The Pathfinder School is an independent day school in Traverse City, Michigan serving PreKindergarten through 8th grade.
06/24/2026
What do Pathfinder teachers do during the summer? Sometimes they run 13.1 miles. 🏃♀️
Congratulations to our amazing 5th grade teacher/ MS Art Teacher, Mrs. Weiss, on completing a half marathon! Your Pathfinder family is cheering you on. 💙
06/22/2026
There’s something magical about starting the day together—over 100 campers gathered in one circle, ready for adventure, friendship, creativity, and a whole lot of outdoor fun.
From the youngest explorers to our oldest campers, every day begins with community. Then it’s off to discover, create, play, and make memories that will last long after summer ends.
Here’s to another week of muddy shoes, big laughs, new friendships, and the kind of childhood summer memories that never fade. 🌲💙
06/20/2026
This week our campers stumbled upon a snapping turtle hard at work laying her eggs. Instead of rushing by, they paused, observed, asked questions, and witnessed a remarkable moment in nature.
At Pathfinder Camp, curiosity leads the way. 🌿🐢
First week of camp? ✔️
New friends. Big adventures. Dock jumps. Endless smiles.
We're diving headfirst into summer and can't wait to see what the next seven weeks bring! ☀️💦🌲
05/30/2026
What an amazing opportunity for our students.
Grandparents & Special Friends Day at Pathfinder was full in every sense of the word.
Our campus was buzzing with grandparents, neighbors, mentors, and loved ones sharing in the rhythms of a Pathfinder day — from a beautiful strings performance to classroom visits and student-led tours across campus.
The only thing that may have rivaled the excitement? Two baby fawns discovered in different corners of lower campus. 🦌
It felt like one of those deeply “Pathfinder” moments: music drifting through the trees, children proudly guiding the people they love through the places they learn, and nature quietly reminding us that we share this campus too.
Thank you to everyone who joined us today. We are so grateful to be surrounded by a community that shows up so fully for children.
Salmon release day at Pathfinder! 🐟
Today, students released the salmon they have been raising into the Platte River after months of care and observation in the classroom.
The learning didn’t stop there. Students suited up in waders to collect riverbed samples and search for macroinvertebrates — tiny aquatic organisms that are an important food source and indicator of stream health. They also measured stream strength and flow while learning firsthand about the delicate balance of a healthy river ecosystem.
In true Pathfinder fashion, the day blended science, stewardship, creativity, and reflection. Students even paused to paint the river scene and capture the beauty of the moment.
To top it all off, UpNorthLive stopped by with a camera crew, so keep an eye out — Pathfinder may make the news tonight!
A school without hallways. An education without limits. 🌲🎨🌊
05/19/2026
The pure delight of when it's finally warm enough to jump in Cedar Lake after the last track practice of the year!
From science experiments to spring dips, Pathfinder's lakefront campus supports all kinds learning!
05/11/2026
Each spring, our campus blooms with more than flowers—it blooms with legacy. 🌼
Before they leave Pathfinder, each graduating 8th grader plants a bulb somewhere on our campus. A quiet reminder that even as they grow beyond these woods and waters, a piece of them will always remain here.
Year after year, these blooms return—just like the memories, friendships, and impact our students leave behind. 💛
04/24/2026
On Friday, April 10, our middle school students were hosted by The Leelanau School at their Lanphier Observatory, home to a 14″ Celestron Telescope.
Under the night sky, students engaged in hands-on astronomical observation—an experience that brought their science learning vividly to life. One highlight of the evening was capturing an image of the Pleiades star cluster, a stunning grouping of stars also known as the Seven Sisters.
Many thanks to middle school science teacher Mandi Young and Leelanau School faculty member Elizabeth Wolterink for coordinating this meaningful and memorable educational opportunity.
On Friday, May 8 Leelanau School Head of School Rob Hansen will be on campus hosting information sessions for Pathfinder families about the high school experience at Leelanau.
| Monday | 8am - 4pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 4pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 4pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 4pm |
| Friday | 8am - 4pm |