Long Lake Newsletter

Dear Families,

We look forward to connecting during our Fall 2025 Parent Teacher Conferences which will be held on November 6th, 11th and 13th. Please use SignUpGenius to schedule a time to meet with your child's teacher. You can sign up for conference times here. Parents can request any format (virtual or in person) on any of the evenings. Virtual links can be found here. We ask that dual households schedule one conference for their child. This helps everyone to be on the same page to support the student’s learning, it also allows the teacher to have enough time slots for all of the students in their class. Resource Room and Intervention Teachers will join student's homeroom teacher times. If you experience problems signing up, feel free to contact our office at 231-933-7800 or your child's teacher. We look forward to connecting to share all of the progress your child has made this year!

Let's make it a great week!

Warmly,

Kate Burwinkel

HOUSE UPDATE: Our House Assembly for the month of October was a big success! One student was recognized from each class for demonstrating our Lifelong Guidelines on campus!

Some attributes described of the nominated students were: A role model for his peers! Looks for support when he is not able to find answers. She goes out of her way to support her classmates! A leader and helpful. Consistently on task! Quietly doing the right thing without drawing attention to himself or seeking praise. She is a positive leader in our classroom!

The Dune Climbers led the houses during the month of October! Who will it be over the next month?

LL HALLOWEEN PARADE October 31st: Long Lake will be hosting a Halloween Parade on Friday, October 31st at 9:20 a.m. at our outdoor track. Students should come to school wearing their costumes and bring a change of clothes. Parents can join the parade by walking around the side of the building and stand on the inside of the track. Our parade will move inside if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Please see the flyer below for information about how to participate and costumes that day. Flyer Here

SKI CLUB 2026 would love to see you and your kids at Crystal Mountain! Students must be 7 years and older by January. Membership includes 1 lesson/week, skiing all evening Thursdays, and for an additional fee on Sundays. Discounted Thursday night passes for adults too! Click here for more information!

2025 SSN WINTER WARM-UP SHOP: The TCAPS Student Support Network is hosting the Winter Warm-Up Shop on Thursday, November 13th and Friday, November 14th. The Winter Warm-Up Shop offers FREE new and gently used winter outerwear and footwear for students currently enrolled in TCAPS. Shopping is by appointment only and items are available while supplies last. Please complete this form to request an appointment.

PHOTOS OF FAMILY: As we prepare for our Veterans Celebration on November 10th, we would love to honor the veterans and active service members connected to our school community. Please email a photo of your family member who has served or is currently serving to burwinkeka@tcaps.net. Their photo will be included in our Veterans Assembly slideshow!

VETERAN ASSEMBLY AND TRICK OR TREAT FOR TROOPS: We invite all Veterans and Active Duty Military to join us for our annual Veterans Assembly (in honor of Veterans Day) on November 10th @ 9:30 AM. Know a Veteran who would be interested in joining us for this honorary celebration? Please invite anyone who may be interested! We'll also be collecting Halloween Candy and Personal Care Items to send to troops overseas. See the flyers below for more information!

LONG LAKE CRAFT SHOW: The annual craft show is this Saturday, November 8th from 9 am-3 pm. The public is welcome to join for a day of shopping. Our annual vendor item raffle will be taking place again this year. It is sure to be a great event to get your holiday shopping done early!

CRAFT SHOW VOLUNTEERS: We need some helpers for the craft show set-up, clean-up and raffle ticket sales. If you are interested in helping out, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAC29A0FBCF8-59914205-craft

TEACHER CONFERENCE MEALS: Help us support our amazing teachers and staff during parent-teacher conferences by providing them dinner on conference nights. See the link below to sign-up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAC29A0FBCF8-59846139-conference

This Week Was Safe Schools Week!
As we wrap up Safe Schools Week, we want to thank our entire community for being our partners in safety. This week has been a powerful reminder that a safe school environment is a shared responsibility, built on the strong partnership between our district, staff, and families.

Throughout the week, we’ve highlighted a range of topics, from on-the-road safety and school security to mental wellness and secure firearm storage. Our schools are kept secure through regular safety checks and drills, and we encourage drivers to remain cautious around buses and school buildings.

We also highlighted that safety extends to our homes. The TCAPS Board of Education adopted the BE SMART Gun Safety Resolution on November 14, 2022, which focuses on the importance of secure firearm storage. We encourage families to visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) website for more information on secure storage, including the new state law that went into effect in February 2024.

To assist with this secure storage effort, a limited number of free gun locks, provided by the Michigan State Police, are available for free pickup on a first-come, first-served basis. Pickup Information:

TCAPS Administration Building
1009 S. Oak Street, Traverse City, MI 49685
Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Free of charge

Finally, we want to remind everyone that a safe school is a place where students feel supported. Please check in with your children and remind them that help is always available, including the confidential OK2SAY tip line. By working together, we can ensure our schools remain safe places for all students to learn, grow, and thrive.

IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM: On 10/29/25 at 7pm, the State Theatre is showing a movie about the Imagination Library literacy program. Here is information.

SUPERINTENDENT OFFICE HOURS: Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Superintendent, Dr. John VanWagoner, will have monthly “office hours”, alternating each month between in person and virtual meetings. This month’s meeting will be virtual on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 5:00 p.m., Virtual office hours will be held via Google Meet and can be accessed here - https://meet.google.com/cpo-wwwz-qat?hs=122&authuser=0 , or by calling +1 475-549-0438‬ and entering PIN: ‪961 104 679‬#.