January 2024
Dear HCHS Families,
Welcome to January! The Christmas concerts have concluded; the extended family members have left your homes; and the Christmas lights are waiting to be taken down. Each year, as we prepare the gifts, the meals, and the party itineraries, the season of advent offers us a helpful opportunity to enter into the practice of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Jesus, our Savior, into the world. For centuries leading up to Jesus’s birth, the Jewish people, while long under the rule of a foreign power, had also been waiting for the Messiah to come into the world and establish his Kingdom on earth. However, during the season of Epiphany, many would learn that God’s kingdom was not what they had expected nor, possibly, what they had hoped for.
Since the 4th century in Rome, the Christian church has been celebrating the season of Epiphany, which is approximately the time between Jesus’s birth and the season of Lent. Many Western traditions typically start on January 6 with an emphasis on the time when the “Magi from the east,” a group of Gentiles, recognized Jesus as their Lord and the fulfillment of God’s promise to utilize Abraham’s descendents as a blessing to all the nations (Matt 2:10-11; Gen. 12:2-3). This is also recognized as the season of Jesus’s life and teachings on the good news that the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15).
To many in the first century, Jesus’s kingdom did not come in the form they anticipated. Rather, Jesus testified to a Kingdom that Dallas Willard puts simply as “the range of [God’s] effective will, where what he wants done is done.” At a recent staff morning devotion, one of our teachers shared a poem by theologian Howard Thurman, The Work of Christmas Begins, which helps illustrate the essential link between the Advent season and the season of walking in the dust of Jesus:
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins.
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To teach the nations,
To bring Christ to all,
To make music in the heart.
As we start this new year and enter into the season of Epiphany, our deep hope and prayer remains the same: May God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven as we seek to follow Jesus in word and deed together.
With thanks,
Miles Colago, High School Principal
General Information
First Semester Exams
- Students are not required to be at school unless they have an exam.
- Students will not be allowed to take exams until all detentions have been served, and will not receive credit for first semester courses until exams are taken.
- All lunch account negative balances must be paid before exams may be taken.
- All books must be returned and fines paid in the Media Center before exams may be taken.
- All students should check with the bus driver to find out the bus schedule for exam week.
Exam Schedule
- Tuesday, January 16, 2024
- 8:45-10:15am 1st-hour exam
- 10:30am-12:00pm 2nd-hour exam -Tech Center required. Students may leave 2nd hour exam when finished; Tech will be notified that you may be late.
- Wednesday, January 17, 2024
- 8:45-10:15am 3rd-hour exam
- 10:30am-12:00pm 4th-hour exam – Tech Center required
- Thursday, January 18, 2024
- 8:45-10:15am 5th-hour exam
- 10:30am-12:00pm 6th-hour exam – Tech Center required
- Friday, January 19, 2024
- 8:45-10:15am 7th-hour exam
- 10:30am-12:00pm Make-up slot – Tech Center required
24-25 Class Signup
Students will be signing up for their 24-25 classes beginning in late January. Students will receive information about course scheduling and registration for next year during Family Flex:
- Current Juniors – Wednesday, January 24
- Current Sophomores – Monday, January 29
- Current Freshman – Wednesday, January 31
All parents are encouraged to discuss with students the opportunities that are available. Current students will submit their course selections online by February 16, 2024. Registration information will be updated on the Registrar page prior to January 24.
Athletic Department
The 2024 CHAMPS Coupon Book is new and improved! You can view a sample of the completed 2024 book by clicking this link. The production of the CHAMPS Coupon book is now contracted through a national fundraising company, SaveAround, so in addition to the lakeshore discounts, there are regional and national coupons as well. Each purchased book comes with an activation code for 12 months of mobile app coupons for the greater Holland area, as well as across the US based on your location. Both the book and mobile app coupons all for $30!
CHAMPS Coupon Books are available at Quality Car Wash and Russ’ Restaurant locations in addition to school offices and Ditto. You can also purchase your CHAMPS Coupon Book through HCS or ZCS TRIP to receive 10% back on your tuition. 2024 coupons are valid from when the book is purchased through December 31, 2024. The coupons pay for themselves after only a few uses, but raise significant funds to directly benefit our middle school and high school student-athletes. Thank you for supporting athletics at both Holland Christian and Zeeland Christian Schools through the purchase of a 2024 CHAMPS Coupon Book!
All Athletic Information
All information about athletics can be found on the Athletics page of the Holland Christian website. Learn more about our registration process which is the best way to register for athletics, see schedules, and purchase tickets or passes.
Upcoming Fine Arts Events
Living Hope Showcase 2024: Showtime!
SAVE THE DATE! Join the Living Hope Singers as they present a fun evening of music from Broadway, the movies, and television! Showcase 2024 will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 15 & 16 at 7pm in the HCHS Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale in February. Stay tuned for more information!
Swingin’ the Night Away
Mark your calendars for the 5-12 Band Extravaganza Concert on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts and for Swingin’ the Night Away on Friday, March 22 in the HCHS cafeteria!
Counselors’ Corner
Parents of Sophomores & Juniors
We will have a representative from the Careerline Tech Center presenting in person to our students on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Students will learn what the Tech Center has to offer, and get details about the application process. All sophomores and any interested juniors will be able to attend this presentation during Family Flex.
Seniors & Parents of Seniors
Just a reminder that if you have improved your ACT/SAT scores and would like your intended college/university to have these scores, you must have your updated scores sent directly from your ACT or SAT student account. Your transcript does not list or include test scores. If you did not put down the 4 digit codes for the college(s) you wish to receive your test scores when you registered for the SAT/ACT, you can log into your account and request that your new scores be sent. There is a fee to send additional scores.
Likewise, some schools require a mid-year transcript through the Common Application. If your school(s) don’t require this, but you would like to send your updated transcript at the end of semester one, please log in to your Parchment account and request a transcript.
If you have questions, please contact your counselor.
Testing Information
- All 11th grade students will take the SAT during the school day on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Students do not need to register for this test, and there is no cost for students.
- Upcoming Saturday SAT dates are available in March, and May. HCHS is a testing site for the March date. You can search for other testing sites in our area when you go to the SAT website to register.
- Upcoming Saturday ACT test dates are available in February, and April. HCHS is a testing site for the February date. You can search for other testing sites in our area when you go to the ACT website to register.
- Here is a chart of the upcoming ACT and SAT dates, including the registration deadlines. This covers the 23-24 school year, so we hope you find this helpful as you look ahead for possible testing dates that work for your student.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Scholarships
Throughout the school year, various scholarship opportunities will be posted online through the Counseling Department. A listing of outside scholarships, both regional and national, is updated as we receive notices of scholarship opportunities. Beginning in January and early February, there will be information online about the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland scholarships that are open to Holland Christian students, and also internal HC scholarships, which are for full-time Holland Christian students only. Be sure to check the Scholarship portion of the Counseling Department webpage. We also encourage you to keep a diligent eye on your email, as information will be emailed to you specific to scholarship opportunities and other senior year reminders.
Financial Aid
All students seeking financial aid (institution-based, state & federal funds) must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online via the FAFSA Website. The FAFSA will be available for you to complete in late December. Be sure to check the financial aid link on each college website for specific information on their timelines. For helpful information on the FAFSA, check out this resource.
There is a federal student aid estimator that can provide you with an estimate of your Student Aid Index (SAI). This index is used by colleges to determine what types of student aid you may receive. Again, the financial aid office of the college(s) you are considering is a great place to start if you have specific FAFSA or financial aid questions.
College Athletics
If you are considering attending a NCAA Division I or II school, and you hope to compete in athletics, the NCAA Eligiblity Center is an important place to start. It is the responsibility of the student and parents to be familiar with eligibility requirements and course specifics. If you are considering participating in athletics at the NAIA level, check out the NAIA eligibility center.
Important Dates
January
- 8: School resumes
- 15: No school, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 16-19: Exams
- 22: Second semester begins
February
- 16: No school (Professional development)
- 19: No school, Presidents Day
