October News
Dear West Families,
Welcome to Fall Y’all! October is flying by with so many great events– Conferences, Homecoming, and our West Spooktacular!
Our first annual West Pumpkin Decorating Contest kicks off this week! This year’s theme is Favorite Book Character. Pumpkins need to be decorated at home and brought to school by an adult during this week’s conference times– Wednesday, Oct. 22, 3:300-7:00 PM and Thursday, Oct. 23, 11:45 AM-4:00 PM. Please remember that pumpkins can be decorated with paint, recycled materials, craft supplies or anything else that makes the best Book Character pumpkin, BUT NO CARVING!!
West will be hosting our Spooktacular Parents Night on Thursday, October 30th, 5:45 PM-7:00 PM. This year, we will be featuring math content across our grade levels. Parents are invited to attend a grade-level session before our hallway Halloween Parade. We need candy donations to make this event a success. It would be greatly appreciated if you could send a bag or two of candy to your classroom teacher. Hope to see you there!
Hearing and Vision Screening with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health will be taking place at Holland West on Wednesday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 6. This is in accordance with the Michigan Public Health Code and Revised School Code. If your student(s) is absent during the initial screening or rescreening dates, please make an appointment at the Ottawa County Health Department. Go to their website for more information: www.miottawa.org/hearingvision. If you decide to opt-out of the scheduled screening, written documentation is required and must include the following:
Student’s name, date of birth, teacher and grade
Which screening is being declined (hearing, vision or both) and screening date
Parent/Guardian's name and current date
Please bring the documentation directly to the school office
As always, please contact our administrative team with any questions or concerns!
Warmly,
Chad Tolson, Principal
Jennifer Heinritz, Assistant Principal
Short Week this Week
½ day on Thursday, October 23, dismissal at 11:35 AM
No School on Friday, October 24
Books and Games Program
Books and Games is a free program for West K-5 families that offers before-school care for our K-5 students. Below are a few quick reminders:
Registration is required: https://www.hollandpublicschools.org/our-schools/west/books-games/
7:30-7:45 AM is the drop-off window. There is no supervision before 7:30 AM! Students who arrive before that time must stay with an adult until the doors open. Students who arrive after 7:45 AM must stay with an adult until the building opens for the day at 8:00 AM.
Attendance Update
This month, Pre-K+-5th grade classrooms have been competing to have the BEST ATTENDANCE! The two classes with the highest attendance rate will earn a special Pumpkin Painting Party donated by Holland Farmers Market. Last week, every classroom, except one, had an average attendance rate of 90% or more. Thank you to all of you who are helping our West students get to school each and every day! Consistent student attendance promotes improved academics, building relationships with friends, and helps meet the basic needs of all students.
Ramen Noodles
Our West students love a good bowl of Ramen Noodles! The one problem we are having is the length of time it takes to prepare the Ramen. If you are sending your student with uncooked Ramens, please also supply a bowl and a small container of water for cooking. Please also remind your student to ask for adult help right away when lunch begins so the Ramen has time to cook and cool before lunch is over. A good alternative to sending the uncooked Ramen, is to cook it at home the night before and we can heat it up at school. Thanks!
Related News Articles
Parent/Teacher Conferences are a great way to engage with your student's teacher!
Grades PreK-5 Conference Schedule | Please contact your teacher to set an appointment for conferences.
- Wednesday, October 22 | 4:15 - 7:15pm
- Thursday, October 23 | 12:30 - 3:30pm
Grades 6-12 Schedule | Conferences at HMS and HHS are un-scheduled/walk-in.
- Tuesday, October 21 | 3:30-6:30pm
Take a look at the Holland Dept of Public Safety School Resource Officers (SRO) and Community Policing Officers who are assigned to our schools.
- Ofc. Nicole Hamberg - Holland High
- Ofc. Nic Wedeven – Holland Middle
- Ofc. Spencer DeGraaf – Heights
- Ofc. Padron-Hernandez – West and HLA
- Ofc. Rod Mendoza - Jefferson
Legal ownership of firearms comes with important safety responsibilities to prevent accidental firearm injuries and deaths, thefts, and suicide, including among children.
- Under House Bill 5451, beginning October 1, 2025, Michigan law will require school districts to distribute a safe storage informational notice—developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)—to the parent or legal guardian of each student each October.
HPS is celebrating National School Lunch Week. This week, we talk with the Director of HPS Nutritional Services, Aretha Banks.
Halloween Safety - Kids love the magic of Halloween, but costume and traffic safety are essential for trick-or-treaters. Here are some tips to keep everyone safe.
Holland Public Schools Nutrition Department will be taking our students on a trip around the Globe to celebrate National School Lunch Week. Please join us a we celebrate these different cuisine styles from around the world.
HPS Nutritional Services Monthly Newsletter
Holland Public Schools has been awarded both the 10 Cents a Meal Grant and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant for the 2025–2026 school year. While these two programs are separate, we’ll be combining our efforts to ensure our students enjoy locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school year.