Ethan Duffield & Sam Kuhna ’13 | Staff Writers

With hopes of attracting future students, the Grosse Pointe Public School System (GPPSS) hosted open houses at every school building in the district. This is the first time Grosse Pointe schools have held an event of this nature.The setup for the schools was uniform throughout. Teachers were there to provide information about their schools and students were available from different clubs to provide tours.

Over 140 families visited the schools hosting open houses and potentially 160 students attended as well, Deputy Superintendent for Educational Services Jon Dean said in an e-mail. Among the attendees were families from four other counties that visited to see for themselves the programs and academic experiences offered in Grosse Pointe’s public school system.

“One thing I love about this school (Richard) is that everybody knows everybody,” said Erika Davis, a former student and current parent. “My children are going to school with people they live across the street from, which creates a comfortable learning atmosphere.”

In order to retain students, it is crucial to introduce them to the school system at the elementary level, said Mark Ciaravino, a physical education teacher at Richard Elementary and former teacher at North High School.

“Teachers at Richard stay around for a while and end up having younger siblings of former students in their classes,” said Ciaravino. “It creates a family-oriented environment when we have a lot of the same families coming through the school.”

Another positive aspect of the elementary school is its students’ maturity toward special needs students, said Ciaravino.“The special education kids are included by the other students in every way possible and treated like family,” said Ciaravino.

The second part of the equation is the middle schools. Among these, Brownell stands out as one of the best educational and social choices for parents to send their children, said English teacher Susan Dempsey.

“At Brownell, we have all of the resources we need at our fingertips,” said Dempsey. “Whether a student excels or struggles with their schoolwork, they will find the necessary opportunities to be successful.”

At the middle school level, the open house was designed to show off why students should stay in the system rather than attending a private school, said Brownell PTO Vice President Laura Huebner. She believes the social aspect of Brownell is just as important as the educational advantages.

Like Ciaravino, Huebner credits the close-knit community for the ideal learning experience. Not only are the students great, but the parents are also a big part of Brownell’s success, she said.

“Parents should not go out of their way to find a suitable middle school when they have a great school in their own community,” said Huebner.

Despite a steady flow of families walking the halls, many of them were already familiar with Brownell, said physical education teacher Gina Francis. There was a lack of new faces of people from outside of the community.

The high school had a steady flow throughout the Open House, said Link Crew member Nick Muer ’14. A lot of parents came to South to compare it with other local options such as University Liggett School and University of Detroit Jesuit. Muer and other Link Crew members were giving tours of the school and the athletic center.

“I volunteered to give tours because I take a lot of pride in my school and I like to show it off,” said Muer.

No matter what a student is skilled at, there is a place for them at South, Muer said. Visiting parents were able to see the variety of options and activities offered at South.

Similar to Muer, South alumni and current district parents Bridgette O’Shea and Biz Williamson attended the open house due to their positive high school experience and hopes of sending their children there as well.

“Sending our kids to South is a wonderful opportunity as Grosse Pointe residents and taxpayers,” said Williamson. “And it doesn’t have tuition, unlike Liggett.”

Already, according to Dean’s email two new families have enrolled in Grosse Pointe’s public school system because the open house allowed them to see for themselves what the schools offered for their children.

Diversity is the big reason for sending kids to South, said O’Shea. Whether its athletics or extra-curriculars, South has a ton to offer to their students.

However, there may not be a bigger advocate as to why parents should send their kids to South than health teacher Dan Griesbaum

“South has the best mixture,” said Griesbaum. “A mixture of athletics and academics makes this the best public high school in the state and one of the best in the country.”