It has been a WONDERFUL season of Advent at school! We have dwelled in the waiting and wonder of the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I pray that your child senses the LOVE of their Savior for them as they look upon his birth this Christmas.
I have so many thanks to give this time of year! Thank you all for the thoughtful and generous gifts you sent my way. Your kindness to me was overwhelming! In case you didn't know, you contributed to a gift that included a candle for our classroom, a $100 visa gift card, some Birkenstocks, Darn Tough Socks, and XC Ski pants - all of my favorites! I am go grateful for all of your expressions of thoughtfulness and generosity to me this Christmas. We talked a lot in class this season about how when we give a gift to someone, we are essentially giving a gift to God. We practiced gifting kind words to our classmates this advent season, and everyone has a stocking full of them that they came home with yesterday. While giving gifts is a by-product of the reason we celebrate Christmas, it does help point us back to the reason we give.
My wish for you is that you will be able to have some meaning-filled moments with your family this Christmas, relishing the gift of Jesus and the life-saving implications He made. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!
I look forward to seeing all "my kids" back again in January. Take good care of them for me until I can see them again!😉
Luke 2
Please know how special your children are to me. Today did not pan out the way I had hoped - maybe you heard. I was called to the hospital to be with my dad. The doctors discovered a large mass on his liver. Further testing will be done next week to determine what the mass is made of. This is a different issue than the forehead cancer he is in radiation for, and the melanoma he had removed on Monday from his shoulder, of which we are still waiting to hear the results of the lymph node testing. But during our morning meeting time today, when I told your children this morning what was going on and how I was going to be leaving, they asked if they could pray for me and my dad. So we prayed, we read our Advent reading, we sang, and they really, really wanted to record this verse for you. As I sat in the hospital this afternoon, I pulled out my phone and shared this with my parents. Their faces were filled with joy as they watched your children recite the word of God (even though my dad still says "they were sore afraid" instead of "they were terrified"😂). I pray that you also may find eternal peace and joy in this story, no matter what life sends your way.
OPTIONAL HOMEWORK PACKET - The optional homework packet came home yesterday. Doing parts of this will earn your child auction tickets. So when your children are "bored" over Christmas break, feel free to remind them of this opportunity😉. They can return the packet on Monday, January 5.
Two more 10 year olds in the HOOOUUUUSE!
We had a fun scavenger hunt with our kindergarten buddies resulting in complete manger scene pictures that we made together.
Christmas party time - a BIG thank you to the moms who planned and provided fun activities for our Christmas celebration! We had a great afternoon!
Gifting to Mrs. VanderZwaag
New books for all the students!
I love these kids!
Stockings full of kind words from the students to each other - hearts were swelling as they read the words of their peers written especially for them!
FROM THE ROSE PARK OFFICE
Upcoming Dates:
Running Club! It's time to think about Spring activities again! Rose Park will again have a Rose Park Running Club for 3rd - 5th graders this spring. The program will run from February 17- May 2. Runners must be signed up to participate, click here!
Sign ups are open for the Dutch Dance 2026 season! CLICK HERE to get signed up. Practice locations and times are listed on the link for each program. Registration closes on January 17th, 2026, 11:59pm. Absolutely no late registration accepted, so sign up today to Join the Dance in 2026!
Kirk Cousins Football Camp: June 24 + 25, 2026: 9am-3pm: Holland Christian High School → Sign Up Here // OUR FOOTBALL CAMP is designed to help young men grow in their understanding of the game while helping them to grow in leadership, faith and integrity. Competition is a great way to develop perseverance and confidence. Through team activities, drills and scrimmages, we help the campers develop their skills and their character. And we make sure they have fun!”– Kirk Cousins
