February is a challenging month for many of us, despite its shorter duration. Even with the harsh winter weather, fading new year motivation and a lack of major holidays or events, it is important to stay connected and engaged. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mary Jane Haindl and Erika Keating for their invaluable assistance in dismantling the Cleminson Hall decorations. Their support was truly appreciated.

I am thrilled to announce that in the month of January, we were able to award a significant amount of grants to teachers and student groups. 

I am excited to inform you that applications for the Mothers' Club Scholarship are now open. If you have a senior, they are eligible to apply if you purchased a Mothers' Club membership. I encourage all eligible candidates to apply.

Mark your calendars for our highly anticipated annual fundraiser, "Date with the Devil - War Dance," taking place on Friday, March 1st. This event promises to be a night filled with entertainment, camaraderie and a chance to explore the newly renovated War Memorial space. It's the perfect occasion for parents to come together, enjoy a night out and support Grosse Pointe South.

Please note that there will be no general membership meeting in February. Our next General Membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 13th. I look forward to seeing you all there as we discuss important matters and make decisions that will shape the future of our organization.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication. Together, we can make a difference.

Warm regards,

Michelle Parikh

Mothers' Club President 2023-24

president@mothersclubgps.com

Mothers' Club 2023-2024 Executive Board

Grosse Pointe South School Store

.

All of our store profits go back to the school, teachers, and students through the Mothers' Club support of enrichment, scholarship and preservation.

Questions, please contact:

Erin DiLodovico, School Store Treasurer - DiLodovicofamily@gmail.com

Mary Jane Haindl - School Store Manager - mjhaindl@google.com

Jennifer Kelly, School Store Manager - kellyfamily115@gmail.com,

Mothers' Club Class of 2024

Scholarship Application is OPEN!

Application deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.

Mark your calendar: Mothers’ Club Scholarship Awards Night is Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

ATTENTION, SENIOR PARENTS:

Purchase a Yearbook Senior Recognition Ad

Deadline: February 9, 2024

The class of 2027 will continue to have breadstick sales on Thursdays in the main hallway during both lunches.

Save the date! The freshmen class will be hosting a carnival night fundraiser in South’s main gym on Friday, March 15, 2024.

We are looking for games and decorations for the carnival. If you are willing to donate, please contact the class officers by March 8.

Informational flyers will be sent to the elementary schools on March 4 and we'll be hanging posters in the Village and on the Hill. If you have students in elementary school or know some, spread the word!

The entry fee is $10 if paying with cash and $12 for credit card payment due to the fees.

We need assistance from NHS workers who can help for service hours. A Signup Genius that will be sent out soon.

February 2024 Counselors' Corner

Welcome to semester two! The new start means we begin again with a fresh start in grades, attendance, and classes. Hooray!

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Parents: Scheduling this year, we again feature a paperless course selection process for 2024-25 with our Course Recommendation Day on January 31. Students should have shared their Course Selection sheet with their parents’ email. Please make sure your students have done this. The course selections are due February 9 and can simply be submitted online in the student’s schoology class.

We want students to challenge themselves in their studies but not overextend their academic commitments so that their lives are out of balance, resulting in added stress and anxiety. Families should dedicate time together for thoughtful discussion about the student's commitment to selecting these courses within the context of their other commitments to family, friends, faith, sports and activities. Our students are amazing and want to do EVERYTHING! Our role as parents and educators is to support them in building balance making hard choices about what is a wise selection and what is better to let pass. Families know their students best and need to play an active role.

On Course Recommendation Day, all teachers spent time in each class discussing their recommendations for future classes individually with students. In the case of electives, teachers discussed other electives available to students. When we return from Mid-Winter Break, we will meet with students to review course selections for next year, input them on the computer, and complete the annual Educational Development Plan (EDP) review. The Program of Studies is available on the school system website if you have any lingering questions or concerns about course content and requirements. We will be sending out a reminder towards the end of the school year of the classes that your student has selected. At this time, if there are any changes, you will be welcome to make modifications. Consider the student's overall workload, post-high school plans, extracurricular demands and possible summer school classes that may replace grades in previous courses. As always, it is all about balance.

We will also be completing the Educational Development Plan (EDP) at this time. The EDP uses the Naviance program to help students define their affinities and personalities and match them to careers and majors that best fit their skills and interests. It also takes the next steps to link students to college matches and even has a scholarship search engine. You can access this program from home by logging in directly from South’s homepage or https://student.naviance.com/gpshs You can use your Parent Portal password to sign in the first time.

Senior Parents: While most seniors have applied for college for next fall, some have waited for the first-semester senior year grades to be available before applying. Please encourage your senior to see their counselor immediately to discuss either their college application plans or employment, military service, travel, or technical school plans. In addition, any senior who wishes to have their first semester of senior year grades sent to a college can request midyear grades to send online.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to complete the FAFSA for next year’s college freshmen. Also, look to see if the prospective college or university requires the CSS/Financial Aid Profile

Junior Parents: Counselors will visit juniors in Power of Lang classes monthly from February through May to discuss college/post-high school preparation information. February’s topic will be about how to search and compare options. Juniors in AP Lang will be busy preparing for the AP Exam, so counseling will offer several sessions in class when the exam has passed in May. This is helpful to understand the college application process at South as well as getting tips on research. Standardized tests remain a murky subject for next fall. Many top colleges have already decided to be test-optional for at least an additional year. That said, it is not a bad idea for each junior who intends to apply for college admission to register for and take an additional ACT and/or SAT test beyond what they will take with us in April. Students can register online at www.act.org for the ACT and www.collegeboard.org for the SAT. Please encourage your student to pay attention to deadlines and not to delay registering until the last moment. Test center availability at nearby locations may be at a premium, especially for the April, May and June tests.

COLLEGE NIGHT is coming

College Night will be held at South on Wednesday, April 17. We look forward to many colleges visiting us and offering information and Q & A. Mark your calendars.