HOME COMMUNICATOR
Has your elementary student asked you to find Jackie and Shadow? Were you able to figure out what they were asking you to find? Every spring in the library, the 1st – 4th graders watch a livestream of a bird’s nest while learning about that bird. We have watched the nests of ospreys (that was a tragic year), great horned owls, peregrine falcons, and this year we are watching bald eagles. We start watching the nest shortly before the eggs hatch until the babies fledge (leave the nest). We never know what is going to happen and we usually get a little attached to the bird family we watch.
Why would we do this in the library? We talk about how the internet can be used to see parts of God’s creation that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. When we learn our facts for the week, I make sure I include where the fact came from, so we learn the importance of citing sources. The biggest reason we do this, however, is to marvel together, in a space filled with human knowledge, that God is the great Creator who thought of EVERYTHING when He created His world. We couldn’t help but say, “Wow!” as we watched the first two eggs hatch this year and we could see the “egg tooth” creating a hole in the egg. God knew that birds would need to get out of the egg, so they grow a little egg tooth that helps them and once they are out, it falls off. Talking about the natural instincts that both Jackie and Shadow have and how God just makes them know how to do things is always a great conversation. We just keep saying, “God thought of EVERYTHING!”
So, if your child asks you to find Jackie and Shadow, you will be searching for the bald eagles at Big Bear Lake, California. Here’s the link to make it even easier: Big Bear Bald Eagles. Jackie is the mom. Shadow is the dad. There are currently two healthy eaglets who are a couple weeks old in the nest. Sadly, a third eaglet died over the weekend. The nest they are sitting on is 5 ½ feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. Jackie and Shadow have been using this nest together since 2018. Check them out. Marvel with us at God’s awesome creation.
In Him,
MaryJo Staal
Elementary Media Specialist & Nurturing Faith Coordinator
Also…have you spotted what we think is a bald eagle’s nest on Chicago Drive? It’s on the north side of Chicago Drive just east of Sara’s Pizza.
SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
Society Meeting
The annual HCS Society meeting was held last night. The 2025-2026 budget was approved unanimously. Eric Heyboer and Kevin Palmbos were voted in as new board members. We thank our retiring board members Dustin Cook and Kevin Ferner for their service.
Report Cards
The 3rd nine-week marking period will end this Friday, March 21. Report cards will be posted to RenWeb on Friday, March 28 for students in 1st-8th grade. If you experience problems or have questions about accessing this information through RenWeb, please contact Terry Steenstra at tsteenstra@4hcs.org.
Spring Break
Spring Break is April 3-11. School will resume on Monday, April 14. If you plan on taking your child out of school early prior to spring break, please make sure that you notify your child’s teacher and the school office.
Employment Opportunities
With a few teachers shifting into new roles, we have some early childhood staff openings! We are looking for people who love the Lord and love working with our youngest learners. These are our current openings:
- Tuesday / Thursday morning 3 School
- Tuesday / Thursday / Friday Nature-Based 4 School
- 4 Day Kindergarten
Click here to find out more information on our website!
Moms in Prayer
Moms in Prayer invites you to boldly approach the throne of grace on behalf of your children and HCS by praying with other moms this Friday. We will be meeting in the Middle School conference room from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Check in at the main office. Join us as we pray for and thank God for the office staff, custodians and Administrators this week. We hope to see you there!
2025 Scrap Metal Drive Volunteers Needed!
A Scrap Metal Drive will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 2 and May 3, to benefit the Foundations of Unity Christian High School and Hudsonville Christian School. The drive will be held at the Arrowaste Outlot, 1296 Chicago Dr. Jenison from 1pm-8pm on Friday and 8am-2pm on Saturday. WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS! If you’re able to help click HERE to sign up! Thank you for supporting our school!
Walkathon
HCS Walkathon packet and pledge forms were sent home last week Friday! It is time to start getting pledges! There is a lot of important information included in your Walkathon packet so make sure you open it and check it out. Reminder: we are no longer using the Just Giving site, please use the form on our website for online donations! Thank you for your support of our school!
Summer Hiking Trips
Mr. Schnyders will once again be leading students 5th grade and up and families on hiking/camping trips this summer! The Manistee hike will be June 26-28 and the UP hike will be July 16-19. Click HERE for more information and to sign up!
Tuition Assistance – FACTS Program
Hudsonville Christian will again be participating in FACTS, a grant application program. Families who wish to apply for tuition assistance will need to use the FACTS application format online via their confidential website. The application fee will be paid by HCS. The FACTS organization will analyze the information of each applicant. Through FACTS, HCS has the ability to more evenly distribute available tuition assistance funds based upon factual information the families provide in the application. Please note that any additional information provided in the comments section at the end of the application is very helpful when making the decision for distribution.
Parents who have children in more than one EOCS school need only to fill out the application one time — the information will be available to the schools where their children attend. The FACTS online website application is available now. Please contact FACTS at 1-866-315-9262 with any questions. The deadline for submitting this application is March 31. For registration please go to www.factsmgt.com.
ELEMENTARY NEWS
Chapel
This week Friday, March 21, our chapel committee will lead chapel from 10:00-10:25. Parents are welcome to join us and may enter through the west gym lobby doors.
Elementary Hot Lunch
The menu and other information on the Elementary Hot Lunch program provided by JenHud Food Service can be found on the JenHud Food Service website.
SOAR – Second Grade Parents
Does your child easily master classroom math? Or write for fun? Or read above grade level? SOAR is a program designed for students who easily master the goals of the classroom. Students receive additional instruction at their level with like ability peers in language arts and/or math. Each spring, 2nd grade students are identified for the program on the basis of parent and teacher nomination and additional testing at HCS. Forms to nominate your child are available to pick up at the elementary school main office. The forms are due by Friday, March 21. Contact Lisi Remy (lremy@4hcs.org or 460-7686) with any questions.
Lost and Found
Please remind your child(ren) to check out the lost and found items in the hall by the lower elementary office to see if anything belongs to them. Parents – please check out the lost and found when you are at school.
Summer Tutoring
A list of teachers that are available for summer tutoring can be found on our website.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Chapel
Students and staff will gather in the south gym for chapel from 7:55-8:25 AM on Tuesday and Friday. Parents are welcome to join us! If you would like to view the Middle School Chapels at a later time, you can also find recordings on our Vimeo channel- Chapel.
- Tuesday, March 18 – Jennifer Hoekstra and Melissa Bronson
- Friday, March 21 – Evamarie Eggebeen
- Tuesday, March 25 – 6th grade Homeroom – Jon Huisman
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch this week Wednesday is DJ’s Pizza (Ham/Pepperoni) $2.50/slice.
Donuts
Donuts will be sold during morning break this Friday for $1.50
Fiddle Fest
Fiddle Fest “Adventures on the Sea” is happening tonight, Tuesday, March 18, 7:00 at Fair Haven Church. Please plan to join us on this “Open Seas Adventure” featuring the 5th – 8th Grade Orchestras. The orchestras have been working hard on sea shanties, pirate music, underwater themes, and a special book narrated by Ms. Staal. You won’t want to miss this fun evening for all ages. Students will need to arrive at 6:30pm. Please have them wear jeans, a bright colored shirt, and anything underwater or pirate attire. A more detailed email has been sent home.
Earth Day PaperGator Contest
PaperGator Competition!! We have a chance to earn up to $5,000.00 for our school by collecting as much paper in our PaperGator as we can from January through April! It’s called the PaperGator Earth Day Contest! Spread the word to your family and friends to fill up the middle school PaperGator located in the west parking lot off of the bus loop.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Unity Christian Community Event
Community Event: Unity Christian welcomes community members and parents of all ages to join us on Thursday March 20 from 7:00-8:30 at Unity Christian for a special presentation, “Tell Me About My Kid!”. Dan Landstra, Unity’s Director for Spiritual Life, will give a “front row” look at the world of grade school, middle school, and high school students. Based on actual questions from parents within our community, we will learn how our students navigate life and faith, what cultural forces influence them most, and what parents can do to guide students through a complex world.
Topics include:
- Parenting children in 2025
- Phones, social media, AI, and how to manage it all
- Mental health crisis
- Pornography’s impact on young people
- Sexuality and Individualism
- A Biblical worldview from which to navigate a path forward
Middle School Tennis Team
Unity Christian is pleased to offer a Middle School Tennis team for boys and girls in grades 7 & 8. This program will run from April 14 – May 20, and will consist of practices and matches against other schools. All experience levels are welcome! The cost to participate is $65, and the deadline to register is March 27. Please go to Unity Christian High School (unitychristianathletics.org) for more information and for registration link.
Employment Opportunity
Immanuel CRC in Hudsonville is looking to fill the Administrative Assistant and Business Manager/Bookkeeper positions. Responsibilities include office management, record keeping, publications, staff support, accounting/payroll, etc. For more information, please contact Allen Vedders 616-581-8943, avedders@att.net
A weekend away, a world of difference!
JH Outback Grand Rapids is an adventure packed weekend that is life-changing for parents and their teen children(13-20 years old). Immersed in an undistracted environment that focuses on building connection and communication to last a lifetime!! You will bond through shared goals, challenges and a deeper understanding of life purpose and biblical values. May 16-18, 2025 at TimberWolf Lake Lodge in Lake City, Michigan. Watch this video for more information, and sign up at www.jhoutback.com. Please contact Danielle DeSmit @ 616.299.3067 if you have any further questions.
