BLUE NOTE
2026-27 EDITION No. 03 | PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON WEDNESDAYS | BURN BRIGHT
Upcoming Calendar Dates //
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September 25, 2026 9:00 am - 9:30 am | All School Chapel
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September 25, 2026 | NO PM Busing
Blue Note Blurb //
ZCS Families and Community,
I believe greater clarity leads to greater impact.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve begun sharing more about how we are strategically working to deepen the impact we have in the lives of children. This week, I’m excited to share an important piece of that work: our ZCS Portrait of a Learner.
The Portrait is the culmination of a year-long process that included input from every ZCS teacher and staff member and was refined by a team of teachers, staff, board members, and school leaders. It describes the kind of child we pray God is shaping through each year of learning, relationship, and growth at Zeeland Christian.
We are committed to helping children become:
ROOTED in God’s love
DRAWN toward community
EQUIPPED with knowledge and curiosity
CALLED to serve
Grounded in the grace of Jesus Christ and our Reformed tradition, these four commitments reflect our deepest hopes for every child who walks through our doors.
You may be wondering how this connects to our mission, vision, and core values(opens in new tab). Together, they bring clarity to three fundamental questions:
WHY DO WE EXIST?
Our mission and vision answer the why. We want every child to reach their fullest potential as a child of God, and we seek to do that by providing a high-quality Christian education in partnership with parents.
HOW DO WE SHOW UP?
Our core values describe how we commit to showing up for children and families: with Relentless Curiosity about how God has uniquely wired each child, Deep Joy as we walk together through the highs and lows of learning and growth, and by being Faithfully All-In so children know they are known, loved, safe, and that they belong.
WHAT ARE WE WORKING TOWARD?
Our Portrait of a Learner gives us a shared picture of what we are working toward. At Zeeland Christian, we believe education is about more than what children know. Education is formation. The Portrait helps connect what happens each day in our classrooms, hallways, playgrounds, worship, relationships, and service to the larger vision we hold for every child.
And this brings me back to where I started: greater clarity leads to greater impact.
In many ways, the Portrait simply gives shared language to work the Holy Spirit has been doing at ZCS for generations. In my own personal experience, and in talking with alumni, these same ideas reflect in many graduates describing their ZCS experience. The heart of this Portrait is not new. What is new is the clarity it gives us to pursue that work together with greater intentionality.
You will begin to see the Portrait woven more intentionally into life at ZCS over time. In a school our size, meaningful change takes time, and we are committed to doing this thoughtfully and well, always keeping children at the center.
Parents, I welcome your questions and feedback as we continue this work. This is your school, and we are grateful to partner with you. Together, we want to help children discover who God is, who they are, and the role He is calling them to play in His story.
Burn Bright,
Betsy Koop
Head of School