Events
These events are great ways to become more connected with what is happening at school. See you there!
Tears & Cheers
Tuesday, September 2
Drop-off times, 8:30 and 10:00 AM at Carline
For parents and guardians
This informal gathering on the first day of school is a great way to connect with parents. Join us for coffee and pastries to celebrate the beginning of the year. Tears and cheers are welcome!
Back-to-School Parent Meeting
Thursday, September 4
6 to 8 p.m. at The Children’s House
ALL parents, faculty, and staff
Required for all TCH parents and guardians to connect as a community. Classroom guides will explain the upcoming year's program, expectations, and special events. No childcare available.
*New Parent Reception and Orientation, meet in the courtyard at 5:30 p.m.
School Skills: Setting Kids Up for Success
ISACS Webinar featuring Lisa Damour, Author & Ask Lisa Podcast
Thursday, September 25
7:30–8:30 p.m. on Zoom, Registration Required
Please join us for a talk in which Dr. Lisa Damour will address how to help children and teenagers manage uncomfortable emotions, adapt to new challenges, and cope with stress effectively. She also will cover when it’s time to worry about how a child or teen is doing at school and, under those circumstances, what to do. All are welcome.The recording for this webinar will be available until January 31, 2026.
Fall Festival
Sunday, October 5
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Children’s House
For the entire TCH community
This fall gathering is our opportunity to share with families the highlights of our Wellness program! The harvest of our campus gardens is shared in a meal together, while families also enjoy crafts and games. Bring your own plates, bowls, cups, silverware, and napkins to help make this a Zero Waste Event!
Coffee with Trisha
Wednesday, October 15
8:30 a.m. in person at The Children’s House and on Zoom
For the entire TCH community
As part of our commitment to social and emotional learning for our students, these conversations focus on topics related to the emotional well-being and mental health of children, parenting, and supporting both your child and yourself. Drop in to connect through engaging and timely parenting topics. Trisha Short, our Mental Health Consultant, will facilitate the discussion.
Grounds Work Bee
Friday, October 17
8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at The Children’s House
For the entire TCH community
You can help keep our campus beautiful! Many hands make light work.
TCH Clothing Swap
Saturday, October 18
9 to Noon, in the Barn at The Children’s House
For the entire TCH community
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. This swap is 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
Primary Visiting Day
Friday, October 24
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. at The Children’s House
For Primary students and a parent or caregiver
Visiting day is such a special morning for your children to show you what they have been working on. Because of our limited class space, we ask that only one parent/caregiver visit. Drop your child off at carline and then join us after your child has had a moment to settle in. There will be a Primary Visiting Day in February for another parent/caregiver to visit!
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Impacted Everything + What We Can Do About It
ISACS Webinar featuring Jonathan Haidt, Author & Social Psychologist
Tuesday, October 28
7:30–8:30 p.m. on Zoom, Registration Required
Jonathan Haidt wrote The Anxious Generation with a firm belief that the challenges confronting our children and our families are solvable. However, addressing these challenges requires understanding the traps we have fallen into, so we can see the escape routes. The main escape routes are four new norms: delay smartphones until high school, delay social media until 16, phone-free schools, and more independence and play in the real world. Haidt will share the research that underpins the book and leave parents with inspiration and concrete plans to facilitate change in their families and communities. All are welcome.The recording for this webinar will be available until December 31, 2025.
Compass Visiting Day
Friday, October 31
2:00 to 3:00 pm at our Park Street Campus
For 7th and 8th-year students and their parents
Parents/caregivers are invited to visit their student during the school day and learn about the workshops, travel, and life of our Junior High learners. Learners leave with their parents.
Daffodil Day
Monday, November 3
All day, at The Children's House
For the entire TCH community
Daffodil Day occurs every November when we plant bulbs in memory of former students Sierra Fetterolf, Anna Maas, and Rowan Sanford. Children plant bulbs with their classrooms. Adults are welcome to stop by the front desk at any time throughout the day to get a bulb to plant on campus.
Horizon Books Day
Saturday, November 8
8 AM - 7 PM at Horizon Books Downtown Traverse City
For the entire TCH community
Horizon Books will host our annual book fair AND give a percentage of all sales that day directly to The Children’s House - even when you purchase gift certificates! Stop by our table at Horizon Books to purchase pre-selected books for your child’s classroom. This annual book sale helps build our school library and collection of books in each classroom.
Shop Your Community Day
Saturday, November 8
All day in Downtown Traverse City
For the entire TCH community
Support The Children’s House on Saturday, November 8, just by shopping in Downtown TC! For every purchase you make at participating stores, 15% of the sale will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice - please select The Children’s House when you check out! We were selected as one of the 30 non-profits because we consistently have one of the highest donation amounts at the end of the day. Let’s keep this trend going!Learn more at downtowntc.com.
Coffee with Trisha
Wednesday, November 12
8:30 a.m. in person at The Children’s House and on Zoom
For the entire TCH community
As part of our commitment to social and emotional learning for our students, these conversations focus on topics related to the emotional well-being and mental health of children, parenting, and supporting both your child and yourself. Drop in to connect through engaging and timely parenting topics. Trisha Short, our Mental Health Consultant, will facilitate the discussion.
Daffodil Circle Luncheon
Wednesday, November 12
Noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club
The Daffodil Circle is a giving circle created in memory of Dr. Karen Gilhooly — a beloved parent, physician, and champion of healthy living — and three young students, Anna, Rowan, and Sierra, whose vibrant lives were tragically cut short in 2005. Their loss forever shaped our school community. For more information and to join, visit our Daffodil Circle page.
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
Friday, November 14
For Elementary and Primary classrooms
Every year, our students learn about Ruby Bridges and bravery, community service, and how we can all contribute toward a more peaceful and harmonious future. In her honor, our school has the tradition of walking around our campus as a community. We start in the Barn with an all-school assembly where Elementary students will talk about Ruby Bridges and how she has inspired them. Primary students are paired with Elementary students for the walk.
Montessori Up Close: Partnering with You to Raise Lifelong Learners
Tuesday, November 18
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Children's House
For the entire TCH community
This is the event you should attend! During this school-wide social event, you will experience interactive, small-group presentations led by our entire faculty. Appetizers and beverages will be provided; however, childcare will not be available. When you attend, you’ll be entered to win the “Premo Parking Spot” for the Seasonal Sing and Dance of the Cosmos!
Junior High Showcase
Thursday, December 4
5:30 - 7 p.m. at the Park Street Campus
For Upper Elementary students and their parentsCurrent Junior High students and faculty will give presentations and answer questions about the curriculum and everyday life of Compass Montessori Junior High. Alumni will be on hand to connect with families and share their experience.
Coffee with Trisha
Wednesday, December 17
8:30 a.m. in person at The Children’s House and on Zoom
For the entire TCH community
As part of our commitment to social and emotional learning for our students, these conversations focus on topics related to the emotional well-being and mental health of children, parenting, and supporting both your child and yourself. Drop in to connect through engaging and timely parenting topics. Trisha Short, our Mental Health Consultant, will facilitate the discussion.
Seasonal Sing
Friday, December 19
3:00 PM at The Children's House
For the entire TCH community
This is a time-honored tradition on the final day of school before winter break. Families and friends gather to sing a variety of festive songs from many cultures, celebrating this wonderful time of year.
The campus closes immediately following the event.
Nido and YCC parents will receive specific instructions from their guide.
2026
Elevating Discipline with the Brain in Mind
ISACS Webinar featuring Tina Payne Bryson, Author, Speaker & Pediatric Psychotherapist
Tuesday, January 13
7:30–8:30 p.m. on Zoom, Registration Required
Join Dr. Tina Payne Bryson as she shares transformative ideas that can serve as a go-to guide for parents and caregivers. With candid stories, compassion, and humor, Bryson will address the challenges we see in everyday parenting and help us approach them from a brain-based lens. She will revisit the true meaning of the word discipline—to teach so that kids learn essential skills—and show caregivers how “chasing the why” behind behaviors and combining nurture with structure can help us shift behaviors, strengthen relationships, and improve discipline. All are welcome.The recording for this webinar will be available until June 30, 2026.
Montessori Up Close: The Kindergarten Year
Thursday, January 15
4 - 5:15 p.m. at The Children's House
For parents and caregivers of Primary students who are not yet in Kindergarten
This opportunity dives deeper into Montessori and focuses on the capstone year of the Primary program. There will be time for Q&A and lots to learn about what it means to be a kindergartner at The Children's House.
Montessori Up Close: Cosmic Education
Wednesday, January 21
4 - 5:15 p.m. at The Children's House
For parents of current kindergartners
Elementary school at The Children's House is different from the traditional model most parents experienced growing up. This presentation will explore the prepared environment of our lower elementary classrooms and how the curriculum moves from concrete materials to more abstract thought processes while supporting social and emotional learning.