Emergency preparedness

Above is one of our evacuation drills being conducted int he next several weeks at each of our schools. Below is a graphic showing the common language now being used by schools and public safety departments across Michigan. GPPSS staff are going over these terms in our drills with students. Parents and community members can help us reinforce these at home.

We have used Shelter for the tornado warning, Hold for a medical situation where EMS needed quick access through the halls to assist a teacher who fell, and Secure for a police situation near a school that was peacefully resolved. We practice Lockdown and Evacuate in our whole school drills so students and staff build muscle memory just like our musicians and athletes do when they practice.

Send questions to info@gpschools.org. Thank you for partnering with us to keep everyone safe.

At the top of the regular board meeting, on Monday, September 21st, the board heard from North Student Representative Elliana Orlando

Then there was a presentation on PBIS Station Rotations. Dr. Keelean, Monteith Principal, shared, "We are giving students the key to success, when we include them in the “why” of our expectations for behavior at school." She added, "We are allowing them to start strong by giving them clear and concise directions for expectations" and then spoke about the seven common areas of the school they address in their PBIS rotations (office, lunchroom, hallway/stairway, bathroom, safety drills, playground, and arrival/dismissal). She also celebrated the four Monty Money design winners. Monty Money is awarded when students are caught doing the right thing.

That was followed by the President of GPPAC Dr. Jill Wurm and VP Dima Hausser. They meet the second Wednesday of the month to provide information and support to parents of the 14% of our GPPSS students who receive special education services. Save the date for these meetings: Wednesday, Oct. 14, November 11, and Dec. 9.

A Bond and Sinking Fund Update was shared by Plante Moran Realpoint and The Collaborative highlighting the program schedule and providing a design update on six key projects:

Elworthy Tennis Courts
South Main Office Renovation
South Media Center
North Performing Arts Center
Parcells STEAM Commons
Trombly Building Renovations - including preschool on the first floor, a secure entrance, and a Career & Technical Education (CTE) classroom space on the second floor for our students in our CTE program dedicated to exploring teaching as a career

Then Chief Financial Officer Andrea Agrusa presented a Financial Update where she shared we are in the middle of annual audit testing. Final year-end numbers are not available yet. Our tentative goal is to present the audit at the second Board meeting in October. She also shared and thanked the members of her finance department, and provided the cost of the settled union agreements to date. She also provided background information on the special revenue, debt and capital project funds.

All action items pass

The board approved two action items: regular meeting minutes from September 14th and the Human Resources Report. Previewed for action on October 5 was approval of 21F virtual learning days. If needed, this would allow the district the opportunity to count PSAT testing days (where seniors do not come in person) if they participate in two-way communication virtually. For example, other districts have students log in to Naviance and complete an activity for career pathways or college applications. More details will be shared on this later.

Future Meetings

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:

Facilities Meeting, Monday, September 28, 5:30 p.m., North Library
Policy Meeting, Monday, September 28, 6:30 p.m., North Library
Superintendent Listening Session, Tuesday, September 29, 8:30 a.m., Pierce Front Lawn
BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, October 5, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR
BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, October 19, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

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. Meeting agendas with supporting documents are linked from the district calendar (see icon on right side of main page).

Important Dates

Emails will be coming out by level over the next few weeks. Save the date now and make sure you have your log-in. Your PTC Wizard login credentials are the same as your MiStar Parent Portal PIN (a number starting with 1500) and password. If you need help finding your MiStar PIN and password, please visit this link and click “Need your login information?”

Elementary

You will receive an email when PTC Wizard goes live on Monday, September 28th at 6 a.m.
Conference Dates

October 7, 2026 - 5-8 p.m. (virtual)
October 8, 2026 - 1-4 p.m. (in person)
October 8, 2026 - 5-8 p.m. (in person)

Middle School:

You will receive an email when PTC Wizard goes live on Monday, October 5 at 6 am
Conference Dates:

Oct 14, 2026 - 4:30-7 p.m. (virtual)
Oct 15 2026 - 12:30-3 p.m. (in person)
Oct 15, 2026 - 4:30-7 p.m. (virtual)

High School:

You will receive an email when PTC Wizard goes live on Monday, October 12 at 6 am
Conference Dates:

October 21, 2026 - 5-8 p.m. (in person)
October 22, 2026 - 5-8 p.m. (virtual)

Student Voice. Student Leadership. Better Outcomes.

The Superintendent's Student Advisory Council provides students with a direct opportunity to engage monthly with the Superintendent and District leadership on issues affecting the student experience. Council members will help GPPSS Measure, Monitor, and Make it Better by sharing student perspectives, reviewing information and data, gathering feedback from peers, and developing recommendations connected to the District's Strategic Plan.

The GPPSS Strategic Plan specifically calls for the District to identify student needs, values, and priorities through active engagement and use student voice to inform future programming decisions. The plan also emphasizes student belonging, engagement, and stronger two-way communication.

Who May Apply?

Students in grades 7–12 are encouraged to apply. Students do not need to hold a formal leadership position or participate in student government. We are looking for students who:

Care about improving GPPSS for all students;
Are willing to listen to different perspectives;
Can respectfully share ideas, questions, and concerns;
Will seek input from other students;
Are willing to examine information and data;
Can think about solutions, not only problems;
Will participate consistently in Council meetings; and
Represent the diverse experiences and perspectives of GPPSS students.

Monitor. Measure. Make it Better.

We will Monitor what the data and student voice are telling us.
We will Measure what students are experiencing.
And together, we will Make it Better by developing ideas, recommendations, and solutions that improve the GPPSS student experience.

Students will be sent the Student Application Link tomorrow via Schoology. Print copies are available in the middle and high school offices. Participation will require both student and parent/guardian signatures. Applications will be due Friday, October 16.

Maire's Sarah Neely is among the Top 10

From a pool of over 9,000 nominated teachers, we are down to the final ten! The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2026 National History Teacher of the Year:

Jami Forrester, Haas Hall Academy Springdale, AR
Aditi Doshi, Van Nuys High School, CA
Samantha Westerdale, Rangeview High School, CO
Brian Grindrod, Wilbur L. Cross High School, CT
De'Ana Forbes, Berkmar High School, GA
Donna Olsen, Lewiston High School, ME
Sarah Neely, Maire Elementary School, MI
Catherine Hoffer McGowin, Southeast Lauderdale High School, MS
Tracey Barrett, Asheville High School, NC
Sharolyn Stauffer, Star Valley High School, WY

Ryan Boyd honored as a top TeachTown Teacher in the County

Ryan Boyd was highlighted as a top TeachTown Teacher within Wayne County. TeachTown is a digital special education curriculum and software platform designed for students with moderate-to-severe disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental delays from early childhood through transition age. TeachTown’s standards-first, adapted core curriculum, enCORE, alongside its supporting interventions address the adaptive, social, and behavioral needs of students.

Have you finished K12 registration?

One of the important steps at the start of each school year is to fill out the K12 pre-registration forms. About 90% of families have completed the forms to date -- thank you. By default, that means 10% of our students don't have updated emergency contacts, won't be in yearbooks, can't go on walking field trips, and haven't agreed to our behavior expectations. So we will be calling and emailing you until these are complete and we know your family's decisions and not just the default exclusion.

Inside K-12, make sure you have visited MiStar and updated your emergency contacts. This ensures we have the proper phone numbers in the event of any emergency (like a snow day) and email addresses for school communications like this. You may update your emergency contacts at any time and here are step by step instructions to do so.

Other key forms are:

FERPA - without that we cannot include your student in yearbooks or celebrate them in newsletters or graduation/promotion/concert materials with their name or image.
Technology Acceptable Use
Walking Field Trip (for elementary)
Student Handbook

Reminder: Late Start Monday

Just a reminder, GPPSS has Late Start Mondays for professional learning for staff. Please see the chart above for Late Start Monday times by level, our schedule for Tuesday-Friday, and half day dismissal times. Grosse Pointe Transition Campus, for our students ages 18-26 receiving special education services, has times slightly offset from the high school schedule to make for an easier drop off and pick up; those times have been communicated directly to families. Thank you!

Food 4 Life

Please visit the Food Service section of our district website by clicking Meals in the upper right corner. And be sure to download the Taher Food4Life app for your phone. These are the easiest ways to access the menus by school (use the dropdown menu to select your school and your meal - breakfast or lunch). Click on any menu item to see the Allergen and Wellness Guidelines. A form for those with dietary restrictions was included in the K12 Pre registration packet and is available in each school office. Remember that for breakfast or lunch to be free students must take all items including milk. Taher staff will gladly help if students have questions about what makes up a full meal. A la cart items will be charged to their account. Money can be added to your student's account online with a credit card. Click Cafeteria in MiStar to check your balance, then Online Food Service Payments (upper right corner) to add. Did you know you can print Week at a Glance menus by school also?

Walk Your Wheels: Updated E-Bike and E-Moto Guidance

Earlier this school year, GPPSS communicated that e-bikes were not permitted on school property. Since then, we have received thoughtful questions and feedback from students, families, and community members about e-bikes, e-scooters, and the growing variety of electric motorized devices students are using to travel to and from school.

We appreciate that feedback, and we listened.

One theme that emerged from those conversations was the need to balance two important priorities: supporting safe ways for students to travel to school while keeping our busy school grounds and arrival and dismissal areas safe for everyone. As a result, we are refining our approach and introducing a simple districtwide safety expectation:

Walk Your Wheels in School Zones

Moving forward, students may bring Michigan-compliant e-bikes to school. Once students reach school property and adjacent sidewalks, bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and e-scooters should be walked — not ridden.

This gives students the ability to use these devices for transportation while reducing the risk of collisions in areas where students, families, buses, and vehicles are moving during arrival and dismissal.

What is an e-bike?

An e-bike is a bicycle with a seat or saddle, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of 750 watts or less. Under Michigan's e-bike classifications, electric assistance is limited to no more than 28 mph.

What is an e-moto?

An e-moto is a higher-powered electric motorbike that does not meet Michigan's definition of an e-bike. These devices may look similar to e-bikes but operate more like motorcycles or other motor vehicles. For example, a device may be considered an e-moto rather than an e-bike if it does not have fully operable pedals, exceeds 750 watts, provides motor assistance above 28 mph, or operates primarily by throttle above 20 mph.

Because e-motos are motor vehicles rather than e-bikes, students may not bring or operate e-motos on elementary or middle school property.

At the high school level, students may bring a qualifying motorized vehicle to school only when the student and vehicle meet the applicable Michigan requirements for that type of vehicle, including any required license or endorsement, registration, insurance, and safety equipment. The vehicle must also be registered with the school and have an approved student parking permit.

Please take a few minutes to review these expectations with your student, particularly if they ride an electric bike or other motorized device to school.

When you reach the school zone, walk your wheels.
Whether you arrive by bicycle, scooter, e-bike, or e-scooter:

Slow down.
Walk safely.
Look out for one another.

Thank you for helping us keep our school communities safe.

Addressing a child's developmental delays

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.

Word of mouth is the best advertisement

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:

Parapro Subs
Lunchroom supervisors - we need 8!!!
Athletic Trainer

ASD Coach
Kids Club Caregiver, multiple sites
Senior Employee Relations Specialist
GSRP Caregiver
Performing Arts Center
Lifeguard-Swim Assistant
Swim Instructor
Guest Teacher (Instructional Substitute) through EduStaff