A Note From The Principal

A Wonderful First Week

We are happy to have one week under our belt with our K-8th graders and now a wonderful first day with our preschool students! Thank you parents for all of the school supplies, forms, morning alarms, lunches, drop-offs, pick-ups and all of the other back to school logistics you have helped with.

COVID-19 Information

Symptoms Concerning for COVID-19 in Children

(Per Kent County Health Department guidelines, rev. 08-27-20)

Loss of taste or smell
OR

two of the following:

Fever
Headache
Extreme tiredness
Cough
Sore Throat
Congestion or runny nose

• If students are tested:
  - They stay home until results are back. 
  - Healthy household members may continue working, going to school or childcare.
• If test is negative:
  - Child stays home until fever free for 24 hours and student improving.
  - Healthy household members may continue working, going to school or childcare.
• If test is positive:
  - Inform school.
  - Student to isolate for at least 10 days.
  - A negative test not needed to return to school.
  - Note from doctor or release from health department needed to come back to school.
  - Household members must quarantine at home the entire time student is in isolation AND for 14 days after last exposure to student with COVID-19 or until cleared from the Kent County Health Department. Share note from health department with school.
• If testing is not done:
  - Stay home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving.
  - If symptoms do not improve in 2 days, contact a healthcare provider and have testing for COVID-19.
  - Healthy household members may continue working, going to school or childcare

Communication Plan

• ACS will notify our families if a faculty, staff, or student has known exposure to a person who tests positive for COVID-19.
• ACS will notify our families if a faculty, staff, or student tests positive for COVID-19.
• ACS will notify the Kent County Health Department to share information of those that were in close contact over the past 48 hours with the faculty, staff, or student who tested positive.
• The Kent County Health Department will reach out to close contacts. (If the Kent County Health Department does not contact parents, your child was not a close contact to the person who tested positive.)

Now You Know

Theme T-shirts

If you or any of you children would like a theme t-shirt you may order here.

Please note that all Middle School, Kindergarten, preschool and new students are provided with a theme t-shirt, therefore you do not need to order one. 

T-shirts are $10. Order deadline is Wed, Sept 09. 

Moms In Prayer

Welcome to Moms-In-Prayer! Many of you in the ACS community know about us, many of you who are new(er) may not. We are very happy to be physically behind-the-scenes, but “on the main stage” with regard to interceding for ACS on a weekly basis. It’s our privilege to pray for students by grade, groups of ACS staff (specials teachers, Covenant Care staff, building/bus staff etc.) and all those who impact those students and staff. We also take requests for prayer from parents and staff, so please know your requests are confidential to our group (e-mail or text them to me). Our weekly location is yet to be determined, but we’ll let you know once we land somewhere (see us weekly in the Ada Connection).

However, we will be in the Outdoor Education WoodshED, this Thursday (yes, tomorrow – sorry for the late notice!), Sept 03, 8:00-9:00am, if you’d like to see what we’re all about (we’ll have coffee!) This will be a “get to know you” time of fellowship, so check us out. Siblings are always welcome. I hope to see you there!

Kelly Stafford (ten.tsacmoc@droffats-kj, 616.304.2963)

Pets at Pickup

Please leave your furry friends in the car during drop-off/pick-up. We have several kids with severe allergies to pets.

Forgotten Masks

Please do not drop off forgotten masks at school. If your child forgets their mask teachers have extra disposable masks students may use for the day. 

Parking Lot Note

When dropping off and picking students up, we have many people on campus at the same time. Please practice social distancing as much as feasible and wear masks when you cannot. Thank you!

Please, for everyone’s safety:

• Back into parking spaces in the afternoon
• Don’t drive through the cross walk when leaving the parking lot
• Cell phones ARE NOT allowed while driving in the parking lot
• In the mornings both car loops are available for drop-off, if you need to get out of your car to help your child(ren) please park in the lot
• Please pull forward as far as you can towards the green flag before letting your child(ren) out
• Children must exit from the passenger side of the vehicle next to the curb
• In the afternoon the main car loop is available for parents with Kindergarten students
• In the afternoon the bus loop by the gym entrance is open for middle school families, please watch for buses. 
• If parking in the lot please discuss a meeting spot with your children so they know where to find you each afternoon
• When using the car loops you ay pass on the left but please do so with extra caution

Attention New Students

Birth Certificates: Any student new to Ada Christian School, Kindergarten - 8th (2020-2021 school year) must bring to the office a copy of his/her birth certificate. This is required by law in the state of Michigan. The office will make a copy for you.

Immunization Forms: Immunization forms are due now. By state law the school must have this form on file for your child by the start of school. If this form is not in, please turn it in yet this week or call Sharon DeJong in the office at 616.676.1289 to let her know when it will be arriving.

Morning Procedures

Help your children and their classmates get the day off to a smooth start by arriving by 7:55am.

• If students arrive early administration will be outside to greet them before the exterior doors open at 7:45am.
• Classes begin at 8:00am.
• Students not in their classrooms by 8:00am will be marked tardy.
• Exterior doors will remain open until 8:00am.
• Students arriving after 8:00am need to sign in at the office.

Map Testing

At Ada Christian School, each and every teacher and staff member works to provide the best possible education for your child. Ada Christian teachers use daily work samples, quizzes, informal screening, and teacher-student conferencing to monitor student growth. They utilize this information to guide instructional delivery that is geared toward your child’s individual needs.

ACS also uses a school-wide formal assessment called MAP Growth. These tests not only determine your child’s instructional level, but also measure academic growth throughout the school year (and from year to year) in Math, Reading, and Language Usage. 

MAP Growth tests are unique in that they are adaptive tests. As your child works through the assessment, the questions become more challenging with each correctly answered question. And, when your child answers a question incorrectly, the assessment becomes easier. Ultimately, targeting your child’s specific learning level. 

Students will be participating on different days and at different times throughout the next several weeks. Your child’s teacher will share the specific dates with you in their class newsletter.

If it is your desire to have your child NOT participate in this assessment process, please complete the opt out form ( ) by Thurs, Sept 03. 

Your Partners in Christian Education,

ACS Administration

Class Coffees

Looking for a way to connect with parents who have children in the same grade as you do? Please join us right after school drop off for a time of food and fellowship in the WoodshEd located outside on our campus near the greenhouse.

Kindergarten (all sections) - Sept 14
1st and 2nd grade - Sept 15
3rd and 4th grade - Sept 16
5th - 8th grade - Sept 17

Hope to see you there!

Action Needed

Recess Help

We still have some recess duty openings! At lunch recess (12:05-12:30pm & 12:30-1:00pm) four people are needed daily. On Fridays we need four people for morning recess (9:55-10:15am). 

Younger siblings may join parents for this volunteer opportunity. Sign up for K, 3rd & 4th grade recess or 1st & 2nd grade recess.

School Pictures

Order forms came home with your child last week. You should have received an email from Ada Christian School containing a link, password and detailed instructions for ordering photos. 

Picture forms are due on Fri, Sept 11. If you would like retakes please email Sharon DeJong (gro.naitsirhcada@gnojeds) by Sept 09. Picture retakes will take place on Sept 10.

Hot Lunch

Please review the [INLINK '3920']Sept Hot Lunch Menu[/INLINK][INLINK '3920'][/INLINK] and make sure you have an [INLINK '3921']account set up [/INLINK]for each of your children if they desire to order hot lunch.

PTO Happenings

Volunteer Opportunities

The PTO is excited to get off to a great start! We are still in need of volunteers to chair committees! And, the sign up for our very important room parents is ready. Please use the following link to sign up. And, thank you for your continued support!

Chair and Co-Chair Positions

Room Parent Sign-Up

Direct Your Dollars

Do you shop at D&W, Forest Hills Foods, or Family Fare?  If so, please save your receipts! SpartanNash gives Ada Christian School a $1,000 check for each $150,000 in receipts collected. We just received our fourth check for $1,000.

BBQ, watermelons, popsicles...make use of all those fun summer purchases by submitting your receipts. Last year we practically hit a goal from the summer collections alone!

The money earned through this program goes directly back to our students through the PTO. Ask your family and friends to save receipts too! Every little bit helps. Send your receipts to school with your child and they will be collected by their teacher.

Questions? Please contact Kristen Yeh (moc.oohay@hey_netsirk, 616.307.2488).

ACS Athletics

PurePlay

PurePlay soccer signups are closed. Rosters and schedules will be sent out soon. First event: Saturday, Sept 12. Boys @ 9:00am; Girls @ 10:15am.

Calendar Reminders

Sept 04-07 – No School (Labor Day)

Sept 10 - Picture Retakes 

Sept 28 - No School (In-Service Day)

Oct 19 & 20 - Parent/Teacher Conferences

Oct 21-23 - No School (Teacher Convention)