Martell Monitor

We are excited to share that beginning November 4, our fifth-grade students will participate in Defeat the Label's Elementary Upstander Program! Students will participate in one lesson each week for six weeks, focusing on building positive relationships and creating a school community where everyone feels safe, valued, and included.

The Upstander Program goes beyond simply teaching students to "be kind." Through engaging lessons and meaningful conversations, students will explore empathy, inclusion, friendship, conflict resolution, and the impact their words and actions have on others. Students will also learn how to stand up for others, respond when someone is treated unfairly, and recognize when to seek help from a trusted adult.

This program aligns beautifully with our Martell MINDSET, which encourages students to develop positive character traits through their everyday choices and actions.

We are also excited to share that our Mustangs have begun reciting the Martell Pledge together each day! This daily tradition brings our school community together and reinforces what it means to be a Martell Mustang. Our pledge highlights the positive choices, actions, and character traits we are practicing each day.

Our Martell MINDSET focuses on seven important character traits:

M – Make Good Choices: Mindfulness
I – Include Everyone: Acceptance
N – Never Give Up: Perseverance
D – Do the Right Thing: Integrity
S – Show Respect: Kindness
E – Encourage Others: Empathy
T – Take Ownership: Responsibility

Through our daily pledge, classroom conversations, and opportunities like the Upstander Program, we are helping students understand that character is not just something we talk about, it is something we demonstrate through our words, actions, and choices every day.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home! Ask your child how they demonstrated our Martell MINDSET during the school day or how they helped someone feel included, supported, or valued.

Together, we are building a community of Mustangs who make positive choices, lift one another up, celebrate differences, and help make Martell a place where everyone belongs!

Best,

Colette

English Language Development (ELD) Family Guide

At Martell, we celebrate the many languages and cultures that make our school community special! Troy School District has created a helpful guide for families whose children are learning English. The guide explains how our schools help students grow their English language skills while supporting their learning in the classroom. We invite you to explore this resource and learn more about the support available for your child.

Click here to explore the ELD Family Guide!

Halloween Costumes, Parade and Parties

We are excited to celebrate Halloween together at Martell! On Thursday, October 29, all Martell students and staff will enjoy our annual outdoor Halloween costume parade, followed by classroom celebrations.

Parents and guests are welcome to join us outdoors to view the parade, which will begin at 1:45 p.m. This has become a fun Martell tradition that our students, staff, and families look forward to each year! Students will exit through the main entrance and parade around the pick-up circle.

We encourage students to bring their costumes to school and change before the parade. As we plan for a fun and festive celebration, we also want to make sure Halloween remains comfortable and enjoyable for all of our Mustangs, especially our youngest students.

Please keep the following costume guidelines in mind:

Costumes must be age-appropriate for elementary school.
Costumes should not make fun of or negatively represent real people, human characteristics, or cultures.
Please consider whether scary costumes are appropriate for young elementary-aged children.
Historical costumes should be respectful and accurately represented.
Toy or replica weapons are not permitted at school under any circumstances. This includes toy guns, knives, swords, or other weapons. Hockey sticks, baseball bats, and similar sports equipment should also remain at home due to safety concerns.
Costume masks are permitted as long as students can see clearly while wearing them. Please avoid costumes that include fake blood, gore, or other elements that may be frightening to younger students.

Last call! We want to hear from YOU!

As we work together to shape the future of the Troy School District, your voice matters! If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to complete our Strategic Planning Survey. Your feedback will help guide our priorities, build upon our strengths, and ensure we continue providing exceptional opportunities for all students.

The anonymous survey closes Monday, October 19, so don't miss your opportunity to be heard!

Click here to complete the Strategic Planning Survey

Thank you for helping shape the future of OneTroy!

Message from the Martell PTO

Thank you to everyone who came out to the October PTO meeting. It’s wonderful to see engaged families and all the great questions for Dan Trudel, who presented the District update. Missed the meeting? Meeting Minutes will be posted on the website soon: Martell PTO - Martell Elementary

We’re looking forward to more fun October events:

Trunk or Treat – October 21: Sign up to do a trunk: PTO: Martell's Trunk or Treat! Candy will be provided. Please arrive between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM if you wish to decorate. Event begins at 6:00 PM Wednesday October 21st

Reminder to send in candy or contribute via our wish list: Amazon.com

Order your Boo Grams: Mustang Boo Grams

Stay Connected!

Email us anytime: martellpto.contact@gmail.com

Our Facebook Page

must have a Facebook account and join the group - request access now!

Feeling like you’ve seen a lot of QR codes from the PTO? Check out this link for a one-stop spot for all the different ways to stay in the loop and involved: https://beacons.ai/martell_pto

Trunk or Treat

Trunk or Treat Trunk Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AADAF29A4F5C61-66189715-martells#/

Trunk or Treat Amazon Wish List Link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SEFJAR7DH7J4/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex?

BOO Grams

Picture Retake/Make Up Day

Yearbook Candid Photos Needed

PTO Calendar of Events

High School Student Tutors

Career Readiness, Grades K-5

Dear Troy School District Families,

Career readiness begins much earlier than most families realize. Research shows that children start forming ideas about “what people like me can be” by age seven — and without intentional, positive exposure to a wide range of careers, those ideas can be shaped by stereotypes rather than possibility. That’s why Troy School District begins career readiness in kindergarten, not high school. Our goal in the elementary years is simple: help every child discover the incredible range of careers available to them, build the vocabulary to talk about their interests and strengths, and see the connection between what they are learning in the classroom today and the opportunities available to them tomorrow.

What Career Readiness Looks Like in Grades K–5

At the elementary level, career readiness is not about choosing a job — it’s about awareness. Students learn career-related vocabulary, explore how core subjects like reading, math, and science connect to real careers, and are introduced to people and professions they may not otherwise encounter. This early foundation sets the stage for the more in-depth career exploration and planning students will do in middle and high school.

Introducing Michigan’s Six Career Zones

To make the world of work easier for young learners to understand, Troy elementary students are introduced to Michigan’s Six Career Zones — broad groupings of careers that share similar interests, strengths, and skills. Thinking in terms of “zones” rather than hundreds of individual job titles helps children recognize patterns in what excites them and gives teachers and families a shared language for talking about careers at any age.

Arts & Communication

Careers in the visual and performing arts, literature, journalism, and media — from graphic designers and musicians to authors and broadcasters.

Business, Management, Marketing & Technology

Careers in accounting, business administration, finance, information technology, and marketing — the people who help organizations run and grow.

Engineering/Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

Careers that design, build, install, and maintain the products, machines, and systems we use every day, from bridges to robotics.

Health Sciences

Careers focused on promoting wellness and treating illness and injury — doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians, and many more.

Human Services

Careers that help people and communities thrive, including early childhood education, teaching, social work, public safety, and hospitality.

Natural Resources & Agriscience

Careers connected to agriculture, the environment, and natural resources — from farmers and veterinarians to conservation scientists.

Exploring the Career Zones with Pathful Junior

Troy School District uses Pathful Junior, an online career-awareness platform built specifically for K–5 students, to bring the Six Career Zones to life. Pathful Junior is colorful, interactive, and designed to be developmentally appropriate at every grade band. In it, students can:

Visit Career Central to independently browse careers that interest them

Watch short, kid-friendly cluster videos introducing different careers and career zones

Complete teacher-assigned lessons that combine videos, games, and familiar characters

Take a first interest survey that begins to connect their personal interests to career zones

Earn badges and track their exploration on a student dashboard

The platform is fully accessible and available in more than 50 languages, so every student — regardless of learning style or home language — can take part.

How You Can Support Career Readiness at Home

Families are one of the most powerful influences on how children see their future. A few simple ways to keep the conversation going at home:

Ask your child what career zone(s) they explored in Pathful Junior as the school year progresses

Talk about your own job or the jobs of family members, and how they connect to a career zone.

Point out careers you encounter together in everyday life — at the grocery store, the doctor’s office, or on a walk around the neighborhood

Encourage curiosity rather than a single “right answer” — at this age, the goal is exposure, not decision-making

Thank you for partnering with us to help every Troy student build a strong foundation for their future.

Fall Enrichment Classes

End of Day Pick-up

To help keep dismissal safe, efficient, and moving smoothly, we highly encourage families picking up by vehicle to use the designated pick-up lanes and avoid the side parking lot. Cars entering and exiting the side lot create an additional layer of congestion during an already busy dismissal time.

A few reminders to help keep traffic flowing:

Pull forward as far as possible behind the vehicle in front of you so we can accommodate as many cars as possible.
If using the left lane, please continue all the way to the front before merging.
Please do not attempt to merge two or three cars back from the front of the line, as this can slow the flow of traffic for everyone.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work together to keep our Martell Mustangs safe at dismissal!

Changes to Your Child's Dismissal Plan

If your child's pick up will be different than normal, please ALWAYS send a note to your child’s teacher Red Communication Folder.

Please do NOT rely on email to a teacher. Teachers are teaching during the day, and sometimes cannot get back to their computer if it's a late message! We do not want to miss a dismissal message.

We will not vary your child’s end of the day routine unless we have a note from you.

Should you have same day changes and need to modify your child's dismissal plan, please call the office before 2:30 p.m.

Volunteer Guidelines

The Troy School District values those who volunteer in our classrooms and schools. If a volunteer will be with students for a significant length of time without a TSD employee being present, or will be with students on a regular basis, that volunteer is required to have a Michigan State Police Internet Criminal History Access Tool (I-CHAT) screening annually. All results will remain confidential and will only be used by the TSD administration to determine if you have been convicted of an offense that would otherwise prohibit you from working in our schools.

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2025 New Volunteer Background Check Form 6 11 24 (1).pdf

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Medication

If your child requires any kind of medication either over the counter or prescribed, you will need to fill out a medical form and have it signed by your physician.

If your child has a severe medical condition, please turn in this form and the medication prior to the first day of school.

All medication must be brought into school by an adult.

Below is a link to the forms you will need.

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TSDMedicationAuthorizationForm52222 (1).pdf