FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

We are heading in to the last week of April and our MSTEP testing is ramping back up this week, with our 5th and 3rd graders taking the MSTEP Mathematics assessment. Please check the testing box below for dates and please be sure students arrive to school on time, rested and ready-to-go! For the mathematics test, please also remind them that their scrap paper and graph paper are essential to success on the test!

We have my favorite event - Skate Night - back again Monday night at Skate World Troy from 5-8 p.m. - an extra hour of skating for the last one of the year! Mrs. Keefe and I hope to see everyone there. After testing throughout the week, we also have our 3rd graders heading on another field trip to see the Detroit Opera's The Hobbit and our 5th graders will have one of their middle school transition activities with an assembly on the dangers of vaping with the Southeast Oakland Coalition (SEOC).

We also will be wrapping up our Disability Acceptance activities this week, including celebrating in small ways each day with our Disability Acceptance Spirit Week . On Thursday, we will celebrate the life of one of our former students, Izleigh Engelhardt, on Rainbows & Unicorns Day. Check out the flyer for additional details.

Our district reminders this week include a call for bikers in the Memorial Day parade - check out this flyer for information: Ferndale Memorial Day Parade Flyer - Bikers Wanted! And, please take a few moments to fill out the district Code of Conduct Survey for input on upcoming iterations of our FPS Code of Conduct. Thank you!

With gratitude,

Mrs. Jeffrey

We are dedicated this year to working on our students’ social-emotional growth in addition to their academic growth. This week we begin with Module 6: Character Values. Our focus this week:

Self-Esteem & Bullying

Some quick tips for parents on helping kiddos to build confidence and self-esteem: 12 Tips for Building Confidence

Early Release Wednesday dismissal is 2:38 p.m. Remember, every Wednesday through May

Disability Acceptance Spirit Week

• Mon. 4/27 - K-5 Skate Night, 5-8 pm
• Tues. 4/28 - 5th Grade MSTEP Mathematics; SE PAC Meeting, 6 pm
• Wed. 4/29 - 5th Grade MSTEP Mathematics; 3rd Grade Whale PTA Assembly
• Thurs. 4/30 - 3rd Grade MSTEP Mathematics; PTA Garden Committee Meeting, 7 pm via Zoom
• Fri. 5/1 - 3rd Grade Opera Field Trip; 5th Grade SEOC Vaping Assembly

Save the Dates:

• FHS Girls Varsity Soccer Schedule - check out some games!

• Summer School Flyer - summer 2026

The Oakland County Enhancement Millage will be on the August 4, 2026 ballot. If approved, each public school district and eligible public school academies would receive approximately $781 per student annually. This proposal would cost about $150 per year for a $200,000 home ($100,000 taxable value).

Districts could use the funding for a variety of reasons. Here are some examples of how these general fund dollars could be used:

• Staff recruitment and retention
• Stabilizing general fund budgets
• Maintaining or reducing class sizes, where possible
• Expanding professional development
• Enhancing student wellness supports
• Improving safety and security
• Maintaining and strengthening district programming

Visit the Enhancement Millage website for more information and a tax calculator.

The MSTEP assessment window opens in April and continues through mid-may for make-up testing. This year, we will be testing as an entire building for the English Language Arts assessments, on Tuesday, April 14th and Wednesday, April 15th.

Please carefully read our FUEL Family Assessment Snapshot document.

It is vitally important that we attempt to limit all late arrivals and appointments on the scheduled testing days to avoid disruptions during testing. Thank you in advance for your support.

Make Up sessions for all grades ELA and 5th Grade Science will be held on Monday, 4/20 & Tuesday, 4/21.

5th Grade

• Tues. 4/28 & Wed. 4/29 - Mathematics
• Tues. 5/5 - Social Studies

4th Grade

• Thurs. 5/7 - Mathematics (NEW DATE)

3rd Grade

• Thurs. 4/30 - Mathematics

3rd Grade Montessori

• Thurs. 4/30 - Mathematics

You can also read the state update from our State Superintendent here:

MDE State Superintendent Letter - Spring Assessments

If additional support is needed outside of school hours, families may also dial 211, a free and confidential resource that connects callers to community services in our area.

We are here to help—your school and CIS team are committed to supporting you and your family every step of the way.

Did you know the Ferndale Elementary PTA organizes family and community events, school assemblies, volunteer opportunities, book fairs, and supports our teachers and schools through grants, partnerships and appreciation events? Our events and meetings are open to all our school families!

To learn more about FE PTA:

Website: www.fepta.org

Email: ferndale.elem.pta@gmail.com

Facebook: fb.me/FerndaleElementaryPTA

Instagram: instagram.com/ferndale_elementary_pta

if you missed the April meeting, here's the slide deck: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NYXNXGw8R6ftlG3KhncvB9sHsvLUHgX8/view?usp=sharing

Our next meeting is May 12, we will be voting for new Board members - more information will be available this week.

Skate Night

April 27, 5-8PM Skate World of Troy

See the flyer for all the details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LVMg879GRSBLFqdCPvEtv4UwivcSM18A/view?usp=sharing

Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week

May 4-8, 2026

A fun week to show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate all they do!

General Donations (Share the link!): https://www.givebacks.com/causes/ferndaleelementarypta/campaigns/feptateacherappreciationweek

Volunteer opportunities coming soon!

June Fair

May 29, 2026 5-8PM

This community event is a Ferndale tradition! The fair features midway games, rock climbing wall, putt putt, inflatables, food, raffle baskets and more! Everything is set up outside at the Ferndale schools Administration Building (the Old Lower/Roosevelt).

June Fair is also the main fundraiser for FE PTA - all proceeds will support programming for the 2026-2027 school year including school assemblies, Skate Nights and other family events, grants, and teacher appreciation efforts!

Tickets will be available for presale (dates to be announced soon) or you can purchase them the day of the event.

To volunteer: tinyurl.com/JuneFair2026Volunteers

For all the details, including tickets, pricing, and activities visit: tinyurl.com/JuneFair2026

4th and 5th Grade Parents & Guardians!

Attention Families!

Our Camps experience is now officially less than a month away! We are looking for volunteers to make these experiences a success for our students! Please sign up using the appropriate Sign Up Genius.

Camps days are a wonderful way to connect to our school community by volunteering to lead a group or help with a center. We need about 100 adult volunteers to make each day run smoothly! All volunteers must have a volunteer form on file with FPS before volunteering. These take about a week to process so please plan ahead!

2nd/3rd Grade Camp- Friday, May 8 @ Starr Jaycee

FF/K/1st Grade Camp- Friday, May 15 @ Normandy Oaks Park

4th Grade Camp- Wednesday, May 20-Thursday, May 21 @ Camp Tamarack (Must attend a volunteer training on May 12)

5th Grade Camp- Tuesday May 26- Thursday, May 28 @ Camp Copneconic (Must attend a volunteer training on May 12)

Feel free to reach out with any questions to the grade level coordinators or to Sylvia Oatley sylvia.oatley@gmail.com

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Here is everything you need for 4th and 5th grade camp!!

1. Camp Presentations
1. 4th Grade- Tamarack
2. 5th Grade- Copneconic
2. Paperwork Due Dates- All paperwork must be turned in on time. NO late paperwork will be accepted. If you need a new copy of the paperwork please reach out to the ECG board (ferndale.elementaryconnections@gmail.com)
3. Payment questions? Email the ECG Board and Lauren Donnelly will get back to you.
4. Mandatory Volunteer Meeting- Tuesday, May 12 (6 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria). Please be sure to attend to review chaperone expectations for camp.
5. Volunteer Registration Form- If you are volunteering, be sure to have your form on file!
6. Sign up to Volunteer- You can find the SignUp Geniuses here.
1. 4th Grade Sign Up Genius Link
2. 5th Grade Sign Up Genius Link
7. Dietary Forms- Only fill out if you DO have dietary restrictions
1. 4th Grade- Tamarack Dietary Form
2. 5th Grade- Copneconic Dietary Form
8. Other questions? Reach out to Katie Jeffrey and/or Sylvia Oatley sylvia.oatley@gmail.com

For drop-off in the morning, please be sure to pull ALL the way up in the school driveway in the drop-off line. We will help students walk towards the entrance. This will help us to keep the line moving. Doors do not open until 8:20 am - there is no student supervision until 8:20 am. Also, please note that if students are not eating breakfast, they do not need to arrive at school until 8:28 pm. Students who arrive at 8:28 a.m. can head directly to their lockers and classrooms. Otherwise, students should report to the cafeteria for breakfast or to the gym. Car Line Safety Reminders HERE.

Please remember that the BUS driveway is ONLY for buses. This is a safety issue. Please only use the car line in the front of the building on Rosewood.

For pickup, please be sure to have your yellow identification card with student name and grade available and easy to see.

Please call the attendance line each day your child will be absent from school. Any absence will remain unexcused until the office has been notified. The teachers appreciate an email reminder, but you must still call the office. Please call the attendance line at 248.547.0880, press the #1 option & leave a message with a reason for the absence.

Thank you for helping to keep all of our students SAFE at FUEL by following our safe snack guidelines. This is a reminder that FUEL is a nut-, tree-nut, and sesame-restricted building - please double-check all ingredients before sending in a lunch or snack to school to ensure the safety of all students. Sample safe snack lists can be found ​here​. ​Reminder: NO food birthday treats this year due to our allergy policy.

If your student has a medical need, it is vitally important that our office staff and teachers are aware. Please complete the medical forms available in the main office (or in the link below) and return to school ASAP.

Medical Authorization Form & Medical Treatment Form

All adults interested in volunteering during the 2025-2026 school year must have a Volunteer Form on file. This form should be submitted at a minimum of two weeks prior to the event in order to accommodate processing times. No adult will be allowed to volunteer or chaperone unless they have an approved form on file. Forms are available at the link below. Please note: all volunteer forms must be turned into the main office. In addition, you only need to fill out a volunteer form for one school - it will then cover all FPS campuses.

Volunteer Form

Breakfast and Lunch are free again this year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Please return this form to school ASAP in place of the normal Free and Reduced Lunch application.

Household Information Form