Smith's Knightly News
Smith Middle School
Mission: The purpose of Smith Middle School is to ensure learning for all members of our school community.
Website: https://smith.troy.k12.mi.us/
Location: 5835 Donaldson Drive, Troy, MI 48085
Phone: (248) 823- 4700
MARCH 2, 2024
8TH GRADE COURT IN SCHOOL
On Monday, March 4, Smith will be hosting a very special event for our 8th grade students. We are welcoming back a Troy community program called "Court in Schools". For that morning, our cafeteria will serve as the official 52-4 District Court for the city of Troy. At approximately 8:30am, 8th graders will be welcomed to the cafeteria as an audience to observe real court proceedings with the Honorable Judge Kirsten Hartig.
This has always proved to be a great experience for our students. In order for our 8th graders to participate in this event, they must be dressed appropriately for court in business attire (boys: dress pants, shoes, button down or polo shirts tucked in, ties are optional; girls: skirts, pants, dresses, blouses, etc.)
8th graders that normally attend 1st hour at Troy High will be excused from class on Monday if they would like to attend Court in School.
We are looking forward to this special opportunity!
MONDAY: 3/4
- 8:30am - COURT IN SCHOOLS (8th Grade Students ONLY)
- 3:10pm - International Club (Rm 35)
- 3:10 - 4:45pm - Volleyball Practice
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - Wrestling Practice
TUESDAY: 3/5
- 8:20am - High School Counselor Scheduling Presentation to 8th Graders
- 3:10pm - Homework Help Club (Rm 28)
- 3:10pm - History Club (Rm 21)
- 3:45pm - 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball Games vs Boulan (Away)
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - Wrestling Practice
WEDNESDAY: 3/6
EARLY RELEASE DAY
- 7:30am - Morning Math Help (Rm 31)
- 3:10pm - Caring Crew Meeting (Media)
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - IM Wrestling Practice
- 4:00pm - 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball Games vs West (Away)
THURSDAY: 3/7
PARENT/ TEACHER CONFERENCES (By Invitation)
- 3:10pm - Model UN Meeting (Room 20)
- 3:10pm - STAND Club (Stage)
- 3:10 - 4:45pm - Volleyball Practice
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - IM Wrestling Practice
- 5:00 - 8:00pm - Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences
- 6:00 - 8:00pm - College and Career Fair @ Athens High
FRIDAY: 3/8
- 2:00 - 4:00pm - 7th & 8th Grade Volleyball Pictures
- 3:30 - 5:00pm - Wrestling Practice
- 4:15pm - Advanced Orchestra MSBOA Performance (Stoney Creek HS)
Mar 11: PTO Meeting (6:00 - 7:00 pm)
Mar 13: Smith 6th and 7th Grades Band and Orchestra Performance (7:00 pm)
Mar 19: Smith Festival of Cultures!
Mar 20: Pep Assembly 7 Period Day
Mar 21: End of Quarter 3
Mar 22-31: No School, Spring Break
March 7 Parent-Teacher Conferences
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are only one evening and are designed for families to connect with their child's teacher if there are specific concerns, needs, or updates around academics or behavior. Emails have gone out to specific families if teachers are requesting a conference. If you received a request, please schedule your conference using the link provided in the email.
We also welcome families with specific concerns to complete the form below to request a conference with a specific teacher. If you would like to meet with any of your child's teachers, please complete this form by Monday, March 4. Link to Form: https://forms.office.com/r/5pKbtuC6hj
Conferences will be held virtually on Thursday, March 7, using Microsoft Teams from 5:00 - 8:00pm.
HIGH SCHOOL SCHEDULING
Non-Math Course Test-Out Information
Non-Math Test Out Sign Up is now open and will end on Wednesday, March 20 at 11:59pm. Please remember the deadline, THIS IS A HARD DEADLINE! No late sign ups will be allowed.
Login into your Power School Account. Open Waiving a NON MATH Course through Testing Out.
Math Test-Out Information
Secondary Math test-out information for the 2023-24 school year has been updated on the TSD website. Registration will take place via PowerSchool and the Form will be open from March 11-April 14, 2024. https://www.troy.k12.mi.us/academics/math/acceleration
Secondary Math Test-Out
Troy High Gym
Saturday, April 27, 9-11am
Check-in will begin at 8:30am
Students who are not able to attend on Saturday because of a school-sponsored event may attend the alternative math test-out date at the Boulan Park Cafeteria on Tuesday, April 30 from 4:00-6:00pm. Check-in will begin at 3:45pm. Students are welcome to bring a snack and water. You will be prompted to indicate your need to attend the alternate date when completing the registration form in PowerSchool.
SCHEDULING FOR 6th & 7th GRADERS
Scheduling for current Smith 6th and 7th graders will begin this week. Our counselors will be visiting classrooms on Monday and Tuesday to talk with students about the online scheduling process and elective choices available to students.
We will be sending a separate email home to all current 6th and 7th grade families on Monday, March 4 with instructions for logging into PowerSchool and registering for 2024-2025 classes. Online registration will be open from March 4 - March 15.
Please look for the registration email that will be sent out on Monday!
JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
Troy High School's chapter of the Quill & Scroll Journalism Honor Society would like to invite all students interested in writing to come to our journalism workshops that will be hosted after school here at Smith! From March to April, we will talk about the field of journalism and do activities to learn skills such as writing, public speaking, film, photography, and others that are relevant. These workshops are open to anyone interested, even if you don't want to become a journalist.
Our first meeting is Monday, March 11th in Mrs. Lerdahl’s classroom (15).
Hope to see you there!
SAVE THE DATE!
Our annual Smith Middle School Festival of Cultures is planned for the evening of March 19 from 6:00 - 8:00pm! If you are looking to host a table or perform at this year's Festival of Cultures, the sign-up form is now available! You will be able to sign up to host a table or perform until Monday, March 12. Last year, we hosted 65 different tables and five different performances. We are hoping to have even more this year! If you have any questions at all, please reach out to Ms. Hawks (shawks@troy.k12.mi.us)
Sign-Up to Host a Table or Perform: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftHVgk_8m7O6hN_9ttAbE658HMERQ3TeR4ypKSg0XaYiwt2w/viewform
MORNING MATH SUPPORT AVAILABLE
We are excited to offer Morning Math Support sessions beginning this week as an opportunity for students to get extra support with homework, questions from class, quiz and test prep, and more! If your child could benefit from some additional support they are welcome to attend! These are drop in sessions and there is no need to sign up in advance. Morning Math Support will take place most Tuesday (with the exception of 3/6) starting at 7:30am in Room 31. We hope you can join us!
Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday - 3/6
Tuesday - 3/12
Tuesday - 3/19
Tuesday - 4/2
Tuesday - 4/9
MARCH READING BINGO
Hello Smith Families,
If you’d like, use our March is Reading Month Bingo Sheet to promote reading at home and in school throughout the month with your children. Students should stay tuned to reminders on the announcements and check-in with English/Reading teachers and Mrs. Chatel in the media center for participation information. Happy Reading!!
Smith English Department and Smith Media Center
7th GRADE CHEMICAL REACTION PROJECTS
7th graders in Mrs. Bonnell's class demonstrated their knowledge of chemical reactions by solving a problem that involved being able to transport reptile eggs safely while maintaining a specific temperature in their carrying case. Students used chemicals commonly found in hand warmers to create a heat producing reaction.
6th GRADE BASKETBALL UNIT
Our 6th graders started their basketball unit in PE this week! Each day they are learning and practicing their skills with a "March Madness" tournament coming up to end the unit!
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
This past month, Smith hosted classroom and school-wide activities to celebrate Black History Month. This year's national theme was "African Americans and the Arts". During our February 15 Knights+ Day, students explored a range of African American artists online and created infographics that were shared in the building.
Our Smith Equity Committee has also been supporting a variety of teacher and student initiatives to promote belonging and celebrate our diversity, including the student created Black History Month display near the library to promote awareness and celebration. Thank you to 8th graders Sydney Coit, Elon Reed, and Kayden Mahone for their wonderful work on this.
CONGRATULATIONS!
We are excited to announce the birth of Mr. Eve's daughter, Eleri Elisabet! Please join us in welcoming our newest Knight!
KNIGHTS OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to our February Knights of the Month! The following students were recognized at our monthly KOTM Breakfast by their teachers, families, and peers:
Aubri Dottery, Molly Marvin, Morgan Young, Shaymaa Kam, Elliot Coran, Eva Cooper, Lily Nafsou, Edgar Movsesyan, Briony Esper, Maya Fakhouri, and Ian Osuna
What's extra special is that this month we asked our students to nominate their peers who displayed our Smith character traits of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, and Perseverance. We received nearly 200 nominations and we will be recognizing all of our nominees throughout this next week.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FOR 7th & 8th GRADERS
COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR
TROY SCHOOLS UNIFIED BASKETBALL
ONE TROY COMMUNITY BOOK READ
Join the OneTroy Community Book Read for an enlightening exploration of societal structures with Isabel Wilkerson's "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents"
On March 13, Troy Schools is hosting a Community Book Read and we hope you can join us! Sign up now – using the link below – to participate in this enriching community discussion. Copies of the text are still available for staff/adults, and there's an adapted version tailored for students/young adults. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and broaden perspectives!
Register HERE
Book Description:
Isabel Wilkerson's "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" is a pivotal work described as an "instant American classic." This Pulitzer Prize-winning author unravels the entwined realities of race and caste, asserting, "Caste is the bones, race the skin." Wilkerson's insightful prose reveals how these hidden hierarchies shape our lives, likening caste to "the wordless usher in a darkened theater."
"Caste" not only dissects history but also illuminates our present, urging us to recognize and challenge these ingrained systems. Described as having "the reverberating slap of the best American prose," this book is a transformative journey that promises to change the way we see our world.
We have a great online spirit wear store with a number of new modern styles and items for purchase. You can either pick them up or utilize the option of having your orders delivered directly to your home for a small fee.
Click on the link below to check out the wide variety of styles and prints.
https://smithknights.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Below is a sample of the logo choices for most items...