Tulip Time is upon us! If you don't have to drive anywhere, it's the most wonderful time of the year. ;) Otherwise, I recommend you turn traffic gridlock into quality family time. The next few weeks will offer plenty of it!
There's a good deal of information in this blog post to be aware of for a smooth 2015-2016 Tulip Time Festival. For those new to our community, welkom and please don't hesitate to stop in the office to ask if you need help or clarification.
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| Tulip Time Daze! |
Important Tulip Time Announcements:
- There will be no HPS busing at 11:30AM Wednesday or Thursday.
HPS will be busing, however, to school both mornings, as usual. HC South
Side transportation will provide busing as usual for its students,
including at 11:30 on Wednesday.
- The Kinderparade is scheduled for Thursday, May 7. All 1st & 2nd grade students will march in costume and good walking shoes (no wooden shoes).
- All 1st and 2nd grade students will stay at school on Thursday, May 7.
- Preschool will be dismissed at 11:00 AM.
- Thursday, May 7 - Kindergarten students dismissed at 11:30 AM - no bus service – ALL kindergarten students, Mrs. Becksfort’s, Mrs. Johnson's and Mrs. Strikwerda’s classes should be picked up at the front of school (circular drive).
- If Thursday’s parade is postponed to Friday, May 8th, Kindergarten students dismissed at 11:30 AM - no bus service –Mrs. Strikwerda’s and Mrs. Johnson’s students should be picked up at the front of school (circular drive)
- 1st and 2nd grade students staying at school for the Kinderparade will need to bring a sack lunch that day. No hot lunch will be provided.
- 1st and 2nd grade parents are welcome to come to South Side at noon to help dress your child in his/her costume.
- Holland Public School Transportation will transport Pine Ridge and South Side students to the Tulip Time parade on Thursday.
- South Side is the 12th unit of the 2nd Division, following the 6th Grade Band, and in front of Pine Ridge.
- Please be prompt in picking up your child at the end of the parade route (at the Fire Station on 11th ); South Side students need to be picked up by a parent or a high school age student.
- For each child’s security, please wait until the children come to a stop and are moved out of the parade traffic, and be sure to notify your student’s teacher that you have your child so we can be sure that the right person picks up each student.
- If Wednesday’s parade is canceled due to weather (as announced on WHTC, 1450AM), we will still dismiss at 11:30AM. If Thursday’s parade is postponed due to weather, we will still dismiss Thursday at 11:30, and all normal transportation will be provided. And we will follow the Thursday parade day schedule on Friday, May 8.
Feeling overwhelmed? It's a common side effect of Tulip Time :) Please don't hesitate to ask questions. We'll do our best to help!
Kindergarten Visiting Day
Letters of invitation will go home next week, but we are very eager to welcome our brand new class of kindergarteners for the 2015-2016 school year to South Side on Friday, May 29 at 9:00. Please mark your calendar if you're the parent of a newbie. We can't WAIT to meet, know and love our newest children!!
Library End-of-Year Dates
- Preschool/Y5: The week of April 27 is the last week for student checkout. All books are due by May 7.
- K-2nd: The week of May 11 is the last week for students to borrow books. All student materials are due by May 22.
- Summer check out: With parental permission, K-2 students may borrow up to 10 books for the summer. Summer check out will be May 19-29. More information and permission forms will go home the week of May 11.
Field Day
Our annual Field Day fun is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2 in the afternoon.
Moving Up Day!
Our second graders will be visiting Pine Ridge on Wednesday, May 27 in the afternoon. This is an exciting time of year for our biggest kids on campus (however, they take 46 pieces of our hearts as they go!)
Important Lunch Announcement! Parents, please be mindful of your lunch accounts. As the year winds down we need to be responsible for our children's accounts. You may send a check or cash into the school office or go on to send moneytoschool.com to pay on your account. Please remember this is a prepay system... if you owe $20.00, and they may be eating till the end of the year....(which is only 25 more days)....add more to cover their lunches in the future. It's important to keep our balances current, which helps keep the costs down of lunches. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and your students this year....we enjoy providing lunch each day to our students. Should you have questions about your balances, please email: slambers@hollandchristian.org
NOTE to K-2 Parents:
In the spring, we begin to think about placement of students for the next school year. If your child has special needs or there are circumstances of which we should be aware, a letter should be written and received no later than Friday, May 8. Please do not request a specific teacher or personally ask your child’s teacher to make a placement for you. We invite you to write a letter to or email Mrs. Rynsburger at mrynsburger@hollandchristian.org with this information.
Preschool Happenings
There are some important dates you will want to put on your calendar for May. Please take a moment to review the following dates.
May 6- No Preschool Enrichment due to Parade schedule
May 6 & 7- Preschool will dismiss early at 11:00 a.m.
May 21 & 22- Preschool last days for the year.
There is one more schedule date for Preschool and kindergarten visiting days. This is a great way to “sample” a preschool and kindergarten class! This opportunity is offered at both Rose Park and South Side from 9-10:30 am on the following date-
- May 14, 2015
or clampen@hollandchristian.org.
HCHS offers summer camps for athletes of all ages!
Registration is open now at www.hollandchristian.org/athletics/summer_camps
Camps for baseball, basketball, cheer, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball begin June 8, 2015.
Need your car washed?
Want to support some of the High School team members going to Beautiful Gate Orphanage in Lesotho, Africa this summer? Come to Quality Car Wash on South Washington on Saturday, May 2, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to have your car washed. 50% of the Quality car wash sales will go toward the cost of the trip for three team members. After your car is washed, have a team member or team supporter vacuum it out for you while you shop the baked goods table.
SPARK news
We have the opportunity to partner with the Holland Rescue Mission and show how "Love Does" through the SPARK program by assisting them in collecting clothing. Please see the request below for details.
Dear South Side Elementary,
Spring is here and that means it’s the perfect time to switch out those winter clothes for warm weather attire! If you aren’t sure where to take that pile of clothes that no longer fit or you just don’t wear anymore, we have a solution for you! Holland Rescue Mission is in need of clothing donations. You can drop off these items in donation boxes located near the office Monday, June 1st through Thursday, June 4th. Holland Rescue Mission will accept gently used clothing items of all ages.
To find out more about giving and the Holland Rescue Mission go to www.Hollandrescue.org
Upcoming Events:
May 6 - NO Preschool Enrichment class in the afternoon due to Parade
May 6-7 - Preschool EARLY dismissal (11:00 )
Tulip Time (11:30 dismissal)
May 8 - Tulip Time (Rain Date)
May 21 & 22- Preschool last days
May 25- No school, Memorial Day (observed)
May 27- Movin' Up Day (2nd -to 3rd grade)
May 29 - Kindergarten Visitation Day (9:00-10:30)
June 2 - Field Day (afternoon @ SS)
June 5 Final Chapel (10:45-11:15) All are welcome to join us
Last day - 11:30 Dismissal
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Adults and student volunteers are needed to assist our Landscape Maintenance Department with the spring bark application on Saturday, April 25 at South Side and the Transportation Building, and on Saturday, May 2 at Rose Park from 8 am - 12 pm. This is a service opportunity for students over age 12. Please contact John Wood at (616) 836-7537 or jwood@hollandchristian.org with the dates you are available. Snacks and refreshments will be provided! If possible, please bring wheelbarrows, scoop shovels, pitch forks, and/or rakes to assist with distributing the bark. Thank you!
Join us for Game On! May 15, 2015 at HCHS. Kirk Cousins' '06 football team is challenging AJ Westendorp's '08 State Championship football team to defend their title and settle the score at 7pm. Family Fun & Food starts at 5pm. Tickets, t-shirts, books, and more information are all available here: hollandchristian.org/game_on
Requested Announcements:
From the music department:
The Holland Christian High School Symphonic Orchestra and the Grand Rapids Symphony present their Side by Side Concert on Tuesday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center.
Members of the Grand Rapids Symphony will perform a concert alongside the HCHS musicians, presenting a varied musical program that includes compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jean Sibelius, Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten, and Arturo Marquez.
You are invited to join us for this special event. Tickets can be purchased at http://hchs.ludustickets.com or call 616-820-2905. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults.
Challenge of the Children
For more information and registration details for the free Challenge of the Children conference at Hope College on May 14th you may click here.
Turning Pointe School of Dance, a Christian Ministry announces the debut of, It Is Well, April 23rd-25th at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland. It Is Well is an original ballet inspired by the true story of Grand Rapids resident Diet Eman who was imprisoned under Hitler for her efforts in hiding Jews in the Nazi-controlled Netherlands. Tickets go on sale at the Hope College Ticket Office on March 23rd. Call 616-395-7890 to purchase over the phone. Special student pricing
Summer Camp Time
• Holland Christian Summer Camps are lined up for the summer! Please click this link for basic information including dates and times for each camp. Registration is available now.
• Camp Roger is now accepting registrations for summer camp! Please visit camproger.org for more information.
• Hope Soccer Camp is also accepting registrations for their summer camps. Please visit www.hopesoccercamp.com for more information.
• G3 Camp at GrandValley will take place June 23-25. Please visit www.gvsu.edu/g3 to register for this fun Grandparent/Grandchild opportunity.
• Kids Rock - Click here to see flyer.
• Grace Adventures - Please visit www.GraceAdventures.org for more information.
• Camp Geneva is now accepting summer campers. Please visit www.campgeneva.org for more information.
• Son-Life Camp - Brochures are in the office. For more information, go to www.son-lifecamp.org.
