GPPSS Update

Our campers have been busy making memories, building friendships, and enjoying a wide variety of exciting activities. So far, campers have ventured on two fantastic field trips to Shore Lanes and UWM Field, where they enjoyed bowling, baseball, and plenty of summer fun. Back at camp, we've celebrated with themed events including our colorful Summer Luau, adventurous Wild Wild West celebration, and our creative Camp Gogh Crazy week, where campers explored art through hands-on projects and activities.

The fun continues this week as we welcome GP Zoology for an interactive animal presentation, followed by one of our favorite Camp O' Fun traditions—the COF Talent Show on Friday! We can't wait to see our campers shine as they showcase their unique talents and cheer one another on.

These photos capture just a small glimpse of the laughter, creativity, and unforgettable experiences our campers have enjoyed so far this summer. We are looking forward to many more weeks of fun at Camp O' Fun!

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.

Dear GPPSS Families with Students Entering 9th Grade,

We wanted to share the fall sports tryout schedule at North and South along with important sports registration information for the upcoming school year. Please review the attached documents and save these dates and times:

• August 10 Tryout information attached specific to North and South

• Athletic Physicals

• North: Henry Ford Same Day Clinic Information attached

• South: Clinic at South July 21

• MHSAA Physical Form

• Team Meetings

• South: Team Meeting Thursday, August 6th @ 5:30 p.m. in the South Main Gym

• North: Meet the Coach on Monday, August 17th @ 6 p.m. in the North cafeteria

Online Forms

We are also very excited to announce that the Grosse Pointe Public School System and our Athletic Departments have partnered with FinalForms, an online forms and data management service. FinalForms allows you to complete and sign athletic participation forms for your students. The most exciting news is that FinalForms saves data from season-to-season and year-to-year, meaning that you will never need to enter the same information twice! FinalForms also pre-populates information wherever possible, for each of your students, saving you time.

You may review your data at any time to verify it is current. You will be required to sign your forms once per year and after any update. We are asking the parents/guardians of all students planning to play sports to create accounts in FinalForms and register your student(s). IMPORTANT: You must choose the sports your child is interested in to generate all forms for the upcoming school year.

Please register at: https://grossepointe-mi.finalforms.com/ and follow the prompts to create your parent account.

If you do not receive your confirmation email, check your spam/junk folder. When you register your student athlete, you will be prompted to include their personal email. If they don't have a personal email address, they can use their 15XXXXXX@gpschools.org email. Your student athlete will be emailed instructions on how to login and sign, only after you have signed all forms.

Thank you for your assistance in streamlining our paperwork processes across the district.

We look forward to a great fall sports season!

Congratulations to Class of 2022 graduate Bryan Carney on being selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft. Bryan was a key member of North's 2022 baseball team that advanced to the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals. During his senior season at North, he struck out 49 batters while walking just 10 over 32 innings. His defining high school performance came in the state quarterfinals, where he threw a complete-game shutout against Chippewa Valley to send the Norsemen to the Final Four at Michigan State.

Following his career at North, Bryan continued his success at Olivet College, where he established himself as one of the finest pitchers in program history. Over four seasons, he set school records with 243.2 career innings pitched and 288 career strikeouts. Bryan was the only NCAA Division III player selected in this year's MLB Draft and just the second player in Olivet baseball history to be drafted by a Major League Baseball organization.

This Q&A from PowerSchool is designed to provide additional context after some members of our school community received a notice related to a recent legal settlement involving the PowerSchool Naviance platform, a web-based college and career readiness platform used by our school counseling department.

Q: What does the Q.J. Naviance lawsuit allege?

A: The class action lawsuit, Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC, et al. (Case No. 1:23-cv-05689), alleges that PowerSchool allowed third-party companies to track and collect data on students while they were using Naviance.

Q: Is PowerSchool admitting to any wrongdoing?
A: No. PowerSchool, and the other co-defendants (Hobsons, Heap, and the Chicago Board of Education) did not violate any law. The settlement was reached to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with continuing a case like this.

Q: How does PowerSchool protect student data privacy?
A: At PowerSchool, we take our responsibility to protect student data privacy and to act responsibly as data processors to schools and districts extremely seriously. We believe ensuring the personal information contained in student education records is protected should be the standard globally and is at the center of how we build education technology at PowerSchool. PowerSchool strictly and proactively follows all legal, regulatory, and voluntary requirements for protecting student privacy including federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state regulations, such as California’s Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) and its variants. Read more here: PowerSchool’s Commitment to Protecting Student Data Privacy.

Q: What changes is the company making to the Naviance Platform as part of the settlement?
A: As part of the proposal, PowerSchool will:

• Create a fund to pay approved class claims, administration costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses (as awarded), and a service award (as approved). The settlement class is broadly defined to include U.S. students who logged into Naviance at least once during the class period, including periods when Heap or other third-party analytics software was embedded or integrated into the platform.
• Establish a Web Governance Committee to assess use of analytics/advertising technologies in Naviance for legal compliance.
• Supplement privacy disclosures on the Naviance student landing page to notify students about third-party analytics/advertising technologies.

Q: Who is included in this settlement?
A: You are included if you are a person in the United States who while a student or has a child who, logged into the Naviance Platform at least once between August 18, 2021, and January 23, 2026.

Q: Where can I find PowerSchool’s privacy policy?

A: PowerSchool’s global privacy principles and privacy statement can be found here: https://www.powerschool.com/privacy/.

Proceeds benefit our Robotics Teams! Scholarships are available but space is limited.

This year we are establishing metrics for 5 key goal areas: Academics & Programs, Culture, Personnel, Operations, and Community Engagement & Communications. We welcome your input as we continue to refine what we offer to meet your student’s needs. Listening sessions scheduled so far include:

• 5:30 p.m., August 4th, Parcells Student Union, 20600 Mack Avenue

• 6 p.m., August 27th, South’s front lawn, 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd.

• 3:45 p.m., September 10th, Mason’s Outdoor Classroom, 1640 Vernier

• 8:30 a.m., September 29th, Pierce front lawn, 15430 Kercheval

Results from last week's quick poll showed:

• 57% of respondents want to discuss intentional use of technology
• 28% want to discuss the budget
• 11% want to discuss district scores and rankings
• other topics emailed to info@gpschools.org including special education (staffing) and safety

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.

If you have immediate inquiries, please email gpvirtualschool@gpschools.org.

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, July 27, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

• BOE Regular Meeting, Monday, August 17, 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.

In the meantime, we do have these dates to mark on your calendar:

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

E-bikes are becoming increasingly popular with children and teens across Michigan. While they are a fun and efficient way to travel, they can also reach much higher speeds than traditional bicycles and require responsible operation. Michigan law recognizes three classes of e-bikes:

• Class 1 E-Bike – Equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and stops assisting at 20 mph.
• Class 2 E-Bike – Equipped with a throttle that can propel the bike without pedaling and stops assisting at 20 mph.
• Class 3 E-Bike – Pedal-assist only and capable of assisting up to 28 mph. Riders must be at least 14 years old to operate a Class 3 e-bike in Michigan. Class 3 requires a helmet for those aged 14-17.

Please research E-Bikes vs. E-Motos. The Grosse Pointe Farms Department of Public Safety encourages all young riders and parents to follow these important safety tips:

• Always wear a properly fitted helmet.
• Obey all traffic signs, signals, and roadway rules.
• Ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Stay alert and avoid using cell phones, headphones, or other distractions while riding.
• Use lights and reflective gear when riding at dawn, dusk, or nighttime.
• Slow down near pedestrians and provide an audible warning before passing.
• Never carry passengers unless the e-bike is specifically designed to do so.
• Parents should ensure their child's e-bike is age-appropriate and that the rider understands how to safely operate it.
• Ride at a safe speed for conditions and be prepared for vehicles entering driveways and intersections.
• Remember, e-bikes are not toys. Many models can travel at speeds comparable to those of motor vehicles in residential neighborhoods. Safe and responsible riding helps prevent crashes and injuries while keeping our streets, sidewalks, and shared-use paths safe for everyone.
• Ride Smart. Ride Safe. Arrive Alive.

For questions regarding e-bike laws and safety, contact your Department of Public Safety. This article has been adapted with permission from one by the City of Grosse Pointe Farms. The school district continues to partner with all of our public safety departments and will share updates on this and other safety topics.

The City of Grosse Pointe Department of Public Safety's new “Walk Your Wheels” campaign is moving forward as part of their ongoing efforts to make the Village an even safer and more enjoyable place for everyone. The goal of the campaign is simple: create a safer, more comfortable downtown by asking visitors to walk their bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, skateboards, and similar devices while traveling through the busiest pedestrian area of the city. Riders are encouraged to enjoy their ride to and from downtown, then simply dismount and walk once they enter the Downtown Courtesy Zone. The Village already offers numerous bicycle racks, but are adding more to make it as convenient as possible.

As this program is introduced, our focus will be on education first. We especially want to help young riders understand how to safely share our sidewalks with pedestrians while preserving the welcoming atmosphere that makes the Village a special place for visitors and families.

As we finalize this program, we would greatly appreciate your thoughts. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to email Chief John Alcorn directly

AlcornJ@grossepointedps.org

The Grosse Pointe Public Library (in partnership with the GPPSS) announces the beginning of the 2026 Summer Reading Program!

Read at least 20 minutes per day, log your reading by days, try fun activities, and earn free books and virtual tickets for prize drawings!

Please click the QR code here to learn more!

Summer reading opportunities with active links have been added to 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

More will be added as details are finalized. There is also 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, but check out the possibilities and help us spread the word to find great candidates! Here are a few positions to explore:

• GSRP Associate teacher

• GSRP Caregiver

• Attendance Clerk – Parcells Middle School

• GSRP Lead Teacher

• Varsity Ski Coach - South

• Guest Teacher (Instructional Substitute) through EduStaff

Our GPPSS Update comes out every week throughout the school year. Please make a practice of scanning through it for important updates throughout the district.

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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. And don't forget to follow us and tag us on social media:

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