Welcome to West Elementary

Saturday's Soccer matchup between Holland and West Ottawa is another celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month! 

• 10am - JV Soccer
• Food trucks | Jhomary's and La Tehuanita
• 12n-ish Varsity Soccer 
• Halftime - Ballet Folklorico Sol Azteca 
• After the Game - Grupo Super Nova!

Holland Public Schools, along with GENTEX Corporation, will host out 2nd Annual districtwide STEM Night and Paper Airplane Flying Contest on Thursday, September 24, 5-7pm at HHS. This week, we talk with STEM Teacher Janis Johns about what you and your family can expect at the FREE event!

• LISTEN NOW!

The Michigan Art Education Association has named Julie Jacobusse the MAEA 2027 Elementary Art Educator of the Year! 

• This is a great honor for Julie and Holland Public Schools.

Jacobusse teaches art at Holland Heights and West Elementary.

Dear West Families,

It's Homecoming Week! Let’s celebrate HPS with laughter, fun and, of course, Spirit Week!

• Monday 9/21- Friday 9/25- Spirit Week

  • Monday: College Day

  • Tuesday: Hat Day

  • Wednesday: Wacky Day

  • Thursday: Superhero Day

  • Friday: Red and White Day

• Friday 9/25, 6pm- Join us for the Homecoming Parade from Centennial Park to Hope College Stadium!

• Friday 9/25, 7pm- Holland v. Calvin Christian, Halftime performance by HHS Marching Band, and crowning of the Homecoming Royalty

This Week’s PBIS Focus Lesson is Bus Expectations! Help your student have POWER on the bus by watching today’s morning announcements!

West students begin each morning by watching and interacting with our virtual Daily Announcements. The announcements include jokes, celebrations, important information and more! Follow our Daily Announcements HERE.

Please keep in mind that we do not allow students to bring energy drinks of any brand to drink at school. Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, which can have negative side effects on children. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are okay.

Thank you to all of our West families for your continued patience as we evaluate and adjust our drop-off and pick-up procedures to make the system run safely and smoothly! A few quick safety reminders:

Parent Pick-up Reminders

• Only cross traffic where we have our 5th grade safeties

• Pull your car as far forward as possible and continue to move forward when there is room

• Only use the pick-up lane if you STAY in your car

Please contact our administrative team with any questions or concerns!

Warmly,

Chad Tolson, Principal

Jennifer Heinritz, Assistant Principal

We have so many fun opportunities this September and October!!

HPS STEM Night- Thursday, September 24, 5-7pm at the Holland High Commons. Check out all the cool STEM demonstrations from local partners and compete in the district-wide Paper Airplane Contest. First place wins $100, second $75, and third $50. FREE. Sponsored by GENTEX.

2026 School Nurse Fun Run- Thursday, October 1 at 6pm at Kollen Park. Register by September 7 to vote for the 2026 Fun Run shirt color & guarantee a shirt! Use code at checkout: funrun26

Dudes and Donuts at West Elementary- October 1

Who: Dads (or other Dudes) + kids

What: Donuts!

Where: The Gym

When: Thursday, October 1, 2026 7:45-8:15 AM

Why: Have a donut with your student and hear about opportunities to get involved at West. 

RSVP for Dudes and Donuts here!

Volunteer at West- we are looking for Recess Rangers and/or Traffic Aides! 

We are looking for parents and guardians who are available to be an extra helping hand.

Recess Rangers arrive at 11:00 AM and stay until about 1:00 PM. They spend time with students during lunch recess, help manage conflict peacefully, and model responsible behavior to students. 

Traffic Aides arrive at 8 AM and stay until about 8:45 AM. They help manage the flow of car traffic in the front drop-off area.

1. Volunteers must fill out the volunteer background check on our website at least one week ahead of time.

2. Sign up for a time slot on our SignUp page. 

Thanks for your help and for getting involved!

West PBIS Power Store Donation and Volunteers

Our first West Power H Store is this week! PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and makes up the foundation for how we support students at West. Our West Power H Store is stocked with a wide range of items that students can “purchase” with their saved tickets. Students LOVE visiting the store!! We are always looking for volunteers to help run the store and donations of prizes! 

Power H Store Volunteer Sign Up

Power H Store Wish List

Gentex is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Districtwide STEM Night on Thursday, September 24, 5-7pm in the HHS Commons

Homecoming Week is coming up! As we head into next week, West will be filled with spirit days, smiles, and plenty of Holland pride! We love seeing our students get excited, cheer each other on, and create memories together! 

Spirit Week Dress-Up Days

• Monday: College Day-- Wear clothing from your favorite college team!
• Tuesday: Hat Day-- Wear your favorite hat!
• Wednesday: Wacky Day-- Wear a crazy and silly outfit!
• Thursday: Superhero Day-- Wear your cape or other superhero gear!
• Friday: Red and White Day-- Wear Holland gear, or red and white!

Students & families from each of the K-5 Elementary Schools are encouraged to come to the Varsity Football Game on Friday Night for Elementary Night at Dutch Football. We're talking about it this week with HHS Athletic Director Blake Muller.

• Listen Now!

We love when parents volunteer at school because your time, talents, and presence make a real difference for our students and staff. 

• Whether you have an hour to help at an event, share a special skill, support a classroom, or simply lend a hand, your involvement helps make our schools stronger and our students’ experiences even better. 

We’d love to have you join us! Please take a moment to complete our volunteer form and let us know how you’d like to get involved

As Holland High School prepares to host the last home football game of the season, here is a reminder about some of the rules and expectations for students and families who attend the game:

• Middle school age and younger MUST be an accompanied by an adult.
• No student backpacks.
• No re-entry for any spectators.
• All school rules apply to events held at Hope College. 
• The stadium and parking lot is a drug free school zone which includes any vape products.
• HHS Students with 5Star App will be admitted for FREE.
• HMS Students with an athletics pass will be admitted for FREE.

Holland will host Godwin Heights at the Hope College Stadium, Thursday at 7pm. #GoDutch

Holland Public Schools is implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Bus Expectations across our district's transportation services. This initiative aims to create a safe, respectful, and responsible environment for all students who utilize our school buses.