By Cheryl Ward
Head of School
Calvary Schools of Holland
Three years ago, we began to understand that we needed a cohesive and updated look that would reflect, not just where we have been organizationally, but also where we are now, and where we are headed. We began a journey toward refreshing our brand.
In Calvary’s past, our school has been represented by roots, a tree, and more recently, a shield. Each of these images do reflect aspects of who we are — Calvary Schools is deeply rooted in this community and in our faith. Our rootedness has supported our growth into a mighty and living tree. And we are, indeed, proclaimers of our Christian faith.
When our school, nearly a decade ago, began the work of transforming our model of education into what it is today, it was clear that God had a new path for us. We began to expand our reach and significantly, we joined the Ambleside network, which is the basis for the methodology that we use and which has supported us monumentally in delivering an authentic Charlotte Mason education.
This letter serves as an internal community announcement of our new logo, colors, brand standards, and soon-to-be-new website. The launch will continue externally, into the broader public community, after the new year, and will be delivered in phases over the next 6-12 months.
New Logo
We will be adopting a new logo in the form of a compass. We could not envision a better way to represent our school. A compass tells you where to go, and where not to go. A compass provides direction so that you do not become lost. Our faith is our compass, steady and unwavering. Whether God is asking you to head north, south, east, or west — a compass will help you navigate your path forward.
The Calvary compass is pictured inside the letter “C” which is representative both of our school name and of Christ.
New Colors
As part of this updated look, we are adopting new school colors: a rich dark blue, a lighter blue, and a sandy gold, which are intended to represent our geographic region. Specifically, sky, water, and dune.
Holland, Michigan knows the endless sky over Lake Michigan and its little cousin, Lake Macatawa, and the sand dunes which adjoin those waters. Our school community spends a great deal of time outdoors at these locations.
New Mascot
We will also be selecting a new mascot. We are inviting Calvary community members and students to offer suggestions for a mascot that will serve us best.
Suggestion boxes and cards are provided for you at the office entrance of each campus. Please give your name, suggested mascot, and a short reason why you think this mascot would fit our school. We are excited to see your suggestions!
New Website & Calvary Gear
And finally, we will be launching a new website. We will roll that out later this winter, in conjunction with open enrollment.
To celebrate our new logo and colors, we are releasing our Calvary gear popup store this week so you can stock up on Calvary apparel to show off our brand new look. Keep an eye out for an email from Mr. Laninga on Friday and get a jumpstart on your Christmas list!
Calvary Schools of Holland
Logo Presentation
Thank you for your support. We’re excited for the future!
Cheryl Ward is the Head of School & Executive Director at Calvary Schools of Holland. She has served the Calvary community since 2015, stepping into her current role in 2021. Cheryl’s passion is transforming educational settings through the underlying philosophy, relationships, structures, and processes that support them. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and a second degree in Biblical studies, as well as a master’s of education degree. She has been an advocate for Charlotte Mason education, and an Ambleside affiliate, since 2009.