Smith's Knightly News

Mission: The purpose of Smith Middle School is to ensure learning for all members of our school community.

Website: https://smith.troy.k12.mi.us/
Location: 5835 Donaldson Drive, Troy, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 823-4700

It's hard to believe we have 11 days of school left this year! It's been a fantastic year and these past few weeks have been full of fun activities and celebrations for our students. Congratulations to our choirs and orchestras, as they have wrapped up final spring concerts. We look forward to our band concert this Monday evening. We are also excited to host our annual Celebration of Learning this Thursday for our 6th graders and hope that you can join us! The event is set up as an open house and runs from 8:45 - 10:00am.

Please take a few minutes to read through this week's Knightly News. It contains a lot of information regarding upcoming events, summer programming, and highlights from this past week at Smith.

Best,

Ryan Brinks

• 7:30am - Jazz Band Rehearsal (Band Room)
• 3:10pm - 7/8 Boys/Girls 2026 Football Meeting (Rm 25)
• 3:10 - 4:00pm - Homework Help Club - Last Meeting (Rm 29)
• 7:00pm - All Bands Collage Concert (Gym)

• Scholastic Book Fair
• 3:10 - 4:10pm - Boys IM Basketball (Gym)
• 3:10 - 4:15pm - Drama Club (Stage/Cafeteria)
• 3:15 - 4:30pm - 7/8 Track Practice (City Meet Participants Only) @ Boulan MS

• Scholastic Book Fair
• 7:50am - PTO Donut Sale (Lobby)
• 3:15 - 4:30pm - 7/8 Track Practice (City Meet Participants Only) @ Boulan MS

• Scholastic Book Fair
• 8:45 - 10:00am - Celebration of Learning
• 3:05 - 4:05pm - STEAM Club (Room 7)
• 3:45pm - 7/8 City Track Meet @ Athens HS

• 3:10 - 4:00pm - Green Team Meeting
• 3:15pm - Track Jersey Uniform Turn In

• May 25: No School - Memorial Day
• May 27: No School - Staff Professional Development Day
• June 2: 8th Grade Promotion and Celebration (9:00 - 11:00am)
• June 3: Last Day of School and End of 4th Quarter

Each year, our 6th graders showcase a meaningful activity, project, presentation, unit of study, passion project, or school experience at our Celebration of Learning. It is set up as an exhibition and is open to all of our families to visit from 8:45 - 10:00am this Thursday. We hope you can join us!

The 8th graders enjoyed our Civil War Days field trip on Friday, May 15. The students rotated through 6 stations learning about life during the Civil War. Students learned the history of dance in the 1800’s, what camp life was like, communication and technology, medical techniques, listened to the story of Sojourner Truth, and lastly participated in some military drilling. It was a beautiful spring day to visit the Troy Historical Village. We would like to thank the staff who chaperoned and the staff who helped to help cover teachers and classes back at Smith. It’s a team effort to pull this off each year. Lastly, we appreciate all of our parent chaperones who made time to join us this year. A shout out to the following parents who helped us: Mrs. Fetherolf, Mrs. Jovic, Mrs. DiCicco, Mrs. Bezuszka, Mr. Wiemer, Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. Gjuraj, Mr. King, Mr. Soli, Mr. Pfauth, Mrs. Pampreen, Mr. Kasa, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Westerlund, Mrs. Maizy, Mr. Mayes, Mrs. Kehl, Mr. Barthlow, Dr. Hysa, Ms. Schaeffer, Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Osterlund and Mrs. Hazy.

Mrs. Sebastian and Mrs. Casko wishes everyone the best as we close out this school year.

This Friday we hosted welcomed our future Knights to Smith! Our new 7th grade WEB leaders led conversations around getting involved in clubs and sports, an FAQ on what to expect in middle school, and team building games in the gym. Our 5th graders also had an opportunity to hear from our counselors and enjoy lunch in the cafeteria.

8th Grade Families,

You can now pre-order a yard sign to celebrate your future high schooler's graduation from 8th grade at Smith! Please see the link below to purchase yours for just $20. Yard signs will be available for pick up in the office, by parents, starting Wed, May 13. Please note, students' names will NOT be printed on the yard signs. Quantities are limited! Order yours today!

https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Smith-Class-of-2026-8th-Grade-Graduation/SYFzbD

If you missed attending the Troy High or Athens 8th Grade Welcome Night last week, you can access their presentations below.

Athens High Presentation: https://canva.link/v8689pdjdk282wt

Troy High Presentation: https://canva.link/zcns2q6xvfde5mh

8th Grade Families,

Your student took the PSAT 8 on April 16. PSAT 8 score reports are now available on the College Board website: https://studentscores.collegeboard.org/home

The following link is helpful for understanding PSAT 8 score reports (you may need to copy and paste in your browser): https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9/scores

• If you cannot access your students' scores following the steps above, call or email College Board. They can help match your student to their score report.
• Phone: 866-870-3127 or email psathelp@info.collegeboard.org
• Smith Middle School will not have access to PSAT 8 score reports until early July.

Please see the attached PDF below for more details.

Please see the information on high school athletic participation from our district athletic director, Matt Jansen. This letter includes details on:

• FinalForms
• Sports Physicals
• Participation Fees
• Athletic Passes
• and more!

Our Smith PTO had an opportunity to tour new Smith this week! Progress continues with carpet going down this week in the building and landscaping work starting to take place outside.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BOGO BOOK FAIR!

We are gearing up for our Scholastic Buy One Get One Free Book Fair to be held in the media center on May 19-21. Please see the attached Parent Letter from Mrs. Chatel that will tell you all about our fair.

Would you like to volunteer to help at the cash register during the Book Fair? If you already have your volunteer background check form on file for this year, please use this link to sign up for a time slot. We have several slots left to fill: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4FACA92DAAFA7-bogo

Visit our Book Fair Homepage to set up an eWallet for your child.

Would you like to honor one of our wonderful Smith teachers with an end-of-the-year gift? Consider donating to your teacher’s Scholastic eWallet—s/he will use all donated funds to purchase books from the book fair for his/her classroom library. Please see this Google Form to access eWallets for teachers to give them a donation to help restock their classroom libraries.

Any questions, please contact Mrs. Chatel at cchatel@troy.k12.mi.us.

A Regional Enhancement Millage is a voter-approved property tax that allows public school districts within a county to generate additional funding beyond what is provided by the State of Michigan under Proposal A (1994). This millage would create an equitable distribution of funds to each district, using the same per-student amount. If approved:

• The millage is collected county-wide, from all homeowners throughout the county.

• Funds are distributed equally to all public school districts and eligible public school academies on a per-student basis.

• Each district maintains local control over how the funds are spent. There are no restrictions like a Bond or Sinking Fund, where funds have to be used on very specific projects.

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeseht0HopjTQYJZtt7KeL1bbpzIbgakHUZ4Q6-YzZ09S2Njg/viewform?pli=1

Gettysburg & Washington, D.C. Trip Update – We’re Close to a 3rd Bus!

Exciting news, Smith Families! Our upcoming 8th grade trip to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. this November is filling up quickly—and we are very close to reaching our next big goal!

We currently have 96 students signed up, and we need just 10 more students to secure a third bus. This means more students can join this unforgettable experience exploring history firsthand and visiting our nation’s capital!

Important Information for Families:

• All 7th grade Social Studies teachers have the most up-to-date list of registered students posted in their classrooms. If your student does not see their name, they are not registered.

• A new updated list will be shared with social studies teachers after Spring Break.

  
  

Transportation & Waitlist Details:

• We currently have 2 buses filled.

• Our goal is to have more students signed up so that we can add a third bus to the trip and move students off the current waitlist in order of registration.

• If a third bus is not filled, students beyond #92 will remain on the waitlist unless a registered student drops.

• Waitlist spots are filled in order of sign-up.

• A deposit is required to secure a spot—even on the waitlist.

  
  

What does this mean for you?
Now is the time to sign up! Registering now helps you:
✔️ Avoid the possibility of being placed on the waitlist.

✔️ Registration will close on Wednesday, June 3rd. No additional students will be added to the trip after the last day of school.

Stay Connected:
Families are encouraged to join the Schoology Group to receive updates throughout the school year and even into Summer 2026.
Access Code: NZKN-KV47-CDKSQ

Sign Up Here:
https://myprogram.worldstrides.com/custom/2026-smith-ms-dcgb-227017/

This trip is an incredible opportunity for students to learn beyond the classroom, build friendships, and create lasting memories. Let’s work together to reach that third bus! 🚌

The Student Equity Council is excited to invite you to the Operation Belonging Celebration and Reveal Event on Friday, May 22, from 5-8PM, at Athens High School. The event will take place in the cafeteria and auditorium and will celebrate student voice, creativity, leadership, and what belonging means across OneTroy.

The Student Equity Council has started judging the submissions and will finish this week. Once judging is complete, families of students selected in their categories will be notified. Every student who participated will be recognized, and we are excited to honor the thoughtful artwork students created from across the district.

As the saying reminds us, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited.” Thank you for the many ways you teach, lead, encourage, and support alongside our students, especially our student leaders. They are what is possible when young people are given space to dream, create, and lead.

I would love to see you there, and we encourage you to invite others to attend as well. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

With appreciation,
Chantelle on Behalf of the SEC Operation Belonging Committee

This two-week, half-day camp is designed specifically for students in grades 5-8 to explore the world of media production in a hands-on, engaging environment. Through experiences in filming, editing, anchoring, and directing, students will create their own news stories, public service announcements, and newscasts using professional equipment, all culminating in a red carpet showcase.

Beyond the excitement of content creation, this program is intentionally built to:

• Spark early interest in media, storytelling, and communication
• Help students develop skills they can carry into high school coursework and programs
• Strengthen transferable skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and presentation — all of which directly support success in general education classes
• Support CTE classes at the high school level

The camp is supported by the student production team behind West Bloomfield High School’s Laker Update, giving participants the opportunity to learn from experienced student creators while building confidence in a real-world setting.

Help Shape Future Troy Enrichment Programs
Troy Continuing Education is planning future enrichment offerings for youth, teens, adults, and families.
We invite you to complete a short 5–7 minute survey to share what classes you’d like to see offered—especially evening and school‑based options. Your input will directly inform program decisions.

TSD Continuing Education – Enrichment Program Interest Survey

🔗 Survey Link:
TSD Continuing Education – Enrichment Program Interest Survey

📱 QR Code:

The Troy School District is now offering open enrollment for the 2026 - 2027 school year for current TSD students entering grades 6 - 12 who are interested in attending Athens, Baker, or NEW Smith. For full details on this opportunity, visit this link, click "Go to form", and view page 2 of the form.

We have a great online spirit wear store with a number of new modern styles and items for purchase. You can either pick them up or utilize the option of having your orders delivered directly to your home for a small fee.

Below is a sample of the logo choices for most items...