GPPSS Update

See the article and more photos below for a description of Maire's visit to Canton's Real Life Farm.

The Pierce 8th grade science classes welcomed a visit from a DTE Energy representative last week to explore ways to use energy and water more efficiently while learning about the environmental impact of our everyday choices. Students have also been putting their math and science skills to work by examining household water usage, analyzing utility bills, and calculating the costs of everyday consumption. Thanks to DTE, every student received a Home Energy Conservation Kit filled with practical tools to help their families conserve energy and water. This is a great opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

Did you ever wonder what happens on these Professional Development days the state requires? Here in Grosse Pointe, we use this time in many ways. Friday’s half day focused on the following topics to refine instruction to meet student needs:

Elementary

Elementary educators focused on Imagine Math, Arts & Letters, and Really Great Reading, sharing tips and tricks from other educators, time management strategies for center-based learning, and guest teacher plans. Teachers discussed tools and lesson plans and shared slides and ideas on how to improve the supply closets. They also discussed report cards with more work to come on that.

Middle School

Middle school staff walked through the new middle school schedule with the addition of a homeroom. They participated in a professional book study. They also discussed using the gradual release model (I do, We do, You do) to build student independence. Integrating student accommodations into lesson planning and instructional practices was also a hot topic, as well as building-wide student goal setting plans. Every middle school discussed Explicit Instruction - a structured, purposeful, and teacher-led approach to teaching where skills and concepts are broken down into clear, manageable steps and taught directly.

High School

Focused on multi-tiered systems of support, high school teams discussed grade level integration, including policy and practice review. There was a MiCIP department focus, and time was dedicated to adapting and using strategies from another department or colleague. South discussed culturally relevant pedagogy, planning for female mentoring, and positive behavior support specifically related to Strategic Plan Goal 2. North divided the afternoon PD into two parts. The first was an emphasis on Tier I instruction and the best ways to engage our learners. They used student data and combined it with best practices as teachers worked within their departments to craft ways to improve instructions. They started the second part of the afternoon putting teachers into grade level teams where they took a deep dive into some data on students they share in their classrooms, and ways to best engage students by grade level.

All Levels

Elementary, middle and high school all discussed Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MiCIP) & Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Subject, grade-level, and building teams looked at what data is collected to inform these processes, and discussed how the department, grade level and building are monitoring collective progress. Consistency, Continuity, and Commitment to providing the best possible learning environment was evident in all sessions.

For Halloween, students in 5th-8th grade at Brownell receiving ASD services did a spooky science experiment where they made a cauldron bubble using vinegar, baking soda, food coloring, and dish soap! Some students were scared and some were excited as you can see in the photos!

- submitted by Kayci Veres, ASD Educator

Kerby's Fun Run was an absolute BLAST! A HUGE thank you to our incredible PTO, teachers, staff, parent volunteers, and all of our families who helped make the afternoon such a success. And the best part? Together, our Kerby community raised a little OVER $41,000! That is amazing!

The Fun Run was about so much more than running or raising money. It was about coming together as a community, cheering each other on, and celebrating everything that makes Kerby such a special place. Thank you to everyone who helped make this an unforgettable afternoon for our Cougars!

Inspired by another school last year, we’re continuing the tradition of taking a photo of South staff with their family members who also attend South.

- photo credit: Mojo Photo, submitted by Mrs. Petz, Student Activities/Instagram: GPSouth_StudentActivities

Rebecca Petrilli, South German 1-AP teacher, had the opportunity to take part in a conference sponsored by AATG and the Goethe Institute in St. Louis Missouri this past weekend. She applied this past summer and was chosen as one of 18 participants from the Midwest region to help shape a new program called GTTP; or German Teacher Training Pipeline.

The idea of the program is to set up new or aspiring German teachers across the country with support from a veteran German teacher. We hope this opportunity helps retain new teachers in the field and allows new teachers to build strong and supported programs. From her perspective as a veteran teacher, it was equally rewarding to gain new perspectives and ideas from the newest generation of teachers! Here are photos with her two mentees and the whole Midwest group.

Maire Kindergarten students enjoyed a fun and educational field trip to The Real Life Farm in Canton! As part of our Arts and Letters curriculum study, Once Upon a Farm, students had the opportunity to explore farm life, learn about farm animals, and discover how a farm works. This hands-on experience brought our classroom learning to life and created wonderful opportunities for curiosity, exploration, and discovery!

Mrs. Damaskos, Mrs. Derringer, and Mrs. Martin's classes ran a Candy Sale for Teachers. This festive project gave our students a chance to practice real-world functional life skills, including: reading, math, communication, and daily living tasks.

As part of this project, students:

• read and followed simple directions and signage by packaging candy into individual bags,
• practiced money skills such as identifying prices, making change, and budgeting,
• developed communication skills by interacting with staff and peers, and
• took responsibility for tasks like stocking, organizing, and keeping track of inventory.

Staff Hammer Award: Rob Johnson

This week’s Staff Hammer Award goes to our dean of students, Rob Johnson. Rob is quick to support students and staff, bringing a student-first approach to everything he does. His day takes him in many directions—from attendance conversations and hallway monitoring to helping students find the motivation to get back on track. Through it all, Rob is approachable, dependable, and ready to help. Rob is always willing to lend a hand and, just as importantly, offer a solution. He approaches challenges with care for the student and an understanding of what staff need to keep moving forward. Thank you, Rob, for your steady support, your commitment to our students, and the many ways you make North better each day. Proud. Tough. Together.

Student Hammer Award: Penelope Routsis

This week’s Student Hammer Award goes to Penelope Routsis. During last week’s North-South Community Tailgate, Pene’s quick thinking and immediate action helped save a fellow student’s life. Drawing on her lifeguard training, she stepped forward in a critical moment and put her skills to work. Her courage, preparation, and care for another person reflect the very best of our North community. Thank you, Pene, for showing us what it means to look out for one another and act when it matters most.

Proud. Tough. Together.

Thank you to all of the community members who were willing to serve our community as Board of Education trustees. Congratulations to Walter Fitzpatrick, Jake Howlett and Michelle White for being elected to lead in this important role. They will start the onboarding process and their terms will begin in January.

Special thanks also to Sean Cotton, Ginny Jeup and Valarie St. John for their service as their terms come to a conclusion the end of December. Board members play a special role setting the vision for the district, and ensuring we make progress toward our strategic goals. The time, energy and expertise they dedicate is truly remarkable. Please help us thank all these individuals for helping us move toward our vision, to be the premier educational community where we innovate, learn, grow and thrive together.

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, November 9, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

• Facilities Committee Meeting, POSTPONED to Monday, November 19, 5:30 p.m., North Library

• Policy Committee Meeting, POSTPONED to Monday, November 19, 6:30 p.m., North Library

• BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, November 23, 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).

Defer staff took Dr. Bishop's challenge to "Go for Gold" this year quite literally on Halloween. Their costumes all related to the theme. See the darling photos below where that challenge is brought to life in the classroom for students every day.

Defer Elementary students, families and staff had an out-of-this-world time at our Run Through the Galaxy Fun Run this October! With an incredible turnout, plenty of excitement and smiles from our students, the event was a wonderful celebration of school spirit and community. Thanks to the generosity of our amazing local businesses, sponsors and families, we raised more than $57,000 to support Defer Elementary. These funds will help provide enriching student experiences, teacher support and resources that make Defer such a special place. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success and showed what our Dragon community can accomplish together!

Defer’s Young Fives students had so much fun with Halloween spirit week! Here they are celebrating with spooky hair and a pajama day.

Save the Date for the Kindergarten and Young Fives Info Night, Thursday, January 14th at 6:30 p.m. at your local elementary school.

Monteith recently held its 24th annual pumpkin decorating contest! We had over 110 families participate and raised $535 for our Monteith PTO! We had extremely creative entries! This contest not only raises money for our wonderful school, but allows an opportunity for families to work together and share their creativity! Students, staff, administrators, and community members cast their votes to determine winners. We had generous donations for prizes from the following local businesses: Ashby's Ice Cream, Wally's, Nothing Bundt Cake, Bakehouse 46, and JJ's Custard!

Check out the Halloween video above from Monteith Elementary, courtesy of Parker Hammoli and Library Media Specialist Michelle Stackpoole.

Monteith also had a Spooktacular Fun Run. Monty the Tiger even got a Special visit from North's mascot Thor!!

For the 40th time in the 48-year history of the South girls cross country program, the team will advance to the state finals. A top three finish at the state regional advanced the varsity team of seven Blue Devils that included seniors Morgan Costello, Liv Colt, Rylee Piornack; sophomores Eleanor Pilsner and Lydia Thomason-Redus; and freshmen Emma Ford and Ivy Surma. Congratulations, South girls cross country!

• Brownell Fall Instrumental Concert - 7 p.m., Wednesday, November 4, Brownell Multi-Purpose Room
• Parcells Fall Instrumental Concert - 7 p.m, Thursday, November 5, Parcells Auditorium
• South Instrumental Pops & Pastries Concert - 7 p.m, Friday, November 6, South Main Gym
• Pierce Fall Instrumental Concert - 6:30 p.m., Pierce Auditorium
• North Musical Performance Frozen - click image above for tickets, Friday and Saturday, November 20 & 21 at the PAC
• Parcells Vocal Winter Concert - 7 p.m., Parcells Auditorium

Grosse Pointe North Interact Club make 1632 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless last Thursday. Interact supports three different shelters and the organization "Operation Love Our Homeless."

The Pierce National Junior Honor Society has teamed up with American House on Kercheval to provide service to our seniors in the community. The 7th and 8th grade students play bingo, sing karaoke, and keep our seniors company every month. In November, they will make lunches for those in need. We are proud to share their leadership and service within our schools and in the Grosse Pointe community.

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.

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.

Across the district, each Kids Club program hosted Halloween parties on Friday! Each party was unique in it's on way, from making colorful spider crafts to mummy wrapping contests to pizza parties, everyone seemed to have a Spooktacular time celebrating!

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 - require fewer hours than teacher subs, but those signed up for teaching positions can also help out here. Be sure to click the button for classroom assistant notifications.
• Speech and Language Pathologist 0.8 FTE
• Afternoon Custodian - Various Locations
• Lunchroom supervisors - still needed! Please share.

• ASD Coach
• Kids Club Caregiver, multiple sites

• GSRP Caregiver

• Performing Arts Center

• Lifeguard-Swim Assistant

• Swim Instructor

• Guest Teacher (Instructional Substitute) through EduStaff

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.

Did you know you can submit stories to celebrate throughout the school year by emailing info@gpschools.org and putting Good News in the subject line? We love photos and try very hard to balance stories across the district. Thank you for sharing your stories.

• Did you partner with a classroom on a special learning opportunity?
• Did you go to 5th grade camp?
• Do you coach a team?