Long Lake Newsletter

Dear Families,

We have two Early Release Days this week. Due to the Snow Day on January 19th, our two Early Release Days will occur on Thursday, January 22nd and Friday January 23rd.

Thank you to all who joined us during our Under the Sea Family Fun Night last week! Below are a few photos from the event!

We're excited to continue our learning this week!

Warmly,

Kate

CALLING ALL INCOMING KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES: It is already time to start thinking about kindergarten options for the 2026-27 school year! If you are considering having your child attend kindergarten or junior kindergarten at Long Lake next school year, please fill out this form: LL Kindergarten/Jr.K Interest List. Filling out this form does not enroll your child; but it does put you on our mailing list so that you will receive any information we send regarding kindergarten. If you have any questions, please call our office at 231-933-7800

SAVE THE DATE: We will be holding an Incoming Kindergarten/Jr. Kindergarten Parent Information Night at Long Lake on February 9th, 2025 from 5:30-6:30 PM in the school library. We hope you can join us!

FREE PARENT RESOURCE- ABOUND PARENTING:We are excited to officially launch a new resource now available to our Long Lake families, the Abound Parenting App! In recent Sunday messages, we briefly introduced this free tool designed to support your child’s reading development, and we’re thrilled to invite you to begin using it.

Learning to read is a gradual, intentional process that builds important skills over time. A strong foundation in vocabulary and background knowledge plays a critical role in reading success. The Abound Parenting App makes it easy for families to support this growth at home!

Each day, the app prompts parents to ask their child just two simple questions. These questions spark meaningful conversations, build vocabulary, and strengthen the skills that support reading comprehension. There are also resources including Read Aloud Books and a Check In survey to learn more about your child’s reading needs.

Thanks to grant funding, this app is completely free for all our families. You are also encouraged to share access with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other caregivers who spend time talking and learning with your child.

Get started by 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 An informational flyer can be found here.

HOUSE UPDATE: Our next House Assembly is this Friday, January 30th @ 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!

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. WE ARE IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS THURSDAY 1/22!

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

FREE FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: Wear your PJS, bring your blankets, and favorite stuffy for a movie night on February 6th starting at 6:00 p.m. in our gym! Movie: DOGMAN. We will supply popcorn and a sweet treat for all who attend. Hope to see you there!

CRAFT SHOW COMMITTEE: Our Craft Fair is a large part of fundraising at our school and prevents us from needing to do multiple fundraisers throughout the year. The PTO is looking for anyone who may be interested in joining a new committee to help coordinate our annual Craft Show in future years. This committee would be responsible for managing vendors, marketing/announcements, event setup and more. Please email longlakepto1@gmail.com for more information. All candidates will be considered at a future PTO meeting

PRINCESS DANCE: Join us for "A Knight to Remember" on Saturday, March 7th from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the Long Lake Elementary gym. Cost will be $20 for a couple and $25 for a family. See link below for sign-up opportunities!

Snack Donations:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAC29A0FBCF8-55123530-princess

Volunteering opportunities:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44ACAC29A0FBCF8-61490486-princess

LAST CHANCE: Talented & Gifted (TAG) Registration Closes Next Week! The deadline to register your 3rd grader for the optional CogAT qualification testing for TCAPS TAG Program is next week. The link will close after Wednesday, January 21, 2026, and no extensions can be granted. Register at https://forms.gle/tNG3PTui4J72hkYo7 or visit www.tcaps.net/TAG.

TCAPS Student Feature: MLK Day of Service On Monday, January 19, TCAPS students and families can attend the free MLK Day of Service at Commongrounds. The event features an all-day collaborative project, “Connected Voices, Collective Voices,” showcasing TCAPS student art and poetry. This exhibit highlights the values of compassion, peace, understanding, empathy, and love—principles central to Dr. King’s vision and the work of Building Bridges with Music.