Westwoods Newsletter

Westwoods Families,

What a fantastic first week of school! It has been an absolute joy to welcome our new and returning students to the 2025-2026 school year. The hallways have been buzzing with excitement, and it's wonderful to see so many smiling faces.

I want to say a huge thank you to all of you for your support in getting your children ready for this school year. We've had a smooth start, and that is a testament to the hard work you've done at home. Your partnership is invaluable, and it truly makes a difference in our school community.

I also want to extend thanks to all of our students. They have done a fantastic job of settling back into their routines, making new friends, and getting to know their teachers. The enthusiasm for learning has been truly awesome.

This first week is all about building a strong foundation for the year ahead. Our teachers have been focused on creating welcoming classroom communities and establishing routines that will help your children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. We've also spent time helping students reconnect with friends and classmates, and we're looking forward to seeing those relationships grow throughout the year.

Please remember to check your child's backpack each day for important papers and notes. Our school calendar is also available on our website, where you can find information about upcoming events. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or the school office. We are here to help!

Thank you again for a wonderful start to the year. We look forward to working with you to make this a successful and memorable school year for all our students.

Sincerely,

Toby Tisdale

We've had a nice start to the year, but wanted to take a minute to make sure everyone is aware of the procedure for drop off and pick up of students. Please review this document and map for details.

September 5 Early Release Day: Dismiss at 1:57

September 10 1st - 5th Grades Open House 4:30-5:30 pm

September 15 - October 3 NWEA Testing

October 1 Count Day

October 13 School Picture Day

October 13 Early Release Day: Dismiss at 1:57

November 4 No School - Election Day

November 10 Picture Retake Day

November 6, 11 & 13 Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 25 Early Release Day: Dismiss at 1:57

November 26-28 No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 22-January 2 No School - Holiday Break

The August 2025 edition of TCAPS District News is now live! Read about all the great things happening in TCAPS:

• View the mobile version here: https://5il.co/3nulo
• View the desktop/print version here: https://5il.co/3nulu

We invite community members to share their time and talents with our students by becoming a volunteer in our schools and on field trips, etc. All adult (over 18 years of age) volunteers must go through a background check for the safety of all students.

• Volunteers are asked to review the Volunteer page on the district's website and read the Volunteer Standards of Conduct.
• Volunteers are asked to complete the online volunteer application form.
• Once the form has been completed, volunteers can expect to hear back in 1-2 business days, after submission, from TCAPS Human Resources Department.

If there are any questions about the volunteer approval process, please contact Luke VanHouten at 231-933-1710 or vanhoutelu@tcaps.net

• 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.

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 with be on September 16, 2025 and will be 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 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.