In a coffee shop in late October, amid the bustle of the afternoon rush, a student sits at a table all alone. They’ve got loads of homework ahead of them, but they can’t seem to keep their focus. It isn’t the wafting scents of a fresh pumpkin brew. It isn't the classical jazz on loop in the background. It’s mental exhaustion. The longest stretch of the school year without a designated...
Resilience, responsibility, empathy and kindness: four words that most Troy High School students cannot name when put on the spot, despite them being written on virtually every wall with empty space. Troy High School’s Character Committee has taken several measures over the past four years to foster these values within students: painting them on pillars, creating posters and ingraining them in lesson...
Following a long term substitute stint at Boulan Park Middle School, Nina Caradonna, Troy High School English teacher, “fit in perfectly with the staff” in the words of fellow English teacher Andre Collaku. Caradonna’s goal in teaching is “to reach students that aren’t super into English” and she feels that this is important so that her students not only enjoy her English class, but...
At Troy High School, there is a slew of clubs that students can join to explore their interests and connect with other students. Joining the list of unofficial clubs this year is the Volleyball and Badminton club, a club that aims to provide students with opportunities to connect with their peers, practice these two sports and have fun. The Badminton and Volleyball club is, notably, a joint club....
Sitting in an empty classroom inside Smith Middle School, staring at a Zoom screen, Kerry Brennan, Troy High School’s brand new Assistant Principal realized she needed a change. “During the pandemic, I realized that the biggest thing for me about being a teacher was the connections that I made with students.” Brennan expressed how the pandemic helped her understand the real reason she became...
In the 2023-2024 school year at Troy High School, a total of 16 new staff members have joined the school’s team. These new teachers spread over numerous education departments, but one notable staff member is English teacher Taylor Alfonsi. Alfonsi has recently joined the school’s team full-time after student teaching for English teacher Lisa Knudson in the 2021-2022 school year. When asked...
This 2023-24 school year, there is a new therapy dog roaming the halls of Troy High School. Students and staff welcome him with open arms. Oliver Allgier Craft is one of the newest staff members joining this school year, but he is no stranger among the staff and students. Oliver is one of Jesse Allgeier, Troy High School counselor, family dogs. Before becoming an official staff member, Oliver used...
Ever since she was young, Christa Polan knew she wanted to be a math teacher, as she always liked playing ‘school’. “The reason I chose math was because of my high school math teachers. I really enjoyed their classes, and I was just drawn to that subject." Polan’s academic journey started at Shrine Catholic High School and Academy, a coeducational Catholic school in Royal Oak, Michigan....