New Message from Michele:
Calendar:
Jan 23: Registration for the Elementary Summer Program opens to the public at 12:00 p.m., see below
Rescheduled! Jan 26: Theater Intensive Performances, 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Families are welcome at either performance, see below
Jan 28: Navigators Girls Basketball AWAY Game, 6th at 5:30 p.m., at West Middle School (Small Gym)
Jan 28: Navigators Girls Basketball AWAY Game, 7th-8th at 5:30 p.m., at West Middle School (Big Gym)
Jan 29: Montessori Up Close: Exploring Upper El, 4 - 5:15 p.m. at The Children’s House, see below
Jan 30: Kindergarteners visit Compass Montessori Junior High
Jan 30: “Chill Out” Fridays at Hickory Hills, 4-6 p.m., details here
Feb 1: Tuition Assistance application opens
Feb 1-Feb 6: Junior High Trip to the South
Feb 4: CHiPA meeting, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., in the Community Room or via Zoom, details here
Feb 7: Sledding Party at Twin Lakes Park, 10 a.m. to Noon, details here
Feb 9: 2026-27 school year re-enrollment opens
Feb 10: ISACS Webinar; 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People featuring David Yeager, 7:30–8:30 p.m. on Zoom, details here
Feb 12: Kindergarten Field Trip to Boardman River Nature Center
Feb 12: Junior High Trip to the South Slideshow Celebration for JH families, 2:00 to 3:00 pm at our Park Street Campus, details here
Feb 13: No School, Faculty and Staff Records Day
Feb 16: No School, Presidents Day
Feb 17-20: Robotics workshop with Quarkmine for all 4th and 5th years
Feb 17-21: Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN), 6th Year trip to New York City
Feb 18: Coffee with Trisha, 8:30 a.m. in person at The Children’s House and on Zoom, details here
Feb 19: Parent Night Out, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Rare Bird Brewpub, details here
Feb 23: No School for 6th Years Only
In The Know:
It’s time to order your yearbook! Order by February 6
Order forms were sent home this week. Please return payment to the school by Friday, February 6. You may also place your order online (shipping rates will apply). Look for the email from Timeless Image with your student’s unique order code. If you have questions about ordering, contact Timeless Image at (231) 929-1010 or email cs@timeless-image.com.
Our Be SMART Pledge
As members of The Children’s House and Compass Junior High community, we must all do our part to keep children safe. The SMART framework emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep children from accessing guns and that every adult can play a role in keeping children and communities safer. Together we can protect children:
- Secure all guns in our home and vehicles
- Model responsible behavior around guns
- Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
- Recognize the risks of teen suicide
- Tell our peers to be SMART
- Read more about our commitment to Be SMART in our family handbook.
Theater Updates on the Website
The Cedar Classroom will release an issue of the Comets Gazette each week of the Theater Intensive, with updates from the students in each scene. Student photos will also be posted each week for a sneak peek behind the scenes.
Rescheduled! Theater Intensive Performances, Monday, January 30
2:00 p.m. School performance (parents unable to attend the after-school show are welcome)
4:30 p.m. Final performance
Join us for a theater performance in the Barn involving every elementary student! This production is the result of a three-week curricular theater intensive. The performance will be recorded.
Montessori Up Close: Exploring Upper El, Thursday, January 29, 4 - 5:15 p.m. at The Children’s House
For parents of current 3rd-year students
This opportunity is for parents and caregivers of rising 4th-year students to meet our Upper El guides, learn how the curriculum continues through 6th grade, and tour the Cedar and Maple classrooms.
RSVP and reserve childcare by Monday, Jan 26
ISACS Webinar Recordings
If you missed any of the ISACS webinars so far, there is still time to watch the recordings!
- School Skills: Setting Kids Up for Success with Lisa Damour
9/25 Recording: isacs.ws/PS-9-25-25. Available through January 31, 2026. - How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Impacted Everything + What We Can Do About It with Jonathan Haidt
October 28 Recording: isacs.ws/PS10-28-25 Available through June 30, 2026.
Q&A Recording: isacs.ws/PS10-28-25QA - Elevating Discipline with the Brain in Mind with Tina Payne Bryson
Recording: isacs.ws/PS_1-13-26 . Available through June 30, 2026.
Summer Enrollment is open for current families
The 2026 Children’s House Summer Program offers a rich and engaging summer experience for children, running from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday, June 15, through Friday, August 21, for a total of nine weeks. The school will be closed from July 3 to 10, 2026, for Independence Day and the Cherry Festival. Registration for all summer camps is now open to current and Fall 2026 school-year families only. Summer camp availability is first-come, first-served. Program minimums must be met before confirming registrations. Registration for the Elementary Summer Program opens to the public at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23, at 12 pm. A day camp embodying the values of respect, empowerment, challenge, authenticity, and joy. We hope you'll join us for Summer 2026.
Summer Program FAQ Register for Summer
Mind Up Take Home Lesson
Students K-6 receive MindUP lessons each Monday. Our learners are having fun learning about their brains and how they work. MindUP take home lessons are available to families on this Google Document. It will be updated weekly with new lessons and will always be accessible on our Learning Resources page.
Blog & Video:
New! A Day in the Life of a Compass Montessori Junior High Student
by Kristina Weidenfeller, Tori Craig, and Isabel Forster
Welcome to Compass! After settling in and preparing for the day ahead, we begin our day with Openers, which are held in the first twenty-five minutes of the morning. Mondays and Fridays, Student Senate gathers while our “Bookends” silent reading commences. Learners dive into books checked out from our Compass Library, a workshop-related book, or a novel from home. Continue Reading...
Extracurriculars:
Upcoming Registrations:
Coed Volleyball (4th-5th)
Registration deadline: January 23, 2026
Registration: LEAP
Learn More
Parent volunteers make student extracurricular experiences possible!
Please fill out this form if you are willing to coach or assist. We do not need expert coaches, just adults who would like to help, so that we can have these teams! Sign up here!
Community Bulletin:
Welcome to the Community Bulletin! This is your space to share activities, events, and extracurriculars that your family is involved in outside of school. To submit a message for the bulletin, email Arielle@traversechildrenshouse.org.
- New! NMC Library 5th Annual Embrace the Dream Read-Aloud and Craft Night, Jan 29 (free!), learn more
- Linden is selling Girl Scout Cookies! learn more
- Upcoming Dennos Museum kids events: Full Cord, Feb 13 (free!), and Dinosaur Day with PaleoJoe, Feb 20 ($10), learn more
- Interlochen Winter Events: Winterlochen, Feb 21 (free!), Be Like Blippi Tour, Feb 22, and Peppa Pig: My First Concert, Mar 18, learn more
- Interlochen College for Creative Arts will be hosting a series of social dance classes and baby/toddler & me dance classes this spring, learn more
This Week in Photos:
