May 31-June 4, 2021

Dear Parents,

I am so grateful to each of you for your passion and commitment to this program and for putting your faith and trust in me and Kelli this year!  You have shown such a beautiful love for nurturing your children and for teaching them about Jesus and the disciplines and love for learning.  As a teacher, I have developed a deep respect for you as co-teachers!  I do value you, so much more than co-teachers though, as you have allowed me into your family, for which I’m forever grateful!  I pray that the Lord will bless you as you journey into the next plans He has for you.  “I am confident, that He who began a good work in your family, will carry it on to completion”!  (Philippians 1: 6).

We are looking ahead at our final week of school, with celebration in our hearts!  It has been a good (but hard) year! I am overjoyed to have been with your kids every school day IN PERSON!  God is so good!  I praise God that, through this pandemic, it seems as if the end is in sight! Your kids have been amazing and resilient.  They have been respectful and understanding that we have been in the journey together, willing to do the hard things so we can stay in person.  They/We did it!  I am so proud of them!

I pray you enjoy a wonderful, long weekend and are refreshed, ready for the final week of school.  We will enjoy our last two days in person with celebrations and wrapping up great learning this year! I pray the Lord richly blesses you all!

Here is an overview of our final week:

NOTE:  On Wednesday or Thursday, please send a Meijer type cloth bag or large paper bag to school for students to bring home the extra supplies they have at school. Students will bring home their locker contents, PE shoes, batons, report cards (in green folders), as well as desk supplies, headphones, and other folders.  Their Bibles and spiritual journals will remain at school and will be passed on to their next year’s teacher. 

LUNCH BUDDIES ON WEDNESDAY:  On Wednesday at noon, our students will have lunch with a few new grade level friends.  Students in grades 1-4 will meet friends in the media center.  Our 5th graders will go to the fifth grade commons and eat with a few friends in the commons.  (Even if your child is not returning to ZCS in the fall, we would love to have him/her meet some new friends…)

5/31- Memorial Day- No School (The Zeeland Parade has been cancelled.).

6/1- Tuesday- Home Day of Learning

6/2- Wednesday- Full Day of School- Report Cards will be sent home.

6/3- Last Day of School info for SHC: The last day of school for ZCS will be on Friday, June 4.  However, because this is a home day for SHC students, our last day of school for SHC will be on Thursday, June 3. This will be a full day of school for SHC and all of ZCS. (There IS bussing on Thursday afternoon.).

6/3- Picnic at Lawrence Park:  On our last day of school (JUNE 3), our class will be walking to Lawrence Park at 11:45. We will bring our sack lunches and enjoy a fun time together!  Parents are invited to come if you are able.  I would love to see you and celebrate a wonderful year together! We will eat lunch together, play a few games, and then we will return to school about 1:30.

Please note the upcoming ZCS dates on our calendar:

Summer Opportunities:

Grateful to have served alongside you to equip your incredible kids this year!

Have a wonderful summer!

In Jesus,

Julie

May 24-28, 2021

Dear Parents,

I am incredibly grateful for the face-to-face days we have enjoyed at school-Every.Single.Day!  God is so good!  I look forward to these 2 weeks remaining, knowing that our days will fly by!  This week is a regular week.  On Thursday, Kelli and I will send home next week Tuesday’s final home day lessons with students!  Tuesday, June 1 will be our final day of home day learning.  There will be no assigned lessons on Friday, June 4.

5/28- Family Games- On Friday, our students are invited to participate in the activities, which begin promptly at 1:00pm.  This year, our SHC class will be all together as one family group, with our 5th graders leading our group for the afternoon!  Students should be at school by 12:45.  As a class we will go outside to our first station just before 1:00.  The activities will wrap up by 3:15 outdoors with popsicles for everyone!  Students may be picked up at 3:30 in the car/pick up line (normal pick up location). If your child is not choosing to participate, please let me know by Wednesday. (Rain day is on Wednesday, June 2nd.).

Sunscreen– Please be sure to ensure your child has adequate sunscreen on BEFORE coming to school. Teachers are asked not to apply sunscreen due to different allergies. This is true for every day going forward, not just for Family Games.

May 17-21, 2021

Dear Parents,

It was so wonderful to see you, parents, at Market Day last Friday!  The Lord blessed us with an absolutely beautiful day! Miss DeVries and her fiancé, Jonathan were even able to come!  We are so grateful to Miss DeVries for her commitment and exceptional lessons, teaching, and relationships she has formed with students!  Miss De Vries, and your children (as well as Mrs. Boerkoel and I) were deeply impacted by her genuine care and interest in each child. We will miss her and pray that she is blessed beyond measure in her future teaching position as a 6th and 7th grade science teacher at Crown Point Christian School in Highland, IN! She is excited for her wedding on June 26 too!  (Correction from last week’s email, where I stated her wedding was May 26.). 🙂

Congratulations to Ella, Lydia, and Zulea for an excellent Market Day product and successful entrepreneurial experience!  They had a successful day selling their Katchy Keychains!  Well done!  Thank you, parents, for coming out to Market Day with your students!

Wow!  We are beginning to talk about “end of year” activities, from Family Games (see 5/28), Memorial Day, and our last week of school. Please see all of the details below.  We will share more as activities become more finalized!

Please note the upcoming details!

5/17- MAP GROWTH TESTING:  Our class will be taking finishing our MAP GROWTH assessments in the morning during class on Monday, May 17 with a Reading assessment.

You can help your student by ensuring that they get proper sleep the evening before an assessment, feeding them a healthy breakfast on each assessment morning, and encouraging them to have a positive attitude and to do their best–this assessment is important, and they are capable!

Together, we can support students in doing their best to show what they’re reading to learn this year! There is additional information available at https://www.nwea.org/parent-toolkit/. If you have further questions, please let me know!

5/20-Thursday- Birthday Breakfast!!  We will be celebrating Mrs. Boerkoel’s birthday with a pancake and sausage breakfast!  I will bring the ingredients and will make pancakes in our classroom. Celebrating Mrs. Boerkoel with a great breakfast right at 8:45!  (If your child has gluten or other food allergies I should be aware of, please let me know.)

5/28- Friday- Family Games will be held in the afternoon beginning at 1:00pm to 3:30.  Our SHC students who would like to participate should plan to meet in our classroom at 12:45.  At 3:00, students will enjoy popsicles outdoors and then return to our classroom to end the day together. (Rain day is on Wednesday, June 2nd.). Because this is a “home” day of learning typically, we will adjust the lessons for the day, similar to Market Day. Please let me know if your child will not be participating.

5/31- Memorial Day- No School (The Zeeland Parade has been cancelled.).

6/1- Tuesday- Home Day of Learning- Please note that on Thursday, May 27, Kelli and I will send materials for lessons the following Tuesday.

6/2- Wednesday- Full Day of School- Report Cards will be sent home.

6/3- Last Day of School info for SHC: The last day of school for ZCS will be on Friday, June 4.  However, because this is a home day for SHC students, our last day of school for SHC will be on Thursday, June 3. This will be a full day of school for SHC and all of ZCS.

6/3- Picnic at Lawrence Park:  On our last day of school (JUNE 3), our class will be walking to Lawrence Park at 11:45. We will bring our sack lunches and enjoy a fun time together!  Parents are invited to come if you are able. (Permission is given from the administration for our SHC parents to attend as it is our final year together and we will be outside.) I would love to see you and celebrate a wonderful year together! We will eat lunch together, play a few games, and then we will return to school about 1:30.

Please note the upcoming ZCS dates on our calendar:

June 3: Last SCHOOL Day for School/Home Collaborative (full day)-Picnic at Lawrence Park at noon to 1:30. (Planning to leave ZCS at 11:45.)

June 4; Last Day of School for ZCS (1/2 day). (NO Home Day work for SHC today.)  🙂

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Julie

Market Day-This week Friday!

May 10-14, 2021

Dear Parents,

We are entering into our final 4 weeks of school! We are working hard and staying focused on our learning and we hope to be able to get outside more for lessons as it warms up too! This week we are celebrating Miss DeVries’ amazing 14 weeks with us! We will miss a lot!  We are also so excited for her as she looks forward to beginning a new teaching position in the fall as a 6th and 7th grade teacher at Crown Point Christian School in Indiana!  She is also busy preparing for graduation from Calvin and her wedding to Jonathan Shedd on June 26! Please join me in praying for Sarah as she wraps up her student teaching with us this week. We will enjoy a send off celebration with her on Thursday!

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you enjoy your special day with your amazing kids!  I noticed how they carefully creating their cards, writing sweet notes about all you do for them, and crafting their gift for you!!  YOU are deeply loved by your children!  I pray you are blessed as you celebrate Mother’s Day with your family this weekend!

Market Day Info for Friday:  We look forward to Market Day on Friday and will have a focus on math and language arts for Friday morning.  There will be no Bible, Social Studies, or Writing assignment on Friday.  Students are invited to come to ZCS at 12:50 to our classroom (through the main office, please) and then we will go outside with our class to shop. I know students are super excited for Market Day, but please know that if you have a conflict, it is not mandatory…IF your child is coming, he/she may bring up to $5.00 (Kdg-2nd grade) and up to $10 (3rd-5th grade). They should also plan to bring a bag to hold their treasures!  Our 4th grade girls are excited to sell their “Katchy Keychains”! Since parents of 4th graders are invited to come and see Market Day, our SHC parents too, may gladly meet our class outside while they shop. Our scheduled time to shop is 1:00-1:15. Once they are finished, students should let me know they are leaving and then they may leave with you.  Thank you!!

MAP GROWTH TESTING: The 2nd through 8th-grade teachers will administer the Spring MAP Growth Assessment within the dates of  Wednesday, May 12 –  Wednesday, May 19.   Please read the information below:

We’re looking forward to upcoming MAP Growth assessments! MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments in Math, Reading, and Language will help teachers to understand how much students have grown in their learning this year.

We’ll be taking these assessments in the morning during class on the following dates:

•  Wednesday, May 12- Math
•  Thursday, May 13- Language Arts
•  Monday, May 17- Reading

It’s important that students do their best to show all that they’ve learned this year! We are helping your student by preparing them to know what to expect on the assessment, coaching them on assessment-taking strategies, reminding them that they are capable of doing well, and shaping a structured and supportive classroom environment on those mornings.

You can help your student by ensuring that they get proper sleep the evening before an assessment, feeding them a healthy breakfast on each assessment morning, and encouraging them to have a positive attitude and to do their best–this assessment is important, and they are capable!

Together, we can support students in doing their best to show what they’re reading to learn this year! There is additional information available at https://www.nwea.org/parent-toolkit/. If you have further questions, please let me know!

Sign-In and Sign-Out from the Office:  A friendly reminder from the office:  Children need to sign-in when/if they arrive late or return from an appointment. Please also remind them to sign-out whenever they leave for an appointment or other reason. 

6/3- Last Day of School info for SHC: The last day of school for ZCS will be on Friday, June 4.  However, because this is a home day for SHC students, our last day of school for SHC will be on Thursday, June 3. This will be a full day of school for SHC and all of ZCS.

6/3- Picnic at Lawrence Park:  On our last day of school (JUNE 3), our class will be walking to Lawrence Park at 11:45. We will bring our sack lunches and enjoy a fun time together!  Parents are invited to come if you are able. (Permission is given from the administration for our SHC parents to attend as it is our final year together and we will be outside.) I would love to see you and celebrate a wonderful year together! We will eat lunch together, play a few games, and then return to school about 1:30.

Please note the upcoming dates on our calendar:

May 14: Market Day

June 3: Last SCHOOL Day for School/Home Collaborative (full day)

June 4; Last Day of School for ZCS (1/2 day). (NO Home Day work for SHC today.)  🙂

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Julie

May 3-7

Dear Parents,

Welcome to May!  With May’s arrival comes many nearly summer events!  We look forward to Tulip Time, although it will not be as grand of an event, we will still enjoy a half day of school on Wednesday. Please enjoy the afternoon, and maybe tulips or a food wagon downtown Holland!

Here is the note from the office regarding our 1/2 Day of School on Wednesday:

May 5th ½ Day Of School: The middle school and elementary school will NOT be on the same schedule for this half day. This is a change from the half days we have had this year so far. The change back to two separate schedules is to allow for access to the middle school and elementary busing that is available that day via Zeeland Public Schools.

Middle School Start Time: 7:35 a.m.  and   Middle School End Time: 10:50 a.m.

Elementary School Start Time: 8:45 a.m.  and.  Elementary School End Time: 11:50 p.m.

Also, Here is a note from the ZPS Transportation Office:  Zeeland Public Schools Transportation Department is now able to send messages regarding the status of buses to parents through an app called Zonar My View.  They will be able to reach you via this app in the event of bus delays, changes in routes, etc. If you wish to know more, please read about it HERE.

Market Day: Next week Friday, May 14, ZCS elementary students will participate in an outdoor Market Day. Our 4th graders have been working hard to prepare for Market Day.  Elementary students will be able to shop during a pre-assigned time. I will let you know the time our class can come to school to shop as a class when the info is shared to teachers.  Students will have shortened lessons on the home day. There will be a 30 minute shopping time for students. I will share more details as they are finalized.

MAP GROWTH TESTING: The 2nd through 8th-grade teachers will administer the Spring MAP Growth Assessment within the dates of  Wednesday, May 12 –  Wednesday, May 19.   Please read the information below:

We’re looking forward to upcoming MAP Growth assessments! MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments in Math, Reading, and Language will help teachers to understand how much students have grown in their learning this year.

We’ll be taking these assessments in the morning during class on the following dates:

•  Wednesday, May 12- Math
•  Thursday, May 13- Language Arts
•  Monday, May 17- Reading

It’s important that students do their best to show all that they’ve learned this year! We are helping your student by preparing them to know what to expect on the assessment, coaching them on assessment-taking strategies, reminding them that they are capable of doing well, and shaping a structured and supportive classroom environment on those mornings.

You can help your student by ensuring that they get proper sleep the evening before an assessment, feeding them a healthy breakfast on each assessment morning, and encouraging them to have a positive attitude and to do their best–this assessment is important, and they are capable!

Together, we can support students in doing their best to show what they’re reading to learn this year! There is additional information available at https://www.nwea.org/parent-toolkit/. If you have further questions, please let me know!

Last Day of School info for SHC: The last day of school for ZCS will be on Friday, June 4.  However, because this is a home day for SHC students, our last day of school for SHC will be on Thursday, June 3. This will be a full day of school for SHC and all of ZCS.

Please note the upcoming dates on our calendar:

June 3: Last SCHOOL Day for School/Home Collaborative (full day)

June 4; Last Day of School for ZCS (1/2 day)

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Julie