Earlier this month, we had a great week celebrating TCAPS staff! 🎉 

Thank you to the students, families, businesses, and community members who showed their gratitude for TCAPS staff.

Our staff works hard each and every day to make our district a vibrant, safe, and rewarding place for children to learn and grow. 🙌🚌🍎

• Central Grade School's 5th Grade Student Council made goodie bags to celebrate. 

• Students and families gifted flowers to their teachers at Courtade 🌷🪴 

• The Long Lake Elementary PTO celebrated teachers and staff with delicious treats and fun games! 

• Willow Hill staff enjoyed their coffee donation from Aroma's Coffee & Tea Bayview.  ☕

Our School Nurses are the best.

Thank you Erin Johnson and Liisa Szarapski for all you do for our students.

Did you know that:

• School nurses serve a critical role in improving public health and in ensuring student’s academic success

• School nurses address the home and community factors (e.g. social determinants) that impact students’ health

• School nurses are professional nurses that advance the wellbeing, academic success, and life-long achievements of all students by serving on the frontlines and providing a critical safety net for our most fragile children

• School nurses act as a liaison to the school community, families, and healthcare providers on behalf of children’s health by promoting wellness and improving health outcomes for our children

• School nurses support the health and educational success of children and youth by providing access to care when children’s cognitive development is at its peak

• School nurses are members of school-based teams (e.g. school health services, 504/IEP, disaster/emergency planning) providing care coordination to address the school population

• School nurses understand the link between health and learning and are in a position to make a positive difference for children every day

Learn more about the district's Nursing Department at https://www.tcaps.net/parents/health-information

“I wanted to be part of the mental health solution.”

Thank you, Linda Zeratsky, who mentors at Central Grade for Terrific Tuesdays.

Listen to her short but sweet Interlochen Public Radio podcast.

Get involved with our district-wide mentorship program ➡️ tcaps.net/lunchbuddies

TCAPS' Bike to School Day is an annual community-wide, multi-school celebration of National Bike & Roll To School Day.

Despite a soggy morning, many students took the awesome way to class and arrived at school ready to learn.

A big thank you to City Bike Shop and Brick Wheels for supporting this year's ride.

School staff will celebrate the 30th annual Smart Commute Week (June 3rd - 7th) with a district-wide team. 

Go, Thunderbolts. 

Staff can sign up HERE.

Earlier this month, the TCAPS Food Service received its shipment of fresh asparagus from Norconk Farm in Empire, Michigan. 

All TCAPS buildings served the local asparagus for lunch. Yum!

TCAPS Food Service also received its last shipment of fruit for the school year from Michigan Farm to Freezer. Included in that shipment were Michigan frozen blueberries, sweet cherries, sliced peaches, and sliced apples. 🍏🍒 

Thank you to our Michigan farmers and distributors who allow us to serve Michigan produce at all our buildings every school year.

To learn more about TCAPS Food and Nutrition Services and the Farm-to-School program, click here: https://bit.ly/3Cq819R

Learn more about TCAPS' Nutrition Team at tcaps.net/about/departments/food--nutrition-services

The Community Garden located at Central Grade School is looking great.

A huge thank you to Mrs. Hanley and her 4th-grade classroom, who take on this project every year to benefit not only the school but the Central Neighborhood as well.

North Bay Produce recently conducted their fourth, and final taste test for the school year, at Traverse Heights.

Dried cherries were the focus item in preparation for the upcoming Cherry Festival. 🍒

Students sampled unsweetened dried cherries and a cherry oat blondie bar. 

They were sent home with a small bag of sweetened cherries to share with their family. 

A big thanks to Mrs. Bogar, the Traverse Heights Kitchen Lead, who developed the cherry oat blondie in the school kitchen using North Bay dried cherries. 

Most students tried each sample, and the majority loved it!

Some interesting facts about cherries are:

•  Michigan is the largest producer in the world of Montmorency tart cherries.

• The first tart cherry tree was planted in Traverse City in 1852. 

• There are two main groups of cherries – sweet and tart.

The TCAPS Student Support Network will be providing access to free food and basic needs for all children via a weekly schedule of routes on the TCAPS Sunshine Bus. 

To learn more contact Katie Kubesh at KubeshCa@tcaps.net 

We are wrapping up its safety drills for the 2023/24 school year.

State law requires every school in the state of Michigan to run 5 fire drills, 3 lockdown drills, and 2 wind drills. 

Once completed, the drills are documented for the Office of Emergency Management and posted on the TCAPS website under the School Safety page. 

Learn more about our safety efforts by contacting Patrick McManus at mcmanuspa@tcaps.net

WE ARE ONE. 

Shout out to East Middle School students for joining Traverse Heights' 5th graders to talk about middle school and help set them up for success next year. 

We cannot wait to see these connections continue to grow next year.

Mrs. McPherson's 2nd grade class at Westwoods went on a walking field trip and enjoyed the fresh air.

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, the TCAPS Student Health Center team would like to remind students and families that they are open year-round and available throughout the summer to provide medical and behavioral health care to all TCAPS students ages 3 to 21! 

To schedule an appointment with their behavioral health therapist Erika or physician assistant Hannah, call 231-642-5291.

The TCAPS Student Health Center also added a free bookshelf to their waiting room.

Patients can choose to take home one free book with each visit. 

Thank you to our partners at Traverse Area District Library, Born to Read, and Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary Club for providing many of the books on the shelf.

Much gratitude to the 100+ mentors who helped students succeed this year with the Lunch Buddies program.

Fall season for the 2024/25 school year will begin the week of September 23rd.

It's never too early to apply.

Do you:

• have one hour a week?

• like having fun and playing during recess?

• enjoy eating yummy food?

• want to help our kids succeed?

We need you.

Lunch Buddies is now at every elementary and middle school in the district. 

Apply to become a mentor at tcaps.net/lunchbuddies

Meet Gretchen.

"I'm a stay at home momma to 3 kids who all attend TCAPS Montessori. (11yrs, 9yrs and 7yrs old).

I'm currently serving on our PTO board and have really enjoyed being at the school more. 

Having the gift to be able to be home with our kids has been nothing short of amazing. 

Before being busy with our kids, I was in banking/sales and sales management for 20 years. 

Health and Wellness have been my big focus in the last 10 years. I’ve realized and learned that it doesn’t just mean exercising and eating well (although that’s very important!). 

Surrounding ourselves with positivity, good influences, and strong role models is equally important. 

The Lunch Buddies program matches that beautifully. 

I’ve truly enjoyed being a part of these kiddos' Wednesday fun! 

Seeing their smiles when we hit the playground or listening to their weekend plans at the lunch table - engaging in conversations has been heartwarming!"

Thank you, Gretchen!

Learn more about TCAPS' district-wide mentorship program and apply to help kids succeed at tcaps.net/lunchbuddies

Meet Margaret.

"I have volunteered this school year at the East Middle Student Lounge. 

I have seen how a safe, quiet lunch area can impact middle school students. 

It is a place where students can go and feel comfortable, have a conversation, or play a game with an adult mentor. 

It is truly impactful."

Thank you, Margaret!

Learn more about TCAPS' midday mentorship program at both middle schools at tcaps.net/lunchbuddies

"These recipes will help you welcome in summer!

For us, May is always when it feels like summer really begins, regardless of what the calendar says. 

Sure, officially it’s on the Summer Solstice in June, but May is when we first start taking our meals outside for BBQs, picnics, and more—if that’s not the best sign of summer, we don’t know what is. 

Join us as we fully change over our dinner habits from heavy casseroles and soups to warm weather favorites like grilled everything, meal prep-able grain bowls, and salads (don’t worry, we’ve still got some family-friendly bakes here too). 

We’ve got 40 recipes to help inspire you to make dinner this May— one for every day of the month, and then some!"

Here's the delish.com recipes.