What a beautiful week it's been again. It's amazing to witness the intricate changes in season that our Creative God has designed and puts on display each fall!  We are reminded that despite what's going on in the world around us, God remains constant and He is with us! What a comfort that is! 

HOMEWORK FOLDERS:
Your child's new Reading slip and Math homework are coming home on Monday (Oct. 10) and they will be due Monday, Oct. 17. 
- Bible: Psalm 23 was sent home this week. It is a beautiful psalm, enjoy learning and reviewing it all together!

-New words of the week are: more, idea, soon

WORDS OF THE WEEK:
Thank you for helping your child practice: things, school, walk, always, great, find, until, last, high, easy, next, pretty
This coming week's new words are: more, idea, soon
There will be a blue half sheet in Monday's Homework folder so you can keep it on the fridge and continue to practice reading and writing these words. This coming week we are finishing up our first set of 15 words, so we will have our Spelling Test on Wednesday Oct. 19!

Jungle Explorer of the Week!

Joanna was our special Jungle Explorer of the Week! Thanks for sharing your poster and pictures with our class. We enjoyed getting to know you and learning that you love playing on the monkey bars, reading, writing, and helping others. Your favorite food is pizza! We love that you want to be a scientist when you grow up! Your favorite place is visiting the museum. You are so special to God and to us, Joanna, and we loved getting to know more about you this week!

CONFERENCES:
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be the following days:
Monday, Oct. 17 from 4:00-8:00pm
Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 12:00-4:00pm

The link to sign up for conferences will be available until Oct. 14. There are some days it will be locked as High School and Middle School conferences may be taking place. Please check back to the email you received to first sign up if you have any questions.

I am looking forward to meeting with you, and celebrating all your child has accomplished in 2nd grade so far, and discussing ways we can continue to challenge your child this year! 

Report Cards:

PowerSchool/Report Card Viewing 

Report cards will be available Friday, October 14 at 4:00pm via PowerSchool. Login information was handed out on Ice Cream Social night. If you have misplaced it, or if you are having issues logging into PowerSchool, please contact Mrs. Ritsema in the office by emailing jritsema@hollandchristian.org so your account will be ready to view your child's report card. 

You will be able to access Report Card information in two ways through the Parent PowerSchool Portal. One way is by clicking "Grades and Attendance" in the left navigation (typically the first screen you'll see) and then clicking the tab "Standards Grades" in the main screen. The other way is to click the "K-5 Report Cards" in the left navigation. This one takes longer to load but will show everything.

Important Dates:

Oct. 10: Math Homework due, Reading slips due, Library books due

Oct. 14: Report Cards go live

Oct. 17 & 19: Conferences- 17th from 4-8pm and 19th from 12:00-4;00pm

Oct. 19: 1st- 15 Sight Words Test, 1/2 day of school

Oct. 20 &21: No School CEA Convention

Nov. 2: Picture Retake Day

Fall is in the air! We are starting to see glimpses of God's power in the slight color change on the leaves! What an awesome God we serve! The students are learning each day in Bible to trust our all-powerful God. We are in awe of God's faithfulness to His people despite their unfaithfulness to Him. What a beautiful reminder that our God who changes the seasons also holds each of us gently in His hands. We had a great time at the Walk-a-thon! Thanks to all the parents who helped out to make it a huge success!

HOMEWORK:

Your child's reading slip and math homework page are due Monday the 3rd. Please return them in your child's Friday Folder, along with the homework folder. 

Monday (Oct. 3rd) your child will come home with their homework folder again.

Inside will be...

- A Math worksheet that will be due on Monday, Oct. 10. Please remember to time your child on each half of the page and write their time or number correct in the side column.

- A Reading Minutes sheet that will be due on Monday, Oct. 10. Remember the goal is 100 minutes. This can be your child reading on his/her own OR you and your child taking turns.

-New Bible memory-A copy of Psalm 23 to keep at home.

-Blue 1/2 sheet with our words of the week.

WORDS OF THE WEEK:

Thank you for helping your child practice: things, school, walk, always, great, find, until,
last, high. Look for the blue half sheet in your child's Homework Folder.

This coming week's new words are: easy, next, pretty

BIBLE MEMORY:

We are starting to learn Psalm 23. A copy to keep at home will be sent home in the homework folder on Monday. Please continue to practice this at home. Our goal is to have this completely memorized by the end of the month.

 

Jungle Explorer of the Week!

Cole K. was our special Jungle Explorer of the Week! Thanks for sharing your poster and pictures with our class. We enjoyed getting to know you and learning that you like Legos and Reading, your favorite place is Legoland, and your favorite food is pizza! We love that you want to be a Captain when you grow up! You are so special to God and to us, Cole, and we loved getting to know more about you this week!

Field Trip to Sassafras Ridge:

On Oct. 7 our 2nd grade class will be going to Sassafras Ridge for outdoor learning. We look forward to seeing God's beautiful creation and see how plants can change this time of year. We will be doing some of our Reading work at Sassafras Ridge. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing for the day. We will be at Sassafras in the afternoon.

POCKET DAY: 

Our 30th day of school is Wednesday, Oct. 5. We'll have our next pocket day competition--come with your layers of store-made pockets! :) We see who wins this time! 

Book Orders:

Book order papers went home last week Friday. I'll be taking orders until Oct. 5 if you would like to order. Shopping early for Christmas? I'd be happy to keep your order a secret! Ordering online is easy and you have the option to have your order shipped to school or your house.

CONFERENCES:
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be the following days:
Monday, Oct. 17 from 4:00-8:00pm
Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 12:00:-400pm

The link to sign up for conferences will be available until Oct. 14. There are some days it will be locked as High School and Middle School conferences may be taking place. Please check back to the email you received to first sign up if you have any questions.

I am looking forward to meeting with you, and celebrating all your child has accomplished in 2nd grade so far, and discussing ways we can continue to grow your child this year! 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Oct. 3:Purple reading slip due, Math Homework due, Library books due

Oct. 5:Pocket Day

Oct. 7: Field Trip to Sassafras Ridge

Oct. 14: Report Cards go live

Oct. 19: 1/2 day of school

Oct. 17 and 19: Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4pm-8pm, 19th from 12pm-4pm

Oct. 20 and 21: CEA Convention (No School)

Fall has arrived

What a week in second grade! It's been such a joy this week to watch the students dig
deeper into some of the Old Testament. During Bible time, we briefly touched on the different judges, prophets, kings, and nation of Israel being split into two. I love the connection students have made between these people making mistakes and God still loving them. Just as we make mistakes and God still loves us! The kids have been working hard and I am so proud of them! Thanks for all the support you've given me from home this first month as well! I certainly couldn't do it without you! 

HOMEWORK:

Friday Praise time!

Your child's current reading slip and math homework pages are due Monday the 26th. Please return them in your child's Friday Folder, along with the Homework folder. 

Monday (26th) your child will come home with their homework folder again.

Inside will be...

- A Math worksheet that will be due on Monday, Oct. 3. Please remember to time your child on each half of the page and write their number correct in the side column.

- A Reading Minutes sheet that will be due on Monday, Oct. 3. Remember the goal is 100 minutes. This can be your child reading on his/her own OR you and your child taking turns.

- Blue 1/2 sheet with your child's next three words of the week- until, last, high

WORDS OF THE WEEK:

Thank you for helping your child practice: things, school, walk, always, great, find. Look for the blue half sheet in your child's Homework Folder.

This coming week's new words are: until, last, high

BIBLE MEMORY:

We are continuing to practice Psalm 8 and the students are doing really well. Please continue to practice this at home. Our goal is to have this completely memorized by the end of the month. We are almost there!

 

Book Orders:

Book orders are coming home this week. Scholastic has many great books! Please place your order by Oct. 5 if you are interested. Doing some early Christmas shopping? Please let me know and I can keep the books a secret for you! Thanks!

Lunch Helpers:

Looking for parents who would like to come in and help cover lunch in the classroom on Wednesdays. If you are able, sign up with the link below! Thanks for your help! I've had kids asking when parents can come in and be in our room. :)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D48A4AB2BA4F58-lunch

Jungle Explorer of the Week!

Connor was our special Jungle of the Week! Thanks for sharing your poster and pictures with our class. We enjoyed getting to know you and learning that you love driving tractors, feeding your cows, playing outside, and hugging your dad. Your favorite food is hamburgers! We love that you want to be a farmer when you grow up! Your favorite place is Sea World in Orlando, Florida. You are so special to God and to us, Connor, and we loved getting to know more about you this week!

Reading and Writing:

Just and FYI, due to our large class size I wanted to let parents know that we will be receiving help in our classroom. Students may get help from Mrs. Schupe, Mrs. Haig, or myself. We are blessed to have willing hands and people to help the students grow this year!

IMPORTANT DATES:

Sept. 26:Purple reading slip due, Math Homework due, Library books due

Sept. 28: Walk-a-thon

Oct. 14: Report Cards go live

Oct. 19: 1/2 day of school

Oct. 17 and 19: Parent/Teacher Conferences: the 17th from 4-8pm, the 19th from 12-4pm

Oct. 20-21: CEA Convention (No School)

Praise and worship chapel!

What a week in second grade! It's been such a joy this week to watch the students dig deeper into some of the Old Testament Bible stories and they have loved making connections of how God used  these events in each person's life to keep his covenant with his people.  The kids have been working hard and I am so proud of them! Thanks for all the support you've given me from home this first month as well! I certainly couldn't do it without you!  

HOMEWORK:

*Your child's reading slip and math homework page are coming home in your child's Homework Folder, on Monday the 19th. 
Inside will be...
- A Math worksheet that will be due on Monday, Sept. 26. Please remember to time your child on each half of the page and write their total correct in the side column.

- A Reading Minutes sheet that will be due on Monday, Sept. 26. Remember the goal is 100 minutes. This can be your child reading on his/her own OR you and your child taking turns. 

-A blue half sheet that has our next 3 sight words to work on for 2nd grade. Please practice these if your child doesn't know how to spell them. The words will be: always, great, find

WORDS OF THE WEEK:
Thank you for helping your child practice: things, school, walk. Look for the blue half sheet in your child's Homework Folder coming home on Monday.
This coming week's new words are: always, great, find 

Jungle Explorer of the Week!

Adrielle was our Jungle Explorer of the Week! Thanks for sharing your poster and pictures with our class. We enjoyed getting to know you and learning that you love the beach, the trampoline, puzzles, and soccer, and your favorite food is cookies! We love that you want to be a teacher when you grow up! Your favorite place is the CN Tower in Toronto. You are so special to God and to us, Adrielle, and we loved getting to know more about you this week! 

POCKET DAY: 

Wednesday Sept. 21 is our 20th day of school already! Come ready to compete and see which 2nd graders, the odd numbered students or the even numbered students, in our class will have the most pockets! We'll be ready to count them up! :) We don't have another 2nd grade class to compete against so we decided to make the competition between ourselves as a way to celebrate every 10 days! Because of picture day your child can bring their pocket clothing along and put it on after we take our pictures. Pockets must be store bought clothing items not homemade items, thanks.

WALK-A-THON:
We will have the Walk-a-Thon on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Everyone in the class gets to participate, regardless of how much they raise. The parent team is ordering T-shirts and will have them available for the students to change into at school the day of our Walk-a-Thon. Parents are welcome to cheer kids on as they walk!  There will be fun prizes, and the class who raises the most money will get a pizza party! Most of all, thanks for supporting our school--the funds raised always go to enhance classroom learning and it is such a blessing! Packets are due Wednesday, September  21!

SCHOOL PICTURES:
*Picture order forms are came home last week Friday, and they were due by Wednesday, Sept 14. If you didn't return your form yet please do so by Monday, the 19th! If you have multiple kiddos at HC, be sure to keep track of the pre-printed names on the order forms. Picture Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 21. IF YOU WANT A YEARBOOK, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO ORDER IT! We need you to return the picture order forms even if you aren't ordering anything, and even if you are ordering online, as our photo company needs the paperwork for each student. Thanks!

Homecoming:

**All preschool and kindergarten families are invited to attend for FREE through the RSVP form.**  RSVP HERE

 

Families with children in 1st-12th grade can purchase Homecoming tickets through our Athletics link - EVENTLINK - tickets include the meal, activities, and Varsity Football game at 7:00 pm. (Online: $8/ticket)

We hope to see you out at this fun, family event! GO MAROONS! 

Special Opportunity:

Interested in an inclusive sport opportunity? Unified Sports is a part of the Unified Champion Schools program offered through Special Olympics. It is a unique and inclusive athletic opportunity for students with and without disabilities to play together on the same team, making athletics more accessible for students who may not otherwise be included or invited to be on a team. Holland Christian and Zeeland Christian partner to form the Maroons Unified team. We are offering Soccer this Fall and are looking for partners to join the team. If you are interested in this opportunity for your child, please fill out the Google Form.

 Unified Soccer Partner Interest Form

The selection of partners will be first come, first served, while maintaining an equal balance of students from both HC and ZCS so the team is truly a combined team!

Please email ejohnson@hollandchristian.org with questions.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Sept. 19: Readig Slip Due, Math Homework Due, Library Books due

Sept. 21: School Picture Day, Walk-a-thon pledges due

Sept. 28: Walk-a-thon

Oct.  14: Report Cards live

Oct. 17 and 19: Parent Teacher Conferences (19 is a1/2 day)

Oct. 20-21: CEA Convention no school

Our class had a wonderful week! We have been so blessed to be together these first few weeks of school! The students are getting the routines and enjoy being together with their classmates. We have lots going on in each subject area, and have enjoyed learning about God and learning about how to live a life full of wisdom from James in Bible.

BIBLE MEMORY:
*We are continuing to practice Psalm 8, and we are up to knowing verses 1-3 somewhat well. Please continue to practice this at home.

HOMEWORK:
*Your child's first reading slip and math homework page are coming home in your child's Homework Folder, on Monday the 12th. 
Inside will be...
- A Math worksheet that will be due on Monday, Sept. 19. Please remember to time your child on each half of the page and write their total correct in the side column.

- A Reading Minutes sheet that will be due on Monday, Sept. 19. Remember the goal is 100 minutes. This can be your child reading on his/her own OR you and your child taking turns. 

-A blue half sheet that has our first 3 sight words to work on for 2nd grade. Please practice these if your child doesn't know how to spell them. The words will be: things, school, walk

Words of the Week:

*Our 2nd Grade words we'll be focusing on reading/writing this coming week are: things, school, walk 

We will add on 3 words each week, and when we get to 15 words we'll have a spelling test on those 15 words. Look for a blue half sheet coming home in your child's Homework Folder on Monday, for your fridge. 

These words make up the 2nd grade sight word list that students should be able to read & write by the end of 2nd grade. 

WALK-A-THON:
We will have the Walk-a-Thon on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Everyone in the class gets to participate, regardless of how much they raise. The parent team is ordering T-shirts and will have them available for the students to change into at school the day of our Walk-a-Thon. Parents are welcome to cheer kids on as they walk!  There will be fun prizes, and the class who raises the most money will get a pizza party! Most of all, thanks for supporting our school--the funds raised always go to enhance classroom learning and it is such a blessing! Packets are due Monday, September 21!

SCHOOL PICTURES:
*Picture order forms are coming home today, and they are due by Wednesday, Sept 14. If you have multiple kiddos at HC, be sure to keep track of the pre-printed names on the order forms. Picture Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 21. IF YOU WANT A YEARBOOK, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO ORDER IT! We need you to return the picture order forms even if you aren't ordering anything, and even if you are ordering online, as our photo company needs the paperwork for each student. Thanks!

Jungle Explorer of the Week:

We will start with our first Jungle Explorer next week! I will send home and note to let you know what to do along with your child's poster to decorate and the Guessing Jar to fill. So excited to learn more about each of our students! The students had fun learning more about Mrs. Dreyer and Mrs. Schupe these last couple of weeks.

Homecoming:

**All preschool and kindergarten families are invited to attend for FREE through the RSVP form.**  RSVP HERE

 

Families with children in 1st-12th grade can purchase Homecoming tickets through our Athletics link - EVENTLINK - tickets include the meal, activities, and Varsity Football game at 7:00 pm. (Online: $8/ticket)

We hope to see you out at this fun, family event! GO MAROONS! 

Special Opportunity:

Interested in an inclusive sport opportunity? Unified Sports is a part of the Unified Champion Schools program offered through Special Olympics. It is a unique and inclusive athletic opportunity for students with and without disabilities to play together on the same team, making athletics more accessible for students who may not otherwise be included or invited to be on a team. Holland Christian and Zeeland Christian partner to form the Maroons Unified team. We are offering Soccer this Fall and are looking for partners to join the team. If you are interested in this opportunity for your child, please fill out the Google Form.

 Unified Soccer Partner Interest Form

The selection of partners will be first come, first served, while maintaining an equal balance of students from both HC and ZCS so the team is truly a combined team!

Please email ejohnson@hollandchristian.org with questions.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Sept. 14: Picture Forms are due
Sept. 19: Reading Minutes Due, Math Homework Due(Homework Folder came home on the 12th) 

Sept. 21: School Picture Day, Walk-a-thon pledges due

Sept. 28: Walk-a-thon

Aug. 26, 2022

We flew through our first week! Your child is learning the daily routines and settling in nicely! It feels great to have the classroom buzzing with excitement, curiosity, and eagerness to learn new things about our great God and the world he has placed us in! Thank you for sharing your child with me each day! We are going to try to keep this entry short and sweet with a few important things for you to note.

Streams of Living Water:

Our theme for this year is Streams of  Living Water. We have been talking about our theme and how we as a class can live this out together this year. Mrs. Wyma talked to us during chapel on Wednesday about our theme. God fills us up with his Living Water.  We can be a refreshing light in our world and share this life giving water with those around us.

Bible Memory: 

Our first chapel of the year!

With September approaching, we will be practicing Psalm 8, our September Bible Memory. A
copy for your fridge will come home today. :) Please try to practice this at home. Remember that we will recite this together various ways at school, but it would be great to have the practice at home as well. This passage is being done K-12 to create a passionate commitment to faith and development of the whole school body.

Batons:

Please make sure to return your child's Baton to school by Sept. 1.  

Homework:

We are all busy settling in to new routines, from school to soccer practices, etc. so we will ease into the year together. We recognize that families are busy with Labor Day weekend plans as well, so we'll start Reading and Math Homework after Labor Day.

Shoes:

Please try to remember to have your child have BOTH indoor and outdoor shoes. We are giving grace this first week but we do need to make this a priority! Thank you!

*THANK YOU for your love, prayers, and support as we begin this new school year together! I am so blessed to spend each day with your child!

Important Dates:
Aug. 29: Return Friday Folders

Aug. 31: Convocation

Sept. 1: Batons due back to school
Sept. 2 & 5: No School: Labor Day Weekend

Sept. 21-22: South Side Picture Day-more info coming later

Sept. 28: Walk-a-thon

That's a Wrap

 Thank you for a fantastic year! It's gone by in a blur and I can't believe it's done! You have fantastic kids, and they each have such special talents and gifts! Thanks for walking along side me this year, I could not have done it without all of you! May God bless each of you as you continue the journey with your kids! I will continue to pray for a smooth transition to Pine Ridge! They will feel at home there in not time!

I have some pictures from field day and our chapel this morning! So fun, and I am so glad so many of you could come and join us! God blessed us with a perfect day!

Enjoy the pictures!