GPPSS Update

North students shown here Monday afternoon preparing for the Pops and Pastries Concert later that evening.

Mrs. Morawski’s class had a special opportunity this week to visit Coreander’s Children’s Bookshoppe for a reading with author and fellow Kerby parent, Chantell Johnson! Chantell shared her book, I’m Me, and That’s Amazing!, which she wrote about her son. What a meaningful experience for our Cougars to hear a story written by someone in our very own Kerby community! A huge thank you to Chantell and Coreander’s for making this such a special experience for our students!

Over the past couple of weeks, our Kerby second graders had the opportunity to visit the historic Cook Schoolhouse! Students stepped back in time to experience what school was like many years ago and learn how classrooms, lessons, and daily routines have changed over the years. What a fun, hands-on way to bring history to life for our Cougars!

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 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 9, 7 p.m., Brownell MPR

• 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).

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities and the importance of creating opportunities for everyone to participate in the workforce.

Through the GPPSS Transition Services work-based learning program, high school seniors and students at the Grosse Pointe Transition Campus gain hands-on experience with local businesses and community organizations. Work-site placements help students explore their interests, practice job tasks, strengthen communication and teamwork skills, and build confidence and independence.

Our community partners play an essential role by welcoming students, recognizing their strengths, and providing opportunities to learn and contribute. Some placements have also opened doors to paid employment, supporting students as they prepare for life after school.

This month, we celebrate our students’ abilities, efforts, and accomplishments, and thank the businesses, organizations, and job coaches who support their growth.

• The Arc of GP-HW/St.Michael's Episcopal Church
• Corewell Health Grosse Pointe
• CYL Sauna Studio
• Christ Church Grosse Pointe
• Einstein Bros Bagels
• First English Evangelical Church
• Ford House
• Fresh Farms
• Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce
• Grosse Pointe Public Libraries
• Grosse Pointe Public School System
• Great Lakes Ace
• Henry Ford St. John Hospital
• Lou's Pet Shop
• Neighborhood Club
• The Helm at the Boll Life Center
• Taher Food Service
• Village Market

Together, we are building a community where people with disabilities have opportunities to contribute, belong, and succeed.

Interested in becoming a work-based learning partner? Contact Kimberly King at kingk@gpschools.org or 313-432-5610.

On their tour of North and South, Board of Education members had the opportunity to visit Susan Spiers classroom. There they saw how Senior Applied Med students took on the role of medical researchers to investigate how life-sustaining molecules move across cellular boundaries. By filling specialized dialysis tubing with low and high concentration salt solutions, the class simulated how human cells interact with different body fluids. Students used advanced conductivity sensors to track how quickly the conductivity spiked as sodium and chloride ions diffused into the surround water. Then, by measuring the change in mass of the tubing over 5 minutes, these future healthcare professionals successfully demonstrated how water shifts compress and swell cells, mirroring mechanisms behind dehydration and kidney function. Lastly, these student researchers analyzed their data, constructed graphs and measured statistical significance using t-Tests in Google Sheets.

Our Room 103 preschoolers showed incredible positive behavior throughout September, filling their PBIS reward jar an amazing 2.5 times!

To reward their fantastic efforts, the class took a vote on how to celebrate. The results ended in a tie between a Pajama Party and an Ice Cream Social—so naturally, we did both! Students arrived in their favorite cozy PJs and got creative making spooky-fun "witch head" sundaes using sugar cones, frosting, sprinkles, and ice cream. It was a sweet, memorable day of celebrating our students' hard work and great choices!

Monteith Fun Run All School Reward was a Spooky Fun Hair Day! Check out these creative hairdos and all the smiles!

Please be advised of a widespread phishing email scam currently circulating with subjects regarding "personal collection items available" or generous giveaways of high-value personal effects (such as electronics, musical instruments, or photography equipment). These fraudulent emails typically claim to originate from a benefactor, alumnus, or estate trustee offering free or low cost items in exchange for covering "shipping costs" or providing personal credentials. They usually come from compromised accounts of people you know and trust. Do not reply, click any embedded links, or transfer money, as these messages are social engineering tactics designed to steal credentials, collect sensitive data, or commit financial fraud.

If you receive an unsolicited message offering giveaway items, unusually low cost items, or requesting personal details, flag it as phishing within your email client. If you transferred funds, immediately contact your bank or payment provider to report the fraud, freeze compromised accounts, and request a transaction recall. Next, file an official report with your local police and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) or IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center), and beware of follow-up "recovery" scams that offer to retrieve your money for an upfront fee.

Our kindergarten and third grade buddies teamed up for a special scavenger hunt to celebrate Maire’s 90th anniversary! Students explored both inside and outside our amazing historic building, discovering the places and spaces that make Maire so special. The adventure ended with some well deserved fun together on the playground! From exploring our school’s rich history to building friendships across grade levels, our Maire Bears are making memories that will last a lifetime. Here’s to 90 years of learning, growing, and belonging at Maire!

• submitted by Danielle Miller and Ann Marie Smihal

Miss Peters' first grade class at Maire has once again linked up with Mrs. Aldrich's first grade class at Kerby to become pen pals! Each month, the two classes write and receive letters from each other. This is a great way for two schools within our district to connect, all while enhancing important writing skills. Students were excited to exchange their first round of many letters that will be written throughout this school year.

• 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

This letter is a reminder for families to check their children for head lice at this time of year,

especially when returning from summer and holiday breaks. Any time that children come together,

particularly at the start of the school year or following any social grouping like Girl/Cub Scouts,

sports events, dance performances or sleepovers/playdates, detected head lice cases commonly

increase. Recent studies show that head lice are seldom spread in a school setting. Our district is

committed to doing our part to reduce the spread of lice in our schools. We have updated our Lice

guidelines and protocols and request that families do their part in being diligent about checking their students for lice, reporting to schools and following through with treatment.

Direct, physical, head-to-head contact is the usual method of transmission. Lice do not jump or fly. They survive only for a short time away from the human head and have difficulty crawling or clinging to smooth surfaces. Check your child’s head weekly for lice and/or nits (eggs). Mature lice, which are no bigger than a sesame seed, avoid light and are hard to see. Lice eggs or “nits” are usually found close to the scalp – usually within one quarter inch. They appear as tiny whitish ovals that are “glued” to the hair shaft. They cannot easily be flicked away as dandruff can. Head lice do not transmit disease and are not a serious medical condition. Anyone can be affected and it is not a sign of poor hygiene. They cannot survive on your pets.

If you find head lice on your child, please notify the school and treat him/her with lice shampoo

or other methods to remove or kill live lice. Always follow the package instructions when using a lice product. A second treatment may be required in seven to ten days. Please refer to your health care provider for recommended products. Continue to examine the child and all family members for three weeks and treat only if live lice or if nits are found one quarter inch or less from the scalp. Information on treating lice will be provided by your school and be available on our website.

New GPPSS Lice Protocol: All cases of lice must be checked by the designated school personnel

or district nurse before the student may return. If live lice are still present, the student will not be

permitted to return to school until a successful lice check is completed. If nits are found as close as 1⁄4 of an inch from the scalp, the student may return to school, but will need to be rechecked the next day to verify removal of nits. A treatment confirmation letter, signed by the parent or guardian, is required.

Check Regularly – Treat Quickly to Help Keep Head Lice Off Your Child

• Check your child’s head weekly for signs of head lice.
• Teach your child not to share or trade personal items such as hats, combs, brushes, headbands, and barrettes.
• Contain long hair in braids or ponytails, especially in younger children.
• Teach children to avoid head-to-head contact.

Please see the attached documents from the Michigan Department of Community Health Handbook

for more guidance about head lice. Thank you for your help and support.

• Quick Guide for Managing Head Lice
• Head Lice Myths and Facts

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.

At Grosse Pointe South we had guest speakers Michelle Cooper and Savannah, Diversion Investigators from DEA Detroit Field Division come and visit Health Class to present the lesson Fentanyl Free America. Fentanyl Free America is the DEA's commitment to protecting the United States from synthetic opioids.

Students in Kathy Smith's class just wrapped up their unit on Substance Use and Misuse and this presentation was an excellent extension to better understanding local and nationwide issues pertaining to Fentanyl and be educated on ways to protect youth, prevent harm, and find support.

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:

• 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

All GPPSS students have a half day Friday, October 30. Staff will have professional development that afternoon.

• Safe Kids Worldwide: Halloween Safety Tips (PDF)

• NFPA Halloween Safety Bundle (PDF)

• American Academy of Pediatrics - HealthyChildren.org: Halloween Fun & Safety Tips for Kids of All Ages

• American Red Cross: Q&A - How to Have a Fun & Safe Halloween

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?