December 2021
The Mothers' Club of Grosse Pointe South

A Parent Organization enhancing the South student body by supporting student scholarships, teacher enrichment and preservation programs.

General Membership Meetings
begin at 7:00 pm / Social Gathering at 6:30 pm
January 12, 2022
February 9, 2022
March 9, 2022
April 13, 2022
May 12, 2022
Check our website, Facebook or Twitter page for up to date information.
General Membership meetings are open to all.
IMPORTANT DATES
December 1
1/2 Day AM (Professional Development PM)

December 3 & 4
GPS Choir 'Sounds of the Season'
Brownell (7pm/Fri and 2pm/Sat)

December 5
Mothers' Club Holiday Walk
12-4pm

December 10-11
GPS Choir Caroling in the Community

December 15
String Extravaganza
GPN - 7pm

December 16
Band O Rama
GPS 7pm

December 23 - January 2
Winter Break


January 6
Rising Freshman (Class of 2026)
 Parent Info Night

January 12
Mothers' Club General Membership Meeting
6:30 social/7pm meeting

January 17
No School MLK Day

January 18-21
Midterm Exams AM
Teacher Prof Dev. PM

January 21
End of second Quarter

January 29
GPS Athletic Booster Bash
Atwater Brewery 7pm

February 1
Grades released




Message from the Mothers' Club President


The holidays are filled with traditions, bringing joy and beauty to this time of year. The Mothers’ Club is proud to continue two of our long-standing traditions this year.

One is the decorating of Cleminson Hall for the holidays. We were fortunate to have Laura Wysocki and Tricia Hexter leading a wonderful group of volunteers in the effort this year. A truly beautiful part of our historic school, Cleminson looked even more gorgeous after this group’s work on November 19-20th. I’d like to thank each of you for sharing your amazing time and talents.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the holidays without another one of our traditions…the Holiday Walk. On December 5th, South and six fabulously decorated homes will be decorated and open as part of the much-loved Holiday Walk. Besides the home tour, there will be beautifully decorated trees for sale, as well as a few vendors with items available for purchase. Laura Wysocki, Sonya Ackman, our gracious hosts and hostesses, and a small army of volunteers have outdone themselves preparing for this event. Running 12:00-4:00 p.m., this community favorite raises funds to support classroom enrichment, scholarships for South seniors, and preservation of our historic school. 

Tickets are available in advance online at www.mothersclubgps.com or at several local businesses (Albatross Embroidery, Coreander’s Children’s Bookshoppe, The League Shop, Small Favors and Village Palm). This is a great way to kick off the holiday season. Hope to see you there!

Another tradition, although not a holiday tradition, is the annual Student Directory. Many thanks to Tricia Bower, Michelle Lindsay and their amazing volunteers who compiled, proofread and distributed the directories to all Mothers’ Club members in the past few weeks. One of South’s talented students, Justin Flores, designed the cover art. If you did not receive your copy, please contact our Membership Chair, Elizabeth Cleland at ecleland70@gmail.com

I wish you all safe and happy holidays.

Laura Wholihan
Mothers’ Club President
president2021@mothersclubgps.com
GROSSE POINTE SOUTH SCHOOL STORE

HOURS:
Mondays ~ 11am-12:45pm
Tues - Friday ~ 10:30-12:30pm

Grab a snack or drink and enjoy our FAMOUS chocolate chip cookies.
Purchase your G.P. SOUTH swag for the holidays.
NEW items arriving monthly.

All of the proceeds go right back to G.P. South through
enrichment, scholarships & preservation.

The GPS Faculty Lunch
will be held on
Monday, December 13th
in Cleminson Hall.

Thank you
 Teachers & Staff
The Class of 2024 would like to extend a special thank you to the Melhem family for assisting us with our October donuts and cider fundraiser.




Thank you for helping to transport our cider/donuts and for your donation of necessary supplies like cups, napkins, etc. to make the event possible. We could not have done it without your help and support.

Freshmen Class:
Class Council Meetings are every Wednesday at 7:15 am
in Room 182 of the S Bldg.
Everyone is welcome!

Thank you to everyone who ran for class council and also those that made their voice heard through voting. Remember that everyone is welcome at class council meetings. Come help us plan some great events for the school and fundraise for that ultimate goal of Senior Prom!

Congratulations to the following students on being elected as the
Class Council Officers for the 2021-2022 School Year.

President: Adelina Parikh
Vice President: Aliana Riter
Secretary: Ava Biter
Treasurer: Sarah Cook
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Happy Holidays! As radio stations shift to 24-hour holiday music and media keeps reminding us about the latest pandemic data it is so important to build healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress and anxiety over the holidays – especially as we model coping mechanisms for our kids! All of us can be affected by the stressors of the season so consider taking time out of every day to breathe, live in the present, and feel gratitude for our many blessings.

Here is a great blog to get started. Meet-holiday-stress-with-mindfulness
I went to a professional development session on resilience and, wow, was it powerful! I was reinforced in the message that our current culture is building anxiety with obstacles in technology, isolation, and developmental challenges of adolescence. Check out the Spark and Stitch Institute, a strong parent resource. I have read the author’s book Why Do They Act That Way? A survival guide to the adolescent brain for you and your teen. I thought it was fantastic.
 
Senior Parents
78% of our seniors have completed at least one application to college. This is wonderful! Based on last year I would expect another 15% or so to apply. Students may still be unsure about where to apply or what steps to take next. Counselors are always happy to help! Just send your student to see us to talk about post-high school options including, college, military, trades, and work.
As we move into the second semester, we begin to shift our senior focus from admissions to financing college. Click here for the counseling center’s slide deck on Understanding Different Sources of Financial Aid. If you would prefer to hear my presentation on this click here.
 
We strongly encourage parents to apply for federal student aid via FAFSA as a first step toward financing college. Some schools may also require the CSS Financial Aid Profile. Parents can only apply for the FAFSA online. FAFSA worksheets are available to print in PDF form to prepare. Step one is to apply for your financial aid ID (FSA ID) now at the website. Once you get your FSA ID, you will be able to fill out the application immediately. If you are not sure that the FAFSA will be fruitful, we recommend that you complete it anyway as an opportunity to trigger institutional aid offers that you may not otherwise receive. Colleges will start awarding money as soon as they receive your information from the federal processing center, so don’t delay. Some schools may require the CSS Financial Profile. Click here to see the list of schools on the profile.
 
Tips on Applying for Financial Aid
  1. If you are in doubt as to whether or not to apply for aid…apply.
  2. Students will need their social security number.
  3. Secure the necessary forms. Check which form is needed by each college.
  4. Always read the entire form carefully.
  5. Download the FAFSA Worksheets and use them as a rough draft.
  6. Use the FAFSA Chatbot for help.
  7. Double-check that proper school code numbers are used. PROOFREAD!
  8. Keep a copy of everything you send (electronically or via mail).
  9. Do not send a copy of your taxes with the FAFSA or Profile.
  10. Investigate possible outside sources of aid.
  11. Read carefully any responses you get and respond.
  12. Call the college’s financial aid office for help with forms or problems.
  13. Develop a personal calendar.
  14. Meet all required deadlines.
  15. Do not get distracted by frauds that guarantee aid in return for an enrollment fee.
 
Junior Parents
Junior Meetings! Each year we attempt to meet individually with each Junior (and parents if they would like to join us) to have an in-depth, personalized discussion about college searching, applying, and financing.
Students should register now for the ACT and/or SAT tests that will be given in the second semester. Keep in mind dates for AP testing and final exams. Remember, that your child will take a free SAT at South in April as a part of the state tests. This score is official and may be used for college applications. Taking an April or June ACT is a great idea since students will have addressed the entire Algebra II math curriculum required for the test.
You can go directly to the testing companies’ websites (www.actstudent.org and www.collegeboard.org ) to register and to obtain more information about the tests.
We recommend that you register early to secure a spot at your preferred testing center. Please pay attention to deadlines; there are financial penalties for late registration. When you register, you will need to use the Grosse Pointe South school code: 231-802. 
 
Freshmen Parents
Counselors are working to meet individually with each of the freshmen so we can get to know each other better. If your freshman hasn’t met with his or her counselor yet please encourage them to get in touch.
 
Wishing Health, Peace, and Joy to you
and your family this holiday season!
 

Caroling in the Community 2021
Friday & Saturday, December 10 & 11
5:00 - 10:00 pm

The Choirs will be caroling on December 10 and 11th throughout the Grosse Pointe Community. Students will be performing on both nights in groups.
Email caroling@gpsouthchoir.org for more information
and to schedule your caroling ensemble.
















GROSSE POINTE SOUTH ATHLETICS

Winter Athletic Schedules can be found here: https://www.gpsouthathletics.com/main/calendar/ 
 
SAVE THE DATE!
The next Mothers’ Club meeting will take place in Cleminson Hall.
Wednesday, January 12th @7PM
Meet & Greet begins at 6:30PM
High Pointes | Grosse Pointe South Mothers' Club