Save the Date!!

Holiday Concert and Tea- December 5, 2018

Enjoy an afternoon listening to highlights from North and South’s award winning choirs! This annual event takes place at North’s Performing Arts Center.

We are in need of bakers for this event- if you are interested in baking two dozen cookies that will be served to the guests, please email Anne Grobel at: [email protected] .

Date with the Devil – February 9, 2019

Mark your calendars and plan on attending our annual “Date” night at the beautiful Belle Isle Casino! Trish Moritz and her committee are planning an outstanding event that you will NOT want to miss! 

October Highlights

Thank you , once again, Pam and Allyn Mackay for their tireless efforts in assembling our school directory- and to all the volunteers who delivered the directories!  Cyndi Schutter and Rebecca Fannon met with many local businesses to secure our community partnerships and solicit ads for the directory. We encourage you to show your appreciation to our community partners by supporting their businesses.

Trish Cozad and Sally Wittwer, our gardeners, continue to keep our grounds beautiful by planting mums in the outdoor planters and maintaining the various garden beds throughout our campus.

Thank you to Elizabeth Cleland and Colleen Jogan for compiling our Membership list, and Julie Schuetze for continuing to expand our alumi membership.

Helen Srebernak and Sharon Kuchta did an amazing job preparing a wonderful meal for the teachers during Teacher Conferences.

Looking Ahead

Please join us at the next membership meeting on Wednesday, November 14 ^th at 7:00pm in Cleminson Hall. In addition to giving updates on various projects, we will be approving teacher enrichment requests.

I look forward to a fabulous month and hope to see you at the next General Membership meeting!

Wendy Bruetsch

2018-2019 Mothers’ Club President

I love the adage: It’s not happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy. It not only feels right, but science backs it up neurologically! One way to build happiness in your life is by keeping a gratitude journal. Studies show that you will sleep better, wake up more refreshed and connected in our world. Check out the Ted Talk on Gratitude from Br. David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. He advises us to Stop, Look, Go. That is: slow down the crazy rush of life, look for the opportunities life presents us to have gratitude and serve others, and then go do it! What a great recipe for the holidays in particular.

All Parents:

The quarter ends November 2 ^nd. Report cards will be finalized and available for review on Parent Portal on November 12. Report Cards will not be mailed home so it is important that you log in and look at your student’s grades. This is the time to evaluate grades and review class selections. If students are struggling in an honors or AP level class, please contact the teacher to discuss if a student should consider moving to the curricular alternative. The school policy always encourages students to challenge themselves to the extent possible with the curriculum, while insuring that they are not overwhelmed and out-paced. Students have until November 27 to make a level change without the previous grade penalizing them. Call the counselor if you have any questions about this policy.

If you have a question or concern about a class or grade in a particular class, we encourage you to contact the teacher directly via their email or their direct phone number. Both of these can be found on the school’s website. Any problem that may not be resolved via the direct teacher contact can certainly be referred to us, but the conversation with the teacher should take place first.   

Senior Parents:

Transcripts will not be sent to colleges until students complete the Application Notification form in the CRC. This is critical and if it is not completed will delay your application review at the university. Students can find this form on the counseling website, in the counseling center, or in the CRC office.

Our November 1 early action date for some colleges has passed, but it’s not too late to apply to U of M and hundreds of other great schools! Don’t delay – apply today. 

We are anxious to talk with seniors who are still undecided about college or other post-graduation choices. Please encourage your student to make an appointment to see their counselor if they are in this situation. It is definitely not too late to start the planning process if they have been undecided up to this time. 

Financial Aid Alert! The FAFSA is a gateway to college scholarships and student loans. File now at www.fafsa.ed.gov The window opened October 1. Some colleges, universities, and scholarship programs use the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, as part of their financial aid process for some or all of their financial aid applicants. Here is a current list of institutions that use this process: Check with the Financial Aid office at the colleges where your child is applying. If the financial Aid office requires the PROFILE then check the deadline for applying. You can apply here: https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile

Junior Parents:

Just like last year, the state of Michigan exams (M-STEP) will take place at South in April and include a free SAT. However, that doesn’t mean that the ACT is off-limits for our students. The ACT is still accepted everywhere and typically the students find themselves well prepared to take this test. Students can still sign up to take the test at North by going to www.actstudent.org. We encourage students to sign up and take an additional ACT or SAT before the end of their junior year at Grosse Pointe North. Macomb Community College and U of D High School are good alternatives as the second choice test center.  If he or she has not already signed up to take an additional test, please have your junior student register online. The South school code that they will need to register is: 231-802. We recommend either April or June test dates.   

Students wishing to take the SAT (and SAT Subject Tests, if required by a college they intend to pursue) should make sure to register soon for their preferred testing dates so they will be assigned to the test center of their choice. As with the ACT, students can sign up for multiple test dates now. They do not need to wait until they have taken the test once before registering for a second test. Go to www.collegeboard.org or to the Counseling Center for more information. Please remember that students cannot take the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests on the same day. Again, the South school code for the SAT is the same as for the ACT: 231-802.   

Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Parents:

We anticipate that the PSAT scores will be available online by the December holiday break. Paper copies of the results will not be sent to schools until sometime in January.

Community Events of Interest

·         PFLAG Meeting: Support for family, friends, allies, and individuals who are navigating the challenges their own or a loved one's LGBTQ identity or who desire to meet with a community of people who share that identity and experience. Click for info on monthly meetings.

·        The Silent Epidemic: A Conference on Suicide. The Inn at St. John's. Plymouth, MI Nov 8-10. For more info and to register visit: https://kevinssong.org/

·        Socially Challenged: Acquiring Skills Necessary for Everyday Interactions. Explore ways to provide support and learning opportunities for children, tweens, teens and young adults who find social interaction challenging.  FREE November 14, 2018, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Christ Church Grosse Pointe. More info at http://www.familycenterweb.org