PC Link

May 2015

Well, this is it. My last PC Link article. It is bittersweet to say goodbye because it has been such a great twelve years. I love what we have accomplished together and I love what I will be leaving behind. We also say goodbye to our 70 seniorsnext week Saturday. I said a little prayer for each one of them as I signed their diplomas. I wish them God's blessings as they leave us and begin to make their mark on God's world. All of the pieces are in place for the 15-16 school year and I know that PCHS is in great shape as I depart at the end of June. I want to thank you for the wonderful support that you have been to me personally and to the school. Please continue to support and encourage all of the great people that work and serve your children at PC. We have a great school, great students, great staff, and a great supporting community. I will miss you and I thank you. - Mr. D

Graduation 2015

The 75th annual commencement exercises for the Pella Christian High School seniors will be held Saturday evening, May 23, at 7:00 p.m. The commencement will be held in the Pella Christian High School gymnasium. Jason Taylor, youth pastor at Second Reformed Church in Pella will deliver the graduation address and Jacob Brouwer will be the class speaker.

Vol. 13 No. 10

N.I.C.E. PROGRAM:

Help Spread the Word!

We are pleased to continue the New Incentive to Christian Education (N.I.C.E.) program and need your help in spreading the word about this wonderful opportunity for families who may be considering Christian education for the first time. The program offers up to 50% reduction in tuition for the first year for a family who has never been part of a Christian school before. This program provides us as a school and you as parents with an opportunity to invite new families to join our school community, to discover what a great school we have, and it eliminates the financial concern that many families have when considering Christian education for their children. The program is completely funded outside of the general budget, so it has no impact on the tuition or cost of education for our current and returning families. Growing our school benefits ALL of us so please consider some families that you can approach and discuss this new incentive program. If you want or need more information, please contact Mr. De Ruiter or any member of the school finance committee.

FIRST DAY(S) OF SCHOOL FOR 2015/2016

Please note that the first day of school will be Monday, August 24, for freshmen and all new students (noon dismissal). Tuesday, August 25, will be the first full day for ALL students. Practices for fall sports will begin Monday, August 10.

Junior Senior Banquet Thank You!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to making the JSB a huge success this year. Thanks to the committees and juniors for all the hard work and time they put in and to Nicole Van Wyk, Karla Hofman and Melissa Zula for many, many hours organizing. Bonnie and crew once again provided a scrumptious meal. Parents, thanks for all the support you gave, whether it was chaperoning, volunteering, or donating. We would also like to thank the students for making it a great night. Above all we thank our heavenly Father for making it a memorable night for all of the juniors and seniors.

Directory Updates

Daryl & Le Ann Bouwkamp (Benjamin-11)

Email update:

Home phone isnow 641-780-9100

Lonnie & Jeanne Lanferman (Mikala & Rebekah-9) email update:

Summer Camps

PC summer sports camp forms are available in the school office and on our website at under Programs – Athletics- Summer Camp Forms. Lake View bible camp registration information is available at this link:

Marion County Bank Report Card Donations to PCHS

If you are a debit cardholder at Marion County Bank you can support Pella Christian High School by enrolling in The Report Card program at Every time you use your debit card the school will benefit. This year The Report Card donation totaled $3,990.99 and over the life of the program $21,800.90 has been given to the school. It is quick and easy to sign up and benefits our school greatly! If you have any questions call Marion County Bank at 628-2191 and ask for Teresa.

Kudos to:

…to Mr. De Ruiter who was namedNFOA State Basketball Official-of-the-Year. He was honored at theIowa High School Athletic Association's 21st Annual Officials' Banquetand Recognition Ceremony April 25at the Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.

…to Paige Beyer and Lynae Engbers who are the new Drum Majors for next year!!

… to Caleb Attema and Matt Rossler for becoming Gallon Grads with Life Serve Blood Centers. Lifeserve honors any seniors who have donated 8 whole blood units or 4 double red cell donations by May 1 of their senior year.Great job guys!

…toAutumn Vos for her 4th place individual finish in the Little Hawkeye Conference golf meet and for being an All-Conference golfer for the 3rd consecutive year.

…to Annie Matherly, Jordan Vande Kamp, Ryan Howey and Brandan Vande Kamp who were chosen as an alternate entry to the national competition for National History Day.

…all of the parents and PC supporters who volunteered in the concession stand over the spring season and Tulip Time!

…the Clay Target team who took 2ndplace in the team competition at the Grinnell Invite last weekend. Individual medals included Colton Uitermarkt, Nicole Kelderman, Emma Van Donselaar. This year has seen several PC team members bring home top three finishes. In addition to the individual awards, team medals include the Varsity “Eagle 1” squad having earned 2 silver medals and the JV “Eagle 1” squad with 1 bronze medal so far this season.

PCHS Facebook

Please ‘like’ Pella Christian High School on Facebook and join the conversation to get the word out about Pella Christian High School.

REGISTRATION INFO 2015/2016

Registration for the 2015/2016 school year will take place this summer following similar procedures as last year.The dates will be July 6-10 in the office between 8:00 a.m.-

12:30 p.m. the 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th. One full day and evening session will be offered Thursday, July 9, from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. There will again be a $50 late fee for registration fees received or postmarked after July 10.There will also be an option to register remotely without physically coming to the school. All 14-15 tuition must be paid prior to registering for the new year unless arrangements have been made with the finance committee. A letter explaining all of registration details will be mailed in late May.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

As you plan and budget for the next school year please remember that we understand that many of our families truly struggle to meet the tuition costs of Christian education. Please know that we stand ready to assist financially if you have a need. Please share this news with any families you know who wish to send their children to PCHS but think that they cannot afford it. Our promise continues to be that if there are any Christian parents who want their children at PCHS, we will find a way to make that happen.At registration in July a financial assistance application form will be available if your family is in need of assistance for the 2015-16 school year. Once we have the requested information we will be able to make a determination about a tuition assistance grant. The application deadline is July 31 and the awards will be determined at the August Finance Committee meeting. PLEASE do not hesitate to ask for help.

TUITION REDUCTION PROGRAMS

Two discounts are offered to families for the 15/16 school year. TheMulti-Student Discount (sliding scale) and the Discount Distance Credit which reduces tuition for families based on how far they live from PCHS (based on Google maps). These programs provide discounts to our families that along with tuition assistance funding all assist in making the cost of tuition more affordable. Specific information about these programs, including amounts, will be included in the registration letter being mailed out in late May.

Family Service Program Opportunities:

If you are still in need of hours to fulfill your 8 hours of service to the school for the $150 reimbursement there are opportunities to do so:

Softball/Baseball Concessions:watch for signup times in the Daily Eagle or contact Kristy Van Maanen at .

School Cleaning: call Doug Van Wyk at 780-5440 to set up a time to help clean the weeks of May 26 and June 1.

REMINDER: ALL 8 HOURS OF WORK MUST BE COMPLETED BY JUNE 30, 2015 TO BE REIMBURSED THE $150 FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. ANY TIME WORKED AFTER JULY 1, 2015 WILL BE CREDITED TO THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR.

Thanks for doing your part to keep the cost of education down for everyone!

UPCOMING EVENTS

May18Board Meeting 7:00pm

19Band Pops Concert 7:00pm

20Exams - Full Day of Classes

20Senior Awards Night

21-22Exam Days-11:30am dismissal

21Commencement Rehearsal 9:30am

22Last Day of School

23Commencement at 7:00pm

July6-10Registration Week

Daily 8:00am-12:30pm

9Evening Registration –

12:30-8:00pm

Aug 10Fall Practices Begin

24 1/2 Day – New Students Only

(noon dismissal)

25 First Day of School – All

students (full day of classes)

Eagle Boosters

The Eagle Boosters would like to send a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers and supporters who made the Tulip Time stand so successful this year. We are grateful for your ongoing support!

The proceeds raised throughout the year at the booster stands go to support the WHOLE school including academics, clubs, music, theatre and sports. Please continue to volunteer in our summer sports concession stand. We need you!We are also seeking new Booster members! Eagle Booster members serve a three-year term starting the 2015-16 school year and organize and oversee concessions on a rotating basis throughout the year. Have fun serving with us!! Please contact Melissa Zula or more information.

Winterim 2016 What’s Up?

PCHS Winterim 2016 will take place during the first seven school days of January next school year. Students will have the option to take a trip, take a class, or participate in an internship.

TRIPS: Trip registration is currently taking place with trips planned for Haiti, Costa Rica, Rehoboth, NM, and Washington, DC.

CLASSES: Registration for classes will take place in earlyOctober. If you are interested in teaching a class, we'd love to hear from you!

INTERNSHIPS: If upcoming juniors and seniors wish to participate in an internship, they are welcome to set that up anytime. Internships allow PC students to have a first-hand look at a variety of occupations. Gaining that experience helps students choose a career path and provide added motivation to work now towards career goals. We encourage students to participate in an internship opportunity! To see the documentation required for participating in an internship, click on the "Programs" and then “Winterim” links on the PC website; next click on “Internships” on the top menu bar, and then "Internship Files.” For questions about internships, please email Dan Van Kooten at .

Parents of 8th Graders

The Iowa Department of Public Health requires all students entering 9th grade to have a current Dental Health Screening Form on file at the school they are attending. The form is filled out by your dentist office following a routine exam or screening. When your student enters high school this form will be required for admission. The form is available in both the Pella Christian Grade and High School offices and also on the high school website at under FormsDental Screening Form. Simply take the form along to your child's next dental visit, fill out the student information, ask the dental technician to fill out their section, and return the form to either of the schooloffices.

PC Text Club

Now is also a great time for parents of incoming 9th graders to sign up for the Eagle Text Club. Those with students playing summer sports will find the notifications of delayed or cancelled games very helpful. Simply text 36000 and type in PCEAGLES for the message and you will be signed up.

Welcome Interim Principal

PCHS is pleased and excited to announce that Mr. Clyde Rinsema has accepted the offer to become the interim principal for the 2015-16 school year. Mr. Rinsema has served as a teacher and administrator in Christian schools in four states (NY, FL, IA, IL) since 1972, including serving as the principal at Pella Christian HS for 14 years from 1988-2002. Clyde and his wife Beth know the area well, have many friends here in the Pella area, and are genuinely excited about returning to PCHS to serve God and our school community for the upcoming school year. We thank and praise God for allowing us to secure such a qualified and experienced person to help as we transition in leadership and continue the mission of PCHS.

PCHS is in need of several items to furnish a duplex for a period of 1 year for Clyde and Beth. Please check the 'Duplex Needs' list on the home page of the school website under Quick Links and contact Larry Eggink at641-628-4440for details.

PCHS Website

The school website is a great resource for both our families as well as prospective students. To find our mission statement, course guide, handbook, tuition information, financial assistance opportunities, the school calendar, athletic schedules, summer camp registrations, school lunch menus and much, much more go to our website at: