Blessing and Praising God

It has been another busy week in 1st grade! We still continue to work hard on learning procedures, being good listeners, respecting our classmates, showing grace, practicing saying please, thank you, I'm sorry, and do you forgive me? I have seen so much growth this week! These kids show daily how they can be the hands and feet of Jesus to one another! 

We dug into our book boxes and even learned how to book shop!

We also played Math games to help reinforce number sense!

Convocation~

We were blessed to spend our morning on Wednesday in praise and worship at Convocation at the High School. What JOY it is to join in worship of our Heavenly Father.

Our first bus ride of the year! We were all smiles! 

This week in Bible we heard the creation stories and today talked about how we are the best thing that God has made. We are made in HIS IMAGE. We looked each other in the eyes and said "You are a child of God". We drew self portraits too!

Miraculous Monarchs~

One of the highlights of our week was being able to learn about and witness the life-cyle of our caterpillars. We have watched our caterpillars grow from tiny little guys that we almost needed a magnifying glass to see, to a big fat caterpillars. Thursday we arrived at school to find our first butterfly had emerged from its chrysalis. 

Next week we are sure to have more butterflies emerge! It truly is a miracle to watch and learn! What a creative and amazing God we serve. I was reminded and blessed this week knowing that God makes all things new- that in God we too are a new creation!

(There are LOTS more butterfly pictures in our class gallery!!)

Sassafras Ridge~

Next week Friday morning we will be traveling to Sassafras Ridge, a beautiful property gifted for HC students to use and learn in.  We will be taking advantage of this opportunity to learn about habitats and the animals that we might find in these habitats. We will be eating our lunch, picnic style, when we are there. Every child needs to have a HOME LUNCH, including a drink, next week Friday.  We will be outside most of the morning, please help your child dress for the weather. Thank you for your help!

Sabbath Rest~

It is my hope and prayer that you find rest this weekend! God intentionally teaches and provides his people with rest. He knows just what we need.  For me, I intentionally try to make Sunday a day of rest. If you do need to contact me for any reason on a Sunday, please know that I will likely respond Monday morning unless it is a situation that is an emergency.

My cell phone is 616-745-2706. Please feel to text me your name and phone number and I'll add you to my contacts. I know that sometimes last minutes morning scrambles happen, things are left behind, etc. Feel free to text a quick note. I may occasionally send a picture or 2 your way of our learning! 

Additional Notes~

HOMEWORK FOLDERS~ In the large Friday Papers folder you will find your child's homework folder. This folder will come home every Friday. Please empty it at home and return it to school on Monday. In this folder you will find a blue sheet for your child's reading homework. Please pay careful attention to the dates on this sheet. Record the number of minutes read (4 days out of the week), and it will get returned to school on Monday, September 8. A new reading minutes sheet will come home next week Friday. It sounds more complicated than it is! :) The dates on the sheet of paper will help you keep track of when to send the sheets back to school. Contact me with questions!

~Heart Maps- If you have not done so already would you please help your child gather a few ideas for our Writing Workshop on their heart map?  A few pictures or words written on that heart shape would be extra helpful for your child to generate a few stories from. We will soon been working hard at writing stories and good ideas are always the beginning of good stories. Please return heart maps to school on Tuesday after the long weekend.

~A full change of clothes (including underwear and socks) is good idea to have at school! Accidents, spills, muddy bodies (after outdoor learning) and many other things come up in our day. Please send a change of clothes, in a large ziploc bag, to keep in your child's locker. Thanks so much!

Looking Ahead~

~Friday, August 29- Monday, September 1, No School: Labor Day

~Monday, August 2- Please return heart map by this day! 

~Friday, September 5- Outdoor Learning at Sassafras Ridge. Please pack your child a lunch from home on this day. We will be having a picnic at Sassafras!

~ Wednesday, September 17- School Pictures

~Wednesday, September 25- Walk-a-Thon

~Friday, Septmeber 26- Holland Christian Homecoming events! More information coming soon!

~Monday, October 13- South Side and Pine Ridge Grandparents Day. Stay tuned for more details.

Fantastic First Week

What a wonderful week it has been in first grade! It is already evident to me what a wonderful bunch of kiddos this is and how excited they are to be back in school. They have shown great love for one another and have shown great love for God in their actions and words. I have seen children help another classmate, find a friend to play with, share words of encouragement, give high-fives, push in chairs for each other, and be amazing friends. They have HUGE and kind hearts and it is a joy to be with them each day.

This week we worked hard to learn many of the routines of school and getting into good habits. This is a big adjustment. They have earned a weekend full of rest and play!

Bible~

We spent this week just beginning to learn about how BIG God's love is for us! We unwrapped the very BEST gift- God's word. We learned about how God's word is our greatest treasure! I had my Bible wrapped in shiny silver wrapping paper, it really did look like a treasure. The best part, we could see our reflection! We too are God's treasure. I cannot wait to learn grow together as God's treasures this year. 

We also talked about how God's word is solid as a rock. We talked about how in the Bible God's people would use standing stones to mark a place where God had done something important. This would cause those passing by to pause and ask "What happened here?" I want the kids to know that God will do big and important things in our classroom this year too. Each student wrote their name on a rock for our classroom standing stone. It was a really special moment and I know God will do amazing things in this class this year!

We also read that God's word is sweet like honey! And man, honey sure is sweet! I cannot wait to live and learn in the sweetness of our God together this year.  

Jitter Juice~

On our first day we read the book,  "First Day Jitters". In reading this text students learned about make predictions, hunting for clues in the story to determine meaning of vocabulary words like "jitters". In the story we learned about Sarah, who did not want to go to school on the first day because she was scared and nervous. In the end we learned that Sarah was not a student but a teacher in a brand new school. It was fitting for both nervous kiddos and nervous teachers on the first day! We ended our time making and drinking a batch of our own jitter juice. It was a tasty treat!

Reading~ 

It was so fun to watch the kiddos engage with literature this week. We had many class read a loud books. During this time I would think out loud for the students while I was reading. Doing this helps children get ready to build good thinking habits while they are reading. Our first unit focuses on learning the routines and procedures of readers workshop but we managed to sneak in a few minutes of quiet reading with books from our book boxes. It was so much fun for the kids to see and read some of their kindergarten favorites that they chose for their book boxes. Next week I will begin to read one on one with each student to be sure they are reading books that are just right for them! :)

Science~

Our miraculous monarch caterpillars have had an eventful week! We watched our caterpillars chew and chew! They grew from little caterpillars to HUGE caterpillars! They are still munching their way through the milkweed but my guess is that when we return on Monday we will have some that have made a chrysalis.  As we learned more about caterpillars we recorded important "data" on our caterpillar datapillars. They turned out so cute! I hope are able to ask your child to tell you a few facts about those amazing caterpillars.

We earned our first 10 star reward today for great behavior!!! We had "proboscis popsicles". Ask your child what a proboscis is (if they need a hint...it is a part of a butterfly) and if their popsicle worked like a proboscis! 

Wednesday Lunch Helpers~

Would you be willing to come and sit with the class while they eat lunch and make sure they get out to the playground? Younger siblings are invited too! If you are able and willing, please see the following SIGN UP GENIUS

Before volunteering in the classroom (in this capacity or in any other way), you will need to fill out background check paperwork in the office. Some of you already did this at the ice cream social or parent night! Please note, you only need to fill out 1 form for yourself for the DISTRICT. If you have already done this paperwork for a different child you should be all set!

Additional Notes~

A full change of clothes (including underwear and socks) is good idea to have at school! Accidents, spills, muddy bodies (after outdoor learning) and many other things come up in our day. Please send a change of clothes, in a large ziploc bag, to keep in your child's locker. Thanks so much!

Looking Ahead~

~Wednesday, August 27, 9:00,  District Wide Convocation. If you are able, please join us out at the High School football/soccer stadium for a time of worship!

~Friday, August 29- Monday, September 1, No School: Labor Day

~Monday, August 2- Please return heart map by this day! 

~Friday, September 5- Outdoor Learning at Sassafras Ridge. Please pack your child a lunch from home on this day. We will be having a picnic at Sassafras!

~ Wednesday, September 17- School Pictures

~Wednesday, September 25- Walk-a-Thon

~Friday, Septmeber 26- Holland Christian Homecoming events! More information coming soon!

~Monday, October 13- South Side and Pine Ridge Grandparents Day. Stay tuned for more details.

Welcome to 1st Grade

 Dear Parents, 

It is with great joy and excitement that I welcome you to a new year of growing and learning at South Side! I am so excited to begin this new school year in 1st grade and I am thrilled to begin this relationship with you and your family. Thank you so much for partnering with me! Please pray with me throughout this year that God will work mightily in the hearts and minds of all of us as we intentionally seek to promote His Kingdom on Earth.

Joy of the Lord~

"You have made known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy." Psalm 16:11 

Our school theme for the 2025–2026 year is "The Joy of the Lord," and I am truly excited to explore this beautiful truth with your child.

It is my heartfelt desire that, throughout this year, each student will come to understand that true joy comes from knowing God, following His ways, and spending time in His presence. Together, we’ll explore what joy looks like in everyday life—being kind, showing gratitude, trusting God, and celebrating His love.

In the classroom, we’ll learn songs, hear Bible stories, create joyful art, and talk about how God lovingly guides us along the right path. We will learn and know God is always with us—and that His presence brings a joy that lasts. I believe God has wonderful things in store for us this year, and I can’t wait to grow and learn alongside your child!

As We Begin...

Classroom communication will happen primarily through this blog, Engbers Events. Each Friday the blog will be updated. Please take a moment to bookmark this site so you can easily see all of our first grade happenings.

Classroom Visit and Ice Cream Social~

I cannot wait to meet you and your child! Please mark your calendar for the evening of Thursday, August 14 from 6:00-7:00pm. I am so sorry that I had the wrong day in your child's letter! Please come on the 14h and NOT on the 15th. 😀 You are invited to come to South Side to see our classroom, play on the playground, and enjoy some ice cream. Please bring your child's school supplies (supply list is below) with you on this night. I would like to get the kiddos settled in before the first day of school. 

South Side Parent Night~

Please plan to attend Parent Night on Thursday, August 21 from 5:30 to 6:30pm. (Parents Only Please) 

First Grade Supplies~

Here is a reminder of the list of supplies for 1st graders. You can also find this list online HERE!

1st Grade Supply List

• (1) 8-pack Washable Crayola Fat Markers, Basic Colors

• (1) 24 count Crayola Crayons

• (24) sharpened #2 Pencils (to be used as community supplies)

• (6) Glue Sticks (to be used as community supplies) 

• (1) School/Pencil Box (approximate dimensions 8 ½ x 5 ½)

• (1) small Fiskars-Type Scissors

• (4) Black, Expo Brand, Thick Dry-Erase Markers 

• (1) 2 pocket folder (9x12)

• (1) 1 inch Clear View Binder (3 ring binder with clear pocket on front and back cover)

• (1) set of quality wired headphones (not earbuds)

• Old oversized shirt for Art (labeled with name)

• Inside Gym Shoes to keep at school. (Velcro or slip on shoes preferred)

• Backpack large enough for a 9x12 folder

• Lunch Box or Bag

• Beach Towel for outdoor learning

One addition- please send your child with a water bottle each day. No juice/sports drinks please! Water is so good for our growing brains! :)

OPTIONAL DONATION CONSIDERATIONS that are helpful at any point in the school year:

• Tissue boxes (Generally the tissues donated are a touch softer on noses than the school provided ones...😉)
• Hand Sanitizer 
• Clorox wipes 
• Baby Wipes (These are perfect for messy/sticky/dirty hands and come in pretty handy when we're learning outside.)
• Boxes of Graham Crackers for extra snacks
• Freeze Pops (popsicles in a bag)- these are a great treats on hot days

Passing the Baton~

I am honored to be holding on to and adding to your child's baton this year! You may pass your child's baton back to me at our classroom visit on the 15th or any time during the first week of school. (For those of you new to HC, your child will receive his/her baton at the close of the school year.) Batons will go home with students on the last day of first grade!

Blessings to you and your family during these remaining days of summer.  I look forward to this school year and meeting all of you as we glorify God and live into His goodness and faithfulness together.

In His Service,

Michelle Engbers