Keeping You Connected

Rooted In Christ

The last few weeks of school are always a season of celebrations and transitions — a time of remembering as well as looking forward with hope. During last week's chapel, a variety of seniors shared stories, memories, and hopes for themselves, for their class and for our school. Three seniors also shared their testimonies which encouraged each of us to take God's call to "follow me" seriously. One senior encouraged us to devote ourselves to personal prayer and Bible study. Another student reminded us that together we are the body of Christ and we are called to live this out in community. A third student testified to how he had come to experience the love of God in his life and challenged us to demonstrate the love of God to others and to the world. We closed the chapel by singing a familiar prayer over our seniors. The words of the prayer/song go like this: "My friends, may you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. My friends, may you grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory and now and forever, now and forever. Amen." This is our prayer for the Class of 2023, but is also our prayer for our whole school — that we keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.  

—Mark VanderWerf

High School News

Student Celebrations

Congratulations to Isaac Sung, who recently participated in the Michigan Music Teachers Association Student Achievement Testing State Finals for piano. Isaac demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication and received the distinction of 2nd place in the Junior Division. This esteemed event took place on May 6, at MSU Lansing. Additionally, Isaac competed in the Michigan Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition last Saturday and emerged as the 1st place winner in the Junior 3 Division. This achievement has earned him the opportunity to perform at the MMTA State Convention in October 2023. Congratulations Isaac on your hard work and commitment to excellence!

Underclassmen Exam Schedule

Second-semester 9-11th grade exams are Tuesday - Friday, May 30 - June 2. Two exams are scheduled each day.

• The first exam begins at 8:30 am and ends at 10:00 am. Students should arrive by 8:20 to ensure they are in their seats ready to begin at 8:30.
• The second exam begins at 10:15 am and ends at 11:45 am.

Students are only required to be present for the exams they have scheduled (e.g. if a student has a first-period class and a second-period study hall, the student may leave for the day at 10:00 am.)

Buses will run on their normal morning schedules and will depart from GRCHS following the second exam. 

Schedule for Exams May 30 - June 2

• Tuesday: 1st and 2nd hr
• Wednesday: 3rd and 4th hr
• Thursday: 5th and 6th hr
• Friday: 7th and 8th hr

Final Grades will be posted on ParentVue/StudentVue on the morning of June 8.

Laptop Return Schedule

• Date: Tuesday, May 30 - Friday, June 2  

• When: 8:00 am-12:30 pm

• Where: GRCHS Learning Commons

• What: ALL items (laptop, charger, and hard case) must be returned together, or with payment for missing items.

Late Turn-Ins: Any laptop turned in after June 2 will be assessed a $5/weekday late fee to be paid at the time of turn-in.

Encourage your student(s) to check their email for detailed instructions from Mrs. Hurtman about laptop return.

Textbook Returns

• Textbooks are due no later than June 2
• Any books turned in late will have a $1/Day late fee up to the cost of the book
• Books can be returned to Mrs. Jorritsma in the Learning Commons
• If textbooks are lost or damaged, students will be responsible for a replacement fee

Exciting News From Gone Boarding 

Gone Boarding is a team-taught 2-credit semester class where students design, construct, and learn to ride all types of boards. (Surfboards, skateboards, snowboards and paddleboards). 

One of our goals is to build relationships with the community and we could use your help. Click here to see what is happening and to learn about an exciting opportunity to help out our community partner Third Coast Rising.

Lockers and Lost and Found Items

Please remind your student to clean out their lockers and check the lost and found for any missing items before the last day of exams on June 2. All unclaimed items will be donated. 

Yearbooks!

Yearbooks are here! Students can pick them up in the Student Life Office. 

Summer Session

At Grand Rapids Christian Schools, we believe a student’s learning and growth does not stop when second semester ends. Summer Session is an exciting way at Grand Rapids Christian High for students to participate in fun enrichment and immersion activities during the summer and earn high school credit. Incoming 9th – 12th grade students can participate in Courses, Workshops, College Prep Activities, and Drivers Training.

There are many great reasons to take a class during Summer Session:

• For new students – get a taste of academics at Grand Rapids Christian High School. Make a few friends before high school starts!
• Get ahead on graduation requirements.
• Make room in your normal school-year schedule for electives and Advanced Placement classes.
• Take unique classes that aren’t offered during the school year.
• Demonstrate to colleges that you invested in summer enrichment.
• Prepare for college entrance exams. 

All summer offerings are posted online at our website: www.grcs.org/summer.
Registration is open now and spots are filling quickly!  

Winterim 2024

Partnership with the community is a vital part of the success of Winterim. We are always looking for people with passions to share that are interested in offering a two-week course as a paid Guest Instructor. Please contact Brian Karsten for more information: email at bkarsten@grcs.org or call 616.574.5508.

Technology Sale

Come to our GRCS technology sale on Friday, June 2 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Grand Rapids Christian High School in the All City Gym lobby (2300 Plymouth - Door 5)! This year we will be selling 13" MacBook Airs, iPads, Mac Mini desktops, and projectors. See the Tech Sales Flyer for details.

Host an International Student at Grand Rapids Christian Schools

We have several young men joining us in August who still need a GRCS host family. These young men (from Ukraine, South Korea, China, and Spain) are excited to experience life in West Michigan, living with an American family and attending classes at the high school. If you (or someone you know) are interested in other cultures, enjoy hospitality, and want to have an enduring impact on a young person's life, this could be a great opportunity for your family! Host families receive an annual stipend to cover costs and we provide orientation, training, and ongoing support throughout the school year. For more information contact Joelle Williams at jwilliams@grcs.org or 616-574-5652.

Summer Test Prep

Summer is the perfect time to work on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT. Private tutoring 1:1 is the ideal solution to the problem of finding time to prepare. Contact our experienced tutors for more info!

Jane Parker 269-838-6172 jparker@grcs.org

Rhonda Madole ‭616-635-9032‬ rmadole@grcs.org

Sam Hartemink 616-498-1372 shartemink@gmail.com

Jenny Griffin 616-606-8207 jgriffin@grcs.org

Food Service Balances

The GRCS lunch balance policy is that we do not refund balances. Please be mindful of your lunch balance. All remaining balances are transferred to siblings. Should you not have younger siblings we put the excess balance in a fund for students PK-12 who are not able to pay their lunch balances—it is called the "pay it forward fund." Thank you for your support and participation in our GRCS school nutrition program.

Students with negative balances at the time of exams, need to have them paid prior to taking the exam. Our students at the high school are very good at keeping their lunch balances in good standing. Thank you!

GRCHS Summer Office Hours

June 5-23: Weekdays 8:00 am—3:00 pm
June 26-30: Mon-Thurs 8:00 am—2:00 pm. Closed on Fridays
July 3-7 CLOSED
July 10-28: Mon-Thurs 8:00 am—2:00 pm. Closed on Fridays
Regular office hours resume on July 31.

Have a wonderful and restful summer!
 

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From the Counseling Department

Please visit the Counseling Department web page for the latest information from the GRCHS Counseling Department, including curriculum and class information, ACT and SAT testing information and prep classes, college planning guides, and much more.

Upcoming Saturday ACT dates:

• July 15, 2023
• Registration deadline is June 16th
• See ACTstudent.org to register. 

Upcoming Saturday SAT and SAT Subject Test dates: 

• June 3, 2023
• Late registration deadline May 24.
• Register at collegeboard.org.

From the Athletic Department

Sports Physicals

Current 8th-11th graders planning to play sports at Grand Rapids Christian High School in the 2023-24 school year need to have an MHSAA physical form on file with the high school athletic office before they are allowed to participate. A valid physical for 2023-24 must be completed after April 15, 2023. Turn in the completed physical to the GRCHS athletic office by mail or email as soon as you finish it, even if it is before the end of this school year or during the summer. You may print out a physical form here. 

This form must be completed with all signatures in order to participate in sports at GRCHS. You may attach your doctor's office physical form for the doctor portion of this form but the parent portion and all signatures need to be completed on this form.