The Weekly Update #4

As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year filled with growth, achievement, and progress. The holiday season offers a unique opportunity to pause, celebrate meaningful traditions, and focus on giving back to those around us. Whether you’re spending time with family, enjoying festive moments, or finding ways to brighten someone else’s season, we hope you embrace the joy, peace, and gratitude this special time of year brings.

We’re also excited to share updates on the progress of our bond projects. After more than four years of planning and construction, we are nearing the finish line. Park Elementary and our Early Childhood Center are the final projects wrapping up. At Park Elementary, new classrooms, a gymnasium (completed), and enhanced safety features will create an even more dynamic and secure learning environment. Meanwhile, the Early Childhood Center has already begun using its new cafeteria and motor movement room, with additional classrooms set for completion in early 2025. These projects, made possible by your continued generosity and support, will leave a lasting and positive impact on our students and the broader Hudsonville community.

As winter approaches, student and staff safety remains a top priority, particularly during inclement weather. Snow days or delay decisions will be communicated by 5:45 a.m. through phone, email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@dvanderjagt70). To stay informed, we encourage families to ensure their contact information is updated in our system.

We also want to recognize the invaluable work of our Diversity Advocacy Committee (DAC). This dedicated team of staff, parents, and community members plays a vital role in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where every student feels valued and empowered to succeed. The DAC is actively working to strengthen our commitment to equity and belonging. Their ongoing efforts are instrumental in ensuring Hudsonville Public Schools remains a place where every member of our community feels respected and included.

Looking ahead, we are finalizing the 2025-2026 school calendar, which will be available on our website in early 2025. We encourage families to review it as they plan for the upcoming year.

As we reflect on this past year, we realize there is so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and for sharing your incredible children with us. Together, we’ve built a school community rooted in learning, growth, and kindness.

On behalf of the entire Hudsonville Public Schools staff, I wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. We look forward to all that 2025 will bring as we continue working together to make Hudsonville an even better place to live, learn, and thrive.

Warm regards,

Dr. Doug VanderJagt

Superintendent

Georgetown Elementary fourth graders got to experience a Grand Rapids Griffins game on Wednesday, November 13, at VanAndel Arena. The Griffins play one “school day” game each year, and the stands are packed with students from all over West Michigan. An hour before game time, the concourse of the arena is filled with local businesses that feature S.T.E.A.M.-related activities. Mr. Morren (Georgetown’s S.T.E.A.M. teacher), alongside the school’s amazing PTC, has made this into a yearly tradition for their 4th graders to experience a school day outside of the classroom. It was a great day filled with lots of laughs, smiles, and young screaming fans who helped cheer the Griffins on to a 5-2 victory!

Our elementary schools recently completed or are finishing up the PE C.A.R.E.S. Non-Perishable food drive. This is a yearly tradition for our HPS students to be able to show their caring and compassion for others in need. During their Physical Education classes, the students and PE teachers organized and counted the items and prepared them for donation. The PE teachers take advantage of this opportunity to teach the students about nutrition using real world examples. The food that is collected during the drive is then donated around our community to many of our local food banks. Much of the food is given to those right here in our Hudsonville community. Students look forward to this opportunity to help all year. Some even go door to door to trusted neighbors for donations. Everhett Brookhouse from Park has been collecting cans all year and was able to donate 144 items! All together the elementary students typically bring in over 25,000 items to be shared with those in need!

We would like to thank Hudsonville Lanes for their continued support of this awesome community service project! Hudsonville Lanes donates a bowling party for the classes from each school that have the highest total number of items donated per student in their respective schools. The kids love having the opportunity to help others in their community and receiving positive reinforcement from Hudsonville Lanes shows our students that when we all work together our Hudsonville Community can accomplish some amazing things!

In the heart of educational innovation lies a simple yet profound strategy: human relationships. Student mentors are a free and priceless resource. High school students, often equipped with a deeper understanding of life and academic skills, can provide invaluable assistance to their younger peers. This mentorship helps elementary students grasp school work with a new excitement for learning and helps them manage emotional challenges with more confidence. Mentorship programs in various schools across the U.S. have shown that after a year of mentorship, both groups report higher satisfaction with school life, improved academic performance, and better social skills. High school mentors often cite these experiences as some of the most rewarding parts of their educational journey, influencing their college and career choices toward education or community service.

Eliana Palmer, now a senior, was looking for opportunities to fulfill her volunteer hours as a National Honor Society Member. Charlotte, now a 4th-grade student, was having challenges feeling comfortable at school as she did not want to leave her mom. Ms. Keskitalo, then Park Elementary’s School Social Worker, contacted Mrs. Maly, the National Honor Society Advisor, asking for names of students willing to spend their free time after school to mentor a younger student. Ellie was excited to be matched with Charlotte because she remembers having similar feelings and experiences at Charlotte’s age. Ellie struggled to leave her mom’s side when she was in Elementary School. She talks about this openly as a young adult and is proud to give back to others in a way that she may have benefitted from had it been offered.

Charlotte has benefited greatly from Ellie’s weekly visits and looks forward to attending school since the mentorship started in the spring of 2024. Ellie is learning about her true passion for working with kids. Ellie shared, “This mentorship has impacted me in ways I never thought and has led me to want to work with kids in the future! I may go to college for education because of her!” While the intention for the mentorship pairing was to help Charlotte find excitement at school and for Ellie to earn volunteer hours exploring her passion, a much greater result has come to fruition. Both girls are building their community.

After growing more comfortable with the mentorship, Ellie has since babysat for Charlotte over the summer. She has returned to be Charlotte’s High School Mentor this year again. This sweet story offers a simple and profound reminder. When we give our time generously in the service of others, we make the world smaller and a better place for everyone.

In order to help families keep their children safe while online, the State of Michigan has launched the Michigan Child Protection Registry. This registry is a do-not-contact service that families can easily and quickly sign up for at www.ProtectMIChild.com. This is a free registry offered through the State of Michigan that stops adult advertisements from reaching kids through email, text, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Twitch and TikTok.

The Hudsonville Public School District has already registered our student email addresses for this protection.

Open House:

Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Early Childhood Center, 5535 School Ave. (main entrance off Madison Ave.)

This is a chance to gather information about our programs, meet staff, and visit the Early Childhood Center. There is no formal presentation and children are welcome.

Programs:

• 3 Year Old Preschool

• 4 Year Old Preschool, including 4 Year Old “PreK for All” FREE Preschool

• Before/After School Care

• Summer Care

Online Registration:

Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.

Registration link at hudsonvillepublicschools.org under “Schools/Early Childhood Center”

A $50 fee per child is due if enrolling in a tuition-based program.

For more information, please email eccoffice@hpseagles.net or call the Early Childhood office at 616-797-0842, ext. 1.

Two student volunteers were vital to the success of the food drive at the 5/6 Building this year. Hunter and Landon counted daily donations from 25 classrooms, totaling 2,495 items! Way to SOAR gentlemen. Thank you to all of the generous families who donated at our schools this holiday season to help others with food insecurity.

The Hudsonville Education Foundation celebrated a momentous occasion on Monday, November 4, 2024, with the Eagles of Excellence 20th Anniversary Gala. The event brought together over 300 attendees to honor the remarkable achievements in education and community at Hudsonville Public Schools.

The evening was filled with joy and gratitude as we recognized the invaluable contributions of numerous helpers and sponsors who made this event a success. A special highlight of the night was the exceptional emceeing by Blake Harms, a proud 2017 graduate of Hudsonville High School and a current meteorologist at Wood TV 8. Attendees were also treated to a stunning a cappella performance by Varsity Voices, which added to the celebratory atmosphere.

Congratulations are in order for this year's honorees, who include the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees, Lifetime Legacy Award recipients, and our Eagles of Excellence Students and Mentors. Their dedication and achievements truly deserve recognition and inspire us all to soar to new heights!

As the Hudsonville Education Foundation reflects on the accomplishments of the past 20 years, we eagerly anticipate continuing the tradition of excellence at Hudsonville Public Schools for many generations to come.

To relive the evening’s memories, be sure to check out the photographs from the event at www.hudsedfound.org/gala.html.

Are you looking for a unique and meaningful gift for Hudsonville Public Schools educators and employees this holiday season? The Hudsonville Education Foundation can help you give the gift that keeps on giving; the gift of education.

When you make a $5, $10, $15, $20, or $25 gift to the HEF in your chosen recipient's name, they will receive a certificate letting them know you have donated in their honor. The certificate will include a personalized message from you and a darling HEF icon logo lapel pin; a welcome addition to any lanyard or bulletin board.

Spread some holiday cheer while helping to support innovative teacher grants that provide academic resources to enhance our student's educational experience all year long.

Click here to give the gift of education before Monday, December 16, 2024.

The second graders at Park Elementary are showing many ways that they are feeling thankful during November! First, they listened to Mrs. Mika's kindergarteners read and enjoyed giving compliments after hearing about the kindergartners' fantastic reading skills. Then, they could start preparing the apple pies they would be making for someone they are thankful for. They measured ingredients with the three student teachers in second grade. Last, the second graders have been writing down things they are thankful for each day. We hope these feelings of gratitude continue and your holiday season is filled with many reasons to be thankful.