August 2026 PARENT UPDATE
Mark Your Calendars
Aug. 6 - Beginning Band Parent Meeting with Midbell Music (6:30)
Aug. 20 - Back to School Night (3:00-8:00pm) - TK-4 parents need to sign up for a conference time in Bloomz
Aug. 25 - First Day of School
Aug. 26 at 1:35 - Welcome Chapel
Sept. 1 & 2 - School Pictures (Sept. 1 - K,1,3,5,7; Sept. 2 - TK,2,4,6,8)
Sept. 7 - No School - Labor Day
Back to School Night - Thursday, August 20 from 3:00-8:00 PM
Grades TK-4: We are excited to offer before-school conferences again for grades TK-4, to be held August 20 from 3:00-8:00 PM. The sign up for a 10 minute time slot for you and your child to meet his/her teacher will be on Bloomz on Thursday. You must accept the Bloomz invitation to your child's classroom in order to sign up. If you are unable to attend these conferences, please contact your child's homeroom teacher. (Teacher emails are: first initial last name@siouxcenterchristian.com. For example: Tracy Eekhoff is: teekhoff@siouxcenterchristian.com) Students are encouraged to attend the conferences to see their classroom and have an opportunity to meet their homeroom teacher before school begins.
The Back to School Night for 5th through 8th graders will be an “open house” where students/parents can check out their new classrooms, visit with any of the teachers, and find their locker. Each grade will have a scheduled grade level gathering in the Blazer Center Gym where the teachers will introduce themselves and share their deep hopes along with valuable information for the upcoming school year. The meeting will last 15-20 minutes. We hope that all students and parents can attend this meeting. Teachers will be in or around their classrooms before and after the meetings (3:00-8:00) for the open house. It is also essential that each family picks up their busing information, school picture form and chapel t-shirt from their homeroom that evening. We are excited to see everybody there!
Grade Level Gathering in the Blazer Center:
- 5th Grade - 6:00-6:20
- 6th Grade – 6:30-6:50
- 7th Grade – 7:00-7:20
- 8th Grade – 7:30-7:50
Looking forward to seeing you all on Aug. 20. Let's get this strong partnership started!
First Day of School
It's coming! The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, August 25! Doors open at 7:55 each day with classes beginning at 8:10 and school dismissing at 3:05.
You are invited to come into the building at 7:45 the first day of school to bring your student(s) to their classroom(s).
School Picture Day for Students
School pictures will take place on Tuesday, September 1 and Wednesday, September 2 by Danielle Ann Photography. We will be sending picture forms home at Back to School night on Aug. 20. Even if you are not ordering pictures, we request all envelopes be returned by Friday, August 28. They can be brought to the office or given to the teachers. The classes that will have pictures on Tuesday, September 1 are K, 1, 3, 5, 7 and the classes that will have pictures on Wednesday, September 2 are TK, 2, 4, 6, 8.
Bloomz Sign Up
You should have received an email invitation to Bloomz. Thanks to those who have already accepted the invitation into your child's classroom. If you have not yet joined, please look for a Bloomz invitation that was sent on July 23 (it may go to your junk/spam folder). If you have not received an invitation, please let the office know. Class lists have already been posted on Bloomz and we will also use Bloomz for parent-teacher conference sign up.
Bloomz is our main method of communication throughout the school year, so we ask that all parents view the training below and become comfortable with the tool.
Parents can find a training for Bloomz at https://www.siouxcenterchristian.com/currentfamilies/bloomz.cfm.
You can decide how you receive notifications from Bloomz. In order to adjust your notifications settings, follow these directions:
- Click on the left menu tray via Bloomz App or Click on the Setting Wheel in the left panel via desktop
- Click on Settings (Wheel icon)
- Click on Account Settings
- Click on Notifications
- Choose how you want to be notified: email, text and/or app
- Toggle on or off what you want notifications regarding
Class Lists
Class lists have been posted on Bloomz so be sure to accept the emailed invitation from SCCS Office soon. We found out that Bloomz has an auto translate which caused some names to appear incorrectly. If you click "original" at the bottom of the post, it should appear correctly.
Busing
Information regarding busing will be handed out at the Back to School Night (Thursday, Aug. 20). This will include route pick up and drop off location and times for your child(ren).
We will continue to share busing with the public school.
Information for new families and reminders for returning families:
- Busing is free.
- SCCS, Kinsey, the middle school, and the high school all run together and drop off/pick up students from each school. There are 2 SCCS buses that pick up students who live outside of the district and have a few in-town stops as well (Bus #2020 and Bus #2026). The public school transportation director, Hans Smolders, as well as our director of transportation, Howard Rus, coordinate that route. All other buses that pick up/drop off our students will be a public school bus (Each of these bus numbers are two digits: i.e. Bus #07, Bus #11, Bus #14, Bus #18)
- If you signed up for busing, you may ride your assigned bus only. You may ride another bus for childcare purposes only. If your child will be riding a different bus, the office needs notification from the parent to make a bus pass for your child. You may not ride another bus for things like afterschool play dates, birthday parties, sleepovers, homework projects, etc.
- There are days when SCCS has school but the public school does not. On those days only the students who normally ride the SCCS buses (Bus #2020 and #2026) will have bus transportation. Parents will be responsible for providing transportation for all other students on those days. You will be notified of these dates through the Home Bulletin and Bloomz.
- There are some days during the school year that the public school dismisses early. On those days, we will run alternate bus routes. This means all buses will be running but your child might ride a different bus and get dropped off at a different time than normal.
- If a family lives within one mile of school, they will be eligible to ride in the winter months in the morning, but there are no stops within those areas outside of the winter months. A sign-up comes out in the Home Bulletin to sign up for this option.
- There are in-town bus stops which will not necessarily be directly in front of your house. These will be officially set once the transportation director has mapped all students interested in busing for the coming year.
- Homeroom teachers will be handing out a letter to parents stating your child's bus route and time at Back to School Night on Thursday, August 20.
- In the afternoon, some routes may end up with a transfer at the middle school.
- If you know of a neighbor from SCCS who will ride the bus, we encourage you to make a buddy system for the first few weeks until new students are more comfortable with the route.
- If you have any questions or change your mind about busing (either taking or dropping it), please contact the office at sccsoffice@siouxcenterchristian.com or 712-722-0777.
Music Registration Form for 7th & 8th Graders
In order to plan for the upcoming year, the music teachers would like to know what 7th and 8th grade students will be participating in band/choir/orchestra during the 2026-27 school year. If you have not filled out the survey, please do so today. Thank you!
Storyline
STORYLINE: Our Storyline this year is Our Awesome God. SCCS provides a storyline t-shirt for each student that is worn for chapel, class trips, and the final Storyline Celebration. We expect the T-shirts to arrive in time for teachers to hand them out at Back-to-School Night.
SCCS Purchasing School Supplies
SCCS provides most school supplies for your children! Check out the document below to see what items you will need to purchase for your child(ren) for this fall. Everything else will be provided by school.
Lunch Info, Free and Reduced Lunch Application
After one year off the federal hot lunch program, we have landed on a rotation of 20 meals that have high student participation rates. Included in the 20-meal rotation is one day that will be different, so that we can keep trying out new meal ideas. Fresh fruit will be offered every day.
We are going to offer cold breakfast options starting this year, for students each day. This will be served from 7:45-8 am. If your child wants to eat breakfast at school, they can enter through the outside lunchroom door. Students must remain in the lunchroom and will not be allowed in the hallways/classroom area until the 7:55 am bell has rung. Charges will be made based on what the student takes.
Pricing:
- Full price meal (includes 1 milk) - $5.00
- Reduced meal (includes 1 milk) - $2.25
- Additional milk - $0.50 per carton
- 2nd Entrée (7th and 8th grade) - $2.00
- Bowl of cereal $1.25
- ·Muffin $1.25
- Juice $1.25
- Fruit $0.50
- GoGurt $0.50
- Granola Bar $0.50
Free and reduced applications:
Please complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Application even if you’ve been directly certified in the past. Please submit the application to Kelli Van Roekel kvanroekel@siouxcenterchristian.com by the first day of school.
Lunch Payments:
Charges for lunch and breakfast will be posted daily. Payments via ACH will be taken out on the 10th of the following month. You can look at your charges through your portal any time.
Food Donations:
If you are able to donate food, please reach out to Paul Ross (712-541-1707 or pross@siouxcenterchristian.com).
Please fill out the Diet Modification Form if your student will be eating lunch and has special dietary restrictions that need to be accommodated. All gluten free students need to have an updated form on file each year. Please find the form at the link below. It does need to be signed by a medical professional.
Reminders from Nurse Jenny
TK and Kindergarten students should have on file at school an immunization record (or immunization exemption), dental card, vision card, and a physical (recommended but not required).
7th grade students need to have the Tdap booster and meningococcal vaccine or exemption form turned in before school starts. Please bring a new Certificate of Immunization showing proof of the vaccine to the school office. Students will not be allowed to start school if they haven’t had the vaccine or turned in their exemption form (this is a state requirement).
7th and 8th graders who plan to participate in athletics need to complete an athletic physical and sign a concussion form each year and turn it into Nurse Jenny or Ms. Dykstra before they may practice or play. The forms can be found here.
Be A Room Parent!
Room Parents play a special role in encouraging our teachers and helping create memorable moments for students throughout the year. It's a wonderful way to support the classroom without a huge time commitment. Click here for more info...
If you'd enjoy helping make this a joyful, encouraging year for your child's teacher and class, we'd love to have you volunteer! Sign up HERE and help make this school year extra special!
PACE Committee Members Needed
PACE (Parents in Action for Christian Education) is made up of all SCCS parents. THANK YOU to the parents who have volunteered to help provide fellowship and encouragement to our school community this past year! Now we are looking to fill those spots for the next school year. We encourage you to sign up as soon as possible if you have a preference on which committee you would like to help with! Find more information and sign up HERE!
If you have any questions, please contact Heather Hoogendoorn, PACE President
Outlet 75
Outlet 75 is a retail store that sells NEW clothing, shoes, furniture, home decor, and more that has been purchased at a deep discount from places like Costco and Target. All profits are distributed to SCCS!
We’re grateful to share that Outlet 75 recently presented SCCS with a distribution check of $25,000, bringing their 2025-26 contributions to $105,000! Since opening in February 2019, Outlet 75 has given an incredible $613,000 to support the education of God’s children at SCCS.
When you give your time to work at Outlet 75, you make these distribution checks possible. Every item sorted, priced, displayed, and sold turns into direct support for our students. Because all profits are given to SCCS, every student is blessed by this work.
Thank you, parents and supporters, for serving so faithfully. Your time and effort make a lasting difference in our school and in the lives of our students!
Outlet 75 has relocated to a larger building with expanded hours!
Click here for their article in the Sioux Center News...
OPENING at 1825 1st Ave SW (north of Culver's) on Wednesday, AUGUST 5!
New hours will be:
Wed 10am-7pm
Thurs 10am-4pm
Fri 10am-4pm
Sat 10am-2pm
www.shopoutlet75.com …. Outlet75 Facebook …. Outlet75 Instagram
We are SCCS
Email: pbrenner@siouxcenterchristian.com
Website: www.siouxcenterchristian.com
Location: 630 1st Avenue SE
Phone: 712.722.0777
Facebook: www.facebook.com/siouxcenterchristian