GRCMS Campus News 

GRCHS 8th Grade Scheduling Nights 2020

Grand Rapids Christian Middle School 8th Grade Parents & Students are invited to an 8th-grade scheduling meeting with the Grand Rapids Christian High School Academic Advisors.

Academic advisors from Grand Rapids Christian High School will meet with parents and students to provide valuable information about the Grand Rapids Christian High School curriculum, graduation requirements, and freshman courses. Please join us on one of the following evenings:

• Wednesday, January 29 at 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, February 18 at 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 pm

Please register at www.grcs.org/advisory

Even if you are not sure which high school your child will be attending next year, we encourage you to attend this event and complete all of the scheduling forms.  There is no cost to complete the paperwork and it does not serve as a commitment to enroll, by attending, however, you will have the very best chance of getting the courses your student selects for their freshman year at GRCHS.

We appreciate your attendance as you contemplate this transition from middle school to high school and we look forward to meeting you soon. If you have any questions, please contact the Grand Rapids Christian High School Counseling Office at 574-5651.

If you are unable to attend this scheduling night, please contact Vickie Fischer, Director of Admissions,  at vfischer@grcs.org or 616.574.5605 to make alternate arrangements.

Grand Rapids Christian Schools 2020 Annual Meeting

You are invited to attend the Grand Rapids Christian Schools 2020 Annual Meeting on Monday, February 10 at 6:00 pm at the James and Shirley Balk Center for Administrative Services, 2400 Plymouth Ave SE.

At the meeting, the proposed 2020-21 budget will be reviewed and GRCS members will be asked to approve the budget for the new school year.  In addition, three new board members will be elected.  

The board looks forward to seeing you on February 10.

If you are unable to attend, please complete the absentee ballot found in the 2020 Annual Meeting Notice and return it to your school office or as indicated on the absentee ballot page.

Box Top Challenge!! 

Box Tops for Education Challenge starts January 21st and goes through February 15th. Turn in TUESDAYS dates: the 21st, 28th, 4th, and 11th.

• Who: You and your family
• What: Box Tops
• When: Turn in Tuesdays!
• Where: Your Homeroom
• Why: Earn money for your GRCMS PTO

The Homeroom that collects the most Box Tops each week gets the Box Tops Trophy and candy delivered by Mr. Burgess.

The Homeroom that collects the most Box Tops will win pizza, ice cream or candy party with their class. Box Tops must be sorted into bags of 50 without expired ones to be eligible for prizes.

• 1st Place– Pizza Party
• 2nd Place– Ice Cream Party
• 3rd Place– Candy Party

Questions? Contact: Kelli Corl at 616.745.2444 or kellicorl@gmail.com

GRCMS Yearbook Ordering Information — Due THIS FRIDAY, January 31

Although our yearbook doesn’t come until May, the time to order your yearbook is now! We try to order some extras each year, but we sell out fast & on a first-come, first-served basis. In the past, we have run out!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES THAT AN EXTRA YEARBOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MAY, SO ORDER NOW!

HOW TO ORDER: Our goal is that all yearbooks will be ordered online this year!

• Go to: www.balfour.com
• Type: "Grand Rapids Christian Middle School" into the search bar and click on "yearbook"
• Proceed to the payment process

If for some reason you are unable to order your yearbook online, there are hard-copy order forms available in the front lobby by the school office.

COST: Yearbooks are again being offered for $25 each— a reasonable price for a hardcover, 96-page, full-color yearbook!

ADVERTISING: If you are interested in advertising your business in the GRCMS yearbook, please contact Heidi Zylstra, yearbook advisor, at hzylstra@grcs.org      

8th Grade Baby Photos

Don't forget, if you'd like to have a baby photo in the yearbook, they are due THIS FRIDAY January 31, 2020. Please submit digital copies to grcmsyearbook@gmail.com

Yearbook Dedications 

ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE OFFERING A DEDICATIONS PAGE IN THE YEARBOOK!

Parents can use these dedication boxes to post a message of encouragement or congratulations to their child, which will be published in the yearbook. 

DEDICATION BOXES COST $15 EACH & MESSAGES MAY BE UP TO THREE LINES.

DEDICATIONS ARE DUE BY THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 31*

Please turn in the form (found within the Yearbook Dedications link) with payment to the GRCMS office by the due date. *Note that this is the same due date as the yearbook ordering deadline.

Sky Zone 

We are excited to be hosting another Sky Zone party for 5th & 6th graders only on Monday, February 3 from 6:30 pm—8:00 pm The 7th & 8th graders will have their opportunity for a Sky Zone party on Monday, February 10. Cost will be $10 for one and a half hours. Please note these important reminders:

• All of the attendees need to have a new waiver filled out, and signed by their legal guardian if they are under 18 years of age (they are good for a year, so if you filled one out last time, you should be good to go). 
• Your jump time starts at 6:30 pm, but we ask you to arrive with your guests at least 15 minutes early to check-in.
• Everyone MUST WEAR Sky Socks. Bring your own if you have them, or you can purchase them for $1 at Sky Zone.

Report Cards 

First-semester progress reports were posted to your ParentVUE account on Wednesday, January 22. 

This report card informs you of the progress and growth your child has made in the various content/subject area skills and concepts taught during the first semester of school. 

As a reminder, ParentVUE and Parent Portal can be accessed by going to grcs.org/parents. The PDF version of past report cards can be found under Documents.

Part-Time job opening at GRCMS  

GRCMS is looking for a part-time student support team member to work with students in the 7th grade. As a student support aide, you will work with students in small groups, one on one, and as push-in classroom support. This position will be about 20 hours a week. A teaching background is preferred.

Please contact Sian Zylstra at SZylstra@grcs.org to submit your letter of interest and resume. We will accept applications until the position is filled.

Homework Club 

Please submit payment via mail or drop off to the school office. Thank you!

Middle School Mania 

It's that time of the year again...time for Middle School Mania (MSM!!). MSM will be held on February 22, 2020. Hold the date – tickets will go on sale soon!

Protecting Young Eyes 

Parent Presentation: Digital Trends 2019-2020 — Equipping Kids to Thrive in an Increasingly Hostile Online World

February 4 at 6:30 PM. GRCMS Village Square. 

Preschool-High School parents are invited to attend. 

We love technology, and we know kids do, too. This popular presentation will address YouTube (can it be controlled?), social media (our expertise), pornography (let’s talk about it!), gaming addiction (is this a real thing?), screen time (what’s the right amount?), tricky people (stranger danger in the digital age), and so much more.

Participants will leave with a whole list of steps they can implement immediately to better equip their kids to make better online choices. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to hear from internet safety experts. 

Click here for a short video about this event.

Science Olympiad  

Attention students (Grades 6 – 8) interested in being a part of Science Olympiad! There was a meeting today at lunch. If it was missed, please see Mr. Katerberg.

We are planning to use the 7th/8th Focus Time during the week for practices, with 1 or more afternoons until 4:00 (Likely Wednesdays). We are hoping to begin practices next week. Students who want to participate in the competition MUST be available Saturday, March 28, 2020. 

The competition is at GVSU from 8:00 am til 2:20 pm, with other team and event ceremonies until 6:00 pm. Parents and students, please contact Derek Katerberg at dkaterberg@grcs.org with any questions!

Geo Bee Results! 

The 2020 GRCMS Geo Bee included 23 eager participants. After seven preliminary rounds, we trimmed the number of finalists down to eight. In the end, our school champion was Jerry Benedict (7th grade) with second place going to Micah Brubaker (5th grade) and third place to John Bakker (7th grade). Thanks to all of this year's participants.

Middle School Orchestra All-State Congrats! 

Congratulations to 7th grader Hannah Chun on her outstanding performance in the MSBOA Middle School All-State Orchestra this past weekend during the Michigan Music Conference. Hannah went through a rigorous audition process and was one of only 32 violinists selected from across the state to participate. The orchestra had an intense rehearsal schedule on Thursday and Friday, January 16 and 17, and the performance was on Saturday, January 18 at DeVos Hall. Bravo, Hannah, on this impressive accomplishment!

Lost & Found 

We have items filling up our bins again in Village Square. Have your students take a look if they are missing anything!

Outdoor Recess

Cold weather is here! ❄️

With cold weather and snow, just a reminder to make sure your child comes to school with warm clothing appropriate for being outdoors! Students are still expected to be outside during lunch break.

Spanish for the Week–In loving memory of Olivia Haverkamp 

Isaías 40:31 / Isaiah 40:31

Pero los que confían en el Señor
renovarán sus fuerzas;
volarán como las águilas:
correrán y no se fatigarán,
caminarán y no se cansarán.

But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary
they will walk and not be faint. 

Hot Lunch News & Updates

Attention Parents: Meal Magic Accounts 

A friendly reminder to take care of any outstanding balances and get reloaded for our second semester! If uncertain what the balance is, you can check that out here!

Looking to get out of the house...come help us serve Hot Lunch!

Monday through Friday volunteers are needed from 11:25 am — 12:15 pm.

To help with serving hot lunch, please sign up here!

Take a look at your schedule – join us – we could use the help!

01/29/2020
(Wed. 11:25 am — 12:15 pm) **Volunteer Needed

01/30/2020
(Thu. 11:25 am — 12:15 pm) **Volunteer Needed

01/31/2020
(Fri. 11:25 am — 12:15 pm) **Volunteer Needed

02/03/2020
(Mon. 11:25 am — 12:15 pm) **Volunteer Needed

02/04/2020
(Tue. 11:25 am — 12:15 pm) **Volunteer Needed

PTO News 

Magazine Subscriptions make great gifts all year long!

Interested in giving a subscription for a gift? Visit APMags.com.  Click SHOP.  Type in WA8617 for code. Type in 'grcms' in the Student First Name box and then in the Student Last Name Box. You'll be able to pay with a credit card. GRCMS PTO will earn 40% of all sales done within the school year. 

GRCMS Athletics and Youth Sports 

Attention 5th — 8th Graders:

Sign up for WINTER 2 sports!!

WINTER 2 runs from January 6 — March 7 and includes Girls Basketball, Wrestling, and Ski Team. To sign up, click the name of the sport you are interested in.

• Girls Basketball
  • Practices will start on January 6 and run through March 7
  • The goal is for each grade level will have its own team.
  • 5th & 6th Grade teams will meet 3x per week (including games/scrimmages)
  • 7th & 8th Grade teams will meet 4x per week (including games/scrimmages)
• Wrestling
  • Practices start the week of January 6 and run through February.
  • Participation is a 5th
  • 8th-grade group combined
  • Practices are at GRCHS 2-3 days per week.
• Ski Team
  • Practices start Wednesday, January 8 and meet every Wednesday and Saturday through February 12.
  • Practices are at Cannonsburg - Wednesday is 6:30-8p and Saturday is 3:00-5:00p
  • Pay to participate is $200/athlete + you will need to purchase a season pass from Cannonsburg's website
  • Please sign up and pay the participation fee by clicking the link above.

Recreation Programs Open for Registration  

The majority of our programs are run by GRCS High School Coaches. For more detailed information go to www.grcs.org/youthsports  

Register Now:

• Girls Softball Clinic: Saturdays, Jan. 25–Feb. 8
• Boys Lacrosse Open Gym:  Thursdays, Jan. 9–Feb. 27 –Free/Drop in!
• Boys Lacrosse Learn to Play and Drills:  Tuesdays, Feb. 11–Mar. 3
• Boys Lacrosse Spring Leagues – Registrations due: Jan. 31
• Girls Lacrosse Learn To Play:  Saturday, Feb. 28
• Girls Spring Leagues: Mondays & Wednesdays, March-May
• Girls Lacrosse Open Gym — Saturdays, Jan. 11 – Feb. 8
  * NOTE TIME CHANGE 2:30-4:00 pm

Register at www.grcs.org/youthsports.  Your password AND username is your email address.

For questions, contact Stacey Boender at Sboender@grcs.org or 616.574.6024.
Office Hours are Wednesdays and Fridays 8:00 am — 2:00 pm. 

GRC Softball Camp 

Would you like to improve your softball skills and prepare for your season? Would you like to learn from experienced instructors and enjoy competition in a Christian context? GRCHS Varsity Coach, Danae VanTimmerman, would love to help!

• DATES: January 25–February 8
• DAYS: Saturdays
• TIME: 1:00–3:00pm
• GRADES: Girls in 5th–8th
• COST: $35 (includes T-shirt)
• SITE: All City Gym Lobby at GRCHS

Requested Announcements 

Little Eagles Night Out

This is a fundraiser for the Varsity Basketball program that has been extremely popular.  Whether your child is involved in Youth Basketball or not, you may drop off your child for free babysitting.  You could get Christmas shopping done or go out for Valentine’s Day.  The Varsity Boys Basketball team will entertain your little one with movies, basketball, games, and snacks. No registration needed. Sign in and out at the door. 

• Where: Quest Center
• Who: Boys & Girls ages 5–12
• When: Saturday, February 8, 2020
• Time: 6–9 pm
• Cost: FREE!! (suggested donation $10/hour) 

For questions, contact Stacey Boender at Sboender@grcs.org or 616.574.6024. Office Hours are Wednesdays and Fridays 8:00 am — 2:00 pm.