New Message from Michele:
Calendar:
Jan 30: “Chill Out” Fridays at Hickory Hills, 4-6 p.m., details here
Feb 1: Tuition Assistance application opens, details here
Feb 1-Feb 6: Junior High Trip to the South
Feb 2: Navigators Girls Basketball AWAY Game (6th), 6:30 p.m. at East Middle School (Small Gym)
Feb 4: CHiPA meeting, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., in the Community Room or via Zoom, details here
Feb 4: Navigators Girls Basketball AWAY Game (6th) vs Glen Lake, 4:30 p.m. at West Middle School (Big Gym)
Feb 4: Navigators Girls Basketball HOME Game (7th-8th) vs East Middle, 4:30 p.m. at The Children’s House
Feb 6: Yearbook orders are due, see below
Feb 7: Sledding Party at Twin Lakes Park, 10 a.m. to Noon, see below
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: 100th Day of School (Lower Elementary Celebration)
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, see below
Feb 23: No School for 6th Years Only
Feb 24-Mar 6: Elementary Visiting Days – scheduled visits
Feb 26: Human Growth & Development Parent Meetings (7:15 p.m. Upper Elementary, 8 p.m. Junior High)
Feb 27: Primary Visiting Day, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
In The Know:
New! Time to Order Lunch
February Lunch Menu is now available, view menu here.
New! Elementary Theater Intensive
Thanks to all our Elementary Faculty, Specialists, and Staff for supporting our children through the Theater Intensive! You can see the recording, performance photos, and read a wrap-up from the teachers on our Theater page.
New! Sledding Party, Saturday, February 7, 10 a.m. to Noon
Join us on for a fun morning of sledding at Twin Lakes Park. Warm up by the fire and enjoy hot chocolate. (As part of our Green School initiative, please bring your own mug!) We are inviting families with our youngest children (Nido, YCC, and Primary) to arrive at 10 a.m. Families with children in Elementary and Junior High are invited to arrive at 11 a.m. to allow our youngest children a safe time to sled first. Indoor bathrooms are available.
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.
New! Parent Night Out at Rare Bird Brewpub, Thursday, February 19 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM
This is a fun night of socializing with Children's House and Compass Junior High parents. First drink and appetizers on us. We hope to see you there!
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
10/28 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.
Children’s House Summer: Elementary Programs are now open to the public
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. Summer camp availability is first-come, first-served. Program minimums must be met before confirming registrations. 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:
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:
Winter registrations coming soon
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! The Traverse City Curling Club’s Junior Curling Program (ages 8y+) kicks off February 1, 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:
Pass Gallery allows us to share high-resolution images with you. Sign in with an email or Facebook account to download photos. Once logged in, you can click on the photo you want to download and then click the download icon. If you're downloading to a mobile device, you will need to hold down on the photo and choose to save it to your photos. Galleries will stay live for three months and then be deleted, so download what you want to keep!
New! Theater Intensive Performance
New! Kindergarten Field Trip to Compass Junior High
