The Baker Blast

We are thrilled to share how exciting the first two weeks of school have been! The energy across our campus has been incredible as students settle into their routines and begin building strong connections with their teachers and peers.

Our staff has been equally engaged, participating in professional learning, diving into initial assessments, and getting to know each student’s unique strengths. This important work is helping us identify the supports needed to ensure every child thrives this year.

It’s been a joyful and productive start, and we’re confident that this momentum will carry us into an amazing school year ahead. We’re especially looking forward to seeing you at Curriculum Night, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet our dedicated teachers and learn more about what’s ahead in your child’s learning journey.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Here's to a fantastic year together!

You are invited to our annual Troy School District Middle School Curriculum Night. This event is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn more about the academic programs and educational activities that your student will be involved in this year.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

During Curriculum Night, you'll have the chance to meet your student's teachers, explore the curriculum, and understand the expectations for our learning environment. We'll also provide insights into our educational goals and how we can work together to support our students' success.

Whether you're a returning family or new to our school, we encourage everyone to attend. Your involvement is key to creating a vibrant and supportive learning environment for our students.

Please mark your calendars! We can't wait to see you there!

If your student was unable to have their picture taken during schedule pick-up, they will have access to our photographers during Picture Make-Up Day on September 12th.

• Please fill out the form below to order pictures for your student. All students will take a picture and receive a school ID. These pictures will be used in our yearbook and Powerschool data base.

• Picture Retakes are scheduled for Tuesday, October 28th
  

As you may know, the State Legislature is required by law to approve a K–12 funding budget by July 1 each year. This deadline ensures that school districts can plan responsibly for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, this year’s deadline has passed without an agreement, and we are now facing the possibility of a government shutdown on September 30, the final day of the State’s fiscal year.

Such a shutdown could delay critical funding that our schools rely on to operate daily. While some reports suggest schools may receive increased funding, this proposal would eliminate categorical funding that supports essential programs for students and families in Troy. These include:

• Mental health services
• School safety initiatives
• Literacy resources
• Free meals for students

Currently, we are operating under the Michigan School Meals Program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students. This program is funded through September 2025, but its future beyond that remains uncertain as lawmakers continue to negotiate the 2026 education budget.

In light of these uncertainties, we encourage all families to stay informed and prepared for the future. One way to do this is by familiarizing yourself with SchoolPay, our secure payment platform for things like field trips, media fines, and iPad insurance.

SchoolPay can be accessed through the TSD website or the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Please note that Food Services payments are handled separately through MySchoolBucks. See the step-by-step instructions on accessing SchoolPay and MySchoolBucks below.

The 25-26 Annual iPad Insurance window is open. Please be sure to opt in at the beginning of the school year. The form and ability to opt-in for insurance will close on October 31st.

New Students Troy

New students are scheduled to receive their iPad at their school during the first two weeks of school.

Insurance may be purchased in your PowerSchool Parent Portal. For more information regarding the optional iPad insurance, please visit our website.

We are currently in the process of finalizing the list of clubs that we are running this year and confirming the club staff sponsors for each of the clubs. This process occurs during the first 3 weeks of school. In the coming days we will publish the 2025-2026 Baker Middle School Club Guidebook and send it out in an independent School Messenger communication. We will also share club information with students during the school day.

Clubs are open to 6, 7, & 8 grade students. Participants in clubs are required to pay a one-time $50 club fee. Payments will be made using SchoolPay. Making this one-time payment provides unlimited access to all clubs for the entire school year. Making the payment early in the year will provide your student access to try a variety of different activities.

We encourage students to participate in extra-curricular activities. Joining a club can hone communication skills, foster creative thinking, and teach students how to work effectively with other people. Engaging in activities outside of school will allow students to develop time-management skills while exploring interests and identifying their talents.

TSD uses Schoology for grades 6-12. It is a learning management system (LMS) that offers course management, mobile learning, and a communications hub, all in one integrated platform. ​

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Parents can gain access by:

Step 1: Locate Access Code in PowerSchool ​

Step 2: Create Schoology Parent Account ​

Step 3: Sign into your Parent Schoology ​

Step 4: Associate Other Students with Your Account (Each of your students)​

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There are two ways to log into Schoology as a parent - mobile app or webpage.

Students access Schoology differently than parents.

Baker families thank you for driving safely and following our Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures. As we return to another amazing school year, I would like to remind our returning families and inform our new families of our Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures. Please follow these guidelines at all times and keep in mind the safety of our staff and students.

DROP-OFF & PICK-UP PROCEDURES

• Student may be dropped off at the main entrance starting at 7:30 am.
• Students must wait in the main entrance foyer outside the main office.
• Students will be allowed to enter the interior of the building at 7:45 am.
• Parents dropping off are asked to use the main entrance drop off loop.
• Please pull as far forward as possible.
• Adults should stay in the car.
• Please encourage students to exit your car quickly and safely (from the right side of the car only).
• Please stay behind the car in front of you and wait patiently.
• Please do NOT park in the staff parking spaces
• Parents are NOT allowed to use the bus loop to drop off or pick up students.
• Students are dismissed at 3:05 pm.
• If you are picking up your student before 3:05 pm, please call ahead or go into the main office to sign them out.

While we encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities, they are not offered every day. Please note the following: Boys & Girls Club of Troy offers after school programing.

•Busing is provided from Baker to Boys & Girls Club.

All bus routes are now available in PowerSchool!

Please log into your parent portal using the following link and click on the school bus icon to view your student's bus stop location, pick-up and drop-off times. If you have any issues, please reach out to transportation.

PowerSchool Parent Portal Link

TSD Transportation Link

ATTENDANCE HOTLINE (248) 823-4601

Research shows that there is a strong relationship between regular school attendance and academic performance. Students who attend their classes daily and arrive on time increase their opportunities to maximize their learning potential. If your student is going to be absent or arriving late, please notify the school using our attendance hotline (248) 823-4601. If your student is out with an illness and you have a doctor's note, please bring it to school and give it to our attendance secretary. This will allow us to update our records and accurately document excused absences.

TSD ATTENDANCE POLICY

Tardiness – Students are expected to arrive on time to all classes. Students who arrive within five minutes after the start of class will be marked tardy to the class. Students who arrive more than five minutes late must report to the main office and will receive an unexcused tardy. Students are afforded 3 tardies per class per secondary marking period without penalty. Subsequent tardies in any will prompt the assignment of a detention. Ongoing tardiness shall cause additional disciplinary action.

Absences – Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. Excused absences include mandatory court appearance, chronic/serious illness, religious observances, family bereavement, school-sponsored field trip/activity, school suspension, or other reasons approved by a building administrator. For an absence to be excused, a parent must call the attendance office to notify the school of the absence within 24 hours of the absence.

If an absence is unexcused, students may not be permitted to make up the work missed or due during that period (this includes missed assessments/tests, labs, presentations, or other assignments). Any absence that is not excused within 24 hours of the absence, it will remain an unexcused absence.

Long-term absences, more than 5 days, must be prearranged and approved one week in advance through the submission of an Extended Absence form available in each school’s main office.

Long-term absences and chronic absences have a negative impact on student achievement. Many classroom experiences are not able to be recreated (discussions, lab work, group assignments) and can negatively impact a student’s grade.

Baker Families we need your assistance!

We can’t deny the fact that we now live in a Digital Age where students have access to cellphones and they pretty much never put them down. Of course, we understand how comforting and convenient it is to have a cell phone at school. However, we have seen negative impacts to the learning environment when students bring them to class and violate the cell phone policy.

The enforcement of the cell phone policy is necessary to maintain positive outcomes within our school setting. Cell phones should be stored in lockers or out of sight. Use of cell phones during the school day is a violation of the TSD Code of Conduct. Please speak with your student about complying with our policy.

TSD MIDDLE SCHOOL CELL PHONE POLICY

Middle School Guidelines

• Cell phones and personal technology may not be used during the school day and must remain out of sight until the end of the school day; this includes passing time and lunch. Students should store their technology in their lockers.
• Personal cell phones may be used in the main office.

In order to build a positive learning environment and reduce distractions for all students, we are committed to the following:

• Cell phones, air pods, and other electronic devices are permitted in the building but must be put away before the school day begins.
• In order to reduce distractions throughout the day, cell phones should be stored throughout the school day and remain out of sight.
• Phones should not be visible throughout the school day.
• Phone use is not permitted during the school day; this includes passing time and during lunch.
• If students need to use technology within the classroom, they will use district issued iPads.
• Students are permitted to use the school phone or their own phone in the main office.
• If families need to contact students during the school day, they should call the main office; messages can be delivered, or students can be called out of class when needed.

Violations of the Cell Phone Policy will result in the following:

• 1st offense: Phone is taken to the main office; student may pick up phone at the end of the day from office
• 2nd offense: Phone call home & parent must pick up phone from office
• 3rd offense: Parent pickup & additional disciplinary actions

Baker Families, as you are aware, the state is providing FREE lunches to all students. If you and your student decide to opt out of the free lunch program, please be sure to send their alternative food with them in the morning. We DO NOT allow food deliveries to come to the Main Office. If there is an emergency or an issue related to a medical or diabetic need, please contact the main office (248) 823-4600.

Lunch is only 25 minutes long and it is a transition time for our office staff, as they take their scheduled lunches. There is not the capacity to facilitate individual food deliveries to the cafeteria in a timely manner. Thank you for your assistance in helping us manage the regular assigned tasks for the office administrative assistant team.

All students in grades 7 - 12 who plan to play a school sport are required to get a sports physical for the 2025 -2026 school year. Prior to getting a physical, please do the following:

1. Update/verify all information in Final Forms

2. Print the physical form, populated with your child’s information right from Final Forms

3. Take the physical form with you to the physical exam

4. Once the physical exam is completed and the form is signed by a doctor, either upload the completed physical form directly into Final Forms or turn in the hard copy to your coach/school.

PARENTS NEW TO FINAL FORMS: The Parent Playbook provides information on registering. If you require any support during this process, scroll to the bottom and click “Use Support”.

The Bob shop is a small shop located in the cafeteria that sells candy, school supplies and small locker novelties. According to the kids it's their favorite place to shop. So for us to put smiles on these kids faces we are asking you to please consider signing up as a shopkeeper.

The bob shop runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11am-2pm and we ask for 2 volunteers each day. Kids are excited, so please help us deliver on another successful year as this only benefits our children. Please use link below to donate your time!

TSD expects that all students will dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or for any school sponsored event. Student dress choices should respect the District’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The school district is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student.

1. Basic Principle/Students Must Wear:

• A Shirt (with opaque fabric – not see through material - in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms as well as some form of shoulder strap) AND
  
• Bottoms (made of opaque material) including pants/jeans or the equivalent (ie. skirt, sweatpants, leggings, dress, shorts) AND
  
• Shoes
  

*Courses that include attire as part of the curriculum (for example, professionalism, public speaking, and job readiness) may include assignment-specific dress but should not focus on covering bodies in a particular way or promoting culturally-specific attire. Activity-specific or course-specific shoes requirements are permitted (i.e. athletic shoes for physical education or recess, closed toe shoes for science, labs, industrial arts, etc.).

2. Students May Wear, as long as these items do not violate above:

• Hats, hooded sweatshirts, and other head coverings: must allow the student’s face to be visible to staff and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff
  
• Fitted pants
  
• Ripped jeans
  
• Tank tops (including spaghetti straps, halter tops, etc)
  
• Athletic attire
  
• Visible waistbands on undergarments or visible straps on undergarments worn under other clothing
  

3. Students Cannot Wear:

• Violent language or images
  
• Images or language depicting/suggesting drugs, alcohol, vaping or paraphernalia (or any illegal item or activity)
  
• Body armor, tactical gear, or facsimile
  
• Hate speech, profanity, pornography
  
• Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and visible straps are allowed)
  
• Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice)
  
• Accessories that could be considered dangerous, are replicas of weapons, or could be used as a weapon (ie. Chains, handcuffs, or other metal accessories that might be dangerous)
• Any item that obscures the face (except as a religious observance or as personal protective equipment (PPE) (ie. medical face masks); hats, hooded sweatshirts, and other head coverings are permitted but must allow the student’s face to be visible to staff and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff

Join Troy Youth Assistance for The Magic of Hope on October 8 at 7 p.m. in the Troy High Auditorium. Please note this event is intended for middle and high school students and their families. Seats are limited, so register for this free event today!