GPPSS Community Luncheon returns for first time since 2019

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — It was supposed to be a day to celebrate the Grosse Pointe Public School System’s 2021-22 school year, but coming a day after a deadly mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, it was a sobering event as well.

As Superintendent Jon Dean noted at the start of the 10th annual GPPSS Community Luncheon May 25 at Ferry Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Woods, attendees were gathered in an elementary school, just as the victims in Uvalde had been. Dean asked for a moment of silence for those lost at Robb Elementary School in Texas. News reports state that two teachers and 19 children were killed at the school.

Dean said parents, teachers and staff members had been asking him what GPPSS was going to do in the wake of this latest school massacre.

“I really don’t have a great answer,” admitted Dean, calling this a “societal problem” revolving around the prevalence of guns in America.

“We have to make difficult decisions. … We are tired of this,” Dean said.

This marked the first Community Luncheon since 2019; the popular annual event had to be put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s really important that we can come together as a community,” said Dean, saying that the Pointes have “a great community” and “great schools.”

The past school year was a prime example of that, with multiple national merit finalists at both high schools, a Presidential Scholar, a quiz bowl team that competed for a national title, “amazing athletes” and “some of the top journalism students in the state,” Dean said. And that was just the tip of the iceberg at the high school level, with middle and elementary schools and students also racking up additional accolades and honors.

One example of the many outstanding students in the GPPSS is Farrah Fasse, of Grosse Pointe Woods, a Grosse Pointe North High School senior graduating June 7, who spoke during the luncheon. Fasse has been a student in North’s Exploring Global Issues class, for which Alicia Carlisle is the coordinator.

In the Exploring Global Issues class, Carlisle said, students “take a look at big global issues and see what they can do at the local level.”

The editor of the school newspaper at North, Fasse received top honors for news writing and reporting this year from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. Fasse, who’ll be entering Northwestern University in the fall, said she plans to become a high school teacher in English or social studies, but she said her student journalism background has given her many useful life skills, including writing and being a respectful leader.

“It’s taught me how to ask the right questions and how to think critically,” Fasse said after the luncheon. “I definitely know I want to go into a career where I’m helping others.”

Ferry Principal Jodie Randazzo welcomed attendees to her school, which was named after Dexter Ferry, a seed company owner whose philanthropic recipients included the Grosse Pointe Public Library and Detroit Institute of Arts.

“Something that makes Ferry (Elementary) unique is our diverse learners,” Randazzo said. “We have three categorical classrooms of children with diverse learning needs. … We also have a magnet class and a variety of general education classrooms, all who collaborate and learn together every day. Ferry’s inclusiveness aligns with our district’s strategic plan and creates a positive influence on our community, much like Dexter Ferry.”

The 2021-22 school year marked the 100th anniversary of the GPPSS, which has been marked with exhibitions and more. While it was good to reflect on the district’s past accomplishments, Dean said he was more focused on the district’s future.

“I don’t think about what we’ve done — I think about where we’re going,” Dean said.

Dean discussed the district’s new strategic plan — hammered out with community input and finalized this year. He said the plan calls for fostering curiosity and equity, creating a culture of unity, and encouraging leadership, among other elements. As to equity, Dean said, “It’s about making sure everyone’s kids get what they need in the school district,” from calculus classes and magnet programs to programs for those with special needs to a free student health care clinic.

“Our vision is one inclusive community, learning together,” said Dean, adding that they want to cultivate excellence and diversity.

The schools enjoy strong support from many community partners, including the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education and Parent-Teacher Organizations. GPPSS Community Relations Specialist Rebecca Fannon said the PTOs alone raise $1 million every year for the schools.

“That’s unheard of and unbelievable,” Fannon said.

The roughly 120 community members in attendance at the luncheon included mayors, city managers, public safety department directors, religious leaders and leaders of numerous community organizations and nonprofits, including the Grosse Pointe Public Library, the Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education, Wayne County Community College District, the Neighborhood Club and The Helm at the Boll Life Center. The luncheon serves as a chance for the representatives of these various groups to connect with each other.

“It was fantastic bringing the community together,” Grosse Pointe Park Mayor Pro Tem Tom Caulfield said. “It was good meeting everybody.