Week of October 13 to 17

What We Learned this Week:

Bible: We finished up the Samuel unit this week. We started our next unit which will overview King Saul's reign. This week, we studied how God revealed to Samuel (and to Saul himself) that Saul was to be the very first king of Israel.

Math: This week, we learned how to perform 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication. We started off by drawing area models to visualize our thinking. Then, we used those area models in the following methods: place value sections, algebraic notation, and expanded notation. We concluded the week by learning the shortcut method. The students will be taking the unit two test at the end of the week of October 27 to 31. The students must be able to perform the following types of multiplication problems: 1 digit by 2 digits, 1 digit by 3 digits, 1 digit by 4 digits, and 2 digits by 2 digits. It may be a good idea to have your student begin to practice a bit at home. We will be reviewing in class during the week of October 27 to 31.

Reading: We have been analyzing the actions of the characters in the novels we are reading. We talked about what the actions could reveal to us about the type of people those characters are. 

Writing: We have been practicing how to write with elaborative detail. Generative questions that get us to think with our five senses really support our creative thinking and get us to write with deep details. 

No Homework for the Week of October 20 to 24:

There will be NO homework assigned during the week of October 20 to 24. Additionally, I will NOT be assigning a spelling list for this week. So, NO spelling test for this week. Yay!

From Mrs. VanderZwaag:

Your children may excitedly have told you about our current studies of layers of rock and how they form over time.  We are using the Pictured Rocks to base much of our inquiry on.  As we dig into this exploration, we are encountering views about the age of the earth (you may notice this on a worksheet or two that comes home).  While HC does not have an official “stance” on the age of the earth, per se, our approach to both science and the Bible is rooted in the Reformed conviction that God makes Himself known through His Word and His World.  These two major forms of revelation will never truly conflict, though they also have largely different scopes.  Out of respect for these different scopes, we are comfortable engaging God’s World through the process of making observations, collecting data, and building models (the processes of science). Our science curriculum engages general data that largely reflects significant process in the formation of the earth (though that doesn't necessarily exclude literal 6 day perspectives--ex: the idea that God created the world with the appearance of age, etc.).  In our classroom, I make sure to preface our studies by alluding to the varying view points that exist regarding this topic.  I humbly acknowledge to the students that my human brain cannot understand God's processes and design.  But I do know that God created this world, the layers of rock, and the fossils in them according to His perfect plan.  Beyond that, I am grateful that our families are part of the church - home - school triangle.  Each family may wish to continue this conversation at home, in conjunction with the views taught at their church.  As our children grow, they will encounter data about the age of the earth in society (museums, books, documentaries), and they will need to be able to place that information into their beliefs.  While we, as Christians, are not of this world, we do live in this world and continue to develop our understandings of how these viewpoints meet.  

Our faith is integrated into everything we do. Our faith impacts how we do science by rooting all our scientific endeavors in the reality of our Creator God. When done this way, all genuine scientific observations and discoveries can lead us into deeper wonder, wisdom, and worship.  Our Creator God is written all over our earth.  He was there in the past, exists in the present, and also knows what will happen in the future.

Thank you for continuing this conversation with your children at home.

From the Spanish Immersion Department:

Click here for the PDF.

From the Office:

• Upcoming Dates:

• October 20: Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8pm

• October 22-24: No school for CEA teachers convention

• Little Maroons Basketball: Holland Christians’s K-2, 3-4 and 5-6 Little Maroons Basketball Clinics and 3-4 League is open for registration! Please click here for information to register.

• Registration is now open for the Dutch Dance 2026 season! CLICK HERE to get signed up for High School (9-12 grades) Middel (6-8th grade) and Kinder (3rd-5th grade). Practice locations and times are listed on the link for each program. Registration closes on January 17th, 2026, 11:59pm. Absolutely no late registration accepted, so sign up today to Join the Dance in 2026! 

• Community Opportunities: 

• The below list of organizations are not necessarily affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities.