TROY UNION ELEMENTARY A Nationally Accredited School, Blue Ribbon School

Mission Statement Together we will learn, lead, love and leave a legacy.

MARCH 1, 2016

MR. MICHAEL COTTONE – INTERIM PRINCIPAL MRS. DENICE PYSH – HEAD TEACHER

Michael Cottone Interim Principal

Main Office

248.823.3100

Attendance Line

248.823.3101

Follow us on Twitter @TroyUnion

Dear Troy Union Families, As I have shared before I am the proud father of two young boys. Landon is in kindergarten and Keaton is currently completing his last year of pre-school. Like any parent, my wife and I want to see our two children grow up happy, healthy and confident about themselves. I know firsthand that being a parent is difficult. Each day provides unique challenges and new circumstances. I find the most difficult aspect of parenting is that it is always changing. As soon as my wife and I figure out one stage, our two children enter an entirely new one. Each stage of life is a new adventure. My wife and I are committed to supporting our two children the best we can. We frequently have conversations around the topic of what we want our two boys to be like when they are adults. Our discussions have brought clarity to our decisions as parents and the dialogue has allowed us to act harmoniously together (most of the time). So my question for each of you is…

“What do you want your child to be like as an adult?”

I believe this question is one that every parent should ask. As we continue to move forward as a community I value each of your opinions and I am asking you to take a moment to respond anonymously using an online forum called Padlet. Padlet is an online virtual “bulletin board” where students, parents and teachers can collaborate, reflect and share. All you have to do is click the link below and then double click in the open space on the website. A text box will appear and you can share your thinking. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond. This information will help us further define how we continue to support thinking and learning at Troy Union. Please click the following link to share your thoughts… http://padlet.com/IamMikeCottone/TroyUnion Respectfully, Mike Cottone Troy Union Interim Principal Follow Me @IamMikeCottone

March Newsletter 2016 Dear Troy Union Families, We are wild about the 7 Habits! All of us at Troy Union are excited about our Leadership Day on Tuesday, March 22. On this day, we will open our school to attendees of The Leader in Me Symposium. Attendees are either researching Leader in Me schools or are already a Leader in Me school. It is our chance to highlight all of the wonderful work that our students and staff have been doing as a Leader in Me school. Those attending will be touring our school, observing an Eagles Nest and learning about leadership and the 7 Habits from our students, staff and Parent Lighthouse Team. This really is a Win-Win situation! I look forward to sharing photos and news about this day with you in the April Newsletter. Speaking of a Win-Win, I will take this opportunity to review Habit 4 with you. One of the basic ideas of Habit 4 that we teach our students is the idea of an emotional bank account. The emotional bank account represents the quality of the relationship you have with others. It’s like a financial bank account in that you can make “deposits” by proactively doing things that build trust in the relationship, or you can make “withdrawals” by reactively doing things that decrease the level of trust. The essence of this habit is the golden rule: Treat others the way that you want to be treated. Ask yourself how you do on making deposits throughout the day: Do I keep promises? Do I say I’m sorry? Do I set clear expectations? Do I listen? Every interaction is either a deposit or withdrawal. You can imagine how a child /spouse might feel that is constantly having withdrawals made… How can I win with my family? There are 4 possibilities in interacting with someone: Win-Lose (I get it and you get nothing), Lose-Lose (If I’m going down, you’re going with me), Lose-Win (If you win, I am a loser), and Win-Win (It’s not about you or me; it’s about both of us).. To think win-win means that you try to have the spirit of win-win in all family interactions. You always want what’s best for everyone involved… As a family, talk about the “emotional bank account” and actively make deposits. Strive to create win-win situations. Hopefully you are discovering that practicing the 7 Habits is a win-win for all of us! Sincerely, Mrs. Susan Zemmer Parent Involvement Coordinator

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Mark Your Calendar

March 1:

March 2:

March 3:

March 8:

March 9:

March 10:

March 13:

March 14:

March 16:

March 17:

March 22:

March 23:

March 25:

March 28:

March 29:

March 30:

March 31:

April 1:

April 4 – 10:

April 11:

March is Reading Month Begins

P.A.L. Open House @ 6:30 p.m.

Skate World Party @ 6:15 p.m.

First Grade Troy Nature Center Field Trip

PTO Meeting

Students full day of school

Parent Teacher Conferences Grades 1-5

5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Students full day of school

Parent Teacher Conferences Grade K-5

5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Daylight Savings Time begins-set clocks ahead

one hour

5th Grade Camp Meeting and “Growing Up”

meeting for parents – 6:30 p.m.

3rd Grade Vocal Music concert at 7:00 p.m. Extra day of conferences for all Kindergarten St. Patrick ’s Day – wear green

Kindergarten Round Up – 6:30 p.m.

Wear Leadership T-shirts

1st Grade Vocal Music concert at 7:00 p.m.

NO SCHOOL – GOOD FRIDAY

Sprit Week Begins—

Crazy Hair Day

Pajama Day

Favorite Team Day

Half-day of school; dismissal @ 12:17 p.m.

End of third card marking

5th grade students “Growing Up” program @

11:00 a.m.

Wear Leadership Shirts

No school for students

Teacher work day

No school; Spring Recess

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Dear Parents,

As you know by now the winter months are upon us here in

Michigan. It is time to bundle our children up in winter jackets, hats,

gloves, and of course boots. I ask that as your child is getting ready in

the morning for school please be sure to pack their gym shoes along

with them. Students are not allowed to participate in gym without the

proper footwear because of safety concerns. There are important

learning opportunities children miss each time they sit out of a gym

class. Please look at your calendar and know what days your child has

gym class.

Thank you,

Mr. Van Houzen P.E. Teacher Troy Union Elementary School

Important Links for Parents

You can access important information about the following topics on the Troy Union website. We encourage all parents to go to the Troy

Union and TSD websites for all information.

Troy Union Website: http://tu.troy.k12.mi.us

Student-Parent Handbook

Lunch Menu

Important Forms for Parents

2015-2016 TSD School Calendar

TSD Code of Conduct

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Spring Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday,

March 9th for grades 1 – 5 and Thursday, March 10 for grades K – 5.

Students will have a full day of school and conferences will be held

in the evening from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. A letter was sent home with

your student inviting you to sign up for a conference or letting you know

that a conference is not needed at this time.

Kindergarten teachers will also be seeing parents on March 16th during

the school day.

We look forward to seeing you.

The Troy Union Staff

Please remember to set your clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 a.m. This is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke alarm too!

MARCH 28 – CRAZY HAIR DAY

MARCH 29– PJ DAY

MARCH 30– FAVORITE TEAM DAY

MARCH 31 – “LEADER IN ME” DAY

Spirit Week

THANK YOU!! They say it takes a village to raise a child and that is definitely the case with our Troy Union Families. Your support and generosity in helping our Troy Union families through The Giving Tree means more than you will ever know. Through your donations over the past few years you have helped countless kids and their families. Over 170 items have been donated. The tears, smiles, notes of gratitude make it all worth it. So a huge thank you to our families who walk by our Giving Tree and grab a heart. You have touched the lives of many and hopefully, one day, they will pay it forward.

Troy Union Elementary

1340 E. Square Lake Rd.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

6:30 – 8:00p.m.

This is a special event for incoming

Kindergarten parents only.

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Math-a-thon For a Great Cause

Third grade students in Mrs. Bellhorn’s, Mrs.

Bronsteen’s and Mrs. Palmer’s classes synergized to raise

$3,648 for St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Hospital! On

Friday, February 26th, the students participated in a

math-a-thon where they wore their pajamas and worked

through many math problems! The fundraiser was a part of

the third graders’ Service Learning Project this year to

help kids with cancer! The students will share their work

with this project during their school-wide assembly at the

end of the year!

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Attention Troy Union parents, students, staff!

Celebrate the joy of reading all month long! March Is Reading Month! The theme this year is Dive Into a Good Book! Let’s get “wild” about reading! The Student Lighthouse members have worked hard to create an exciting month! Please refer to the calendar that was sent home for information about school wide reading activities including Spirit Week! Turn in a reading log every Friday for a chance to win a prize and to help your class win an overall prize at the end of the month! Watch for a board by the office that will chart each grade’s minutes! Each grade will be represented by the following sea creature: Kindergarten – crab, First grade – seahorse,

Second Grade – jellyfish, 3rd Grade – dolphin, 4th grade – Octopus,

5th grade - shark