The Principal's Place

Going Online

2011-05-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many notices announcing that we will be handling much of the registration process for next school year via online access. Nearly all of what we formerly known as "The Principal's Packet" will be available online as of August 1st. We feel this will have several advantages over the previous method.

First of all, it will save money that used to be spent for postage. Even though it was sent bulk rate, there were so many inserts included in the packet that it was costly.

Secondly, it will save a great deal of volunteer hours that were spent collating the packets. Even though that service was free to us from the Mothers' Club, those same volunteer hours can be applied elsewhere.

Third, the information will be more current. In the past, the flyers had to be finalized so early because we needed time to make copies and get them ready for mailing. Now that everything will be online, it will be easier to keep all of the forms up-to-date.

We actually did a trial run for this type of endeavor with the Senior Packet that went online this spring. From all indications, it was successful and we received many compliments on the ease of use. That experience provided a good test for us and makes us confident we will be successful with the registration process.

However, another leap we are taking with the registration process is that all payments will be electronic. Parents (students) will pay for a yearbook, Tower subscription, or physical education uniform via credit or debit card. The voucher that used to be in the principal's packet will now be interactive, not unlike other shopping you would do online. If you want to purchase something, simply "add it to the cart".

One difference is that we ask you to print two receipts, one for your records and one to send with your son/daughter to registration. Of course, we will still require students to come to school for the on-site registration. That is where they will get their textbooks, locker assignments, and schedule. They will also pick up PE uniforms and spirit packs if they were ordered.

To many of you, this may sound like a simple change in procedure. But if you've been doing things a certain way for quite a while and with obvious success, the change can be unsettling. Registration for more than 1600 students is never easy, but we are hopeful the online registration will simplify the process and cut down on unnecessary paperwork and handling of money.

Wish us luck!

Finish Strong

2011-05-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

This is the time of year when I often see at least a few seniors walking around with an early tan and glazed looks in their eyes. This year is probably no different.

As recently as yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to one of our seniors that had been away on Spring Break. I just asked a simple question, something like "Well, you're getting near the end, how does it feel to be a senior?"

His response was a bit unusual but very honest, "Mr. Diver, I'm here physically but I'm not sure I'm here mentally".

That's exactly how I've usually felt upon the return from Spring Break. Some of our seniors never fully come back. Oh sure, they come to school but often they are just putting in their time. I would like to use this space to remind them to finish strong. It would be silly to blow a good thing with just a few weeks left of school before exams.

Although they have been accepted to college, more admissions offices than ever are looking at the 8th semester to insure acceptance. I can remember several cases over the past few years when students were denied their first choice of college/university because of weak grades during the second semester of the senior year. I don't want that to happen to anyone else.

So my advice is the same it would be to anyone in any job or with any task. Finish strong because you never know who is watching or exactly what the impact of their perception might be.

And good luck over these last few weeks.

Please Choose Carefully

2011-04-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Now that we are headlong into the scheduling process, I want to take a moment to remind parents and students to choose your courses wisely. For every one of my ten years here at South, we have reduced our teaching staff despite maintaining nearly the same amount of students. That can only mean bigger classes, and the natural result is there are fewer open seats in the master schedule.

Next fall, we will be staffed tighter than ever. We will likely lose the equivalent of more than two teachers, resulting in class sizes that are even larger than they are this year.

In the past, we encouraged students to aspire to coursework that maximized their potential. If it didn't work out, we could make what we call a "level change" to a lower level class with no harm to the student's grade point average. That is no longer the case.

We still want students to enroll in the highest level where they can be successful, but we do not have the same latitude with level changes. The reason is that the lower level classes will already be full.

The bottom line is that we ask students and parents to choose carefully. If upon reading this you feel that your son/daughter may have bit off more than they can chew, I encourage you to contact your counselor to get them placed into the most appropriate class. We just won't have room for these types of changes later this summer when the master schedule is finalized.

We are still making adjustments in the master schedule at this point, and will be for the next month or so. That means we can still adapt to changes in the number of student requests for a particular course. We use these course requests to determine our staffing and develop our layoff list. The Board of Education will approve the layoff list (something no one enjoys) later this month as required by the teacher contract.

So if you wish to make changes that we should be aware of, now is the time to act. Thank you for your interest in helping us become even more efficient.

Some Good News...Some Not So Good

2011-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

If any of you have tuned in to last evening's Board of Education meeting, you know what I mean by the title of this entry. Prior to the meeting, we discussed the budget for the upcoming school year. That, of course, is the bad news.

However, during the Board meeting there were at least three pieces of good news. Our girl's State Hockey Champs were recognized at the meeting last evening as were two of our senior students that earned the Presidential Scholar Award. In both cases, students were duly honored for achievements that are nothing less than outstanding!

The third piece of good news is that the district's Foundation presented the school district with a check in the amount of $350,000 to further the implementation of classroom technology. With this latest contribution, we can expect to have every classroom at South outfitted with a Smartboard and the necessary accessories by early next fall. That is truly something we could not have accomplished without the efforts of Mr. Bob Bury, Mrs. Lisa Vreede, Mr. Pat Burke and others that dedicate their efforts to fund raising. I encourage you to watch a tape delay of the Board meeting to see their presentation first-hand.

The bad news is simply reflective of the economic struggles in Michigan. What Governor Snyder has originally forecast for schools will result in Draconian cuts. We are hopeful that the legislature will have some impact in peeling back those deep cuts, however, we know that cuts are in order with even a best case scenario.

At South, that means class sizes will get just a little larger and cuts of other personnel will mean a reduction in services. It just seems to be a sign of the times. For the 2012-13 school year, we have to look at our current schedule for the school day. We can't continue the seven-period day the way it is currently offered. The tutorials that about 50% of the students are enrolled in are not a good use of time or money. We simply must get more efficient with our schedule.

There will be much greater detail about the budget in the coming months. Until then, let's hope spring weather finally arrives.

A Successful Search and Hopefully, A Deterrent

2011-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard, today we had our second lockdown exercise for the purpose of bringing drug dogs through the building. At just about 9:00 this morning, we put the building on "lockdown" meaning no one could be in the halls and no one could enter or leave the building.

Through coordination with the Grosse Pointe Farms Police and Grosse Pointe City Police (and dog handler Mike and his dog, Raleigh), we had a coordinated effort with many municipalities to adequately search the building in just over 75 minutes.

This is essentially how the search was handled. There were at least four dogs in the building and at least five dogs in the parking lots. In the building, we searched all lockers and locker rooms, and even selected five classrooms at random to be searched. In the case of the classrooms, we moved those students to the auditorium and had them leave their coats and backpacks behind. The dogs then went through the respective classrooms looking for drugs and/or paraphernalia. When the classrooms were finished, the dogs went through the hallways to search the lockers for contraband.

Outside, the dogs searched each of the lots adjacent to the building. We searched the S-lot, J-lot, K-lot and even cars parked along the boulevard and down Fisher road. Fortunately, there were very few "hits" and of those only one turned out to be positive.

I was in the lots for the car searches. If a dog hit on a car, the student was brought outside and asked to unlock the car. The student was also asked if there might be anything in the car prior to letting the dog inside. In only one case did we find anything, and that was a small amount of marijuana.

I want to publicly thank the police officers that were involved. As mentioned earlier, there were at least nine dogs and their handlers, along with many other officers from the Farms and the City. It was a well coordinated effort that I hope serves as a deterrent for our students.

All in all, I was pleased with the findings.

Day One In The Books

2011-03-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

With the arrival of March this year, we have the onset of the MME, or Michigan Merit Exam. Today was the first day of state testing of high school juniors, with all members of the class of 2012 taking the ACT. From my personal observations, it appears we are off to a good start.

Students arrived on time and were ready to go, and as has been the case at South, we were blessed once again with very good attendance. That means the "make-up" testing window two weeks from now will not require a great deal of adult oversight.

It's amazing how standardized testing has changed over the years, especially when compared to high school administration of the MEAP not too many years ago. This battery of tests is taken much more seriously by students, and the accountability for adults in schools is dramatically different than it used to be. And more changes are on the horizon.

Wholesale changes will be implemented across the state by 2014, but we will begin to see changes next fall at the elementary and middle level with more rigorous testing. The new tests will be more closely aligned to the ACT than the old MEAP tests. What the Department of Education discovered over the years is that the MEAP was not a good predictor of "college readiness". And college readiness is the new standard, much more so than just graduating with a high school diploma.

I am hopeful the serious approach that was observable today translates into another class of strong scores. Like it or not, the reputation of our school district and community is closely tied to standardized test performance.

Cyberbullying--Some Quick Facts

2011-02-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Assistant Principal Brandon Slone and I attended a Cyberbullying conference held at Baker College in Owosso, MI. The event was free of charge and sponsored by the diploma and class ring company, Josten's. In all, there must have been about 400 teachers, administrators and counselors in attendance.

The presenter was very effective, Justin Patchin, Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and co-host of the website www.cyberbullying.us

These are just a few of the things we learned during that day:
• early research learned that only 15% of cyberbullying gets reported to adults
• 93% of teens go online regularly; 63% go online daily
• 75% of teens have a cell phone
• QIK - this is a new program that streams live video immediately to the web (think about the danger inherent in that technology)
• Twitter is not that popular with teens - only 6% use it
• Youtube - only 11% use it weekly
• almost 50% of teens use the internet for school work
• girls use technology more than boys

The Digital Divide exists--the adults are Digital Immigrants while the Adolescents are Digital Natives. No real surprise there.

Regarding the concept of Cyberbullying:
• it must occur repeatedly over time to constitute bullying
• willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones or other electronic devices
• informal--kids think 80% are cyberbullied; 60% bully others
• kids rarely use email anymore; but adults over 65 use it heavily
• online gaming is also used for bullying - up to 34%
• the average teen sends 3400 texts per month, or six per hour
• 45% say they are bullied via text messages
• latest research, 19 - 28% admitted they were bullied
• 8 - 20% say they bullied others; girls more likely than boys
• not much difference between the races; whites a bit higher
• middle school is the place where it is at its highest
• the bullies tend to be poor students; as are the victims
• bullies try to be anonymous; victims can usually guess who they are
• easier to be cruel through text rather than face-to-face
• there is a new website, Chatroulette, with pictures/dialogue and click ‘next’ if you don’t like the person

Technology
• 85% of teens have their Facebook account marked ‘private’; three years ago it was only 39% marked private so they are becoming better users
• once something is posted online, it really can’t be deleted, i.e. go to Google and look under cache; Facebook will keep it so it can sell the information later
• having a professional page is doable, but it should not be the public site with a personal profile, etc.
• sexting-12% say they have received naked images; 7% have sent them
• about 50% have had sex before leaving high school--which is worse?
• advice to teens...delete it immediately and send a note not to send it again, passing it along constitutes child pornography, a felony

Responding to Cyberbullying:
• it’s more than just turning the computer off...that's bad advice; flippant and dismissive to the victim
• why should the victim lose computer privileges?
• Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex
• Tinker v. Des Moines - freedom of speech; ability to protest (i.e. Vietnam War) but that doesn't give you license to bully someone via technology

Litigation regarding schools, teens, and computer use:
• was school equipment used? that makes a difference
• was it truly detrimental to the educational environment?
• was there a crime committed?
• still have to protect the rights of a school employee to a degree
• must also be aware of sexual harassment
• is it a one-time offense or repeated acts? once it’s on the web, it’s out there...

When Can A School Respond?
• if school equipment was used, on school grounds, via cell phones at school, etc.
• must demonstrate a substantial and material disruption on campus
• inability to focus on learning
• when it interferes with teaching
• repetitive disciplinary measures are needed
• freedom of expression - must not interfere with the school’s mission
• 44 states have cyberbullying laws--Michigan does not
• the policy should include off campus behaviors
• New Hampshire has a good law that includes off campus behaviors
• most incidents can be dealt with informally
• create a “teachable moment”
• they have an online survey available to be used with students
• they also have scenarios that can be used for discussion

I encourage you to go to the website, www.cyberbullying.us as there is a great deal of information available. The most lasting impression for me was that it should not be ignored. Being the victim is just plain hurtful and unfortunately we have teenage suicides in our state to prove it.

Transition Time

2011-01-24T05:55:00.000-08:00

A long time ago a mentor of mine told me that running a school was "like changing a tire with the car still moving". Since I first heard that comment, I've often felt there was a lot of truth to it. However, I'm not naive enough to think the same couldn't be said for many businesses and organizations.

Anyway, here we are at the midpoint of the school year already. At the same time students are prepping for exams, they are also looking ahead to select classes for next school year. Today is a dichotomy of sorts. The hallways are unusually quiet because we have 90-minute periods to allow for a comprehensive exam, yet at the same time the counselors are scurrying to make sure everything is ready for the scheduling process.

Building a master schedule for a comprehensive high school is like putting together a large, complex puzzle. There will be over 11,000 courses requested by our students that we then divide into about 400 individual sections. And quite a few of those courses will be offered only once per day, i.e. Symphonic Orchestra, Pointe Singers, and AP Physics.

We will do our very best to make sure that these so-called "singleton" courses are not placed in the same class period if there are students that want both offerings. However, no matter how hard we try, there are always a few conflicts that are unavoidable.

So during this transition time, I ask for two things; 1) Assist your students with exam preparation as much as possible without placing undue pressure, and 2) Help them choose their courses for next year very carefully. Once the master schedule is assembled and staff are assigned, there is little wiggle room for schedule changes.

I wish you well with both endeavors.

When You Need It Most

2011-01-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

For anyone that lives and works in and around GP Schools, the past few weeks have been unsettling and upsetting for many folks. I'm speaking particularly of a few employees, but the impact has also reached some of our parents. It simply hasn't portrayed our community in its best light and didn't lead to the positive Holiday Season many of us would like to have had.

So earlier today, after a succession of meetings dealing mostly with problems, I received an email from "out of the blue". It came from a former student-athlete of mine from more than 25 years ago. As far as I can remember, it's the first contact I have had with him in more than 20 years. His message was brief, but powerful for me, and it simply stated at the end that "you do hold a special place in my life".

That former student now has three kids of his own and lives in Indiana. He coaches his two oldest in a form of Neighborhood Club and uses some of the same drills that I used back when he was a player.

We also referenced a major project that he turned in for my World History class. Becuase of the uniqueness of the situation, I can still remember the title of his project and the substance of it.

This is my point in writing this now, I have often told teachers and coaches that we never know when we impact someone's life. We have to treasure our time with them, because something that might be inconsequential to us may turn out to be vitally important to them.

And the reason for the title of this entry? When I was most in need of a pick-me-up, it arrived with just a few words from someone long ago.

On A Quiet And Peaceful Day

2010-12-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

As I sit here on December 21st, it's amazing how quiet and peaceful this big building can be. We have a few contractors here finishing up a couple of projects, but for the most part there are few distractions with little noise.

The solitude even gives me the chance to listen to some Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller music to kick off the holidays.

I can only hope that each of you have a peaceful and enjoyable Holiday Season. Best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year!

The More I Learn, The More I Learn I Have To Learn

2010-12-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I serve on the Board of Directors for the state principals' organization. We just completed two days of meetings in Lansing, and my head is swimming with some of the new information I have gleaned. And as I've mentioned in this space before, the level of accountability seems to have increased tenfold over the past 5-10 years.

At a meeting with the Assessment (Testing) Director for the Michigan Department of Education yesterday, we were apprised of new testing that will be here before we know it. While it sounds far off to say it won't take full effect until 2014, I can remember when Y2K sounded a long way off.

Recently, the state department "rolled out" new curriculum standards and benchmarks, primarily in the areas of English, Math and Science. The essence of these changes are that new requirements have been added to the curriculum and the curriculum is being pushed down to the lower grades. In other words, students will have to demonstrate that they know more than before, and they will have to know it earlier.

It won't be long before the MEAP that has been used at the elementary and middle school levels will be replaced by more rigorous tests. The testing style will also be dramatically different. Right now there are strict testing windows, by that I mean that everyone in the state is required to give the same test on the same day. The reason is that these tests are "computer-based", meaning everyone faces an identical set of questions so test security is of utmost importance.

In the future, the testing window will be the final 12 weeks of the school year. The reason for the flexibility is that the tests will be taken online and will be "computer-adaptive", meaning that the test questions will change based upon the ability of the student. The more able the student is, the more difficult the questions will be. The end result is that the tests will likely be shorter but the score will be much more reliable and a better gauge or true academic achievement.

In summary, much is changing. And as I stated earlier I have much to learn to stay on top of all of the changes. This much I know, the job of teachers and educators in general is far more difficult than ever before.

This Is Rare Air We're Breathing

2010-11-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

This a great time to be a Blue Devil! While South has always been known as a great school academically, we haven't had a reputation for being dominant in some of the major sports. Sure, we have an outstanding newspaper, choir and instrumental music programs and other shining stars, but when it comes to athletics it has usually been the minor sports that have taken the lead.

I say this because tomorrow our football team plays in the Final Four. You have to go back almost 50 years (the '54 team was recognized as State Champs prior to a playoff system) to find a team that has reached this level.

This year's team has been on a rare journey to get where they are. First of all, we squeaked into the playoffs after losing our last regular season game, but have consistently played better as we moved through the playoffs. The experts always say that you should finish strong, and there is no doubt we have peaked at the end of the season.

Today, we will have a pep assembly. That in itself is a rare occurrence. Typically, our only 'pep assembly' is during Spirit Week and the purpose of that assembly is to honor all of the fall sports, the Homecoming court, etc. This assembly will be different because the primary focus will be the football team. The impetus for the assembly came from the student body at large, not the football players or coaches.

What is typical at South is the success of many of our other fall sport teams. The girls are competing today at the State Meet in Swimming and Diving, and the girls just completed an outstanding season in Cross Country. Our boy's Tennis team also finished very high in the state rankings. But maybe the best of the group is our girl's Golf team. Not only are they one of the top teams in the state, they are also young with even brighter futures in front of them.

All in all, it's been a most successful fall sports season. It's gratifying to see school spirit beyond the norm, and fun to watch student-athletes achieve such high levels of success. I hope everyone associated with the school is as proud as I am to be a Blue Devil.

Go South!

Day of Reckoning

2010-11-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

Why the title? Isn't that kind of gloom and doom?

At South, it probably is. But for some students that have been underachieving or at least less than attentive, there may be a day of reckoning soon. I'm referring to the fact that report cards will be sent home with students for the 1st quarter in a couple of days.

By and large, South students do very well in their classes. There is strong support and high expectations from home, and that is carried over into the classroom by students. We are also blessed to have dedicated teachers that hold these same high expectations for students. The end result is a school where the majority of the student body is adequately and effectively preparing themselves for life after high school.

Since the advent of Pinnacle and Parent Connect, it is easy for parents to monitor the progress of their sons and daughters. If you choose, you can watch their attendance on a daily basis and make note of any missing assignments in class. For the parent that is invested in their child's education, the degree of transparency has never been greater. It's a far cry from the 'old days'.

I remember when the first update of a student's potential grade came with progress reports at mid-quarter. Until then, parents were often left in the dark unless they made a conscious effort to contact the teachers. And it was often too late by the time the progress report arrived home to make an improvement in the quarter grade.

Thankfully, those days are long gone. The level of accountability has dramatically increased over the last decade--for everyone. Students, teachers and even parents are held more responsible for the level of achievement, and much more promptly. It is a result of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation and the fact that technological advances makes access to data so much more available.

For your son and daughter, I hope it's a day of celebration at your house when the report card hits home. It will likely mean that all of us have been doing our job.

TimeTo Reflect

2010-10-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

This morning, I had a press conference with student reporters from the "Tower". This is something I do regularly, but time slipped away this year and this was our first one. It's usually a pretty easy exchange of ideas between subjects I raise with them and questions they ask of me.

One of the first questions from students today was something like, "How has the year gone so far"? My response was that's it's been a good start, and I attribute that to a couple of major factors. First of all, we have had great leadership from the senior class. They set the tone at the beginning of the school year, and especially for Spirit Week. I have nothing but praise for the leadership of the class of '11.

Secondly, we've enjoyed a strong fall sports season. Believe me, the Homecoming assembly is much better when everyone feels the football team can win that evening. And that type of success has been enjoyed by other sports.

Our girls' cross country team and volleyball teams have enjoyed great seasons and we hope they can finish as strong as they started. Both boys' tennis and girls' golf enjoyed strong regular seasons finished very high in state competition. And tomorrow night the football team plays Detroit Cody in what we hope is the first of several playoff games. That type of success carries over to the entire student body and makes everyone "proud to be a Blue Devil".

One of the issues I raised with the students is that we are looking at renovating the bathrooms in the main building. Not a very glamorous topic, but one that would directly impact nearly everyone. We have a meeting later today with the architects and representatives of the Preservation Committee.

The major questions will be like this, What do we do about restoring, renovating, or replacing the marble walls and dividers? Can we afford it? On the one hand, it would maintain the look of the original construction, however, not many people can afford to use marble on walls any longer.

This is an old building and there is a lot of old piping behind those walls. It will be a major undertaking if changes are made, but compared to the rest of the building, the restrooms are in really bad shape. Nothing short of a major renovation will bring them back to life.

In summary, it has been a good start as we continue the work of day-to-day operations of a large high school. We try to celebrate our little successes while keeping an eye on the future.

Special Visitor Today

2010-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate earlier today to receive a visit from the State Superintendent of Schools, Mike Flanagan. Of course, this was not without significant notice and an element of fanfare.

Mr. Flanagan is trying to visit a different district each month, and this month was GPPSS' turn. He began his day today at Poupard Elementary with a look at Title I program implementation, and then traveled to North HS for a visit to AP classes and to see firsthand the infusion of new classroom technology.

A luncheon was served in Cleminson during his visit at South, complete with musical accompaniment from a string quartet of South students. Another group of students from our Commercial Foods program prepared a great lunch for about 35 attendees, including a majority of the Board of Education. Following the luncheon, Mr. Flanagan visited one of our classrooms before making his final stop at Brownell MS.

During his speech to the luncheon crowd, Mr. Flanagan sang the praises of the district, across all levels. This comes from a man that has directed the most significant changes in K-12 education during my 38 years in education.

Mr. Flanagan was clearly one of the loudest voices behind implementation of the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC). This is the curriculum that takes full effect with the class of 2011, this year's seniors. Across the entire state, standards were raised significantly with the requirement of four years of math, and either Chemistry or Physics among three years of science instruction.

Frankly, those changes weren't that dramatic in a school system like GPPSS. However, for a significant majority of schools state-wide, it was a leap of faith to assume all students could complete this rigorous curriculum.

The purpose behind the changes was no secret. We had to create a more educated workforce in order to attract more business to our state. Long gone were the days of a manufacturing marketplace that could provide a healthy living wage for employees with only a high school education. We needed a stronger talent pool to attract new business.

I remember very well the outcry from many of my colleagues that served as high school principals when the legislation first passed. There was a great deal of doom and gloom, with predictions that our dropout rates would increase significantly. There were also many attempts to "water down" the MMC to make it more achievable.

Mr. Flanagan and few others stood tall against the protest. And the voices of protest were loud and clear--people didn't like the rigor of the new requirements!

Now here was are just a few years later and there are many success stories across the state. Students and teachers have stepped up to meet the challenge. It hasn't been easy, but it is getting done.

Accountability for educators has never been higher and distrust of the system has never been greater. Movies like "Waiting for Superman" don't help. It also doesn't help when we are experiencing such difficult economic times and there is such angst in all of our communities. People want someone to blame, and our schools become an easy target.

As I reflected on today's visit, I couldn't help but think how far we've come in a few short years. Teachers are working harder than ever before, and students are attempting and completing more rigor than ever before. It is a success story, and it was nice to get validation today from one of the principal architects of the change.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and gratifying visit.

Spirt Week...And All That It Entails

2010-09-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we are near the end of the day 1 of Spirit Week, the day dedicated to the junior class. By all accounts, it was a good start to what will become an exhausting week for some. It is particularly exhilarating and tiresome for those closest to the action. I'm talking about the students that do the brunt of the work for their class, the class advisors, and parent chaperones that give so much of their time.

The juniors were well dressed this morning, spirited, and well behaved. Everything that I observed was done in good fun and appropriate for the setting. I can only hope the rest of the week goes as smoothly.

Tomorrow, the sophomore spirit will be on display with freshmen on Wednesday and the seniors on Thursday. However, the biggest day is reserved for Friday. On that day the entire school is usually adorned in blue/gold and the day is capped off with a pep assembly at the end of the day followed by the parade and game.

It was just short of ten years ago that we moved the game and parade away from Saturday afternoon. Although the decision was questioned by some at the time, I can't imagine those activities moving back to their original Saturday slot. After all, high school football is all about "Friday Night Lights".

Last Friday, for example, we had an overflow crowd at North for the annual North/South game. This game is a tradition that goes back almost 40 years, and has recieved acclaim as one of the best rivalries in the State of Michigan.

Fortunately, South was the victor this time because North has had our number for a few years. Remember, in order for a game to be a big rivalry, the competition must be pretty equal (just ask UM fans in regard to UM/OSU).

So we're hoping for a great week. If you or your sons/daugters are heavily involved in the Homecoming festivities, remember to pace yourself. It can too often be a week that requires significant recovery time if priorities get out of order. It's supposed to be fun, not exhausting. Enjoy...

So Far, So Good

2010-09-09T12:00:00.001-07:00

It's nice to report a very successful beginning to the school year so far. As mentioned before, the building looks great. Even more importantly, the upbeat attitude and enthusiasm of both staff and students has been palpable.

Our first day, half of it spent with Freshman Seminar, was a great opening. We have heard many good things about the class of '14 from our middle school colleagues, and we have been more than impressed so far. They were quiet and polite when asked, yet excited and eager at the same time.

We can only hope this early success bodes well for the future for everyone.

Looking Good!

2010-09-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are just a long weekend away before the students arrive. There is always a measure of excitement just prior to the beginning of a new school year, and that's a pretty good description of where we are right now.

For the past five days since the freshmen received their schedules, we have had many visitors daily as the new students mark a trail through the halls as sort of a dry run of their schedule. They have been observed practicing and re-practicing their locker combinations and getting the interior of their lockers ready for the crush of the new year. All of it is designed to avoid any pitfalls on the first day of high school (or embarrassment).

From our standpoint, we are very close to being ready. The custodians are buffing up the hallways, teachers are finalizing classroom decorations, and the contractors are putting the wraps on their projects. The building itself has never looked better in the my ten years at South. I can't tell you how much the lighting on the first floor of the main building improves the appearance.

Contractors are in the S-lot as I write installing the new fence that surrounds the lot on the boulevard side. They will work nearly the entire Labor Day weekend getting it ready for students and staff. Although the new gate is not likely to be installed by then, the rest of the lot looks 100% better than before.

A smaller project over the Labor Day weekend calls for refinishing the exterior doors to the main building. As many of you have noticed, they are weathered to the point they look unsightly. Most of the exterior doors should be finished by the time students arrive.

All in all, I think we're ready. There are still just over 120 students to register on Tuesday morning, but we have already processed 1530 students into the system for this school year.

In closing, I hope it has been a nice summer for everyone because at this point we are just about ready to plunge headlong into the school year.

Those Taillights Look Even Better

2010-08-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

My oldest sister, Janice, had six kids of her own but as she grew older, there were even more grandkids to follow. And after an unusually hectic weekend with a houseful of kids, she often made this remark, "Those headlights looked good, but those taillights look even better". I felt the same way this week.

Just over a week ago there was a lot of excitement surrounding the arrival of the film crew and cast for LOL. Nearly everyone was excited to see the prop people make changes to the building, and to see all the trucks converge on the site late in the evening. Of course, the excitement only increased when onlookers actually idenified the trailer that Miley Cyrus would use while on site.

All in all, it was an enlightening experience. I never realized it would take 100-125 crew people daily to make what is considered a low-budget film (about $14-15 million). I also learned what the "grip" people actually do, and how different and clearly separate their tasks are from lighting, sound, location, and videography staff.

It was also gratifying to see current or former South students in the role of "extras", but I observed how boring and tedious the job of an extra can really be. They had to dress warm (fall clothes despite hot, humid weather) and walk the same route over and over again until the 'take' was just right. Believe me, it didn't look very glamorous.

However, after more than a week of having virtually the entire school operation disrupted for the movie crew, it was nice for it to come to an end. Today, there is some normalcy coming back in the building and we can prepare in earnest for student registration next week.

In summary, I found the movie crew to be easy to work with and very forthcoming with information, however, by the time they left on Wednesday evening, "the tailights looked even better".

In The Midst of Dust And Debris...

2010-08-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

...there is a lot going on. If you ventured into our building right now, you would have to wonder if we could be ready for students in just a few weeks. The first floor hallway of the main building looks like a war zone because of demolition required for the ceiling and light project. There is plywood on the floor, plastic covering lockers and doorways, and dust and debris throughout. That's the bad news.

The good news is that most of the first floor is finished, and I'm sure you will be pleased with the final product. The ceiling has new white tile and the new lights are a major improvement, both with the level of brightness and the aesthetic appearance.

If you pulled up outside, it is readily apparent the S-lot and courtyard are still in need of major work. Contractors are here today working in the courtyard, attempting to have it ready for the movie shoot next week. Paving in the S-lot will also begin next week as we try to meet the deadline of registration week (August 23-27) to have it accommodate student parking.

I had a meeting with a teacher this morning who couldn't believe we'll "make it" in time for the start of school. However, that's how it has often looked during my tenure at South. We typically have experienced some sort of major construction project, but still manage to be ready for students and staff. And it looks like this year will be no different.

The summary is that much is going on and significant progress is being made. We are truly fortunate to live and work in a district that can support facility improvements, as it definitely has a positive impact on the learning environment.

We'll see a major difference in just a few weeks.

Busy, But Gratifying

2010-07-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Much has happened since my last blog. Specifically, the past two weeks has been a whirlwind of activity comprised primarily of teacher interviews. Over the past nine days, I participated in 63 formal interviews and countless reference checks. The good news is that we have identified a very strong list of teachers that we intend to hire.

Going into the summer, I knew we had many big shoes to fill because of the 17 South teachers that opted for retirement. My greatest fear was that we might not find the high quality candidates I was seeking. Those fears have been put to rest.

In some ways, we have been the beneficiaries of a troubled economy. Whereas many school districts have been forced to make deep cuts and reduce staff, we have vacancies available where those young, but experienced teachers can land.

This influx of new staff makes me excited for the school year to start. I'm anxious to see them intermingle with our returning teachers and to watch the synergy that will no doubt evolve as the tradition of excellence merges with new and fresh ideas.

I feel very confident our new staff will enrich the atmosphere at South. They bring great energy, enthusiasm, and a strong set of teaching strategies that will engage students with the curriculum. We truly have been blessed!

Just As Expected

2010-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are headed into the Fourth of July weekend, and things look just about as expected. The S-lot has already undergone a major renovation. The old surface has been removed, the fencing taken down, and the entrance widened. The construction crew is heavily invested in the process of laying down the base, first sand and now stone. We anticipate they will start to pour the cement curbs in about another week.

The courtyard between the main building and S-building has also been dismantled. By that I mean that the old cement has been removed and the contractors are preparing the surface for new walkways. There is no timeline yet for installation of the new cement or replacement of some of the damaged landscaping, but we should be finished before the school year begins.

In the main building, the first floor hallway is primarily a construction zone. More than half of the ceiling tiles and old lights have been removed, plywood covers the floor, and plastic covers the lockers and entrance ways. As I write this, the electricians are updating the electrical boxes and installing new conduit as needed. We anticipate that around the first of August we will begin to see new ceiling tiles and lights.

The multi-purpose room is also busy right now, getting a pipe grid installed to hang curtains. This addition will increase the flexibility for that space, allowing the dance mirrors to be covered when necessary, and areas to be sectioned off. The curtains were part of the original design, but we had trouble getting specifications for the correct piping.

And beginning the week of July 12, we will be conducting interviews to fill the various vacancies in our building. We anticipate about 6-7 full days of interviews as we begin to pare down our list of candidates.

The vacancies were just formally announced on the website yesterday, and already I've received numerous qualified applicants. Hiring strong teachers is one of the most important aspects of our job, and we take it very seriously.

Wish us luck, and enjoy the Holiday weekend.

Year-End Odds And Ends

2010-06-17T10:41:00.001-07:00

It's about 2:00 on Graduation Day, June 17. As I look onto the front lawn at the stage and chairs, I am put at ease by what is most apparent...big blue skies and a great temperature. It looks like we are most blessed with a terrific day and evening for our Commencement ceremonies.

Even though classes were dismissed for the summer earlier today, there is still a beehive of activity in preparation for this evening. Chairs are still being arranged, sound systems are checked, and flowers are staged. There is a lot of positive energy. It's an exciting time for more than just the graduates, as the families and our staff put a lot of emphasis on this day.

On another note, we have 17 teachers that will be taking advantage of the retirement proposal that recently passed through the state legislature. When that change was combined with the "early retirement incentive" from the district, it became an offer too good to pass up.

This is unfortunate for those that remain because by my conservative estimates, we will have more than 400 years of successful teaching experience walk out our doors for the last time tomorrow. So we have big shoes to fill. There will be many interviews conducted over the summer with the intent of finding replacements that can quickly get up to speed with our curriculum and course expectations.

Wish us luck with both the events of this evening and in finding replacements for such a terrific group of veteran teachers.

And many thanks to everyone for another successful year at South!

A Quiet Summer?

2010-06-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you can count on a quiet summer as a high school principal. Unfortunately, due to what seems like endless construction at South, that has rarely been the case here. This summer will be no different.

First of all, we will lose use of the S-lot for the entire summer because of a resurfacing project that is long overdue. That project will begin as soon as school is out and will likely last until just before school starts in the fall. Part of that project includes new fencing to match what is used along Fisher Road near the stadium. It will be a wrought-iron fence with brick pillars, to complement the rest of the fencing around the school. I think everyone will find that much better than the rickety chain-link fence that has been there for so long.

The courtyard between the main and S-building will also be renovated this summer. The cement is badly damaged due to all of the construction projects and must be replaced to avoid trip hazards. The Preservation Committee has also has plans to improve the look of that space with brick pavers and lights along the walkway.

One of the most noticeable projects, however, will be replacement of the ceiling and lights in the hallway of the main building. This is a project that has been years in the making and the first floor will be completed this summer; the second floor in the summer of 2011.

And as some of you may have heard, we are in the running as a film-making site for two different movies. Each movie has a high school theme to the story, and the production supervisors and set directors really like what South has to offer. If we are selected, both films are set to shoot sometime in August.

Finally, it appears I may be conducting many interviews this summer as the recent retirement package passed by the legislature has induced some of our more veteran teachers to retire. I expect that we will have at least 10-15 staff members retire by the end of June.

While their experience and wisdom will surely be missed, I don't begrudge them from moving on while they have their health intact. This also provides an opportunity for young people across the state to become gainfully employed in school systems statewide. After all, that was one of the major goals of the retirement package.

So needless to say, it will be busy around South. Just in a way a little different than previous summers. Let's hope all goes according to plan.

A Good Time Had By All

2010-05-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday evening, we held our annual Junior Prom at Assumption Hall. The weather was great, desserts were scrumptious, and the kids danced all night long. All that was missing was a real strong turnout from the junior class.

We typically have about 380 students in each class. If only half of the class attended, we would have done better than the 150 that attended the prom this year. And I specifically noticed that we had quite a few seniors in attendance, along with the typical number of freshmen and sophomores.

I'm not sure why this is happening, but for most dances, attendance has been lacking for a few years now. The exceptions are the Homecoming dance and the Senior Prom. At Homecoming, we typically exceed 1200 students while the Senior Prom will have about 400 in attendance. Of course, Homecoming is larger because it is an "all school" dance and it's held in the fall, not too long after school resumes, and it's less expensive.

Another interesting trend at this year's Junior Prom was that there seemed to be a preponderance of girls. One of the parent chaperones even suggested to me that girls may have outnumbered guys by about 3:1.

If it matters, declining attendance at dances is not just a Grosse Pointe issue. Many administrators around the state have been telling similar stories of reduced attendance at school dances.

It's probably time to look at doing something different as we go forward. Many schools have a combined Junior/Senior Prom, and a similar number only host a Senior Prom. In either case, we have to look at a potential change next spring.

One thing I know for sure is that the problem was not with the organization of the event. The venue was great, the music was appropriate, and the food was very good. The only downside is that many of the dessert offerings remained untouched, even as the evening was ending.

I believe those that attended had a good time. I think a strong barometer of the effectiveness of the music is the number of students that actually danced. And in most cases, 90% of those in attendance were dancing at any given time.

So we will take a look at potential changes in the near future. In two short weeks, we will host the Senior Prom. If we follow past practice, the turnout for that event will be much bigger. It is the culminating event for the high school experience, and if money in a tight economy is to be spent for anything, the preference usually goes to senior prom over the junior prom.

In any event, I am hopeful it is incident free like the prom this past weekend.

Better Than Expected

2010-04-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we finally had our long-awaited search by the drug dogs. I say long awaited because I've been advocating for this (along with others) for several years now.

As a matter of fact, a former South parent emailed me today to congratulate us for going ahead with the search as she remembers a conversation I held with parents back in 2005.

The surprise to us in this particular instance was that we had no advance notice, unless you count about three minutes "advance notice". However, with great cooperation from the Farms, City and various other police departments, we were able to conduct a search of all lockers and parking lots in less than 90 minutes.

I want to give you some inside information about a school search with drug dogs. I didn't know until recently that there are several municipalities that help one another with searches of this type. As you may know, the City of Grosse Pointe has just one drug dog (Raleigh). Tackling a building of this magnitude with one dog would be impossible. The dog works so hard during the search it would be exhausted and unable to continue effectively.

So in this case, there were many dogs. I know of at least 9-10 that I observed, but there may have been even more involved. There were K-9 units from Buena Vista, Redford and Taylor to name a few, and the dogs and handlers were most impressive!

For example, I was in the parking lots with the dogs and if they 'hit' on a car, they were correct in nearly every case. Even a small amount of marijuana residue resulted in a hit by the dog, and that was with the car locked and windows closed.

The reason for the title of this message and that it went better than expected is that we found very little evidence of drug possession. Essentially, we discovered paraphernalia (papers, pipes, etc.) in cars or lockers. Student in possession of these items suffered the consequences outlined in our zero-tolerance policy.

We aren't naive and fully understand this wasn't the perfect search, and we will make some procedural changes next time. However, I am hopeful that searches of this type of more commonplace in the future. Students have to understand that school will not be the place to possess or exchange drugs of any type.

Special thanks to Director Jensen of the Farms and Director Fox of the City for their leadership in making this happen. The sole purpose was to serve as a deterrent for inappropriate behavior.

The Audience Was "Wowed"

2010-04-16T09:58:00.001-07:00

I've always been amazed by the talent at South, and it comes in various packages. For example, just this week we received our ACT scores from the March MME testing cycle. The current juniors did very well, with more receiving a score of 35 of 36 than I can ever remember.

But it doesn't end with test performance. The recent Art Fest featured talent as good as I've seen over the past nine years. When I looked at the artwork and the names behind the work, I couldn't figure out how they found time to do all of those pieces on top of their other academic classes. Many of the strongest artists always seem to carry the heaviest academic load.

Last night was one more example. The annual Spring Concert for the Instrumental Music program was held at Music Hall in Detroit. First of all, I have to admit it's a great venue because it trumps the acoustics we can replicate in any of our school buildings. Secondly, there's always a little more electricity in the air when students are in a different place playing for a bigger audience.

Both the band and orchestra performed strong programs packed with difficult music selections. The show also featured seven solo performers from the various groups. However, the final solo for the orchestra featured Candace Rembert playing the viola.

A few words can't express the reaction of the audience. The moment she finished, the crowd was on their feet and the ovation lasted a long time. I can't imagine a more enthusiastic response to a single performance. If you were there, you know what I mean.

I am usually hesitant to single out a particular student like I just did with Candace. However, I can't remember being so blown away by music of any type. The orchestra behind her was terrific, the directing was magnificent, but most of all her passion and enormous talent were evident.

It was truly a memorable moment for the South community.

What, No Parent-Teacher Conferences?

2010-04-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

When I first came to Grosse Pointe almost 10 years ago, I was surprised to find the district did not have parent/teacher conferences at the high school level. A better description for my feelings may have been shock instead of surprise. I expected parents in GP to be heavily involved in their child's education, so I fully expected that P/T conferences were a given.

Through the years that I have been in this chair, every once in a while the topic comes up. It is still a rare occurrence, however. But it did come up recently from one parent, and in this case it was a middle school parent.

That got me to thinking. I've thought a lot about the changes over the years. Back when I was teaching, I distinctly remember P/T conferences. The parents would come in twice per year, spring and fall. They would sit across the desk from me and I would show them their student's work. Sometimes, it consisted of grades from the gradebook, while at other times it may be a recent test or term paper. In either case, we discussed the progress of their child in my class. The individual conference was limited to ten minutes, meaning that sometimes there were many things left unsaid.

It was the norm that I would see parents of students that performed adequately or well. However, it was also the norm that I did not get to see the parents I really wanted to see because their students were not doing as well as they should. That was probably the most disappointing aspect of P/T conferences.

Fast forward to today. Much has changed. First of all, all teachers are accessible via email and voicemail. I usually encourage parents to use email because of the ease of responding. You can get to it as soon as you can get to it, and I rarely get a complaint that teachers are slow to respond.

Beyond email and voicemail, however, is the immediate access that parents have through Parent Connect. It gives parents the opportunity to see grades and attendance almost immediately. It more or less provides a video of what has gone on in the classroom on a daily basis. When I think back to P/T conferences of old, they were strictly a snapshot of the student's progress only two times per year.

This is the summary of my thinking. Although I'm surprised we have not had P/T conferences in Grosse Pointe, I'm equally surprised that other school districts have not gone away from it. With the ready access of data available to students and parents, the twice per year meetings seem kind of passe.

I don't anticipate a change in the near future. From the lack of requests that I have had to look into the existing practice, it's apparent most parents feel their needs are being met through Parent Connect and email access to staff.

I wish all of you the best of the Easter season, and feel confident our students and staff will come back refreshed from spring break.

We Need Volunteers

2010-03-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

As we approach the end of one school year, we need to complete a task in preparation for next school year. When the seniors graduate in June, we will lose one of our student representatives from our School Improvement Team, Sarah Parker. She will be taking her expansive skill set to the University of Wisconsin to complete her post-graduate studies. So now we need a replacement.

In addition, we are seeking another parent to serve along with Patti Groezinger. Patti has done a great job for us this past year, but has been the only parent rep and we could use a second one.

We are asking interested students in grades 9-10 to apply to fill Sarah's vacancy and are pursuing the services of another parent. Here are some details about the positions:
- the term will be for two years, 2010-11 and 2011-12
- meetings are held monthly, usually on the third Monday of the month, at 3:15
- there may be occasional task-specific meetings of short duration in addition to the monthly meetings
- there will likely be one half-day meeting prior to the start of school for the purpose of data interpretation and goal setting for 2010-11
- representatives selected are expected to serve as liaisons to other South parents and students

Applications for these positions are available through the South website by using the Parent tab and clicking on the School Improvement Team application.

Student applicants are also to use the South website, using the Student tab and clicking on the School Improvement Team application. Both applications are also available in the principal's office, if that is easier for you.

Applications are due to the principal's office by May 3. We hope to make our selections by May 17.

We thank you in advance for your interest.

So Far, So Good

2010-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Well, earlier today we finished this round of the annual MME test (Michigan Merit Exam). This test, of course, is required of all juniors and is comprised of the ACT, WorkKeys, and additional content topics that are not covered elsewhere.

The MME testing cycle is one of the biggest undertakings we have all year. There is an old adage that goes like this, "He who controls the test, controls the curriculum". Like it or not, that's the way it is. The movement to state-mandated tests like these limits some of the freedom that was previously allowed in classrooms. It forces teachers to follow the prescribed curriculum much more closely.

There is another adage that is relevant to this topic, "What gets measured; gets taught". We are hopeful our students were well prepared for the tests they just completed.

I have my own perceptions based upon what I observed, and this is some of what I saw:
- a serious approach, from both students and staff
- a positive and confident atmosphere, again exhibited by both students and staff
- terrific attendance, of the 346 juniors scheduled for the ACT on Tuesday, NO ONE was absent
- attendance was great all three days, the highest absenteeism was on Thursday, with only four students absent

We won't know the results of the tests for a few months, but all signs are positive at this point. We can only hope the early indications hold true.

Technology And Our Kids

2010-02-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

There has been a great deal of debate about technology and its impact on our youth. But no matter what side of the argument you take, there is no refuting that it is here to stay. And given that, it is important that adults gain a better understanding of what it's about, and how to manage it.

I am going to pass along a link that was sent to me by our TV Production teacher, Steve Geresy. It contains a clip from ABC News on the impact of technology related to performance in school. It's just a two-minute video clip with Diane Sawyer but contains a lot of information (you will likely have to wait through a 15-second infomercial).

On the right side of this page under articles of interest, click on the ABC News clip or paste the following address in your browser: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9617831

Of more serious consequence is what is going on with "sexting" by teenagers across the world. This occurs when students take nude or semi-nude pictures and send them to others electronically.

I am going to make reference to a slide show that was sent to me by my wife. The slide show is part of the Macomb County Health curriculum and contains a powerful message, at least in my mind. You can find the presentation via the South H.S. website under parent information. Use the pull down menu and then open the link to "sexting - parent info". You will be able to view it in either a slide show or pdf. format.

I think it's a "must see" for anyone with adolescents in the house and strongly encourage you to share it with your sons and daughters.

Students and Identification

2010-02-08T09:41:00.001-08:00

For those of you that have been around for a while, you're probably well aware that we have been requiring students to wear ID badges. That policy has now been in effect for almost three full years, and it periodically gets revisited.

Last June, the policy was discussed in earnest because North H.S. staff was considering whether to drop their policy. One of their primary reasons was that their school now used a single entrance for all student traffic with an adult presence at that entrance. Of course, we don't have that luxury with our cramped parking lots and multiple entrances.

Anyway, when it was discussed with staff last June, there was resounding support to keep our current policy. While no formal vote was taken, my guess is that about 84 of 90 staff members in attendance voted to keep the policy.

As you know, we recently surveyed all of our stakeholders about a variety of issues. One survey was dedicated just to students, and one of the more notable results from the student survey was that they wanted to end the ID policy. It was a predictable response, but notable nonetheless.

Just recently, we held a staff meeting to discuss the results of the student survey, and we took time to discuss the strong student response to the current ID policy. After much discussion on both sides of the issue, we decided to put the matter to an anonymous vote of the staff.

Everyone was asked to vote "yea" or "nay" to the current policy as we go forward. To my surprise, the results were pretty dramatic. 82 members of our staff voted to keep the policy as it stands, while 26 supported a change. That means that we still have 76% of our staff that believes we can better manage students if they wear an ID badge. So we will continue with current policy.

I realize this is not the response students were seeking from the staff. I also realize most of them would rather not be responsible for turning in homework, or reporting to class on time. A few years ago, the major complaint was that students could no longer wear hats in class.

In any large organization, it's important for someone to exhibit the willingness to make tough decisions for the betterment of all. I believe that is what our staff just did...even though it's a hassle to enforce the policy, it provides for a more secure environment. And students learn better in a secure environment.

Changing The Tire With The Car Still Moving...

2010-01-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the start of a new semester. In some ways the time has flown by, but in other ways it's taken a while. In either case, on Monday students will begin their new semester. For some of them, it will mean different classes and different teachers. However, for most students the majority of their schedule will be unchanged as students typically enroll in yearlong classes.

At the same time everyone is gearing up for the new semester, we are also enrolling students for the 2010-11 school year. That's the way it goes in the business of schooling, you're preparing for next year even though you're only halfway through the current school year. Hence, the analogy to changing a tire while the car is still moving.

I want to take this opportunity to remind students and parents to choose their classes carefully. Guidance counselors and teacher will be offering the same advice. Please heed it.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at more than 10,000 course requests from our high school students. We take all of those course requests and determine staffing based upon requests. If there are enough students interested in a course to offer it, we do so. If there is not enough student interest, the course doesn't run.

We then take all of those course requests and determine the 375+ sections that will be needed within our master schedule. And then we will build a master schedule that 'fits' those sections into an 8:00 - 3:05 school day.

The aspect of creating the master schedule that takes the greatest emotional toll in these difficult economic times is creation of a layoff list. Each of the past six years we have been in the downsizing mode, requiring layoffs from nearly all of our bargaining groups. That's why we need you to choose classes carefully. It affects people's livelihood.

In a downsizing mode, we have to eliminate sections with low enrollment and collapse sections when possible. That creates far less flexibility in the master schedule than we had just a few years ago. It also means that when school begins in the fall we cannot accommodate schedule changes except in the rarest of circumstances.

So again I ask you, please choose your courses carefully becuase what you decide in the next few weeks will be reality in the fall of 2010. Good luck!

What Is A Tardy Sweep?

2010-01-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

Periodically, we are asked by the staff to "crack down" on students that are late to class.

Don't get me wrong, compared to any other high school in my experience, this is far less of an issue at South than elsewhere. However, when teachers are investing all they have into student achievement and engagement, it's frustrating to have students walk in late to class. At the very least it's a disruption, but it can also cause somewhat of a restart to the class.

So occasionally we conduct a "hall sweep". It's pretty simple. We pick a certain period of the day and once the bell rings, teachers are asked to lock their doors and refer all tardy students to the auditorium. Once students report there, the administrators assign detentions to students caught in the hall sweep because obviously these students were tardy to class.

Each time we do this we get some complaints from students or parents. Of course, if a student has a legitimate excuse to be in the hall (i.e. sent to their locker by the teacher) the detention is cancelled. However, there are always some students that claim it was their first time being late and they are being unduly punished.

I don't believe a detention is too big a penalty for tardiness to class, and hopefully it will serve as a deterrent to future tardiness. I mention this because we will have another hall sweep in the near future, and I'm hopeful that an up-front explanation may prevent some of the complaints after it is implemented.

I believe it's obvious to all that punctuality is a good lifelong skill to possess, and this is something all high schools try to enforce. Students have seven minutes to move between classes here at South and that is ample time to get wherever they need to go. Often times, the tardy students are those that spend time socializing with friends and waiting for the last minute to start to class.

We believe this is an effective deterrent, we know that teachers and hall monitors request it, even though students caught in the sweep dislike it. It's one of the ways we use to curb tardiness to class.

The Survey Says...

2010-01-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the New Year and that it was a happy one for you and your families.

Just before the Holidays, we were able to make each of the surveys available to the public. These are the surveys administered in early October and that are designed to provide feedback to our School Improvement Team.

If you go to the South webpage, there is a message embedded in the document that references the surveys. The message instructs you to go to the links on the left side of the page to see each of the four surveys:
1) Parent
2) Teacher
3) Student
4) Support Staff

At our staff meeting on January 5th, we took a good look at both the parent and teacher survey results. At an upcoming meeting, we will continue with the student and support staff results.

For the most part, each of the surveys are complimentary of the quality of education here at South. There was high praise for the curriculum standards and high expectations for students. There are, however, areas that we must address and dissecting the survey results is the first step.

In hindsight, we wish we would have asked students the same three open-ended questions that were asked in the other surveys:
1) What do you like best about South?
2) What do you like least?
3) What suggestions do you have for improvement?

Having that information from the students would have given us a more complete picture of the similarities and differences of opinion. Oh well, we can do that next time.

I encourage you to take some time to go through the survey results. At the minimum, I think you will find it interesting to see how others feel about South High School.

How Do I Get In This Place?

2009-12-23T05:28:00.000-08:00

We finally have our new security system in place, much like other buildings in the district. We will implement this plan when students return from the Holiday break on January 4th. The change concerns exterior doors and when they will be locked or unlocked.

Expect the doors to be unlocked in the morning until 8:15, or 15 minutes after the day begins. Obviously, PLC Mondays will be treated differently, but doors will still lock 15 minutes after school begins.

After that time, anyone wishing to enter the building will have to “buzz in” at one of three entrances. There are three spots where there are buzzers and cameras:
1) entrance A, which is the door to the main building under the bridge from the I.A. building
2) entrance E, the door near the old greenhouse closest to Grosse Pointe Blvd.
3) entrance S, the door to the Boll Center or new pool building.

These will be the only doors to enter once school has started and when classes are in session.

Other doors between buildings will be programmed to unlock one minute before class is dismissed, and up until two minutes after class starts. In other words, students will be able to go outside between buildings during regularly scheduled passing times.

The same will be true at lunch. The exterior doors will be unlocked during lunch, but only until two minutes after 5th period begins. If students are still outside after that time, they will have to “buzz” the office to be allowed back into the building.

There are two other changes…one temporary and one more permanent. The front doors to the building will remain locked until we get back to spring-time weather. We just cannot handle all of the snow and slush being dragged into the front entrances during the winter. That is the temporary change.

The permanent change is that entrance Q, the door nearest the choir room, will remain locked during the school day, including lunch periods. If students are moving from the I.A. building to the main building or S-building, they will have to use the bridge between buildings or enter through entrance A, located right below the bridge crossover.

If students arrive after classes are in session, and have to “buzz in” for entrance, they are to identify themselves giving name and grade. One of the secretaries will be able to allow entrance at that time. They are to then go to the Attendance office and sign in.

At the end of the day, all doors will lock at 4:00 except for students with practice schedules.

In short order, all of us will be used to these changes. In reality, we are one of the last schools to limit access in this manner so it’s probably long overdue.

In closing, I hope you are able to enjoy your time with friends and family while school is not in session, and wish you the best of the Holiday Season!

And Now, A Word From Our Parents

2009-12-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

With the onset of the Holiday Season, we are getting very close to a full release of the parent data from the school survey. Although there isn't room in this spot for all of the details, I will provide a few of the highlights.

The Basics:
- 402 parent responses overall, with 72% being female
- 91% of those responding were white in regard to ethnicity
- the largest portion (33%) of those responding listed a senior as the oldest child
- when asked what they liked best, the most popular narrative responses were the curriculum, teachers, and high standards

The Good:
- 92% feel the school has a positive impact on property values
- 92% feel the education offered to students is of high quality
- 92% feel the school is clean and the grounds are well maintained
- 92% feel we have good textbooks and adequate supplies
- 89% believe the quality of schools influenced their decision to live in this community

The Bad:
- only 10% feel that substance abuse is NOT a problem, while 64% believe it IS a problem
- only 15% feel there are NO problems with bullies at school, however, 24% claim they do not know if it is a problem
- only 26% feel we are doing a good job teaching career/vocational courses, while 40% either did not know or the question did not apply to them
- only 45% of parents are confident students see a relationship between what they are studying and their everyday lives
- only 46% feel we are preparing students to deal with issues or problems they will deal with in the future

Our hope is to have the results ready to post on the website shortly after the Holiday break. We have been pleased with the number of responses as more than a third of our parents, well over half of our students, and nearly all of our staff members responded to the survey.

We thank you for taking the time to complete the survey and wish everyone the best of the Holiday Season!

The Results Are In

2009-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the results aren't completely in yet. I'm speaking of the data from the surveys that were administered earlier this month. We surveyed students (877 responses), parents (433), teachers (93), and support staff (44). And although the program quickly tabulates percentages of responses, it takes a while to put the data in a useful format. My secretary is putting the data in bar graph form so that it is easier to absorb and understand.

So far, all efforts have been dedicated to compiling data from the students. In some respects, we believe this data to be most critical to our needs and should have priority. Earlier today, I was able to take a quick look at the bar graph representations. All in all, it looks pretty good.

Here are a few of the highlights:
- 71% of our students have been here since elementary school, while 21% entered while in high school
- 86% participate in after-school activities
- 76% have participated on at least one sports team
- 93% rate the overall education at South as good or excellent
- the highest ratings were for the English (90%) and science departments (81%)
- 91% feel that classes "required for graduation" are either good or excellent
- 90% feel that classes at South are "challenging"
- regarding class size, 15% feel classes are too big, 40% big, and 43% just right
- 62% feel they get individual attention in their classes
- 91% feel they are safe or very safe while at South
- 85% plan to attend a four-year college, with the highest percentage (31%) pursuing a career in science or technology

The data above is just a quick view. Students were also able to provide an open-ended response regarding each of the categories listed. One constant...they don't like wearing ID badges, but I could have told you that before the survey.

When we have a more complete picture, we will share it with you. I wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving and hope the break away from work or school is rejuvenating for you.

It's Long Overdue

2009-11-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

For several years now, we have been discussing the concept of bringing drug dogs into the school. It has been discussed in meetings with parents, among staff, and at the Board of Education level. Here at South, we have decided it's time to act.

Let me be clear, the major purpose is to serve as a deterrent to behavior that is illegal in the eyes of the court, let alone school officials. Our goal is not to "bust" students.

I hope we find nothing, and wish we didn't even see the need for such action. However, our instincts tell us otherwise. We have found several students this fall in possession of illegal substances. We also hear rumors, unfounded or not, of more students engaging in similar behavior.

I can't really tell you that use or abuse among students is on the upswing. Sometimes, we just stumble upon illegal substances or students that engage in illegal activities.

I have often said that here in Grosse Pointe we have a volatile mix--we have many affluent families living adjacent to a city where access to drugs is readily available. That is a bad combination, and puts our students in great danger.

At some point in the near future, we will undergo a search of the building and grounds with a cadre of officers and narcotics dogs. In all likelihood, there will be regular searches in the future.

Again, I hope we find nothing. But I also hope our students understand there is zero tolerance at our school.

A Few Minutes Of Your Time

2009-10-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Just short of one year ago, we hosted an important aspect of our accreditation process, the Quality Assurance Review. The process calls for a team of educators to visit South High School to evaluate all aspects of our program. One area of deficit that was noted in the final report had to do with "input from stakeholders". In this case, the visiting team determined that we did not receive enough two-way communication. In other words, we provided a great deal of information to parents and students, but did not seek enough information from them.

We are attempting to rectify that deficiency. In the recent issue of "High Pointes", on p. 5 were instructions for parents and students to participate in a survey regarding South High School. We used sample surveys from the accreditation program (AdvancEd) and tailor-made them for our needs. There are separate surveys for students and parents.

When you go to the South webpage, right in the middle near the bottom is information about the survey. Just follow the directions, give us a few minutes of your time, and we will have the input we need. The information from students and parents can go a long way toward shaping our programs in the future.

Thank you for your time.

A Disappointing Ending

2009-10-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

After a few days of reflection, I can tell you that nearly all of the Homecoming events were deemed a success. The remainder of the "spirit days" were lively and appropriate. The pep assembly consisted of new and different activities and kept the students engaged and excited. And although the weather was cool, the parade was very well attended by both students and community members. To top it off, the outcome of the game proved to be the stimulus that would propel the football team into the playoffs. All in all, nearly everything was perfect.

Unfortunately, we did have a slip-up at the dance. A handful of the more than 1300 students in attendance used alcohol prior to coming to the dance. In this case, the driver of a bus limousine could smell alcohol after the students exited the bus. Upon further investigation, he found numerous containers with alcohol.

We had no choice but to seek out the passengers on the bus. And unfortunately, most of the passengers registered a positive result for alcohol on a PBT when administered by police. This was disheartening.

I have to tell you that I am glad that our nation has taken such a strict stance on drinking and driving. We have benefited from that emphasis over the years. However, renting a limo should not be license for underage youths to drink alcohol. It's still illegal.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and eliminate the use of limousines for dances, especially something like Homecoming. It's not necessary, costs far more than it's worth, and creates a false sense of entitlement.

In a couple of weeks I'll probably look back at the Homecoming dance with less regret, however, right now it's still too fresh and I wish it had been different. Maybe next year...

Let's Hope For A Good Week

2009-10-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday-Tuesday, I attended our annual convention for Michigan's secondary principals. While I was there, many conversations centered around discussions of the various Homecoming festivities. Nearly everyone in attendance had just completed their Spirit Week, were in the midst of it, or were awaiting it just like we were. Today, we celebrated the first day of our Homecoming Week, a week that is too often dreaded by high school administrators.

So far, we appear to be off to a good start. The first day of Spirit Week belongs to the junior class. From my observations today, they were very spirited but also very appropriate. Their hallway signs were most creative and should serve as strong role modeling for the classes to follow. Tomorrow will be the sophomores turn, with the freshman class slated for Wednesday. On Thursday, the seniors finally get their chance to show the entire school what senior spirit can be like.

At South, the students are typically well behaved. The activities create many fond memories, as evidenced by the student speeches at Commencement. Invariably, most of the students that audition to speak at Graduation make several references to Spirit Week and everything that comes with South's Homecoming. I guess that's the way it should be if the event was a success.

Thursday evening consists of the float parties, where many members of the respective classes gather to celebrate putting the final touches on the float. Friday is the official whole-school Spirit Day, complete with the pep assembly, parade and game. It makes for a full day for everyone, and the "worker bees" are often exhausted by the time the game is over.

Of course, the entire week culminates with the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night. We usually have more that 1200 students in attendance, not bad considering we have enrollment just under 1600 students this year.

I am hopeful the week will continue as it began. Spirited kids having fun, but all of it good natured. Now if the weather will just cooperate, the entire week can be deemed a success.

It Was A Challenge; It Will Be A Challenge

2009-10-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today, we are hosting the second of our two "Challenge Days". This is an opportunity for nearly 100 of our high school students and 25 staff members (each day) to participate in activities sponsored by the Challenge Day organization. You may have heard of them before, as they have been featured on Oprah on at least two different occasions.

I was lucky enough to be involved yesterday, and to say the least, it was an inspirational experience. The facilitators from CA warned us that it would be a 'roller coaster' day, filled with highs and lows, and they were true to their word.

We were engaged in a wide variety of activities, so many that by the end of the day my energy was zapped. Students saw staff members do things they never dreamed, and staff saw students in a very different light. We laughed together and we played together and knocked down barriers along the way. It was an openness I have rarely seen in a school facility, and holds hope for long-lasting change.

The basic message is this...there are countless occasions where people are mistreated. This ranges from racist remarks, to homophobic harassment, to comments made about the differences in clothes we wear. We observe it often in school settings, yet we seldom do anything about it. We rarely show the courage to step up and stop the nonsense.

As a result of the activities, participants quickly discover that we are more alike than different, and that each of us have crosses to bear. But we were also taught that we can improve our lives by supporting one another and appreciating those differences.

It is up to us what happens next. The mantra for Challenge Day is to be the change. Unfortunately, we are limited to only 200 students this calendar year, or about 12% of our student body.

Some parents have asked me how the students were selected. Teachers made recommendations with the intent of selecting a very diverse group. We specifically strived to make sure that each diverse population at South was represented, from the skateboarders, to the geeks, to the jocks. We did the same for our ethnic population and attempted to select a group that represented our diversity.

There were students that came rather unwillingly, while others with a strong desire to participate were left out. We wish it could be different. We are hopeful we can continue this activity in subsequent years, but it will be dependent on both future funding and the availability of facilitators.

To sum it up, we laughed a lot, and we cried a lot. Although many hearts were laid bare at some point during the day, the facilitators made sure everyone was properly nurtured prior to leaving. Their talent and experience with this type of emotion was readily evident.

For me personally, yesterday was a challenge. Emotions were pretty raw at certain points of the day, but I am a better person today than I was last week. Now all of us have to carry the momentum forward, and that will be a challenge.

We Are Very Lucky

2009-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

As we enter the third week of school, I can't help but reflect on some of the blessings we have here in Grosse Pointe. Despite the computer glitches of the first few days, this has been a very smooth start to a new school year.

The kids have been terrific! I always knock on wood after I say that, but they have been unusually respectful and polite so far. And they have taken especially good care of the new Student Commons. They are using it to its fullest extent, but are doing a good job picking up after themselves and keeping it neat and clean.

We are also blessed to have the infusion of technology this school year. Although not all of it is fully up and running...to the chagrin of some...we are much further ahead than when we left in the spring. We are fortunate to have a district that believes in continuous improvement and invests time and money to train its teachers.

Today, we hosted the PLAN test for our sophomores at the two high schools. This test is a smaller version of the ACT that students take when they are juniors. It has a direct correlation to performance on the "big" test they will take next year. We will use results from the PLAN test to make positive interventions for these students during the next school year.

This Friday, we have the annual North/South football game. This is a big deal to many in the Pointes, and this year we are fortunate to have two competitive teams that are likely headed to the playoffs.

We are the host school this year, and the game will follow the 3rd annual "Victory in the Pointes" celebration. Come between 5:00-7:00 PM on Friday evening to sample the food from many of the area restaurants, or buy your spirit wear. This celebration will be held on the front lawn outside Cleminson Hall.

There are not many communities around the country that can provide venues like this for their citizens. Again, we are very blessed.

I can only hope the school year continues as it started. There is a great deal of positive energy in the building, and many reasons to feel optimistic.

Computers...What Computers?

2009-09-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we're already a week into the new school year. Unfortunately, it hasn't been terribly smooth. One of our computer servers "crashed" during the morning of the first day. Our second server didn't have the capacity to support the entire building, so most of the teachers and clerical staff were without computers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Finally, on Thursday, two new servers arrived and were added to the system meaning that by late Thursday afternoon we were finally up and running.

The glitch in the system was unfortunate for office personnel, but far more crippling for teachers. When you have prepared all of your lessons on powerpoint, or worked hard over the summer to master use of the smartboard, losing access to the presentation is extremely disappointing. And not only was the ability to display the lesson removed, but access to the material was eliminated. It's much like losing your notes for the speech right before you are to go on stage.

Aside from the glitch with phones and computers, it's been a fairly smooth start. It's gratifying for me to see the new student commons humming with activity. It's not 100% complete yet, but it's very close.

The students have been very respectful and focused, and the flurry of activity makes the hallways come alive. It's interesting how the building can be so quiet and my time so productive in the summer, yet it's really not how the school is built. It's built for kids and it's built for learning.

We're anticipating a very good year, and wish the same to our student, parents and staff.

The Clock Is Ticking

2009-08-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

The building looks dramatically different over the past two weeks. The hallways were bright and shiny for activities of the past week, both registration of students and Freshman Orientation.

We have registered over 1400 students already with another bunch of them to be registered on September 1. We anticipate having just over 1600 students at South again this school year. Our enrollment might be down just a bit, but is holding pretty steady.

On Wednesday morning, members of our Student Association led the class of 2013 through their own Freshman Orientation. There were a variety of activities planned for them, including a tour of the building. It's always refreshing for me to see so many of our upperclassmen...there must have been 30-40 of them...willing to give up their day to help new students get acclimated.

Later that evening, we hosted parents of our incoming freshmen and approximately 250 were in attendance. They met with administrators, counselors and representatives of the Mothers' Club in the hopes of allaying some of the trepidation associated with the high school experience, especially for the first-time parents of a high school age student.

We still have work to do. The contractors will be working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend to get the new Student Commons and School Store ready for use. We also have our own internal work to be done to complete our technology installation.

I suspect that overtime may be necessary on Labor Day weekend, also. With construction, it often comes with the territory.

Back when I was principal at Chippewa Valley High School, we underwent a huge construction project. To get the building ready for use, we once employed 22 custodians to work 10-hour days the entire Labor Day weekend. In that case, we had 2700 students coming the day after Labor Day, and many teachers had not even seen their new rooms yet, so the situation was much more dire.

I'm much more confident now, and South students will return September 8th to a much improved physical structure than they left in June.

Getting Ready To Crank It Up

2009-08-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Now that we're approaching mid-August, the signs of a new school are fast approaching. The first piece of evidence is more frequent sightings of students, specifically fall athletes.

During most of the day, but especially in the morning, the grounds are buzzing with activity. It's either the girls coming in for their early morning swim, all three football teams on the turf, volleyball players using both gyms, or the cross country team meeting on the track before their evening run. In any case, it signals the end of the summer for many of us.

The atmosphere is different in the classrooms and hallways. It's still pretty quiet in the majority of the building. Nearly all of the classrooms are ready for the return of teachers who will put their personal touches on those spaces. The hallways and common areas are a different story, altogether. Many of them still need to be cleaned and brought back to order.

Frankly, I'm getting nervous about the completion of the bigger projects. There has not been much visible progress of late in the new student commons (replacing the old pool), school store, or multi-purpose room. Things are going on, but it's not readily visible to the eye and that makes me nervous.

I have enough experience to realize it can all come together quickly, and I know that I tend to worry about many things that never come to pass, but I worry nonetheless. We need those big spaces, and we need them by the time students return.

A surprise to us is that we have a new area to be renovated, at least in part, in the girls' gym. The roof needs to be replaced and that will begin in the next week or so. It will impact our practice schedules and gym classes, but hopefully will not cause much disruption beyond that.

We do have some official information on the school calendar, but not many details so far. The first day for students will be Tuesday, September 8. Students in grades 9-12 will attend classes in the morning, while the afternoon will be reserved for Freshman Seminar. This will be our third year providing this opportunity for incoming freshmen, and we feel it has helped them get off to a better start.

Staff members will come in for two days before Labor Day weekend. Teachers are to report on both September 2 and 3 to prepare for the school year and participate in staff development opportunities.

So whether we are ready or not, the start of a new school year is imminent. We have much to do and we will get it done. It just causes some nervous tension along the way.

Tell Me About South...

2009-07-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, we had the pleasure to interview Spanish candidates for a teaching job at South, a vacancy resulting when one of our teachers moved to California to get married. In short, we had a great list of candidates that applied for the opening, and seven very strong candidates that we interviewed.

During the period for candidate questions of the committee, one of them asked us to, "Tell me about South. What makes it so special?"

One of the teachers on our committee was quick to respond, "Tradition". She continued by saying that this is a very proud community that is very proud of its school. Kids are expected to do well, and perform accordingly. They do well academically, but they also thrive in so many other ways. Whether it is extracurriculars, or the spirit of volunteerism, the do it exceedingly well.

Fast forward one week. There were two alumni tours conducted last weekend for the classes of '54 and '69. One of the alums here for her 55-year reunion actually sobbed when she re-entered the building. She said that she was surprised at the emotional response the visit elicited, but that there were many great memories here.

I've stated many times that I've never seen an alumni so proud as those that attended the 'High' or South. And two events from the past week provided even more evidence.

A Pause for Reflection

2009-07-11T06:29:00.001-07:00

During the past week, I was contacted by a gentleman out of New York who works with school administrators from that area. One of the topics that he covers in his training seminars is effective communication. And somehow, he found my blog and was interested in its origin and effectiveness.

Our subsequent telephone and email conversations gave me a chance to reflect on what I intended to do with this blog as compared to how it has evolved.

This little journey began just over 18 months ago. I was frustrated with the old concept of a monthly newsletter. The frustration arose because I had to predict something that would be newsworthy to parents at least a month in advance. This was because my article for "High Pointes" had to be turned in almost a month ahead of its release in order to meet printing deadlines. I always felt writing the article was somewhat risky. It was risky because the article could have provided inaccurate information by the time of its release. Or at best, it was old news.

So I chose to go the blogging route for two primary reasons; 1) it would be more timely, and 2) it provided the opportunity for two-way communication. The timeliness meant that I could write about something that is coming up next week, or even something that happened at school today.

For instance, early this past spring, I wrote about an incident in the hallway that had occurred just that morning. I felt getting that information out to the public via the blog was the most expedient manner possible and far superior than writing a letter to be mailed home.

The second reason for the blog is the potential for two-way communication. The old-style monthly newsletter was purely one-way communication and completely dependent upon someone reading my article, yet still left them with no opportunity to respond. With the blog, they still have to read it, but it does provide the opportunity to respond for those that are interested. But although this was part of the intent, the lack of responses has been somewhat disappointing. There have been a few articles that have garnered some responses, but overall most of them have not led to two-way communication.

I've thought about reasons behind the lack of response. Either my articles to too blah to merit a response, or people simply lack interest in the subjects. In spite of this disappointment, I plan to continue with this style of communication. In short, it's far more preferable to a return to the monthly newsletter, and I've yet to find something that I think would be more effective.

So I should probably thank the gentleman from New York that contacted me. During the dead of summer, he at least provided me a topic for my next blog.

Happy Summer!

More Dust...

2009-06-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

It seems that every summer brings another onslaught of dirt and debris as we continue through projects approved through support for the 2002 bond issue. Here at South, at least we appear to be gettting closer to the end of these projects.

As I write this message, large construction equipment is tearing up the old Fisher lot and hauling it away. Hopefully, by the end of July, the parking lot will be put back together minus the large potholes that have existed there for years.

Regarding the newly created rehearsal space for Fine Arts, the roof for the renovated multi-purpose room (old boys' gym) is about two-thirds complete. Following that, ductwork for heating and cooling will be installed in the hopes of having this rehearsal space available for student use by mid-September. The dressing rooms and costume storage for that area should easily be ready by the start of school.

Probably more exciting for the average student, however, will be completion of the renovated Student Commons (old pool) and the relocated School Store that will be adjacent to this space. This area will be a real gem, especially in the eyes of parents and grandparents that attended South, or the High. The room has been retrofitted to be of optimal use, while protecting much of what made this space so unique in the first place. This area, too, should be ready for the start of next school year.

So while the contractors are busy making all of the updates required in the job specifications, I get to sit back and watch it all unfold during the quiet of summer. I am more than confident that South will be much improved by the time students return in early September.

Here's hoping you have a restful summer.

Not Just Another Day

2009-06-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

As I sit and watch the clouds on the morning of Graduation Day, I can't help but reflect on the significance of the day. But I've come to realize that it really depends on where you are sitting.

As a graduating senior, of course it is a culminating event. However, for most of them it's just something to do and get out of the way. Sure, some seniors are very sentimental and caught up in the moment, but most of them just want this thing to be over.

As building principal, you're hoping for good weather most of all. And today is kind of iffy. The weatherman tells us there is a 30% chance of rain but we'll really need to watch the weather radar to make a solid determination on location--inside or outside. The significance of that decision at South carries some impact. The ceremony outside is striking. The building architecture and front lawn atmosphere create a very special and memorable event.

On the other hand, moving the ceremony to the gym is somewhat of a downer. The gym is usually much warmer and much more crowded. And I'm sure that if our only option was to hold it in the gym every year, the ceremony would be moved off-site to some other location. So we'll continue to hope for dry weather this evening.

For many of the parents, the significance of this event is much greater. It's not just watching the culmination of 13 years of formal education, but a rite of passage. For many students, this event provides a bridge to independence. In just a couple of months, many of them will be starting college in what seems like a faraway place. They will be on their own, in charge of their own decisions. When they come home, and when they study will be left up to them.

This can be very unsettling for many parents, especially the Moms. So there is some natural trepidation associated with this evening's celebration. Is it truly something to celebrate when your son or daughter gets ready to leave the nest? Sure it is, at least on paper.

And tonight that is how the ceremony ends. Graduating seniors will drop off their gowns and pick up their diplomas. But we all know it's more than just an exchange of goods. That piece of paper marks a special moment in their progression to adulthood.

From my seat, this is a good group of seniors that have made their parents proud. So enjoy the moment, and try to appreciate the rite of passage. And remember that there were some days that you didn't think this day could come soon enough.

A Successful Season

2009-05-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that every high school principal is relieved when the prom season is over.

A couple of weeks ago, the juniors held their prom at Mac and Ray's. From all accounts, it was an enjoyable evening and uneventful from an administrative standpoint. And there's really no more that you could ask for.

Then last Saturday evening the seniors held their prom at the Roostertail. We were blessed with gorgeous weather and another great evening for the soon-to-be graduates.

There were a wide array of stretch limousines, a few boats that served as limousines, and young adults dressed to the 'nines'. I know the parents that served as chaperones were proud of their sons and daughters and I know that all of our parents and staff would have been proud of everyone in attendance.

To sum it up, you can rest assured I feel relieved. The behavior of our students was superb, and everyone arrived home safely.

There's just a few milestones left for the class of '09. Tomorrow they start their final exams, and only have four more days of school. That will be followed by Commencement on June 10 with the All-Night Party to follow.

I can only hope that everything continues to go as smoothly as the prom season.

An Appropriate Thank You

2009-05-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

As I sit and write this on Mothers' Day, it seems only appropriate that I thank the long-existing group of Moms that have helped South (or the High) over the years. Spanning nearly the entire 80-year history of this high school, the Mothers' Club has worked tirelessly to provide funding and opportunities to enhance the experience for our high school students.

If you read old issues of the "Tower", it is evident their generosity was particularly helpful during the Depression and World War II. When the school and district was struggling, it was the Mothers' Club that came to the rescue. And now that we are experiencing our worst economic crisis since the 30's and 40's, it seems we are becoming more dependent than ever on their support.

The contributions of the Mothers' Club are seemingly endless. Just over a week from now, we will hold our annual Mothers' Club scholarship night. To prepare for this event, they stockpile money earned through various fundraisers so they can provide scholarship funds to deserving seniors. The next step is to interview countless seniors to determine who is most deserving and then award scholarships based upon either academic merit or financial need. Their primary goal, however, is to spread the available funds over as many students as possible.

Another significant role served by the Mothers' Club is that of preservation. The Preservation Committee meets with school officials and building architects to make sure we are consistent with the historical design of the building. In some cases, it requires extensive research while at other times the need is additional funding for the "extras" to keep the building historically accurate.

No matter the specific need at a given time, I have learned over my eight years at South that I can always depend on the Mothers' Club. In truth, it's probably how it is for most of us with our own mothers.

A single day in an entire year is hardly enough to give thanks, don't you agree? Nevertheless, Moms, we appreciate all you do.

AP Tests Are Coming Up

2009-04-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

Next week begins the next round of Advanced Placement (AP) tests. They are designed to measure the achievement of high school students in a college-level course. We are fortunate at South in that the majority of our students enroll in at least one AP class by the time they graduate, with most of those taking somewhere between 3-5 classes during their high school career.

One of our building goals for the 2008-09 school year was to increase participation in the Advanced Placement program. Rationale for the goal is that there is a strong correlation between students that take an AP class with later succcess in college.

There is strong evidence that students who enroll in an AP class do better in college than those that never attempt an AP curriculum. Those that subsequently sign up for, and take the test, do even better. And the most reliable predictor of college success are those students who earn a passing grade on an AP test.

During the 2007-08 school year, our students attempted 962 tests. Of those, 826 earned a passing score of 3-4-5. The pass rate at South was an astounding 85.9%, even though the national average is closer to 50%. In my opinion, although our pass rate is the envy of nearly every other institution nationwide, it could be considered too high because it may mean we're not reaching deep enough into our talent pool.

In response, we established a goal to increase by 5% the number of tests attempted and passed. If we can stay close to the previous pass rate, that's a plus, but we believe it is more critical to attempt the test rather than focus only on passing the test and we have the data to prove it.

Next Monday begins two weeks of testing where nearly 1,000 tests will be administered. While we wish our students well, the data tells us they will already have a leg up on their competition before they enter college next fall. We wish them luck all the same.

Time For A Break

2009-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

In just about another hour, students and most staff will go on break for the next 10 days. Given the winter we've enjoyed (?) this year, I believe this break will be a welcome relief.

I've alluded on several occasions to the difficult times in Michigan and the negative impact on people and their moods. Frankly, it's been tough around here.

The "Final Four", being held in Detroit last week gave us a bit of a respite from the winter doldrums. And thank goodness the Spartans made it all the way to the final song of the big dance because I think it really enhanced the atmosphere for the entire region. There was much to feel good about for that long weekend, however, it didn't seem to take long for that positive energy to dissipate.

As we head into spring break I wish everyone the opportunity to enjoy family and friends. This is the time to get re-energized for the remainder of this school year.

I've always believed that angry adults create angry kids. It is incumbent upon all of us that work with today's youth to do what we can to find the silver lining among all these clouds. Best of luck to each of you as you look for the bright side.

An Unfortunate Incident

2009-03-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on March 26, two students were involved in an altercation on the second floor of the main building. The students involved were one female and one male. After the very brief physical altercation, the young lady in particular was close to hysterics and difficult to calm down. Fortunately (I guess), her rant was more dangerous to school staff than it was to the other student.

Rest assured that both students will receive severe school consequences. In addition, the young lady will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for her outlandish behavior.

As may be expected, I received two inquiries today from other South parents about the incident. The inquiries are often based upon information arising from the rumor mill. I would like to take this opportunity to clear up a few things.

Q. Is this just one of the many fights that have taken place this year?
A. We have not had an increase in fights this year, and hallway behavior has not changed significantly in the eight years I've been principal at South.

The difference is that we have more incidents of arguing among young females. These young ladies talk behind each other's back, build alliances, and then argue in the halls because they know someone will be there to break it up.

Frankly, these are usually minor in nature, but they are still disruptive. They are disruptive because other students gather to watch and then want to discuss the incident when they get to the next class.

Q. Are you hiding information about these types of incidents?
A. We have not withheld information in any way. We had two kids make bad choices, and they will suffer severe consequences. In the eyes of their parents, we will be accused of overreacting and blamed for ruining their lives.

For anyone that knows me very well, I am usually accused of being too open with information about the school, or sharing too many details. I can hardly be accused of hiding information.

Q. Do kids cluster in the halls to the point of blocking other students from passing by?
A. I've never observed that. I've seen kids congregate in the halls or near lockers, but I've seen that in every high school where I've worked or visited. But are they trying to impede others from passing, of course not. They're just being kids and hanging with their friends.

Q. What are you doing to keep my kid safe at school?
A. Everything I do is for that end in mind. I know that ultimately a principal is judged by the perception of safety at the school. That outstrips the strength of the curriculum or any extracurricular program. Kids must feel safe if they are expected to learn. It is a precondition to learning, and is a basic need that I will safeguard as long as I am in this seat.

One of my former colleagues was also a high school principal. When I used to inquire how it was going, he would often answer, "Pretty good, but I'm only the stupid mistake of a 16-year old from being on the front page of the paper". It's the same for me, but in this case it was the mistake of a 15-year old girl.

We'll hope for better next week.

A Good Week

2009-03-20T06:42:00.001-07:00

The time for Michigan Merit Testing (MME) has come and gone. Last week our juniors took the battery of tests that are used in Michigan to assess a school's academic progress. The MME includes the ACT and a variety of other content-specific tests.

These tests are required of all juniors that attend public schools throughout the state. Students are tested in Math, English and Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. There are also subtests that are part of a WorkKeys assessment to measure specific job skills.

The state mandates that at least 95% of the junior class must take the test to effectively measure a school's effectiveness. Failure to reach the attendance requirement means that a school automatically fails the "Adequate Yearly Progress" standard.

When looking back at the week of testing, I can tell you that I'm very proud of our students and staff. Everyone took the tests seriously. We had over 98% participation from our juniors--even during flu season--and their approach to the testing was very serious.

Our staff is required to place at least two test proctors in every classrooom with up to 25 students. Great diligence must be given to make sure students are properly identified, sit at least 3' apart in all directions, and adhere to the instructions that are provided.

Testing as part of the state requirements has increased in intensity over the years. It has changed from something you just try to get through, to something that holds your feet to the fire. I am proud of how our school community has stepped up to the plate and can only hope that our results match our effort.

Wish us luck!

The Budget Is All Around Us

2009-03-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

No matter where you look, or no matter what you hear, budget and economic woes seem to surround us. With the country in the midst of the most dire economic circumstances in memory, there are actions school districts must take to prepare for next school year. And that's what we're doing here in Grosse Pointe.

The pressure point for our district is not just the economics of Michigan, but an impending decline in enrollment. Simply stated, fewer students means less revenue from the state. The decline in enrollment is not just a Grosse Pointe phenomenon, nor even a population trend specific to Michigan, but rather a national decline that will be with us for quite some time.

The class of 2008 was one of the largest in the nation, the final installment of the baby boom echo. However, predictions for the next 10-15 years show a steady decline in the school age population. School districts across the country are preparing for the upcoming loss of revenue.

Each of the schools in our district will have their belts tightened next year. It will mean a reduction in staff and less money for school programs. However, all of us will do our part to keep the cuts away from students whenever possible.

Wish us luck.

We're At It Again

2009-02-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, it seems like we never get a break around here. Here we are toward the end of mid-winter break, and the building is a mess. The cause of the noise and dust is the renovation of the boys' gym and adjacent locker room. The final goal is to turn the old gym into the multi-purpose room for Fine Arts and the renovation is in full swing. The old basketball floor has been completely removed, a new entrance has been cut into the exterior wall, and we will soon undergo demolition of the majority of the balcony.

However, right now we are dealing with approximately 20-25 contractors that are preparing for the demolition. The old pool is also part of this project, to serve as our Student Commons by the time school opens in the fall.

For the remainder of this school year, some student lockers had to be relocated and students will lose access to one corridor in the main building. Once again, we ask our students, staff and visitors to "please excuse our dust". In the end, the improvements will be worth the inconvenience of the renovation.

I hope everyone had a chance to get re-energized and comes back refreshed from the February break.

Important Choices

2009-02-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it feels like we're trying to change a tire while the car is still moving. Maybe that's how it is in many businesses, but it's definitely how it feels in school administration. Once February arrives, it's time to schedule students for the next school year.

Building a master schedule for more than 1600 students is a complex process. Consider that we take more than 10,000 course requests from our students and use them to create almost 400 different sections. Consequently, once the master schedule is developed we have little flexibility with schedule changes.

So we ask you to choose wisely. When possible, ask your current teacher for the proper recommendation of the next class in the continuum. We will do our very best to create a schedule with optimal opportunities for your sons and daughters, but we need the most accurate information available.

I encourage you to make careful choices with your sons and daughters. If you do your part, it enables us to do ours.

Need Some Parents; Need Some Students

2009-01-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

I've written before about the results of our Quality Assurance Review, or QAR. This refers to the visiting team of educators that came to South last December.

The accreditation process outlined by the State of Michigan consists of seven standards. Two of these standards, Governance and Leadership and Stakeholder Communications and Relationships, call for greater student and parent involvement in school improvement decisions. With this in mind we are expanding the leadership team for our high school, the people that make up our school improvement team. Specifically, we are looking for two parents and two students to work with our staff on school improvement initiatives. The following are some of the specifics regarding membership on this team:

• We are seeking two students in grades 9-10-11 and two parents of students in grades 9-10-11 to be added to the school improvement team
• The term for those selected will be the balance of this school year and the duration of the 2009-10 school year
• Meetings are held monthly, usually on the third Monday of the month, at 3:15 PM
• There may be occasional task-specific meetings of short duration in addition to the monthly meetings
• There will be one full-day meeting in August for the purpose of data interpretation and goal setting for 2009-10
• One of the early responsibilities of parents and students will be development of a survey that will be administered to all parents and students in the spring of 2009
• Survey results will be used in the development of school improvement goals for 2009-10
• Representatives selected are expected to serve as liaisons to other South parents and students

Applications for these positions are available through the South website by using the Parent tab and clicking on the School Improvement Team application. Student applicants are also to use the South website, using the Student tab and clicking on the School Improvement Team application.

Applications are due in the principal’s office by the end of the day on Friday, Feb. 27. Current members of the school improvement team will make selections from those that apply, with notification of the selections to all involved by Friday, March 6.

Should you have any questions, please contact me via email at al.diver@gpschools.org at your earliest convenience. We look forward to your participation.

A New Start

2009-01-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

It may be hard to believe, but we're halfway through the school year already. By most measures, we had a good first semester. One area of concern, however, dealt with attendance patterns for many of our students.

With encouragement from the Board of Education, we attempted to change our attendance policy from previous years. In the past, students that accumulated three (3) unexcused absences earned an "attendance F" despite their academic standing in the class. The same held true for students that accumulated eleven (11) excused absences. Members of the Board of Education felt the previous policy was too punitive and damaging to a student's grade point average.

So with the start of the 2008-09 school year we relaxed the attendance policy. Although it never officially became Board policy, the directive was to eliminate the concept of "attendance F's". The end result was that there was really no cap on the number of days a student could miss during this previous semester.

What we learned during this trial period is that too many of our students lack the maturity to act responsibility. We had far too many students "skip" individual class periods or entire days, resulting in a large spike of unexcused absences.

More problematic, however, was that we witnessed a significant increase in the number of parents that called in their sons and daughters for excused absences. Comparing '08 to '09, from the start of school until just before the holidays, there was an increase of more than 20% home call-ins. The number of students that exceeded the previous threshold for excused absences increased dramatically. Missing that much school has an extremely negative impact on student performance.

For example, a significant number of our students missed more than 60 hours of class time in the time frame listed above. And there really is no excuse. In the real world, employees would be terminated early on.

So there will be a change second semester. Although we won't know the details for another couple of weeks or until the Board of Education adopts the new regulations, there will be a cap on absences once again. And although we won't issue "attendance F's", students that exceed the cap will be removed from any class where absenteeism is excessive.

We really need cooperation from parents with this change. Missing a single day equates to six hours of instruction, with five days leading to 30 hours missed. Those are lectures, labs and discussions that just can't be made up no matter the efforts of all involved. Please help us maximize student achievement by doing your part.

An Option For Students

2009-01-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

This only pertains to students, or their parents, that are in the class of 2011 (current sophomores) or beyond.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of your right to request a Personal Curriculum (PC) for your son or daughter. In January 2007, the Michigan legislature passed laws related to new high school graduation requirements. These new requirements are called the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC). The MMC contains more rigorous standards for graduation with a high school diploma. The MMC must be followed beginning with students who were in the 9th grade in the fall of 2007, our current sophomores, or the class of 2011.

We hope that the new MMC requirements will improve the quality of education for ALL Michigan public high school students. We are also aware that some students have special talents and interests that warrant additions to the curriculum. Other students may have disabilities that require some accommodations to keep the MMC meaningful and fair. If you believe your son or daughter needs a Personal Curriculum, you must make a request for consideration of a PC, then a team is formed to determine what curriculum changes are appropriate. The MMC requirements and allowable PC modifications are listed below.

The new MMC law requires the following when considering a Personal Curriculum:
• The PC must be requested by the parent or guardian.
• The PC may not be needed if the MMC for a student can be addressed with other reasonable arrangements.
• When needed, PC is written by a group of knowledgeable people that includes the parent and school staff.
• The PC must adhere to the MMC content standards as much as is possible for the student. In other words, the essential content expectations for graduation must still be met.
• The PC may exceed the requirements of the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
• The PC may contain some special provisions for students with documented disabilities.
• The PC must be approved by the Superintendent of the school district.
• The PC may be adjusted during the course of the student’s high school education using the same process, as appropriate.

More detailed descriptions of the Michigan Merit Curriculum and a Personal Curriculum are available via the website at http://gpschools.schoolwires.net/gpsouth/site/default.asp by clicking on the “Parents” tab and then Personal Curriculum. Deadline for the application is February 2, 2009.

Enjoy The Break

2008-12-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just two days away from Christmas, I don't think there's much doubt it will be a white one this year. As a matter of fact, it's snowing right now, adding to the nearly 10" already on the ground.

To all students and staff, we made it! Some were concerned that going these extra two days might result in extreme absenteeism. After all, many school districts dismissed their students for the holiday break on Friday, December 19, a snow day for nearly everyone across the state.

The major concern for Grosse Pointe was whether we would meet the 75% attendance threshhold that is established by the State of Michigan. The regulation from the state is that 75% of a district's students must attend for the day to "count" toward the days/hours requirement.

I am happy to report that our attendance was better than expected. While we might average about 92% attendance on any given day, we were better these past two days than many feared. On Monday, 12/22, we had about 86% of our students attend and today we had about 82% in attendance. In either case, we were in good shape.

So off on vacation we go. In talking to students and staff, it seems many more are staying close to home this year. But no matter what you are doing over the next 10 days or so, have fun and be safe.

Here's wishing you the very best the New Year has to offer.

Much To Be Thankful For

2008-12-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

At a time of such economic upheaval, especially in Michigan, it is easy to get embroiled in negative conversations. It disturbed me to watch how representatives of the "Big Three" were treated by members of Congress, especially when the legislators may secretly believe they have more to gain from a collapse of the Big Three than if they were to remain solid.

I have a vested interest in this discussion. Many members of my family were employees of the auto industry and my youngest daughter and son-in-law are new engineers with GM. There isn't a day goes by that I don't worry about their economic future with the company. It even goes so far that I worry about my oldest brother's GM pension and health care. It appears that no one is really protected financially anymore.

However, there are times I am extremely grateful. I am hopeful that the new leadership in Washington will lead us to better times. Time will tell if serious changes are possible, but the optimism and positive messages that I have observed so far can only help a cautious public. It has been my experience that confidence is the best predictor of success. Until we are confident, we have little chance of moving forward with the bold steps that are likely necessary to climb out of this hole.

I am also thankful I work in a community that is so supportive of education. I'm not exaggerating when I say that we have "great" kids. They are bright, respectful, and committed to doing well. They have educational aspirations far beyond high school, making our jobs much easier.

As we enter the Holiday season, I wish all of you the very best of the New Year. We must be confident that '09 will be an improvement over the challenges of '08. And for that, we will be thankful.

Happy Holidays!

Early Results Are In

2008-12-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

As I shared with you last time, we just hosted and completed our school improvement audit. The visiting team of five educators was here last week for more than two days. During the visit there were formal conversations with 41 stakeholders and informal conversations with countless others. All in all, I felt both the process and feedback we have received so far have been very worthwhile.

As mentioned earlier, there are seven standards that constitute the school improvement process. Many facets are included in the process, with the visiting team looking for artifacts or evidence of vision and purpose, teaching and learning, wise use of resources and effective communication.

Within each of the seven standards, there are four potential categories:
1. Not evident
2. Emerging
3. Operational
4. Highly Functional

The visiting team found South H.S. to be "highly functional" in five of the seven standards. For the other two, we were deemed to be "operational". The two standards needing attention are Leadership and Governance and Use of Data.

To improve in Leadership and Governance, we must spread our vision and commitment to goals throughout the South community. The visiting team felt that not enough stakeholders were on board with clear goals and the commitment to improvement. The good news is that this is an area we can address with improved communication.

To improve in the area of Use of Data, we need to gather and utilize data more frequently than we have to this point. We need to capture data on student performance on individual assessments and have teachers use that data to drive instructional decisions. As with the previous standard, we can address these deficiencies with a commitment to better utilize data.

It has been more than six years since South experienced an external audit for the purposes of accreditation, and we won't receive the official written report until January. In this case, we passed the test and are deemed "accredited" by the visiting team. However, we have work to do and we have already begun to address those concerns.

We will keep you posted regarding our progress and I would like to give particular thanks to those that participated in the process.

It's Time For An Outside Look

2008-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Beginning tomorrow evening, we will be going through an external audit at South. The purpose is to see if we are doing what we claim to be doing in regard to school improvement. In this case, an external review team made up of five educators will take a close look at what we do, why we do it, and how we do it.

During two full days on December 3-4 the team will meet with many stakeholders of the South community. This list will include students, teachers, parents and administrators. The visiting team will take a close look at our specific school improvement goals and the rationale behind them. They will check to make sure we use data effectively and have instituted programs that address weak areas identified by the data.

This audit is part of earning "accredited" school status. Over the years, the process has changed as a result of legislation and changes in governing bodies. What used to be simply North Central accreditation has come under the umbrella of an organization called AdvancEd. This group has developed a process for school improvement combining No Child Left Behind (national) and Education Yes (state) initiatives. There are now seven standards and 40 indicators of success that must be addressed. The visiting team will look for artifacts or evidence of our commitment to the process.

An external review gives us a look at our school that we can't through our own eyes. Going into the audit, we feel we are in good shape. However, my greatest hope is that we will get honest feedback so that we can get even better. After all, when it comes to school improvement you should never be finished.

Wish us luck!

Filled With Pride...

2008-11-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I've been a school administrator for a long time. In addition, this is the fourth high school where I have been principal. However, this past weekend contained a series of firsts for me. It's the first school where we have been picketed by an outside group. The reason of course was the Point Player production of "The Laramie Project". The Westboro group did show up, even though there were only three of them.

Another first for me was the tremendous show of support for our students and school by members of the Christ Church congregation. I have to personally thank Rev. Brad Whitaker for his organization of a most impressive and visible (but silent) show of support. I would estimate the throng that followed the protesters from the church to the school to be in the neighborhood of 100-150 adults. Their symbolic act was to shield the students from the protesters by turning their back to them. It was very moving for me to see that many people assemble on a Friday afternoon for the sake of doing what is right and to support the students of South.

Another proud moment for me was to watch the South students that did assemble near the protesters once school was dismissed. The students, while passionate, allowed the protesters to do their thing and did not attempt to engage them in a negative manner. The Laramie cast was there in full force and many pictures were taken. I couldn't help but think that specific 30 minutes must have made them feel all the rehearsals were worthwhile.

The capstone of the weekend for me was the performance of the play. Without question, this was the most significant school play during all my years in education. There was an electricity in the auditorium even prior to the curtain going up, and the house was full. I guess we should thank Westboro for all of the free publicity.

The show itself was simply terrific! Lois Bendler was the director and provided consistent, steady leadership throughout the events leading up the performance. Each of the students did a great job and it was hard to believe they were high school students. I can't imagine a professional group providing a more passionate performance.

There were countless moving moments during the show and many tears were shed by those in the audience. Everyone involved with this production has earned my utmost respect for their efforts in putting on a performance that will have lasting impact. I left convinced that the message of tolerance and respect for others will live in the hearts of those in the audience, and cast.

All in all, "The Laramie Project" brought with it a great deal of controversy. I would be lying if I told you I was not the least bit concerned that something could go wrong. However, in retrospect it was a tremendous show with a powerful message and like so many performances with South students, it was superb. I couldn't be more proud of what they have done.

Sometimes The Best Advice Is Just To Watch

2008-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks has been a bit of a learning experience for me. I guess I didn't realize people had such strong and personal feelings about issues that appear more neutral to me.

My previous blog was written in the early stages of feedback about the school's performance of "The Laramie Project". Since that time, most of the buzz has died down even as the opening of the play draws nearer. However, I still get an occasional email or voice mail message where someone shares their very strong opinion. Most people are still supportive of the school's position but there are occasions where I am criticized. What has surprised me is the depth of feelings.

I was told by the Farms police today that we should expect the protest to take place. The requested time is 2:45-3:30 on Friday afternoon, November 21, the day the play is to open. They claim to be sending 4-6 people and have already requested the appropriate permits and the particular area for the protest.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church are very legally astute and they will do their part to operate within the law. They are probably hoping that members of our community will engage them in a war of words, or worse. I believe the best action we can take is to let them protest for their 45 minutes and leave peacefully for their next appointment.

Our goal should be simply to observe the actions and reactions that result from endorsing a controversial play like "The Laramie Project". Because of the protest, our bubble of Grosse Pointe will get to experience the wide-ranging views of many observers. Some will be vocal, but most will not. Either way, watching it unfold should cause us to think and give us a brief glimpse of true democracy in action.

The Laramie Project

2008-11-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

For those of you that aren’t aware, the drama group at South known as the Pointe Players are performing “The Laramie Project” on November 21-22-23. This play was conceived from hundreds of interviews that chronicled a town’s reaction to a killing that occurred just over 10 years ago. The background is that Matt Shepard was gay, a college student, and was brutally murdered by two men.

This is taken from Time magazine…A month after the murder of Matthew Shepard, the frenzied media coverage was beginning to subside. But just then the beleaguered town of Laramie got another influx of visitors. They were actors from NYC who had cast themselves as reporters. The actors talked to more than 200 people and amassed over 400 hours of interviews over the next year and a half. Verbatim excerpts from those interviews make up the text for the play, an unusual mix of drama and documentary.

The Westboro Baptist Church out of Topeka, KS sent a fax to the The Detroit News on Monday stating that they were planning to protest the play here at South on 11/21. This is the same group that protests at funerals of slain US soldiers from the war in Iraq. Their theory is that these military deaths are the punishment for a country that supports homosexuality. They were in Grosse Pointe to protest a military funeral at the War Memorial less than a year ago. They also stated they would protest the play unless a military funeral elsewhere supersedes the need to protest here.

Since Monday, I have also been contacted by The Free Press, WJR, and 97.1 concerning the project. They wanted to know if we were going to cancel the play because of the potential protest. After telling them we would continue with our plans, I see two potential outcomes:
1) There is no formal protest and our talented kids perform in front of a larger than anticipated audience because of all the free publicity.

2) There is a formal protest and we use that opportunity as a “teachable moment” to discuss with students the feelings associated with strong beliefs that reflect our individual moral compasses.

In either case, our kids benefit from performing the play.

I wanted to let you know so that you were prepared for potential questions. I have to tell you that phone calls and email messages that I have received have been 99.9% in support of our position.

Thanks for reading.

A National Perspective

2008-10-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to spend last weekend in Washington D.C., as a result of being selected to represent Michigan as principal-of-the-year. All 50 states except Indiana sent their state winner to a phenomenal networking opportunity sponsored by MetLife.

I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to MetLife for their sponsorship as it's the most pampered I've ever felt at an educational workshop. The weekend began with a tour of White House and Capitol Building, but didn't end there. We had great accommodations, terrific food, a dynamic speaker, all of it capped off by a black-tie award dinner on Saturday evening.

There were several things I learned during the weekend. One--there is no magic bullet out there. I facilitated a discussion focused on support for struggling learners in math and literacy. I had really hoped that at least one member of this extraordinary group of educators would have the answer I've been searching for. I figured there must be a software program or teaching methodology somewhere that hooks kids in a different way and translates into significant learning. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The programs that claim success all boil down to a teacher committed to building relationships with a passion for education that is limitless.

The second thing I learned is that many of us face the same problems. No matter what part of the country we were from we all deal with a segment of our population that is just hard to reach. There are kids in schools across the country that just don't understand the benefits of education and lack the support structure to help them reach that understanding. That is all the more reason why the teacher is so critical.

The most encouraging part of the weekend was my own realization that we are on the right track here in Grosse Pointe. The programs we have implemented to reach our most struggling learners are similar to others across the country. Many schools are double-blocking or double-dosing math and literacy instruction to give students more time with those critical subjects.

On the other hand, the push for a more project-based education that has been outlined in our High Schools 2.0 presentations is still ahead of the curve. Other school districts may have parts of it implemented, but I feel our overall plan is better developed and more far-reaching.

So we will continue on the path we have established. It is ever-changing and sometimes difficult, but I am more convinced than ever we are headed in the right direction. Wish us luck!

Decision Time

2008-10-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

You would have to be blind not to notice there are crucial decisions all around us. Tuesday, November 4th is now just around the corner. I've had many native Grosse Pointers tell me they've never seen so many people declare their interest in specific candidates as evidenced by the widespread yard signs.

I realize I'm getting older and that I sometimes forget how important events from previous decades once were, but this election appears to be the most important I've experienced. It was a short 2-3 years ago that national pundits referred to Michigan's economic woes as a one-state recession. I even remember references to "Michissippee" because of our declining industrial production. Nearly everyone at the time blamed it on the decline of the Big Three and their loss of market share. Unfortunately, the troubles weren't solely tied to the automotive industry and the rest of the nation has now caught up with us and the entire country is experiencing a recession.

So we have big decisions to make. And those decision will impact us both nationally and locally. At this stage of the campaign, I'm tired of the rhetoric and negative ads and am really anxious for Election Day and to learn the results.

We also have crucial elections relative to our local Board of Education. There are four candidates running for two spots. Study the candidates and what they represent and make a decision that best represents your interests. As a former social studies teacher, my best advice is simply to vote. We are fortunate to live in a place where we can speak our mind and exercise our freedom.

College Applicants, Beware!

2008-10-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

A recent article in "The Wall Street Journal" had a title similar to that listed above except that is added...Your Facebook Page is Showing. It turns out that 10% of admissions officers from 500 top colleges and universities acknowledged looking at social networking sites to evaluate applicants. And of those colleges making use of the online information, 38% said that what they saw "negatively affected" their views of the applicant.

The two sites that are viewed most often are Facebook and MySpace. The WSJ article offered the following advice to members of the social network:
Don't:
- Include offensive language or references to illegal behavior on your site.
- Make offhand, negative comments about colleges.
Do:
- Establish privacy setting so your posts aren't accessible to the general public.
- Consider all communication could be public one day.

Our teens are experiencing a totally different world than parents and most adults in the school experienced while growing up. Some of it is better; some of it is worse. Probably our best course of action is to warn them of potential pitfalls that might arise solely because of their inexperience. Good luck with your efforts!

A Successful Week!

2008-10-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Every year I approach the week of Homecoming with trepidation. Although it typically goes well, I'm never really at peace until about this time...Sunday evening when the week is over.

I guess it only makes sense that when you intentionally get kids excited and near the point of exhaustion, the setting is ripe for accidents to happen. Add in the fact that competition among the classes is part of the design, and teenagers will sometimes make choices that are harmful to others.

Fortunately, we were able to avoid any major pitfalls in 2008. The students were very good throughout the school day, at the parade and game, and at the dance. As a matter of fact, I took some time to visit classrooms on Friday before the assembly, and you wouldn't have even known it was Spirit Week. Students and teachers were on-task and fully engaged in the lessons at hand. All in all, I was very proud of the student behavior.

We had a great turnout at the dance last night. I don't have a final count of students in attendance, but I know that more than 1200 tickets were sold before they went on sale on Friday. And from my vantage point, all of them appeared to have a great time.

Homecoming at South is a big venture. There are countless students and parents that work extremely hard to pull it off. A certain segment of students from each of the classes invest an incredible amount of time into the Homecoming festivities. They have watched older brothers and sisters enjoy the excitement of Spirit Week and they want to uphold the tradition.

The people that deserve to be thanked are too numerous to mention. It begins with the class sponsors, both parents and teachers. This group of adults put in countless hours of supervision and many open their homes to the students. The hosts of the float parties go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Students are protected, entertained, and leave well nourished.

Particular thanks must go out to Dan Dickson, our Student Association president. Dan is a very effective organizer who leads by example. His fingerprints were left on all aspects of Homecoming and he led the charge to make meaningful improvements to the traditions we have held for many years.

I'm not sure of the particular reason, but it seemed that more parents than ever were complimentary of the events of Spirit Week. And I believe we are all thankful that a community like ours can put together healthy entertainment like this for our school community. However, I'd be lying if I said I wish it wasn't over.

Remember To Do Your Part

2008-09-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

This may be new information for most parents, but beginning this year all high school teachers will enter grades through Pinnacle. The result is that grades are available electronically to students and parents at all times. The middle schools have been providing feedback in this manner for a couple of years, so many of you may already be accustomed to this type of access.

I encourage you to check your son or daughter's grades at regular intervals. We will no longer send interim reports to the home because access through Pinnacle is more timely and provides much greater detail.

To access Pinnacle/Parent Connect go to www.gpschools.org and click on the top center portion of the page for Pinnacle, Parent & Student Connect. Make your selection using your assigned PIN and PASSWORD. There are two viewing opportunities for internet monitoring: Parent Connect and Pinnacle. In order for you to take advantage of these viewers, once you have successfully logged in to Parent Connect, you must provide the district with a current email address. Please be sure to enter this information into Parent Connect by using the account menu item (top, right-hand side of Parent Connect screen).

To access electronic gradebook information, select Pinnacle. For Pinnacle, remember to select South High at drop-down window. To view attendance, schedule, demographic, cafeteria debit balances, click on Parent Connect.

Please note: Parents have their own PINs and passwords for Parent Connect. Students and parents share the same log-in and password for Pinnacle. It is the student ID number and network log-in password. If you don’t know your child’s ID number and password, please ask them to share this information with you. In the meantime, the district is in the process of mailing Pins and Passwords to all families. Please look for this information during the week of 9/22.

The first marking period ends on Friday, October 31. That means that October 3rd would normally serve as the midpoint of the first quarter. Grades entered by that date would provide the data leading to an interim report. Use this place in time to determine if your son or daugher's progress is where you feel it should be.

On the other hand, one drawback of this type of access is that parents may "hover" over every single grade and overreact to a missing or late assignment. When in doubt, please contact the teacher via email to get a more ocmplete picture.

I wish you well as you monitor this type of grade reporting, and I believe it has the potential of making us more effective. After all, "knowledge is power".

It's Been A Grand Start

2008-09-12T04:36:00.000-07:00

As we're finishing the first full week of the school year, there are several thoughts going through my head about the time we've spent together so far.

The first is of the ribbon cutting for the new pool facility this past Sunday. I was surprised to see approximately 400 people attend the event. However, I believe that nearly all of them left impressed with the features of the new building.

The girls' swim team will actually have their first practice later this afternoon with the first meet scheduled for next Tuesday, September 16. Although it has been more than 30 years without a "home" swim meet, this facility will serve our needs for decades into the future.

The first eight days with our students have also been very productive. They have been enthusiastic and most compliant. When I step into classrooms, they are on-task and engaged. At lunch they are chatty and energized, but that is exactly what you would expect of high school students on their break.

I also want to personally thank Dr. Steve Minnick, the Director of Medical Education at St. John's Hospital. Over the summer, in partnership with Biology teacher, James Adams, a job shadowing experience was established for approximately 25 South students. However, this wasn't your typical job shadowing experience.

These students accompanied physicians, surgeons, and interns three days a week over four weeks. They were in surgical rooms for C-sections, tumor removals, and a leg amputation. They followed physicians on rounds with their patients, and sat in meetings with the pathology department. As I spoke with the students about the experience, it struck me that this could only happen in Grosse Pointe. We are blessed with an excellent medical facility within minutes of our community, and former and current parents that operate that facility. This experience was a life-changer for some of these students, and they will be forever grateful to the staff at St. John's for making them feel so welcome.

I have also been part of meetings with members of the Mothers' Club. The biggest event that was discussed is the Auction that will be held next spring. The date is March 14th and the location is Lockmoor Country Club. They have a big goal in mind, to the tune of $80,000 that will likely be earmarked for building technology.

We desperately need upgrades to our technology. I believe we are at a tipping point when students of other districts will have advantages over South students because of technology available to them. We must keep up. Just as the new pool will be a great marketing tool to keep and draw more families, we must think of our technological capacity in a similar manner. The access to technology will supplement what is already an extremely well developed curriculum and dedicated teachers.

Place the date on your calendar of March 14 for the Auction. The format of this one will be different in that the majority of it will be held online. People from across the world can bid on the auction items. As the date draws nearer we will need you to reach out and touch alumni and supporters of South (and the High) to maximize its success.

Here's hoping the next few weeks are as successful as the first two.

News On The Calendar

2008-08-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

I realize this is just the Friday before the start of the school year, but I wanted to give you information about the next big Holiday vacation. We have an unusual calendar this school year. Students are scheduled to be IN SCHOOL on Monday and Tuesday, December 22-23.

During most years, those would be days of vacation to lengthen the Holiday break. However, in order to meet the state mandate of 1,098 hours of instruction and still end the school year during the second week of June, those two days of instruction are necessary.

I am providing early notice to seek your cooperation regarding the attendance of your sons and daughters. We must have 75% attendance on any scheduled school day in order for it to "count" toward the state audit. If we were to fall short of the mandated hours, the only recourse is to reduce other scheduled vacations or remain in school longer into the month of June. I don't believe either case is desirable for students.

Now that we are into the Labor Day weekend, the start of the school year is imminent. We are more than ready for the staff to arrive on Tuesday and students on Wednesday. We look forward to another great year with our students at South.

Minor Changes for 2008-09

2008-08-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

I can tell the school year is about ready to start because I see more students and adults every day. The building looks great already, with a significant amount of fresh wax creating a real shine on the floors.

I want to give you just a couple of updates. During the school day, we lock nearly all of the exit doors after the day has begun. We use the cutoff time of 8:15 to give students a chance to enter prior to being locked out. After that time, there are only two doors open to the main building.

The entrances available to the public or late arriving students are entrances E and A. Entrance E is accessed from the S-lot near the old greenhouse. This is the entrance best used by the public because there is a greater chance for parking in the S-lot. Entrance A (under the bridge connecting the main building to the IA building) is best accessed from the Fisher lot, but there is no parking available for the public.

A second change is with ID badges and lanyards. As with any new program, we experienced some growing pains last year, but all in all, it was a very successful implementation. This year we are planning the following:
- Students must wear their ID with a lanyard at all times during the school day, including lunch.
- The ID is to be worn with a lanyard, not clipped to clothing. Students do not have to purchase a school lanyard.
- If a student does not have their ID or lanyard, they are to purchase a new one in the amount of $1 each/$2 total. Students will not be allowed to "charge" the cost of a new ID/lanyard.
- If a student does not have the money, they will be sent to In-School Suspension for the remainder of the day or until a proper ID is secured. They may make a phone call home to have either the money or ID/lanyard brought to school and once received, they will be returned to class.
- If the ID/lanyard is in the locker, the student is to get the ID/lanyard and then proceed to class. I suggest to parents and students that a spare be purchased and kept in the school locker in case the first one turns up missing.
- Disciplinary consequences will be issued for students wearing the ID of another student.

The two changes above have improved our building security significantly. Reducing access to just two entrances and requiring students and staff to wear ID badges have restricted the number of unwanted visitors to our building. Of course, parents are always welcome, but we do want you to enter through the proper entrances.

With the start of school just two weeks away, we are anxious to get started and look forward to what our students will accomplish in '08-09.

Only With A Great Deal Of Help

2008-08-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Just about any day now, each of the homes affiliated with the South community will receive their Fall Registration Packet in preparation for the opening of school. Ironically, this mailing is often referred to as the "Principal's Mailing". In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Back on July 22, the registration packets were put together here at school. Using one of the classrooms in the new science addition, there were approximately 50 volunteers weaving among the tables picking up flyers that were earmarked for each of the packets. The work began at shortly after 8:00 and ended just before noon. Needless to say, it is a huge undertaking to stuff almost 2,000 packets with all of the requisite information that is sent to the homes.

I have to thank many members of the Mother's Club, and especially the new president, Jane Bashara, for putting together such a strong group of volunteers. In addition, there were several fathers and students involved with this year's mailing.

Please take the time to go through the packet carefully. Each of the flyers has a specific purpose, and we are often asked at a later date about information that was provided in the registration packet.

We are looking forward to another successful year with our South students and parents.

It's Going To Be Very Impressive

2008-07-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of the summer of '08 has been watching the progress of the new pool. To those of you that drive by the new structure on Fisher Road, you're only catching a glimpse of what will be one of the real jewels of the South campus. This is going to be a very visible and highly utilized facility that will serve generations of future students.

There has been real progress over the past couple of weeks in the appearance of the facility. For starters, the brick is nearly complete on the exterior of the building. They are placing the limestone on the main entrance this week, with the remainder of the brick soon to follow.

Inside, the hallway terrazzo is being poured as I write this update. The final coat of paint is being applied to entire pool facility, while the auxiliary gym is already complete with paint and just waiting for the floor to be installed. This gym will host countless practices for all levels, and will be used as a performance gym for many of the freshman level sports.

There is a large crew of men placing tile on the pool bottom and they will soon proceed to the pool deck. The locker rooms already have tile on the floor and they will soon start on the walls of that space.

The temporary parking lot that was located in the outfield of the baseball field has been removed and the area is being graded for installation of sod so the field can be restored. This should all be accomplished within the next couple of weeks.

This will be a facility that will make the community very proud. I know that it will be utilized day and night to meet the needs of swimmers throughout the Grosse Pointes. In addition, the building will have a fitness facility located in the lower level that will service all of our student-athletes for years to come.

The target date is still scheduled for Labor Day of this year, but even if the opening is delayed a bit, it will be well worth the wait to get top-notch construction of a first-rate facility. I believe that nearly all of us look forward to the opening of the new natatorium.

So What Do You Do All Summer?

2008-07-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

Many people are often surprised when they find out I have little time off over the summer, usually taking just a week in July and a few scattered days elsewhere. I guess they can't imagine what a principal does when there are so few staff and students in the building.

Ironically, activity over the past few days is some of the most important work we do all year. Tim Bearden (North principal) and I, along with a committee of teachers, have interviewed ten teaching candidates over the past two days. In this particular case, we are looking for an English teacher for North H.S. and a science teacher that will travel between the two buildings.

We don't take this process lightly. I've often called it a $2 million investment, because a teacher might average $60K per year and will usually teach more than 30 years.

The process includes an initial paper screening of the large pool of applicants, a first round of interviews to reduce the list even more, and a second round of interviews of those we believe best fit the vacancy. In some cases, there will be a third round of interviews prior to the final recommendation. Then our candidate is sent over to central office for a final interview and subsequent job offer prior to official action by the Board of Education.

Fortunately for us, there are many applicants for the vacancies that arise in Grosse Pointe. For the recent English vacancy, there were almost 150 candidates that applied. Mr. Bearden conducted a first interview with 27 of them, and the larger committee interviewed nine of those candidates. From there, the list was pared down to a select few candidates for a third round of interviews.

Placing a highly qualified and enthusiastic teacher in front of the classroom is the best start we can give our students. From there is takes proper mentoring, collegiality and support from others in the department, and effective evaluation to insure continued success. We are hopeful that with our newly acquired high school teachers we have taken the first big step.

The More I Learn, The More I Learn I Have To Learn

2008-06-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm a veteran administrator, the road to success seems to be constantly changing and is filled with more curves and off ramps than ever before. And just when I think I've come to understand the new road map, a newer version is printed. In other words, the more I learn the more I understand there is even more to learn.

For example, last week from Sunday through Wednesday, I attended the Summer Retreat sponsored by the state Principal's organization. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful in northern Michigan, but there was also a great deal to learn.

The title of the conference was "Leadership That Works", however, it was really an intensive learning environment on the nuances of the ACT. As most of you know, the ACT now makes up the bulk of our state assessment, commonly called the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). This is the annual test given to all students in the spring of their junior year.

To do well on the ACT, it is imperative that juniors have taken the right classes along the way. That means a college-prep curriculum with the rigor necessary for strong academic performance. Over the first two years of MME testing, our students have done quite well. However, when students struggle, it is almost always because they are behind grade level in math and English.

We have been working with the middle school staff to make sure students enter the high school with the requisite skills. However, the task seems to be getting more daunting than ever. And as you might guess, these same students entered middle school lagging behind their classmates. We have to develop some type of summer learning experience that provides an opportunity for them to catch up with their peers.

What became most obvious to me during the sessions last week is that more than ever the reputation of our school will rest largely on two performance areas; 1) performance on the MME (ACT) and, 2) performance on Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

The task lying ahead of us is to make sure students are in the right classes, the correct standards and benchmarks are being taught in those classes, and students are prepared to take assessments in the format of the ACT. To do anything less is setting up our students, and ultimately our school, for failure. We will do better than that.

Another Successful Year In The Books

2008-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual time of year in the school business. Nearly all of the adults are gone for the summer, as grades were due today at noon. Custodians are already hard at work moving furniture out of classrooms to prepare the floors for the fall rush of students. The gyms are full of bouncing balls as the summer camps are in full swing. Yet despite the flurry of activity, I often get a little nostalgic about the year just ended.

We were fortunate to have a beautiful evening for graduation. The weather was less humid than in the days leading up to the ceremony, and we graduated 428 seniors in less than 90 minutes. The student speeches were inspirational and the audience appeared appreciative.

The Commencement ceremony is the culmination of a great deal of hard work from a wide variety of people. Of course, students put in 13 years of effort to master the academics of an institution like the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Parents shuttle their sons and daughters back and forth to countless activities over that same time frame. Teachers must balance the needs of each individual student while trying to make sure to cover every standard and benchmark in the mandated curriculum that must be delivered to all students. Everyone has done their part.

The diplomas get ordered, the chairs are put in place, and the sound system is checked. We try to make sure the hedges are trimmed accordingly, and that the backdrop at South enhances this already majestic building.

When the ceremony is over, it is simply over. You can bet those 428 students will never be in the same place again. Despite all that has united them over the past four years, by 8:30 on graduation evening they will all be on their separate ways. Yes, most will go to the All-Night party, but they are just a bit different than they were a few hours earlier.

In a blink, the class of 2008 became "alumni" of South. I wish them well and thank them for the positive memories that have added to our fine tradition.

We're Getting Close...

2008-06-03T16:26:00.001-07:00

Today was my last official day with the seniors from the class of 2008. This has truly been a special class here at South. They are not only the biggest class in recent memory, but they are also one of the most talented and spirited.

This class distinguished themselves back when they were freshmen, within the first weeks of school. They demonstrated a willingness to work together and an unbridled school spirit during their very first Homecoming Week. And they haven't disappointed me since.

Students from the class of '08 possess a great deal of talent across a wide range of interests. There are outstanding musicians, journalists and athletes within this group. They have separated themselves from other students across the state and nation through various competitions, yet have remained humble and always presented South and the Grosse Pointe community in a favorable light.

On the evening of June 12th, I will bid them a final farewell. I am very confident they will do well no matter what path they take for their postsecondary pursuits.

I want to publicly thank them for the leadership they have provided to our underclassmen and for the fond memories they have added to the South tradition. I would also like to thank the parents for producing such great kids, and I wish them well.

The Rumor Mill

2008-05-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when reading the police blotter in last week's "Grosse Pointe News" detailing a serious incident at South. The short story spoke of a supposed threat made by a student that he would return "with a gun and his homeys" following a fight with another student. That was the rumor mill, and frankly I don't know how that even reached the paper.

Here is the skinny on what happened...one student approached another in the cafeteria during lunch. A brief altercation took place, but punches were not even thrown. On the way out of the building, the first student would not stop when asked by school personnel. Student number two thought he heard from others that the first student said something similar to the quote cited in the paper. However, when administrators questioned students that were in the vicinity, we could never get anyone to validate anything close to the alleged threat.

In addition, when we met with the student and parent that supposedly made the threat, he reiterated that no threat was made. In addition, the parent never tried to hide the whereabouts of her son, as stated in the police blotter. On the contrary, the parent was most cooperative with school personnel.

This is another example of sensationalism that often reaches the newspaper and the media in general. It happens so often that I normally refrain from responding, however, in this case the information was unusually erroneous.

Just as we teach our students to critically read information they find on the Internet, I hope our parents read and listen with a certain skepticism information they encounter about our schools.

Dropout Factories?

2008-05-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading the newspaper in Michigan, or following the local TV news, there has been much written about the dropout rate of Michigan high schools. Some in the news media have even referred to our schools as "dropout factories". A couple of weeks ago Channel 7 even dedicated an hour of prime time with guests such as Bill Cosby and State Superintendent Mike Flanagan to discuss the issue. This is critically important and deserves our attention.

I am happy to report the latest statistics for South High School. We were just informed of the "official" dropout rate for students from the class of 2007. In this case, South's graduation rate was 96.55% in comparison to the state average of 74.98%. For obvious reasons, we are proud of our graduation rate. However, we also realize that even one dropout is too many.

This isn't like the 1950's when the state graduation rate hovered around 50%, yet non-graduates (dropouts) could walk across the street and get a well-paying and career-long job with the auto industry. We have to do better, and all of us know it. At least all of the adults know it. Some teenagers still have to be convinced that there is life beyond next week and that decisions made today may impact their future.

On the right side of this blog page, under the 'Articles of Interest' there is a podcast titled, "The Haunting Impact of School Dropouts" featuring State Superintendent Flanagan. It is worth the 10 minutes of your time that is required to hear his message. The dropout rate should be a concern to all of us.

A Tech Visit

2008-05-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

During the last in-service, four staff members from South traveled to Bloomfield Hills Andover High School to see how their teachers have implemented the use of interactive whiteboards. This piece of technology is now in place in every classroom in the Bloomfield Hills district. We were joined there by four staff members from North and two from central office.

The implementation at the high schools began on January 2nd of this year, meaning they have had only about four months to get adjusted to the new tools. However, all of us were very impressed with its use so far.

For our visit, Andover made eight of their teachers from various disciplines available to us to show us how they use the whiteboards. Although each of them use it in different ways, the benefit to students and staff is obvious. The technology is used to provide much more detailed information at a quicker pace. Teacher and student thoughts and ideas can be quickly saved and shared again at a later date. It was readily apparent that interactive whiteboards facilitate increased engagement for students.

We also talked to their tech staff about student use of blogs, wikis and youtube. Simply stated, Bloomfield Hills schools have more open access for students. They have a filtering system, but students are not as "locked down" as they are in GP. The result is that blogs and wikis can be used to supplement what takes place in the classroom. Students can respond to the teacher and other students from their class from their homes.

I have attached a recent article from eschoolnews that speaks to the benefits of students using blogs. You can read it by clicking to the right under Articles of Interest on the link titled, eschoolnews.

Warm Weather and Appropriate Attire

2008-04-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Most of the school year, the dress code is not even an issue at South and for that I am thankful. However, with the onset of the recent nice weather, we are forced once again to look at our dress code to guide our actions. At a recent meeting with the department chairs, the topic came up once again. This is what we're seeing lately--shorts that are too short, tops that are too skimpy, and pants that are worn too low.

As soon as I can figure out what to say and how to say it, I will make a video announcement for the students to serve as a reminder to dress appropriately. However, it will really help us if the parents help in choosing what is appropriate for school.

As a father of three daughters, I realize that what is available in stores often drives the fashion trends. And I understand that short-shorts have made a return to the fashion scene. But that doesn't mean they have to be purchased for the purpose of wearing them to school.

Remember that we are school with approximately 1700 students, and logic tells us about half of them are of the opposite sex. Teenagers don't need any more distractions than they already face when it comes to learning and the onset of spring fever. Please make sure they leave the house properly covered up.

We appreciate your support.

National Honor Society Induction

2008-04-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 15, we will host our annual National Honor Societ induction ceremony. This event is always one of our favorites and will be held in the auditorium at 7:00 PM. This year we will recognize 74 juniors that have met the criteria in the four categories necessary for membership into NHS. Those categories are: Scholarship, Character, Service and Leadership.

Although NHS is a national organization sponsored by the national organization of high school principals, each school establishes its own criteria. Rest assured when I tell you that the criteria for membership at South is more stringent than any of the three previous high schools where I have been principal. Because we have such strong students and of high moral character, the area where students fall short is with service or leadership. Membership into NHS requires evidence of a significant amount of service and leadership either within or outside the school setting.

So, congratulations are in order for those inducted. And for those invited but not selected in this round, non-membership simply means you were measured against the very best the state has to offer. There will be another opportunity in the fall for you to demonstrate your strengths to the Faculty Council and we wish you the very best in that endeavor.

News from the Tower

2008-04-02T07:43:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, we have a very accomplished student newspaper called "The Tower". In their pre-Easter break edition, they tackled the sensitive issue of student achievement on the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). In particular, they addressed reasons for achievement gaps among the various subgroups. In nearly every case, the reasons behind gaps in learning has everything to do with the classes taken by the students. For obvious reasons, if they haven't been taught the material that is measured on the test, they will do poorly. The solution for us then is to make sure ALL students have access to a similar curriculum. We have made strides in this regard in recent years but need to do a better job to insure that "no child is left behind". I encourage you to get a copy of that particular edition of The Tower to get a closer look at the students' perspective.

Assembly for Students on March 14

2008-03-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Dr. Martin Luther King made a speech on March 14, 1968 in the gym here at South (it was known as "the High" back then). This speech took place just weeks before he was assassinated. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of his speech, we are having an assembly for students on Friday, March 14. The presenter will be Michael Fosberg and his one-act play is titled, "Incognito". Students in grades 10 and 12 will see the assembly during third period while students in grades 9 and 11 will see the assembly during sixth period. I would like to thank the Mother's Club for providing the funds for this activity.

Juniors...It's Almost Time for the MME

2008-02-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

Shortly after we return from mid-winter break, our juniors will be tested once again with the Michigan Merit Exam. This test necessitates an adjusted schedule that impacts every grade in the high school during the March 11-13 testing cycle. If you go to the South website, and click on calendars, you will be able to see how the testing schedule will impact students in the respective grades.

The MME is the high-stakes test required of every junior attending a public high school in the state of Michigan. It involves the ACT along with various Michigan subtests to assess progress on the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Taking the test is also a prerequisite for the Michigan Promise Scholarship funds that are designed to assist students in thier pursuit of a post-secondary degree.

We wish all of our juniors well on these assessments!

Recent News

2008-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

Tim Bearden (North HS Principal) and I recently attended an educational technology workshop in Dearborn. During the workshop, we saw many of the items of hardware and software that other school districts around the state are using. For example, Brandon Community Schools (Ortonville, south of Flint) have implemented the use of interactive whiteboards across half of the district's classrooms last fall, with the remainder to be updated next fall. These pieces of technology help create the atmosphere for increased student engagement and interest.

We are hopeful of getting at least a few units for demonstration purposes into our high schools. This is just one of the examples of the technology that is out there.

PBS Frontline Special

2008-01-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

This 9 minute-clip describes the use of technology at suburban Chatham H.S. (NJ). Their integration of technology definitely outpaces the Grosse Pointe high schools, but the clip also shows some disturbing trends, including students who honestly can’t remember the last book they have read (why read, when you can Sparknote). The clip is very thought-provoking and correlates well with much of the information we have read recently.

After viewing the clip, please feel free to share any relevant comments as it relates to our technology plan.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/main.html?pkg=2606&seg=2&mod=0

I Need Your Input...

2007-12-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

The district is looking to upgrade our technology plan. Regarding technology what do we need to consider as we move forward?