Posts Tagged ‘education’
“It’s Different Here”
Five years ago, my family and I were visiting Zeeland Christian shortly after I had accepted the position here. It was Good Friday, and the enduring memory of that day is the worship during all-school chapel. As chapel ended, longtime ZCS facility manager Paul Meeuwsen walked up and took the microphone, tearfully telling the students…
Read MoreStronger achievement scores in all subjects and grade levels.
Last week, many of your students likely came home from school sharing about MAP Growth testing in their classrooms. I had the opportunity to help with testing in a few first-grade classrooms. It was inspiring to observe the calm leadership of our teachers as they navigated student logins, technology questions, and nerves. There are a…
Read MoreAssisting Parents
Parents, we’re here for you. How can we help? The phrase “assisting parents” is included in the mission of ZCS, and we see this aspect of our mission lived out each day in our hallways, classrooms, playgrounds, hiking trails, and specials. Stacy Deters, Dir. of Student Support Services, recently shared this story with our Board,…
Read MoreHead of School Note 1.19.22
Parents and Guardians, Reflecting on our first few weeks back to school after the holidays, I am encouraged by the many acts of kindness, the sense of family, and the spirit of teamwork I witness each day. It hasn’t been an “easy” beginning to the new year, and yet, the spirit of God and his…
Read MoreWeibao Zhang: To Teach Children to Love God and His Word
爱上帝，爱孩子，爱学习 Ama a Dios, Ama a los niños, Ama aprender Love God, Love Kids, Love Learning Weibao Zhang – 4th & 5th Mandarin Immersion Weibao (Way-baow), or Zhang Laoshi (Jahng La-ow-shur) as known by the students, is an energetic, kind teacher with a heart for the Lord. One of Weibao’s favorite things about teaching is…
Read MorePBIS: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Launch
We are excited to introduce our new Positive Behavior framework to ZCS: Christ-like AMOR. The ultimate goal of the framework is to bring clarity and consistency for our students and staff. The students were introduced to our Behavior Expectations on Monday. We will be intentionally acknowledging the positive behaviors that we see every day because…
Read MoreTeacher Spotlight- Melanie Vander Ploeg
Leading Faith-First In Caledonia, MI, Melanie VanderPloeg, second-grade teacher at Zeeland Christian, began her faith journey. To this day she still resides in that small town where she discovered her love for Christ in third grade at Bible Study. In awe of the great Creator and the ways to pardon our sinfulness, she…
Read MoreTeacher Spotlight- John Buteyn
I was born in Waupun, Wisconsin, a small town in the central part of Wisconsin in a strong Christian family as the sixth of eight children. My parents were actively involved in both our home church and Christian school. My dad was always involved in serving on either the church council of elders or on…
Read MoreDo Your Children and Grandchildren Know…
When my Grandma McAboy came to visit, she would often stay for a few days at a time. One night as I was falling asleep, I heard her in her room talking. After a minute or two I realized she was praying, and after another moment I realized she was praying for me. Grandma McAboy…
Read MoreSeasons of Parenting
Parents, Andy Stanley says that if we parent now the way God would have us to parent, there may be times when our children don’t like us very much. But they will like us later, and “later is longer.” His parenting series “Future Family” helped me to see raising my children in seasons: …
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