Our Culture Fair was a celebration of language, learning, and global connection! Ms. Donahue's EL students took the lead, using their authentic voices to practice reading, writing, and speaking English while engaging a live audience of peers.
Mrs. Taplin’s Seminar students rotated through seven interactive cultural stations, thoughtfully designed around the cultural content EL students shared in videos viewed ahead of the Culture Fair. EL students taught about traditions, perspectives, and experiences from around the world to their visitors.
To commemorate the experience, participants received a handmade beaded “String of Memories”—a bracelet or ring/keychain—crafted by our EL students as a meaningful keepsake of the day.
We are so proud of our students for their creativity, collaboration, and confidence, and grateful to everyone who helped make this event such a memorable celebration!
Mrs. Taplin’s Seminar students rotated through seven interactive cultural stations, thoughtfully designed around the cultural content EL students shared in videos viewed ahead of the Culture Fair. EL students taught about traditions, perspectives, and experiences from around the world to their visitors.
To commemorate the experience, participants received a handmade beaded “String of Memories”—a bracelet or ring/keychain—crafted by our EL students as a meaningful keepsake of the day.
We are so proud of our students for their creativity, collaboration, and confidence, and grateful to everyone who helped make this event such a memorable celebration!
We are so proud of our WMS Titan Star students who make our school a better place each and every day. These students consistently go above and beyond by showing leadership, kindness, and responsibility. This outstanding group was recognized by our English Language Arts teachers, support staff and administrators for the positive impact they have in our classrooms and throughout our school community.
Congratulations to the following:
Keyan Kouchnerkavich, Dayton McSauby, Susanna Dumon, James Nicol, Vann Cravey, Genesis Lopez, Khrystyna Narolska, Lauren Frick, Gunner Gorbea & Payten Holtcamp
Be sure to "paws" for this heartwarming boost for today!
Mrs. DeKett's 6th grade Art Unleashed class recently welcomed Cherryland Humane Society to learn about the incredible work they do providing refuge and medical care for homeless pets. Inspired to give back, our students launched a special service-learning project.
Students selected photos of adoptable animals and transformed them into stunning digital drawings. The best part? These masterpieces will be gifted by Cherryland to the families who give these animals their "furever" homes!
Check out these young artists using their skills to make a difference. These portrait examples were created by Maddy Bauer, Jesslynn Chorley, Quinn Lautner, Steven St. Germaine, Alice Bridges, Maggie Freeborn, Emma Kremer and Grayson Turland.
We loved welcoming Dr. Craig Hadley, Curator at the Dennos Museum, to WMS today!
Our 8th grade ELA students explored real-world applications of writing- learning how to synthesize information and ensure their writing is clear, meaningful, and accessible for all audiences. What a powerful connection between classroom skills and the world beyond school! A big thank you to Dr. Witt, Ms. Babiasz, Mr. Dedenbach, and Ms. Donahue for making this experience possible!
Our 8th grade ELA students explored real-world applications of writing- learning how to synthesize information and ensure their writing is clear, meaningful, and accessible for all audiences. What a powerful connection between classroom skills and the world beyond school! A big thank you to Dr. Witt, Ms. Babiasz, Mr. Dedenbach, and Ms. Donahue for making this experience possible!
Jack Williams, an eighth-grade student at Traverse City West Middle School, was named the District 13 and State of Michigan winner of the VFW Patriot Pen Youth Essay Competition. Selected from more than 60,000 students nationwide, he was formally recognized for his essay on patriotism and service at the 47th Annual Mid-Winter Conference of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We are incredibly proud of Jack!
Congratulations to all of our Spelling Bee participants who studied hard and showed the courage to compete. We are so proud of you!
We are also proud to announce that Sadie Ambrosius is the 2026 West Middle School Spelling Bee Champion! After an impressive 14 rounds, 8th grader Finley Nolan earned runner-up honors, exiting the competition on a truly tough word. Our 3rd place finisher was 6th grader Leo Ruble, who will serve as the school alternate when Finley and Sadie head to the Regional Spelling Bee in March.
Way to go, Titans!
We are also proud to announce that Sadie Ambrosius is the 2026 West Middle School Spelling Bee Champion! After an impressive 14 rounds, 8th grader Finley Nolan earned runner-up honors, exiting the competition on a truly tough word. Our 3rd place finisher was 6th grader Leo Ruble, who will serve as the school alternate when Finley and Sadie head to the Regional Spelling Bee in March.
Way to go, Titans!
Ms. Wares’ class dove into lively debates on the ethics of genetics, challenging students to think critically, consider multiple perspectives and engage in meaningful academic conversations. Students stepped up as debate moderators, showing leadership and keeping discussions on track and even asked for sources to fact-check one another!
Critical thinking, student voice and leadership all in one classroom moment!
Critical thinking, student voice and leadership all in one classroom moment!
Our Lady Titans brought the energy this week! Across every grade level, these athletes showed incredible teamwork and a "never quit" attitude. Check out the highlights from a busy week on the hardwood:
7th Grade Green: A perfect week! These girls went 2-0 with fantastic performances against Gaylord and SEAS. Their chemistry on the court is soaring!
8th Grade Green: Resilience at its finest! After a hard-fought battle at Gaylord, the girls rallied together to earn a great WIN against SEAS.
7th Grade White: Showed great spirit on the road! They secured a hard-earned victory at Gaylord and played with total effort until the final whistle at Benzie.
7/8 Combo: Picked up an exciting win against East and showed amazing growth and determination in their matchup against Benzie.
Huge congratulations to our Boys and Girls Wrestling teams on their first meet of the season!
The Titans hit the mat with intensity on Thursday, earning a fantastic dual meet victory over Kingsley. It was a great display of skill and determination to kick off the year!
We are so proud of the sportsmanship and dedication these athletes show every time they represent WMS. Keep up the great work, Titans!
7th Grade Green: A perfect week! These girls went 2-0 with fantastic performances against Gaylord and SEAS. Their chemistry on the court is soaring!
8th Grade Green: Resilience at its finest! After a hard-fought battle at Gaylord, the girls rallied together to earn a great WIN against SEAS.
7th Grade White: Showed great spirit on the road! They secured a hard-earned victory at Gaylord and played with total effort until the final whistle at Benzie.
7/8 Combo: Picked up an exciting win against East and showed amazing growth and determination in their matchup against Benzie.
Huge congratulations to our Boys and Girls Wrestling teams on their first meet of the season!
The Titans hit the mat with intensity on Thursday, earning a fantastic dual meet victory over Kingsley. It was a great display of skill and determination to kick off the year!
We are so proud of the sportsmanship and dedication these athletes show every time they represent WMS. Keep up the great work, Titans!
The Great Titan Read Winners’ Celebration occurred yesterday Congratulations to the class of 2031 for winning the 6-week long reading competition! Honored at the event were seventh grade readers, who demonstrated the reading habit by submitting two or more book tickets, and each TOP TITAN grade level winner.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of the following businesses: Center I.C.E. Arena, Cherry Republic, Culver’s (Munson Avenue), ELEV8, Handz On Art, Incredible Mo’s, Jimmy John’s Sandwiches (Front Street & South Airport locations), Lake Ann Grocery, Moomers, Oaky’s Tavern, Papa J’s Pizzeria, POP-KIES and The Stone Oven every reader went home with an awesome prize! Thank you for your support and thank you to Ms. Baumann, Ms. G and Ms. Snowday for making this event possible for our students!
Top Grade Level Readers:
6th: Carl Benson, Maya Carlson, Madelyn Carney and Annelise Rutledge
7th: Roman Douglas
8th: Charlotte Heydlauff
Keep reading, Titans!
Thanks to the amazing generosity of the following businesses: Center I.C.E. Arena, Cherry Republic, Culver’s (Munson Avenue), ELEV8, Handz On Art, Incredible Mo’s, Jimmy John’s Sandwiches (Front Street & South Airport locations), Lake Ann Grocery, Moomers, Oaky’s Tavern, Papa J’s Pizzeria, POP-KIES and The Stone Oven every reader went home with an awesome prize! Thank you for your support and thank you to Ms. Baumann, Ms. G and Ms. Snowday for making this event possible for our students!
Top Grade Level Readers:
6th: Carl Benson, Maya Carlson, Madelyn Carney and Annelise Rutledge
7th: Roman Douglas
8th: Charlotte Heydlauff
Keep reading, Titans!
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.
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!
We wish our students and staff the very best as our 8th Grade Symphony Band and 7th & 8th Grade Tenor/Bass Choir perform at the Michigan Music Conference tomorrow at DeVos Hall in Grand Rapids!
Both ensembles were selected as among the very best in the state of Michigan which is a true testament to the talent, dedication, and hard work of our students, as well as the outstanding leadership of our instructors, Mr. Dee, Mr. Downer, Ms. Wiliford, Mr. Peek and Mr. Mielens.
Best of luck to our performers, and congratulations to everyone involved on this exceptional honor.
Way to represent West Middle School!
Both ensembles were selected as among the very best in the state of Michigan which is a true testament to the talent, dedication, and hard work of our students, as well as the outstanding leadership of our instructors, Mr. Dee, Mr. Downer, Ms. Wiliford, Mr. Peek and Mr. Mielens.
Best of luck to our performers, and congratulations to everyone involved on this exceptional honor.
Way to represent West Middle School!
Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day today, January 22. 🔔
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.
We are excited to recognize our newest Titan Stars, nominated by our Music and World Language teachers for truly going above and beyond. These students have stood out among their many wonderful peers by consistently demonstrating what it means to be safe, respectful, and responsible each and every day. We are proud of the positive choices they make and the leadership they show in our school community!
Congratulations to the following students on this well-deserved recognition:
Adrian Reece, Reagan Parker, Malynn Hildabridle, Lola Kashmerick, Roan McManus, Parker Gum, Sandro Glomski, Hallie Walski, Connor Seaver, Emmy Lingaur, Julie Patterson and Emma Skomp
Congratulations to the following students on this well-deserved recognition:
Adrian Reece, Reagan Parker, Malynn Hildabridle, Lola Kashmerick, Roan McManus, Parker Gum, Sandro Glomski, Hallie Walski, Connor Seaver, Emmy Lingaur, Julie Patterson and Emma Skomp
Reminder: Upcoming Early Release Days 🔔
TCAPS will have a 2-hour early release on both Thursday, January 22 and Friday, January 23.
Thursday's early release was rescheduled due to Monday's weather closure, while Friday's remains as originally scheduled.
Start & Dismissal Times: https://5il.co/3jfxa
Academic Calendar: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
SCHOOL IS CLOSED: All TCAPS schools are closed today, Tuesday, January 20, 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.
TCAPS Early Release Schedule Change 🗓️
Due to today’s inclement weather closure, the 2-hour early release originally scheduled for today has been moved to Thursday, January 22. 🗓️
Please note that the scheduled early release for Friday, January 23 remains in effect. Students will have a 2-hour early dismissal on both Thursday and Friday.
Start & Dismissal Times: https://5il.co/3jfxa
Academic Calendar: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
Due to today’s inclement weather closure, the 2-hour early release originally scheduled for today has been moved to Thursday, January 22. 🗓️
Please note that the scheduled early release for Friday, January 23 remains in effect. Students will have a 2-hour early dismissal on both Thursday and Friday.
Start & Dismissal Times: https://5il.co/3jfxa
Academic Calendar: https://5il.co/3jfx6
For questions, please contact your school directly.
SCHOOL IS CLOSED: All TCAPS schools are closed today, Monday, January 19, 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.
🔔 Reminder: TCAPS has an early release day this coming Monday, January 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.
We are so proud of our students for the dedication, curiosity and hard work they invested in their National History Day (NHD) projects this year!
From deep research to thoughtful analysis of historical events, students committed significant time to exploring the past and making meaningful connections to the present. Their projects reflect not only strong academic skills, but also perseverance, creativity, and a genuine passion for learning.
We love seeing the incredible results that come from this level of effort, and we are grateful to our students and teachers for making this experience such a powerful part of the 8th grade year. Well done!
From deep research to thoughtful analysis of historical events, students committed significant time to exploring the past and making meaningful connections to the present. Their projects reflect not only strong academic skills, but also perseverance, creativity, and a genuine passion for learning.
We love seeing the incredible results that come from this level of effort, and we are grateful to our students and teachers for making this experience such a powerful part of the 8th grade year. Well done!
