JCS News - September 23, 2020

"In the same way, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Shine your light!

This quickly became a busy week at JCS! You've received emails about the online auction, Spiritual Emphasis Week, key cards and entertainment books, and have probably received a phone call in there somewhere asking you to support the school with your gift. You may have wanted to shout 'I already do support the school!' You do! You all do!

We value our parent and grandparent support at JCS and see your giving hearts in so many ways. The different 'asks' being made right now are opportunities to support various aspects of JCS.

If you'd like to purchase a key card or entertainment book (more on both in the announcement section), you are buying coupons for yourself and supporting our middle schoolers in their end of year experiences.

If coupons aren't your thing, there is a great opportunity to buy other items online through our first ever virtual auction, with proceeds supporting our parent club program. The parent club hosts community events for students and parents, and provides financial support to the school for various staff and student needs throughout the year.

Lastly, if you're receiving a phone call to give, we are asking you to support the school's annual fund. Your donation to this drive doesn't get you a physical thing (like a coupon book or cool item off the auction), but it does support each student at JCS from tuition assistance needs to unique experiences in God's creation.

Ultimately parents, we hope this week is one of spiritual growth for your child. This is a fun week for staff at JCS as we intentionally dive deeper into our school year's theme, and explore ways to live out our calling as Christians. As we seek to know Christ and be more like Him each day, we are given the opportunity to shine our light in every circumstance!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sept 21-25 Spiritual Emphasis Week

Sept 21-28 JCS Virtual Auction

Sept 22 - TRIP orders due for Sept 30 pick up

Sept 30 - School Pictures (Otte, Breuker, Steenwyk, M/W Preschool & Stob, DeBoer, LaPlaca, DeWeerd, Schipper, Huttinga, Ponstein)

Sept 30 - TRIP pick up, JCS office lot (6:30-7 PM)

Oct 1 - School Pictures (Bremer, Wohlford, Damstra/Westlund, T/Th Preschool, Oosterheert, DeVries, Geels)

ATHLETICS

Our JCS middle school fall athletics have started! Please be sure to review the updated protocols for sports at JCS this Fall. Thank you, parents, for your partnership in helping sports for our middle school students to be a success!

All games and practices are listed on the school calendar, with the game schedules attached below.

Boys 7th/8th grade Soccer

Girls 7th grade Volleyball

Girls 8th grade Volleyball

ALL SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our second hand sale and fall arts and crafts fest have been canceled in light of Covid. However, we have other opportunities for you to be involved at JCS! Our biggest needs for volunteers right now are the Saturday grounds work at JCS (the first one of four happening THIS Saturday!), and playground helpers. Grounds work will include projects around JCS, like putting up a sun shade, power washing, weeding, trimming, etc. These are great parent-involved opportunities to earn some of your parent points! Sign up today!

A reminder from the office: If you're picking up students for an appointment in the afternoon or leaving school early, please notify your child's teacher by noon that day. Many of our classes are heading outside for their learning, so locating and getting your child to the office is taking a bit more time. Thank you!

The Entertainment Book sale is also happening right now! For $30 you can purchase a whole book of local coupons that are good through next December (2021)! The sale ends next week Wednesday (9/30).

The Key Card sale is back, and all ordering can be done online! There are two cards - an auto card ($10) and dining card ($20), each with tons of coupons for you to use through 2021, many of which are unlimited use coupons! Half of your purchase price for the card goes to supporting our JCS middle school students' year end fees. Use code '550' at checkout to make your purchase in support of JCS. Buy one for you and one for a friend; they make a great gift!

The Passing on the Faith drive is happening right now! Each Fall we partner with J. Milito and Associates to call on the JCS community to ask for donations to our school's annual fund. Our goal this year is to raise $145,000 for annual needs at JCS (supplies, tuition assistance, extra-curriculars, etc). We value the continued support we receive from our families and community in meeting these special needs at JCS! Thank you so much to those who have supported this fund already in the last couple of weeks! No gift is too small to support this fund at JCS!

Tuition Reduction Incentive Program (T.R.I.P.)

Curbside TRIP was a huge success over the summer so we plan to continue it this fall. For September through December, pick up will be offered approximately twice a month. As before, all orders MUST be preordered. TRIP has dwindled down its inventory and gift cards are now being ordered on an as needed basis. Pick ups will be offered ONLY on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:00 PM as volunteers and parents are not able to be in the school building during school hours at this time. The order due and pick up dates for September through December are as follows to help you plan accordingly.

Order by Tuesday, September 22 and pick up on Wednesday, September 30,
Order by Tuesday, October 6 and pick up on on Wednesday, October 14,
Order by Tuesday, October 27 and pick up on Wednesday, November 4,
Order by Tuesday, November 10 and pick up on Wednesday, November 18,
Order by Tuesday, December 1 and pick up on Wednesday, December 9 and
Order by Tuesday, December 8 and pick up on Wednesday, December 16.

When picking up your order, please enter the parking lot down by the ball field and follow along the sidewalk towards the office. A volunteer will greet you and deliver your order to your car. TRIP monetary distribution that normally occurs the end of August will not be happening this fall due to the limited availability of being able to order TRIP this spring/summer. TRIP earnings will be credited to your accounts as usual in April. Thank you for your understanding. Please pass this information along to friends and family that don’t receive emails from JCS. As a reminder, we will NOT be able to fulfill any orders at pick up. ALL ORDERS ARE PREORDER ONLY. The first order deadline was yesterday and pick up next week Wednesday, September 16!

BUS BULLETIN

Safety at the Bus Stop -

With dark mornings and slippery roads in the near future, please remind students to stay at least 10 feet away from the roadside while waiting for the bus and wait for the bus to make a complete stop before approaching to board the bus.

JCS #14 Deer and #18 Eagle bus parents, please email your driver when your student does not need morning pick-up at deer14@jenisonchristian.org & eagle18@jenisonchristian.org. Bus drivers are not able to communicate during their morning bus runs from 6:50 am to 8:30 am.