| Grosse Pointe South High School | |
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| Address | |
| 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, (Wayne County), 48236-3771 United States |
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| Information | |
| Established | 1927 |
| Opened | 1928 |
| School district | Grosse Pointe Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Dr. C. Suzanne Klein |
| School code | 231-802 |
| Principal | Dr. Matt Outlaw |
| Asst. Principal | Joan Murphy & Terry Flint |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | Co-ed |
| Enrollment | 1684 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and Gold |
| Song | The Alma Mater:[1] Here beside St. Clair's blue waters, Stands our tower bold, And our noble Alma Mater, Glorious to behold. Swell the chorus, let it echo, Raise it to the sky, Hail to thee, our Alma Mater Grosse Pointe South High |
| Athletics conference | Macomb Area Conference |
| Mascot | Blue Devil |
| Team name | Blue Devils |
| Rival | Grosse Pointe North Norsemen |
| Accreditation(s) | North Central Association Michigan EdYes! |
| Publication | The Looking Glass (literary magazine) |
| Newspaper | 'The Tower' |
| Yearbook | 'Viewpointe' |
| Feeder schools | Pierce Middle School, Brownell Middle School |
| Information | 313-432-3500 |
| Logo | |
| Athletic Director | Jeremy Hawkins |
| Website | School web site |
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Grosse Pointe High School
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| Location: | Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan |
| Built: | 1927 |
| Architect: | Haas, George J.; Carl S. Barry Co. |
| Architectural style: | Colonial Revival |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 93000429[2] |
| Added to NRHP: | May 20, 1993 |
Grosse Pointe South High School (GPS), commonly called South, is one of two public high schools located in the Grosse Pointes, suburban cities adjacent to Detroit, Michigan. At the corner of Fisher Road and Grosse Pointe Blvd in Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe High School, the first public high school in the area, opened its doors in 1928. It became Grosse Pointe South High School in 1967 when the school board built Grosse Pointe North High School, which opened in 1968. In 1993, Grosse Pointe South was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture, art, and education. The school anchors one of Grosse Pointe's most historically significant neighborhoods, known as the Beverly Road Historic District. Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, Christ Church Grosse Pointe, and Richard Elementary School (all on the National Register of Historic Places) are within two blocks of Grosse Pointe South.
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The construction of The Grosse Pointe High School in 1928 marked an important transition in the history of this area along the shores of Lake St. Clair. Grosse Pointe's move away from its farming community began after the American Civil War, when wealthy Detroit businessmen purchased much of the lakefront property for summer homes. By 1900, year-round mansions were rapidly replacing seasonal residences, and a sense of community had begun to form.
Reflecting many citizens' growing perception that Grosse Pointe was a real town, the need for a high school became a topic of debate in 1910. After a five-year battle with landowners reluctant to have their land condemned, the school district began the construction of the area's first public high school in 1927. Many residents saw the construction as a symbol that Grosse Pointe had made the transition from resort to town and so were willing to pay for one of the finest public school buildings in Michigan.
Grosse Pointe High School has a Georgian revival colonial style building design and a 134-foot (41 m)-tall clock tower that dominates the facade. The interior is similarly impressive: The school opened with five libraries, two gyms, an auditorium, and a swimming pool, amenities some thought too luxurious. Tennessee marble and Pewabic tiles were used lavishly. During the Great Depression, the interior received a beautiful series of WPA-funded murals and the area's growing population led to additions in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1930, student enrollment hit 1,340, just 35 less than capacity. The 1,300 students had to stand along the walls to pack into the boys' gym for an assembly. Since it was designed to hold 1,100 well, 1,340 bulged that gym's seams.
To make room for students, the Board of Education offices were moved back to Cadieux Elementary School. Board offices remain there today. Student and faculty sizes have varied, but the building always ranged from packed to comfortably full.
During construction, the over 10-story tall, 107-foot (33 m)-high boiler room smokestack was the tallest structure in Grosse Pointe. The 134-foot (41 m)-tall clock tower that has become the symbol of Grosse Pointe High was finished three months after the smokestack.
World War II's colossal expansion of America's industries triggered the 1942 addition of a three-story industrial arts building.
In April 1953 Grosse Pointe High had its main gym completed, complete with a stage for large assemblies. For the students' evening dedication ceremonies, a public relations coup was pulled off, when Board of Education member and travel agent Chet Sampson delivered the newly married, romantic idols of America, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.
The back end of the school was filled with ninth graders in the fall of 1955. The annex was linked to the main building with a roofed-only walkway that was called the breezeway or freezeway depending upon the weather.
In February 1961, work was started on adding a third floor to the industrial arts building. In March, the Board of Education authorized the construction of a second-story bridge to the main building to give easier access to the new third floor. In the fall of 1961, just nine months after starting, students were crossing the bridge and attending math classes in the new third floor.
The octagonal Wicking Library was completed and occupied for school during the fall of 1964, ending Cleminson Hall's reign as the school's reference site. A brick and steel breezeway that joined the main building to the annex crossed its front.
By September 1964, it has become obvious that the Grosse Pointes were in need of a new high school. The Board of Education purchased the 31.7-acre (128,000 m2) Vanderbush Farm, the sole remaining such parcel in Grosse Pointe Woods, and built Grosse Pointe North High School, which opened in the fall of 1968. This ended the 40-year reign of this building as the only public high school in Grosse Pointe. The school was renamed Grosse Pointe South High School and became a four-year high school as it remains today.
The Wicking Library was then South's newest portion. The library in the parking lot did not satisfy educators who thought that a library could be the center of instructional activity. In addition, many classrooms in the school needed replacement and the music facilities were poor. The plan to solve these problems showed a small addition on the left, a new hallway across the rear of the plant, and rooms surrounding the library. The music department would get two big practice rooms and a classroom. A large two-story structure was planned to surround the library. When the plans were revealed, everyone was happy that the definitely modern building would be around the corner from the traditional Georgian Facade. In September 1973, the new wing was completed. South now had first-class science labs and social studies classrooms, appropriately naming the new addition the “S-Building.” In addition to the new classrooms, South gained a new 116-seat lecture hall.
In the late 1970s, a series of articles appeared in the school's student newspaper The Tower, detailing significant safety and space issues within what was then known as the IA (Industrial Arts) Building. Much debate over the conditions (and need for expansion) in the 1930s-era wing ensued between the cost-conscious GPPS Board and concerned parents and teachers. The School Board ultimately agreed that major improvements were necessary. An area with tennis courts was selected for the expansion, which were later replaced on top of the industrial technology shops. The top floor of math rooms was unchanged. A modern photography classroom and lab sat next to a new drafting room, while two modernized art rooms provided general and commercial art classes with fine homes. The first floor featured a fine drawing and painting studio, a superlative ceramics, sculpture, and metals laboratory, and an art appreciation lecture classroom. The industrial technology department started in earnest in the remodeled basement. The sprawling underground addition started with the parking and outdoor service area of the four-bay automotive shop backed up by a sophisticated wood and metal shop and a TV studio.
The cinder tract of the football field did not meet the needs of the expanded athletic programs that came as the nation discovered jogging and the track and field events. A major project modified this, providing an all-weather track. That same all-weather track could not be walked upon with high heels, and since 1969, South had been seating a thousand parents on the cinder track for its outdoor graduations.
With the help of the internationally famous George P. Johnson display company, this ceremony moved to the front lawn in 1980. The artists from George P. Johnson Co. also reworked the school seal for the speaker's podium, giving the school a modern version for all purposes.
In 2003, Grosse Pointe South celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a series of commemorative events and guest speakers.
Over the past few years, the school has undergone a number of major renovations and additions. In 2004, the renovation of the school's auditorium was completed, allowing seating for 400 students. In 2005, the so-called "New S-Building" was completed to add a large number of science classrooms. Renovations in 2006 have been completed, as the original S-Building received a face lift to upgrade its outdated facilities and small classrooms.
In September 2008, South completed the building of the new John and Marlene Boll Athletic Center along Fisher Road, in place of the old Comtec and tennis courts. The facility includes a new 12-lane competition pool with seating for 400+, locker rooms, a field gymnasium, a new fitness facility, a conference room, athletic offices, and multipurpose space. The design of the new building mimics the main 1928 building, with Georgian revival architecture.
The original natatorium was renovated to serve as a student commons, complete with skylights and an imprint of the old pool on the floor. South celebrates its history by lining the walls of the student commons with photos of former South students throughout the decades. Adjacent to the old pool, the original boys gymnasium was converted into a multi-purpose fine arts performance facility. The old pool locker rooms serve as a school store and dressing rooms.
South has an ongoing tradition of excellence, shown by organizations like The Tower (award-winning student newspaper), The Viewpointe (yearbook) and The Looking Glass (literary magazine). In 2007, five South students received the National Merit National Scholar award, including one Junior. South students also perform well in the National Merit Scholarship competition (12 Finalists from the class of 2007, 8 from the class of 2008).
Newsweek magazine creates a yearly list of the 1000 top public high schools in America. For 2008, both of the Grosse Pointe high schools placed. In 2008, Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #363 (#2 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #916 (#11 in Michigan). [1] In 2009, Grosse Pointe South was ranked in the top 2% of High Schools-Nationwide.[2] By 2010, Newsweek posted that Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #520 (#5 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #1187 (#18 in Michigan). 2
As of 2010, the school offers 15 varsity sports teams for boys and 18 varsity sports teams for girls. These sports include baseball, basketball, competitive cheer, crew, cross country, field hockey, figure skating, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, synchronized swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Grosse Pointe South competes in the Macomb Area Conference (MAC), under the regulation of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).
The baseball team is led by Hall of Fame Coach Dan Griesbaum[3] and won the Michigan Division 1 State Title in 2001. South has been to the Final Four in baseball 5 times ('87, '96, '01, '03, '05). In addition, South has won the district championship 16 times since 1992, and won the MAC conference 9 times in the same span. Between 2001 and 2005 they reached the D1 Final Four 3 times, won 4 league championships, and eliminated their arch-rival Grosse Pointe North from postseason play in all 5 seasons.
The boys' swimming and diving team has a long history of success, winning state championships in 1960, 1962, and 1968. The team also finished as state runners-up in 1943, 1944, 1963, 1981, and 2010. The team has won numerous Macomb Area Conference Red Division Championships, and they won their 12th straight title in 2010.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
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| 1943 | Battle Creek Central | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1944 | Battle Creek Central | Grosse Pointe & Monroe (tie) | Class A |
| 1960 | Grosse Pointe | Birmingham Seaholm | Class A |
| 1962 | Grosse Pointe & Birmingham Seaholm (tie) | Class A | |
| 1963 | Birmingham Seaholm | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1968 | Grosse Pointe | St. Joseph | Class A |
| 1981 | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Grosse Pointe South | Class A |
| 2010 | Birmingham Groves | Grosse Pointe South | Division 2 |
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
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| 1935 | Monroe | Grosse Pointe & Lansing Eastern (tie) | Class A |
| 1938 | Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1945 | Grosse Pointe | Monroe | Class A |
| 1946 | Grosse Pointe | Monroe | Class A |
| 1947 | Grosse Pointe & Monroe (tie) | Class A | |
| 1948 | Kalamazoo State High | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1950 | Hamtramck | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1961 | Hamtramck | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1990 | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Grosse Pointe South | Class A |
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
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| 1976 | Grosse Pointe South & Portage Northern (tie) | Class A | |
| 1977 | Grosse Pointe South & Portage Northern (tie) | Class A | |
| 1978 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1979 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1980 | Grosse Pointe South | Birmingham Marian | Class A |
| 1981 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1982 | Grosse Pointe South & Birmingham Seaholm (tie) | Class A | |
| 1983 | Grosse Pointe South | Bloomfield Hills Lahser | Class A |
| 1984 | Grosse Pointe South | Ann Arbor Huron | Class A |
| 1985 | Grosse Pointe South & Ann Arbor Huron (tie) | Class A | |
| 1986 | Grosse Pointe South | Bloomfield Hills Lahser | Class A |
| 2002 | Port Huron Northern | Grosse Pointe South | Division 1 |
| 2008 | Grosse Pointe South | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Division 1 |
| Year | Sport | Result | Division |
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| 1933 | Boys' Basketball | Runner-Up | Class A |
| 1962 | Boys' Track and Field | Champion | Class A |
| 1997 | Boys' Lacrosse | Runner-Up | Class B |
| 1998 | Boys' Ice Hockey | Runner-Up | Class A |
| 1998 | Boys' Lacrosse | Runner-Up | Class B |
| 2001 | Baseball | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2001 | Sailing | Champion | Fleet Racing |
| 2005 | Girls' Lacrosse | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2006 | Girls' Lacrosse | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2007 | Boys' Ice Hockey | Champion | Division 2 |
| 2008 | Girls' Golf | Runner-Up | Division 1 |
| 2011 | Girls' Golf | Champion | Division 1 |
South has consistently been named one of the top show choirs in the nation.{Showstoppers Grand champion 1997, 1998, 1999 Newsweek rating of showchoirs 2011 USA Today named Les Misérables Michigan Best Musical and Nationally Honor Musical 2009). They have won Showstoppers, a national show choir competition, as well as hosting the competition three times as the Honor Choir(Showstoppers 2001, 2003, 2007). In addition, the choir has had several international performances including singing mass at St. Peter's Bacillica in The Vatican City (Music Celebrations). In 2008, the choir traveled to Spain where they visited Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid and Segovia. The choir performed a show choir show and a classical concerts (Music Celebrations). The choir also sang a high mass at the Barcelona Cathedral. In 2010 the Choir traveled with (KI from Colorado Springs) to Greece and Crete where they were the featured performers for Athens' Carnival, did an exchange performance with the Athen's School for Performing Arts and the Crete University Arts Series. While in Greece the South Choir performed a fund raiser for the children of Greece food bank. The South choirs, under the direction of Ellen J. Bowen, have performed 64 performances with the Detroit symphony Orchestra from 1994-2009 Holiday Pops. They have also performed with the Detroit Chamber Winds professional ensemble at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe. The South choir is also well known for their productions of the "All School Musical" which annually takes place in April and May of the school year. The 2012 production will be Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" which will take place the last week of April and the first week of May, 2012. In 2010-2011 and 2009-2010 The Pointe Singers were named by the Michigan School Vocal Music Association as State finalists in the Small Ensemble Division(MSVMA). Five composers from the Music Technology Lab were awarded outstanding composers in the State of Michigan and were featured at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival held every May on the Western Michigan Campus, Kalazamoo (MMEA). There are over 180 students enrolled in the South Choirs for 2011-2012 (Counseling Dept GPS). Richard Wolf is the full time accompanist. The web site for the choir boosters is www.gpsouthchoir.org
Grosse Pointe South has a student newspaper that is as old as the school itself. The Tower has been winning awards as a top newspaper at the state and national level for decades, with many of its writers garnering individual awards at different levels each year.
Mr. Robert Button, who taught journalism and supervised the paper for over two decades, was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 1989.[8]
The Tower has its own two-room office and classroom at the front of the old building. Recently the Tower room had ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Ronald Bates memorial telecommunications center, named after the deceased former Student Association president.
The newspaper was close to being featured on the MTV show "The Paper," but the show was canceled. A film crew came in from MTV Studios and spent a long weekend with the staff, and filmed events like the Editor-in-Chief announcement.
The Tower's current adviser has had several students, hundreds collectively in past years, who have won several awards, including Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) Sparty awards and Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold and Silver Crown awards.
Pointe Players is Grosse Pointe South's student theater organization. It is Troupe #49 of the International Thespian Society. It is also among the five oldest clubs at South, as it was started in 1929.
The group produces one main stage play each Fall. Recent productions have included Daniel J. Sullivan's "Inspecting Carol," Christopher Sergel's "To Kill a Mockingbird," John Van Druten's "I Remember Mama", Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! Two years ago, the 'Players' performed Moises Kaufman's "The Laramie Project", a controversial play about the murder of a homosexual, Wyoming college student. 'Laramie' was selected as one of five mainstage shows at the 2008 Michigan Thespian Festival at Michigan State University, and the Players were invited to attend the International Thespian Festival, but did not attend due to lack of funds, and because "The Laramie Project" is geared toward a small stage. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, an anti-gay organization, sent three protesters to picket outside the building just as students were released on Friday, November 21 (Opening night). Students and staff were featured in The Detroit News on November 4, 2008 and The Detroit Free Press & on Channel 4 News (WDIV) on November 5, 2008 as soon as the church group announced their plans to protest. Because of the extensive media attention and community interest, the 'players' performed all shows to sold out audiences- a first in the history of the club.
In recent years, small groups of junior and senior thespians have mounted independent fund-raiser shows. In the spring,seniors with the most "thespian points" are chosen to cast and direct a one-act play.
The Student Government at Grosse Pointe South is bicameral. There is the Student Association (S.A.), which deals with the school as a whole, and four class councils, one representing each grade. Each grade has six S.A. senators, six class senators, and four executives. In addition, the senior class has the five S.A. officers. The major responsibilities of student councils include to plan and prepare for homecoming, hold fundraisers, plan prom, and donate to charities.
The school shares its FIRST Team 1189, "The Gearheads" with Grosse Pointe North. Founded in 2003, the team was originally known as The Rabid Squirrels but soon changed its name the next year. The team's distinctive logo consists a Pedestrian Crossing sign edited so the head looks like a gear. The Gearheads are sponsored by General Motors, Grosse Pointe Public Schools, IAmTheLaw(dot)net, Peninsula Capital, and Macomb Scrap Metal.
The Second Suburb is an all student comedy troupe which has been running on-and-off at Grosse Pointe South since 1989. It was canceled in 2004 because it had become a platform for vicious attacks against students and staff instead of the intended purpose which was to parody life at South.
In 2009, eight students brought it back for the program's first show without any assistance from the high school or the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The reiteration in 2009 was completely unaffiliated with the school. It was performed at the City Theatre in downtown Detroit. The show was sold out and received high praise from community members for its tasteful humor.[9] In 2010 Second Suburb was again written and produced by eight students and performed two shows at City Theatre. The Second Suburb tradition has continued into 2011 and 2012, both years being run by student leaders.
Grosse Pointe South hosted a landmark speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on March 14, 1968, when 2700 people gathered in the gymnasium to hear a speech entitled "The Other America", just three weeks before his assassination.[10] Dr. King had already visited Detroit and led a march in the city of Detroit where he gave an early version of his "I Have a Dream" speech.
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