MICHAEL DOYLE
PRINCIPAL’S CORNER
When I returned to Trenton High School in the fall of 2000, it was the first time since 1980 that I had set foot in the building. I have worked in the Deerfield School, Dearborn Schools, and Allen Park Schools, and also currently work as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University.
One of the first and most surprising things was the number of Trenton High School students with parents who were graduates of Trenton High School — not only students with Trenton roots, but Trenton High School graduates such as myself who chose to work in Trenton when they have the choice to work in other districts.
One thing that people may not know is that Trenton High School on West Road was not built to be a high school. The school was built as an elementary building in 1952. With the city of Trenton growing so rapidly, students were moved from the Slocum-Truax High School, which became the middle school, to the current high school building. To accommodate the influx of students, it became necessary to add on to the counseling office and pool/gym area.
Enrollment continued to grow and in 1970 additions were made as the “horseshoe” that faces Charlton road. It was in the early 1970s that Arthurs Middle School was built.
One of many things that make Trenton unique is that it has a graduation rate of more than 98 percent. MLive reported last month that THS had a 99.59 percent graduation rate.
Trenton High School has a TV studio with its own channel on cable television. We have one of the largest bands in southeast Michigan with over 160 band members, and the success of team sports as one of the smallest enrollments in the Downriver League.
Trenton High School has 26 varsity sports that have won 49 Downriver League Championships, and also has a number of athletes that went on to play professionally.
THS has had huge academic success with students either currently or who have in the past attended such universities as Northwestern, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Michigan and Michigan State.
Honors Night is separate from graduation in which we recognize seniors with college choices and scholarships. Last year, Trenton High School seniors received more than $2 million.
We recognize senior scholars at graduation for earning outstanding grades in the classroom and having an excellent score on the SAT, meaning students who are senior scholars have to perform well in the classroom and score well on a college entrance exam.
We bring in the 33rd District Court with a “Court to School” program prior to the Prom. This program serves as a reminder to students about the choices they make on Prom night about drinking and driving.
THS also hosts a program called Victory Day. This is a special program in which special needs students spend time on the Trenton High School football field with members of the THS football team, band members and cheerleaders.
The high school is on a trimester schedule with allows students choice. Students are able to take 15 courses a year instead of the traditional 12. This allows students choice cores such as social studies, math, science and English, along with art, music, world language and career and technical programs such as woods, art, music and computer-aided design.
Staff members are organized into two professional development teams, one with their prospective department and one that is cross-curriculum in which staff members get to work with members in other departments.
We offer three world languages at the high school: Spanish, German and French. Trenton High School even has a World Language National Honor Society,
The percentage of students who participate in extra curriculum activities is well over 60 percent of the student body. With a student body of just above 900, it is rather impressive that so many are involved in an extra-curriculum activity.
This is a place that people want to be. And as I have said before, one of the highest complaints any educator in Trenton can receive is, “We moved here for the schools.”