Holland preschool: Preschool | GSRP – Great Start Readiness Program – Enroll – For Parents

Preschool | GSRP – Great Start Readiness Program – Enroll – For Parents

At HPS we Embrace, Engage, and Empower each student for success in an ever-changing world.

BRIGHT FUTURES BEGIN HERE!

Holland Public Schools GSRP believes in partnering with parents and the community to develop and nurture  each child’s unique academic, social , emotional, creative  and  physical abilities through active learning.

Our program welcomes all, embraces individuality, supports everyone and hopes that you find yourself better for having been part of our community.

• Early Childhood Program ONLINE Application (opens new window)

Early Childhood Program Options and Income Guidelines 2021-22 ENGLISH | SPANISH

Please contact Jennifer VanDyke for additional details regarding enrollment in GSRP.

GSRP is a state-funded preschool program serving income-eligible four-year-old children.   Students must be 4 years-old by September 1 to enroll. Classes are offered with a variety of family needs in mind. Our program offers full-day classes, Monday through Thursday.

GSRP is free to many families who qualify. Families are enrolled by the highest need first, based on federal poverty guidelines and risk factors.  Once all income eligible families are enrolled, families that fall outside of the income guidelines may be considered for enrollment. 

Ready to Enroll?

Step #1: Complete the application, and include the following documents:

• Birth Certificate
• Immunization Record
• Proof of 12-month income. (W2’s or tax forms work best for this step.)
  **Applications will NOT be processed without proof of income.

 Step #2:  Choose your building preference:

• West PreK-5   
• Jefferson PreK-5
• Heights PreK-5
• Holland Language Academy

Step #3: Turn in your application and required documents.

• Reqired documents can be emailed to Jennifer VanDyke or can be dropped off with the building secretary at West, Jefferson, Holland Heights, or HLA.
• Applications will then be processed, and parents will be notified of their tentative enrollment into the program.
• Final approval will take place late summer/early fall. All approved students are “tentatively enrolled” until the State of Michigan opens enrollment for Great Start Readiness Programming.

Every Day is an ADVENTURE at HPS Great Start Readiness Program:

• Our day starts with breakfast to give our brain and body energy for the day.
• During morning meeting we talk about the fun things we are going to do during the day.
• We get to play outside with our friends, and explore our naturescape playgrounds.
• In our classroom we learn through play during choice time. Our classrooms are set up with different areas, such as: art, library, math and science, blocks, toys and games, dramatic play, sensory and much more! 
• Every day we have a large group read aloud, and also break into small groups where teachers work with students on specific learning objectives.
• We get to eat a healthy lunch, and enjoy more time exploring on our playgrounds. 
• By then, our bodies are getting tired, so we take a break with a rest time. 
• We finish our day with a snack, and get ready to go home for the day. 

All Things Preschool | Holland Christian Schools

When you search for your child’s first educational experience, you want to find a program that fits your schedule and feels like her home away from home. You’re looking for teachers who think outside the box…

…and will personalize his education based on the latest research about how kids learn, but in a Christian and loving atmosphere. Join us to jumpstart your child’s educational journey! With some parent input, we’ve designed a unique preschool program to nurture and guide our youngest learners through full-day or half-day choices for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds.

Our preschool curriculum, whether in Spanish at Rose Park or English, stems from a Biblical worldview and focuses on pre-reading, language, writing, mathematical number sense, social and emotional growth, and learning about God’s world around us. And because our preschools are part of Holland Christian Schools, you get all the benefits of being part of a larger school system–including access to the area’s best teachers.

Nuts & Bolts

For some families, preschool is a preferred morning thing, and for maybe just three days a week max. But other families definitely prefer one quality educational preschool for their child all day every day. So we have choices based on your family’s needs: Just mornings? We can do it. All day every day? We can do that too, with the same nurturing and high quality education.

Perhaps you need a little extra help before or after normal school hours–even just one or two days a week? We have a first rate “Before and After School Program” which you can see on our Before and After School page.

Our tuition and fees fund our superb preschool and K-12 programs, and you can check out those pricing lists on our Tuition page–though please note these are current prices for the 22-23 school year.

But honestly, all details aside, we can’t wait to meet you and your child, show you around our classrooms, introduce you to our banner teachers, add you into our big family!

Preschool Class Descriptions & Schedules

Preschool is not a one-size-fits-all experience, so we offer half-day (8:15-11:15am) or full-day (8:15am-3:15pm) options to fit the needs of your child and family’s schedule. A partnership with parents is important in a child’s education, so we welcome you to volunteer in the classroom (although it’s not required) and to participate on field trips with your children.

3-year-old English Preschools @ South Side & Rose Park:

Your child will explore, create, and discover the beginning structures of a classroom routine in this warm introduction to school. Students engage in learning activities to promote academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development. Our early childhood teachers help our students discover God’s love and how to share it with others, and equip them to learn how to create positive interactions with classmates and adults. 3-year-old preschools are for children who are toilet-trained and are 3 years old by September 1.

• You may choose a 3-year-old 3-day-week program with classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; or a 5-day a week program that meets Monday-Friday.
• You may also choose whether you would like your 3-year-old English preschooler in a half day 8:15am-11:15am program, or a full day 8:15am-3:15pm program.

4-year-old English Preschools @ South Side & Rose Park:

Your child will discover and expand their knowledge of letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and other kindergarten readiness skills in this hands-on class. Our preschool teachers are trained to recognize students’ unique gifts and developmental characteristics, and provide appropriately scaffolded activities for 4-year-olds to learn and grow. 4-year-old preschool classes are for children who are toilet-trained and are 4 years old by September 1.

• You may choose a 4-year-old 3-day-week program with classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; or a 5-day a week program that meets Monday-Friday.
• You may also choose whether you would like your 4-year-old English preschooler in a half day 8:15am-11:15am program, or a full day 8:15am-3:15pm program.

Spanish Immersion Preschools @ Rose Park:

• Our Spanish immersion program for 3-year-olds focuses on learning through interactive play, creating routines and discovering God’s creation outdoors in Spanish. Your child will learn words, phrases, songs and poems in Spanish that will kickstart their Spanish journey with us at Holland Christian. 3-year-old Spanish Immersion preschool meets 2 days a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at our Rose Park Campus, and parents also can choose half days or full days. On full days, afternoons will be taught in English.
• Our Spanish Immersion 4-year-olds classroom focuses on interactive play through themes of study. They start to learn how to ask and answer questions, engage and greet their peers, while also learning the fundamental letters, numbers, shapes and colors all in Spanish. Our teachers help students learn and grow in their character development and in who God made them to be as children of God. 4-year-old Spanish Immersion preschool meets 3 days a week at Rose Park on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and parents also can choose half days or full days. On full days, afternoons will be taught in English.

If you choose a full day

If you are enrolling your child into a full day preschool classroom that includes afternoon programming, your child will engage in a developmentally-appropriate theme-based activity, hands-on inquiry-based learning, snack/rest time, as well as plenty of physical movement. Each afternoon has its own focus and is designed specifically for the needs of each separate classroom based on age:

• Monday: Little Travelers provides an extension to our social studies curriculum. Preschoolers experience the world outside of their communities and discover just how big God created our world.
• Tuesday: Little Scientists lets students get “down and dirty” with science and math! This afternoon offers a STEM-based opportunity for preschoolers and features a project-based, hands-on, child-centered environment. Children make, create, and experiment with all things science and math, building a foundation for success in kindergarten and beyond.
• Wednesday: Little Athletes is an afternoon focused on gross motor development, which is an essential kindergarten readiness skill and an important element of a child’s physical and emotional health. Every month this class highlights a specific skill children learn and explore through games and hands-on activities to help strengthen gross motor development.
• Thursday: Little Explorers offers students a taste of our Forest School program and experiences in God’s creation in the great outdoors guided by our HC preschool staff. In tandem with classroom activities, preschoolers learn recycling, bird life, animal tracks, animal homes, and much more.
• Friday: Teachers Choice focuses on a different fun and educational theme each month dealing with everything from art, to math, to science. The activities include fine motor, gross motor, creative (music and art), and sensory experiences.

Yes, we have a Young Fives option!

If your child could use the gift of time before starting kindergarten, or your 4-year-old is ready for an accelerated experience, our Young Fives might be the perfect fit. Learn more about our Young Fives classes at both Rose Park and South Side on our All Things Kindergarten Page

Preschool Enrollment

23-24 preschool application opens on February 1, 2023 at 9am. You can apply online at our Apply page, or call our admissions at 616.820.2806 to complete the application with us in person.

If you are interested, we enjoy giving tours and scheduling classroom visits for prospective parents! To plan a visit, go to our “Plan Your Visit” page. You can check on class availability or ask questions about the preschool program by contacting our Admissions Department, at 616.820.2806 or filling out our contact form.

Preschool Incentive Program

If you love our preschool program, you’ll love kindergarten at Holland Christian too! Try out kindergarten at a reduced rate by using the ABC (A Beginning Commitment) Grant given to you if you’re enrolled in our early childhood programs. Families who enroll their child in preschool and then kindergarten and 1st grade the following years at Holland Christian receive a one-time $1,000 grant for $500 off kindergarten and $500 off 1st grade tuition.

Quick Links

Discovery Viewbook

Catch the vision! Read through our view book to find out more about Holland Christian & our programs.

Apply for Preschool

The enrollment application for preschool opens Tuesday, February 1 2022 at 7 am.

Preschool Handbook

Our Preschool Handbook contains all the nitty gritty details about our policies & procedures.

Before & After School Care

You need to get to work, but don’t want your child home alone waiting for the bus? We get it. So Holland Christian offers a quality Before and After School Care each full day school is in session for all of our elementary schools–Rose Park, South Side, Forest School, and Pine Ridge Elementary.

Before & After School Programs

Preschool FAQs

How old does my child need to be to enroll?

• Children need to be 3 years old for the 3’s program, 4 for the 4’s program and 5 for kindergarten by September 1, 2022, to enroll.
• Children enrolling in Young Fives should be 5 by December 1 in order to enroll.
• Preschool children also need to be toilet-trained by the start of the school year.

What is the preschool curriculum like?

• In all of our preschools we have happily adopted and adapted the Creative Curriculum for Preschool that has been nationally proven to improve kindergarten readiness and support the whole child with its focus social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. We’ve simply added the spiritual development portion, and made it local to Holland, Michigan, and all our area has to offer both outside and inside!
• In 3-year-old preschool, children explore, create, play, and discover the beginning structures of a classroom routine. Students engage in learning activities that promote their academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development. Our early childhood teachers help students discover God’s love and how to share it with others, and equip them to create positive interactions with classmates and adults.
• In our hands-on 4-year-old preschool classes, children discover and expand their knowledge of letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and other kindergarten readiness skills.
• Our 3-year-old and 4-year-old Spanish Immersion preschool classes have the same goals as their English counterparts except that classes are taught in Spanish. English is used at the beginning of the school year and Spanish is introduced once students are comfortable with the teacher and the daily classroom routine. No previous knowledge of Spanish is expected or required, and it’s truly amazing how much Spanish these little ones are speaking and understanding within just weeks!
• If you are interested in an accelerated program for your 4-year-old, you may want to check out our Young Fives classes our Kindergarten Page. The content and teaching style of Young Fives is perfect for 4-year-olds who are ready for an accelerated experience based on the teacher’s input, alongside 5-year-olds who need the gift of time before starting kindergarten. However, the schedule and focus is more kindergarten than preschool.

What degrees do your teachers have, and are you accredited?

All of our preschool and kindergarten teachers hold bachelor’s or master’s degrees in elementary education or early childhood education. Our preschools are licensed by the State of Michigan. Furthermore, Holland Christian Schools holds dual accreditation through Christian Schools International (CSI) and Advanced Ed.

What does it mean that you’re a Christian preschool?

From our youngest learners, all the way through high school, our Christian faith is integrated in all that we do. And not just in things like prayer, devotions, Bible stories, and praise and worship, but in EVERYTHING we do! Our faith is the lens through which we teach all pieces of our rigorous curriculum, handle discipline and student behavior, and manage every detail of the school day. It is a special privilege to partner with parents in the spiritual formation of their children. You can read more about our faith development across all grade levels on our Faith Development page. 

How are parents involved?

A partnership with parents is important in a child’s education, so we welcome parent volunteers in the classroom in a variety of ways—although it’s not required—and encourage parents to participate on field trips with their children.

How much does it cost? (23-24 school year costs)

• * Monthly payments are on 9-month schedule September-May of the school year.
• Financial aid is available for 3’s preschool through our partnership with Ready for School. Contact them at readyforschool.org to learn more.
• Significant financial aid is available for our families with students enrolled in our Young Fives-12th grade. We do not provide financial aid for families with only preschool enrollment; however we do factor preschool tuition costs when awarding tuition assistance for families with children enrolled in our preschool and K-12 programs.
• More than $2 million in financial aid is awarded every year through our different programs. Please see additional details at hollandchristian.org/financialaid.
• We truly want to work with parents who desire Christian education for their family to make it affordable for them. If you have questions about tuition or financial aid, please contact our Tuition Accounts Manager, Terry VanderKolk, at 616.820.2807 or [email protected].

How do I enroll?

• Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, and some classes fill quickly, so please apply early to ensure your spot! Preschool applications require a $75 deposit that applies directly to your child’s tuition.
• Preschool applications open on February 1 at 7 am online on our Apply page and continue to accept registration until the classes are full.
• If you run stuck or have questions about the application process or class waiting lists, please contact our admissions team at 616.820.2804 or filling out our contact form.

”I love that my school is a Christian school. I love that we share in worship each week and learn about the world through a Christian perspective; I love my teachers, how they show their faith in their teaching, and are always willing to reach out to me outside of school if I need them.

”The teachers are outstanding and go above and beyond the call to impact my kids.

”The teachers care about their students: they want to help students develop their strengths and understand that they are made in god’s image with specific talents and gifts.

”I think holland Christian’s teaching staff is a huge strength. The level of care, concern, and character that most of the teachers possess is what makes the HC experience so impactful for our kids.

”No child is just a number. Teachers really know them, understand their strengths and weaknesses, lift them up in prayer, challenge classmates to care about them and for them.

Have Questions?

We look forward to meeting you and your family and introducing you to the fresh, creative, personalized education at Holland Christian! We are here to help! Get in touch us using our contact form linked below or call us at 616.820.2805.

Get in Touch!

Dutch childhood, wooden toys / Society / Articles / GiG: city site of Zheleznogorsk

Can you imagine that a kindergarten is located right on the farm, and three-year-olds feed calves and goats themselves? Kids play in the hayloft, inspect serious agricultural machinery, see how milk is processed, and participate in a cheese fair. Such an unusual preschool is located near Amsterdam. Teachers from Zheleznogorsk recently visited there. The head of the Teremok kindergarten, Yulia Mineeva, and teacher-defectologist Tatyana Grishchenko told GiG about the peculiarities of education in the Netherlands, where they had an internship for winning the Rosatom competition.

Three days a week, and then before noon

In the fall of 2016, Teremok won the competition as part of the Rosatom School project. Two representatives of the kindergarten had the opportunity to see with their own eyes how little Dutch people are brought up.

– The system of pre-school education in the Netherlands is very different from the Russian one, says Yulia Mineeva. – Women are on maternity leave for only 6 months, and if the mother decides to go to work, she arranges the baby in the kindergarten. All kindergartens in this country are designed for ages from six months to four years. And they are all private. Public free education begins at the age of 4 – from that moment the child is considered a primary school student. Moreover, the baby goes to school not from September 1, but immediately after his fourth birthday. But, in fact, this is still the same kindergarten – they start teaching reading and writing in the Netherlands only from the age of 6.

Poor Dutch children! Already from the age of six months, they “go out into the people”, just like in the USSR, when two-month-old babies were sent to the nursery! But to draw a parallel in this case is incorrect. In the Soviet nursery, the child was full-time and the whole working week, because the mother was fully employed in production. In the Netherlands, preschools are open only until lunch. Moreover, babies are not brought there every day, since women in this country work only one to three times a week. Moreover, employers provide fathers of preschool children with a free day on Wednesday. The state policy here is unequivocal: children should be brought up by their parents.

Kindergarten with transparent walls

Since there is no unified system of preschool education in the Land of Tulips, each kindergarten works according to its own program. The one on the farm near Amsterdam, which so amazed the people of Zheleznogorsk, is unique for the Netherlands itself. Basically, preschool institutions here are traditional. And still not the same as ours.

– We constantly hear that in Europe there is an increased danger of a terrorist threat, – Tatyana Anatolyevna notes. – It is assumed that in these conditions, children should be protected in the first place. However, everything we have seen in Holland suggests otherwise. The gardens are practically not fenced – except perhaps with a hedge. The principle is openness to society. We have seen when there were no boundaries at all between walking areas and courtyards of residential buildings. Anyone can enter the kindergarten, even when there are kids there. There is no security, only video cameras and an attendant.

But complete openness is not only manifested in free access for outsiders. Zheleznogorsk residents were surprised by the huge display windows of the kindergartens – from the street you can see what the children are doing. Often the building inside is also with transparent partitions. It is believed that a child, getting into such an “aquarium”, sees the world around him as a whole, unlike a baby, whose research need is limited by the blank walls of the group.

– It is clear that due to lack of funds, it is unrealistic to replace our ordinary windows with display windows, all the way to the ground. In our climatic conditions, this is not necessary, – the head of “Teremka” admits. – But we liked the idea of ​​transparent doors and large glazed openings that create the effect of a large space. I would love to make it happen!

School will teach you how to read

Our teachers weren’t so surprised by the appearance of Dutch kindergartens. Unlike Russian peers, children in the kindergartens of the Netherlands play! What is special about this? With the help of a role-playing game, a little man at all times learned the world and learned to build relationships with others. But the daily routine in modern preschool institutions in Russia leaves almost no time for games. Children walk, sleep, eat, and the rest of the time they have classes with them, because each of them must come to school prepared. In essence, the child’s carefree time ends when he first crosses the threshold of the kindergarten.

Teachers have been sounding the alarm for a long time: kids almost never play role-playing games “Mothers and Daughters”, “Hospital”, “Shop” and many others. And this despite the fact that kindergartens are full of toys. But the guys quickly lose interest in them.

– We oversaturated the playing space, – says Tatyana Grishchenko. – Perhaps the abundance has led to the fact that the children have forgotten how to play together, they have a poorly developed imagination.
And in the Netherlands, preschool children play with wooden cubes, chocks. There are other toys, of course, but there are very few of them. If according to the scenario of the game some object is required, then the little Dutch simply draw it or replace it with something else. The main thing is imagination. And practically no work! The school teaches to read and write. Once upon a time, such an approach to preschool education was in our country. Today they are returning to it again, teachers say.

– The child must play 50 percent of the time, and play alone! – says Yuri Mineeva. – But it is difficult for educators to quickly rebuild, because for the past few decades we have been taught that children need to be forced to perform some tasks and constantly monitored. I hope that the knowledge and experience gained will help transform our educational institution and change its environment in an evolutionary way.

Punishment taboo

The main condition for raising a child is emotional security, the Netherlands is sure. Children should not be punished physically, raise their voice at them. Moral humiliation is not allowed.

– During the entire period of the internship, we never saw a single crying baby or an irritated adult, – employees of “Teremok” say. – We were surprised how educators manage preschoolers?

This is how it happens, for example, on the street. Boys and girls go about their own business and seem not to hear or see anything around. But when the teacher claps his hands and says a rhyme, all the kids instantly line up and obediently follow the adult. In Russia, this would take much more time and effort. And, to put it bluntly, the tension of the vocal cords.

In general, Yulia Mineeva and Tatyana Grishchenko admit, the Netherlands has a lot to learn. Perhaps, some techniques peeped abroad will take root in our soil. Although one cannot count on cardinal changes, Zheleznogorsk teachers are sad. After all, in Russia, as before, anyone is responsible for raising children, but not their parents.

Marina SINYUTINA

Education system of the Netherlands (Holland): secondary and higher

• Pre-school education
• Secondary education in Holland
• Russian schools in the Netherlands
• Summer Educational camps in the Netherlands
• Higher education in Holland
• Motivazovs in the Netherlands
• Free education in Holland

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Education is characterized by democracy. Any group of people, regardless of religious or ideological affiliation, can apply for the establishment of an educational institution and count on state funding. Only a third of all educational institutions in Holland are state-owned.

Pre-school education

There is no unified system of pre-school education in Holland. This is due to the fact that children go to school quite early, starting at the age of four. Up to this age, parents can bring their children to care centers or private kindergartens. Care centers, where, starting from 3 months, they organize children’s leisure, can be an alternative to after-school groups for schoolchildren. In such establishments there is no hot food, but snacks with fruits and sandwiches are organized.

Secondary education in the Netherlands

Studying in the Netherlands differs not only in the education system, but also in the amount of useful knowledge gained. Therefore, modern applicants are drawn there so much.
All children between the ages of 5 and 18 are required to attend school for secondary education. In elementary school, the first two grades are more like kindergarten than school. Only from the third grade do children begin to comprehend the basics of writing, reading, counting, and natural history. Homework starts only in 6th grade. For emigrants from the CIS, such a burden may seem frivolous, but you should not take it so lightly. Primary education in the Netherlands is, first of all, the formation of communication skills and teamwork in children, knowledge of the world around through the game and interesting experiments. It is at this age that teachers determine children’s abilities, based on which the child will choose a further educational profile.

At the end of elementary school, every child takes two tests: a Curriculum Proficiency Test and an IQ Test. The results of these tests determine which level of education a student is recommended to choose. There are three options for secondary education in the Netherlands:

• VMBO is a 4 year course comparable to vocational education. Pupils receive basic school education plus specialized knowledge and skills, sometimes it is supported by a theoretical base, which gives the right to transfer to another level of secondary education /
• The HAVO level implies a school education that prepares the student for a higher profile education comparable to an institute. The training lasts 5 years.
• The most prestigious and difficult level of secondary education in the Netherlands is VWO. After graduating from this stage of secondary school, students can enter higher educational institutions in the Netherlands. At this stage of secondary education, children learn Latin, French, English, German and Greek, and mathematics, computer science, economics, and chemistry are also included in the curriculum. The VWO secondary education stage lasts 6 years and can be compared to upper secondary education.

Russian schools in Holland

There are Russian schools in many cities in Holland that provide training on weekends. Children can study in them from 3 to 18 years old, the list of subjects is selected individually depending on age and level of language proficiency. Education in such schools is primarily aimed at preserving the Russian language and culture.

Summer educational camps in the Netherlands

Higher education in the Netherlands

Higher education in the Netherlands is considered one of the most prestigious and progressive in Europe. In addition, most universities here provide undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in English, which attracts students from Europe and the CIS countries to the Netherlands. Dutch-style diplomas are recognized all over the world and will be a great start for a career in an international company. Higher education in the field of computer technology, engineering disciplines and business management is considered especially progressive and strong.
Universities in the Netherlands are divided into three types:
– research universities, where the learning process is focused on scientific work, which is based on theoretical and practical research;
– universities of applied sciences, which at the very beginning require the choice of a profession and a specific program of study;
– universities of international education, which are designed to teach foreign students.
The cost of higher education in the Netherlands is low, especially when compared to other European universities. For students from the European Union, the Dutch government provides scholarships for education and almost completely compensates for the cost of education. For other students, the cost of undergraduate education will be from 5.8 thousand euros per year.
The convenient location of the Netherlands allows students to actively travel, get acquainted with European culture and combine education with comprehensive development.

Postgraduate education in the Netherlands

A wide range of post-graduate programs makes Holland interesting for professionals who want to improve their professional qualifications or get a Ph.D. The list of postgraduate education includes intensive courses with a certificate, programs for bachelors, masters, as well as scientific programs with subsequent writing of papers and obtaining a degree.

Free education in Holland

The opportunity for free higher education is available to talented students who have shown high results in the study of science or art.