Martell Monitor

October 24: Troy Fitness Run- 5th Grade

October 27: Chipotle Dining Out Night Fundraiser (5322 Crooks Rd, Troy)- See flyer below

October 28: Picture Retake/Make-Up Day

October 29: Halloween Parade, 1:45 p.m.

October 29: Halloween Parties: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

November 9: Family Pictures: Winter Photoshoot- See flyer below

November 20: Exotic Zoo Assembly (during school hours-students only)

Dear Martell Families,

What an incredible evening we had at our annual Trunk or Treat! A HUGE thank you to Erin and Mary for organizing such an outstanding event! The creativity, enthusiasm, and effort our Martell families put into decorating their trunks were absolutely amazing. What an outstanding display of school spirit and community involvement!

This year, the planning committee added games to the festivities, and our Mustangs had an absolute blast! Thank you to everyone who decorated a trunk, volunteered, donated candy, or joined us for the fun. Events like these are a wonderful reminder of what makes our Martell community so special!

Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties – Thursday, October 29

Next week, we will continue the Halloween fun with our annual all-school Halloween Parade and classroom celebrations!

• Halloween Parade: 1:45 p.m.

• Classroom Parties: 2:00–3:00 p.m.

NEW PARADE ROUTE THIS YEAR!

This year, our students will parade around the outside perimeter of our school, rather than just around the front pickup circle.

Families are invited to line the blacktop and sidewalks around the entire outside perimeter of our school to enjoy the parade. We encourage everyone to spread out along the route so there is plenty of room for all families to see their Mustangs!

Please leave a clear pathway for our students and staff to walk safely along the parade route.

We look forward to seeing all of the creative costumes and celebrating together! As a reminder, students should bring their costumes to school and change before the parade. Costumes should be school-appropriate, and toy weapons are not permitted.

Thank you for helping make Martell a place where every Mustang feels welcomed, valued, and connected. Together, we are living the Martell MINDSET!

Have a great weekend!

Colette

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:

1. Costumes must be age-appropriate for elementary school.
2. Costumes should not make fun of or negatively represent real people, human characteristics, or cultures.
3. Please consider whether scary costumes are appropriate for young elementary-aged children.
4. Historical costumes should be respectful and accurately represented.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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!

What an amazing turnout for Trunk or Treat this year! Thank you to our chairs, Mary Parks and Erin Johnson, and ALL of the volunteers who made the event such a success!! We hope you all enjoyed the fun games (special thank you to Erin Johnson’s Dad for building them for us!), along with seeing all of the amazing trunks!! Every trunk was truly amazing - thank you for all of the efforts put into your displays! Thanks to all those who voted, as well - the winners from each category (pictures are on our Facebook page!):

• Best Trunk: Haunted Mansion Walk Through by the Schueller Family

• Spookiest Trunk: Rotten Candy by the Hudson Family

• Funniest Trunk: tie between Panda-monium by the Cate Family and Costco by the Becker Family

Remember to add your photos from the event to our Yearbook picture site (see the attached Yearbook Photos flyer).

We’re excited for the Halloween Parade and Class Parties next Thursday, starting at 1:45pm. Then a reminder there is no school on Friday, October 30.

Stay Connected!

Email us anytime: martellpto.contact@gmail.com

Our Facebook Page

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.

Dear Troy School District Families,

For many years, Troy School District has used SchoolMessenger to send important communications to families by email, phone, and SMS text message. Over time, the process for opting in to receive SMS text messages has changed.

During the month of October, we are asking families who would like to receive text messages from the district and our schools to text the word YES to 67587.

If you currently receive text messages from Troy School District or your child’s school, you are already opted in and do not need to take any action. If you have more than one phone number in your household that you would like to receive text messages, each phone number must opt in separately by texting YES to 67587. After texting YES to 67587, you will receive an automated message from SchoolMessenger confirming that your phone number is registered to receive text notifications.

In late October, we will connect the phone numbers we have on file with the SchoolMessenger SMS text messaging system. At that time, if you have a mobile phone number on file that has not already opted in, you will receive an automated text message inviting you to reply to opt in. We will send a follow-up email before that automated message is sent and will include reminders in the district newsletter throughout October. For additional information about SchoolMessenger text messaging, including instructions for opting in and opting out, please see the attached flyer.

Text Messaging Opt In Flyer

An online student directory will be available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal starting November 2nd. The information in the online directory will include student and parent names, addresses, phone numbers and email. It will ONLY be accessible to parents and students enrolled at that particular school (i.e. Barnard families will be the only ones who can see the Barnard directory).

If you do want your child’s information to be included in the online directory, you do not have to do anything.

However, if you do NOT want your child’s information to be included, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows you the opportunity to opt out.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) authorizes schools to disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, and telephone number. However, schools must give parents:

• general notice of the information designated as "directory information"

• the right to opt out of these disclosures

• and the period of time they have to notify the school of their desire to opt out

Below are directions to opt out of the online student directory for your child.

1. Log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://ps.troy.k12.mi.us

2. Click Student Directory (left side menu)

3. Select any of the available rows with checkboxes to hide from the directory.

4. To opt out completely, put a checkmark next to Remove from student directory. This option will override any choice made on individual line items.

5. Click Submit

Note: After publication of the student directory, parents are able to print or save the directory for themselves. Opting out of the directory after publication will not remove your information from older printed/saved copies kept by other parents.

If you do not have a login for the PowerSchool parent portal or you need assistance with logging in, please send an email to pssupport@troy.k12.mi.us

Thank you,

Troy School District

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!

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.

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.

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.

Principal: Colette Ivey: civey@troy.k12.mi.us

Secretary to the Principal: Jill Gentner jlgentner@troy.k12.mi.us

Secretary for Records and Attendance:

Staff emails: First initial, full last name @troy.k12.mi.us

Martell Office Main Line

248-823-3800

Martell Attendance Line

248-823-3801

Martell Office Hours

8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.