Westwoods Newsletter

What a wonderful week it's been at Westwoods! Our students and staff had a productive and fun time learning.

We hope you and your family enjoy the beautiful fall weather this weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for another great week of learning on Monday!

Toby Tisdale

Principal

The State of Michigan now requires that all Michigan kindergarteners have a dental screening. Many of you have already submitted the Oral Health Assessment form. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan will be at Westwoods on October 8th to provide screenings for any kindergarten or junior kindergarten students that are still in need of it.

If you have already turned in an Oral Health Assessment for your child, they will not be screened at school.

For more information about the dental screening requirement, please visit:

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-childserv/childrenfamilies/familyhealth/oralhealth/koha

We're updating our pickup procedure. Going forward, if someone not on your child's Emergency Contact/School Pickup List will be picking them up, you must notify us in writing.

Please send an email to both Jamie Roster and Kelly Niskanen with the name of the person authorized to pick up your child. This helps us confirm the identity of anyone who is not a familiar face.

To add a new person to your child's permanent Emergency Contact/School Pickup List, you can also do so by email or in person. We can no longer accept these changes over the phone.

Thank you for your cooperation!

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 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

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

Traverse City Area Public Schools is excited to announce the adoption of the Amplify CKLA PreK-5 reading program, which aligns with our mission to provide a high-quality learning experience for all students. This program helps students develop essential skills to read, write, communicate, and problem-solve with clarity.

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.