If you or someone you know has a student that will be entering Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten in the fall and intends to enroll them at Westwoods, please complete this Westwoods Kindergarten/Junior Kindergarten Interest Form 2026-2027: https://forms.gle/ACYvM5t3PJKib5Zr5.

Our Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten Parent Info Night will be held on Thursday, February 5 at 5:30 pm in the Westwoods Library. (If cancelled due to weather, it will be held on Wednesday, February 11 at 5:30 pm instead.)

Please share this information and the interest survey link with families you know that are not current Westwoods families.

26 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
2026-2027 Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten parent information night. Thursday February 5, 5:30pm in Westwoods Library. Learn about school readiness, meet the teachers, visit the classrooms, receive enrollment instrucations *parents only please , no childcare provided
Today, the Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten classes learned about Nigerian Dwarf goats and had the opportunity to meet one. Mrs. Craig brought her Nigerian Dwarf goat, Matilda.
5 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
A teacher sitting on a chair wearing a purple sweatshirt, black pants, brown boots. while theree students are petting a dwarf goat on a leash. The students are looking at the camera smiling. The student on the left is wearing a white shirt with a graphic on it, with orange sleeves, black paints and running shoes. The student in the middles is wearing a ble 6,7 shirt and the student on the right is wearing a green camo shirt with neon zipper pulls, black pants and black running shoes. The students in the background are sitting on a square rug that has blue, red, green and purple squares.
Picture of a dwarf goat that is black with brown looking at the camera with the leash hanging below its neck. In the background are students sitting on a rug, wearing pink and flower clothing.
A teacher wearing a purple hoodie with black pants and brown boots, holding a leash with a brown and black dwarf goat. There is a white bucket in front of the goat and a chair and table next to the goat. A student is standing next to the table wearing a black ninja turtle shirt. Behind the teacher , student and goat are cubbys and misc. furniture stacked in front of the cubbies. There are bins
a student wearing a ninja turtle shirt standing next to ta black and brown dwarf goat on a leash. There are brown tables and cubbies behind the student and goat. The goat is wearing a blue diaper.
A teacher wearing a purple hoody holding a dwarf goat on a leash talking to students who are sitting at a blue, green and red rug listening to the teacher talk about the goat. Another student is sitting on a chair nest to the goat with his back faced to the camera. You can see the teacher sitting on a desk watching the presentation holding her maroon coffee mug.

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.

5 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day
5th graders jousting as part of their CKLA unit.
6 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
one student sitting on a yellow board with wheels, holding an orange pool noodle with a handle on it like a sword, wearing a mask and holding a shield. The other student is behind him with his hands on his shoulders ready to push him. Other students in the background are standing cheering on. They are in the gym pretend jousting.
Students are sitting on a yellow board with wheels, holding an orange noodle and a shield wearing a mask. Another student has her hands on the student who is sitting with the nooldle ready to push and pretend joust
A student sitting on a yellow board with wheels holding a red pool noodle and a mask, a student behind him wearing a mask with his hands on the other students shoulders. Teacher is standing watching the joustin tournament. Orange cones have ball on top of them and students are sitting in the bleachers cheering them on.
Two student in the gym. One is sitting on a yellow board with wheels on it, holding a red pool noodle with a white handle, wearing a mask and holding a shield. The other student is standing behind him wearing a mask and his hands are on the other students shoulder ready to push him. The teacher is standing off to the side.
Happy 100th day of school!
6 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
students lined up in front of 100th day of school projected on the whiteboard. The students are sitting, smiling for the camera wearing 100th day of school sunglasses.

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.

7 days ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day
The 4th graders worked hard on their valentines day boxes. They look amazing.
11 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
A box covered in paper that looks like grass with two soccer goals on the top, a soccer ball in the center and the word goal written on the side. Red flags are sticking out the edge of the box.
A box covered in black paint and a penguin on the front with two eyes, a orange nose, two wings and small red hearts spartically on the box. The desk is covered with pencil bags, water bottles, red folder, a red retainer case, pencils and papers.
A red robot valentines box with white and pink hearts, two eyes, pink arms and red little legs that look like cans, with hearts on them. The box has a white sign on the front and it reads programed to love with red stripes above it. Behind the desk is tanother box that is blue and yellow with hearts on it and another box with hearts on it.
A valentines day box that looks like a deer head, made out of brown paper of varying shades of brown, black eyes, a black nose and white antlers. The deer head is made out of brown tissue paper. There are a plethora of valentines on the desk next to it, football and little trinket ones. Behind it is another box, a nike shoe box, withe orange and decorated on top with pink. Behind all of them is a black and silver water bottle, a cat bag and a shelf with mulit colored ( red, yellow green blue) bins holding books.

Our wonderful PTO surprised us with donuts, muffins, and coffee and cute little signs that say:

I donut know what we'd do without a teacher like you!

We are Muffin without you. Thanks for all you do!

11 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
Two trays of donuts, one with white and black donuts, the other one with yellow, pink, ble and white donuts on a black table cloth, with tongs. A bowl of oranges on the side and a sign reading: I donout know what we'd do without a teacher like you!
A oranges in a wodden bowl, a tray of cinnamon rolls and a plater of muffins on a black table cloth with a sign reading: We are Muffin without you thanks for all you do!
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!
13 days 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.
Westwoods Student Council has opened a "Westwoods Loves Wilbur" Swag Store, with a special design available on t-shirts and sweatshirts. All proceeds will benefit Noah's A.R.C. (Animal Rescue Center). Shop online at https://www.threadscustomgear.com/westwoods-loves-wilbur-apparel/ Noah’s Arc is a rescue farm in Buckley, MI. They take in and care for animals that have been abandoned, injured and mistreated. They have goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, many kinds of birds, dogs, cats, etc. These animals have all been saved but require care that can be costly. Westwoods is excited to help them on their mission by donating our proceeds to help these precious animals and their incredible humans! “Noah’s ARC is a nonprofit Animal Rescue Center in Northern Michigan. Our mission is to save as many animals as we can.”
13 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
Westwoods Loves Wilbur Swag store now open. Open through Sunday February 22. Proceeds to benefit Noah's ARC, a nonprofit animal rescure center in Buckley MI.. https://www.threadscustomgear.com/westwoods-loves-wilbur-apparel/
Westwoods 5th Grade LOC Fundraiser Valentine's Day Candy Gram Sale Don't miss out on your chance to say " Happy Valentine's Day to someone special---Your child , a WW Friend, whole classroom, or staff member! For only $1.00, a note and Blow Pop will be delivered during school on Friday, February 13th! Students and family members can buy candy grams in the WW hallways before and after school on Tuesday and Wednesday (2/10 &2/11) Thank you!!
18 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
Westwoods 5th Grade LOC Fundraiser Valentine's Day Candy Gram Sale Don't miss out on your chance to say " Happy Valentine's Day to someone special---Your child , a WW Friend, whole classroom, or staff member! For only $1.00, a note and Blow Pop will be delivered during school on Friday February 13th! Students and family members can buy candy grams in the WW hallways before and after school Tuesday and Wednesday (2/10 &2/11) Thank you!!
Having fun during indoor recess.
26 days ago, Westwoods Elementary
two students holding connecting yellow blocks with red balls on them
Two students holding blocks, one student giving the peace sign
4 students standing in a classroom building a tower looking at the camera smiling

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.

29 days 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 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.

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.

about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day

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.

about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Alert Early Release Day

Final Call: Talented and Gifted Program (TAG) Testing Registration Window Closing!

Don't miss this opportunity! If your 3rd grader is interested in optional CogAT testing for the TAG Program, you must complete the online registration form.

DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Testing will be administered at your student's home school during the Feb 2–13 window.

➡️ Register Here: https://forms.gle/htKyceUSR5REHEg58

Learn more at www.tcaps.net/TAG.

about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
Girl on a paper airplane looking through binoculars, surrounded by icons for science and discovery.

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.

about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.
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.
about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS Update

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.

about 1 month ago, Traverse City Area Public Schools
TCAPS ALERT Schools are closed due to inclement weather.