GPPSS Update

This week all of our new teachers have attended three days of orientation, including safety training by Lockout (seen here) and a bus tour (pictured above) of every school building. The district tour was narrated by Brownell Principal Rodger Hunwick with some fun local lore added in for good measure. Some faces may look familiar as several started after orientation last year or have been subbing in our buildings. Please help us welcome them to their new roles in GPPSS.

Last week the Kerby school community came out to beautify their grounds. Thank you to all who participated!

At their last regular meeting, the Board of Education the Superintendent's Report included an update on the Off and Out of Sight policy from our high school principals. While the district has had a similar policy in place, this has more specificity and was designed to be practical and consistently enforced. Both principals stated this conversation didn't start with the new State law, and the goal is not to be punitive. Rather, this adjustment is designed to reduce distractions and protect the teaching and learning environment. Reminder: the policy for grades K-8 is bell to bell. With our open campus lunch at high school, it was not felt the bell to bell restriction could be fairly enforced.

Also under the Superintendent's report, the Board heard a presentation from CFO Agrusa, with a congratulations to the finance team for all their work this summer on year end and grant reconciliations, the audit inquiries, the information required for negotiations, and rollover of 11- and 12-month employee contracts. Work continues on general ledger maintenance and account codes to further improve financial reporting. CFO Agrusa also shared the cost of the settled agreements with the office, plant, paraprofessionals and building administrator groups.

An update on open campus lunch security measures was then shared including the purchase of scanners for each high school to be used as students leave and return to campus. The opt out form for open campus lunch is in our K-12 online pre-registration packet (open now). We will work to ensure the transition to this new system and operational mindset goes as smooth as possible. It will not be perfect, and there will certainly be opportunities for growth and improvement during our initial implementation. In alignment with our strategic plan, we are committed to the mindset: Monitor. Measure. Make it better.

Action Items

These action items were all approved (ties to our strategic plan goals are noted in parenthesis):

• Special and regular board meeting minutes from July 27
• Hire Melanie Danley as Elementary Special Education Supervisor - please see article below (Goal 1: Academics/Programs & Goal 3: Personnel)
• Human Resources Report (Goal 3: Personnel)
• Revised Board Policy and Administrative Guidelines 4.21 - Cell phones (Goal 1: Academics/Programs)
• Three-Year Tentative Agreement with the GPAA building and special education administrators (Goal 3: Personnel)
• School Resource Officer (SRO) Agreement which continues with our current SROs (Goal 3: Personnel)

Please watch the district calendar on the website for the latest information on board and committee meetings. Agendas and supporting documents are linked from the calendar. Upcoming BOE meetings include:

• BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, September 14, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

• BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, September 21, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

• See graphic below for the upcoming Superintendent Listening Sessions

On the website, click About GPPSS, then School Board. From there you can read about our board members, find links to past and current agendas, and watch the meetings.

The four candidates campaigning for Board of Education on the November ballot are:

• Walter Fitzpatrick
• Thomas (Jake) Howlett
• Virginia (Ginny) Jeup (incumbent)
• Michelle White

Please help us thank them all for their willingness to serve in this important role, and save the date for the Candidate forum being moderated by the League of Women Voters at 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 22, in the Brownell Multipurpose Room. See flyer in the Community Partner section below.

At the last regular board meeting, Dr. Bishop recommended Melanie Danley for the position of Elementary Special Education Supervisor. We are pleased to share that this recommendation was approved! Please join us in welcoming Melanie to her new role within our GPPSS family.

Melanie Danley brings an extensive background spanning nearly two decades of dedicated service across special education and general education classrooms, systems leadership, and district-level committee work. Most recently serving as a K-5 Resource Program Teacher at Defer Elementary, Ms. Danley offers a powerful blend of deep instructional expertise, strong compliance and diagnostic skills, multi-district leadership experience, and an exceptional ability to partner with staff and families. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education, a Learning Disabilities endorsement, and is currently completing her Master’s in K-12 Administration through Eastern Michigan University. Throughout her tenure in Grosse Pointe Public Schools and previously in Lakeview Public Schools — where she was named Teacher of the Year — Ms. Danley has proven herself to be a trusted mentor, system strategist, and advocate for inclusive educational practices.

During the interview process, Ms. Danley distinguished herself as an approachable, highly articulate, and visionary leader with a remarkably calm demeanor under pressure. The hiring committee noted her balanced perspective bridging general and special education, her deep knowledge of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) frameworks, and her ability to view special education as a continuum of student growth. Committee members particularly valued her collaborative philosophy, such as her commitment to bringing paraprofessionals to the table, as well as her proven ability to navigate difficult conversations and de-escalate meetings with empathy and poise. Please help us congratulate and welcome Melanie to this leadership role!

Jill Martin and Dionna Damaskos Binge, MoCi Post Secondary Teacher from Grosse Pointe Transition Center, attended the annual special Olympics unified conference in Lansing this summer. They learned about different resources and programs to implement during the school year that continue to allow us to be a unified champion school.

“I’ve come to believe that if you’re interested in living in a society where people read, it’s also your responsibility to cultivate readers.”

- Ann Patchett

The Defer staff share a love of reading and are continuously sharing books and talking about reading. This summer they created a staff book club, and read and discussed Ann Patchett’s book, Whistler.

Summer reading opportunities with active links are posted on all school webpages. Help your student avoid summer learning loss by taking advantage of these curated options. Many thanks to our library media specialists for collecting these all in one place!

• Elementary Summer Reading Links
• Middle School Summer Reading Links
• High School Summer Reading Links

Camp O' Fun activities continue to delight our students. They hosted a Sneaker Ball and took students on fun field trips each week like the one shown here at Slick City Action Park.

This week our counselors held drop-in sessions for students to come in for help on their common application for college.

Thank you to our counselors and students for this proactive work preparing for their next step. This ties directly into one aspect of our Portrait of a Graduate.

Thank you to our GPEA teacher's union and district administration for agreeing to the key dates in our 2026-27 GPPSS calendar. Additional dates will be announced when the contract is settled, but above are the major breaks and below are a few more we can share:

• North Homecoming is October 2nd vs. Marysville
• South Homecoming is October 9th vs. Eisenhower
• The North South game will be October 23rd at North

Each year we ask families to update important forms including emergency contact information, review the code of conduct, and note specific information for each school community. It is critically important that you take the time to review and update this information. This must be done before registration at your school where you would then receive your class assignment information. Look for an email from gpregistration that went out August 14th with your login information. Thank you for partnering with us on this!

To help your family qualify for additional assistance (ex: reduced testing or athletic fees) and for Grosse Pointe Public School System secure critical state and federal funding, we need ALL families that think they may qualify to complete the Education & Nutrition Benefits Application (formerly known as the Free & Reduced Meals Application).

Why it matters:

• Your application helps ensure we can continue to provide nutritious meals to all students.
  

• Funding tied to our free/reduced rate supports far more than meals; it impacts academic programs, athletic programs, technology, and student services.
  

• Even if you think you may not qualify, completing the form still helps the district.

Even if your child brings lunch from home or does not participate in the school meal program, completing the FRL application helps our school district qualify for important state and federal funding. These funds support educational programs, instructional staff, technology, academic interventions, mental health services, and other resources that benefit all students. Since Michigan started funding breakfast and lunch, our applications have decreased, impacting our eligibility for grants and other funding sources.

Completing the application may also qualify your family for additional benefits, such as reduced fees for certain programs, discounted internet services, college application fee waivers, reduced fees for AP/SAT/ACT exams, and other assistance for which you may be eligible. The form is confidential and directly benefits your family and our schools.

Families can find SFSP sites by using the Meet Up and Eat Up Site Locator Map, or the USDA Meals For Kids Site Finder and entering their address in the search bar at the top left of the map. Both maps are updated throughout the summer as new sites become available. Families can also receive SFSP site information by calling 211.

Grosse Pointe Virtual School is launching in Fall 2026, offering flexible, high-quality learning opportunities for students in our community in collaboration with Michigan Virtual.

Grosse Pointe Virtual is designed to increase flexibility, access, and supports for the broader learning community, leveraging technological advancements and innovations in instruction.

Utilizing Michigan Virtual and district staff, GP Virtual will expand access to the high-quality education associated with GPPSS. We are a District of Opportunities and want you to be part of this exciting development. GP Virtual students walk at graduation with their home high school and can participate in athletic and extracurricular activities. Space is limited to ensure success.

Registration is now open for a select group of rising 9th through 12th grade students. Students must be district residents and not currently attending GPPSS.

Questions? Please email gpvirtualschool@gpschools.org.

There is a handy tool at the top of the Summer Programs webpage to sort opportunities by grade level. From science to AI, sports to music, there is something for everyone!

Early On

Early On is Michigan's system for helping infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 and their families who have developmental delays or are at risk for delays due to certain health conditions.

Build Up

Build Up helps parents and their eligible children, ages 3 through 5, access special education supports and services as they develop and learn skills before they go to kindergarten.

If you have a concern about your child's development, go to https://miearlychildhood.org/ to make an online referral for a free Early On or Build Up evaluation.

Do you know someone who would be a good fit for one of these open positions in GPPSS? We're particularly looking for paraprofessionals and early childhood staff, but check out the possibilities and help us spread the word to find great candidates! Here are a few positions to explore:

• Elementary School Resource Program Teacher - 2 Positions (1.0 FTE) (Mason and Defer Elementary)
• Instructional/Teacher 2nd grade 1.0 FTE - 2 Positions available (Kerby and Defer Elementary)

• Spanish 1.0 FTE- North

• Lunchroom supervisors

• Kids Club Caregiver, multiple sites

• Senior Employee Relations Specialist

• GSRP Associate teacher

• GSRP Caregiver

• Performing Arts Center

• Lifeguard-Swim Assistant

• Swim Instructor

• Varsity Ski Coach - South

• Guest Teacher (Instructional Substitute) through EduStaff

The Fall Frolic is back! Join the GPFPE for the return of our favorite fall tradition - a casual evening that brings our district community together for food, drinks, entertainment and an all-around good time!

When: Thursday, September 24

Where: Cadieux Cafe

Mark your calendars - ticket details and full event info will be shared soon. We can't wait to see you there!

Here is a quick summary of key communication tools we utilize to stay connected:

• District Newsletter - Our GPPSS Update you're reading now comes out every week on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Please make a practice of scanning through it for important updates throughout the district.
• School newsletters typically come out Friday or Sunday with school-specific information.
• Daily updates are posted on social media.
  • Facebook @GPPSS
  • Twitter @GPSchools
  • Instagram @gppschools
  • LinkedIn will be a focus this year as we seek different ways to tell our story
• Calendar updates are on the district website (click icon right on main page). Please note there is a separate Performing Arts Calendar, and high school athletic calendars are linked from the school athletic department websites.

If you know someone (neighbor, grandparent, business owner, public official) who would like to be on our mailing list for the district newsletter, please share this form with them. There is no cost to subscribe and emails will not be shared with any other organization or business.

If you have a story idea for GPPSS Update, a photo to share, or a fun community event, please reach out to info@gpschools.org. We strive to provide balanced coverage and you can help by providing information on your favorite program, team or club!