Full Steam Ahead!

Grab a fork...this is a beefy blog!

Doors, Windows and Fans
We're going to lead this beefy blog with a basic but important notice. Over the weekend, the crash bars on the doors have been faithfully holding the doors open for someone incoming, likely and understandably with their hands full. The side gym door has been propped open, likely again to allow for easy come and go as we're bringing in supplies for the school-year set up. However, as you know, we need South Side to be a secure building for our people and our materials. Please be extra conscientious of doors and windows. All should be closed and locked as you exit. Thank you for your care!

Just to keep our energy costs down...please double check that your classrooms fans are off as well. Thank you!

Early Childhood Tailgate Event for your blog:

Here are the details:

When:  Friday-September 16
Time: 5:00-7:00 pm
Where:  Holland Christian High School

This is a FREE event for all preschool and kindergarten and their IMMEDIATE family members that will be held during the Holland Christian Homecoming weekend.  Families will receive wristbands for a free meal as well as tickets to get into the football game prior the event.  Please RSVP with your child's teacher with the number of wristbands you need by SEPTEMBER 9.  After SEPTEMBER 9 wristbands may be purchased on the website.  The Early Childhood department will be hosting a variety of activities along with others for the kiddos before the game.  

Walk-a-thon
Please be sure that your students' packets have been sent home. Money will need to be turned into the office on Monday, September 12. T-shirts for preschool through second grade students will be available and need to be worn on Wednesday, September 14.

Picture Day
Our school pictures will be taken on both Wednesday, September 14 (yes! Same day as walk-a-thon...yipes!) and Thursday, September 15. Because we are going to wear our walk-a-thon t-shirts that afternoon, we'll need to allow the students who have their pictures taken on Wednesday to change out of "picture day clothes" into their walk-a-thon t-shirts. The following is our picture day schedule:

Wednesday, September 14--Tammy's 3s class and all of second grade
Thursday, September 15--everyone else!

Please don't hesitate to ask for clarification if needed.

Kuyers Institute 
October 3 in the Lecture Hall the Kuyers Institute will present their findings from year 2 at 7:00.

Outdoor Play Conference 
Wednesday, October 5 the Outdoor Discovery Center will be hosting a presentation and workshop on outdoor play and learning at 7:00 p.m.

Discovery Assessment
The testing window has just been set. September 7-23 our students' accounts will be active. Please generate a code for our first and second grade students in reading and math.

No Regular Chapel Next Wednesday. We'll Have Convocation Instead
Nuff said.

Convocation
The convocation will be held from 9:00 to approximately 9:30 at the high school. We will load busses between 8:30-8:40 a.m.
Classes will return in reverse order listed.

Bus #4 on the 1st run (Kirsten Grassmid-driver)
2nd-Dreyer/Hunderman
2nd-Snoeyink
2nd-Ritsema

Bus #721(Dick Landman-driver)
JK- Lanser
1st- Bohle/Becksfort
1st- Sapp
1st- VanMeeteren

Bus#50 on the 1st run (Dan Vos-driver)
K- Johnson
K- Strikwerda

Bus #4 on the 2nd run (Kirsten Grassmid-driver)
PK-Lubbers
PK-VanRees

Buss #50 on the 2nd run (Dan Vos-driver)
HC(2)
PK3's Grassmid
PK4's Baker

Grand total 266  WOW! :)


Staff Meeting
Please keep Thursday, Sept. 8 from 11:40-12:30 for the K-2 staff meeting.
Thursday, Sept. 8 from 3:45-4:45 will be the cross-town preschool staff meeting.

Key Clean Up
We have a vast variety of keys with our staff. I also have inherited a lock box of mystery keys in the office. For everyone's sake, I'd like to clean up the keys we have in our possession. We will have Key Clean Up Day on Monday, September 12. Please keep your key card on your person on that day. If you would be willing to give Pat or me your key labeled with your name, we'll be working with Bob Terpstra and Paul Klokkert that day to be sure everyone is issued a uniform key to your room and the building.

Parent Teacher Conferences
Our school calendar has been adjusted to give us 180 days, aligning with the new state requirements. In an effort to avoid schooling until mid-June, we will no longer have the Friday after conferences off. Rather than holding conferences until mid-8:00 on two evenings, we are going to try to spread the time slots out throughout the week without going too late into your schedules. However, families with two working parents have expressed concern about the last time slot available being 5:20. Therefore, the following will be our schedule for parent-teacher conferences:

Monday-3:40-5:40
Tuesday-3:40-5:40
Wednesday-3:40-5:40
Thursday-5:00-7:00

Oh my! Are you still with me? Thank you for plowing through all of this content. Don't hesitate to talk with me about any of these pieces.