Troy High School

I hope this fall season finds you and your family well. The school year is off to a vibrant start, and I’m especially proud of our LEAP program in its second year, which continues to make the transition to high school smoother and more supportive for the Class of 2029. With September behind us, we’re looking forward to many more exciting months ahead.

We have already seen some incredible achievements this year. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked us the #1 traditional non-application high school in Michigan, and NICHE placed us at #2 among all traditional public high schools statewide, and MoneyInc puts us as the number one public high school in the great State of Michigan—an outstanding recognition of our community’s hard work and excellence.

We are thrilled to announce a record-breaking 41 National Merit Semifinalists this year—This is a testament to the academic strength and dedication of our students and staff. Additionally, we continue to grow our newer SME high-tech lab, made possible through a competitive state grant awarded to just 16 schools, that is already enhancing hands-on learning and innovation.

We are also making strides in our Character work in becoming an official School of Character. Our emphasis on resilience, responsibility, empathy, and kindness is shaping a culture that empowers students not only academically but personally. Combined with our diverse and rigorous course offerings, these values give our students a distinct edge in whatever path they pursue.

What truly sets us apart is the unwavering grit, passion, and drive of our community—what we proudly call PURE COLT DETERMINATION. It is more than a motto; it’s the spirit that defines us.

Wishing you a wonderful October! Be sure to stay connected and follow our journey on Twitter: @troy_colts, @Troy__Athletics, and @RAReducation.

Dear High School Families,

As our students continue their educational journey, the Troy School District is committed to preparing them for success after graduation through our Career Readiness program. Career readiness is about more than choosing a career—it’s about equipping students with the knowledge, experiences, and skills they need to pursue their goals with confidence, whether in college, the workforce, or the military.

In elementary school, students began with Career Awareness, exploring the wide variety of careers in the world around them. In middle school, they moved into Career Exploration, connecting their interests and skills to possible career pathways. Now, in high school, students are engaged in Career Preparation, where they actively plan for their future.

Through high school experiences, students will have opportunities to:

1. Develop and refine their Educational Development Plan (EDP) using Xello
2. Take specialized courses and electives that align with their career interests
3. Participate in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that offer hands-on learning in high-demand fields
4. Engage in work-based learning opportunities such as job shadows, internships, and cooperative education experiences
5. Explore college and career options through counseling, career fairs, and postsecondary partnerships

Xello continues to be an important tool during this phase. Students use it to track their interests, set academic and career goals, build résumés, and research colleges, training programs, and career pathways. Their EDP in Xello serves as a roadmap, helping them make informed decisions about courses, programs, and postsecondary plans.

We encourage you to talk with your child about their goals, review their EDP in Xello together, and help them take advantage of the many opportunities available in high school to prepare for life after graduation.

For more information, resources, and updates on career readiness in the Troy School District, please visit our Career Readiness Website.

Together, we can help every student graduate ready to create a future that reflects their passions and aspirations.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 9th from 12:30-3:30 p.m. and 5:00-8:00 p.m., and Friday, October 10th from 12:30-3:30pm. For this round of conferences, we will again be utilizing sign-up procedures like those we used in the past and those used at other schools in OneTROY. Parents will sign up for individual sessions with teachers.

Here are the details:

· Due to the limited availability of appointment slots, please do not feel obligated to sign up for a conference if you do not feel it is necessary.

· Parents will meet with teachers in person for all 3 sessions.

· Parents will sign up for conferences with individual teachers using the SchoolSoft Conference Manager. No walk-ins will be available. Please visit https://troyhs.schoolsoft.com/. If it’s your first time visiting the site, click “REGISTER NOW.” Once you create an account, you will be able to select the teachers with whom you’d like to meet. Other schools in the district use the same software, so if you used the software at another school, you won’t need to register again. You may simply log in and select your teachers.

· Sign up started on Monday, September 22nd at 8:00 a.m. and goes through Thursday, October 9th at 9:00 a.m.

· If you are unable to schedule an appointment for conferences, please know that teachers are available to communicate via Schoology or email about your student’s progress in class.

Other noteworthy information:

· Conferences are five minutes each to allow for teachers to see as many parents as possible.

· Please be courteous and conscientious of this when meeting with teachers because the timing of your conference will impact future appointments.

· Please allow at least five minutes between teachers so that you have time to get to your next teacher.

· Please have your conference schedule and/or take a picture of it with your phone so you have that information when you are working through conferences with Troy High teachers.

· Counselors and social workers will also be available for appointments for the conference session.

College Applications

Counselors have been meeting individually with seniors to assist with the college application process and answer questions. Parents can view the College Application Process Handout on the counseling website along with videos from both U of M and MSU admissions. Documents regarding transcripts, scholarships, college visits, application directions, etc. are all posted to the Class of 2026 course page in Schoology. Students should be aware that much of the college application process is time sensitive. The components of the application include the following: application, transcript, standardized test scores (only if required), letters of recommendation (only if required) and essays (only if required). All components must be received by the university before an application will be considered complete and the components can arrive in any order. For current seniors, some universities might be “test optional” with regards to standardized test scores and allowing for self-reporting. Students should carefully review each university’s requirements to make sure their applications are complete, and all information is received by each school’s deadline.

Transcripts for Seniors

Official transcripts must be sent to colleges as part of the college application process. Students must request transcripts to be sent through www.parchment.com . All students should have created a Parchment account during counselor senior presentations and senior meetings. Please see Mrs. Shallcross in the counseling office for any Parchment questions. When students are applying through Common App, counselors will upload transcripts to the student’s Common App account. Students should make this request as soon as possible (providing a minimum of two weeks’ notice) to ensure processing for transcript request and counselors have enough time to complete a detailed and thoughtful evaluation. Students applying via the Common App for a November 1st deadline should invite their recommenders at least by October 15th, but hopefully much sooner.

College Representatives

College representatives from around the country are visiting Troy High to meet with students this fall. Mrs. Shallcross regularly posts the dates, times, and zoom information to Schoology. This is a great way for students to learn more about universities and their programs and to establish early interest with college reps. All THS students should take advantage of this great opportunity! Students in grades 10-12 are welcome to attend during lunch and after school.

AP Exams

Reminder! AP exam payments MUST be paid by November 3rd to Total Registration in order for students to receive an AP exam and students must be enrolled in their courses through College Board. Please see the flyer for links, instructions, and dates.

*For students enrolled in semester long AP classes that do not begin until second semester, you will obtain your join code in order to be able to make a payment during second semester without penalty.

We are pleased to announce that 41 Troy High School seniors have been designated as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. These students scored in the top 1% in Michigan on the PSAT test last fall. Semifinalists have the opportunity to advance to the next level in the competition to be awarded next spring.

Congratulations to the following students:

Hasmita Anil Kumar

Fatima Ateeq

Matthew Batke

Sumehra Darafzin

Aarush Das

Arnav Dighrasker

William Dong

Lana Fargaly

Atul Ganesh

Aryan Goswami

Anusha Gupta

Yeonjoon Ha

Kashifah Hossain

Ryeo-won Kim

Shlagha Kompelli

Aarush Kulkarni

Iniya Kumar

Ria Lattupalli

Seungheon Lee

Sophia Li

Abigail Losey

Jing-Yi Ma

Joel Mathew

Michael Molenda

Pratyush Neelakantan

Aayushi Parab

Kanghee Park

Sanjana Prabhu

Kristin Prakash

Hansini Ramini

Divya Sovani

Chinmay Sujith Nair

Julia Triculescu

Matthew Vijayasegar

Akein Weerakoon

Anthony Wu

Casey Xin

Jonathan Xu

Alice Yang

Angela Zhang

Eric Zhou

Wednesday

10/1/2025

University of Toledo

Wayne State

Friday

10/3/2025

University of Chicago

Northeastern

Monday

10/6/2025

U of M - Flint

Tuesday

10/7/2025

U of M – Dearborn

Baker

Wednesday

10/8/2025

NOVA - FL
Boston University

Saint Mary’s

Thursday

10/16/2025

CMU

Friday

10/17/2025

John Hopkins

Wednesday

10/22/2025

University of Roch – NY

Binghampton University

Thursday

10/23/2025

Adrian

Calvin

Friday

10/24/2025

Tiffin

Monday

10/27/2025

EMU

Wednesday

10/29/2025

Lawrence Tech

Thursday

10/30/2025

GVSU

Please see Schoology for College Visit updates

🎃 Troy Colt Bands – October Newsletter

Dear Colt Band Families,

October is always an exciting month for the Troy Colt Bands, and 2025 is no exception! With a 210-member marching band taking the field, our students are delivering incredible performances full of energy, music, and teamwork. Thank you to our families, alumni, and community supporters for showing up, cheering loudly, and helping our program thrive.

🌟 Marching Band Season Highlights

The Troy Colt Marching Band proudly presents this year’s show, “A Tale of Three Hearts.” With dazzling visuals, powerful music, and the dedication of 210 student performers, this production has already captured audiences at Sneak Preview, football games, and invitationals.

The support of our Colt families and the enthusiasm from the crowd have elevated every performance—thank you for being part of the journey!

📅 October Events – Save the Dates

• Monday, September 29 – One “Band-ed” Troy, Athens HS – 7:00 p.m.
  
  

• Wednesday, October 8 – MSBOA Marching Band Festival, 6:15–9:00 p.m.
  
  The TCMB is honored once again to host this prestigious event, welcoming area high school bands for adjudicated halftime performances.
  
  

• Friday, October 10 – Homecoming Parade & Game – Join us for this annual tradition of school spirit and music!
  
  

• Friday, October 24 – Home Game #5
  
  

• Thursday, October 30 – Colt Stampede – End-of-season indoor marching review & celebration, 7:00 p.m.
  

🎶 Looking Ahead

While football season winds down, our band students will soon be transitioning into concert ensembles and jazz season. Stay tuned for details in the November newsletter.

📸 Stay Connected

Missed a performance? Want to relive the magic?

Check out photos, videos, and updates at:

🌐 www.troycoltbands.org

📱 Facebook: @troycoltbands | Instagram: @troycoltbands | X: @officialtcbands

Thank you for your continued support of the Troy Colt Bands. Together, we are making this season unforgettable!

Go Colts! 🎺🥁🎶

The Troy High Orchestras have had a great start to the 25-26 season! We had 140 students attend our annual String Camp at Camp Copneconic in Fenton in September. Students had four rehearsals over the weekend, sectionals with Detroit Symphony members, enjoyed camp activities like a bonfire with s’mores, kayaking/canoeing, staying in cabins, performed skits for all at camp and concluded the weekend with a concert for friends and families.

We are proud to announce that on October 3rd, Troy High senior, Jisoo Park, will be performing the fourth movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra on their first concert of the season. Jisoo was selected last year as the winner of their Youth Artist Solo Competition. The concert starts at 7:30pm and will be held at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn.

We are looking forward to our Spooktacular concerts in October, featuring the amazing creativity of our Orchestras, performing music of the season and much more! The Spooktacular concert featuring all the Troy High Orchestras will be held on Tuesday, October 28 and on Wednesday, October 29, you can hear orchestras from Boulan Park and Smith Middle Schools, the Troy High Fiddlers and the Symphony Orchestra. All concerts start at 7:00pm in the Troy High Auditorium and are free of charge.

Looking ahead, the Troy High Orchestras’ Winter Concert will be held on December 2 at 7:00pm in the Troy High School Auditorium. The Winter Concert will again feature all of the Troy High Orchestras and the Troy Fiddlers, performing a variety of music, including many pieces celebrating the Holiday Season. There is no charge for this concert, but bring some cash for our December Bake Sale!

Cheer - Varsity Sideline

Jiayuan Du

Michelle Fedosseev

Selena Ghobrial

Isabella Hinostroza

Kayla Kaiser

Isabell Rodriguez

Gabriela Rodriguez

Kayleigh Trawick

Cheer - JV Sideline

Ava George

Adelaide Varner

Boys Cross Country

William Austin

Ojas Bangar

Rithvik Varma Chamarthi

Aayush Chaugule

Xuanlin Chen

Yanzhuo Chen

Isaac Clark

Arnav Dighrasker

Drew Dimitrijevski

Ziyaad Fareed

Christopher Gatto

Henry Gobler

Mithesh Raja Govindaraja

Caleb Hamilton

Kaiden Hammond

Ishaaq Hamzavi

Ethan Harkenrider

Ryan Huang

Quinton Hurd

Zaid Iftikhar

Surya Jeeda

Hayul Jeong

Siddharth Karthi

Krithin Karthikeyan

Alexander Klenczar

Asa Konwinski

Aaditya Kumar

Christopher Lair

Jeawon Lee

Seungheon Lee

Joseph Light

Ahaan Malhotra

Ethan McKinley

Rudolph Moussa

Sriram Naidu

Bhaavik Narayana

Pratyush Pawar

Udayan Ray

Anthony Salem

Seungyun Shin

Chinmay Sujith Nair

Yitao Sun

Abhinav Thummalapally

Liam Venable

Zizheng Wang

Jerry Wang

Henry Witt

Jack Witt

Jack Xu

Charles Zhang

Wilson Zhu

Girls Cross Country

Lauren Giroux

Morgan Glynn

Molly Gorman

Audrey Hamilton

Megan Hatto

Lauren Hatto

Eunah Kim

Erin Konwinski

Hailey Lan

Brianna Linville

Angela Liu

Praveena Matheswaran

Kashvi Mohan

Bhuvi Narkhede

Seawon Oh

Noilyn Perez Dylewski

Kristin Prakash

Ivy Qin

Esha Rudagi

Reshmi Senthil Kumar

Jyotsna Shivakumar

Elina Song

Norah Talarico

Tara Tallu

Erqing Xu

Jiaqi Zhong

Football - Varsity

Cameron Adams

Evan Baraiac

Nolan Belanger

Ryan Carruthers

Ryan Christensen

Peyton Cordes

Steven Dedvukaj

Advik Dogra

Dax Fegley

Cameron Gillespie

Blake Gould

Michael Helinski

Brendan Jaskulka

Patrick Johnson

Eric Kim

Dylan Kremhelmer

Theodore Moore III

Cole Oury

Anthony Piraino

Colin Smitka

Lucas Sumnar

Benjamin Ward

Joseph Yang

Football - JVA

Nathan Barauskas

Dominic Bert

Jatin Bhatia

Cole Carras-Restum

Jude Carras-Restum

Blake Gould

Aarav Gupta

Arnav Gupta

Ethan Heston

Jonah LaPado

Mert Savasan

Vaibhav Singh

Colin Smitka

James Ward

Golf - Girls Varsity

Kaitlin Bestul

Evalyn DeVisch

Una Domazet

Hayun Jeong

Madison Lan

Krisha Saparia

Eloise Taylor

Sophie Zhao

Golf - Girls JV

Una Domazet

Miranda Geisert

Hayun Jeong

Pujah Raj

Boys Soccer - Varsity

Ryam Ahmed

Mateo Coronado Blanco

Cole Cusmano

Faris Ibrahim

Nicholas Kamugunga

Noah Kamugunga

Subhaan Khan

Blake Kuiper

Jacob Liu

Hakim Mallah

Ameer Sandouk

Brendan Stewart

Austin Su

Bryce Weitzel

Boys Soccer - JVA

Mokshith Addala

Vedaanth Ashokkumar

Dominik Blackwell

Charles Giglio

Orestes Kaltsounis

Jozef Lulgjuraj

Lucas Marinello Mattiazzo

Daniel McManus

Edgar Movsesyan

Jaehoon Nam

Colson Newman

Henry Otterbacher

Anthony Roberts

Arin Soni

Vincent Spada

Nicholas Van Raemdonck

Boys Soccer - JVB

Nishad Bhide

Dylan D'Ambrosi

Joel Eapen

Xichen Yuan

Girls Swim & Dive

Livia Abdal

Zana Berishaj

Amber Choong

Vivienne Cremers

Ella Dangremond

Arkita Das

Sophia Deng

Elaina Diao

Sophie Hanoudi

Rachel Jose

Kaitlyn Kim

Ellie MacLean

Edy Mayotte

Yara Moussa

Dayana Ochoa Delgado

Kashvi Prabhakar

Elizabeth Qu

Mia Shin

Jayden Sparks

Isabel Thommana

Srikrithi Vemury

Beya Weslati

Katherine Williams

Olivia Wiseman

Jane Woo

Casey Xin

Boys Tennis - Varsity

Sourish Daruri

Quentin Gatto

Krish Gupta

Jesse Hao

Jonathan Jung

Raghav Karur

Vyom Kashi

Jyotiraditya Kashyap

Solmin Kim

Kyung Chan Kim

Neel Nagappala

Nikhil Nair

Varun Shetty

Zain Taqi

Nathan Wanstreet

Anthony Wu

Boys Tennis - Varsity B

Stanislav Barodka

Daniel Cho

William Dong

Aarav Doshi

Zachary Erdey

Sihyung Hwang

Gurjeev Jassal

Junghwan Kim

Peter Kwon

Paul Lei

Steven Li

Siddharth Manikandan

Joel Mathew

Swatit Nayak

Aditya Sheelvanth

Adarsh Singh

Aditya Srivastava

Rohan Sukumar

Advik Tatavarthi

Brian Zhang

Boys Tennis - JV

Tate Aaron

Pranay Venkat Gnana Desigan

Ayush Jaganath

Rudra Jariwala

Rushi Jariwala

Pranav Manivannan

Pranav Marivenkatesh

Anthony Nguyen

Anupan Rajkumar

Updeys Singh

Pratyush Verma

Christopher Winters

Matthew Yang

Girls Volleyball - Varsity

Maia Abbott

Keira Fox

Carly Higginbotham

Megan Hom

Emerson Moore

Anika Narisetty

Audrey Nelson

Victoria Olszewski

Kyleigh Peacock

Lyla Sieber

Amal Surti

Maci Zeiter

Girls Volleyball - JVA

Lily Bastien

Sophia Brown

Rania Hamada

Addison Horvath

Isabella Ishak

Aanya Khurana

Kayden Mahone

Alara Savasan

Lucy Spangler

Boys Water Polo

Rhys Cole

Kameron Hammond

Gabriel Krajewski

Rodrigo Vitor Matias

Karson Otto

Errikos Perakis

Ismail Shaheen

Evan Vivek

Troy High School Families,

Thank you to all the parents, teachers, and staff who attended our first PTO meeting of the year! Your presence and input help make our community stronger, and we are grateful for your support.

Troy High’s 75th Anniversary

This year marks Troy High School’s 75th Anniversary! What an incredible milestone for our school. How can the PTO help celebrate and make this year truly special? Share your thoughts—we’d love to hear your ideas. Please email us at TroyHighPTO@gmail.com to reach out.

New Teacher Liaison

We are excited to welcome Michelle Tedder as our new Teacher Liaison this year. Michelle will help us strengthen communication between the PTO and our wonderful teaching staff.

Fundraising Success & Priorities

Last year, thanks to your memberships and donations, we had strong fundraising success! These contributions made a meaningful impact, but we want to do even more this year. Our priority is to grow fundraising so we don’t have to turn down any funding requests from teachers, staff, or student groups. Every contribution—big or small—truly matters.

Fundraising Opportunities

Supporting the PTO is easy and makes a big impact:

● Kroger Rewards: Link your Kroger Plus card to Troy High School PTO.

●Employer Donation Match: Check if your employer matches charitable non-profit contributions.

PTO Annual Membership

Your membership helps strengthen the Troy High community! Below are suggested donation levels — but any amount you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

● Colt Level – $25
Community members and staff members

● Yearling Level – $50
Families with one child at THS

● Mustang Level – $100
Families with two–three children at THS

● Stallion Level – $200
Families with four or more children at THS OR those who wish to show extra support for THS PTO

Parent Input Needed

We want to bring in special guest speakers throughout the year to talk with parents about important topics. What would you like to learn more about? Please share your ideas so we can plan sessions that matter most to our families. Please email us at TroyHighPTO@gmail.com to reach out.

Welcoming New Students

This summer, Troy High welcomed 75 new students, many of them international. Let’s show them the warm Colt spirit and make them feel at home in our community.

Thank you for being a part of the PTO and for all you do to support Troy High School. Together, we can make this a year to remember!

Fundraising Ideas

At the meeting, we discussed many possible fundraising activities. We welcome and appreciate any additional suggestions or creative ideas. Your feedback helps us keep our community thriving! Please email us at TroyHighPTO@gmail.com to reach out.

OCTOBER:

Mon., - Fri., October 6-10...........Homecoming Week

Wed., October 8..........................PTO Meeting at 6:30 p.m. - Stable

Wed., October 8..................MSBOA XVI Marching Band Festival, Troy High Stadium, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Thurs., October 9........................Half Day

Thurs., October 9........................Parent Teacher Conference

Fri., October 10...........................Half Day

Fri., October 10...........................Parent Teacher Conference

Fri., October 10...........................Homecoming Parade 5:30 p.m.

Sat., October 11..........................Homecoming Dance 6:00 if outside @ 7:00 p.m. if inside

Mon., October 13........................Picture Retake Day

Wed., October 15.........................Powderpufff Football 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Fri., October 17...........................Trunk or Treat 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Mon., October 20........................No School for Students

Tues., October 28.......................Orchestra Spooktacular Concert - Troy High Auditorium 7:00 p.m.

Wed., October 29................Orchestra Spooktacular Potluck/Concert - Troy High Auditorium 7:00 p.m.

Thurs., October 30......................Marching Band Colt Stampede - Troy High Gymnasium 7:00 p.m.

Fri., October 31...........................Half Day

November:

Sat., Nov. 1.........................Troy Colt Bands Mattress Fundraiser, Troy High Cafeteria 10:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Tues., Nov 4...............................Jazz Ensemble Performance - Aretha's Jazz Cafe 7:00 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 12.............................Signing Day at Troy High at 2:45 p.m. in the Aux Gym

Wed., Nov. 12.............................PTO Meeting at 6:30 p.m. - Stable

Thurs., Nov. 13...........................NHS Induction at Troy High at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium

Tues., Nov. 25.............................Senior Sidekick at Troy High

Sat., Nov. 29...............................Elf On The Shelf Craft Show at Troy High