5th Grade Forest Program: May 15, 2026

UPCOMING EVENTS AND REMINDERS

Wednesday, May 20 - Lunch, kayaking and fishing at Hutchin's Lake in Fennville.

Grilled hotdogs will be on the menu for lunch at Hutchin’s Lake! We will spend the morning fishing from kayaks or the dock and then enjoy lunch lakeside together. If your child prefers to take a sack lunch that day they are welcome to do that.

Students are welcome to bring their own fishing pole if they would like, but fishing poles and bait will also be provided. The Outdoor Discovery Center is generously providing all of the kayaks for us!

Please note: no swimsuits are needed for this trip.

If your child has their own life jacket for kayaking, we would appreciate if you could send it to school with them that morning.

Looking forward to a great morning together!

Friday, May 22 - ALL 5th graders off campus for a day of outdoor learning. The 5th grade classes are headed to Pilgrim Haven Natural Area for a day of outdoor learning. We will be leaving Pine Ridge at 9:30 and plan to return around 2:30. Your child will need a home lunch and a water bottle, as well as being prepared to spend the day outdoors.

Monday, May 25 - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

Wednesday, May 27 - Mrs. DeZwaan's Forest Program 5th Grade Showcase at Sassafras Ridge. Our Forest Program class of 5th graders will be spending the day at Sassafras Ridge. The day is meant to showcase their learning, celebrate and share stories from their experiences in the forest program, and enjoy a meal as a class. You are invited to join us for part of that day from 12:30 - 2:15.

As eager as students will be to share some of their survival skills and stories with you, I would love you to share a verse or short scripture passage with them. A verse that you would like them to highlight in their Bible and take with them. Parents who volunteer will have a spot along the trail at Sassafras Ridge, students will gather around you and you will have the opportunity to share a verse and why you are giving that verse to them. This is not meant to be anything more than reading the verse and taking a moment to speak into them. No more than a couple of minutes.

If you would like to share a verse, please sign up and include in the comments what verse you will be sharing by May 20. I would love about 2-3 more volunteers!

We are also looking for volunteers to help provide food items so the 5th grade can make a campfire lunch using their firebuilding skills! They will be building fires and roasting their own pizza filled Tonka Pies or tonka toasters or hobo pies or ... yummy goodness over the fire! Please take a look at the sign up if you are willing to help! Thanks! There are a few more slots we would love to see filled!

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW MORE TONKA PIE IRONS! IF YOU HAVE SOME WE CAN BORROW FOR THE DAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW IN THE SIGN UP! THANKS!

Monday, June 1 - Big Red Sketch Day at Holland State Park

Students will sketch Big Red and eat lunch by the channel with classmates from Rose Park. Students should bring a backpack with a sack lunch, water bottle, beach towel, hat, and sunscreen. No swimsuits, please -- students will not be in the water.

Tuesday, June 2 - Locker and Desk Clean Out!

Please send a bag or two for desk and locker clean-out ... maybe 3 ...

Tuesday, June 2 - 5th Grade Celebration at Pine Ridge at 2:00. This will be our end of the year chapel celebrating our 5th graders.

Classroom Libraries

Students have been taking books out of our classroom libraries on the "honor system" so we have no way of knowing how many books are out except for the fact that some of the book baskets in our classrooms are quite empty. Please have your child check for any classroom books that may be around your house or their bedroom. Those books are due back to school by the end of next week.

School Library

All library materials are due back to Pine Ridge as soon as possible. Notices will be sent home for books that have not yet been returned.

SENIOR WALK! This week we had the graduating seniors that were students at Pine Ridge come for a walk through our halls. Only a few of their teachers are still in the building and those teachers were excited to see them and so very proud of them!

We did have a 5th grader that knew one of the graduates well! 💙

Curriculum Highlights

BIBLE: Our focus has been on the book of Acts. We continue to see how God works through His people to build His church.

MATH: We finished up our unit on word problems! That was a tough one, but students worked hard and hung in there. Sometimes we are learning Math and sometimes we are learning perseverance!

READING: This week as we read our historical fiction books, we looked for lessons in our books that we could apply to our own lives, we considered character's perspectives, and identified themes in our books.