Week of May 18 to 22
What We Learned this Week:
Bible: We had a deeply impactful week in Bible as we continued our journey through Unit 14. Our lessons took us through the stories of different kings and the prophets who were boldly called to speak God's truth to them.
Prosperity vs. Heart Conditions:
Jeroboam II & Israel: We looked at the 41 year reign of King Jeroboam II in Israel. Physically, the nation was thriving—the economy was booming, the military was strong, and their borders expanded. However, despite these external blessings, Jeroboam did evil, and the people continued to reject God’s covenant. It was a great reminder for the students that material success doesn't always reflect a right heart.
The Voices of the Prophets:
God sent specific messengers to call His people back to Him, and we focused on two of them this week:
Amos the Shepherd: We learned how God called a simple shepherd named Amos to deliver a heavy message of judgment to Israel for their numerous sins. Through five vivid visions, Amos explained God's coming judgment, but he also left them with a brilliant ray of hope from the "house of Jacob," inviting the people to "seek the Lord and live."
Hosea’s Powerful Message: We studied the prophet Hosea, who prophesied from the time of Jeroboam II all the way until Israel's exile. The students learned how Hosea’s own marriage to Gomer served as a living illustration of the relationship between God and Israel—showing how God remains faithfully loving even when His people are unfaithful. Hosea emphasized God's deep love as the ultimate reason for the people to repent.
A Dramatic Rescue in Judah:
King Hezekiah's Prayer: We wrapped up our weekly lessons by shifting our focus over to Judah, where the terrifying Assyrian army had marched right up to threaten Jerusalem. Instead of panicking or turning to foreign idols, King Hezekiah went straight to the Lord in prayer.
The Result: God answered his prayer in a miraculous way, destroying the enemy army and completely rescuing Jerusalem! The students discovered that the Assyrians were unsuccessful in Judah because, unlike Israel, Judah had not yet completely turned away from God.
As we approach the end of our unit on the Kings and Prophets of Judah, it’s time to start looking ahead toward our summative assessment.
Test Dates: The Unit 14 test is tentatively scheduled for May 28 or 29. The exact date will depend on when we wrap up our final few lessons.
Study Resources: To give students plenty of time to review at home, please utilize the links below. Students have already received a physical hard copy of the study guide.
[Link to Spanish Study Guide]: For student practice and review.
[Link to English Study Guide]: Specifically for parents to help support and quiz your child at home.
[Link to Blooket Test Review Games]: A fun, interactive way to sharpen those skills!
Happy studying, everyone!
Math: We wrapped up our extensive geometry exploration this week with some incredible hands-on drawing and shape analysis.
The World of Quadrilaterals: The students turned their focus to four-sided shapes, learning to observe and define them based on their adjacent sides, side lengths, types of angles, and pairs of opposite parallel lines. We mastered the definitions of:
Parallelograms, Trapezoids, Rhombuses, Rectangles, and Squares. To put this into practice, students became geometric architects—drawing specific figures only when they met a strict set of given conditions. They also practiced drawing diagonal lines through quadrilaterals to split them into triangles, which they then classified by their sides and angles!
Polygons & Symmetry: Beyond four-sided shapes, we practiced classifying various polygons by their sides and angles. We also explored the concept of balance by identifying figures with symmetry. The students practiced:
Finding and drawing lines of symmetry through shapes.
Completing the reflection of a drawing when given only half a shape and a line of symmetry.
📅 Upcoming Unit 8 Math Test Schedule
We are ready to show off everything we've learned! Please note the schedule for our final math assessment:
Wednesday, May 27 — Practice Test: Students will take a practice test in class that is modeled exactly like the real assessment. They will be given the answer key and instructed to bring both the practice test and answers home on Wednesday to use as a study guide.
Friday, May 29 — Unit 8 Math Test: Our official summative assessment.
Monday, June 1 — Test Corrections: We will hold our second day of math test corrections in class.
Reading: Our immersion into wartime Denmark reached an intense turning point this week as we read Chapters 10 and 11 of Number the Stars.
The Plot Thickens:
Chapter 10: The tension peaked as German soldiers arrived at Uncle Henrik's house, demanding to know why the casket for "Great Aunt Birte" was closed. In a moment of incredible bravery and quick thinking, Mama lied and said Aunt Birte died of typhus—a highly contagious disease—which successfully kept the soldiers from opening it. After they left, Peter Neilsen finally opened the casket, revealing that it contained no body, but rather blankets and warm clothing for the hidden Jewish groups.
Chapter 11: We watched as Peter distributed the clothes and helped the groups prepare for their perilous journey. Annemarie came to understand that the "mourners" were actually Jewish citizens fleeing for their lives, including her best friend Ellen and Ellen's parents. The chapter ended with Mama leading the Rosens down the dark path toward Henrik's boat, leaving Annemarie to wait anxiously alone.
Unlocking Symbolism: In addition to diving into deep classroom discussions and making predictions about what comes next, the students completed a symbolism diary this week. They put on their critical thinking caps to analyze how specific elements in the story represent bigger ideas. They looked at:
Important Objects & Actions
The Setting
The Book Title Itself
It was beautiful to witness such profound, high-level thinking from the students as they realized that every detail an author chooses can carry a deeper meaning.
Historical Fiction Book Clubs: Our book clubs also marched forward this week! The students met in their groups to continue reading their respective World War II novels. They are doing a fantastic job of living in the shoes of their characters and drawing connections between their club books and the events happening to Annemarie and Ellen.
Writing: Our classroom felt like a true publishing house this week as the students transitioned from drafting their micro-stories to gathering concrete textual evidence for their literary essays.
Hunting for Quotes & Patterns:
Exact Quotes: The students went back into their short stories with a critical eye, hunting for the perfect, exact quotes that directly support the reasons they've laid out in their thesis statements. Learning to integrate someone else's words to back up an argument is a high-level skill, and they did a fantastic job.
Repetition Lists: We also learned how to identify and create repetition lists from the text. By tracking words, phrases, or actions that an author purposefully repeats, the students are using those patterns as powerful pieces of evidence within their paragraphs.
The Typing Begins! We officially ended the week by opening up our iPads and starting to type out our literary essays. There is always a wave of excitement when they see their handwritten thoughts turn into a formal typed document!
Spelling: Along with our homework milestone, we have reached another end-of-year turning point: there will be no more weekly spelling lists for the rest of the school year!
The 4th Grade High-Frequency Test: To wrap up our spelling curriculum, the students will be taking a final 4th Grade High-Frequency Spelling Test on Thursday, May 28.
This assessment covers core words that students are expected to know how to spell fluently by the end of the fourth-grade level.
How to Prepare: If you would like your child to review and practice these words at home over the next few days, you can access the full practice list at the link below.
[Link to 4th Grade High Frequency Spelling List]
Grand Rapids Public Museum Field Trip Information (Tuesday, June 2):
We have one last exciting adventure on the calendar before we say goodbye to fourth grade. On Tuesday, June 2, we will be heading to the Grand Rapids Public Museum!
To help us ensure a smooth and fun day, please keep the following details in mind:
Early Departure: The bus will leave school promptly at 8:20 AM. Please ensure your child arrives to school on time.
Pack a Disposable Lunch: Please send your child to school with a lunch that is entirely disposable (brown paper bag, plastic bags, etc.) so we don't have to carry lunchboxes around the museum. Don't forget to clearly label the outside with their name!
Chaperone Update: If you have volunteered to chaperone this trip, thank you! Keep an eye on your inbox, as you will be receiving an email from me within the next few days with schedules, groups, and more detailed information.
We are so looking forward to a day of discovery and celebration together!
Homework:
We have officially reached one of the absolute best milestones of the fourth-grade year: there will be no more homework for the rest of the school year! The students have worked incredibly hard, and they have earned this transition as we head into our final weeks together.
One Final Deadline:
The homework distributed for the week of May 18–22 will be our very last one.
Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the homework is due on Tuesday, May 26.
From the Office:
Upcoming Dates:
May
25: Memorial Day: No school
27: Field Day & Ms. Raak’s retirement celebration at 2:45pm
June
3: Last Day of School 1/2 day
Preschool celebration at 9:00am
Final Chapel at 10:30am
Y5-5th Grade dismissal at 11:30am
A note from the parent board: We would love to bless the teachers with a final end of year lunch, if you are willing to volunteer please sign up here!
GUINEA PIG SUMMER HOME - Stormi is looking for a temporary home during the summer months. If your child(ren) have been asking for a(nother) pet, this is the perfect opportunity to appease them with a "short-term" pet. All supplies are provided (cage, bedding, food, etc.) for the summer. This can be a single family, or shared by multiple families throughout the summer. Stormi requires very little maintenance, and the small duties that do need to be performed can certainly be handled by your children. Please let Mrs. VanderZwaag know if you would be able to have her for the summer (kvanderzwaag@hollandchristian.org). Thank you!
Ms. Raak's retirement celebration: After 40 years in education Ms. Raak, our Rose Park PE teacher, will be retiring at the end of the school year. Field Day just so happens to be her birthday as well! Please save the date to help us celebrate Ms. Raak by congratulating her out on the playscape to end the day on Wednesday, May 27th. Parents are welcome to park their cars and come out back to the playscape to celebrate Ms. Raak and end field day, and her wonderful career in celebration! Please join us from 2:45 -3:30 pm for a cookie and congratulations. Please be mindful of the bus and carpool lanes as you park cars!
The HCHS Theatre Department is excited to announce a special opportunity for young performers in our 2026 Fall Musical, Disney's Frozen! We are auditioning incoming 4th-6th grade students from HC and ZC for the roles of "Young Anna" and "Young Elsa" BEFORE the end of the school year. Please see the attached invitation letter for details. Audition videos are due by Friday, May 29, with in-person callbacks by invitation on Monday, June 1.
Lunch accounts: Friendly reminder to please make sure your lunch account balances are in the positive as we end the school year. Please log into your accounts to take care of paying lunch fees. If you have any questions please contact cachterhof@hollandchristian.org.
Ruff Readers has been invited to read with children at Herrick District Library Main library on Tuesday evenings during the month of June!! We will be reading from 6:30 to 7:30 on June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30. So many children have enjoyed reading with the dogs over the years. Here is an opportunity for them to come and experience that wonderful opportunity again.
Community Opportunities: The below list of organizations are not necessarily affiliated with Holland Christian Schools but have requested the sharing of these community opportunities
SmugMug Plant Sale Link (From Stacey Hollebeek)
End of Year Gift for our Students Update:
We have a quick update on our special end-of-year student gifts! 12 beautiful copies of Max Lucado’s classic "Tu eres especial" have safely arrived at school. We are just one copy short of having a complete set for every student in our class.
A Quick Reminder: If you had pledged to purchase a copy of this book for our classroom, please send it to school with your student as soon as possible!
Wrapping Time: We have officially secured a wonderful parent volunteer who is ready to start gift wrapping these special presents very soon.
Thank you all so much for helping us make our final day celebration on Wednesday, June 3 so memorable for the kids!
Last Day of School "Fancy" Breakfast Buffet:
We are quickly approaching the end of the year—wow, we made it! These kids have worked incredibly hard, and I am so proud of everything they have accomplished. To celebrate them and all their hard work, I want to host a special tradition on our very last day of school.
I truly believe in the power of fellowshipping over food, and I want to bring that spirit of community and love into our classroom one last time with a “Fancy” Breakfast Buffet on Wednesday morning, June 3.
To make this "fancy" feast a reality, I would love your help! I have put together a list of supplies and breakfast items needed to make the morning complete. If you are able to contribute, please take a look at the sign-up slots below.
A few quick notes:
Drop-off: Please bring items to the classroom on Wednesday morning. I will be there by 7:35 AM to receive them.
Setup Help: I would be SO grateful if one or two parents could stay for a few extra minutes that morning to help me transform our space into a fancy cafe!
Thank you so much for your constant support and for considering helping us end the year on such a joyful note.
We are excited to share that Reflex Math has made their program available to our students and families throughout the entire summer! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to maintain their "fluency" and keep those math muscles strong while school is out.
What you need to know:
Login Info: Your student should have already brought home a parent letter containing their specific login information and a quick guide on how to get started.
Summer Resources: Reflex has also provided a dedicated link for families with extra tips and resources to make summer learning fun: [Link to Reflex Summer Resources]
Whether it’s a rainy afternoon or a quick 15-minute session a few times a week, staying consistent with Reflex will help your student feel confident and ready for the start of 5th grade!
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