New Message from Michele:
Calendar:
Oct 5: Fall Festival, see below
Oct 9: Strategic Planning Focus Groups, sign up here
Oct 10: No School, Staff Professional Day
Oct 13: Indigenous Peoples Day, all school assembly with JoAnne Cook of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians
Oct 13: Junior High Only, Early Dismissal at Noon
Oct 15: Coffee with Trisha, 8:30 a.m. in person at The Children’s House and on Zoom, details here
Oct 15: Grand Traverse County Road Commission is visiting with snow plows, Primary
Oct 17: Grounds Work Bee, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. at The Children's House, sign up here
New! Oct 18: TCH Clothing Swap, 9 a.m. to Noon, See below
Oct 20-31: Elementary Visiting Days - Scheduled visits
Oct 21: Picture Day! (Junior High students start the day at TCH at 8:00 a.m. with a normal Park Street release at 3:00 p.m.)
Oct 24: Primary Visiting Day, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., details here
Oct 28: Kindergarten Special Guests: The Fire Department
Oct 28: ISACS Webinar; How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Impacted Everything + What We Can Do About It, 7:30–8:30 p.m. on Zoom, details here
Oct 31: Pumpkin Fun Day, each class implements its own plan
Oct 31: Compass Junior High Visiting Day, 2-3 p.m., details here
In The Know:
New! Texting for Urgent Communication
In addition to an email alerting you about school closings, delays, or emergencies, we notify parents by text message and will no longer use the Remind app (except when students are traveling overnight). All parent cell phone numbers that are shared in Ravenna will be used so that administrators can quickly communicate a school-wide message. We will be sending a test text on Monday, October 6. Please save the 877 number in your contacts.
New! TCH Winter Clothing Swap on Saturday, October 18, 9 a.m. to Noon
It's time to clean out the closets! Drop off your children's gently used winter clothing during carline from October 13 - 17, then get ready to "shop" on October 18! We will have a "store" set up inside the Barn from 9 am to Noon. Donate to our Bright Futures Fund and stock up on the next sizes for your kids. This swap will be open to TCH families only.
Suggested gently used items include:
- Winter Boots, Hats, and Gloves
- All Coats
- Snowsuits and Rainsuits
- Snowpants
- Long Sleeve Shirts / Dresses
- Long Pants
- TCH Spirit Wear
All remaining items will be donated to classrooms in need and then to the Women's Resource Center. Interested in volunteering? Volunteers get first pick😉 Contact Erin Lutke: erin.a.lutke@gmail.com
Fall Festival, Sunday, October 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Children’s House
This fall gathering, planned and hosted by our elementary students, shares with families the harvest of our campus gardens in a meal together. Families also enjoy crafts and games. This is a waste-free event! Bring your own plates, bowls, cups, silverware, and napkins for your family!
Focus Groups, your input is needed on Thursday, October 9
You are invited to participate in a focus group to help inform our new strategic plan. We’ve added a new session! Now you can choose from:
Noon in person at The Children’s House, 3:30 p.m. hybrid, or 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.
Please sign up for the focus group that works for your schedule. We’d love more representation from dads!
Compass JH Grads Receive High School Academic Recognition
High school senior Arthur Lijewski-Lee is a National Merit Semifinalist. Oliver Christensen, Lilah Gray, Abbey Terfehr, and Xoa Thelen, also in the class of 2026, received academic honors. Evan Boss, Jack Hennessy, Anika Hintz, Miles Kirkwood, Amelia Service, Kade Treadway, Tyler Tasch, and Rosie Young, class of 2027, also received academic awards. From the class of 2028, Cedric Kanner, Walter Lijewski-Lee, Niels Walker-Hundley, Graham Walker-Hundley, Alice Proctor, Charlie Schrader, and Parker Wick were recognized for their academic success. Congrats to our Compass Junior High graduates for continuing to pursue learning with great interest and hard work! You make us all proud.
A Student-Led Solar Initiative
Students Sawyer, Louisa, and Sloane launched a campaign to bring solar power to their school two years ago—an inspiring effort rooted in curiosity, care for the environment, and a belief in making a difference. Through heartfelt campaign videos, a community can drive, and a passionate appeal at the 2024 Bright Futures Gala, they rallied support and raised the funds needed to turn their vision into reality. “We chose the solar clocks because we wanted to start small and see what it would do to help our school... We believe that the solar clocks are good for the environment and are making progress in our solar panel journey.” - Sloane, Louisa, and Sawyer
New! ISACS 9/25 Recording Access
If you tried to access the recording of School Skills: Setting Kids Up for Success with Lisa Damour and were having issues, you can access it through this link: isacs.ws/PS-9-25-25. The recording availability period for this webinar has been extended through January 31, 2026. Please do not share the recording or links with anyone outside of our school’s community.
New! 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:
Our new labyrinth: A path to peace and discovery
by Steve Maas
We are excited about the new addition to our outdoor learning environment, a beautiful, winding labyrinth. This offers our students a designated space for meditation, reflection, and quiet moments in their Continue Reading...
Extracurriculars:
Boys Basketball (Navigators – 6th–8th)
Registration deadline: Friday, October 10, 2025
Season: October 28 – December 18, 2025
Registration: FinalForms
Girls Basketball (Comets – 4th–5th)
Registration deadline: Friday, October 10, 2025
Season: Fall 2025 (Oct–Dec, through LEAP)
Registration: LEAP website
Robotics (Comets – 2nd–3rd)
Registration deadline: Friday, October 3, 2025
Starts: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Schedule: Wednesdays, 3:45–5:00 p.m.
Runs: 8 weeks (skipping Thanksgiving)
Family Open House: December 17, 2025
Registration: FinalForms
Coach needed: 1 additional coach/advisor to assist Arielle Castine — contact Andrew.
Dungeons & Dragons (4th–8th):
Starts: Friday, October 24, 2025
Schedule: Fridays, 3:15 p.m. at Compass Junior High
Advisor: Gary Ruoff. Families interested in joining or helping may contact Gary or Andrew.
Long Lake (Elementary) Interest forming. Alan Palazollo is willing to help, but we need one more advisor before scheduling — contact Andrew.
Chess Club (Compass – 4th-8th)
Alan Palazollo is willing to help, but we need one additional advisor to set a start date — contact Andrew.
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.
- MMUN Junior High trip to Rome Fundraiser happening at Oryana! Learn more
- Children's House night at Pahl's Pumpkin Patch, Sunday, Oct 19, 11-1, Learn more
- Firelight Embodiment is hosting a support circle for parents and educators who are facing big feelings in their kiddos. Learn more
This Week in Photos:
