All TCAPS buildings, including TCAPS Administration, are closed on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. No employees should report to work on Tuesday unless their supervisor contacts them for essential work. This includes first, second, and third shift employees.
about 9 hours ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Update Graphic

School is Closed: All TCAPS schools will be closed on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, due to inclement weather. Students in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual Enrollment classes should follow the direction of the instructors for those programs.

For more information on snow days, including how they are communicated and how decisions are made, visit www.tcaps.net.

about 12 hours ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.
All TCAPS buildings, including TCAPS Administration, are closed today, March 16, 2026. No employees should report to work today. This includes first, second, and third shift employees.
about 18 hours ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Update Graphic

Update: The TCAPS Administration at Glenn Loomis Building will open at 11 AM. Staff who usually report on a school closure day should report at 11 AM.

---

All TCAPS buildings will open at 11 AM on Monday, March 16, 2026. No TCAPS staff should report prior to 11 AM.

1 day ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Update Graphic

School and Afternoon Activities Canceled - Monday, March 16, 2026

All TCAPS schools are closed tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2026, due to inclement weather. All afternoon activities are also canceled. Students in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual Enrollment classes should follow the direction of the instructors for those programs.

For more information on snow days, including how they are communicated and how decisions are made, go to www.tcaps.net.

1 day ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Schools are closed due to inclement weather.

Free Meals at TCAPS! 🍎🥪

TCAPS is offering free breakfast and lunch meals at every building, every school day.

Free breakfast is served daily! TCAPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds parents and students that TCAPS offers free breakfast before the start of every school day at every building in the district.

Secondary buildings offer breakfast in the cafeterias, and elementary buildings offer a convenient "Grab & Go" breakfast for students to enjoy in the classrooms or the cafeterias. TCAPS encourages every student to grab a free breakfast to ensure they have the energy necessary to excel! 📚

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

4 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services graphic with vegetables and the text: FREE MEALS!

SCHOOL IS CLOSED: All TCAPS schools are closed today, Friday, March 13, 2026 due to inclement weather. Students in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual Enrollment classes should follow the direction of the instructors for those programs.

For more information on snow days, including how they are communicated and how decisions are made, go to www.tcaps.net.

4 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.

Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day today, Thursday, March 12. 🔔

For questions, please contact your school directly.

5 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day

More Than Just Rhymes: Why Poetry is a Powerhouse in CKLA!

Did you know that in our CKLA curriculum, poetry isn’t just a "fun break"? It is a foundational tool for building brilliant readers from Kindergarten all the way through 5th Grade.

Here’s how our students grow through the power of verse:

K–2 (The Sound of Language): Our youngest learners use nursery rhymes and basic poems to master Phonological Awareness. Rhyming helps them hear the "chunks" in words, making it a secret weapon for early decoding!

3rd Grade (The Bridge to Fluency): This is where it gets magical. Students focus on prosody: learning to read with expression, rhythm, and heart. Poetry teaches them that punctuation isn't just a dot, it's a breath.

4th & 5th Grade (The Depth of Knowledge): Upper elementary students dive into verbal reasoning. They deconstruct metaphors, personification, and imagery, turning "simple" stanzas into deep lessons in language comprehension.

Whether it’s a Mother Goose rhyme or an Amanda Gorman masterpiece, poetry helps our students weave the "Language Comprehension" and "Word Recognition" strands of the Reading Rope together.

5 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
A 3rd-grade class dressed in black for a poetry slam. They pose in their classroom before a digital board listing poetic devices.
Gemini said A student stands in a dim classroom presenting a "Snow Day" poem on a digital screen to classmates seated on a colorful rug.
Students sit at light wood desks in a classroom "Poetry Cafe," working on illustrated poems with colored pencils. In the background, a projector displays a "Poetry Cafe CAFE" sign featuring a cartoon illustration of cats at a bistro. The students are smiling at the camera.
Two elementary-aged boys sit at a long wooden counter in a sunlit classroom, focused on writing on worksheets. The boy in the foreground wears a blue and orange varsity-style jacket and dark green pants, while the boy next to him wears a black long-sleeved shirt. Large windows to their right let in bright natural light, and other students are visible working in the blurred background.
A classroom "Poetry Cafe" display featuring a small wooden table and stools on a colorful rug. The bulletin board behind it is decorated with a brick pattern, a yellow striped awning, and paper coffee cups labeled with poetic devices .

Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day on Thursday, March 12. 🔔

For questions, please contact your school directly.

6 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day
We had a wonderful start to our literacy celebrations this week! Miss Leestma officially launched our "March is Reading Month" activities by sharing her newly published book with our students.
11 days ago, Cherry Knoll Elementary
Author Miss Leestma reads her newly published book to a group of seated students in a library.
Book cover: Forest Bath by Kirsten Leestma, illustrated by Maggie Gabel. Kids and a teacher sit in an autumn forest.
We had a great glow dance tonight! Fun was had by all. Thank you to the many volunteers who helped pull this off.
17 days ago, Cherry Knoll Elementary
7 students standing 2 students on the ground and one little girl holding onto a girl with glow lights behind them
3 girls with lights strung around them in a dark room
two girls standing in a gym with arms around each other
three girls with arms around each other with glow bands around their wrists and waist smiling in the dark gym
one boy in a dark gym with glowing glasses on his head and a big glow stick necklace
a boy swinging around glow sticks with other people in the background and strobe lights on the wall in a dark gym
eleven students and one adult sitting at a cafeteria table eating pizza
two boys and two girls with arms around each other standing in front of balloons and a sign that says Let it Glow
three boys standing in the background and two girls laying on the floor in front of balloons and a sign that says Let it Glow
7 girls wearing glowing fluorescent tape on their dresses with arms around each other in a gym with disco lights shining on the walls

Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day today, Thursday, February 19. 🔔

Note: There is no school for students tomorrow, Friday, Feb 20 (Teacher Work Day).

Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa

View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6

For questions, contact your school directly.

26 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day

Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day this Thursday, February 19. 🔔

Find start and dismissal times here: https://5il.co/3jfxa

View the academic calendar here: https://5il.co/3jfx6

For questions, contact your school directly.

27 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day
Word Smithing In Progress! Or Chain Reactions We Actually Like!

If your student has been talking about "chains" lately, don't worry—they aren't auditioning for a construction crew! They are mastering one of the most powerful tools in our CKLA Skills toolkit.

What exactly is Word Chaining?

It’s a fast-paced "mental gymnastics" game for the brain. We start with a word like cat, and by changing just one sound at a time, we transform it: cat → can → fan → fin.

Why it’s a Game-Changer:
- Phonemic Awareness: It trains the ear to hear the tiny differences between sounds.
- Decoding Speed: It builds the "muscle memory" needed to recognize patterns instantly.
- Confidence: Using our Word Chaining Folders, students get hands-on practice manipulating letters, turning "scary" big words into a series of small, manageable shifts.

Our students are proving that building literacy is all about making the right connections!
about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
A young student smiling at the camera while sitting at a school desk. They are working on a CKLA activity with a white board containing various letters and phonics tiles.
A young student smiling at the camera while sitting at a school desk. They are working on a CKLA activity with a white board containing various letters and phonics tiles.
A young student smiling at the camera while sitting at a school desk. They are working on a CKLA activity with a white board containing various letters and phonics tiles.
Join us tonight, Tuesday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m. for the Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Information Session. Families seeking to enroll an incoming Kindergarten or Junior Kindergarten student for Fall 2026 are invited to attend!

Learn more about early childhood education at TCAPS by visiting www.tcaps.net/enroll.
about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Enrollment for Kindergarten and JK
Join us on Tuesday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m. for our Kindergarten & Jr. Kindergarten Information Night! Our amazing teachers will share all about our programs, what to expect, and how we make learning fun! You will also receive step by step registration details to make sure your child is all set for the big year ahead! We look forward to seeing you there!

Learn more about early childhood education at TCAPS by visiting www.tcaps.net/enroll.
about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Enrollment for Kindergarten and JK
Monday, February 2 (2/2) was National Tutu Day. Several of our staff and students enjoyed dressing up for the special day. Here are a few photos from that day.
about 1 month ago, Cherry Knoll Elementary
two teachers wearing tutus and four students wearing tutus
Five teachers standing in hallway wearing tutus
Nine preschool students wearing tutus
Teacher wearing red tutu with a student wearing a green tutu

SCHOOL IS CLOSED: All TCAPS schools are closed today, Tuesday, January 27, 2026 due to inclement weather. Students in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual Enrollment classes should follow the direction of the instructors for those programs.

For more information on snow days, including how they are communicated and how decisions are made, go to www.tcaps.net.

about 2 months ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.

All TCAPS schools are closed tomorrow, Friday, January 23, 2026, due to inclement weather. Students in Michigan Virtual, Acellus, or Dual Enrollment classes should follow the direction of the instructors for those programs.

Due to the inclement weather closure, we are moving the 2-hour early release to Thursday, March 26, 2026. Based on staff and community feedback, we want to prioritize full days of instructional time for this upcoming week. 

Thank you for your flexibility as we work to maximize learning time for our students!

about 2 months ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.