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GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC SCHOOL
PIERCE POINTER
Pierce Middle School 15430 Kercheval Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230 313.432.4700 Attendance Line 313.432.4701
www.gpschools.org
NOVEMBER
P.T.O. POINSETTIA SALE! Place Orders until November 25
8th GRADE PARENT MEETING -
WASHINGTON, D.C. TRIP Mon., Nov. 3 Pierce Aud. 7 PM
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS Tues., Nov. 4, Staff Development Day
8th GRADE TO WASHINGTON DC Reporting at 3:45AM on
Wednesday, November 5
And Returning
Saturday, November 8 at 6 AM
8th GRADE CAREER DAY Friday, November 14
TURKEY TROT Friday, November 14, 2 PM
OPEN HOUSE Sunday, November 16, 1-3 PM
PTO MEETING Tues., Nov. 18, 6:30 PM Rm #129
SCHOOL MUSICAL HAIRSPRAY” Fri., Nov. 21 at 7 PM and
Sat., Nov. 22 at 1 PM
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Thursday, November 20, 5-7:30 PM
Tuesday, November 25
1-3:30 PM & 5-7:30 PM
BAND & ORCHESTRA CONCERT Mon., Nov. 24, Pierce Aud. at 7PM
HALF DAY - AM CLASSES ONLY Tuesday, November 25
THANKSGIVING BREAK
NO CLASSES Wed., Nov. 26 - Sun., Nov. 30
CLASSES RESUME Monday, December 1
POINSETTIA PICK UP Thursday, December 4, 12 - 6 PM
November 2014
Dear Pierce Parents,
November looks to a month full of activities and opportunities for stu-
dents, parents, and teachers to connect.
“Open House”: On Sunday, November 16th, from 1:00PM to 3:00PM,
every Grosse Pointe Public School will be open! Do you have a child
transitioning from 5th grade to Pierce or from Pierce to South High
School next fall?
Visit the next stop on your child’s educational journey! Meet students,
teachers, support staff and parents. Ask questions and take a tour. Enjoy
snacks compliments of our PTO. Try your hand on the SmartBoards. Ad-
mire artwork and writing samples. Ask about student activities and athlet-
ic programs. Please consider being an ambassador by reaching out to a
neighbor who doesn’t have a child currently attending our public schools.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: We look forward to meeting you at one
of our three Parent-Teacher Conferences this month. Please feel free to
connect with your child’s teachers on Thursday, November 20st from
5:00PM to 7:30PM and/or Tuesday, November 25th from 1:00PM to
3:30PM and 5:00PM to 7:30PM. As a courtesy to other parents, thank
you in advance for keeping your conversations to no longer than five
minutes per teacher.
GP South to Host Pierce 8th Grade: On Tuesday morning, November
25th, Grosse Pointe South High School will welcome their class of 2019.
All Pierce 8th graders are expected to attend a program designed to give
them a flavor of the high school experience, answer questions and ease
the transition to high school. Pierce 8th graders are expected to arrive at
8:20AM at the South gymnasium. Parents are encouraged to drop their 8th
grader off in the South “S” lot located on Grosse Pointe Boulevard.
Pierce 8th grade families are expected to arrange their transportation. You
are encouraged to car pool. If transportation presents a problem, please
contact your child’s counselor by Friday, November 21st. If you are ex-
cusing your eighth grader from attending, please contact the Pierce at-
tendance office in advance.
NOVEMBER 2014
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
8th Grade to DC: As mentioned in last month’s Pointer, Pierce 8th grade students will attend the annual
Washington DC Trip from November 5th thru November 8th. An important parent meeting will take place on
Monday, November 3rd in the Pierce auditorium at 7:00PM if your student is making the trip. Departure, arri-
val times and trip itinerary will be presented.
On behalf of the Pierce faculty and staff, we wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Chris Clark
Principal
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL - continued
Page 2
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S DESK
As we bid farewell to the fall and head into the rush of the holiday season I’d like to take a few moments
to explain two important aspects of our Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program.
As part of our Positive Behavior Support Program, we developed a Pierce Pride reward system. Each staff
member has been given Pierce Pride certificates for distribution to students who are “caught being good.”
Each student who receives a coupon can then deposit it in various locations throughout the school to be
entered in a weekly drawing. Our local merchants have been generous in their support of our program by
providing gift cards that are used as weekly prizes. Each week of this quarter, the total number of coupons
turned in has been well over 100! One student from each grade level wins the weekly drawing. Addition-
ally we will soon be hosting our first quarter school wide celebration of positive behavior.
Another part of our Positive Behavior Support program is the inclusion of a signature card with each stu-
dent’s planner. When a student is corrected for a minor infraction, the teacher signs the student’s signa-
ture card. Once a student reaches ten signatures, he/she is assigned an after school detention. These cards
have proven to be an effective way of addressing low-level disruptive behaviors that don’t merit a referral
to the office. Signature cards are also a valuable tool for communication and for pinpointing individual
problem areas. Please check these cards frequently to see how your student is doing. For more infor-
mation on PBS, check your student’s planner or contact the office for a parent brochure.
As we continue to implement our Positive Behavior support, I will keep you posted on our progress. As
always, we appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Judith Gaffrey
Assistant Principal
PIERCE PRIDE COUPON
NOVEMBER
__________________________________________________________________IS RECOGNIZED
STUDENT NAME GRADE
BY_____________________________________________________________________________
Redeemable for instant prize and the weekly prize drawing
November is here and with Thanksgiving on the horizon it seems only fitting we should include so many ex-
pressions of gratitude. But make sure you also take the time to read about what is yet to come before 2014
comes to a close!
Directories are on their Way Vicki Clevenger, and Jessie Schenk, have been hard at work, sifting through
registrations and compiling this important reference book for all PTO member families. Expect it to be on its
way in your student’s backpack very soon! Please check out our Sponsors who offset the cost of it!
POINSETTIAS!! These are fresh from the Gardens to your home and incomparable in
quality. Choose from Red, White, and Pink. They come in Medium (6 inch pot) $9.00 and
Large (8 inch pot) $18.00. Order forms can be found on the PTO Website and must be re-
turned by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014. Pick up will be Thursday, December 4,
12:00 – 6:00 pm. YOU CAN FIND THE ORDER FORM HERE IN THE PIERCE
POINTER!
Pierce Progressive Dinner Save the date - March 14!! It's never too early to start thinking about the annual
Pierce Progressive Dinner. This year we might just kick it up a notch or so. Let us know if you are interested
in hosting as an appetizer or dinner house. Thank you, Jennifer O’Byrne ([email protected]) &
Michelle Balconi ([email protected]).
Ethnic Dinner Committee chairs Sabine Iafrate and Debbie Walz would like to thank the many parents who
brought a dish to the Ethnic Dinner and all of the families who attended the din-
ner. The event showcased the diversity of the Pierce community and guests en-
joyed a delicious buffet meal that included food from 27 different countries! We
are very grateful to Mr. Clark and the office and custodial staff for their enthusi-
astic support and to Mrs. Quinn, the many NJHS students, and the parent volun-
teers that assisted with set-up, ticket sales, food service, and clean up. Thanks, too, to April who managed to
keep the food donations organized and the kitchen running smoothly throughout the entire event!
From the Veep Vice President Michelle Kramer sends out a huge thank you to all our wonderful volun-
teers who have answered the call for…Magazine Collection : Katie Ecclestone, Deanna Kado, Kelly Fodon,
Sarah Monahan, Amy Muawad, Heather Shortridge. Cindy Melilcan, Johnna Muldon …..
6th Grade Field Day: Tiffany Gelle, Kym Kinsley, Scott Sendra, Kathryn Poremski, Wendy Bruetsch, Jenn
Zaliwski, Kay Jarboe, Michelle Bachert, Tricia Hexter, Juli Rybicki , Patrick Bearse (+ 3 family members),
Johnna Muldoon, Kevin Duffy, Bev Bennert, Robin Vatalaro, Amie Reno, Amy Koenig, Joe Parent, Tom Rich-
ter, Christina Michaud, Elizabeth Tengler, Lisa Kotula, Anne Hannon, and Tracey Torosian
MORE Thank you’s Thank you to Sarah Monahan, our Hospitality Chair, for providing Teacher Treats in
September and October! Thank you to Sabine Iafrate, Soozi Hampton, and Deb Payne-Walz for yet another
tasty and excellently executed Ethnic Dinner! Thank you to 8th Grade Class Advisors: Michele Bauer, Sara
Hodges, Jennifer Hutchison, and all of the parent Volunteers for a wonderful Fall Fun Night!
Upcoming Events
District Wide Open House Sun, Nov 16 1-3pm
PTO Meeting – Pierce Library Tues, Nov 18 6:30pm
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me!
Katie Ecclestone, Pierce PTO President [email protected] 313-801-0224
Page 3
PTO POINTS
Page 4
PTO FUNDRAISING - WITH NO OUT OF POCKET COST!
Support the PTO, the easy and painless way!
The PTO sponsors the following easy fund-raising that require minimal effort but bring maxi-mum rewards:
TARGET: Target will donate up to 1% of your qualifying Target REDcard (either Visa or debit) to Pierce. Visit http://www.target.com/redcard/benefits-target-rewards and click on Take Charge of Education to enroll.
KROGER: Did you know that a portion of your qualifying Kroger purchases could be donated to Pierce? Visit http://www.kroger.com/community/Pages/community_rewards.aspx to enroll your Kroger Plus card and select Pierce under the Community Rewards tab.
BOX TOPS and LABELS FOR EDUCATION: Start saving Box Tops and Labels! Later this year, Box Tops contests will bring the chance for some great prizes! More information is coming, but in the mean-time, save those Box Tops!
TONER CARTRIDGES: Bring your used toner and ink cartridges to school. We recycle them for credit at Staples. Don’t forget to check at work!
If you have any questions regarding fundraising programs, please contact:
Stacey Chen at [email protected] or by phone - 821.3195
The Grosse Pointe Public School System is committed to a policy of non-discrimination in relation to race, color, religion, or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964); sex (Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972); or handicap (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). (See also Board Policy AC.) Grievance regulations are vailable for those who believe this policy has been abused."
7th and 8th Grade Career Education
During the months of November / December, the counselors will be working with 7th and 8th graders in the computer labs to explore their talents, academic / personal strengths, and career interests (Nov. 18th & 19th for 8th grade and December 2nd and 3rd for 7th grade). This will begin an ongoing process (continuing throughout high school) whereby students can identify general career pathways that may interest them. These plans will be reviewed and modified periodically as students mature and refine their plans. As parts of this initial process, students will be going to the computer labs to complete some self-assessment inventories and begin work on their EDPs (Educational Development Plans). At the middle school level, our purpose is not to identify and commit to specific careers, but rather to start students thinking about their strengths and how they relate to general career paths that might best suit them. Another purpose is to help students understand the importance of advanced skills and education, as well as how current school subjects are relevant in the pursuit of a satisfying career. If you would like more information about the career unit and the Michigan Career Pathways, please go to the Pierce website and look under 7th and 8th Grade Career Pathways in the Counseling Department under Staff. We also will be running a Career Day with presenters from a variety of careers on Friday, Novem-ber 14th for the 8th graders.
Conferences
Unlike elementary school, you do not need to make an appointment for conferences. You can attend whichever day / time is most convenient for you. Conferences will be held on Thursday, November 20th from 5:00-7:30 and on Tuesday, November 25th from 1:00-3:30 and again from 5-7:30. Please review the directions provided on the first page of this news letter for further details and information.
Andrea Bolton Christine Cramer
Page 5
REPORT CARDS Report cards will be distributed to students during advisory On Thursday, November 13th
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Thursday, November 20th 5:00-7:30 PM Tuesday, November 25th 1:00-3:30 & 5:00-7:30 PM
IMPORTANT PROGRESS REPORT DATES
COUNSELORS CORNER
Page 6
TURKEY TROT
THANK YOU!
42nd
ANNUAL PIERCE TURKEY TROT This annual Pierce event will be held on Friday, November 14, 2014.
This activity is sponsored by the Physical Education Department and is open to all 6
th, 7
th, and 8
th graders. Participation is strictly voluntary. The “Trot” in-
cludes six ½ mile runs, in which students compete against others in their own grade.
There are separate races for boys and girls. All participants will receive a treat and ribbon. In addi-tion, the top six finishers, in each run, will receive a “special” ribbon. Lastly, the top two finishers, in each event, will be given a turkey for their family to enjoy!
Students will sign-up for the Turkey Trot beginning in early November. They will do so in their 6th
hour class. Last year almost 250 Pierce students participated!!
Please contact Mrs. Beth Allan if you would like to volunteer to help, or have any questions regarding this event. [email protected]
The event will begin at approximately 2:15 PM. Families are welcome to attend and cheer on the
participants! In case of inclement weather, the event will be held on Monday, November 17.
PARKING LOT SAFETY
Please protect our children!
Parents should not drop students off in the parking lot behind Pierce in the mornings. It is a busy traffic area and very unsafe!
6th GRADE FIELD DAY WAS A GREAT SUCCESS!! Our annual field day was held on Octo-ber 17th. This is our second school year having this event in the fall. This gives our new 6th graders an opportunity to get to know each other better and to welcome them to Pierce. The af-ternoon consisted of 19 fun and challenging game stations. Good sportsmanship, giving your best effort, being active, and having fun was the emphasis for the day. Students also were treated to healthy, yet tasty, drinks and snacks provided by the Pierce PTO Special thanks to Michelle Kramer, for organizing the volunteers, to the “Project Healthy Schools” staff for helping to set up and to the many parents/guardians who assisted at the game and food stations. Lastly, thanks to the help and support of the Pierce staff.
Beth Allan, Physical Education
Page 7
On November 16th
, from 1-3 p.m., the Grosse Pointe Public School System is hosting an Open House for the entire Grosse Pointe school community. Parents, students, and staff will be available at Pierce to help the public learn about the wonderful services and programs available in our district. The purpose is for all of our residents to learn and experience what the Grosse Pointe public schools have to offer. Our school system offers a world class edu-cation. Whether it is core curriculum, special activities, or support services, we have it all. From parents, supporting staff, administrators, and teachers, all the way to our surrounding businesses, there is always someone putting in the extra effort to make students’ days full of learning and fun. We know many Grosse Pointe families see this daily, but we also realize some choose to go a different route in education and some have children that graduated from the system years ago. Please consider being a GPPSS ambassador by reaching out to a neighbor who doesn't have a child currently attending our public schools. Bring them to the open house so they can see today’s schools, schools we are proud to call our own. On November 16
th, parents, students, and staff will be available to help the public learn about
the wonderful services and programs available in our district. All GPPSS schools will be open from 1-3 p.m. In addition to new families, current Grosse Pointe students and their parents are encouraged to visit schools they will soon transition into. We'd love to see preschoolers and their parents and guardians at the elementary schools, fifth grade families at the middle schools, and eighth grade families at the high schools. The Board of Real-tors will also be hosting Open Houses at dozens of homes that day. To-gether with the Chamber of Commerce, we’ll show why we “live, learn and play” in Grosse Pointe.
Thank you for all you do for our school community.
OPEN HOUSE!
Page 8
PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL
PIZZA NIGHT
SCHOOL FUNDRAISER
Monday, November 3rd Grosse Pointe Park Location
(15316 E. Jefferson)
313-823-7000
Simply turn in the slip below and we will earn our 20% donation.
--------------------————-------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:__________________________ 6th hour Teacher:__________________
Grade:__________________ Total Order Amount:______________
Pierce Middle School
Let’s help raise money for Pierce Middle School!
Hungry Howie’s will donate 20% of our Pizza Night
purchases back to our school.
Just fill in the slip below and hand it to the cashier or delivery
driver and enjoy your dinner! Let’s all make this a great year. If
you happen to forget your flyer please mention it to the cashier
or driver so we can credit the school. We will have extra flyers
available at the store. Please fill out your teachers name on the
slip. The teacher that has the most participation is awarded a
free pizza party for their class!
Page 9
The Grosse Pointe Public School System is committed to a policy of non -discrimination in relation to race, color, religion, or national origin (Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964); sex (Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972); or handicap (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). (See also
Board Policy AC.) Grievance regulations are available for those who believe this policy has been abused.
NJHS INDUCTEES AND OFFICERS FOR 2014 - 2105
Congratulations to the newest NJHS Inductees and Officers!
NJHS Officers for 2014-2015 School Year:
President Joelle R.
Vice-President
Allie M.
Treasurer Allison F.
Secretary Megan V.
Historian Sylvia H.
1st
: Owen Bulka #7, 6th Grade
2nd
: Ryan Hexter #8, 6th Grade
3rd
: Holly Mathews, #1, 7th Grade
Thank you to everyone Thank you to everyone who entered the contest!who entered the contest!
Page 10
PUMPKIN CARVING WINNERS!
THE PERIODIC DISTRIBUTION OF NON-SCHOOL-RELATED WRITTEN MATERIALS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN
ENDORSEMENT BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OF THOSE MATERIALS OR OF THE GROUPS SPONSORING THEM.
Olympiad: Once again Pierce students will have the chance to compete in the 28th Michigan So-
cial Studies Olympiad. This enriching competition involves many different off-site and on-site events stressing problem-solving, knowledge application and creativity. Pierce has a long and successful history of producing champions and we return to competition this May as the reigning two time gold medalists in Quiz bowl, Creative Drama, and Historical Monologue. Try-Outs and practices begin in November. Any interested 6,7,8
th grader should watch for announcements in
November. The Pierce team is coached by Jeannie Brousseau.
SOCIAL STUDIES OLYMPIAD
Page 11
As district speech pathologists, we divide our time between schools. We do the same for parent-teacher conferences and therefore, we wanted to let you know when we will be at Pierce for parent-teacher conferences
JoEllen Cumpata: Tuesday, November 25 from 5:00 - 7:30.
Anna Boes: Tuesday, November 25 from 1:00 - 3:30 and 5:00 - 7:30
If you need to schedule another time, please contact Mrs. Cumpata at [email protected] and Mrs. Boes at [email protected]. Thank you and welcome back!
JoEllen Cumpata and Anna Boes, Speech Language Pathologists
SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS
On Monday evening, November 24 at 7:00 pm, the Pierce MS Bands & Orchestras will be pre-senting their Fall Concert in the Pierce MS Auditorium. This annual concert will feature all of the Pierce MS Band & Orchestra students in a wide variety of musical styles. Featured in this concert will be all of the Pierce MS curricular ensembles: Concert Band, Cadet Band, 6th Grade Band, 7/8 Grade Orchestra and 6th Grade Orchestra. Musical selections will in-clude: Going to a Concert, Clog Dance, To the Pied Piper, More Cow Bell, Spartacus, Lullaby, Tchaikovsky’s Greatest Hits, Portrait of a Clown and Guadalcanal March from Victory at Sea. All students are to arrive at 6:30 for warm-up and tuning. All students should wear their Pierce Band & Orchestra uniform shirt, black dress pants or black dress skirt, black dress socks, and black dress shoes. Admission is FREE!
James Gross Phone: (313) 432-5400 ; [email protected]; Chris Takis Phone: 432-3642 [email protected]
BAND AND ORCHESTRA FALL CONCERT
Page 12
ASBESTOS ACTIVITY SUMMARY 2013 - 2014
Page 14
PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS (PsP)
Please join this great event
For students with disabilities and their families!
Who: Students with disabilities of all ages, and their families!
What: Nutty Scientist program, cider, donuts, networking, and fun
Where: Maire Elementary School – Gym (740 Cadieux, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230)
When: November 6, 2014
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Why: Parents supporting Parents
The objectives of the group are simple:
Create a FUN, positive atmosphere for kids and parents to share in the common bond of
being in the special needs community.
Create a safe place for parents (new and experienced) to come for support, collaboration
and information gathering to positively impact our children or how we care for our
children.
Dedicated to strengthening the journey for a stronger special needs parent.
Work with the administrators in the GPPSS to become partners in our children’s education.
For more information contact: [email protected]
Pierce Middle School’s Oldest Annual Fundraiser
POINSETTIA SALE
Fresh from the Gardens to your
home Choose from Red, White, and Pink
Medium (6 inch pot) $9.00
Large (8 inch pot) $18.00
Order forms must be returned by
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
Checks payable to: PIERCE PTO
Pick up: Thursday, December 4, 12:00 – 6:00 pm
Order form- Return to: Pierce Office 15430 Kercheval GPP, MI 48230
Attn: Poinsettia Sale
Name_______________________________________________
Address______________________________________________
Daytime phone__________________ Cell phone__________________
(6 in.) $9.00 ea. (8 in.) $18.00 ea. $ total cost
White
Red
Pink
HAVE A
WONDERFUL
THANKSGIVING!
THANKSGIVING BREAK-
NO CLASSES
Tues. PM, Nov. 25, Wed., Nov. 26
Through Sun., Nov. 30
Classes Resume with Late Start Monday Dec. 1
