FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

This week kicks off March - the weather is getting warmer (although not so much this week 😭) and the kids are getting antsier! Please keep reminding students of SOAR (Show Respect - Own Your Behavior - Act in Excellence - Ready to Learn!) expectations - and also be sure to send them to school with many different layers of (labeled!!!) clothing. We appreciate your support!

This week, we have a couple of fun evening events, including our Mini-Musical program's performance on Tuesday at 6 pm in the Cafeteria and our State of the District event with Superintendent HIbbler on Wednesday, March 4th in the STEAM Lab. On Tuesday, we also invite you to our our hosting of the Secretary of State's Mobile Office - see the flyer in the "Important Dates" box for information - you can call the office to make a 10 minute appointment. And, if you want to get your student a state identification card, you can do this FREE thanks to a grant through the district. If you have questions before Tuesday, please email lacetia.walker@ferndaleschools.org for more information.

Finally, I want to take a "soapbox" moment to talk about technology use at home. Since the holidays, we have seen an increase in student texting, group chats, and social media use at home that is impacting instructional time at school, which is unacceptable. As a district, we are working to reduce technology time at school (check out our guidelines here) - but this is an effort that MUST extend beyond school hours.

Finding a healthy balance with technology is a team effort for the whole family - I know it can be tough, but it is essential to our students' healthy development. As our students grow, it is important to monitor device use at home to ensure that digital time remains high-quality and safe. Setting consistent limits on screen time—especially during meals and at least one hour before bed—helps protect essential time for sleep, play, and face-to-face connection. We encourage you to explore the resources below for practical tips on creating a family media plan that works for your household. Please consider taking time this week to check out these resources for limiting screen time at home and how to better monitor:

• Common Sense Media: Parent Tips and Reviews – Age-based ratings for movies, games, and apps, plus advice for managing digital life.

• AAP Family Media Plan Tool – This is a customizable tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help you set healthy tech boundaries.

And, better yet, if you want to take a pledge to limit technology and social media at home, check out "Wait Until 8th" which is a national campaign to help kids "be kids longer."

We look forward to seeing many of you this week!

With gratitude,

We are dedicated this year to working on our students’ social-emotional growth in addition to their academic growth. This week we finish up Module 4: Executive Functioning. Our focus this week:

Flexible Thinking

Here's a short article from the Child Mind Institute on teaching children to think flexibly!

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

**Reading Month Calendar

• Mon. 3/2 - 5th Grade FMS Scheduling; 4th Grade DTE Assembly; YMCA Sportport, 3:45-5:15pm

• Tues. 3/3 - Secretary of State Mobile Office @ FUEL, 10-3 pm (more info to come!)
• Wed. 3/4 - Rescheduled State of the District event, 6 pm @ FUEL
• Sun. 3/8 - Daylight Saving Time begins (spring forward!)

Blessings in a Backpack (BIAB) is available for all students in Ferndale Public Schools who attend FECC, FLower, FUEL, or FMS. This program provides a bag of food items every weekend throughout the school year for any child who may benefit.

Families can sign up at any time, but new registrations will start receiving food the month following sign-up.

Blessings in a Backpack sign up letter & Blessings in a Backpack Flyer Information & Volunteering

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

FE PTA Meeting

March 10 6:00PM FUEL

We're trying something new at our March meeting - social time before our meeting starts! Join us at 6:00PM for a family art activity and time to chat with other families.

Our meeting follows at 6:45PM and we'll still end by 8PM. Babysitting will be available starting at 6:30PM. We'll have our regular updates from teachers and principals, as well as PTA committees. And we'll be learning more about the National PTA's Reflections program, which we hope to start next year. Finally, we'll be sharing proposed updates to our Bylaws, including to the structure of our Board.

Family Literacy Night: An Evening of Books, Creativity, and Connection

March 16, 2025 5:00-7:00 Location: LOWER

Bring the whole family for a joyful night centered around stories, imagination, and hands-on fun.

Part 1: The Indie Book Fair
Step into a one-of-a-kind traveling book fair powered entirely by Michigan’s local, independently published children’s authors. Kids will browse unique books you won’t find at big box stores, meet the real authors behind the stories, and even get their books signed. It’s a chance for young readers to see that stories come from real people in their own community.

Part 2: Interactive Literacy Workshops
Then, roll up your sleeves and jump into engaging workshops designed for families to create together. From crafts, to storytelling activities to creative literacy games, kids won’t just read stories, they’ll become storytellers themselves.

Meet real authors
Discover fresh new books
Create together as a family
Spark a love of reading that lasts beyond the night

This free event is designed especially for elementary school families and is all about making reading feel exciting, accessible, and fun.

We can’t wait to welcome you for an evening where books come to life.

A big thank you to our own local book store Love and Other Books, for their support again this year putting this event on

https://www.facebook.com/events/2824621707877190

FE PTA Advocacy Committee

March 7 12-2PM Ferndale Area District Library

Join us to learn more about our advocacy efforts including how you can help collect signatures for Invest in MI Kids.

Just 4 Kicks Event

Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event and raise money for our K-5 camp program! Your support helped to fundraise over $4000 for camp! Woot!

4th and 5th Grade Parents & Guardians!

Camp folders for our MAY CAMPS came home the week of February 23rd. Please keep a look out for the GREEN folders. They contain all of the important information and forms about camp. Elementary Connections Group (ECG) is trying to make it as organized and easy as possible.

Invoices will include all of the fundraisers that can be applied before camp payment is due. If you have any questions about the invoice, please reach out to ferndale.elementaryconnections@gmail.com. Scholarships are still available, but a request from the family must be made on the invoice.

Please try to return forms to school and complete initial payments on SchoolPay as quickly as possible. All forms and payments are due by April 13, 2026 for 4th Grade and April 20, 2026 for 5th grade. We know that camp is an amazing experience for all of our students and we want as close to 100% participation as possible.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about 4th or 5th Grade Camp, please attend the Camp Informational Meetings at FUEL on Tuesday, March 10th (6 pm for 4th Grade, 7 pm for 5th Grade).

All of our camps need a lot of support from adult volunteers, but especially our 4th and 5th grade camps that need both MALE and FEMALE overnight volunteers. Please stay tuned for our sign ups!!!!

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