Stories
ZCS Alumni Spotlight // Luke Gruppen
Luke Gruppen, a Zeeland Christian School alumni, looks back on his time at ZCS with gratitude for the teachers and experiences that helped shape his faith and his calling to serve others. One memory that stands out began in second grade, when Maestra Coop, now ZCS’s principal, took the time to teach Luke how to…
Read MoreMeet Sarah Klingenberg
“Faith isn’t a part-time job. We are called to more!” We are excited to welcome Sarah Klingenberg to ZCS this year! Sarah is a Holland Christian School alum from the Class of 2022 and just graduated from Cornerstone University with her degree in elementary education. We’re excited to have her joining the ZCS community! Sarah…
Read MoreMeet Maestra Capestany
Ruth Capestany is joining ZCS as a Spanish Immersion kindergarten teacher, bringing with her a deep love for Jesus, children, and the Spanish language. Originally from Panama, Ruth felt God calling her to follow Him and share His love from a young age. After earning a degree in special education and teaching in Panama, she…
Read MoreCuriosity Encouraged. Faith Deepened. A Calling Discovered.
Alumni Spotlight: Josh Parks ’10 Sometimes, all it takes is one teacher who says, “Go for it.” For Josh Parks ’10, that teacher was Mrs. Roskamp. “I loved everything about my seventh-grade English class with Mrs. Roskamp,” Josh remembers. “Not only because she let me write a 30,000-word prequel to The Chronicles of Narnia instead…
Read MoreCalled to Care: How McKenna Schafer ’16 Lives Out Her Faith in Nursing
When McKenna Schafer ’16 walks into the ICU each day, she never knows what challenges await. As a nurse serving patients and families in northern Michigan at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, she regularly encounters situations that are heartbreaking, difficult, and deeply human. Yet through it all, she carries with her a foundation that…
Read MoreDeep Joy: Ireland to Michigan
by Simon Morrow, ZCS 8th-grade teacher I love ZCS! I have known about this place for about 10 years, but I only moved to the US and started working at ZCS in July 2023. Being in a place where I can help students to explore what it means to truly experience Jesus, while also preparing…
Read MoreBrumation: God’s Naturally Amazing Design
by Katy Bosch, ZCS Nature-Rich Teacher Nature-based learning is: Learning in nature Learning about nature Learning with nature This week, we had an opportunity to learn with nature when we discovered one of our toads on the playscape in the early, cooler morning. Students were marveling at their toad friend, wondering: “Is it alive?” “Is it breathing?”…
Read MoreThy Kingdom Come: Engaging the Whole Student in Middle School
Written by Ben Kapenga, 7th Grade Teacher + ZCS Parent When Jesus taught his disciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer, he offered not only a set of words but a vision for how God’s people might live. “Thy kingdom come” stands out as both a prayer and a calling. It invites us to experience life…
Read MoreHeritage Country Open House
Yesterday, our 4th and 5th-grade immersion classes invited elementary students from our English, Spanish, and Mandarin classrooms to experience and explore Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and China—right here at ZCS. Yesterday, our 4th and 5th-grade immersion classes welcomed elementary students from our English, Spanish, and Mandarin classrooms to take a cultural journey through Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico,…
Read MoreCaring for Others
An unspoken bond brings together students from across grade levels as they listen, laugh, and learn with one another in what we call Family Groups. In these groups, 1st through 8th-grade students walk side-by-side, studying the Bible together, sharing laughter, and lifting each other up through everyday challenges. This spirit of mentorship—caring for those who…
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