Calendar:
Apr 19: TART Trail Spring Clean Up, 10 a.m. to Noon, see below
Apr 21: No school for Junior High only
Apr 24-25: Family visiting days in Cedar Upper Elementary, visiting sign up
Apr 25: Primary Visiting Day, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Apr 25: Talent Show, 2:00 p.m. in the Barn
Apr 27: Deadline to order spring spirit wear, see below
Apr 28: Lower Elementary goes to Empire Beach - Phenology Field trip
Apr 28-29: Conferences for Cedar families with Jamie, Conference Sign Up
May 1: May Day Celebration, 10:45 a.m., details here
May 2: Earth Day Celebrations: Junior High and 6th Years Hannah Park cleanup, Upper and Lower Elementary Boardman River Nature Center tree planting
May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7: CHiPA meeting, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., in the Community Room or via Zoom, details here
May 9: 32 Elementary children visit Meals on Wheels to prepare Spring Gift Bags for community
May 9: Friends Club closes early at 4:30
May 9: Bright Futures Gala, 6:00-10:00 p.m. at The Park Place, see below (volunteers needed!)
May 16: Grounds Work Bee, 8:30 a.m. - NOON, details here
May 16: Drama Club School Performance, all-school assembly, 2:00 p.m. Junior High Dismisses from Long Lake
May 16: Drama Club Performance, friends and family welcome, 6 p.m. in the barn, details here
New! May 17: Saturday Grounds Work Bee, 8:30 a.m. - NOON, details here
May 17: Drama Club Performance, friends and family welcome, 6 p.m. in the barn, details here
Look further ahead…
In The Know:
New! Coffee with Trisha recap
There was a great turn out and a lot of interest in this month’s topic, how screen time and cell phone usage are impacting children’s mental health. Mental Health Consultant, Trisha Short, MA, LPC, IMH-E (II), helped parents understand how we can protect our children from the hidden risks of overuse and ensure they develop a balanced, safe relationship with technology. She put together some helpful tips for parents which we have posted on our Social and Emotional Learning page.
New! Time to Order Lunch
May Lunch Menu is now available, view menu here.
New! BATA signup now through Boonli!
The way to add your student to the daily BATA list has changed! You can now sign your student up for BATA through Boonli, just like ordering lunches. Simply click on the ‘BATA Signup’ menu option after you sign in and select the days you’d like. There is zero cost to sign-up through Boonli, but please remember to ‘Check out’ by noon to ensure their name is on the list each day.
TART Trail Spring Clean Up, Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to Noon
Meet up at Hull Park Gazebo behind the Library on Woodmere. TART Trails Ambassador, John Olds, will greet us and explain the tasks. Please bring rakes, brooms, trash bags, work gloves, grabbers, and any other yard tools that might be handy on the trail. Wear your Children’s House or Compass swag! Sign Up Here
Welcome Home Baskets: Student Council Item Drive, April 14-30
Dear Parents,
We have decided to help the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness. We would be very grateful if you would donate a few items for welcome home baskets. Welcome home baskets are given to people who have recently been homeless. They consist of items used to take care of a house or apartment. Here are some things that have been requested: shower curtains, shower curtain liners, shower curtain rings, bath mats, and vacuums. You can also donate other items. This drive is from April 14-30. The box for the items will be in the lobby. We would really appreciate it if you would donate something.
From, the Student Council
Welcome Home Basket Item List
Spirit Wear Store Open - New Spring Colors! Order online by April 27
This is your last chance to order spirit wear for the 2024-25 school year! The 40th Anniversary sunflower graphic, designed by Erika Wynn, is now available in new spring colors! A big thank you to Erika, artist and TCH parent, for creating this beautiful artwork for our community. Place your order online by April 27.
Erika also created the gorgeous, large-scale sunflower paintings that have adorned our lobby walls this school year. You can visit her website to purchase these paintings!
Spring Break 2026: March 30 - April 3
We set our calendar for the 2025-26 school year in January. TCAPS released their calendar a few weeks ago, and their spring break did not align with ours. We have updated our calendar to match the TCAPS dates for spring break: March 30 through April 3, 2026.
Pit Spitters Reading Program vouchers were sent home to eligible students (K-8)
You may now redeem your voucher online and buy individual tickets! In addition, you can use our school’s promo code "TCH" for $10 tickets. While the voucher is good for only one free ticket to a single game, the promo code can be used all season. If you did not receive your voucher, or if it was lost, you can get an extra at the front desk. Reading Club Redemption Info
Bright Futures Gala: Beyond Bright!
40th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser
Friday, May 9 from 6-10 p.m. at The Park Place
Attire: Black tie optional (Want to dress on theme? Be bright!)
New! Featured Live Auction Item
Smile, you’re getting braces! Dr. Madelyn Stumpos of Traverse City Orthodontics is offering a full orthodontic treatment to the highest bidder. Valued at $6,000. Check back next week for another featured auction item!
Being an event sponsor is a great way to support our school and gain awareness for your business. Check out the sponsors who are leading the way! When you frequent these businesses, please thank them for supporting our school. To become a sponsor, click here.
Founders Circle Sponsor: High Street Insurance Partners
Gold Sponsors: Events North, Independent Bank, All Ethos, Brick & Corbett, Rehmann, Northwestern Michigan Dermatology, Mark and Karen Lundmark, Associates in Dermatology, Maier Ceramics, TVC Cherry Capital Airport, and Neidorfler Group
Silver Sponsors: The Beverage Co., Beers & Lints Family Dentistry, Alfie, 4Front Credit Union, Suzanne & Jason Allen, Trattoria Stella, and Cass Street ENT
Bronze Sponsors: Carlton + Company, Paige Lee Interiors, Golden-Fowler Home Furnishings, Down to Earth Landscaping, Sandbox Alliance, TBA Credit Union, JNR Auto, Heather Burger, Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, Shugart Builders, isee Communications, Adventure Golf & Sports, Form Modern Pilates, Modern Bird, Julian | Black Wealth Management, D&W Mechanical, and National Writers Series of Traverse City
Blog:
Slowing Down with Toddlers
by Agnes Woynarowski
Toddlers are curious, willing, and loving. They are strong-willed, know what they want, and are very driven to achieve it. They test and push the boundaries. They give the best hugs. They are painfully honest, have big feelings, and have many opinions about life. They are my favorite people! Continue Reading...
Extracurriculars:
New! Battle of the Books Recap
Battle of the books was a blast! 8 books, 3 teams, 16 4th and 5th graders, 3 coaches, many snacks, many cups of hot chocolate, early mornings, lunch meetings, more meetings, so many questions on quizlet, 54 competitors, 3 trials, and 6 top 15 places. Our team thoroughly enjoyed the talk from the visiting author of 'Scritch Scratch', Lindsay Currie. It was a full day of fun and games at West High School with our three teams, The Cliffhanger Cows, The Glaring Gecko and the Book Bears.
New! Spring sports are underway!
You can support our teams by attending a meet or game. Comets Boys Basketball has their first game on Monday, April 21 and Comets Track has their first meet on Thursday, April 24!
Boys Basketball (2nd-3rd) Comets - Schedule
Boys and Girls Track (4th-6th) Comets - Schedule
Community Bulletin:
Welcome to the Community Bulletin! This is your space to share activities, events, and extracurriculars that your family is involved in outside of school. To submit a message for the bulletin, email Arielle@traversechildrenshouse.org.
- LC Collective Hike Club - Sunday, April 27th at DeYoung Natural Area, Learn more
- Northwest Food Coalition’s Third Annual Empty Bowls - Sunday, May 4 at Howe Arena, Learn more
This Week in Photos:
Upper Elementary 3D Printing Workshop: https://traversechildrenshouse.passgallery.com/XsiNPmNjc3evK
