Janice Holst

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Janice Holst was a reporter for SNN covering Kent City and Sparta. She has been both a teacher and a journalist. A former MLive reporter, she wrote features and covered local government and schools for Advance Newspapers for nearly two decades. She also was a recipe columnist and wrote features for Mature Life Style and occasional entertainment pieces for On The Town magazines. She lives in Sparta Township and enjoys spending some of her retirement hours writing the stories of the northern Kent County school districts.

Laughter, gratitude, memories and art featured at reunion with retired art teacher

Sparta Janice Holst

A retired Sparta art teacher hosts a reunion for reminiscing and allowing former students to pick up artwork she has saved through the years...

Blogger/teacher writes book to encourage educators to stay in field

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

Cedar Springs world history teacher finds some balance and shares strategies he uses in his ninth-grade classroom...

First-graders try on new donated backpacks

Sparta Janice Holst

Officials from AT&T were on hand to distribute over 200 backpacks to Sparta district students...

Red carpet party rewards reading

Kent City Janice Holst

Elementary students read all summer for chance to celebrate with VIP treatment when they return to school in the fall

Family man with a mega-resume settles in as principal

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

Brian Balding is the new Cedar Springs Middle School principal. SNN gets to know him in this edition of Meet the Principal...

New Sparta superintendent: ‘Put me in, coach, I am ready to play’

Meet Your Administrators Janice Holst

The first question Pete Bush was asked by the student panel during the superintendent interview process was how he would decide on closing school for snow days. That, he said, is an important question, because it deals with school safety...

New superintendent aims to be “positive influence” throughout district

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

Smith has been in education for 25 years — as a teacher, a principal or in other administration roles. “That collection of experience prepared me for this opportunity in Cedar Springs” he said...

At summer camp, teacher and her family get to know students outside class

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

In her 12 years working with the district, Shelly Alvarez has taught kindergarten, first, second and fifth grades -- and she’s been to summer camp with many of her students...

Don’t want to lose your smartness? Catch Books on the Run

Sparta Janice Holst

Books on the Run, in its third year in Sparta, makes 20-minute stops throughout the district’s community every two weeks. Other stops this year included the Ida Red Apartments, Sparta Townhouses, Glenwood Estates and Dietrich Farms...

Hudsonville’s Scott Smith to become new Cedar Springs Superintendent

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

After narrowing the candidate field to one, the Board of Education voted unanimously to extend the offer to Smith, who has been serving as Assistant Superintendent for Hudsonville Public Schools...

Dealing with effects of e-cigarettes on school agenda

Cedar Springs Janice Holst

With incidents of vaping on school grounds on the rise, school officials are stepping up efforts to get information to students...

Retiring Superintendent Gordie Nickels moving from district duties to his family, church

Sparta Janice Holst

Superintendent Gordie Nickels will move on from Sparta at the end of June, having announced his retirement in April. The school board has hired Pete Bush of Coloma Community Schools as his successor...

New schools chief seen as ‘incredible fit’ for district

Sparta Janice Holst

Pete Bush, who has served the last four years as superintendent of Coloma Community Schools, will replace retiring Sparta Superintendent Gordie Nickels...

‘Awesomely different’

Sparta Janice Holst

Local mom’s mission is to make sure students understand being different is just fine...

MySchool@Kent students overcome obstacles to get to graduation

Grads with Grit Janice Holst

Students choose online high school for a variety of reasons. Here, a few of this year’s graduates reflect...

Family and friends pushed her to excel, grad says

Grads with Grit Janice Holst

To some, using a wheelchair might mean marching band was out, but not for Sarah Abma...

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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent County, which enroll more than 90,000 students. Founded in 2013, we are an editorially independent news site funded by Kent ISD, local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and photojournalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues that enhance or discourage student success, and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

‘You can do anything and everything’

Dads demonstrate dedication to students and learning

His heart is in the health care field

Northview grad is a future forest mapper

Book battle promotes literacy, teamwork

Future health care pros sample multiple career focuses

Young readers follow the recipe for perfect pound cake

Young engineers turn paper into a wild ride

Red Hawk Rivals episode 2: ‘Cornhole’

High-school journalists provide behind-the-scenes look at news production

Basketball team unites students, promotes inclusion

Diving into social-emotional learning

Janice Holst

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