This year we are especially emphasizing Compassion and our students are starting to work on independent "Compassion Projects". We are are asking every student to think about something they are passionate about and how they can turn that into an opportunity where they can make a difference for others here at Smith and in our greater community. At our last Knights+ day students had some time to brainstorm ideas and some students even decided on what they wanted to work on. Students could choose to do this individually or with a couple of their classmates.

We'd love for you at home to talk with your student about their ideas and ways they can leverage their interests into community service opportunities or ways to give back to the school and community.

We are SO EXCITED to be back in person for this impactful event. If you have not joined us before, the MLK Celebration & Day of Service is a joint event between the City of Troy and the Troy School District. It is a chance for the entire community—from the very young to our senior citizens—to learn about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and take part in service projects that have a big impact on our community and those in need. It is truly an amazing experience for all involved—and it's it organized and planned by our SSAB student leaders from all four high schools.

We are currently collecting donations at Smith for the following items:

• Fleece - in increments of 2.5 yards
  

Items to donate to local women's shelters:

• Shampoo & Conditioner
  
• Soap – Bar or Body Wash
  
• Toilet Paper
  
• Disposable Razors
  
• Deodorant
  
• Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
  
• Diapers – especially sizes 4-6
  
• Pull-Ups (especially 3T/4T and 4T/5T)
  
• Baby Wipes
  
• Baby Formula/Food
  
• Feminine Products
  
• Laundry Detergent
  
• Paper Products (Paper Towel, Tissues)
  
• Cleaning Supplies
  
• Can Openers
  
• Adult Incontinence Briefs/Depends – All Sizes
  

The donation box is located in the front lobby at Smith. Thank you!

Any 7th or 8th graders interested in trying out for volleyball must have all information submitted on Final Forms before tryouts begin. Make sure you have an updated physical on file (you do not need to get another physical if you played a Smith MS sport earlier this school year). Please see the link below for tryout information and season expectations. All tryouts will be held in the Smith gym; please bring a water bottle and wear athletic shoes and comfortable clothing to tryouts. If you have questions, ask Coach Brennan (kbrennan@troy.k12.mi.us) or Coach Tom (tvigilant@aol.com). GO KNIGHTS!

Oakland Schools is very pleased to be hosting the Troy School District’s K-12 student art exhibit from Monday, January 9th through Wednesday, January 25th. We highly encourage families to view the art exhibit and celebrate your student’s artistic and creative achievement at their Art Show Open House on Monday, January 23, from 4:30-7:00PM. Oakland Schools, located at 2111 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford, is open for visitors Monday – Friday, from 8:00AM – 4:30PM. They are not open weekends; the Open House is the only opportunity for a late afternoon/evening visit. We hope you enjoy this preview video showcasing TSD student work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwVdeQTjpZI

Mrs. Chatel, our media specialist, is excited to announce the 23rd annual Troybery Reading program book list. We have an excellent field of 32 titles this year, all books published in 2021 and recommended by Troy media specialists, students, and teachers. You can access the list here, which includes links to publishers’ summaries of the books: http://bit.ly/troybery2023 Students can check out the books from our media center, from the Troy Public Library, or on our Sora ebook app.

The Troybery list is known for having a variety of books reflecting our students’ diverse interests, age levels, and backgrounds. Our goal is to promote a love for reading in our students. We encourage students to participate in our program by reading however many they would like and by voting for their favorites. Mrs. Chatel is happy to work with your child to find the “just right” book for them from the list.

A Troybery book could be an excellent choice if you are looking for a gift idea this holiday season. Your child will hear a presentation in the upcoming weeks about the Troybery program and our exciting selections.

You can visit the Troy Middle Schools Media Website for more information about Troybery.

Please take a moment to review the drop-off / pick-up map below. We are seeing some specific issues in the parking lot that we want to bring to your attention.

• The middle lane is for drop-off / pick-up only. Please do not park in that row. Pulling in and out of the parking spots is slowing down drop-off and creating dangerous situations for students and vehicles.
  

• If you are going to park your car for drop-off / pick-up, please use the third row of parking spots highlighted in below in blue.

• Please do not drop students off at the Martell/Cotswold intersection.

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...

Feel free to follow the great things happening at Smith Middle School on Twitter. We often share pictures from our school day, highlight student work and classroom activities, and celebrations.