Montessori Newsletter

Head of School News and Notes

Dear Timberwolves Families:

The return of July weather made for a sticky week at school, but staff and students muscled through, and many classrooms took advantage of spending some extra time outdoors. Our Upper Elementary had a great trip to the Buckley Education Days on Wednesday. This trip connected them to a great deal of local history.

All classrooms had a lesson on Wednesday for Constitution Day. This is a state requirement for public schools. You might ask your child what they remember and learned about this important document/day.

Enjoy the last week of summer,

Tracy

Updates & Reminders

DISMISSAL REMINDERS:
- After-school carline is for families with students K-3 ONLY. UE and AC only families must use the Playground gate, Flagpole, BATA, or Top of the Trail for pick up.
- Do NOT pass in Carline - BE PATIENT.
- Please place your family's green card on the PASSENGER side visor. Please add the teacher's name to the bottom of the card.
- This is a moving carline. If your child needs assistance with seatbelt buckling, you should use a flagpole or playground gate to pick up.
- The back parking lot (LOT W) is for TODDLER & PRESCHOOL families only. Thank you for respecting this.

Our office and student support staff always love to have extra snacks available for kids when they are extra hungry. If you would like to donate additional snacks please sign up with this link. We would prefer bulk snacks that are individually wrapped. Thank you for your donation and support of our Montessori community.
Your Application Powers Our Schools! Please complete your Free & Reduced Meal Application by October 1. Your application is crucial as it directly secures state and federal funding that benefits all TCAPS students and programs. Submit it today to provide essential support for our district! By doing this, your application helps fund:
- Reduced fees for programs like LEAP and other extracurricular activities
- Equitable access to education by helping fund staffing and resources that benefit all students
- Educational extensions such as field trips, enrichment opportunities, and after-school programs
Complete Your Application Now

Join us next Tuesday at 3:30 PM for the PTO Kickoff Mtg; childcare provided.

For the full details -- and other opportunities -- check out the PTO Update.
Save these dates:
Oct 1st (AM=Walk to School Day + PM=Move-a-thon Celebration)
Oct 9th (Fall Family Gathering)

For more details + other family resources, click here: PTO Update

Move-A-Thon Updates:

We have passed the half way mark for funds raised with just 1 week left to hit our Move-a-Thon goal of $12,000.
Mrs. Ballmer’s class has defends their title win Mrs. Vajda’s class close behind! As top earning class again this week Mrs. Ballmer’s class will get to keep the MIGHTY HOWL AWARD!
Our goal is to have 100% of students registered for the Move-a-Thon. It’s free and they will get a prize just for logging in. It’s easy to share and every little bit helps!
If you would like to volunteer for the October 1st Move-a-thon you can email TCAPSmo.pto@gmail.com.
All are welcome to come cheer from the bleachers so be sure to mark your calendars 1:45-2:45pm 10/1/25 at WMS Track and Field.

1. Board of Education Office Hours. The Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Board of Education will host its next monthly “office hours” as a virtual meeting on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can use this link to join VM: (Google Meet)- meet.google.com/ten-gqes-pow or call 1.440.462.2802; PIN 243 200474#TCAPS Board office hours provide community members with the opportunity to talk to a school board trustee. This month, Trustee Bageris is scheduled to attend.

2. Volunteer Members Needed for TCAPS PA 226, Sex Education Advisory Board

The TCAPS Sex Education Advisory Board meets five to eight times per year to review sex education curriculum, materials, and methods of instruction. The meetings are typically scheduled from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month.

Selection of members will be based on three criteria – expressed interest, ability to attend meetings as required, and that you meet one of the following categories:

Parent of a student attending TCAPS
Student in the school district (age-appropriate)
Educator
Local clergy
Community health professional
Other interested citizens residing in the district.

According to the committee bylaws, 50% of the membership shall be the parents of current TCAPS students. If there are more volunteers than there are openings, a lottery system will be used to select members.

If you are interested, please apply on or before September 29, 2025, using the 25-26 TCAPS Sex Education Advisory Board Application.

Any questions can be directed to Dan McGee, TCAPS Sex Education Coordinator at mcgeeda@tcaps.net.

Your Application Powers Our Schools!Please complete your Free & Reduced Meal Application by October 1. Your application is crucial as it directly secures state and federal funding that benefits all TCAPS students and programs. Submit it today to provide essential support for our district!

By doing this, your application helps fund:
Reduced fees for programs like LEAP and other extracurricular activities
Equitable access to education by helping fund staffing and resources that benefit all students
Educational extensions such as field trips, enrichment opportunities, and after-school programs

Complete Your Application Now

1. Parent High School Credit Information for Spanish Class

Spanish Class Wish List of Supplies
This link: Spanish classes parent updates will take you to updates about all the levels of Spanish: CASA, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Adolescent. Find out what vocabulary your student is learning, what songs we are currently singing & what questions your student should be able to answer in Spanish.