Week of May 26 to 29
What We Learned this Week:
Bible: This week, we officially completed our final study of the unit with Lesson 11, which brought us to a somber but crucial turning point in biblical history.
Our final lesson highlighted the ultimate consequences of Israel walking away from God's covenant:
A Broken Alliance: We learned how King Hoshea entered into a political agreement with Egypt, deciding to refuse to pay tribute to the powerful nation of Assyria.
The Invasion and Deportation: In response, Assyria invaded Israel and deported the people of nobility and wealth, fracturing the nation.
The Heart of the Matter: Most importantly, the students discussed the spiritual reality behind this historical event—God abandoned the people to their choices because they consistently refused to turn from their evil ways and come back to Him.
Unit 14 Test: Following this final lesson, we spent time reviewing all the kings, prophets, and major events we've covered throughout the unit. The students then put their hard work to the test, concluding our study of Unit 14: "After Ahab to Israel's Exile." They did an excellent job focusing and showing what they learned about God's patience, holiness, and justice.
Math: We have officially concluded our geometry unit this week! The students worked incredibly hard mastering shapes, angles, and symmetry.
To make sure everyone felt confident and prepared, the students took a few practice tests throughout the week and carefully checked their own work against the answers. We concluded our week of hard work with the official Unit 8 Geometry Test on Friday.
What's Next?
Test Corrections: We will hold our second day of math test corrections on Monday, June 1. This will give the students an excellent opportunity to review their work, learn from any mistakes, and fully solidify their geometric understanding before we completely wrap up the school year!
Reading: This week, we reached the grand finale of our novel study, reading Chapters 12 through 17 and finishing Number the Stars!
The Final Chapters & What We Learned:
The Dropped Packet & The Forest Encounter (Chapters 12–13): The tension skyrocketed when Annemarie discovered that Peter's vital packet had been dropped on the ground. She bravely ran through the dark woods to deliver it to Uncle Henrik. On her way, she was cornered by German soldiers and their dogs, but she brilliantly used her quick wit—pretending to be a silly, crying schoolgirl—to protect the secret packet.
The Secret Revealed & The Escape (Chapters 14–15): Uncle Henrik revealed to Annemarie that the packet contained a special handkerchief treated with a chemical that ruins a dog's sense of smell, allowing the Jewish groups to hide safely on the boat. Because of Annemarie's bravery, Uncle Henrik successfully smuggled Ellen and her family across the water to free Sweden!
Two Years Later & The Cost of Freedom (Chapters 16–17): The book concluded two years later as the war ended. The students learned the heartbreaking news that Peter Neilsen had been captured and executed by the Germans, and that Annemarie's older sister, Lise, had also been killed as a part of the Danish Resistance. The story ended on a beautiful note of hope as Annemarie retrieved Ellen's Star of David necklace from its hiding place, waiting to give it back to her best friend.
The students have deeply enjoyed reading this book together and having discussions over the incredible bravery of ordinary citizens, the true meaning of courage, and the historical reality of the Danish Resistance. It was an unforgettable final novel study for our fourth graders!
Writing: We spent this week shifting our focus from our body paragraphs to the structural "frames" of our literary essays: the introduction and the conclusion.
To help the students master these abstract concepts, we used the structural analogy of a funnel:
Introduction Paragraph (The Funnel In): We learned to start wide and narrow down. The students began with a big, universal idea about life, then introduced the specific short story title, the author's name, and a brief summary. Finally, they narrowed down to the most precise point: their powerful thesis statement.
Conclusion Paragraph (The Funnel Out): We did the exact opposite to close out our pieces. Students started focused by restating their thesis statement, widened out slightly to summarize the main reasons presented in their essay, and finally ended broad with an impactful "So what?"—explaining the deeper message the author wants the reader to take away after reading the short story.
Alongside these structural mini-lessons, the students worked diligently at their iPads, typing up their drafts and watching their hard work come together into formal, typed literary essays!
Scholastic News May 11, 2026 Spanish Edition
From the Office:
Upcoming Dates:
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 CARE - Stormi is interested in having a few sleepovers this summer. She is super easy to host, and only requires attention every few days. (However, she might occupy your children for quite a while - just think of all that you could accomplish!) All supplies are included. Commitment is as little as two weeks, but may be longer if you desire. Please check out this signup to see if you can help out in any way this summer. Thanks so much!
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
No Progress Update for the Month of May:
As we approach the final week of the school year, I want to keep you informed about our upcoming grading schedule.
No May Updates: Please note that I will not be sending home a monthly progress update for the month of May.
The Final Report Card: Instead, all final grades and comments will be compiled into the end-of-year report card. Please watch your inbox for these final report cards on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 3.
Thank you for your incredible partnership and support of your child's academic journey all year long!
Wet Wipes:
As we head into our final week of school, we are beginning to look ahead toward packing up and giving our classroom a deep, thorough cleaning.
Our Current Supply: We are officially down to our very last container of wet wipes!
The Plan: We plan on spending some time scrubbing down desks, shelves, and supplies on Monday, June 1 and Tuesday, June 2 (right after we return from our field trip).
How You Can Help: If you are headed to the grocery store over the weekend to run your weekly errands, we would be incredibly appreciative if you would consider picking up and sending in a container of wet wipes. Thank you so much for your continuous generosity and for helping us keep our learning space clean and tidy as we wrap up the year!
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.
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!
We are so looking forward to a day of discovery and celebration together!
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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