// NEW INFORMATION //
REMINDER regarding May 8: May 8 will now be a half-day for elementary and middle school students. ZPS busing is available.
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Book Madness 2026- Congratulations to Kaylee Raak for winning the annual Book Madness competition. The second-place winners are Evelyn Osborn and Abby Venema. All three finalists read all 16 books and made great guesses about which books would win the brackets. Middle school students selected Away by Megan E. Freeman as their favorite. Thank you to our Wish List Donor who helped us purchase books and award prizes. Thank you to Jim Heeres (retired ZCS middle school principal), Joan Knot (retired Jenison Christian teacher), and Jackie Roskamp (retired ZCS teacher), who helped Mrs. Zastow proofread the books.
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Faces and Our Cultures: This fall ZCS will be hosting 3 middle school students from Guatemala. For nearly 20 years, Face and Our Cultures has been facilitating student exchange between Christian schools in the United States and Guatemala. It is an excellent chance to introduce your family to another culture, invite the Spanish language into your home, and develop a relationship that could last a lifetime. All the students are conversant in English and cover their own expenses while here. Your responsibility is to incorporate them into your family life and arrange transportation to and from school. You can view the introduction videos and get more information about the individual students here. Join us for an informational meeting on Monday, May 4 at 9:30am in the Office Conference Room at ZCS or connect with Betssy Rivera, brivera@zcs.org, (ZCS K teacher) for more information.
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Mrs. Arendsen will be honored during the final chapel of the school year on May 15 for her faithful service and lasting impact on our school community. We are grateful for the many ways she has invested in students and staff, and we look forward to celebrating her together.
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// REPEAT //
Mark your calendar for ZCS Fun Night! // Join us for a fun evening hosted by our 8th Graders on Friday, May 1 from 5-8 PM. All proceeds from the night go toward supporting the 8th grade class trip. Bring the whole family and invite friends to enjoy a night of games, food, and fun! Keep an eye out for a flyer being sent home with your child with details on food and tickets.
Pre-Sale tickets will be from 11am-1p on April 30 and May 1.
Tickets will be 4 for $1 and if you buy during pre-sale for every $20 you buy, you get 8 free tickets. You can send your child to school with cash or check and they will be able to buy tickets at lunch.
You will be able to buy tickets the night of fun night but there will be no bonus tickets when you spend $20.
Dinner starts at 5:00pm and Games begin at 5:30pm. Dinner will be in the gym and games will be in the gym, middle school area, and outside behind the middle school.
Fun Night this year will be CASH or CHECK ONLY for both FOOD and TICKETS!
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Holland Christian Baseball/Softball Youth Community Day// Saturday May 2, 2026 10am-2pm. Holland Christian Baseball/Softball Fields 40th street. Cheer on the varsity teams against West Ottawa High School. Hot dogs and chips for lunch, meet the players, signed posters of the softball team and fun day at the ball fields!
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Summer camp and tutoring sign-ups // are still open—don’t miss out! We’ve also added a brand new boys and girls soccer camp this summer. Check out the dates and secure your spot using the link! https://ExpandED.regfox.com/summer-camps-tutoring-2026
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Spring Champs Book Sale Alert! // Get ready to SAVE big with our Champs Coupon Book - now only $15.00! Starting April 1 you can grab your book packed with amazing Lakeshore coupons and regional and national discounts! Don't miss out on this deal! Champs booklets can be purchased through the school office or ZCS trip office. 2026 coupons are valid from when the book is purchased through December 31, 2026.
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Faces & Our Cultures // For nearly 20 years, Faces & Our Cultures has enriched students' lives through cultural exchange programs between Guatemala and the U.S. Our school has been part of this program and we're excited to continue offering global experiences to our students! *If you are interested in LEARNING MORE about either program, please complete THIS FORM.
*Please feel free to select a time to CONNECT VIRTUALLY with Lucía Viteri, Faces Coordinator at: lucia.viteri@facesandcultures.com
*If you are interested in LEARNING MORE about either program, please complete THIS FORM.
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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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2026-27 Academic Calendar: We’re happy to share that the 2026–2027 school calendar has been approved by the Board. Thank you to Katy Rozema, Director of Teaching and Learning, for leading this process with input from teachers across all grade levels.
You’ll notice that in the 2026–2027 calendar, some of our typical rhythms are shifted a bit later, as both Labor Day (September 7) and Memorial Day (May 31) fall as late as possible. Here are a few highlights and things to note:
- August Launch Week: Meet-Your-Teacher and RAMS FEST will take place on August 25, with school beginning on Thursday, August 27 for Elementary and Middle School.
- September: Preschool will begin on September 8.
- CEA / Fall Break: As previously communicated, the CEA Convention will be held one week earlier than normal, so Fall Break will be October 14–16.
- Fall Conferences: Conferences will be held Thursday evening, October 22, and Friday, October 23 will be a half day of school with conferences in the afternoon.
- Grandparents and Grandfriends’ Days: Preschool - April 21 & 22, Y5-8th - April 23
- Last Day of School: School will end with a half day on June 9.
View the 2026-27 School Calendar.
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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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