Long Lake Newsletter

Dear Families,

Welcome back! We hope your family had a restful and enjoyable spring break! We’re excited to have our students back, ready to learn, grow, and finish the school year strong! This week is a Spirit Week for students! Find out each day's theme below!

We have lots to celebrate towards the end of the school year and we look forward to doing that with you!

Warm regards,

Kate Burwinkel

Long Lake Elementary Principal

Photo of chicks in Jr K, a first grade group poster and small group with Ms. Morrice

Photo of the wheel and house assembly and a high five, the second grade poetry slam, two preschool teachers sporting their next theme of insects

School Spirit Week April 6th-10th

We are showing our School Spirit around campus this week!

April 6th Make It Your Color Monday- Go all in by wearing your house color

April 7th Tropical Tuesday- Wear your summer style and bright colors

April 8th Wacky Wednesday- Wear mismatched socks and clothes

April 9th Thinking Cap Thursday- Wear your favorite hat

April 10th Fan-tastic Friday- Wear your favorite sports team gear

Photo of graphic describing Spirit Week April 6th-10th: April 6th Make It Your Color Monday- Wear House Colors April 7th Tropical Tuesday- Wear your summer style and bright colors April 8th Wacky Wednesday- Wear mismatched socks and clothes April 9th Thinking Cap Thursday- Wear your favorite hat April 10th Fan-tastic Friday- Wear your favorite sports team gear

Save the Date All School Field Trip May 28th

We are excited to partner with the Boardman River Nature Center again this year to participate in our All School Field Trip on May 28th. They are organizing and planning specific field lessons to match each grade level content standards. We will be looking for parent chaperones for the date. Please see the permission slip and chaperone information here. A direct link to the online volunteer form can be found here. Paper copies of the permission slip will be coming home this week!

Class Formation Input Survey for Families

Believe it or not, we are starting to plan for next school year! We are asking families to provide input for next year through the completion of an optional survey. The purpose of the survey is to give an opportunity to relay information that will help develop balanced classes for next year. Class roster development for the 2026/27 school year involves collaboration between current grade teacher(s) and the principal. The development of class rosters is complex, and includes looking at class size, varying learning styles, student behavior, balancing special needs, and balancing academic needs of the group. Our classroom teachers know their students well, and will have a high level of input for development of rosters that merge those qualities into a class community where success is the goal for ALL students. If you are interested in sharing feedback for this process, please use the survey below. Please do not request specific teachers as this information will not be used to create rosters. The information provided will be taken into consideration when classes are being built. Parent input will only be accepted through May 3, 2026: SURVEY LINK

Abound Parenting App Update

Thank you to all the families who signed up and are using Abound Parenting! This is the free app for LL families that builds reading skills at home through vocabulary development. The developer shared that Long Lake Elementary has had the highest rate of involvement across all of the schools they are working with! 160 families have participated, and we accumulated almost 600 stars in the short time we have had our school on board. Abound Parenting will soon be starting a monthly challenge to earn books for schools! Perhaps we’ll be the first winners if things continue like this!

If you're interested in signing up, Go to the App Store or Google Play, download & open the Abound Parenting App. Enter account info (e.g. your email, and create a password including a symbol, number, upper and lowercase letter). Enter your INVITE CODE, LLE2026 If you have any questions about the App or presentation, please contact info@aboundparenting.com, or joan@aboundparenting.com.

Crooked Tree Art Exhibit

The following students have been selected to participate in the 2026 Crooked Tree Art Center Youth Art Exhibit. The exhibit will be at 322 Sixth Street in Traverse City, and will run from March 10-April 11, 2026. There will be a reception and awards presentation on Sunday March 15th from 1-3pm. Awards will be announced at 1:30 and will start with elementary school students.

Congratulations to the following students for their artistic efforts!

JK–Charlotte Sleder

K Schluentz– Madelyn Warner

K McCall–Ike Zenner

K DeLonge–Nora Harrelson

1 Kroese–Brantley Marsh

1 Luecke–Ruby Becker

2 Guggemos– Evelyn Fetters

2 Guggemos–Jack Jencka-Roche

2 Guggemos–Margot Kipke

2 Mackenzie–Sloan Wood

3rd Jayne— Elaina Laford

3rd Dzierwa–Merrielle Lahti

3 Key– Josey Gedman

3 Key– Vayda Leonard

4 Carlson–Molly Rykse

4 Schopieray– Gia Stremlow

4 Schoperiay–Clara Harrelson

5 Vincent– Lincoln Knysz

5 Peterson- Jaxon Rademaker

5 Peterson- Owen Chichester

Yearbooks for Purchase

Last call for Yearbooks! They are available to purchase online and the deadline to order is April 17, 2026. To order, visit the following website: www.ybpay.lifetouch.com. You will need the Long Lake yearbook ID Code which is 15170526. The cost is $12 per yearbook. They will not be available for purchase at the end of the school year so buy them now! If your family would benefit from a scholarship for a yearbook, please complete the request scholarship for yearbooks form or contact the school office to let us know.

Photo of bunny with QR code for yearbook

Photos of each of the House Logos: Lighthouse Keepers in Yellow, Inland Navigators in Blue, Dune Climbers in Orange, Orchard Harvesters in Red, Woodland Explorers in Gree, and Rock Hunters in Purple

House Assembly:

Our next House Assembly is Friday, April 24th @ 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!

Bro Glow for Parents and Sons

Mothers and Sons (or any other adult member) are invited to an evening of all things glow in the dark on Saturday April 18th from 6:30pm - 8:30pm! We will have white tee shirts to decorate, glow wear, music, sports and games, snacks and treats, tattoos and more! Fliers will be coming home this week with the bottom portion to be filled out and returned to school for us to know what size tees to have ready to decorate. If you would like to donate a snack or an hour of your time, check out the sign ups below. We look forward to seeing you there!Volunteer to allow this event to happen! Link to Volunteer for Bro Glow

Volunteer to donate snacks: Snack Donation Volunteer Link

Flyer for PTOs Bro Glow for Mothers/sons on April 18th 6:30-8:30. §20 per Couple • $25 per Family of 3 or More Sports Activities & Games White T-Shirt Decorating Glow Wear & Tattoos Snacks & Treats Photo Booth Music & Dancing

Long Lake New House 2025-26 Logo and House Tees

We are excited to announce that our online store is now open through APRIL 7th! (They were so kind to give us an extra week for orders due to all those snowdays!) Simply place your orders online, and items will be sent home in your child’s backpack once they are printed. If your order is a gift, please email the PTO or call the school to make alternative pickup arrangements.
House Tees Store Link (Access Code: 2026)

PTO Logo Tees Store Link (Access Code: 2026)

Graphic with LL House Logos and a QR code to order tshirts Access code 2026

House Tee PTO Online Webstore

PTO Tee Online Webstore

Popcorn Poppers

The PTO is happy to provide popcorn to the entire school once a month, but we need your help! Volunteering is a fun way to meet new friends, and you are welcome to bring your children along to help. Please consider signing up here:. Popcorn Sign Up Link on Sign Up Genius.

Spring Fling Silent Auction Items

We are looking for donations for our thrilling Silent Auction held at the end-of-year Spring Fling event in May! If you, your business, or someone you know may want to donate a gift certificate or auction item, please fill out the Silent Auction Donation form and we will reach out to you to gather the item. Thank you for your consideration!

Princess Dance Photos

If you would like a digital copy from the Photo Booth, please email the PTO at Longlakepto1@gmail.com with your name and your daughter’s name and we will gladly send you a copy.

PTO Large Purchase Items

Thanks to the generosity of our community, our PTO exceeded their fundraising goal this year! During the last meetings, PTO discussed nominations for use of these funds and they are in the process of making these purchases! Thanks to our community we are receiving additional books for our school library and additional seating in the space, a future assembly with the North Sky Raptor Sanctuary, reupholstered hallway and library benches and renovations to the staff lounge! This wouldn't be possible without your support of our fundraising efforts each year! Thanks for allowing us to provide extras for our school!

A photo describing PTO purchases planned with extra funds raised this year. Thanks to our community we are receiving additional books for our school library and additional seating in the space, a future assembly with the John Ball Zoo, reupholstered hallway and library benches and renovations to the staff lounge!

TCAPS Calendar Finalized for Next Year

The 2026-27 TCAPS Academic Calendar has been approved by the Board of Education. View the 2026-2027 Academic Calendar here.

Superintendent Office Hours

April's Superintendent Office Hours meeting will be in person on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., and will be held at Horizon Books, 243 E. Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49684 on the second floor (Mezzanine level).

Join the Great Lakes Region 2026 Child Safety Conference

The Great Lakes Region 2026 Child Safety Conference is coming to the Central High School Auditorium in Traverse City on Thursday, May 7. This event provides a dedicated space for officers, parents, and faculty to learn about protecting children in schools, sports, and across the community.

The afternoon and evening will feature four sessions led by national and local experts:

4:00 PM – Campus Safety: MSU Deputy Chief of Police Chris Rozman will draw on 25 years of experience to discuss security risks and building a positive safety culture.
5:00 PM – Bullying and Abuse Prevention: Jenna Baker of the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center and Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg will provide training on awareness and reporting child abuse.
6:00 PM – Online Exploitation: Founding partner of Marsh Law Firm, James Marsh, will share insights on protecting children from digital threats.

7:00 PM – Keynote Presentation: Renowned advocate and attorney Rachael Denhollander will deliver the keynote on supporting injured students through trauma-informed care.

Banner for the 2026 TCAPS Art Show featuring colorful abstract geometric shapes on a black background. A pink stripe below the event title lists sponsors including Oryana Community Co-op, Harvitt Insurance Agency/Meemic, Tom’s Food Markets, and Mundos Coffee.

Title: 2026 TCAPS District-Wide Art Show

The community is invited to the upcoming TCAPS Art Show, a district-wide exhibition featuring student work from across all grade levels. This event provides a space to view various projects created this year.

Event Details:

Location: The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
Dates: April 23 – May 7, 2026
Opening Reception: April 23, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Admission: Free and open to the public

The opening reception of this showcase is made possible through the support of our 2026 sponsors: Oryana Community Co-op, Harvitt Insurance Agency/Meemic, Tom’s Food Markets, and Mundos Coffee. We look forward to sharing the creative efforts of our students with the community.

April 6th: Welcome Back!

April 16th: TCAPS Early Release Day: LL dismissal 2:02 p.m

April 16th: PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m. https://meet.google.com/fxd-mvaf-iic

April 17th: North Sky Raptor Assembly 10:00-11:00 4th/5th; 11:00-12:00 1st-3rd; 12:15-1:15 Prek/K

April 18th: PTO Bro Glow @ 6:30-8:30 p.m.

April 21st: MSTEP Testing Begins for 5th Graders

April 22nd: Music Informances 10:55-11:25 2nd Luecke

April 24th: Long Lake House Assembly @ 9:30 a.m. All families are welcome!

April 24th Music Informances 10:20-10:50 K Schlunentz 10:55-11:25 K Richardson

May 4th: MSTEP Testing Begins for 4th Graders

May 5th: MSTEP Testing Begins for 3rd Graders

May 15th: PTO Sponsored Spring Fling

May 18th-May 22nd: NWEA testing for K-5th Graders

May 22nd: Long Lake House Assembly @ 9:30 a.m. All families are welcome!

May 25th: No School Memorial Day

May 28th: Long Lake All School Field Trip to Boardman River Nature Center

May 28th: PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m. https://meet.google.com/fxd-mvaf-iic

Long Lake Website: https://www.tcaps.net/o/lles

Long Lake Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LongLakeElementarySchoolTCAPS

PTO Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Long-Lake-Elementary-PTO-305155839569856/