EMS Essentials

Check the BLOG for important dates, information and important staff links!

In this Edutopia article, Howard Yank and Maika Yeigh discuss establishing grading practices across classrooms to highlight student growth and current understanding, ensuring that grades clearly reflect progress and support ongoing learning.

• Try this: Starting in Semester 2, consider weighting recent assignments more heavily than earlier ones.
• Why: Prioritizing recent work emphasizes students’ current level of understanding rather than initial attempts, signaling that learning is expected to grow. This approach reduces penalties for early struggles, encourages persistence, and results in grades that more accurately reflect what students know and can do now.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our PLC 4 session! The Leadership Team will meet this week to review your survey input and plan our next steps. If you have questions, need support with implementing evidence-based writing or higher-order questioning, or would like any PLC resources, please reach out to Nate Tornow. Our Instructional Resource Library, which we’ve been building, will soon be available on the EMS Blog.

February

11 | Count Day
19 | Two Hour Early Release Day | 12:37 PM Dismissal

20 | No School- Mid Winter Break with school resuming on Mon., February 23

Special shout outs to the following individuals for going above and beyond to make this such an exceptional place to be.

High fives to Deb Kehoe, whose energy, positivity, and commitment to students shine in our Physical Education classes. Deb creates a welcoming, active environment where all students feel encouraged to participate, challenge themselves, and grow. Her focus on inclusion, teamwork, and healthy habits helps students build confidence while having fun. We appreciate the enthusiasm, care, and consistency Deb brings to our school community.

Much gratitude to Mindy Neuhardt for truly holding down the fort on inclement weather days and beyond. Mindy somehow keeps it all together and ensures our school continues to run smoothly, no matter the circumstances. She consistently puts people first, serving our students, families, and staff with a warm greeting and impressive efficiency. We are so grateful for the care, flexibility, and professionalism Mindy brings to EMS every single day.

A round of applause to Erin Riedel for the care and creativity she brings to her classrooms each day. Erin builds connections with students while fostering a love of language, literacy, and learning. Her thoughtful approach and commitment to students make a meaningful impact on both their confidence and growth.

Shout out to Dustin Worm and Nate Tornow for the many hours of work and thoughtful care they invested in expanding our MLK lessons. Their commitment to meaningful, engaging learning opportunities for our students truly shows. We are also thankful to Ali Sullivan for the strong foundation that was laid last year- this work continues to build because of that vision and effort

If you would like to recognize a colleague for going above and beyond, please email Ranger with the staff members name and why you would like them to be recognized.

• Due to the inclement weather day on Monday, 1/19, Social Studies teachers are asked to please complete the lessons by the end of first semester.

• Secondary MLK lessons

As a reminder, Tuesday, January 27th is the last day of the First Semester and Wednesday marks the start of the Second Semester with second semester classes on January 28th. PowerSchool will be updated to reflect this shift. Please note that we were also given notice from technology for teachers to double check their assignment dates. After modifying the final grade reporting term dates, some assignments may no longer fall within the intended date range, and thus, the assignment scores may be included in the wrong final grade. Just a heads up with the following suggestions from tech:

• Update the assignment dates as needed to ensure all assignments are calculated into the correct final grade reporting term.
• Teachers may need to use the Recalculate Final Grades function inside PowerTeacher Pro.

Grades are due by 3 PM on Friday, January 30th.

As a reminder, for any snow day moving forward, hourly staff looking to use their illness time to receive pay for snow day #4, #5, or #6 should enter SNW into Ultratime. For those who do NOT want to use their illness time to receive pay for snow day #4, #5, or #6, please enter SNW into Ultratime and uncheck the “PAID” box. This will then reflect the day in Ultratime as a snow day, but will not draw from the employee’s personal attendance balances. Dock (DOK) time should not be entered into Ultratime on snow days. For questions, please contact Ashley Wills or Beckie Cairns.

6th & 7th Grade

• We are pausing P2 for next week to allow teachers to support students with end of the semester grade review, exam preparation and making work completion plans.

8th Grade

• Math teachers have helped students set up Khan Academy accounts for targeted practice. In the weeks leading up to April, eighth grade students will also receive time during Monday Seminar classes to work on personalized Khan Academy lessons based on their fall performance.

WIDA Testing (January 26 - April 3)

NWEA TESTING | 6th & 7th grades

MSTEP TESTING | 8th grade

• Monday, April 27 Science

• Tuesday, April 28 Science

• Wednesday, April 29 Social Studies

• Thursday, April 30 Social Studies

• Friday, May 1 Makeups

• May 11 - 15 Makeups as needed

MI Access Testing (April 6 - May 22)

Our annual required WIDA testing begins Monday, January 26. During this period, EL students may be pulled from your classes for testing. Please consider exempting them from any missed assignments when possible. We appreciate your flexibility and support for these students during the testing window.

Guest Teacher Requests | A friendly reminder that all guest teacher requests should be coordinated through the main office by contacting Jamie Schuh or Ryan Ranger. Our first priority when filling guest teacher needs is to utilize our building substitutes (Bill Sparks, Dave Kenny, and Nikki Leslie).

Guest Teacher Plans | Please be sure to leave detailed plans that include enough activities to fill the hour (and more). Also, it is expected that current seating charts, student plans, and RTC slips be left to set the guest teacher and students up for success.

School Closures due to weather | Here is our Inclement Weather document. When school is closed, all k-8 events, practices, and such are cancelled. Always. We did remove the morning call to staff. All alerts will come through text and emails (also, no more bus hotline).

Attendance & SmartPass | Accurate attendance is a district priority. Take attendance in the first 5 minutes. Mark TDY if late, UNV if 10+ minutes late or absent. Students must use SmartPass for all hallway movement, one at a time, except in emergencies.

EMS Staff Meeting Calendar | Contains information for all staff meetings with links to agendas/presentation.

Just a quick reminder to please be sure to update your Guest Teacher Plan Google Doc each time you are out. This is the link that’s included in our Master Guest Teacher Matrix, which the Main Office uses to access plans for guest teachers.

We know it can be tempting to create a new document, but to keep things running smoothly, please update the same plan link for each absence. Also, please send a quick email to Jamie Schuh and Mindy Neuhardt to let us know you’ll be out. We’ll then double-check that everything has gone through in WillSub.

Jamie and Mindy coordinate guest teachers each morning, so please avoid asking teaching partners to be the point person (they can be out unexpectedly) or only sharing plans directly with guest teachers, as assignments can change.

Thanks so much for helping us keep this process smooth and consistent. We really appreciate it!

First off, thank you so much for your attentiveness to our safety video at the staff meeting on Tuesday, As a reminder, the video and the 'new' safety binder will be made available as tiles on the cloud. If you missed the staff meeting and need a laminated card, please stop down to the main office.

For clarification, the sentence you're referred to about Fire alarms is in regards to an active shooter or violent situation. In the 'safety binder', or when the employee clicks on the QR code, the fire section states: "Do NOT exit if unsafe conditions exist and there are no visible signs of fire", but it was paired down on the quick reference guide.

All this said, if there are no visible signs of fire, and there are no other indications that there is an unsafe event happening, follow the evacuation protocols as warranted.

There are financial incentives for those TCEA employees who notify the district early of their intent to retire or resign at the end of the 2025/26 school year or request an unpaid leave of absence for the 2026/27 school year. The letter of understanding regarding the details of this incentive can be found here. This information was shared with TCEA staff last week. The next payout date is January 30th for incentive pay ($1500).

Accessing Gemini Within Google Classroom | Thanks to Kristen Garrett for sharing this video! Gemini offers many of the same features as Brisk, so as we evaluate our available tech tools, it will help us decide whether Brisk is worth the cost or if Gemini can meet our needs.

Brisk | All secondary sites have the ability to pilot Brisk (free) until the end of the 2025-26 school year. Brisk is an AI tool designed to integrate directly into your existing Google Workspace, serving as a powerful partner for feedback and differentiation. Directions for launching and using Brisk.

Class Companion | Please test it out and see what you think. Use the Class Companion unique link to get enrolled in our District acct. This unique link will add you to the TCAPS premium acct. If you already have a Class Companion account, login then paste the link into your browser and hit "enter." This will upgrade your account while preserving all your data. Once you are in, click the down arrow next to “Create a Class” and choose “Import from Google Classroom”.

Blocksi Update | The district continues to optimize Blocksi to support teachers, including addressing instances where students attempt to hide their Chromebook activity. If you observe this happening, please report it as a violation of district policy to your grade-level office. For assistance or questions about using Blocksi, reach out to Nate Tornow.

Vector Trainings | To log into Vector, go to https://tcaps-mi.safeschools.com/login. Logins are the employee's TCAPS ID number and the password is the first 5 digits of the TCAPS ID number. As a reminder, time is set-aside during 2 hour early release days to complete these trainings.

Dialing 800- Numbers | Please note that when dialing any "800" number from your TCAPS phone, the leading "1" is not required. Dial the number beginning with 800-XXX-XXXX.

Helpful Tech Updates | Click here for Danelle Brostrom's Tech Help

How to Email Families

• PowerSchool | Sent from PS: lacks formatting, parents can’t reply, but quick.
• Google Classroom | Attached to your email, allows for images, hyperlinks, signature, ALL formatting tools!

Tech Troubleshooting | Issues with adding a printer, MS Apps Install, Projector Sound, Voicemail Reset-? Click here.

The TCAPS urgency line is: (231) 933-1993. This is the first place to start if you notice something urgent at our building (does not replace 911). Please notice the first step is to consult with the custodian. Click this document to review the process which is designed to receive support ASAP.

Join the EMS Remind Texts | We will use this to keep staff updated on everything from Snow Days to treats in the lounge Join remind by sending a text to 81010 and text @teamtroja

Please fill out the pre-pilot survey so we can accurately gauge the impact of each tool.

The pilot will give secondary staff/students full access to:

1. Brisk
2. Formative
3. Class Companion
   
   

Comparison of the 3 tools: EdTech Pilots - Comparison Chart - January 2026

If you'd like to learn more about the process EdTech Pilot Launch. | Email Danelle Brostrom with questions or comments.

Thanks to Kristen Garrett for sharing another helpful video! Class Companion is one of the tech tools we are currently piloting, and the district is seeking teacher feedback. Since this video was recorded, the district has received premium access, so additional features are now available. This tool shows strong potential to support our work on evidence-based writing, so please take some time to explore it. Reach out to Nate Tornow with any questions.

The sixth grade team of readers, along with the TOP TROJAN grade level readers (Lochlyn Miller 6th, Reagan Bulloch 7th, Kate Handley 8th), were recognized at today’s Winners’ Celebration.

Thanks to the amazing generosity of the following local businesses: Cherry Republic, Culver’s, ELEV8, Handz On Art, Howe Arena, Incredible Mo’s, Jimmy John’s, and POP-KIES, every reader went home with an awesome prize. Without a doubt, the donated items generated much excitement during the prize raffle!

Thank you to all for your continued support!

It’s that time of year again! We are excited to announce the annual East Middle School Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off on Thursday, February 5th, in the staff lounge.

A sign-up sheet is linked below:

• Please sign up if you would like to enter a chili into the competition.

• If you’d like to bring side dishes or accompaniments (cornbread, chips, toppings, desserts, etc.), there is a spot to sign up for those as well.

• Donations are always welcome to help make this event a success.

We will be awarding trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, so bring your best chili and your competitive spirit!

Thank you for helping make this a fun tradition for our staff. We can’t wait to taste what you bring!

Chili Cook Off Sign Up

Girls Basketball

Mon., Jan. 26th

• vs. Sault Ste. Marie and House Teams |4:30 | 5:30 | 6:30

Wed., Jan. 28th

• vs. Gaylord and House Teams |4:30 | 5:30 | 6:30

Wrestling

• No Home Events This Week

Band

February 10 | 6th grade Honor Band - EMS Gym

Choir |

February 17 | 7th & 8th grade choirs pre-festival concert- CHS

March 3 | 6th grade choir concert- EMS cafe

Orchestra |

March 3 | 6th, 7th, & 8th Orchestra concert- TBD

As a reminder, the nomination window for this round of the TCAPS Compass Award nomination window is open for the next round of nominees. The upcoming Compass Award Recipients will be announced at the February 9th, 2026, Board of Education meeting.

Please bookmark this page and feel free to nominate staff! https://sites.google.com/tcapsstudent.net/human-resources-legal-services/compass-award.

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Superintendent, Dr. John VanWagoner, will have monthly “office hours”, alternating each month between in person and virtual meetings. In person office hours will be held at Horizon Books, 243 E. Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49684 on the second floor (Mezzanine level). Virtual office hours will be held via Google Meet and can be accessed here or by calling +1 475-549-0438‬ and entering PIN: ‪961 104 679‬#.

All meetings begin at 5:00 pm. The alternating schedule will be as follows:

• Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - Horizon Books

• Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - Google Meet

• Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - Horizon Books

• Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - Google Meet

• Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - Horizon Books

• ID Badges: Lucas VanHouten, 231-933-1710

• Payroll: Beckie Cairns, 231-933-1739

• Benefits: Ashley Wills, 231-933-1720

• Technology Issues: Please complete a support ticket or call the technology help/support desk: 231-933-3325. For immediate urgent matters, please call the district urgency line, option 3: 231-933-1993.

• Facilities Issues: Please complete a support ticket. For immediate urgent matters, please call the district urgency line, option 1: 231-933-1993.

• General HR Questions:

• Katie Herman, 231-933-1705

• Ashley Hart, 231-933-1715

Did you know that the district has an Employee Assistance Program that offers a robust amount of services to TCAPS employees and their immediate family members? Services include but are not limited to free and confidential counseling/therapy, critical incident debriefing, conflict resolution services. For a complete list of services, please click here. Staff and immediate family can call 231-947-8110 to schedule an appointment. Cheryl Rogers, our district’s EAP Program Coordinator and an LMSW, has offered to visit each site for office hours to provide an initial overview of support/counseling services and programs to staff members. If you would like to set up a time for Cheryl to visit your site, please contact Erika Lahti at lahtier@tcaps.net.

Email: rangerry@tcaps.net
Website: https://www.tcaps.net/schools/middle-schools/ems/
Location: 1776 North Three Mile Road, Traverse City, MI, USA
Phone: 2319337300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EastMiddleSchool.TCAPS