Mustang Minute

Hello Morse Families,

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the snow day yesterday! While unexpected days off can certainly be challenging for working families, our students always seem to find the joy in them ❄️

Speaking of snow, we have been working closely with our PTO to replace some of our recess sleds, and to say they have been a hit would be an understatement! Students have been having a great time, and we are hopeful to purchase more durable sleds to last us through the remainder of the winter.

With winter weather fully upon us, please be sure your child comes to school prepared for outdoor recess. District policy states that students will go outside as long as the “feels like” temperature (according to Weather.com) is 10 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This means warm coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots are essential.

If your family needs assistance with providing winter gear, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Hessler at lhessler@troy.k12.mi.us. We will always try to provide help to ensure all of our Mustangs stay warm, safe, and ready to enjoy recess.

As we observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we encourage families to take a few moments to reflect on his message of kindness, fairness, and respect.

Learn Together:
Families may wish to read a child-friendly book or watch a short, age-appropriate video about Dr. King’s life and legacy. Learning together helps children better understand why this day is important and how Dr. King worked to make the world a more just and caring place.

Talk About Kindness & Fairness:
Consider having a simple conversation with your child by asking questions such as:

“What does it mean to treat people fairly?”
“How can we show kindness at school, the community or at home?”

These conversations help connect Dr. King’s message to everyday actions our students can take to make a positive difference.

Morse Artists are on Display!

Congratulations to the following students that have artwork on display at the Athens High School Winter Showcase! You can find their artwork along with fifth graders from other TSD elementary schools at the Athens Auditorium Lobby through January 30th, 2026.

Lasya Sri Siddam- 5th

Clark Kereji- 5th

Lucas Merrill- 5th

Lahari Banadhalli - 5th

Congratulations to the following students who have their artwork on display at the District Points of Pride Exhibit at Oakland Schools through January 26th, 2026.

Helena Malacos - 4th

Robin Brewster- 2nd

Brynn Nez- 2nd

Anjana Thangaraj- K

Kiaro Durden-Butler- K

Please read the important message below from our District's Teaching and Learning team.

Dear Troy School District Families,

We hope you had a restful winter break! As we begin 2026, we want to share important updates regarding recent Michigan Department of Education (MDE) legislation and how it will shape literacy instruction in our district.

In 2024, Governor Whitmer signed Public Act 146, commonly referred to as the K–12 Literacy and Dyslexia Laws. This legislation is designed to improve literacy rates across Michigan through the Science of Reading and includes requirements for professional learning, assessments, interventions, and curriculum selection.

One immediate component of PA 146 is K–5 reading curriculum selection. On December 18, MDE released its initial list of evidence-based, class-wide elementary reading curricula. The State created the list to indicate curricula which are aligned to the Science of Reading and likely to produce desired literacy outcomes. This list will be evolving with additional opportunities for publishers to submit their curricula for review. Our K-5 reading Units of Study were not submitted for review by the publisher and accordingly are not included on the current MDE-approved list.

While we are proud of our strong academic results—from having the top-scoring cohort of 3rd grade readers on the MSTEP in Oakland County to having many schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools—we are also committed to continuous improvement; therefore, the Troy School District will pilot elementary reading curricula from the MDE-approved list during the 2026–2027 school year, with full implementation of the selected resource in 2027–2028. To ensure continuity of learning, our middle schools will follow the same timeline for adopting new reading and writing curricula. We are confident that high-quality literacy instruction will continue throughout the pilot process.

Proposed Timeline for Literacy Adoption:

Winter 2026 – Collect perception and academic data
Spring 2026 – Develop literacy vision and evaluation criteria
Fall 2026 – Preview suggested pilot materials
Fall 2026 – Winter 2027 – Pilot new materials
Spring 2027 – Recommend new curricula to school board

We have already begun gathering feedback from our teachers and invite you to share your input as well by completing this optional survey. Your perspective is important as we work together to enhance literacy for all Troy students.

FREE - National Honor Society (NHS) Tutoring Opportunities

Please see the link below for a list of High School NHS students available for free tutoring. If you are interested, please see the form linked below which describes what areas they can tutor as well as their contact information.

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