher bills. Why is it important to not assume that only certain people are food insecure? 

3. Community is so important when it comes to addressing food insecurity. Why is it important to remember that it takes an entire community to help find solutions to food insecurity? 

Day 3-What is a Food Desert? 

1. A “food desert” is a place where it’s difficult to find healthy food people can easily get. What are some obstacles that families can have in accessing healthy foods in food deserts? 

2. Have you ever heard of a food desert before? If so, when and how did you learn about it? 

3. Why would it be important for our community to know more about food deserts? How would raising awareness about these areas help families that live in those areas? 

Day 4-Phalesha's Story 

1. What were one or two things that stood out to you about Phalesha’s story? 

2. What were some of the things that were hard for Phaslesha to do without healthy meals growing up? 

3. What were some factors that kept Phalesha and her family from purchasing healthier foods when she was growing up? 

Day 5-How You Can Continue to Make A Difference 

1. How do you feel after being a part of a week where you raised food, funds, and learned more about Kids’ Food Basket and their mission? 

2. Why is it important to continue to think about ways that you can get involved beyond this week? 

3. There are several ways to continue to stay involved (i.e. host a fundraiser, organize a “wish list” drive, volunteer, etc.). What are some ways that you hope to stay involved? 

We will have a table set up to collect food items from the wish list:

• Nutri-Grain bars

• Fruit cups

• Cheerios

• Raisin boxes

• Cheez-It crackers 

• Goldfish crackers 

These food items were selected by children who were invited to a listening session so we can ensure we're providing children with healthy choices that suit their preferences as much as possible. 

Additionally, if you'd like to contribute to the mission good work Kids Food Basket provides in our community, please feel free to use this QR code for a direct link

Friday, March 24

Is Go Orange Day to raise awareness and pubicly offer support to the continued work done by Kids Food Basket. 

PD

If we have any marbles left in our cranium, we'll be engaged in some learning/work at the high school in the afternoon of the 24th. The 24th is a half day for students. 

Report Cards

Will be live online on March 24. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Will take place on March 20 and 27 (27th is a virtual option night)

Please Copy and Paste For Your Blog

Kids Food Basket Week

Kids Food Basket Week begins on Monday. We're so grateful for this opportunity allowing us to step into the call of servant living. We’re approaching Holy Week soon, friends, during which Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an act of service and love. One act of service and love to our neighbors can be to help offer relief from food insecurities. We anticipate special learning experiences and what we pray will be impactful discussions each day with your child. Thank you, friends, for passionately growing Christ followers by leading and modeling with your heart!

Kids Food Basket held a listening session with children who struggle with food insecurities. They learned the food preferences from the children right in our own neighborhood! The following is food from their wish list. If you're willing, please bring any of these food items between Monday, March 20-Friday, March 24. 

• Nutri-Grain bars

• Fruit cups

• Cheerios

• Raisin boxes

• Cheez-It crackers 

• Goldfish crackers 

Friday, March 24

Is Go Orange Day to raise awareness and publicly offer support to the continued work done by Kids Food Basket. 

Additionally, if you'd like to contribute to the mission good work Kids Food Basket provides in our community, please feel free to use this QR code for a direct link

Night Hike

Oh boy....our calendars, the ODC calendar, a power outage and several snow days tried putting the kabosh on our Forest Family night hike. Then along came our friends at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts! They are hosting a Lantern Lit Night Hike to the Beach! ....with hot chocolate, coffee, hand projects and give aways! Guess what! We're invited! So we'll enjoy a night hike together after all! March 24 from 6:00-8:00 join us at the Saugatuck State Park for an evening in the fun-filled evening hiking in the Forest together! 

Grandparents Day!!!

May 5 

• 2nd grade: 8:30-9:30
  
• 1st grade: 10:00-11:00
  
•         K: 11:00-12:00

BAND EXTRAVAGANZA - Come one, come all to the Holland Christian Schools Band Extravaganza for a wonderful night of music on Tuesday, March 21. HC’s 5th grade, 6th grade, Middle School, and High School Bands will perform at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts on Hope College’s campus at 7pm. Hear a wide variety of musical styles and sounds and you won’t want to miss the closer, featuring over 200 musicians combined!

 

SWINGIN’ THE NIGHT AWAY - The HCHS music department and jazz ensembles invite you to Swingin’ the Night Away on Friday, March 24, 6:45-9:30pm in the HS Cafeteria. Free dance instructions from 6:45 pm-7:30pm. Enjoy intergenerational fun, dancing, desserts and beverages from 7:30-9:30pm. Tickets are $5 at the door. Enjoy Afro-Cuban influenced music, funk tunes, the blues, and a vocal soloist!

Kids Food Basket Week

 

Kids Food Basket Week Is Coming

Are you willing to help fire up your kids to make a difference in the lives of children who struggle with food insecurities? 

50 schools from throughout West Michigan will be jumping in to work together to help bring food to “nourish kids to be their best” thanks to the leadership of Kids Food Basket.

Guess what! Rose Park is invited to join in with this important effort. Every child knows the discomfort of hunger. Many of our children don’t understand the depth of struggle with food insecurities but we certainly can work together to help ease the pain children who are our neighbors are feeling. March 20-March 24 we will live into Kids Food Basket Week! Take a peek at this flyer to learn about some of the ways your family can also get involved if you choose: KFB Week 2023-School Flyer. You’ll find a wish list of food items children in our area have shared that they enjoy eating the most. There is a QR code your family can contribute to this dear organization if you’d like. And, finally, you can wear orange on Go Orange Day, March 24. Orange is the color of Childhood Hunger Awareness and we want to help make a difference. As we grow in our gardening skills, our dream is to one day raise fresh, organic treats for these yummy sack suppers.

We'll be collecting food from the wish list gathered from children close by right in our neighborhood! Here are some of their favorite foods for the sack suppers we'd like to collect:

• Nutri-Grain bars

• Fruit cups

• Cheerios

• Raisin boxes

• Cheez-It crackers 

• Goldfish crackers 

Additionally, if you'd like to contribute to the mission good work Kids Food Basket provides in our community, please feel free to use this QR code for a direct link

Night Hike

Oh boy....our calendars, the ODC calendar, a power outage and several snow days tried putting the kabosh on our Forest Family night hike. Then along came our friends at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts! They are hosting a Lantern Lit Night Hike to the Beach! ....with hot chocolate, coffee, hand projects and give aways! Guess what! We're invited! So we'll enjoy a night hike together after all! March 24 from 6:00-8:00 join us at the Saugatuck State Park for an evening in the fun-filled evening hiking in the Forest together! 

Report Cards

Will be live online on March 24. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Will take place on March 20 and 27 (27th is a virtual option night)

Please Copy and Paste in Classroom Blogs:

Kids Food Basket Week Is Coming

Our prayer, as your partners, is that the words we say, the behaviors we model and the experiences we plan would shape your children’s heart to look just a little more like Jesus’ heart every day. By embedding our Holland Christian Discipleship Practices in the learning activities and daily life of our community, we believe we help to prepare our children for a life lived closer to God’s call as Kingdom Bringers.

50 schools from throughout West Michigan will be jumping in to work together to help bring food to “nourish kids to be their best” thanks to the leadership of Kids Food Basket.

Guess what! Rose Park is invited to join in with this important effort. Every child knows the discomfort of hunger. Many of our children don’t understand the depth of struggle with food insecurities but we certainly can work together to help ease the pain children who are our neighbors are feeling. March 20-March 24 we will live into Kids Food Basket Week! Take a peek at this flyer to learn about some of the ways your family can also get involved if you choose: KFB Week 2023-School Flyer. You’ll find a wish list of food items children in our area have shared that they enjoy eating the most. There is a QR code your family can contribute to this dear organization if you’d like. And, finally, you can wear orange on Go Orange Day, March 24. Orange is the color of Childhood Hunger Awareness and we want to help make a difference. As we grow in our gardening skills, our dream is to one day raise fresh, organic treats for these yummy sack suppers.

Would you like to participate? We'll be collecting food from the wish list gathered from children close by right in our neighborhood! Here are some of their favorite foods for the sack suppers we'd like to collect:

• Nutri-Grain bars

• Fruit cups

• Cheerios

• Raisin boxes

• Cheez-It crackers 

• Goldfish crackers 

Additionally, if you'd like to contribute to the mission good work Kids Food Basket provides in our community, please feel free to use this QR code for a direct link

Night Hike

Oh boy....our calendars, the ODC calendar, a power outage and several snow days tried putting the kabosh on our Forest Family night hike. Then along came our friends at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts! They are hosting a Lantern Lit Night Hike to the Beach! ....with hot chocolate, coffee, hand projects and give aways! Guess what! We're invited! So we'll enjoy a night hike together after all! March 24 from 6:00-8:00 join us at the Saugatuck State Park for an evening in the fun-filled evening hiking in the Forest together! 

Finally! Mark Your Calendars and Invite Your Parents! Grandparents/friends Day is Coming! 

On May 5, we would love to welcome our Grandparents/friends to the Forest! Please note the following times for each grade level. Tell your parents/friends to dress comfortably! We're going to get them moving!

• 2nd grade: 8:30-9:30 (Grandparents/friends will ride the bus with us to the classroom! We'll meet at the depot in Pine Ridge. Grandparents/friends will ride the bus back to their cars)
• 1st grade: 10:00-11:00
• K: 11:00-12:00

Brief Updates

 This might get the award for our shortest blog post EVER! Just a few notes for your calendar and one copy/paste request, friends! Other than another winter storm, it really does start to feel like spring is trying to arrive! 

Report Cards

Will be live online on March 24. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Will take place on March 20 and 27 (27th is a virtual option night)

Chapel

We're back on our schedule with team Harig/Spoelman for the 8th of March.

Please copy and paste for your blog:

"To the elementary and middle school students who are interested in playing lacrosse for Holland Christian this year, there will be a parent informational meeting on Thursday, March 9 at 7pm. It will be held in the Lecture Hall at Holland Christian High School. Please enter through Door A which will be unlocked at 6:45. This meeting is to provide you with details in terms of practice, equipment, times, etc. If you have any questions, we will be willing to answer any you may have there as well."

Dicey Ice!

Well! I miss you guys! Two ice days in a row! I pray you are staying warm, safe and well rested. Can't wait to see you on Friday! 

Kids Food Basket Week! 

Our school blog opens with this information regarding our food collection effort coming soon:

Our prayer, as your partners, is that the words we say, the behaviors we model and the experiences we plan would shape your children's heart to look just a little more like Jesus' heart every day. By embedding our Holland Christian Discipleship Practices in the learning activities and daily life of our community, we believe we help to prepare our children for a life lived closer to God's call as Kingdom Bringers.

50 schools from throughout West Michigan will be jumping in to work together to help bring food to "nourish kids to be their best" thanks to the leadership of Kids Food Basket. Guess what! Forest School is invited to join in with this important effort. Every child knows the discomfort of hunger. Many of our children don't understand the depth of struggle with food insecurities but we certainly can work together to help ease the pain children who are our neighbors are feeling. March 20-March 24 we will live into Kids Food Basket Week! Take a peek at this flyer to learn about some of the ways your family can also get involved if you choose: KFB Week 2023-School Flyer You'll find a wish list of food items children in our area have shared that they enjoy eating the most. There is a QR code your family can contribute to this dear organization if you'd like. And, finally, you can wear orange on Go Orange Day, March 24. Orange is the color of Childhood Hunger Awareness and we want to help make a difference. As we grow in our gardening skills, our dream is to one day raise fresh, organic treats for these yummy sack suppers.

We hope you'll jump in and joy us in learning to live as the servants Jesus called us to.

Report Cards

Will go live on March 24. 

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are coming up! You will receive an email with instructions on how to register for conferences in a few weeks.

• Monday, March 20: 4-8pm, In-person
• Monday, March 27: 4-8pm, Virtual option available

TRIP Tricks

For our parents in the blog but you're invited as well:

Have you heard tale of people talking about reducing their tuition bill by picking up groceries and filling the tank with gas! This isn't an urban legend, friends! It's not too good to be true! Bring your phone with you and learn about an app that can help you funnel funds to your tuition account from the typical business interaction your family currently engages in! Do either one of these sessions suit your schedule?

• Next week Wednesday, March 1 at 2pm in the Rose Park Media Center

• Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30pm in the High School Media Center

Flipping Friday!

We're Flipping

The half-day Friday encore schedule is the following:

• 8:20 for Kinder Encore
• 9:15 for 1st Encore
• 10:25 for 2nd Encore

Dismissal is at 11:30

Lunch Ordering

The attempt to streamline our lunch ordering has kicked up a healthy discussion with our staff and kitchen staff. We can circle back around on this in person if it's helpful or yet unclear. Here's the current proposed solution:

Parents complete the Google Form on the weekend to order their lunches. Each day the number of lunches that have been ordered are delivered to each classroom. Names of the students who ordered the lunches are put on bags. When a lunch is given to a student, please cross their name off the list. Our kitchen staff will use the crossed off name as an indicator of permission to bill the family for the lunch. The kitchen's request is for the lists to be returned in the Friday cooler or the last day of the school week if there's no school on Friday. Again, the names crossed off the list will be the families charged for a school lunch. 

It sounds like we have a few families who do not sign up for lunches and do not send a lunch to school with their child. That's a challenge for you, for the child and for the kitchen. The kitchen does not have adequate staffing to bring last minute orders to children who do not have a lunch. YIKES! We should probably brainstorm how to remedy this because that's a FS family issue, not a kitchen issue. Nancy will attempt to resolve the missing orders by sending this note to FS families:

Dear Forest Families:

We want you to know we are trying very hard to provide lunches for your students with nutritious choices.   It's important for you to sign up on the lunch google doc weekly if your child is ordering hot lunch.  The weekly sign up needs to be done by Monday at 7:00am.  

The beauty of the Forest School is that students are exploring and not in their classrooms.   We deliver the lunches out to the Forest Schools.  These are not traditional buildings with a kitchen.  So when someone does not preorder a lunch, we need to deliver lunch to Forest.   

Starting 2/27, we will have a turkey lunchable, ranch chickpeas, fruit cup and milk available for those students who did not preorder lunch.  We will bill the student's account $2.75 for lunch.  I really hope that parents will remember to pre order.  We have tried to make it as easy as possible for parents, teachers and our staff.   Thank you for partnering with us. 

I'll continue to work with the families whose children do not have a lunch and have not ordered a lunch. If you're willing to hold close to the request to cross off names of students who have received a lunch and please text me or a family if a child does not have a lunch rather than texting the kitchen. 

Maybe all of this will get us a step closer to resolving lunch count/billing for our families!  

Monday's Work

• 7:30-8:00 Breakfast begins on main street 
• 8:00-8:30 Worship 
• 8:40-11:45 Building level meetings
• 11:45-12:15 Lunch provided on main street
• 12:20-3:30 Whole group learning

Grandparents Day

Just recapping for your calendars:

May 5 

2nd grade: 8:30-9:30

1st grade: 10:00-11:00

        K: 11:00-12:00

Please copy and paste for your blogs:

TRIP Training

How would you like to learn how you can receive dollars that go directly to your family's tuition account simply by going about your ordinary business transactions? Our Tuition Reduction Incentive Program (TRIP) almost sounds too good to be true! But it's TRUE! And it works! Much of the TRIP exchanges can now be done directly on your phone! Kristi and Kim, our amazing TRIP coordinators, are willing to offer curious parents a workshop to learn how to participate so you can also receive some reductions in your tuition just by ordinary exchanges such as purchasing groceries, buying gas and taking a vacation! Even some orthodontists can be linked with your TRIP account! Join us for either of these two workshop sessions and bring your phone! You'll walk away from the time together ready to start chipping at your bill thanks to TRIP! 

• March 1 at 6:30 at the High School in the lecture hall
• March 7 at 2:00 at Rose Park in the media center

Tulip Time

1st and 2nd grade teachers, would you please make a copy of this form for your class and send to your parents for their costume preference in this Tulip Time parade? They received the explanation in the school blog so this should be something they are expecting to see. Please let me know if you have questions! We can talk about these details at our staff meeting to clarify wonderings. Thank you! 

Swimming Blurb

The Holland Aquatic Center will be providing us with swim lessons again this year. Our 1st & 2nd graders will head to the pool February 27-March 10. Pine Ridge and Rose Park children have already enjoyed their weeks of lessons and I'm grateful to share with you that our lessons were a hit! As is understandable, children had some butterflies before the first day of lessons because it's new and different. I was so impressed with how patient, compassionate and well-trained the Holland Aquatic Center staff is in putting children at ease right from the start of lessons. The staff is new. Their program is new AND?! the suits are new! Have a peek at these pix to help your child and you be prepared and informed for our swim lessons:

On the first day children and teachers meet the swim instructors and learn that it's okay if you don't know how to swim or you feel nervous. Mr. Dan didn't know how to swim when he first took lessons and he was nervous too! He learned to LOVE swimming just by trying! The staff is here to help kids try blowing bubbles and just trying out the water when they feel ready. 

The suits are new! The kids loved the new upgrade in fashion! 

There are not enough bathroom stalls for every child to change inside. Children change into their swim suit in the locker room. A Holland Aquatic staff member stands out of the line of sight but in the entry way to the locker room using their voice to help students move through the process of changing and get out to the pool deck. We found that some children felt most comfortable taking an extra large t-shirt from home to act as a privacy tent. You might even practice this a little bit at home! Children can pull the large t-shirt over their heads and then change into their suit under their t-shirt tent if they would like privacy! This works well after lessons when they change back into their school clothes again as well! We will do all we can to keep each child comfortable and excited about these important swim lessons! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Mrynsburger@hollandchristian.org 

• 2nd Grade – 9:15am-9:45am 
• 1st Grade – 10:15am-10:45am 

Kids’ Stuff Resale- Donating Day
NEW this year- If you have high quality items you would like to donate to the Kids Stuff Resale (items we could price at $15+ each), we will be accepting donations on Wednesday, March 2 in the admin office of the high school (Door B). Items can be dropped off between 8am-4pm this day only. Questions? Contact Michelle Schaap at mschaap@hollandchristian.org.

Sunny Days

 The sunshine has truly just been GLORIOUS this week! Clearly we've been enjoying a full moon as well. 😝 

We probably shouldn't bust out the shorts quite yet but I did spot some snowdrops on a run this week!!! 

New Hike Date!

It's yet to be officially confirmed but likely the new date for the Forest Family Night Hike at the ODC will be on February 23! I'll confirm as soon as I'm able! 

Staff Meeting

Our next staff meeting will be Monday, February 13 in Emily's classroom, please. 

Tulip Time 

1st and 2nd grade teachers, would you please make a copy of this form for your class and send to your parents for their costume preference in this Tulip Time parade? They received the explanation in the school blog so this should be something they are expecting to see. Please let me know if you have questions! Thank you! 

February Is Here!

As educators entrusted with shaping the hearts and minds of the next generation, Black History Month is an important learning opportunity to bring to our children. To be honest, my prayer is that some day this month won't even be necessary because we truly value the lives, contributions and stories of ALL people. But, until that day that we live in complete shalom as God intended, let's help shape our children's understanding of culture and the value of all by highlighting Black History Month in February. Please don't hesitate to ask me for ideas or suggestions if you're unsure! 

Data Meeting

February 6 will be our semester 1 data meetings! If you're able, please complete running records on our kiddos who are below benchmark. Input the updated data in our sheets doc and below is our grade level meeting times and locations:

12:15 Kindergarten - Ron's classroom
1:10 1st grade - Emily's classroom
2:20 2nd grade - Pine Ridge classroom

Staff Meeting

Our next staff meeting will be Monday, February 13 in Emily's classroom, please. 

Tulip Time 

1st and 2nd grade teachers, would you please make a copy of this form for your class and send to your parents for their costume preference in this Tulip Time parade? They received the explanation in the school blog so this should be something they are expecting to see. Please let me know if you have questions! We can talk about these details at our staff meeting to clarify wonderings. Thank you! 

Please copy and paste in your blog:

Hope to see you Thursday evening at the ODC for our First Forest Family Night Hike!