Long Lake Newsletter

Dear Families,

Thank you for taking the time to connect with us during Parent Teacher Conferences last week! We know that students make their greatest gains when school and home work closely together. Your partnership and your commitment to maintaining high academic expectations help your child grow in ways we can’t always imagine.

One important part of this partnership is strong school attendance. When students are absent, they miss essential instruction that is difficult to make up later. Imagine being asked to solve subtraction problems when you weren’t present for the intro lesson to build the skill, those gaps can be hard to fill. Our curriculum builds each day and is not easily replicated through makeup work.

The updated TCAPS attendance policy includes a letter home once a student reaches a concerning number of absences (10). The purpose of these letters is simply to bring awareness to how quickly occasional absences can add up. We want to support your child in building consistent school habits that set them up for long-term success. Thank you for doing your part to help limit absences and make each school day count.

Another way that we hope to partner with you is through a free resource coming soon! In the coming weeks, we will be sharing a family App that we've been able to fund through grant money. This free app provides families with simple conversation starters and questions to ask your child at home. The small interactions offered through the app can make a big difference in reading development. We look forward to telling you more soon!

November has shown us a little bit of all of the seasons! We look forward to the season of thankfulness in the coming weeks!

Warmly,

Kate Burwinkel

SKI CLUB 2026 would love to see you and your kids at Crystal Mountain! Students must be 7 years and older by January. Membership includes 1 lesson/week, skiing all evening Thursdays, and for an additional fee on Sundays. Discounted Thursday night passes for adults too! Click here for more information!

LONG LAKE GIVING TREE: Each year, we are able to sponsor a Giving Tree to support Long Lake families in need. We’re pleased to continue this tradition for another year. If your able to give a gift to a school family this year, please look through the following list and sign up for any item(s) you intend to buy. The sign up is anonymous, so other donors will not see your name or information. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044BA9AA2BA64-60375104-llgiving Once a gift is purchased, please wrap it and write the number on a tag or paper attached to the gift so we can make sure each present gets to the right family. Gifts should be dropped off at Long Lake Elementary by Thursday, December 11th. The gifts will be delivered to the families soon after this date, so it is very important to have the gift at the school, wrapped, and tagged by Thursday, December 11th. If it is more convenient, please feel free to have online purchases delivered to Long Lake Elementary at the following address: 7600 N Long Lake Rd, Traverse City, MI 49685. Make sure to include the correct number in the "gift message" box Questions can be directed to our office at 231-933-7800. The generosity of our community is amazing. On behalf of our Long Lake families, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

HOUSE UPDATE: Our next House Assembly is this Friday, November 21st @ 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!

PTO MEETING: Our November PTO Meeting is this Thursday, November 20th at 6:30 p.m. You can join us in the library or join virtually using this link: https://meet.google.com/fxd-mvaf-iic

CRAFT FAIR COMMITTEE/COORDINATOR NEEDED: Our craft fair last week was a tremendous success! This long-standing tradition is one of our PTO’s major fundraisers, and we are incredibly grateful to Beth VanderHulst for leading the event so beautifully over the past several years. As Beth's child has now moved on from our school, we are looking to welcome new volunteers to carry this tradition forward. The role can be shared—a small team of organized, enthusiastic parents could easily take it on together. If you’re interested in learning more, please email longlakepto1@gmail.com. The current committee has the process running smoothly and is happy to support and transition new members. This team helps coordinate vendors, handle marketing and announcements, organize event setup, and more. We’d love to have you join us!

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

PTO LARGE PURCHASE IDEAS: We are looking for great ideas from you! There is money reserved in our budget for a larger purchase to benefit the school, students, and staff. These purchases need to provide a positive impact for our students. Please see the link below to submit an idea. Deadline is Friday, December 19, 2025.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeg-kZRTBuNM8vAno0yd5Cspa3nBLYv60C8qsCGyCnhpMB6kQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116723536023437740044

Board Office Hours: The Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Board of Education will host its next monthly “office hours” as a virtual meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can use this link to join VM: (Google Meet)- meet.google.com/ten-gqes-pow or call 1.440.462.2802; PIN 243 200474#TCAPS Board office hours provide community members with the opportunity to talk to a school board trustee. This month, Trustee Hardy is scheduled to attend.

Snow Days There are multiple ways you can find out if school is closed due to inclement weather:

All local radio and televisions stations announce school closings on a regular basis
Visit the district website or the school website https://www.tcaps.net/o/lles. A pop up will come on the screen if there is a closing alert (pop up blocker must be turned off)
Follow the district on Facebook, Instagram, or X. Want more information? View Snow Day FAQs

High School Diplomas for Veterans
Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) is honored to offer veterans from WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Era the opportunity to receive their high school diploma and participate in the 2026 graduation ceremonies! This recognition is authorized by Michigan law for veterans who left school early to serve and haven't yet received a diploma.

Who is Eligible?

Veterans who served during the specified eras (WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam Era).

Note: Vietnam Era veterans must have attended a TCAPS high school.

Family members can apply for a living or deceased veteran.

For details, call TCAPS at 231.933.1722.