High School News

No School October 20 — 22

There is no school for students this week Wednesday — Friday while teachers have professional development. We will resume class on Monday, October 25 with an 'A' day schedule. 

Important Transportation Updates

Parent drop-off needs to be done in front of GRCHS. Do not drop off your students behind GRCHS. This is for bus drop-off only. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences 

Parent-Teacher Conferences are an important touchpoint during the year for parents to connect with work being done in the classroom and progress being made by individual students. If you missed our in-person conferences last night, you can still sign up for a zoom meeting tonight. Please sign up by 5:00 pm as changes/additions made after that time may not be seen by teachers who are in conferences. 

October 19: virtual (zoom) conferences from 5:30 pm — 8:30 pm. You can sign up for zoom meetings here. At your scheduled conference time, use the zoom link to connect with your teacher.

Parents/Guardians of AP Students

AP Teachers are giving out AP exam contracts to your students this month. Some of you may have already seen these contracts come home, or will in the next few days. Parent signatures are required regardless of your student’s decision. 

The expectation is that all students will take the exam for each AP course, per our curriculum guide. 

• There is a fee of $96 per exam. For students who qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program, the fee is $50.
• For students with a GRCS tuition account, fees will be automatically posted to that account. 
• For students who do not have a tuition account, payment must be made using the same method as tuition. The deadline for payment is Oct. 29.
• For questions regarding payment, please contact Mr. Tim Stapert, tstapert@grcs.org

There is a two-step process for students in order to take their AP tests next May:

• Each student must indicate a “yes/no” decision online in their College Board MyAP account or their exams may not get ordered. It is not sufficient to just return the paper contract. 
• Each student must return the signed paper contract to their teacher by Friday, October 29, regardless of which choice the student makes.

If a student orders an exam but then cancels after November 15, there is a $40 cancellation fee assessed by College Board. There is also a $40 late fee added for ordering an exam after November 15. The 2022 AP exams will be administered on-site/in-person as paper and pencil exams over 2 weeks on May 2 — 6 and 9 — 13.

If you have any questions about AP exams, please contact our AP Coordinators, Mr. Rich Schrotenboer (rschrotenboer@grcs.org) or Laura Rhodes (lrhodes@grcs.org).

Adventure Club Ski & Snowboard Passes

Cannonsburg Passes are now available for purchase online! Available for all high school students AND parents of high school students! Whether or not you plan to ride with us, be sure to enter our school "Grand Rapids Christian HS" and sponsor "Kevin Van Harn" for your chance to get a free Cannonsburg t-shirt! Orders are due by December 3!

Yearbook Orders

If you would like to order a yearbook, they are available at Jostens.com.  They are on sale for $60 for a limited time, so don't wait!

Seniors

Email senior pictures to Ms. Das, rdas@grcs.org, by Friday, November 5, 2021. Photos must adhere to the guidelines; late photos will not be accepted.

Families of Seniors: Celebrate your senior with a recognition ad in the yearbook. Cost varies based on size — create your ad today on their website.

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Coming to the DeVos Center for Arts and Worship

GRCHS presents Beauty and the Beast

Be Our Guest! Disney's animated musical comes to life in this romantic and beloved take on the classic fairytale. Performances are at 7:00 pm on November 11, 12, and 13, with a matinee performance on Saturday, November 13 at 1:00 pm. Reserved tickets are $10 and are on sale now.

Our littlest friends are invited to Mrs. Potts' Tea Party on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at 11:00 am. This event is open to children of all ages and their parents and grand friends and includes snacks, a craft project, and a private backstage tour. Mrs. Potts, Chip, and their friends will join guests at the tea for a photo op. Tickets for the Tea Party are $10; a separate ticket must be purchased for the matinee performance.

For the safety of our performers, staff, volunteers, and all guests, masks are strongly encouraged for all audience members regardless of age or vaccination status. See the Beauty and the Beast event page for more information.

Tickets are available by phone Monday through Friday at 616.574.5600, or online 24/7 at www.dcaw.org. THERE WILL BE NO IN-PERSON TICKET SALES.

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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.

National Merit Scholarships 


Last October, over 1.6 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT. About 34,000 students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2021 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of students who took the 2020 PSAT/NMSQT. Please join GRCHS in congratulating our Commended Students. Each of these students will receive a Letter of Commendation this spring at Honors Convocation:


• Charlotte Caldon
• Abigail Dekker
• Ewan Jolliffe
• Julia LaGrand
• Ava Tatko
• Luke Tellinghuisen

We are also excited to announce that two GRCHS students will be moving on in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. These students have recently been designated as Semifinalists and have submitted applications to become National Merit Finalists. They will also receive recognition in the spring. Please congratulate: 

• Noah Chun
• Matthew Hartemink

Get Registered on SCOIR

We are pleased to introduce you to SCOIR, a service designed especially for students and families. SCOIR is a comprehensive website that you and your child can use to help in making plans about colleges and careers. SCOIR will allow you to get involved in the planning of post-high school years, research careers and colleges, request transcripts/teacher recommendations, and track college applications. 

All parents, we ask you to register for an account on SCOIR because it's the only avenue in which we communicate with you and send our emails. Please contact Jill Anderson at JAnderson@grcs.org in order to sign up for an account and download the Parent App. 

Upcoming Saturday ACT dates: 

• December 11, 2021. The registration deadline is November 5. See ACTstudent.org to register. 

Upcoming Saturday SAT dates: 

• December 4, 2021. Registration deadline of November 4. Late registration of Nov. 23. Register at collegeboard.org.

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From the Athletic Department

Senior Eagle Student-Athletes

The most prestigious award given by the MHSAA is the MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Only 32 of the best student-athletes from across the state will be awarded the $2,000 scholarship and the designation of MHSAA Scholar-Athlete winner.

This award is intended for elite students and elite athletes. GR Christian can only have 4 male and 4 female senior applicants as a Class B school. The minimum is a 3.5 GPA and a varsity sport in your senior year. 

See Mr. Heerema in the Athletic Office for the code to be able to do the application and if you have any questions.

Here is the link for you to begin the process: MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Link

Go Eagles!