The Eastern Star Family Newsletter
October 2, 2026
Principal Ponderings
We made it to October! We thrived through September in all of our own unique ways, and we look forward to continuing our growth in October. We have a super fun month, starting with our Jogathon next Friday and will close it out with Halloween festivities. Start planning that costume now! #ShineBrightTogether
Which is the best Halloween candy?
Click above👆👆👆
Last year we started our Eastern Staff shoutout form. This is a great opportunity to share the good stuff about any staff member at Eastern Elementary. I (Mr. Swegles) receive an email notification when the form has been filled out, and I have the pleasure of sharing your shoutout with them.
Upcoming Events
- October 7: National Walk to School Day (see details below)
- October 9: Jog-a-Thon
- October 12: Early Release Day; Eastern Dismisses at 1:57
- October 13, 6:00-7:00: PTO Meeting
- October 23: Spirit Day and Popcorn Friday
- October 27, 9:00-10:30: Picture Re-Takes
- October 30, 9:15-9:45: Halloween All School Parade
- TCAPS 26-27 Calendar
New Information
Please Help Us Celebrate Veterans in Our Community
We’re making plans to honor the veterans in our Eastern school community on Veteran’s Day, Wednesday, November 11th. Are you a veteran? Do you have a family member who is a veteran? Or are you currently serving in our US military? Help us recognize our everyday heroes and please take just a few minutes to fill out this Veterans in Our Community Form by October 30th; your info is good for two years, so if you submitted last year, you should be all set.
We’ll start the day with an all-school ceremony that will include the Pledge of Allegiance, a tribute to veterans and a flag-placing.
If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Asiala, asialahe@tcaps.net.
TADL’s Summer Reading Club
Did your students participate in the Traverse Area District Library’s Summer Reading Club? About 200 of our Eastern Stars did and the folks from TADL will be here first thing Thursday morning for a brief presentation. Please wear your reading club t-shirt if you have one and we’ll have all participants meet in the lobby for a picture. If you’d prefer your student not be in the picture, please communicate that with them. Congratulations to all of our Star Readers and keep on reading!
TCAPS Mobile Health Unit at Eastern
Our TCAPS Mobile Health Clinic will be at Eastern on October 20. See the graphic below for more information.
Join Us for Trunk or Treat
Mark your calendars! The Eastern Student Council will host the annual Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 22nd, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the school parking lot.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, October 22nd
Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Trunk host arrival & setup begins at 5:00 PM)
Location: Eastern Elementary Parking Lot
If you are interested in hosting a trunk, please sign up here: Use This Link to Host a Vehicle for Trunk or Treat
Halloween Parade & Costume Information
Eastern's annual Halloween Parade will be Friday, October 30, from 9:15-9:45. Weather permitting the parade will be outdoors. More information will be shared closer to Halloween.
As a reminder, costumes should be non-violent. No blood, weapons, pretend weapons, or gore is allowed. Adults in costume cannot have their faces covered or have a costume that makes them unrecognizable to staff.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a fun, safe environment for our students.
Previous Information
Walk to School Day: October 7
We hope you make a plan to celebrate Walk & Roll to School Day. You can join Principal Swegles at Clancy Part. We'll depart for Eastern at 8:35. We will walk/ride together to school and celebrate being active together!
Eastern Playground & Lunchroom Volunteers Needed
Eastern is looking for volunteers to help in the cafeteria and at recess. You can sign up at the links below. If you have any questions, please contact the office.
All volunteers must submit the TCAPS Volunteer Form.
1st and 3rd Grade Recess Volunteer Sign Up (10:10-10:40)
Kindergarten and 2nd Grade Recess (2:05-2:35)
4th and 5th Recess (3:10-3:40)
JK. Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd Grade Lunchroom/Lunch Recess Volunteer Sign Up (11:05-12:25 )
3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Lunchroom/Lunch Recess Volunteer Sign Up (12:00-1:30)
To Squishy or Not to Squishy...That is the Question!
US Consumers spent $2.8-3.36 BILLION in 2025 on sensory toys, including squishies. Sales are expected to reach or surpass that figure in 2026. Wow!
Squishies are every where, including at school, which is why I want to remind families that students should not bring personal items of value to school that are not for educational purposes. Do some students benefit from these sensory items? Certainly. Does it need to be an 8" squishy carrot? That is up for debate.
Below you will find handbook language on personal property.
Notes from the Eastern Office
Eastern Office Hours
Please remember to report your child's absence. You can call the attendance line (933-5600) and leave a message at any time. If your child is sick, report the symptoms (GI and/or fever). Students must be fever-free without meds for 24 hours before they can return to school; they almost must not have vomited and/or had diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
PTO Information
PTO News
Volunteer Opportunity
We are putting together an updated volunteer list for PTO events and school initiatives! If you’re willing to lend a hand throughout the year, please take a moment to complete this brief form: Volunteer List
You must also complete a TCAPS Volunteer Form.
JOG-A-THON Updates
With one week left to go, we are less than 20% away from our $43,000 goal. It’s not too late to register on FundHub and start sharing your students page. We are almost there, with your last bit of help we can make it to our goal, let’s go Eastern!
Register or log in to your Parent Dashboard and customize your student's page. Visit www.getmovinfundhub.com | School Identifier: 5d56da0b155ed
All of our wonderful 2026 sponsors are featured below. THANK YOU for supporting Eastern Stars!
Thank You to Our Jog-A-Thon Sponsors!
Weekly Breakfast & Lunch Menu
BREAKFAST
MONDAY
Glazed donuts
fruit juice, & milk
(preschool: muffins)
TUESDAY
cereal
fruit, juice & milk
WEDNESDAY
Mini pancakes
fruit, juice, & milk
THURSDAY
cereal
fruit, juice, milk
FRIDAY
Assorted sweet breads
Fruit, juice & milk
LUNCH
MONDAY
1st choice: hot dog with fries
2nd choice: boneless chicken wings with fries
3rd choice: sunbutter & jelly with crackers
TUESDAY
1st choice: cheese quesadilla
2nd choice: Ham and cheese sub
3rd choice: Sunbutter & jelly with crackers & cheese stick
WEDNESDAY
1st choice: pasta with meatballs and marinara
2nd choice: sunbutter and jelly with crackers & yogurt
No 3rd option
THURSDAY
1st choice:Egg mcMuffin sandwich with sausage and cheese
2nd choice: Sausage wrapped with pancake on a stick
3rd choice: sunbutter and jelly with crackers & cheese stick
FRIDAY
1st choice: cheese pizza
2nd choice: pepperoni pizza
3rd choice: sunbutter and jelly with crackers & cheese stick
Salad bar with fruit and veggies are offered every day to all hot lunch students.
