The Eastern Star Family Newsletter

Mother Nature will often remind us that she's in charge and not to be messed with. Our positive thoughts go out to everyone who has been directly and/or indirectly impacted by the challenges created by the mass amounts of rain and the subsequent flooding. Be sure to lean on your people and their offers of help. If there is anything Eastern can do, please, don't hesitate to let us know.

#ShineBrightTogether

• April 24: Popcorn Friday
• April 25, 7:00-10:30: PTO Spring Auction
• April 30, 2:00-3:00: Lower Elementary Talent Show at CHS Auditorium
• May 8, 6:00-8:00: All School Carnival
• May 27, 11:00-12:30: All School Picnic
• May 29, 2:00-3:00: Upper Elementary Talent Show at CHS Auditorium
• June 1: Field Day; Class schedule shared in late May
• TCAPS 25-26 Calendar

When you come into our Eastern office you'll notice that we have a new sign in procedure. As part of our district sustainability efforts, Eastern is piloting a digital sign in procedure. As always, safety remains our number one priority and you can refer to Board Policy 3105 for more information in regards to district expectations for building visitors. To paraphrase the policy, all visitors are expected to sign in and wear the pink guest pass when present in the building. Staff are instructed to say hello and offer a friendly greeting if individuals are not wearing a guest past and direct guests to the office to obtain said pass. Reach out to me (Mr. Swegles) with comments or concerns.

You'll see via email communications and social media posts that TCAPS has partnered with Northwest Ed. in the Attendance Alliance to highlight the importance of consistent daily attendance. Typically, we are around 95% each day which accounts for your typical absences related to illness. Since we've returned from spring break we are at 92%.

Our doors open at 8:45 for breakfast and 8:50 for all others. Our school day begins at 9:00 so it is anticipated that students have their belongings put away and are ready for learning at 9:00.

During the week of April 27th - May 1st Eastern PTO will be celebrating Staff Appreciation Week. Throughout the week we will be showing our staff how amazing they are with coffee, lunches, breakfast, and more!

Here is how you and your student(s) can help:

• Tuesday, April 28th: bring a flower for your favorite staff member(s) to help them create a beautiful bouquet.
• Thursday, April 30th: bring a note, card, picture, or letter for staff members. Let the staff know how deeply appreciative we are of them with words of kindness!

We are celebrating ALL staff this week so don’t forget about non-classroom teachers like lunchroom staff, specials staff, custodians, aides, office staff, extended day and more!

Eastern Elementary Spring Carnival

Each year, the 5th-grade class hosts an evening of fun, games, food, and prizes for the whole school community—and this year’s Eastern Carnival is shaping up to be the best one yet!

Come support our 5th graders and enjoy a night out with the family. Here is everything you need to know:

Event Details

• Date: Friday, May 8th

• Time: 6pm - 8pm

• Location: Eastern Elementary

Tickets

Wristbands are required for any child who wants to participate in the fun! Pre-order link is coming soon. Tickets will also be available at the door.

• Per Child: $10

• Family Max: $30 (for 3+ children)

• Adults: Free!

• 5th Graders: All 5th graders do need a ticket/wristband to participate in the games, even if they are volunteering for a shift.

Food & Treats

Come hungry! We will have plenty of snacks available for purchase to keep your energy up for the games:

• Pizza

• Cotton Candy

• Assorted Snacks & Water

Note: Please bring small bills ($1s and $5s) if possible. We will have limited change on hand at the ticket and food tables!

Games & Prizes

Get ready for a variety of classic carnival games and prizes hosted by our very own 5th-grade students. It’s a great way to celebrate the upcoming end of the school year and support the graduating class.

See you at the Carnival!

Mrs. Culik would like to congratulate the following students for having their work selected for this year’s TCAPS District Art Show!

The art show will be available to visit at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons from April 23rd through May 7th. There will be an opening reception on April 23rd from 6-8pm.

All are welcome to attend this art show and see the creative work of elementary, middle, and high school students.

Kindergarten: Raiden C.

1st Grade: Jolene C.

2nd Grade: Harry G.

3-LaBlanc: Lucy O.

3-Norton: Flo A.

3-Shembarger: Huxley G.

4-Nelson: Brooke S.

4-Stout: Hazel G.

4-Lutes: Gio V.

5-Annelin: Rylee C.

5-Cooper: Charlie S.

5- Kearney: Lyra G. and Alice B.

Grades three through five will take the MSTEP this year and all of our students will take the NWEA Reading and Math starting in May. While these assessments help us plan our interventions and instruction, test scores are just one component of the whole child and never do they define who a child is or what they are capable of.

What assessments do provide are opportunities to prepare for something that matters and the better we prepare, the better we are likely to do. Here a few test preparation strategies for our students in the coming weeks from our friends at Scholastic.

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.

Thursday, May 7 | Central High School Auditorium, Traverse City

Join law enforcement, parents, and faculty to learn vital strategies for protecting children in our community, schools, sports, and colleges.

Session Schedule:

• 4:00 PM – Campus Safety: MSU Deputy Chief Chris Rozman discusses security risks and safety culture.

• 5:00 PM – Abuse Prevention: Training on awareness and reporting with Jenna Baker (TBCAC) and Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg.

• 6:00 PM – Online Exploitation: James Marsh, JD, discusses protecting children from digital threats.

• 7:00 PM – Keynote: Rachael Denhollander on supporting students through trauma-informed care.

For questions or to register: bbuchler@tfnlgroup.com

Thank you to everyone who signed up to be an Eastern volunteer through DOGS/MOMS. We are changing the way we coordinate volunteers through this program. Each Friday we will include sign ups for classrooms/school areas that need extra support.

We will also reach out to those who have signed up with DOGS/MOMS. If you would like to be on that list, please fill out the Watch DOGS/MOMS Volunteer Form.

Volunteer Areas:

Ms. Ross: 1st Grade Volunteers

Mrs. LaBarre: 2nd Grade Volunteers

Mrs. Stout: 4th Grade Volunteers

Mrs. Kearney: 5th Grade Volunteers

April Recess Volunteers

April Lunchroom Volunteers

Auction Tickets On Sale Now!

Eastern Spring Auction Tickets are on sale now! Buy yours today!

If you can’t attend the event, everyone may participate in online bidding starting Wednesday, April 22nd. You can bid on silent auction items here:

https://new.biddingowl.com/EasternSpringAuction2026

Be on the lookout for a flyer in your student’s backpack for more details too. Need a proxy bidder for a live auction item? Email EasternElementarySchoolPTO@gmail.com.

Video Game Club

Eastern's Video Game Club is on the hunt for some new games!

We're looking for:

- 2x Nintendo Switch consoles

- Nintendo Switch games

Do you have a Switch collecting dust at home? Why not give it life where it'll bring joy to our community of gamers?

Proposals

We will be pausing proposal applications until after our Spring Auction on April 25th. A brief pause will allow us to host the event and calculate final proceeds to ensure a strong, sustainable fund to support Fall 2026 staff startup and student field trips. Thanks for understanding!

PTO Links:

BUDGET: 25/26 PTO approved budget.

PENDING / GRANTED PROPOSALS: Log of what has been submitted or accepted for the 25/26 school year

BREAKFAST

MONDAY

donuts

fruit and milk

TUESDAY

cereal

fruit and milk

WEDNESDAY

mini pancakes

fruit & milk

THURSDAY

Cereal

fruit & milk

FRIDAY

sweet breads

LUNCH

MONDAY

1st choice: cheeseburger with fries

2nd choice: Sunbutter & Jelly with cheese stick and Crackers

TUESDAY

1st choice: doritos walking tacos

2nd choice: meatless walking tacos

3rd choice: sunbutter & jelly with crackers & cheese stick

WEDNESDAY

1st choice:Grilled Cheese and tomato soup

2nd choice: mini pepperoni calzones

3rd choice:sunbutter & jelly with yogurt and crackers

THURSDAY

1st choice: chicken tender basket with emoji fries

2nd choice sunbutter & jelly with cheese stick and crackers

3rd choice:no 3rd option

FRIDAY 4/24

1st choice: cheese pizza

2nd:choice: pepperoni pizza

3rd choice: sunbutter & jelly with cheese stick And crackers

Elementary Handbook

LEAP Website

School Menus

TCAPS Volunteer Form

TCAPS Volunteer Standards of Conduct

WATCH D.O.G.S. Sign Up

WATCH D.O.G.S. Calendar (see where D.O.G.S. have already signed up)