Long Lake Newsletter

Dear Families,

Winter break is just around the corner! It starts on December 20th and runs through January 4th. Students return on Monday, January 5th. We hope you can join us for one of our Friday events!

HOUSE ASSEMBLY: Our next House Assembly is this Friday, December 19th @ 9:30 a.m. Families are welcome to join us and be a part of this celebration! Just sign in at the office upon arrival. We will highlight one student per class and recognize classes for attendance and for following our lifelong guidelines!

HOLIDAY SING ALONG: Our Holiday Sing Along is this Friday, December 19th at 3:15 PM in the Long Lake gym. Join us and sing your holiday favorites with the Long Lake students!

PAJAMA DAY FRIDAY, DEC. 19th Join us in dressing cozy as we head into winter break! All Long Lake students and staff can wear PJ’s to school! Please make sure the PJs are school appropriate and please no slippers.

SAVE THE DATE FAMILY FUN NIGHT: Please save the date for our Family Fun Night Escape Room on Thursday, January 15th 6:15-7:30 p.m. Once again, Long Lake staff have created an Escape Room style night of fun for all Long Lake families. This year's theme is Under the Sea. Families will work together to solve puzzles in classrooms to BREAK OUT and reveal a secret code. Once you know the code, families can take it to the cafeteria to unlock the prize! We can't wait to see you there!

NEW PARENT RESOURCE COMING SOON: Long Lake is lucky to have received grant money to fund a free to parents resource that can boost reading skills for your student(s)! Abound Parenting is a free resource for parents to build vocabulary for your child and in turn increase reading skills! Did you know how important vocabulary is in building expert readers? The resource guides parents to ask and discuss two questions a day. This simple dialog will help you understand how your child's reading skills are developing and will strengthen their foundation to be strong readers! More information coming home after break!

WINTER LEARNING RESOURCE: If your family is looking for learning related things to do over break, please reference the resources below. For any student who turns in a completed Winter Freeze Packet to the office, they will receive a prize!

· 5th Grade Brainfreeze Resource

· 4th Grade Brainfreeze Resource

· 3rd Grade Brainfreeze Resource

· 2nd Grade Brainfreeze Resource

· 1st Grade Brainfreeze Resource

· Kindergarten Grade Brainfreeze Resource

HOUSE UPDATE: Our next House Assembly is this Friday, December 19th @ 9:30 a.m. Families are welcome to join us and be a part of this celebration! Just sign in at the office upon arrival. We will highlight one student per class and recognize classes for attendance and for following our lifelong guidelines!

STAFF FAVORITES: Many parents requested some gift ideas for our AMAZING staff. PTO asked staff to provide a few ideas. Click on the link and scroll through some ideas!

POPCORN POPPERS: PTO is happy to provide the entire school popcorn once a month and volunteers are needed. Bring the kids with you for extra helping hands and it is a fun way to meet new friends! Below is the sign up genius to help pop popcorn for students. Please consider helping out.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAC29A0FBCF8-58294686-popcorn

PTO LARGE PURCHASE IDEAS: We are looking for great ideas from you! There is money reserved in our budget for a larger purchase to benefit the school, students, and staff. These purchases need to provide a positive impact for our students. Please see the link below to submit an idea. Deadline is Friday, December 19, 2025. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeg-kZRTBuNM8vAno0yd5Cspa3nBLYv60C8qsCGyCnhpMB6kQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116723536023437740044

Missed the Talented & Gifted (TAG) Info Meeting? Recording is Available!
If you missed Wednesday’s TAG Program informational meeting, the full recording has been posted to the website. This is a great opportunity to learn about the accelerated pace, focus on higher-order thinking, and challenging projects the program offers. Remember, mandatory registration for the optional CogAT test must be completed by Wednesday, January 21, 2026. Watch the recording and find the registration link at www.tcaps.net/TAG.

On December 18th TCAPS will hold an information and discussion meeting for the Carlisle Field Afterschool Clubhouse and Multi-Purpose Fieldhouse planning and building design. The meeting will be held at 6 pm at the East Middle School Library.

Winter Break: As you plan ahead for the holiday season, please note that winter break runs from December 22 through January 2. All TCAPS school offices and the TCAPS Central Office will be closed during this time, with buildings reopening on January 5, 2026. Thank you for preparing accordingly as we look forward to a strong start to the new year.

Free Breakfast and Lunch Offered Daily
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 provide a convenient "Grab & Go" breakfast for students to enjoy in the classrooms or the cafeterias. TCAPS encourages every student to grab a free breakfast before the start of each school day to ensure they have the energy necessary to excel.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Board Office Hours: The Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Board of Education will host its next monthly “office hours” in-person at the Traverse Area District Library (TADL) in the McGuire Room, 610 Woodmere Avenue, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. TCAPS Board office hours provide community members with the opportunity to talk to a school board trustee. This month, Board President Newman-Bale is scheduled to attend.