GPPSS Update
November 15, 2022
Richard Leader in Me Lighthouse team takes on recycling
The Leader in Me Lighthouse team at Richard Elementary (pictured above) has been working on their lunchroom. First they created a cafe atmosphere with (battery-operated) candles, flowers and soft music, encouraging fellow students to use restaurant manners and soft voices. Then they invited Peace, Love, Planet in to teach students to practice "Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle" and actually measure lunch waste in different categories ranging from food waste to packaging to recycling. This activity will be part of their Michigan Green School application this winter. Pictured here is Maddie Johnson, Principal of the Day, holding one of the sorting buckets generously donated by the Harper Woods Home Depot through their Commitment to Communities program.
Board Briefs
There were only two action items on the Board agenda this Monday. Both the minutes from October 24th and acceptance of the South Baseball Scoreboard passed 7-0. The Dugout Club will cover 100% of the scoreboard which will be purchased from Daktronics for $31,203 and be installed by AJ Signs and Installation for $22,500.
However, there were several important presentations under Information and Discussion:
- Course approval for Experience in Literature to be piloted at North High School for 12th grade students. This year-long elective course presents students with an array of literature focused on the human experience and how our failures, conflicts, and triumphs shape us both collectively and as individuals. Students read short stories, novels, dramas, poetry, and non-fiction. Composition work emphasizes formal research and various types of essays including literary criticism and argumentation. Required reading includes Sing Unburied, Sing by Ward, and Hamlet by Shakespeare. Students will also be required to choose an extended work of nonfiction to inform their formal research capstone project at the end of the year. Units and lessons are aligned to The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, which are designed to prepare all students for success in college, career and life by the time they graduate from high school.
- An offer to purchase real estate (former Poupard Elementary property) for $650,000 to build a minimum of 100 attached townhomes and stacked flat units. The recommended bid from Robertson Brothers Co. was among three that came in through the transparent bidding process. Robertson also will be responsible for all demolition costs and will pursue transformational brownfield funding from the state. The company has completed similar projects in Royal Oak, Milford, Ferndale, Bloomfield Township and Troy.
- A capital project update by Plante Moran CRESA on the bond projects at Barnes, Kerby, Mason, Brownell, Pierce and North. $28 million of construction was completed in 58 days (June 22-August 18). Click the link to see "before" and "after" pictures. Updates were also shared on these sinking fund projects: North and South ball fields, North clinic, South counseling HVAC and Parcells pool. Discussions on the middle school pools will continue.
- An Oakwood Healthcare Interagency Agreement regarding the Beaumont Teen Health Center at North High School. GPPSS shared information on this project last summer when the grant, submitted in partnership with Beaumont, was approved. Jeff Cook, Sr. Director, Community Health & Health Equity with Beaumont, was present to answer BOE questions and share progress of the community advisory board.
- The 2022 Audit was presented for the year ending June 30, 2022. An unmodified or "clean" opinion was rendered on the basic financial statements and the federal program audit, with no findings or questioned costs on the federal program audit. The fund balance is $9,680,737. Click the photos below to enlarge or the link above for the whole presentation.
General Fund Revenue
General Fund Expenditures
General Fund Expenditures by Object
- The first budget amendment known as GAAA#1 was also presented.
- All of these will be voted on at the November 28th meeting.
- The GPEA Good News report focused on the successful November 8 professional development day, completion of evacuation drills at each school with kudos to the building administration for their part in those trainings, and teacher support of the health clinic.
Please note that the annual Distinguished Employee Recognition will be held at the November 28th meeting, with a reception prior to the regular meeting at 6:45 p.m.
The board of education will vote on its 2023 calendar when the new trustees join in January and that will be published widely. However, please mark your calendars for these upcoming meetings already on the calendar:
- BOE Closed Session for Superintendent Evaluation, Thursday, November 17, 2022, 6 pm, Morningside Board Room
- BOE Regular Session, Monday, November 28, 7 p.m., Brownell Multipurpose Room
- BOE Work Session, Monday, December 12, 7 p.m., Brownell Multipurpose Room
- BOE Regular Session, Monday, December 19, 7 p.m., Brownell Multipurpose Room
- BOE Work Session, Monday, January 9, 7 p.m., Brownell Multipurpose Room
- BOE Regular Session, Monday, January 23, 7 p.m., Brownell Multipurpose Room
- BOE Workshop - Onboarding Roles/Relations, Wednesday, January 25, 6 p.m., Morningside Board Room
NWEA & Report Cards Now Available on the Parent Portal
All families should have received an email yesterday from GPPSS Communications with instructions to access NWEA Reports (Elementary, Middle, 9th and some 10th graders) and report cards (grades 5-12).
Visit the MiStar ParentPortal to access this information.
Please click this link for a one-page instruction guide on the three report card viewing options.
NWEA Progress Reports
Click on "Documents'' in the ParentPortal menu (located just below "Student Documents - Report Cards"). In the Documents area, you'll see "NWEA Progress Report" followed by a document icon in the "Doc" column. Click on that document icon to download the progress report.
Eighth Grade Visit Day Tuesday, November 22
Mark your calendars for Eighth Grade Day on Nov. 22 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. (the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break). Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South are hosting all eighth graders from Brownell, Parcells and Pierce.
Families will drop their student off at their home high school at 8:30 a.m. that Thursday. Students at North will gather in the Performing Arts Center (off Vernier). Students at South will gather in the main gym (off Grosse Pointe Boulevard). GPPSS will provide bus transportation back to the middle schools. Families may pick up their student at 3:13 p.m. as usual at their home middle school.
More details to follow from your school!
Wayne County Public Health Division Urges Residents to Take Precautions As Pediatric Hospitalizations Surge Due To Respiratory Illness
Across the state, including in southeast Michigan, pediatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations for respiratory viruses, mainly due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are significantly increasing, prompting the Wayne County Public Health Department to urge residents to take precautions to protect children from respiratory illnesses.
Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and hospital partners are raising awareness on a statewide pediatric hospital bed shortage with many hospital systems reporting at or near pediatric bed capacity.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be serious especially in infants, younger children, and older adults. Those at greatest risk are medically vulnerable children including premature infants, children younger than 2 years of age, those with chronic lung or heart conditions, and children with weakened immune systems. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States. The virus spreads primarily when someone coughs or sneezes or from touching something that is contaminated and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Symptoms of RSV infection usually include:
- Runny nose
- Decrease in appetite
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Fever
- Wheezing
- Irritability
Those with mild cold-like symptoms should stay at home. Seek immediate medical attention for moderate to severe symptoms including difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, poor feeding, decrease activity, worsening symptoms, or a blue color to the skin, particularly on the lips and in the nail beds.
To protect our most vulnerable, people with cold-like symptoms should limit interaction with children at high risk for severe RSV disease, including premature infants, children younger than 2 years old, those with chronic lung or heart conditions, and children with weakened immune systems. To help prevent the spread of RSV and other respiratory viruses including influenza and COVID-19 that are increasing in the fall and winter season, WCPHD urges Wayne County residents to:
- Get vaccinated/boosted for influenza and COVID-19
- Stay home if sick and avoid being around others, even when testing negative for COVID- 19
- Wear a well-fitting mask if you have symptoms
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils with others
- Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and mobile devices
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands
For more information, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics article RSV: When it's more than just a cold.
Click on the image above to purchase tickets.
Donate blood, save up to three lives
Grosse Pointe South High School is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Boll Center Gym off Fisher Road. You can register in advance through this link. Anyone who donates will receive a $10 gift card to a merchant of their choice, courtesy of the American Red Cross. A single donation can save up to three lives!
Click on the image above for a donation form.
Fall sports surveys are now open
GPPSS conducts surveys of athletes and their parents/guardians each sports season. If you or your student participated in a fall sport, please take your version of the Fall Sports Survey by December 1. Summary results are shared publicly. If you wish to remain anonymous, please do not put personally identifiable information in the open ended comment sections. Thank you for sharing your input as we seek to continuously improve our athletic programs!
- Student Athlete Fall Sports Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/StudentAthletesFall22 (new shorter student version this year per student input)
- Parent/Guardian Fall Sports Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FallSportsParents22
MHSAA asks 7th & 8th grade students to take survey
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is requesting member schools’ assistance in surveying 7th-, 8th- and 9th-grade students regarding their interest in participating in the future in the sports for which the MHSAA conducts postseason tournaments or in other sports for which the MHSAA has no involvement.
We would like your help in conducting a survey, specifically 7th and 8th graders, by providing our specific survey link to our 7th and 8th graders.
https://surveys.mhsaa.com/s3/MHSAA-Student-Interest-Survey?s=5058&r=b
If you are interested in having your middle school student participate, please have them complete the survey by Nov. 22, 2022.
Thank you for your time and effort in assisting the MHSAA to meet the future needs of member schools as we attempt to address the interests of our students.
MDE and College Board encourage more students to take AP courses
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is partnering with the College Board to utilize the Advanced Placement (AP) Potential Tool, a free, online tool that identifies students who are likely to score a 3 or higher on a given AP Exam, based on the student’s performance on the Spring 2022 PSAT 8/9 or PSAT 10. MDE will work directly with College Board to identify students in grade 9 or higher who demonstrate potential to be successful in AP coursework. MDE will then issue a letter directly to parents and guardians of identified students beginning in early November 2022.
The use of the AP Potential tool by MDE aligns with Goal 4 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan—to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students, Goal 5—to increase the percentage of all students who graduate from high school school, and Goal 6—to increase the percentage of adults with a postsecondary credential. Notifying parents and guardians prior to or during the sophomore year of students’ education helps to expand the number and percentage of students in
rigorous coursework in high school, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, including economically disadvantaged students. This opportunity also supports students in earning college credit, which can help change a student’s sense of capability and life direction and reduce the cost of college.
GPPSS teachers, counselors and administrators also continue to use additional methods to identify students who might not traditionally take AP courses. The number of students taking AP courses continues to increase with these efforts. We encourage students to discuss this with their counselors as they prepare next year's schedules this winter.
Our next Communities United in Diversity meeting will be held at Monteith Elementary School from 6 to 8 p.m. and the speaker will be Dr. Roy Bishop on the theme Be an Upstander. Childcare will be provided.
These monthly meetings provide a space for parents and other members of our school community to discuss topics around inclusivity. We also aim to be a conduit between the personal mission of our members and action groups in our communities doing the work around these topics.
Families of 9th -11th grade students – did you see an email from Naviance?
Naviance Student is a mobile-friendly, comprehensive website that you and your student can use to
make plans about colleges and careers. Students log into Naviance Student using their school ID and password. Parents/guardians of current seniors can create a Naviance Student account by using their ParentPortal password as the initial registration code.
Because of changes at Naviance, parents/guardians whose oldest student is in 9th through 11th grades can create an account by using the registration code that was emailed to them from Naviance last week.
To access Naviance Student:
North High School: https://student.naviance.com/gpnhs
South High School: https://student.naviance.com/gpshs
It's not too late to help our Family & Consumer Sciences classes give back
It’s just about Turkey Time! Please click this link to view the Sign Up Genius if you’d like to contribute to this #OneGP Family and Consumer Sciences Service Learning Opportunity!
Last year, FCS classes from all three middle schools made whole turkeys, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables, corn bread, and pumpkin bars and were able to feed dinner to over 150 people through the Motor City Mitten Mission.
We thank you for your support and contributions!
Andrea Gruenwald, Teacher, Life Skills - Parcells
Note Thanksgiving Break next week Wednesday-Friday!
To provide students, families, and staff with a well-needed rest, there will be no homework assigned over Thanksgiving Break (or any other breaks throughout the school year).