School Pointes
Dec. 16, 2022
North marketing students seal the deal
Pictured with The Big Salad general manager Daniel Pratt and owner Craig Nelson are students Mia Tedesco, DaLeesa Dye and Vinny Wilhelm during product test day. Their company, BW Inc., created the BLAT, a twist on a BLT.
“Fulfill your hunger wish and get the Norsemen Crisp.”
“Get a ride to catch the Tide.”
“Find your taste of the Mediterranean.”
These are a few of the slogans that students in Richard Cooper’s Marketing I classes at Grosse Pointe North came up with to pitch their products – menu items to be sold at The Big Salad on Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods this week and next as part of the Seal the Deal competition promoting work-based learning.
The “Seal the Deal” competition was created a few years ago by former business teacher Michelle Davis, now North’s assistant principal and athletic director. It was continued by business teacher Richard Cooper when he joined Grosse Pointe North for the 2019-20 school year. After some adaptations due to COVID, it is back this year in full force.
The class is part of the district’s Career and Technical Education program and Mr. Cooper’s background in business management and years of experience in the restaurant business made him just the right fit to continue the project.
The competition began in early December, with students in each class forming companies and brainstorming on menu items. On Dec. 7, The Big Salad owner Craig Nelson and general manager Daniel Pratt visited the classes to share their backgrounds, talk about the restaurant and history of the menu, and discuss sales trends.
The next two days were product test days at The Big Salad. This gave students the opportunity to taste test their products and take promotional photos before developing their campaign theme, pitch and advertising plan.
Students learned the importance of product photography in making their sandwich or wrap look appetizing and appealing in all promotional materials.
Each company was divided into four departments – personal selling, community relations, traditional media and social media.
The personal selling department was charged with face-to-face interaction with customers. These students were required to work a two-hour shift at the restaurant during their sales day, providing a face-to-face sales experience. Members came up with a pitch and collaborated with other departments as needed.
The community relations department was in charge of advertising through any entity in the school or community. This could be North's morning announcements through the TV production classes (another CTE program), local newspapers, clubs and organizations, and even the district’s communications team.
The traditional media department created posters, flyers or billboards, also coordinating with other departments.
Members of the social media department were responsible for creating high quality social media posts to be featured on The Big Salad’s Facebook or Instagram account, coordinating with the other departments to ensure consistency in use of a name, message, jingle or slogan. One company, MarketMan Corp., even created a jingle to the tune of "Jingle Bells" to pitch their wrap, the Valhalla.
“Obviously, all these departments have to talk to each other,” Mr. Cooper said. “If community relations says, ‘Hey, we need to pass out flyers at the basketball game,’ they need traditional media to make the flyers. They all have to talk with each other and work together.”
Tasty Green kicked off their sales day on Dec. 13, promoting their wrap, the Mediterranean Tide, made with grilled chicken, feta, red onions, red peppers, spinach, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and spiced up with spicy avocado dressing. Their personal sales team was on hand in the late afternoon, taking shifts to serve as greeters and entice customers to purchase their product.
Period 4 BW Inc. unveiled The Blat on Dec. 14. This twist on the traditional BLT added avocado and extra mayo to baked ciabatta bread.
The first sales week concluded with American Media’s The Norsemen Crisp, a wrap featuring spicy chicken, romaine lettuce, bacon, tomato and onion with spicy Ranch dressing.
Senior Rory MacMaster, a member of Tasty Green's personal selling department, greeted customers as they entered The Big Salad during the sales day for the Mediterranean Tide Wrap. When you visit, be sure to check out the GPPSS elementary artwork on display (behind Rory).
Coming up next week are The Big Spicy Crunch on Tuesday, Dec. 20, created by United Co.; the Valhalla Wrap on Wednesday, Dec. 21, created by MarketMan Corp.; and The Spicy Buffalo, created by Source Industries, on Thursday, Dec. 22.
One group will be declared the winner based on the number of units sold on their assigned sales day. The winning menu item will be featured at The Big Salad for four to six months and the group that “sealed the deal” will have their names engraved on a trophy displayed at the restaurant.
As the project nears completion, several students shared their thoughts on what they learned.
"It taught a lot about teamwork," said senior Ava Nowacki. "We're in one group, so if we're doing our part and the other people aren't doing their part, we're all behind."
Senior Leah Salisbury liked the fact the class had the opportunity to go to The Big Salad to develop their product "and make it our own unique product to sell."
"It definitely relates what we've learned in the marketing class to real-life application," senior Sahith Nannapaneni said. He also learned the importance of taking initiative.
Sophomore Maria Castronero enjoyed the project because it was a fun, new experience – although she admits she only signed up for the class because she had enrolled previously in a business class taught by Mr. Cooper.
"Honestly, I would take whatever class he teaches," she said.
A shining example of inclusion
Henry Shall's fan club -- his brother, Edmund, and his friends from Grosse Pointe South -- attended Parcells' choir concert to show their support. Pictured, from left, are Adelina Parikh, Henry Shall, Edmund Shall, Tethyan MacKenzie and Michael Allen.
Henry Shall had his moment in the spotlight during Parcells choir concert on Tuesday evening.
The sixth grader sang “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” with other choir members serving as his backup singers.
Henry receives special education programs and services with Drew Kisskalt and the Parcells team, while integrating for general education classes as well.
“The support he got from his classmates was extraordinary,” Parcells Principal Ken Milch noted. “Students were still talking about it the next day. He got a rousing ovation from the audience.”
After the concert, choir director Leslie Saroli received an unexpected email from a fellow music teacher and choir director from Charlotte, NC, who was a high school friend of Henry’s mom, Kara Shall. Kevin Brawley was inspired to reach out after watching a video of Henry’s performance that Kara posted on Facebook.
“I have built my program on the idea that any kid that wants to join my choir is welcome – no auditions, no prior experience – just show up and the rest is my job,” he wrote. “I believe strongly that I’m not here to tell a kid they aren’t good enough to do something, I’m here to teach them they can do anything. Many other teachers don’t agree, so when I find one who clearly does, I want to celebrate and support that any way I can.”
Kevin went on to explain how his own daughter, who has autism, didn’t speak for the first few years of her life – then, “out of nowhere, she started singing songs from ‘The Little Mermaid.’”
Singing was what unlocked her ability to communicate and the opportunity to participate in choir has allowed her to enjoy this gift with her peers.
“Watching Henry lead from the front while the accompanist patiently adjusted tempo, the group quietly and happily backed him up, and the room clearly enjoyed the whole thing literally made my heart warm,” he continued in his letter to Mrs. Saroli. “I don’t know a thing about you, but all I would ever need to know was showcased in that one video. So many teachers are focused on scores, perfect presentation, and other metrics that ignore everything that I believe a children’s musical experience can and should be. Your concert was inclusive, joyful, meaningful, and excellent in every way.”
Henry with paraprofessional Christina Walton, who helped him backstage.
Leslie Saroli credits Henry’s family for the positive experience and is grateful to them “for entrusting us with their sweet son.”
“Henry brings everyone around him a warm heart and a contagious smile each and every day,” she said. “It was quite a simple decision to have this awesome student share his love of music with our community at our concert this past week. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to learn from Henry for the past year and I look forward to working with him for more years to come.”
According to Kara, Henry has always loved singing and dancing, but having an opportunity to participate in choir this year has boosted his confidence.
It also didn’t hurt that friends of his older brother, Edmund, who sings in Grosse Pointe South’s choir, were there to cheer him on as well. These friends frequently attend Edmund's performances at South and wanted to support his younger brother as well.
“Henry knows those kids are always there,” Kara said. “In his eyes they are his friends too. I knew he’d be looking for them and I asked if they wanted to come to Henry’s concert. Of course they said yes.”
Watching him on stage on Tuesday evening was an emotional moment for both her and her husband, Scott.
“When we first moved here 10 years ago, Henry was 3 and he still wasn’t really talking,” she said. “To see him actually perform a song as a solo was really moving.”
She is grateful to his choir teacher for providing this opportunity.
“Mrs. Saroli has really embraced him,” Kara said. “She really wanted him to have a chance to shine. That’s what inclusion looks like.”
Mason playground fundraiser
Bring your items to Mason this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the school will receive 40 cents for every pound of items donated.
String Extravaganza and Band-O-Ramas!
The annual GPPSS String Extravaganza concert takes place at 7 p.m., on Monday, Dec. 19, in Grosse Pointe South High School's main gym.
The concert features all of the district's orchestra students grades 5-12, including our beginning fifth grade students, sixth to eighth graders, and both Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South orchestras.
A suggested admission donation is $1.
South end of the district Band-O-Rama takes place at 7 p.m., December 20, in the main gym at Grosse Pointe South.
North end of the district Band-O-Rama takes place at 7 p.m., December 21, in the main gym at Grosse Pointe North.
String Extravaganza December 19 at South
South End Band-O-Rama December 20 at South
North End Band-O-Rama December 21 at North
Skilled Trades Career Night returns to GPPSS
Mark your calendar now for the GPPSS Skilled Trades Career Night. More information to come in the new year!
Want to read more?
Check out past issues of School Pointes on the district website.