BLUE NOTE

2026-27 EDITION No. 07 | PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON WEDNESDAYS | BURN BRIGHT

Upcoming Calendar Dates //

  • October 21, 2026  8:00 am - 8:45 am | CONFIRMED: Donuts with Dads - Front Entry Y5-5th

  • October 22, 2026  8:00 am - 8:45 am | CONFIRMED: Donuts with Dads - Front Entry Y5-5th

  • October 22, 2026  3:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Parent/Teacher Conferences: Y5s-5th 4:00-8:30 // 6th-8th 3:00-7:30

  • October 23, 2026  9:00 am - 9:30 am | All School Chapel

  • October 23, 2026  3:00 pm - 8:30 pm | 1/2 Day of School a.m.// Parent/Teacher Conferences p.m.: Y5s-5th 12:00-4:00 // 6th-8th 11:00-3:00

  • October 23, 2026 | 1/2 Day of School // MS 10:40 // ELEM 11:40 Y5-8 PM Conferences

  • October 23, 2026 | NO PM Busing / ZCS 1/2 Day

  • October 29, 2026 | NO PM Busing

  • October 30, 2026 | NO Busing

Full Calendar with Event Details
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Blue Note Blurb //

What a joy it has been to launch another year of preschool at Zeeland Christian! Since welcoming our youngest learners in September, our classrooms and outdoor spaces have been filled with curiosity, connection, discovery, and so many opportunities to grow each day. We are grateful for the families who have joined us this year and for the incredible team of teachers who make each day meaningful for our preschoolers.

We kicked off the year by welcoming 220 families to our Preschool Open House evening at each site, Central Ave and Creation Ridge! Since then, we have been busy building relationships and creating a strong foundation for learning and play. Through our parent meetings, family events, and parents participating in a day of preschool, we have been intentional about partnering with families and helping each child feel known, loved, and ready to learn.

Our Burn Bright books have helped introduce classroom expectations and routines in ways that encourage children to shine as learners and friends. We are already seeing many opportunities for our preschoolers to practice independence, build confidence, and learn what it means to be part of a classroom community.

Of course, preschool learning extends far beyond the classroom walls! Our three- and four-year-olds have enjoyed field trips to Autumn Farms, shadow days, a fire truck visit, a walk to Zeeland Bakery or Lawrence Street Park, and lots of puddle jumping and playing in the fall rain! We gathered for a Family Night Hike at Creation Ridge, and our four-year-olds proudly joined the Pumpkinfest Parade downtown Zeeland this month. These experiences give children opportunities to explore God's world, ask questions, and make meaningful connections with what they are learning.

Faith is also woven into our weeks through our weekly preschool chapels, where children begin building a foundation for knowing God's love and learning how to share that love with others. Our connections with our upper elementary buddies are beginning, and another special highlight is creating opportunities for friendships to grow across our ZCS community.

We have also loved gathering with families for our Preschool Fall Night at Central Avenue, celebrating the community we are building together. And the fun is far from over! We are looking forward to upcoming field trips to ODC, visits to Cortland Assisted Living Center, Wiseman Hikes, and partnering with Hand2Hand! 

Preschool is such a special season of growth, wonder, and possibility! The lens we have through our preschoolers' eyes has a way of stretching our curiosity, filling us with joy, and helping us see our Creator in a new way. Our three- and four-year-olds are continually pointing us to Him, and we are so thankful for each and every preschooler at Zeeland Christian this year!

Alicia Zandstra
Preschool Director

 

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QUICK LINKS

Current Families Page
School Calendar
Hot Lunch Menu
The Story

Blue Note News //

Oct. 21, 2026 //

// NEW INFORMATION //

Join the ZCS Kinder & Middle Dutch Dance groups for Tulip Time 2027! Students in 3rd - 8th grade will have the opportunity to participate with practices happening during the school day.

  • Kinder Dancers (3rd-5th) register HERE. 

Practices will be held on Tuesday during lunch recess starting Feb 23.

  • Middle Dancers (6th-8th) register HERE. 

Practices will be held on Mondays during lunch starting February 2.

Participants must commit to attend weekly practice, purchase a costume, and perform at the evening performances in Holland during the week of Tulip Time, April 29 - May 8, 2027. Parents may attend a Kinder and Middel Information Meeting on December 10, 2026, at 6:30 pm at the Tulip Time Office 42 West 8th Street Holland, MI, to learn more!

Any questions or requests for additional information may be directed to coaches: Kinder 3rd-5th - Tessa (tessaborr@gmail.com) and Middel 6th-8th - Nakisha (nakishadejong@gmail.com)

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Drop Off/Pick Up Reminder // If you are using the carline for drop off and pick up please seek to leave as much room for oncoming traffic as possible. Our neighbors are having difficulty entering and exiting their driveways and are asking our school community to yield as much space as possible. 

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Author Visit // We are excited to host local Christian children's author Lorie VanWerden at ZCS on Friday, November 20  with all Young Five/Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes!  If you would like to purchase signed and personalized copies of selected books by Lorie VanWerden please complete the order form with payment by Friday, October 30. Payment may be either cash or check made out to Zeeland Christian School.  Please see the order form that was sent home with your child or the form attached here. Reminder, please return the order form with payment to your child’s teacher by October 30. 

More information and pre-registration link will be coming later for those who wish to join and sit with their child for the author visit. Thank you and we look forward to this opportunity for students to grow in their JOY and curiosity in reading!

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Fall Parent/Guardian Teacher Conferences for Y5-8th Grade are on October 22 and October 23. Sign-up began on Monday, October 12 at 9:00 a.m and is now closed. If you wish to connect with your teacher and haven’t signed up for a conference time slot, please reach out to the teacher directly to find a time that works. 

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Walkathon // Our first-ever Walkathon raised over $25,000 for the Burn Bright Fund and Parent Partners! 

What a beautiful picture of a community coming together to help kids of all abilities and backgrounds learn, grow, and belong.

A HUGE thank you to our Parent Partners, sponsors, families, and everyone who made this day possible!

The joy was incredible, but the impact will reach far beyond the finish line.

Together, we Burn Bright! Praise God for His faithfulness!

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Quote of the week from the Technology & Digital Well-Being Parent Committee // “We can’t expect children and adolescents to develop adult-level real-world social skills when their social interactions are largely happening in the virtual world.” -The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt

Try This: Find a night for your family to sit down for dinner together, put phones away, and ask everyone to share the best part of their day.

 

 // REPEAT //

Chapel Pre-Registration // for the October 23 chapel is now open! If you have previously signed in using your license you are eligible to pre-register.  Pre-register HERE until noon on October 22nd. 

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Kitchen Crew // The ZCS kitchen crew is looking to hire 2 people to work 3-4 days per week. The hours are approximately 9 am - 1 pm, w/ flexibility a must. The pay is $15 per hour w/ paid holidays and sick days. If interested, please contact Sharon Amundsen (Kitchen Lead) at samundsen@zcs.org

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ZCS Mandarin Preschool Club // 3 & 4 year olds as well as Y5 students, along with their parents, are invited to join this free parent-led ZCS Mandarin Preschool Club. Fridays (when school is in session) 2:15-3:15 in room 6. Contact erinwebb05@gmail.com with questions. 

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ZCS Family Directory // will be published at the end of October. If you do not want your family information shared please opt out using this form prior to October 21. 

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Legacy Event | Thursday, November 5, 2026

Registration is now closed. To be added to the waitlist, please email Ashley Meade at ameade@zcs.org

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Travel Opportunity // We invite you to consider joining other ZCS families in Trujillo, Peru this summer! This culturally immersive trip is offered in partnership with Travec. While families of students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade are given priority in registration, this opportunity is open to any interested ZCS family. 

If your family would like to learn more about the trip, we invite you to reach out to Angelica Delgado adelgado@zcs.org (4th Grade teachers at ZCS), Kristen Evenhouse kristen@traveltravec.com (Travec Representative), or visit the Travec website (https://www.traveltravec.com/zeelandchristian). 

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Reminder // Illness/Sickness Policy: When To Keep Your Child Home

  • A fever of 100 degrees or higher:  Your child must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine before returning to school.
  • Vomiting and/or diarrhea: Your child must be free of vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
  • A child that seems ill: If your child seems unusually tired, pale, difficult to wake, has a headache or body aches, is confused or irritable, and/or lacks a normal appetite, please keep him/her home. Your child must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

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REMINDER: ZCS Apparel Store is NOW ALWAYS OPEN

Orders are processed on the 15th and 30th of each month. https://zeelandchristian.deco-schools.com/

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ZCS VOLUNTEER & EMPLOYMENT //

VOLUNTEER // TRIP would like a couple more volunteers to sell Instant TRIP on Friday mornings.  If interested contact Deb at 616-879-0398.

Current ZCS Job Listings

Parent Reminders