OCCS News and Announcements
August 29, 2023
Spiritual Theme: Amazing Race
Theme Song: By Faith
Theme Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:24 & 25 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
School Enrollment
The 2023-2024 school year begins with 345 students in grade Preschool - 8th. Teachers and Classroom:
Grade           Teacher        Student #
Preschool      Miss Zeutenhorst    32
Kindergarten Miss Timmermans 19
Kindergarten Mrs. Wolf                 21
1st Grade      Mrs. Huisman          14
1st Grade      Mrs. Krommendyk   14
2nd Grade     Mrs. J. Noteboom   17
2nd Grade     Mrs. M. Noteboom   18
3rd Grade      Mrs. Vander Stoep  17
3rd Grade      Mrs. VanDenBrink   17
4th Grade      Miss Joustra            18
4th Grade      Mrs. Witt                 17
5th Grade      Mrs. Harvey             18
5th Grade      Mrs. Mills                17
6th Grade      Mr. Hibelink            22
6th Grade      Mrs. Oordt               22
7th Grade      Mrs. Den Boer         13
7th Grade      Mrs. Haan               13
8th Grade      Mr. Van Schepen     18
8th Grade Mrs. Brunst 18

Welcome New Students & Families
Trent & Mariah Brown -Maxwell Brown (6th)
Kevin & Michelle Haan - Logan (2nd), Karter (Kdg)
Jordan & Luralyn Helming - Josiah (5th), Magdalena (2nd), Matthias (Kdg)
Matt Dengler - Ruby (8th)
Richard & Renee Scholten - Ruby (5th), Ryker (4th)
Cody & Rochelle Statema - Caleb (8th), Acacia (6th), Elijah (3rd)
David & Mariia Vlasenko - Alisa (6th), Matthew (4th), Milana (3rd)
Haftamu Weldemariam - Nathan (3rd)
Abbie Van Otterloo - Ava (4th), Carson (2nd), Anna (1st)

Welcome New Kindergarten Families
We also want to welcome new families who have their first child starting kindergarten:
Jason & Michelle Alons - Leo
Davis & Mihret De Jong - Grace
Matt & Lana Faulkner - Violet
Jayme Frye - Rebekah
Michael & Allison Haight - Olivia
MacKenzie & Karlie Huygens - Brextun
James & Laura Jeltema - Ellen
Kelly & Liz Kooistra - Isaac (Ike)
Misha & Kristina Mishchenko - Sarra
Alina & Yevhen (Jenya) Vlasenko - Lev (Lion)
Bret & Shelby Walinga - Neeva
Cubs Care/Friday Care room Ribbon Cutting
There will be a ribbon cutting for our newest addition to our school, the Cubs Care/Friday Care room that allows us to provide an all-day, all-week option for parents of Pre-K/Kindergarten students on Friday, September 1 @ 9:30 a.m.
Important: The Society Meeting will be Monday, September 11 at 7pm.
Join us September 11 at 7:00 for our annual society meeting. Get an opportunity to elect board members and hear what is going on at the school, such as a summary of last year, goals for the coming year, budget, staff recognition, and more. See you there.
Sign-In and Sign-Out Process
We ask students to sign in and out at the office if they come late to school, have to leave early, or are gone for a period of time throughout the day for appointments or for other reasons. Accurate absences and time away from school needs to be recorded. Parents, please inform your children that they need to stop by the office whenever they come to school late or leave early. 
Doors Locked
All doors to the OCCS building are locked during the school day. There is a buzz-in system at the front office entrance. Push the button on the west wall and face the camera until the door is released. Office personnel will unlock the door to allow you in. Please stop in the office to check-in. You will only be allowed in the building past the office for pre-arranged academic reasons.
Water Bottles
We encourage all students to take a water bottle to school with them. Refill stations are available. Please have them labeled.
Absent Students
If your child will be absent for appointments, sickness, or other reasons, please let the school know about it. Parents must verify an absence by calling the school office (737-2274) or email the teacher and the office before 9:00am (office@occhristian.pvt.k12.ia.us).  
 
Due to building protocol, parents are not allowed to walk their students to the classroom if they arrive late. If a student needs assistance, office staff can walk them to their classroom.
 
Anna De Groot is our school nurse. If you ever need to reach her to discuss your child's health, you can call the office or email her at adegroot@occhristian.pvt.k12.ia.us.

Important Note:
Please make your end of day arrangements before the school day begins. If your child needs to ride a different bus or go home with another family, give a written note to your child to show their teacher and the bus driver. Any messages relayed through the office must come in before 2:00 recess. We cannot interrupt class time at the end of the day.