A note from Mr. Phillips:
It's Teacher Appreciation Week! A job in education doesn't come with a yearly bonus. And you sure don't get into it to get rich. But, one of the great perks of our jobs is that when you do a good job, you get to feel good about it by feeling appreciated by those you have a positive impact on. With that said, I'd like to invite anyone in our community to say something kind about any staff member at Courtade by filling out the short form linked below. We will share the notes with staff during the week and post to our social media so that others can see how special the Courtade staff is.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share a note with a staff member that has made a positive difference for your Cougar!
https://forms.gle/Fiej3D5s39ZiUeyW6
It's Teacher Appreciation Week! A job in education doesn't come with a yearly bonus. And you sure don't get into it to get rich. But, one of the great perks of our jobs is that when you do a good job, you get to feel good about it by feeling appreciated by those you have a positive impact on. With that said, I'd like to invite anyone in our community to say something kind about any staff member at Courtade by filling out the short form linked below. We will share the notes with staff during the week and post to our social media so that others can see how special the Courtade staff is.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share a note with a staff member that has made a positive difference for your Cougar!
https://forms.gle/Fiej3D5s39ZiUeyW6
Today was the last day for the fifth grade can drive fundraiser. This, combined with an extremely successful plant sale, and other fundraisers, has raised enough money for our fifth graders to go to overnight camp for FREE! Thank you for all of your support!
Congratulations to this week's ROAR Model award winners!
With the recent nice weather, Mr. Phillips is officially declaring the end of winter. And what a winter it was! Check out this side by side photo of Mr. P standing on a snowdrift at the back of our playground. That's a backstop! We had some HUGE snowdrifts out there!
The 2026 State of the District video is now live! Stay up to date with TCAPS’ initiatives and see how we are educating, engaging, and supporting all learners to maximize individual excellence.
Watch the video here: https://itl.ink/TCAPSStateoftheDistrict26
Watch the video here: https://itl.ink/TCAPSStateoftheDistrict26
Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day today, Thursday, April 16.
Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa
View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
TCAPS Transportation and Safety Update
Our TCAPS Administrative team spent the day working closely with Grand Traverse County to evaluate road conditions and finalize bus routing. While families whose students have been rerouted have already been notified, we ask for your patience tomorrow, as there will likely be delays in both morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off times. School administrators are aware of these delays and are prepared to assist students as they arrive.
To stay updated on your student’s transportation status, please utilize the MyRide K-12 app. You can access Account Setup Instructions and Routing Information online to view real-time routing details at https://www.tcaps.net/page/transportation. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission asks that you plan ahead for the next few days and give yourself extra time. Please use extra caution when traveling and slow down immediately if you encounter areas with standing water.
Also, please note that tomorrow is a scheduled early release day. You can view start and dismissal times athttps://5il.co/3jfxa and the full academic calendar athttps://5il.co/3jfx6. Thank you for your flexibility and for your partnership in keeping our students and drivers safe.
Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day on Thursday, April 16. 🔔
Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa
View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
Congratulations to this week's ROAR Model award winners!
The "Spiral" Effect: Building Background Knowledge Experts!
Have you ever wondered how to build background knowledge for students? CKLA builds background knowledge for reading comprehension. In our Amplify CKLA curriculum, we use "spiraling"—revisiting big topics at a deeper level as students grow! For example, TCAPS 5th graders learned about Maya, Aztec and Inca this year, but this isn’t the first time students will be exposed to these ideas.
In 1st Grade (The Foundation): Students first "meet" these cultures. They listened to stories about maize, stepped into the floating gardens of Tenochtitlan, and learned basic geography. 🌽
In 5th Grade (The Deep Dive): Now, they are investigators. They aren’t just listening; they are analyzing primary sources, decoding Maya hieroglyphics, and comparing the sophisticated political systems of the three empires.
Connecting the Dots: This unit isn't just about the past, it’s a bridge! It sets the stage for future units on the Age of Exploration and the American Revolution by giving students the "big picture" of who was here first.
By revisiting these big ideas, our students aren’t just memorizing facts for a test—they are building a permanent library of knowledge that makes them better readers and critical thinkers for life.
Have you ever wondered how to build background knowledge for students? CKLA builds background knowledge for reading comprehension. In our Amplify CKLA curriculum, we use "spiraling"—revisiting big topics at a deeper level as students grow! For example, TCAPS 5th graders learned about Maya, Aztec and Inca this year, but this isn’t the first time students will be exposed to these ideas.
In 1st Grade (The Foundation): Students first "meet" these cultures. They listened to stories about maize, stepped into the floating gardens of Tenochtitlan, and learned basic geography. 🌽
In 5th Grade (The Deep Dive): Now, they are investigators. They aren’t just listening; they are analyzing primary sources, decoding Maya hieroglyphics, and comparing the sophisticated political systems of the three empires.
Connecting the Dots: This unit isn't just about the past, it’s a bridge! It sets the stage for future units on the Age of Exploration and the American Revolution by giving students the "big picture" of who was here first.
By revisiting these big ideas, our students aren’t just memorizing facts for a test—they are building a permanent library of knowledge that makes them better readers and critical thinkers for life.
Congratulations to this week's ROAR Model award winners! Have a great Spring Break!
Reminder: There will be no school for students from Friday, March 27, through Friday, April 3. Additionally, all TCAPS school offices and the TCAPS Administration Building at Glenn Loomis will be closed to the public during this time.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, April 6.
Have a safe and relaxing spring recess!
Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day today, Thursday, March 26.
Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa
View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
Bedtime Story Night was a blast! Huge thanks to all of the staff that planned stations and stayed after school to put on this event for our students. Thanks to our PTO for helping out with the book fair, and for providing funding so that all Cougars left with a free book. Thanks to the volunteers who were our mascots tonight. Special thanks to the Pit Spitters for bringing Monty. Did you have fun at Bedtime Story Night? Comment and post your photos below!
Reminder: Spring Recess Ahead! ☀️🌸
There will be no school for students from Friday, March 27, through Friday, April 3. Additionally, all TCAPS school offices and the Administration Building at Glenn Loomis will be closed to the public. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, April 6. Have a safe and relaxing spring recess!
Academic Calendar: https://5il.co/3jfx6
Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day on Thursday, March 26. 🔔
Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa
View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
Last night, Mrs. Helman and Ms. Cici launched our second free, eight week after school program of the year. They are leading the Creative Project Program. This project-based learning program is all about exploring different kinds of games (the non-electronic kind). After students explore a variety of games, from current trendy games to the classics, they will take what they have learned about to develop their own game. They'll be challenged to use their creative writing skills, art skills, and logical reasoning skills. Our 3D printers may even play a role! This program is going to be great!
Congratulations to this week's ROAR Model award winners!
Have you RSVP'ed for Bedtime Story Night yet? Follow the link below! This annual event is always a hit. It features Mrs. Myers' legendary shadow puppet show, the Scholastic Book Fair, some fun with mascots, Mrs. Helman's blacklight stories, and Mrs. Owen's therapy dog Chaplin playing the role of the Big Bad Wolf! Don't miss it! RSVP NOW!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIymOCGsl4TxYM4-9lMBrYhkz5Mua-TWOAQC2TBYBcAmzuFA/viewform?usp=header
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIymOCGsl4TxYM4-9lMBrYhkz5Mua-TWOAQC2TBYBcAmzuFA/viewform?usp=header
TCAPS schools will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. This decision was made to prioritize the safety of our students, staff, and community by allowing our facilities team and local road crews the time needed to clear the heavy snow received throughout the district and on secondary roads. While all school buildings are closed, the TCAPS Administration Building will be open. Employees who normally report on closure days should report as scheduled.
Students currently enrolled in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual-Enrolled classes should follow the specific direction of their instructors for those programs.
For more information, please visit www.tcaps.net.
Students currently enrolled in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual-Enrolled classes should follow the specific direction of their instructors for those programs.
For more information, please visit www.tcaps.net.
