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All Things Kindergarten

So here you are.
This marks the beginning of an exciting journey for your child—one that will shape the person they become. It’s kind of scary, isn’t it, to realize that you can’t control everything in your child’s life for the next 13 years? But that’s where we come in.

Isn’t it amazing to think that there is an eager, dedicated band of teachers ready to walk with you on the journey of raising your child? Isn’t it powerful to picture consistent voices speaking into the formation of your son’s outlook on life in the same way you would? Doesn’t it give you goose bumps to imagine our mentors helping your daughter understand that she is precious and worthwhile simply because she is a child of God?

When you choose Holland Christian Kindergarten, you’re starring as the hero in your child’s story. You’re the person with the courage and foresight to sacrifice and invest in your child’s future. Without a doubt, there will be rough patches along the way, but when you set foot on campus or hear the ever-growing stories of discovery, you’ll know way down deep in your bones that you made the right choice.

Boy and girl kindergarten students coloring a page, with the girl smiling at the camera

Kindergarten
Options

As a parent, you know just as well as we do that God created each child amazingly unique. Children begin their kindergarten journey coming from a wide variety of places, and we celebrate that! Some approach school ready and eager for the everyday experience, while others thrive better in a part-time setting. Because of work schedules and family obligations, the needs of today’s families are just as varied. So we think offering parents options for class schedules is the way to go.

We offer the following kindergarten options:

Young Fives

The content and teaching style of our Young Fives is perfect if your 5-year-old needs the gift of time before starting kindergarten, or your 4-year-old is ready for an accelerated experience. Our preschool staff can help you make a decision about which class is the best fit for your child. This class is for children who will be 5-years-old by December 1. 

Our Young Fives classes are more similar to kindergarten than preschool–they meet all day Monday-Friday and include specials like music, PE, and art classes, OR 3 days a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 8:15am-3:15pm.

3 Day+ English Kindergarten @ Rose Park

Students at Rose Park can choose to attend kindergarten three full days per week–on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays–then add a fourth day, Tuesdays, after spring break for the last quarter of the school year. These final four-day weeks allow children and families to gradually prepare for the full-time schedule of 1st grade. The 3-Day+ option is available only at Rose Park Elementary School, and only in our English kindergarten class.

5 Day English Kindergarten

Students attend full days, 5 days per week, Monday-Friday, from 8:15am-3:15pm. This option is available at both Rose Park and South Side Elementary Schools.

Forest School Kindergarten

Forest School kindergarten classes meet full time Monday-Friday, from 8:15am-3:15pm in the area in and around the Forest School kindergarten buildings at 880 Ottawa Avenue, as well as at our Forest School property, Sassafras Ridge. You can learn more about our Forest School on our Forest School page.

Spanish Immersion Kindergarten

This class meets full time Monday-Friday from 8:15 am-3:15 pm at our Rose Park Elementary campus. You can learn more about our Spanish Immersion program on our Spanish Immersion page.

Making the Decision

Choosing a kindergarten class can be tricky, and we can help:

  • In addition to your own experience with your child, ask your child’s preschool teacher for input.
  • You can also have your child observed with an individualized readiness tool like the Gesell Developmental Observation which will provide a host of developmental information about your child and serve as one more piece of the puzzle to help you understand her needs.
  • In addition to developmental readiness, chronological age helps determine if your child is ready for kindergarten, and if he is 5-years-old by September 1, kindergarten is an option for you.

If you have any questions through all of this or would like to see the magic of any of our kindergartens in person, please reach out to our HC admissions team at 616.820.2806 or fill out our inquiry form. We’ll roll out the red carpet for your family and can’t wait to meet you!

Already made your decision? Apply here. And welcome to the class of 2037!

Before & After School Care

You need to get to work, but don’t want your child home alone waiting for the bus? We get it. So Holland Christian offers a Before and After School Program for all of our elementary schools–Rose Park, South Side, Forest School, and Pine Ridge Elementary–each full day school is in session. The Before and After School Program provides children with a safe, supervised place, as well as continued opportunity to develop spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially through organized group activities and play. The cost of the program is prorated depending on the number of students and days enrolled. A price summary is posted on our Before & After School Care page where you can also enroll.

  • Before School Care hours are: 7:15 am-8:15 am
  • After School Care hours are: 3:15 pm-5:30 pm

Kindergarten &
Spanish Immersion
@ Rose Park

Principal Miska Rynsburger
556 Butternut Dr., Holland, MI 49424
616.820.4055
rp@hollandchristian.org

Kindergarten
@ Forest School

Principal Miska Rynsburger
880 Ottawa Ave. Holland, MI 49423
616.820.3535
fs@hollandchristian.org

Kindergarten
@ South Side

Principal Christy Haig
913 Pine Ave., Holland, MI 49423
616.820.3535
ss@hollandchristian.org

Quick Links

Learn more about our Before & After School Program.

Learn more about kindergarten tuition on our Tuition page.

A collection of online resources for student and teacher reference

Want a tour of any of our kindergartens? We can make that happen!

Learn about all the different buses we use to get to school!

Learn more about our school policies, student expectations, and other general information.

Teacher aide and girl kindergarten student reading together in the forest, sitting on the ground.

Kindergarten
Curriculum

Kindergarteners come to school excited about the world around them and curious to learn more about their place in it. A Holland Christian kindergarten experience capitalizes on this natural passion to spark an even greater love of learning that will carry your kids through the rest of their schooling. In the kindergarten recipe for a faithful life, our teachers provide the nurturing environment, and our curriculum launches students on their journey of discovery.

You can read more about our kindergarten curriculum in the summaries below.

Bible

Your child learns the stories of the Bible and is challenged to put that knowledge to work in the way he treats others or how she cares for the world around her. We start at the very beginning with the accounts of Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the Patriarchs, and we continue with the stories of the nation of Israel and move into the life of Christ. All along the way, your children memorize scripture that helps cultivate a word-rooted, vibrant faith.

English Language Arts

Kids all learn to read and write at different rates, and the needs of your child are going to be unique within the kindergarten class. Our teachers take time to talk one-on-one with your child about the special book she picked out or about the personal story he wrote. Those interactions provide exactly the right instruction to help kids progress in their literacy and ignite the spark that comes from personal investment and ownership in the process. You’ll love the results!

Math

We believe that a math isn’t something you either just “get” or forever struggle with. To build their capacity and enthusiasm, our kindergarteners learn in an inquiry-based environment that encourages them to explore mathematical concepts that we see woven into our everyday experiences. We then bring those concepts down to the concrete level, and your children will engage in hands-on learning opportunities focused on the following math strands: counting, operations and algebraic thinking, numbers and operations in base ten, measurement and data, and geometry.

Science

Keeping with the hands-on, inquiry-based style of learning, our science curriculum brings that approach to four main themes. During the “Observations with Senses” unit, kindergarteners experience the way both people and animals use their senses to explore and survive in the world. In the “Kindergarten in Motion” unit, kids use everyday objects to learn about forces. The “My Earth” unit has students observing and comparing different earth materials as they consider how we can practice creation-keeping in this world God created. Finally, our “Is it Living?” unit has children compare living and nonliving things and identify the basic needs of living things.

Social Studies

The Holland Christian kindergarten social studies units help children gain an increased awareness of God’s world and their place in it—including community roles and patriotism. Using the framework of “Myself and Others,” the students learn about history, geography, economics, and government.

Technology

As part of Holland Christian’s 1:1 initiative, kindergarten-4th grade students use iPads in their classrooms to connect, communicate, and collaborate within school, the wider community, and the world. It will be common for you to see a digital story that your son created or watch a video of your daughter’s Bible memory recitation. Our teachers also harness the power of iPads to help students shore up  areas of learning that need a little extra work, or dive deeper into one of their areas of genuine interest or passion.

Music

Somewhere, deep inside, we are musical beings. To discover and cultivate that understanding and appreciation, your child will sing, dance, and move. This exposure and experience prepares your child for further encounters with music later on and taps into their higher-level brain function.

Physical Education

Kindergarten physical education helps children develop both fine and gross motor skills in a variety of small and large group games. Bring on the sports, too– This year is a great introduction to the athletic programs HCS has in store for the years ahead! Students also learn the basics of health and wellness in lessons with a practical application for life. This class meets once each week for the 3-day+ kindergarteners and two times each week for the 5-day kindergarteners.

Spanish

Songs, vocabulary words, Bible verses, role-playing, and lyrics launch our kindergarteners into the world of Spanish language and culture. As with the P.E. classes, the 3-day+ students meet once a week and the 5-day students meet twice a week.

Art

Your kindergartener, if he is enrolled in our 5-day class, will enjoy cultivating his creativity, fine motor skills, and sense of spatial relations in art class. To provide a broader context, kindergartners learn art history, including the methods and styles of artists and various time periods. With that in place, your child will create her own art that is sure to amaze you. Students in the 3-Day+ program begin art class in 1st grade.

Have Questions?

We look forward to meeting you and your family and introducing you to the fresh, creative, personalized education at Holland Christian! We are here to help! Get in touch using the contact form linked below or call us at 616.820.2805.

Get in Touch!