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Back by popular demand, the student council sponsored Book Swap. Students can donate used books and get a new to them book when their class visits next week. Not many things better than a new story!
#ShineBrightTogether
3 months ago, Jonathan Swegles
Members of Eastern Elementary Student Council getting our book swap.

Congratulations to our STAR students for the past two weeks! Way to go! All of you shine bright!

3 months ago, Eastern Elementary School
Six students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade standing against a school brick wall recognized as Eastern star students of the week.
Big shoutout to 2nd-grade parent, Dr. Shaun Ramsey, ER doctor at Muson and EMS Medical Director. He shared with Mrs. LaBarre's class information about his job and tolls that he uses like an EKG and ultra sound machine. Thank you for shining bright, Dr. Ramsey, and sharing your time and talents with our STARS.
#ShineBrightTogether
3 months ago, Jonathan Swegles
Dr. Ramsey and Mrs. LaBarre's students.
Dr. Ramsey and Mrs. LaBarre's students.
Dr. Ramsey and Mrs. LaBarre's students.
Dr. Ramsey and Mrs. LaBarre's students.
Dr. Ramsey and Mrs. LaBarre's students.
Representative Betsy Coffia stopped by Eastern Elementary to help us celebrate March is Reading Month. Mrs. Roeder's and Mrs. Hites' classes enjoyed the story Worm Makes a Sandwich by author Brianne Farley. #ShineBrightTogether
3 months ago, Jonathan Swegles
Rep. Coffia reading a story to 2nd grade students.
Rep. Coffia reading a story to 2nd grade students.
Rep. Coffia engaging Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Aimee's preschoolers.
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.
3 months ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Graphic
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.
3 months 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.

3 months 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.
3 months 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.

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

3 months 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.

3 months 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.

3 months 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.

3 months 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.

4 months 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.

4 months 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.

4 months ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day

One of Mr. Swegles' favorite things to do is read and during March is Reading Month, he's sharing his love of books and reading with our Eastern Stars. During the month, Mr. Swegles will share a book with every classroom in the school. Today, he read with Mrs. Edwardson's kindergarten class.

4 months ago, Eastern Elementary School
Mr. Swegles is sitting in front of Mrs. Edwardson's kindergarten class reading a book that he is holding out to the side.
Mr. Swegles is seated in front of the class holding a book out to his side and reading to the students sitting on the rug in rows in front of him.

Congratulations to our STAR students of the week for March 2nd-6th! This awesome group was up to the task of being safe, trustworthy, attentive and respectful. Way to go!

4 months ago, Eastern Elementary School
Six students standing against a brick wall, one each for grades kindergarten through fifth grade. The student second from the right is holding a star of the week pencil between his two hands. The student on the right, who is on a no-photo list, has a smiley face emoji sticker over his face.

High fives all around to members of the Traverse City Central Football team and Coach Eric Schugars who visited Eastern this past Friday to help us celebrate March is Reading Month! We always look forward to this annual event when players visit classrooms to read with students as a class or in small groups. . Our students look up to the players and are excited to hear them read or read with them. And, as an added bonus, we get to check in with some of our Eastern alumni! Thank you Central Football for shining bright!

4 months ago, Eastern Elementary School
A group of Traverse City Central football players standing in a staggered line in the Eastern lobby wearing their football jerseys
Two Traverse City Central football players sitting at the front of a classroom reading to a group of third graders who are sitting in front of them. The player on the right is reading from an open book while the player on the left looks on.
A Traverse City Central football player is seated in a chair holding an open book; he's seated in front of a small group of students who are looking up to him.
A Traverse City Central football players sits in a wooden chair holding a book in his lap while five students sit in front of him looking up at him and listening.
A Traverse City Central football player sits among seven students; the football player is talking to one of the students holding a book.
Three Traverse City Central football players are sitting in front of a class of second graders reading a book. The player in the middle of the three is holding a book out to his side reading while the other two players look on.

Eastern 's Writing Celebration is in full swing! It's a display in our school lobby of writing from every student from Junior Kindergarten through 5th grade - a way to showcase and celebrate the many skills learned through classroom work. Students, staff, family and community members are invited to read the writings and make comments. Way to go Stars - what an opportunity to truly shine!

4 months ago, Eastern Elementary School
The Eastern Elementary lobby with four rows of long tables with student writing on the tables and students and adults on either side of the tables reading the writing and writing comments.
A row of tables with pieces of student writing lining both sides of the tables. Students and adults are leaning over to writing comments and read the writing.
Part of two rows of tables with student writing on top of the tables. One adult is holding one of the writing pieces to read it. Other adults are standing on the sides of the tables to read student writing.
One Eastern male student is bent over a piece of writing, holding a pencil writing a comment on the page.
An Eastern female student wearing glasses and a backpack is folding back on page of student writing while reading the next page.

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.

4 months ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day