TSD Weekly Newsletter

Just a quick note: This week’s newsletter is a bit longer than usual and includes a great deal of important information. We appreciate you taking the time to review the items that are relevant to your family.

The Troy School District is developing a new strategic plan that will guide our priorities, goals, and decisions for the next several years, and your input is essential to this process.

We want to hear what you believe is working well in the Troy School District, where we have opportunities to improve, what challenges we need to address, and what should be prioritized as we look to the future.

Staff & community members are invited to participate in a Strategic Planning Feedback Session. Please see session details below: Wednesday, October 7

Secondary Staff
3:30–4:30 p.m.

Elementary & Preschool Staff
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Community Session
6–7 p.m.

All meetings will be held at the Troy School District Services Building (4420 Livernois Road, Troy) in the Board Room.

Your feedback will be combined with input from our middle and high school students, staff, administrators, and the Board of Education. Together, these perspectives will help identify themes and shape the district’s future priorities and goals. Come ready to share your perspective, listen to your fellow community members, and help us think about what comes next for TSD. We want to hear what matters most to those we serve.

If you are not able to join us, we would still love to hear from you. Please complete the following survey https://masb.jotform.com/form/troysp26. The survey will close on October 19.

Thank you in advance for your time and feedback!

This year, graduation will be held on weeknights rather than the traditional first weekend in June. Troy High School's ceremony will take place on Monday, May 24, 2027 and Athens High School's ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 25, 2027. Both ceremonies will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This change was necessary due to a scheduling conflict at the O'Rena, our traditional graduation venue. The weekend of May 22 is unavailable, as it falls during a period of historically reserved and planned college commencement ceremonies at the venue. Compounding this, the following weekend, May 28–31, is Memorial Day weekend, and the school year concludes on June 3 - leaving no available weekend date that would work within the school calendar.

Before making this decision, TSD explored a range of alternate venues for graduation. Unfortunately, we were unable to identify a comparable option that could accommodate our ceremonies with the space, capacity, and experience our graduates and their families deserve.

We recognize that a weeknight ceremony is a departure from tradition, and we do not take this change lightly. Please know that this shift is anticipated to affect only the Class of 2027. We expect graduation to return to its customary first-weekend-in-June timing beginning with the Class of 2028.

We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this one-time scheduling challenge, and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of our graduates in a ceremony that honors this important milestone. Additional details will be shared as they become available.

Learn more about the candidates running for a seat on the Troy School District Board of Education by watching the recording of yesterday's Meet the Candidate Night, presented by the League of Women Voters of Troy.

Changes to the Work Permit Process - Effective October 2, 2026

A new Michigan law (Public Act 196 of 2024) is changing how work permits for minors are processed. Currently, schools are responsible for issuing and revoking work permits. However, starting October 2, 2026, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) will take over this responsibility.

Key Changes:

• New Online System: Minors and employers MUST use LEO’s free registration website to apply for and process work permits.

• 14- and 15-year-olds may only work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. the rest of the year.

• During the school year, work is limited to 3 hours per day and 18 hours per week.

• 16-year-olds and older have more flexibility. Rules can be found at the bottom of the work permit below.

• When school is not in session, minors may work up to 40 hours per week.

Work Permit Process

Step 1: Create Your YEPP Account
Enter your:

• Personal and parent/guardian information

• School information, including school start and end times

• Employer information, including address, and manager’s name

Step 2: Employer Completes Their Section
YEPP will notify your employer. They will enter your job duties, wage, work hours, and shifts.

Step 3: State Review
The State of Michigan reviews the information submitted by you and your employer.

Your school does not need to approve the permit.

Step 4: Permit Approved
Once approved, you and your employer will be notified. Your work permit will be active in YEPP.

More details on the new system will be available as the transition approaches. For more information, visit Michigan LEO's website

Helpful Resources:
Michigan LEO - Work Permit Information
Michigan LEO - Youth Employment

Download a Work Permit:

CA-6 Work Permit for minor under 16 years of age

CA-7 Work Permit for minor 16 to 17 years of age

In response to newly passed legislation, the Troy School District has adopted The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a common language used by school districts and first responders across the state. Students and staff are training, practicing, and conducting drills using this new language. You can learn more about new SRP language in the flyer attached below.

We are proud to announce that the Troy School District has once again earned the MI HEARTSafe Schools Award! This is an important accomplishment and reflects each building’s continued commitment to cardiac preparedness and the safety of our students, staff, and school communities. The MI HEARTSafe School designation recognizes a school’s efforts to prevent sudden cardiac death in young people and its preparedness to respond to a cardiac emergency.

From Athens to Big Ten Champion with Michigan State, Red Hawk alumna Sophia Piotrowski is following in the footsteps of her mom, Kris Piotrowski, a Troy School District literacy specialist! Check out their inspiring story in this feature from the Big Ten Network on Facebook.

The Troy Parent Advisory Committee is an organization that supports, educates, and connects with families with resources related to the academic, social, and emotional growth of students with IEPs and 504s.

The Troy PAC invites all parents of students with IEPs and 504s to join them at their next meeting, which will be held virtually on October 1 at 7:00 p.m. The link to join the meeting, as well as more information about the Troy PAC, is available in the attached document.

Registration is open for the TROY Fitness Run for 5th-grade students! The Run will take place on Saturday, October 24. Registration is $15 through October 1 and includes a T-shirt. After October 1, registration is $10, but does not include a T-shirt.

Please note: The Run will start on the track at Boulan Park Middle School. Due to construction at the school, families will need to park at Boulan Park (the park, not the school), which can be accessed from Crooks Road.

For more information about the Run or to register, please visit the TROY Fitness Run website: https://troyfitnessrun.weebly.com/

We invite the community to join us for the Grand Opening of the New Smith Middle School on Monday, October 12. The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. Student tours will take place from 7 - 7:30 p.m. and the event will conclude with a ribbon cutting and dedication at 7:30 p.m. We hope you are able to join us!

In advance of the Grand Opening on October 12, members of our Business Roundtable had the opportunity to tour the New Smith Middle School!

Students have had the opportunity to travel the world with the Athens Abroad program for many years. This year's educational trip had the theme of WWII and had students visit many historical sites. They also had the unique opportunity to connect their learning back to home, finding the sites of fallen soldiers from Troy and honoring their important role in history.
🎥 by Cece Gould, a ‪@TSDCreativeGuild‬ Student Producer.

Athens French, Japanese, and Spanish students celebrated World Language Day with a little friendly competition! Students participated in their own version of the World Cup. Thank you to our world language teachers and the Athens Athletic Department for helping make this special event possible for the Red Hawks!

Thank you to the Troy Community Foundation for hosting another wonderful Troy Daze! Troy Robotics Foundation (TRF) was proud to bring students from across the district together to show off their robots, and even the rain couldn't slow them down. A special thank you to the Troy High Hammerheads and Troy Athens Argonauts for organizing the robotics showcase, and to all of the students, coaches, and families who came out.

Teams at Troy Daze
Troy High School, Hammerheads (FRC 226)
Athens High School, Argonauts (FRC 8728)
Baker Middle School, Baker Dynamics (FTC 17155)
Baker Middle School, Dino Byte (FTC 16883)
Baker Middle School, TechKNOWLogic (FTC 15004)
Boulan Park Middle School, Just Add Logic (FTC 20332)
Boulan Park Middle School, Techno Creators (FTC 16355)
Larson Middle School, Robo Next-Gen (FTC 12740)
Larson Middle School, Girl Botz (FTC 22918)
Smith Middle School, Techno Knights (FTC 15256)

Looking ahead, we are excited to be partnering with the TRF to open the Troy Robotics Center. The center will be open to students across the district to build a center for team support, and we look forward to welcoming even more young people into hands-on STEM learning here in Troy.

This November the TRF will be hosting Sharkfest at Troy High School, and are excited to share more details with the community for the FIRST LEGO League as we get closer to the event.

The Athens Red Hawks walked away victors after last Friday's rivalry match up against the Colts at Troy High, with a score of 35-0. Way to go Red Hawks!

The 2026 Powderpuff champions are the Seniors! They walked away with the W, victorious with a final score of 42-9! What a fun night for all of our Red Hawks!

It was a program sweep for Athens Girls Volleyball as the teams traveled to Royal Oak for league game number 3. Way to go!

The Troy High girls volleyball team had their fourth program sweep in a row this week, defeating Waterford Kettering on Thursday!

The Troy High boys tennis team swept the fifth ranked Bloomfield Hills team, 8 - 0. Way to go Colts!

The Unified Soccer team, made up of students from Athens, Troy High, and Avondale, traveled to take on Clarkston this week! Looks like a great time was had by all!

Athletic Links:

Athens Athletics: https://athensredhawksathletics.com/

Troy High Athletics: https://www.troycoltsathletics.com/

Facebook Links:

Troy High: https://www.facebook.com/troyhighathleticboosters

Athens: https://www.facebook.com/AthensBoosters

Congratulations to Troy Athens junior Anna Holt, who participated in the Sutton Foster Awards at the Wharton Center in May, and has been selected to perform with Sutton Foster during her concert at the Wharton Center on October 3. Anna was nominated as Outstanding Performer in a Leading Role for her performance as Cosette in Les Miserables.

A Broadway megastar (and Troy High alumna), Sutton Foster is a Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer whose Broadway credits include starring roles in Once Upon a Mattress, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Music Man, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anything Goes, Shrek, Young Frankenstein, Little Women, and Les Misérables, among many other theatrical roles.

A Michigan native and Troy High alumna, don't miss the chance to see Sutton Foster when she returns to her home state for an unforgettable night of songs. Tickets are available for the concert here.

• Tues., Oct. 6 - Board of Education Workshop, 6 p.m., TSD Administration Building Board Room
• Thurs. & Fri., Oct 8 & 9, 1/2 Day for PK - 12, Conferences
• Tues., Oct 20 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., TSD Services Building Board Room
  
  

You can access the full TSD Calendar for the 26-27 school year on our website.

To view recordings of past school board meetings and workshops, visit the Board of Education page on our website and scroll to the section labeled "Videos".

Oakland County students in grades 6-12 are invited to express interest in joining Oakland Schools' Student AI Advisory Council.

The council will give students a chance to talk honestly about how artificial intelligence shows up in their lives, explore the questions and challenges surrounding the technology, and help shape the future of AI in schools across Oakland County.

No experience with AI is needed. Oakland Schools is seeking students with a wide range of perspectives, including those who use AI frequently, occasionally, or not at all.

All meetings will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

· Monday, Nov. 16, 2026.

· Monday, Jan. 25, 2027 (*virtual meeting).

· Monday, March 1, 2027.

· Monday, April 26, 2027.

In-person meetings will be held at:

Oakland Schools Main Campus

2111 Pontiac Lake Road

Waterford, MI 48328

Please share this opportunity with eligible students, families, educators, and others in your network.

Students who express interest should be prepared to participate in all four meetings.

Interested students may complete the Student AI Advisory Council interest form by Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.