Dear New Young Fives Student and Parents, I hope that you are enjoying your summer with family and friends. I am certainly doing the same as I enjoy grilled food, playing outside, and relaxing with my family.

Please have your child come with these essential items on the first day of school…. a regular size backpack, a tub of Lysol wipes, a hard plastic school supply box, 3 glue sticks, 3 pencils, a 24 count box of crayons, and 3 Expo markers. Have an enjoyable summer and I will see you all very soon! Mrs. Faga

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Meet Your Teacher!

Please email me at ______ with any questions you might have, have a great summer J

Hello! My name is Miss Beissel, and I am SO excited to be your teacher this year! I love to drink

coffee, spend time in the sun, and hang out with my family.

This will be my first-year teaching after graduating from

Central Michigan University, and I am so excited to spend it with

you all. I can’t wait to get to know you and

your family soon!

Supply List:-Backpack-Hard plastic pencil box-4 boxes of 24-count crayons-1 box of washable markers-8 large glue sticks-1 bottle Elmer’s glue-1 wide-ruled notebook-1 box of #2 pencils (pre-sharpened if possible)-2 large erasers-1 pair of kid scissors-Headphones (please no earbuds)-2 folders with pockets-Clorox wipes-Hand sanitizer-Kleenex

Meet theTEACHERMrs.Sietsema

Hello, My name is Mrs. Sietsema and I am excited to be your Kindergarten Teacher for the 2020-2021 school year. I can’t wait to meet you and have fun learning new things with you all year. I have been a Kindergarten teacher for 12 year and I absolutely love it. I live in Grand Rapids with my husband Zach and our daughter Hazel (she is two). I love to cook, read, and sing! I love making up songs to help us learn! I hope you have a great summer and I will see you all soon!!!If you have any questions feel free to contact me at 5.ksietsema@nhaschools.com

Supply List-1 box of 24 CountCrayons-hard plastic pencilbox-pencil topper erasersone bag- 10 large gluesticks- 2 folders withpockets- backpack- 1 box #2 pencils(pre-sharpened ispreferred)- Head phones (notear buds)- bottle of handsanitizer-clorox wipes- kleenex- 1pair of kid scissors

Welcome to First Grade! I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation. The first day of school is coming up and I am very excited. We will have fun with reading, writing, and math. We will also explore interesting science and social studies topics throughout the year. We request the following items for the start of school: ____1 durable 2-pocket folder for a “Home Folder” ____1 box of crayons for their desk ____1package pencils for their desk (Ticonderoga is great!) ____1 glue stick for their desk ____1 scissors for their desk ____1 spiral notebook for journaling ____2 highlighters for their desk ____6 white board markers (we will supply the white board) ____1 backpack with name written on ____1 pair of headphones (Five Below, Walmart, Target, etc) & a nutritious snack each school day If you are interested in helping the class as a whole, please drop off: ____baby wipes (for classroom clean-up) ____facial tissues (for class) ____boxed cereal (for snacks) See you soon, Miss Hulst

Welcome to First Grade! I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation. The first day of school is coming up and I am very excited. We will have fun with reading, writing, and math. We will also explore interesting science and social studies topics throughout the year. Requested Supplies ____1 24 count box of crayons for their desk ____1 24 count package #2 Ticonderoga brand pencils ____1 glue stick for their desk ____1 scissors for their desk ____1 highlighter for their desk ____1 pair head phones (5 below) ____1 durable 2-pocket folder for a “Homework Folder” ____ 2-3 Expo Markerboard markers and Eraser ____1 facial tissues (for class)

Remember to pack a nutritious snack each school day!

Looking forward to seeing you bright and early to start an amazing year of learning! See you soon, Mrs. Kikstra

Dear Second Grade Families,

I want to welcome you as an integral part of your child's second grade

year. I am excited about the possibilities this year holds. In order to encourage

continual communication between home and school, each day your child will

bring home a folder and assignment agenda.

Your child will need the following materials

for a successful school year:

• Crayons (Crayola– box of 24)

• Colored pencils (Crayola– box of 12)

• 2 dozen #2 Ticonderoga Pencils (DO NOT purchase decorated or plastic coat-

ed pencils. These pencils are hard to sharpen and ruin our pencil sharpen-

ers.)

• 6 Glue sticks (bigger ones last longer)

• Scissors

• Backpack

• Folder

• Four EXPO markers for our personal white boards

• Headphones (Please do not buy ear buds as they do not last)

These items are needed for the classroom:

• Kleenex boxes Clorox or Lysol wipes

• Paper towel Band-Aids

• Hand sanitizer Ziploc bags (all sizes)

I have been excitedly preparing for this school year! I know that if we work as

a team, we will provide a supportive and challenging environment for your

child.

Have a blessed summer!

Sincerely,

Miss Heneveld

 Dear Second Grade Families,  

  Welcome to 2nd grade! That’s right - after teaching kindergarten for over a decade, I’m moving to 2nd grade! I am so excited for the change and to spend the year with some familiar faces and some new ones. Get ready for a great year of learning, friendships, hard work, and lots of fun.  

Parents, I want to welcome you as an integral part of your child's second grade year. I am excited about the possibilities this year holds. In order to encourage continual communication between home and school, each day your child will bring home a folder and assignment agenda.  

 

Your child will need the following materials for a successful school year: 

 

● Crayons (Crayola– box of 24) ● Colored pencils (Crayola– box of 12) ● 2 dozen #2 Ticonderoga Pencils (Pre-sharpened is appreciated. Please, DO NOT 

purchase decorated or plastic coated pencils. These pencils are hard to sharpen and ruin our pencil sharpeners.) 

● 6 Glue sticks (bigger ones last longer) ● Scissors ● Backpack ● Folder ● Four EXPO markers for our personal white boards ● Headphones (Five Below has a great selection of headphones. Please do not buy ear 

buds as they do not last.) ● Please consider donating one or more of the following to keep germs at a minimum 

in our classroom and to help us stay organized. ○ Kleenex ○ Clorox or Lysol wipes ○ Paper towels 

○ Band-Aids ○ Hand sanitizer ○ Ziploc bags (all sizes) 

 I have been excitedly preparing for this school year! I know that if we work as a 

team, we will provide a supportive and challenging environment for your child. Have a blessed summer!  Sincerely, Mrs. Schout 5.cschout@nhaschools.com  

Summer 2020

Dear 3rd grader and family,

My name is Mrs. Kaylor, I will be the new 3rd grade teacher this coming school year. How is your summer

going? Have you gone anywhere exciting or done anything exciting? I am getting married in July and have

been doing a lot of planning for it! I have also been going as many places as possible with my two kids. My son,

Gabe is turning 9 in August and my daughter, Riley just turned 7 in March. I look forward to hearing if your

family does anything fun for birthdays.

The new school year will be here soon! I want to hear about what books you have been reading and see how

great you are at your math facts. We will be doing a lot of multiplication in the beginning of the year. If you

have time, check out the website xtramath.org to practice your math facts or use a set of flash cards. This would

be a great opportunity to get some practice in before school starts. I am excited to be starting a new year with

you!

You might be wondering what school supplies you will need for third grade. Here is a list of items you will

need for this year.

• A backpack

• A set of earbuds or headphones (very important since we will be using Chromebooks a lot)

• 2 spiral notebooks (at least 70 pages)

• Two dozen pencils (preferably yellow no. 2 pencils)

• Dry erase markers (a pack of 4 or 8)

• An eraser for the dry erase markers (an old sock or rag will work)

• Crayons or colored pencils (16 count)

• A small glue stick

• 2 folders to use for your homework and notes to take home

• A scissors

• Tissue box

• Clorox wipes

• Hand sanitizer

Please watch for email updates from Vanderbilt Academy, NHA, or Mrs. Kaylor throughout the summer.

I look forward to hearing about your summer and getting to know you throughout the school year.

Working Together,

Mrs. Janet Kaylor

Third Grade Teacher

Vanderbilt Charter Academy

Summer 2020

Dear 3rd grade student,

How is your summer going? Have you gone anywhere exciting or done anything

exciting? I have been mostly working around my house on different projects. I have

gone golfing a couple of times and spent some time at a cottage on a lake. I hope you are

having some fun too.

The new school year will be here soon! I hope you have been doing some reading

and practicing your math facts. We will be doing a lot of multiplication to start the year.

If you have time, check out the website xtramath.org to practice your math facts or use a

set of flash cards. This would be a great opportunity to get some practice in before

school starts. I am excited to be starting a new year with you.

You might be wondering what school supplies you will need for third grade. Here is a

list of items you will need for this year.

• A backpack

• A set of earbuds or headphones (very important since we will be using

Chromebooks a lot)

• A spiral notebook (at least 70 pages)

• Two dozen pencils (preferably yellow no. 2 pencils)

• Dry erase markers (a pack of 4 or 8)

• An eraser for the dry erase markers (an old sock or rag will work)

• Crayons or colored pencils (16 count)

• A small glue stick

• 2 folders to use for your homework and notes to take home

• A scissors.

Please watch for email updates from Vanderbilt Academy, NHA, or Mr. Klaver

throughout the summer.

I look forward to hearing about your summer and getting to know you throughout the

school year.

Working Together,

Mr. James Klaver

Third Grade Teacher

Vanderbilt Charter Academy

Dear 4th grade student:

Hello! I hope you are having a great summer. I can’t wait to hear all about the fun things you are doing! I have been busy preparing our classroom for a year full of learning and fun!

I have your desk and cubby all set up and full of fun things you will need for a successful school year. You will begin the year with two pencils, a highlighter, a correcting pen and a whiteboard marker for when we use our whiteboards. You will also receive a Vanderbilt agenda so you can keep your assignments organized.

This year is going to be very busy as we have lots to learn. We also have many fun things planned as well! In the spring, we will take a trip to Lansing and learn about Michigan’s History. We will also have four orange card parties to look forward to— if you earn them along with filling pom pom team jars!

Our classroom is upstairs, room 209. It will be your first year upstairs! Make sure you get plenty of rest and be ready to work hard! We are going to become awesome readers and writers so be ready to tell me all about the cool books you read this summer! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

See you soon!

Mrs. Decker :)

1

A FEW OF MY FAVORITES

Color: Pink and Blue

Food: Ice Cream and Pizza

Hobby: Traveling and Shopping

Fast Food Restaurant: Chick-Fil-A

ABOUT ME This summer, I have spent a lot of time

taking my puppy, Odin, on walks and teaching

him new tricks! You can find pictures of him in our classroom! I have also enjoyed time on our boat this summer

with my family!

WELCOME! This is my second year teaching Fourth Grade at Vanderbilt and am so excited to be your

teacher this year!

I can’t wait to meet you!!!

Welcome to 4th Grade

HERE ARE A FEW ITEMS YOU WILL NEED

FOR THE FIRST DAY:

• An accordion style file organizer with tabs. This really helps all students stay organized versus folders or binders. You can find inexpensive ones at Staples. The students can labels their subjects inside of it: ELA, MATH, Science, History, Homework and Mail.

• 2 Spiral Paper Notebooks

• Plenty of Pencils/Erasers

• Pencil Box

• Scissors

• 3 Glue Sticks

• Crayons/Colored Pencils

• 3 Dry-Erase Markers

• Headphones/Earbuds

• Kleenex/Clorox Wipes/Sanitizer to donate

Dear FourthGraderandFamily,Ihopeyouaredoingwell,andhavingagreat

summerbreaksofar!Iamlookingforwardtoseeingyouin4th gradesoon!Ihavebeenkeepingbusygardening,reading,hiking,andspendingtimewithmynieceReagan.

Haveyoubeenfindingtimetoreadthissummer?Ihopeso!Wearegoingtobereadingsomanyinterestingstoriesthisyearin4th grade!

SchoolstartsonWednesday,August26th.Youwillneedtobringalongthefollowingitemsonthefirstdayofschool.• ABackpack• Four2-pocketfoldersforhomework&communication• 24#2Pencils(Ticonderogasharpenandholdupbest)• 4pinkrectangleeraserblocks• Apencilbox• 4ExpoMarkers(Finepointisbest)• ColoredPencils(12packormore)and/orCrayons• Scissors• HeadphonesorearbudsforusingChromebooks• 1wideruledcompositionnotebook

Allthebest,

Ms.Feikema

July 2020

2020-2021 School Year 

 

Dear Parents and Students,  

 

My name is Lindsay Knape and I am so excited to have the privilege of being your teacher this 

year! I started working with 3rd graders as a paraprofessional for the first 9 years here at 

Vanderbilt. Last year was my first year teaching here. I have been in the education field since 

2003 and have a love for learning and teaching! I live on the northside of Holland with my 

husband and teenage son. Some things that I like to do are to work in the yard, go out in my 

kayak and play with my dog and bearded dragon. 

 

This year you will be in my homeroom to start your day. You will have reading/language arts 

and science with me, but math and social studies will be across the hall with Miss Serstad. 

Changing rooms is something new for you this year and will help get you ready for all your 

transitions when you become a middle schooler. 

 

In order for you to feel more prepared for the start of 5th grade, I have provided a supply 

list below. Hopefully, this will help you feel ready to start on the first day of school! 

  

✓ Ticonderoga brand pencils (they sharpen the best and are worth the extra cost)  

✓ Dry-erase white board markers, any color, low odor and something to erase with (a sock or 

washcloth work great) 

✓ Personal pencil sharpener  

✓ 8 or 12 count colored pencils  

✓ 4 pocket folders, different colors(one for each main subject) 

✓ Glue sticks, scissors, highlighter  

✓ 2 boxes of tissues for the class to use  

✓ 2 Composition Notebooks or Spiral Notebooks for science 

✓ 1 container of Lysol or Clorox brand wipes  

A pencil box or zippered bag is very important to keep track of your belongings! 

 

Other items such as crayons, markers,and pens are all optional, but not necessary. 

 

Fifth grade is such an exciting and important year! Not only will we be learning new and 

exciting things together; we will also be working towards becoming more responsible, 

independent thinkers. Your time in 5th grade will prepare you for your years in middle school. 

 

I look forward to seeing all of you soon! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to 

email me at 5.lknape@nhaschools.com. Have a great rest of your summer! 

 

 

Working together, 

Mrs. Lindsay Knape 

July, 2020 

 

Dear Parents and Students,  

 

My name is Jenna Serstad and I will be your child’s 5th grade homeroom teacher next year! I 

am very excited for this upcoming year! First, a little about myself, I moved to Holland just 

last year and this will be my second year teaching here at Vanderbilt. I am originally from 

Indiana; however, I spent my entire childhood in China and moved to Michigan to attend Calvin 

University where I studied Elementary Education, English as a Second Language, and Chinese. I 

love anything that includes being active and outside! Hiking, playing basketball, and biking are 

some of my favorites.  

 

In order for you to feel more prepared for the start of 5th grade, I have provided a supply 

list below. Hopefully, this will help you feel ready to start on the first day of school! 

  

✓ Ticonderoga brand pencils (they sharpen the best and are worth the extra cost)  

✓ Dry-erase white board markers (any color) and something to erase with (even just a sock)  

✓ Personal pencil sharpener  

✓Pencil box  

✓ 8 or 12 count colored pencils  

✓ 4 pocket folders, different colors  

✓ Glue sticks, scissors, highlighter  

✓ 2 Composition Notebooks 

✓ 2 boxes of tissues for the class to use  

✓ 1 container of Lysol or Clorox brand wipes for the class to use 

 

Other items that you may need (crayons, colored paper, ect...) will be supplied by me. If you 

would like to still bring your own, you are more than welcome to; however, please do not feel 

obligated to do so! 

  

An exciting part of fifth grade is that you will now have two teachers- myself, your homeroom 

teacher, and Mrs. Knape! I will be teaching math and social studies and Mrs. Knape will teach 

language arts and science. That means you will be switching classrooms twice throughout the 

day. We love getting to know all fifth graders and this will help prepare you for middle school 

where you will be switching for each class.  

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at 

5.jserstad@nhaschools.com. Have a great rest of your summer! 

  

 

Sincerely,  

Miss. Jenna Serstad  

Welcome to Middle School! Happ� Summe� Vanderbil� Cha�te� Academ� 6t� grade��   

VIRTUAL TOUR https://drive.google.com/file/d/12KwaiwdBUS2RWWqSfaY0G9j13ngwoiff/view?usp=sharing

6th graders, Meet Your Teachers  

Mrs. McCorry - MATH   

● 9thyearteachingatVanderbilt● 1yearoldsonnamedRyan● FavoriteFood:icecream● Favoritevacation:Alaska● Lovestravelingtohike,eatfood,andvisitall

baseballstadiums

 School Supplies  

 ● 3 composition books - not

notebooks ● 2 - 1” binders ● 4 folders ● 4 boxes of pencils (keep some

for later) ● Pencil bag/box ● 1 hand-held pencil sharpener ● 1 package of lined paper ● 1 pair of scissors ● Glue sticks ● Water bottle with name ● Earbuds to keep at school

Donations of boxes of tissue and

hand sanitizer are appreciated

****NO sharpie markers please****

  

Mrs. DeVette - LANGUAGE ARTS  

● 25 yrs in education - 3 yrs ELA   ● Married - 4 children, 4 grandchildren  ● Favorite Food: fresh fruit/dark chocolate  ● Favorite Trip: Iceland  ● Love to: hike, crochet, travel, spend time with my  

family, be outside, ride our motorcycle  

Mrs. Kapenga - SOCIAL STUDIES  

● 2nd year teaching at Vanderbilt  ● Married but no children yet  ● Favorite Food: pasta  ● Favorite Vacation: Anytime visiting my  

parents in the Upper Peninsula   ● Love to: Read books, puzzles, spending time  

with my family, cooking, and being outside  

Ms. Bartlett -SCIENCE  

● 1st year teaching at Vanderbilt ● Will be getting married this Fall ● Favorite Food: pizza ● Favorite Vacation: exploring the Upper

Peninsula (which is where I am from!) ● Love to: read, hike with my dogs, go camping, and go to Griffins games  

Welcome Back!  

Happy Summer  

7th & 8th graders!

We hope you are relaxing and still finding time to read a good book and explore the outdoors!

Middle School is an exciting time, and your teachers are looking forward to continuing it together with you this year. We are already preparing for the 2020-2021 school year. You can prepare by gathering the school supplies you’ll need for the upcoming school year, reading, and keeping your mind active over the summer.

Enjoy your summer break!

Mr. Lemmen, Mrs. Pifer, Mrs. Kapenga, and Mrs. Bartlett

Class Trips:  Parent Chaperones: 

➢ 7th Grade: TBD ➢ 8th Grade: Washington DC Trip

○ End of May (5 days/ 4 night) ○ The annual DC trip is an exciting end

of-year event for the 8th Grade class to spend several days together exploring our nation's capital.

Parents, we need you! Both class trips require our chaperones and volunteers to fill out a volunteer form

prior to the trip. The process is easy. Simply go to the school website, click on the “Beyond the

Classroom” tab and select “Volunteer” to complete your form. It is fast and secure. All forms must be completed online as paper copies are no longer

processed. If you do not have a computer at home, please stop in the school office to complete. We will

have much more information and signups as the year goes on!

Fundraising:   Athletics: 

Fundraisers for the DC trip will start in the fall. Students who participate often pay for the trip in full!

Both 7th & 8th graders can raise money towards their DC Trip.

One of the exciting things about Middle School is that you get to compete in Vanderbilt Athletics. We have

basketball (boys/girls), cross country (boys/girls), soccer (boys/girls), and volleyball (girls).

Communication will be sent out to parents prior to the start of each new sport season.

7th & 8th Grade Supply List:  

Below is the list of supplies each 7th & 8th grader will need to be successful in classes this year:

➢ LOTS of pencils ➢ 3 Folders

➢ 1 Composition Book ➢ 2 1” binders

➢ 1 Package of Lined Paper ➢ Colored Pencils

➢ Hand Pencil Sharpener ➢ Glue Sticks ➢ Scissors

➢ Pencil Box/Pouch ➢ Erasers

Donations of pencils, tissues, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer are always welcome & needed!