GROSSE POINTE WOODS — In a top the rust orange shade of a fallen autumn tree leaf, Mary Fraser, of Grosse Pointe Park — mother of slain Grosse Pointe Public School System graduate Brian Fraser — addressed the Grosse Pointe Board of Education May 28 on a painful topic she knows personally.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Students at schools in Grosse Pointe Woods showcased their artistic talents and knowledge of the important role played by trees in their entries in the city’s 46th annual Arbor Day poster contest.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Well over 100 teachers — many carrying signs — stood outside Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms before the June 12 Grosse Pointe Board of Education meeting in a show of unity as they seek contracts for the next school year.

FERNDALE/BERKLEY — The school years for the Ferndale and Berkley school districts have come to an end, and their respective superintendents are looking back on the year.

STERLING HEIGHTS/SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA — Antonio Noto always had a dream to have a career in law.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Students from the Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies joined 319 of the top high school quiz bowl teams at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis for the 2024 High School National Championship Tournament to determine who was the best May 25.

WARREN — We could all use a little help from our friends or, in this case, a PAL.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A Utica Community Schools mom and daughter graduated high school together at the same ceremony this month.

WARREN — Fitzgerald Public Schools will again host Meet Up and Eat Up meal sites this summer, offering breakfast and lunch at no charge. Look for the district’s food truck in the parks.

CENTER LINE/WARREN/STERLING HEIGHTS — With cheers, hugs and tears, high school graduation is a bittersweet time.Emotions can run high as parents can’t believe their children grew up so fast, and teachers have to say goodbye to students.

ROYAL OAK — “One kind word can change a life,” was the inspiration behind the colorful rock garden now located at Oak Ridge Elementary School on 13 Mile Road. The garden was created by both Oak Ridge Elementary students and Waltonwood senior residents.

ROCHESTER HILLS — A Rochester High School student was arrested June 6 after reportedly writing a threatening graffiti message in a bathroom to avoid taking a test.

TROY — Aanya Shah, a senior at Troy High School, has been announced as one of the many students in 2024 to be named U.S. Presidential Scholars by the U.S. Department of Education.

NOVI — Novi esports’ Valorant team was in the mode of the 2007 New England Patriots all season, eyeing perfection and dismantling any team that was in their way.

TROY — Contract negotiations continue for Troy School District teachers, who have been working without a contract since Feb. 1. While the Troy Education Association has been bargaining since November, TEA members say they are concerned about the delay.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The Lakeview Public Schools Board of Education listened to a budget presentation at its meeting May 21.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP/MACOMB TOWNSHIP — To put everything on the line and perform on stage is an immense task. To be recognized for it is an immense feeling.

FRASER — The Fraser Class of 2024 made its way through the hallways of the high school to an upbeat soundtrack from the marching band on May 24.

ROSEVILLE — Darth Vader and the stormtroopers better watch out. There is a group of local students who know how to use a lightsaber. The force was with them May 17 when they knocked down statues of the movie antagonists, one at a time, during a “Star Wars” event in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program housed in Roseville Community Schools.

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — After 40 years with the district, Rochester High School Theater Director Frank Gollon is retiring.