When Troy School District doors opened this fall, Middle School English teachers, English Language Development teachers, and Special Education Language Arts teachers were greeted with a special gift from the Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence (TFEE): classroom libraries customized for their students. The purchase of these books was made possible through the partnership between the Troy School District and the TFEE, resulting in a $60,000 grant from the TFEE. This TFEE grant provided all teachers with a variety of interesting books that are at the right level for the students in their classes. 
 
“We are so proud of not only the donation of these resources for TSD students and teachers, but also of the process through which the books were chosen.” Says TFEE Executive Director Alison Hendry. Teachers were able to suggest books that they would like to have as part of the libraries. Those suggestions were added to lists compiled by TSD leadership, Oakland Schools, and Columbia University’s Teachers College. From there, the books were organized into 24 collections. Teachers then chose the collections that would be of most use to them and their students, selecting one collection for every hour of English or Language Arts that they teach.

“We had a great deal of help from teachers and media specialists in assembling these shelves. With this grant, we were able to outfit over 40 classrooms with current titles to increase student engagement and choice. The excitement was palpable as this was truly a labor of love.” said TSD Curriculum and Instructional Specialist, Jo O’Brien.
 
Boulan Park Middle School teacher Justine Galbraith said, "It was thrilling to get dozens of books to add to my classroom library. I've been growing my library for four years, and we largely fund them ourselves. It gets expensive, and there's always more I want to buy. Expanding it so much was so exciting, and it was great to highlight some of the titles with my students when the books arrived."
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Baker Middle School teacher Scott Germansky added, "I can't say enough about the relevancy and necessity of this project. Teachers have recognized for years that our classroom libraries needed a revamp. Having windows and mirrors (books that all students can see themselves in and learn about others) is paramount to becoming a well-rounded student and person. When the books arrived, and we held "book tastings" - the atmosphere was indescribable. You could see on the students' faces that they recognized this was more than just an addition to the class library. I think of all the grant projects the TFEE has fulfilled for Troy students over the years, this has the possibility of being the most impactful and enduring."

Since 1989, the Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence has raised funds to support and enhance education in the Troy School District. For more information about the TFEE, visit their website at www.TroyFoundation.org 

Each year, the TFEE honors the life and legacy of longtime Troy School District teacher Sharon Alexander by presenting graduating seniors active in the arts with the Sharon Alexander Scholarship. This year, the honor was presented to four graduating seniors. 

The TFEE is proud to award Justin Esdale and Chloe Upton from Troy Athens High School and Ammar Marz Ahmad and Annie Tang from Troy High School with the 2021 Sharon Alexander Scholarship. 

Justin Esdale has been active in Orchestra during his time at Troy Athens HS, including developing a Summer Orchestra Camp for students to take part in during the summer of 2020. Mr. Quinn, Athens Orchestra Director, said that Justin is a positive, moral boosting young man with a wonderful spirit.

Chloe Upton has been very involved with the arts during her time at Athens. She currently has art on display at Children's Hospital in Troy and Oakland University. Ms. Sordyl, Athens Art Teacher, said that Chloe is a natural leader and a challenge seeker. 

Ammar Marz Ahmad is in the drumline at Troy High School, where he has served as section leader, earning both district and state honors, and performing at the Michigan Music Conference. Mr. Greenwood, Associate Director of Bands at Troy High School said that Ammar has shown a tremendous amount of growth as a musician, that Ammar gives 100% to everything they do and that they are a leader who helps others. 

Annie Tang is a flute player at Troy High School. She also performs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Wind Ensemble. In recommending her for the scholarship, Mr. Nutting, Troy Band Director, said that Annie is mature beyond her years and is the most focused and dedicated student he's ever worked with. 

You can watch the video presentation of the Sharon Alexander Scholarship by clicking the links below. 

Athens HS Scholarship Presentation
Troy HS Scholarship Presentation 

The TFEE would like to say a special thank you to Boulan Park teacher, and TFEE grant administrator, Mr. Scott Germansky for producing these videos. 

After 33 years supporting the Troy School District, the Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence hired their first Executive Director in May. Alison Hendry joined the Foundation after a months long search, and more than a year of planning on the part of the Foundation.
 
“The TFEE is extremely fortunate to have Alison Hendry join our team as Executive Director.” Said TFEE President Julie McClure. “Alison brings an enormous wealth of experience and knowledge with her which will aid us tremendously in supporting our Troy School District students and staff. Her background as a director of another large school foundation, as well as her experience as a teacher (Music and Band Director), enhances her skill set as someone who can readily identify and implement opportunities for the Board to continue their mission.”
 
Hendry brings with her a unique blend of experience in both the nonprofit sector and public education. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of the Birmingham Education Foundation. In addition, Hendry is the mother of a student at Martell Elementary and the wife of a teacher in a neighboring school district.
 
“I am excited by to lead the TFEE and make a difference in my community. The Foundation has seen a great deal of growth over the last five years, and I cannot wait to help the trustees take the Foundation to the next level, for the benefit of our students and teachers.” says Hendry.
 
“As we develop a strategic plan under Alison’s guidance, we hope to increase our visibility within the Troy community and grow our donations, so that we may give more grants to both individual classrooms and projects that support the district as a whole.” Say President McClure.
 
Hendry hopes to continue building on the momentum that the Foundation gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included offering every TSD teacher the opportunity to receive their choice of Tech Tools to help them teach during the pandemic, a successful gift card raffle, and a large district-wide grant which will provide classroom libraries for every TSD Middle School Language Arts, Special Education and English Language teacher.
 
Since 1989, the Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence has raised funds to support and enhance education in the Troy School District. For more information about the TFEE, visit their website at www.TroyFoundation.org

The Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence is searching for our new look, and we're hoping that a student will help us find it. TSD students rising to grades 6 - 12 and 2021 graduates are encouraged to submit their original creations by July 1. The winner will receive a $250 prize for their efforts! 

For full details, see below. To submit your design visit: https://forms.office.com/r/Y4GVwLRq8f

Students will need to use their email address to access the form. We can't wait to see your creations!

Recognizing that teaching students both at home and in the classroom was going to be challenging for our wonderful TSD teachers, the TFEE has granted funds to provide every TSD teacher with the opportunity to select from a menu of tech tools to make this tremendous task a little easier!

For more information, check out this great story from the Troy Times!
https://www.candgnews.com/news/foundation-grants-tech-tools-to-troy-teachers-119311