When Grosse Pointe North Student Association President Shannon Kane arrived at the Michigan Association of Student Councils 2022 Student Leadership State Conference last weekend, she discovered North’s SA adviser, Jonathan Byrne, was selected as a finalist for Adviser of the Year.
This didn’t come as a surprise, as she and other SA members had nominated him for the award, compiling a letter of recommendation written by senior Tom Sheffield, a letter of recommendation from Principal Kate Murray, and a candidate response to the prompt, “What makes student leadership vital to schools and education?”
“We decided to apply for Adviser of the Year because of how distinct Mr. Byrne’s leadership is,” Shannon explained, “and we all felt it was only right to nominate him. He fit the description of the award perfectly.”
Being named a finalist was reason enough for pride and celebration. However, while the award recipient was being described at the awards dinner shortly before the announcement, Shannon said she and the other students “all just looked at each other and knew it had to be him.
“Shortly after this it was announced and we were all so excited,” she added. “We have always known and loved his dedication, and we’re overjoyed that it is recognized with such a big honor.”
While Jonathan was delivering an impromptu speech on stage, thanking his family and his “amazing students who surprise me every day with how dedicated they are to making North a better place,” his wife and three children surprised him on stage.
Jonathan concluded his speech by reminding the audience, “You lead from where you stand. You don’t need a title. You don’t need to be the president of an organization. You just do the right thing, whatever situation you’re in. This world is really difficult sometimes. But if you stand up and say, ‘I’m going to do the next right thing,’ you’re a leader.”
On Wednesday morning, the North community honored Jonathan with bagels, coffee and Student Activities Director Peggy Bonbrisco’s famous chocolate chip cookies in the Student Union. Staff also decked out in North attire for the day.
Dr. Murray gave brief remarks before presenting Mr. Byrne with a gift — a compass.
“Among Mr. Byrne’s many gifts, his purpose and shining light is empowering students,” she said. “He empowers students to make North a better place, our community a better place. He prepares them to launch out into the world to make the world a better place. That really is his gift.
“We wanted to present him with a gift that reminds him of his impact in case he ever doubts that,” Dr. Murray continued. “And so, it will always point him in the right direction and remind him that North will always be home.”
Why we chose GPPSS: Meet the Williams family
Defer Elementary parents Jim and Maria Williams are new to the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Their 18-year-old daughter attended the Waldorf School from preschool through eighth grade and is a senior at The Roeper School this year.
Their younger daughter, Soleil, attended the Waldorf School from preschool through third grade. This year they decided to make the switch to Defer — a school located just a few blocks from their home.
One draw was that Soleil had friends in the neighborhood who attended Defer.
“She’s familiar with the school,” Maria explained. “She just had this longing to go there. She had been asking us about it for quite some time. We thought it was a good time to make the switch, so we did and it has been going really well so far.”
The experience was new to Maria. She grew up in southwest Detroit and attended Catholic schools in her neighborhood, graduating from Holy Redeemer High School.
“This was all new to me because I didn’t attend public schools and this was the first time we had a child in public schools,” Maria said. “I was skeptical and I didn’t know what to expect, but I had a good feeling about it. I would say it has probably far exceeded my expectations and there are a lot of things I truly value about the school, especially with Dr. Rheaume being so present in the school and helping with various things, from morning drop-off to lunchroom duties.”
Maria is especially impressed by what she describes as Dr. Rheaume’s “strong presence” at Defer.
“She was so welcoming when we first came for the orientation. And the teachers have been very responsive with some of the concerns that we’ve had with Soleil. The school psychologist has been so wonderful in working with us and always keeping us updated about her work and the progress she was making with Soleil. It really felt like we were working together as a team.”
As for Soleil, “she loves her teachers and she is making new friends,” Maria added. “She is very sociable, so she makes friends easily. She likes the work; she likes the pace. I would say it is going very well.”
Jim Williams grew up in Birmingham, where he attended Birmingham Public Schools for a while, but graduated from The Roeper School. He is in his 27th year as an elementary school teacher in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and is currently teaching third grade at the Duke Ellington Conservatory for the Performing Arts.
He, too, is comfortable with the decision to send Soleil to Defer and agrees with Maria that they have received great support from Dr. Rheaume, all the teachers, in particular fourth grade teachers Rebecca Golus and Shelby Rose, and school psychologist Alisha Salli.
“I feel good about sending my daughter two blocks down the street where she really appreciates her teachers, her classmates,” he said.
He has reviewed the district’s new strategic plan and agrees it “has many very good points, but frankly from my perspective as a parent, I’m most concerned with my child’s experience in the school. And when she has excellent teachers, a concerned principal, and social and emotional support from the school, to me, as a parent, that’s the number one thing. What’s my child’s experience? As far as the strategic plan is concerned, the idea of everyone being able to reach their unique potential, the idea of everyone feeling like they belong and feeling positive about the school environment and safe; again, that seems like common sense. What can you object to in that?”
Both Jim and Maria are prepared for Soleil’s transition to Pierce Middle School next fall. Jim recently attended Pierce’s information night and had an opportunity to meet the teachers and Principal Sara Dirkse. Moreover, their neighbor, Rebecca Ozar, is a fifth-grade teacher at Pierce, and will be a familiar presence.
“I think it will be a good time for Soleil to make the transition, because she will have this cohort of friends going into fifth grade at Pierce,” Maria said. “I think that will be helpful.”
Parcells art students honor personal icons
Students in Courtney Hughes’ seventh and eighth grade digital art and design classes at Parcells Middle School completed a special project they started in February to celebrate Black History Month. Each student chose a personal icon to create a portrait in Google Draw using polygons. The finished results were shared in a Google slideshow, with students given the opportunity to critique their peers’ artwork based on the following questions: Can you tell who this person is? How are the shapes in the drawing? Is the artist statement finished and readable? What are strengths? What are some suggestions?
While the project was delayed until after mid-winter break, Ms. Hughes was thrilled with the results.
“They blew it out of the water!” she said.
Alumni Through the Decades
Our 100th anniversary series on GPPSS alumni continues
Beth Pankhurt Moran
Grosse Pointe High School
Class of 1966
Beth Moran has a long history with the Grosse Pointe Public School System. Her father graduated from Grosse Pointe High School in 1936. Beth, too, graduated from “The High” along with her husband, Joe, both members of the Class of 1966. All four of their children graduated from what is now Grosse Pointe South — Megan in 1995, Matthew in 1998, Elizabeth in 2001 and William in 2004.
Childhood sweethearts, Beth and Joe began dating between eighth and ninth grade. Beth attended Pierce Junior High School, while Joe was at St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School through eighth grade, then attended Austin Catholic Preparatory School for ninth grade before starting at The High in 10th grade.
Upon graduating, Beth attended Western Michigan University for one year, then transferred to Wayne State University, where she remained to complete a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in special education. She and Joe got married in 1973 after dating through high school and college.
Beth began her career teaching third and first grade at Highland Park. She spent the next 22 years at Grosse Pointe Pre-Kindergarten as a preschool teacher, the last 10 as director of one of the two campuses.
In 2000, she started at GPPSS as a special education teacher when Barnes reopened its doors as an early childhood center. After 40 years, she retired.
Beth and Joe split time between their homes in Grosse Pointe Farms, Harbor Springs and Florida. Beth enjoys golf, biking, pickleball and, recently, playing Wordle. Their children live in Chicago, Jupiter, Florida, and between Juno, Alaska and Seattle. They have five grandchildren ages 11, 8, 6, 5 and 4.
Beth’s next passion after teaching is serving on the Board of Directors of the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education since 2012.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s the best board I’ve ever been on. I love the camaraderie and the different professions that people come from. We all have direct strengths.”
For example, her expertise in special education was especially instrumental in her role as a member of the grant committee. Another benefit of reviewing grants is that it allows her “to see all the wonderful ideas that are presented from the staff. Our teachers are innovative and creative and our children are truly benefiting from their dedication.”
Beth is known around town for a multitude of other volunteer work, including volunteering at the gift shop as a member of the Beaumont Assistance League and at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
She also stays connected with Grosse Pointe South by giving tours to reunion classes and enjoys sharing the school’s rich history, crediting South’s Preservation Committee for doing “such a beautiful job.”
“I see the beauty of the school and all the wonderful changes they’ve made,” she said. “You appreciate it more now of course than you did. As a kid, you don’t care about the rosettes in the ceiling.”
During one of those tours a few years ago, she was able to take the group into South’s tower where a tradition is for students to write their names on the walls. There she located her own and her husband’s names.
“We wrote it in chalk, but it was still visible,” she said.
Beth has fond memories of her teachers, including her choir teacher at both Pierce and The High, Herman Clein. Many of the friendships she forged through her school years continue today.
“I loved high school,” she said. “All of my friends still are the friends I had in high school. We just had such a good time. I loved everything about it.”
School Pointes is a publication of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. To submit story ideas or Pointes of Pride, email info@gpschools.org.