FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

As we begin Week 7 at FUEL, students are continuing to build strong academic routines and develop a deeper understanding of classroom expectations. We are placing an increased focus on active engagement, perseverance, organization, and taking responsibility for learning throughout the school day. Thank you for partnering with us as we encourage our students to STRIVE to do their best, embrace challenges, and CREATE a strong foundation for a successful school year!

Speaking of creating, ask your kiddo(s) about their Passion Project time last week (I enjoyed a quiet reading room with Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Lepp, and sixteen awesome readers!) and about our new weekly shout outs element - The Spark Tank! Keep encouraging their creativity, their passions, and and interests as they grow and mature this year. One of the things I love best about the upper elementary years is how they are pivotal years for student independence. This can look differently for everyone, but this is the time when we expect students to assert their will a bit more, to productively struggle, and to hit roadblocks and figure out how to navigate these without the assistance of adults.

This week has one of my favorite events, with Skate Night on Thursday night with the extended hours of 5-8 pm ! I hope to roll on by you that evening. We also have our October PTA Meeting on Tuesday evening at FUEL - please join us a little early at 6PM to learn more about the Reflections program and create some art together as a family!

Finally, please see this updated Camp - Bread Fundraiser! flyer for the corrected QR code for Upper Butter Bread sales - remember, a portion of each loaf sold goes to your individual student's camp cost!

See you this soon!

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 continue with Module 1: Building Our School/Class Family. Our focus this week:

Tattling vs. Telling & Assertiveness

Here’s a great resource on teaching kids the difference between tattling and telling. Is It Tattling or Telling?

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

**3rd Grade ECG Field Trips this week

• Tues. 10/13 - PTA/ECG Meeting, 6:00 pm @ FUEL Media Center (6 pm Reflections Program, 6:30 pm Meeting Start)
• Thurs. 10/15 - PTA Skate Night, 5-8 pm @ Skate World Troy

SAVE THE DATE:

• Tues. 10/20 - K-5 Gizmos Game Night, 6 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria (by the FUEL Student Council!)
• Mon. 11/2 & Thurs. 11/5 - Family-Teacher Conferences
• Mon. 11/16 - NEW Picture Retake Day & Yearbook Groups Pictures

Please take a moment to read this update from the district on our K-5 literacy curriculum and Michigan Public Act 146 of 2024.

Celebrate the grand opening of your official Ferndale Elementary School store with 20% OFF custom tees, hoodies, joggers, hats & more. Hurry, this sale won’t last long.

Be sure to customize your gear to how you like by clicking on "other designs available" as we have the Ferndale Lower, Ferndale Upper, and Ferndale Elementary logo's available as well as our Feather Swoosh design.

*This is not a fundraiser as the school does not make any money. This is a site set up to buy Eagle Swag.#TheFutureIsFerndale #WeSetTheStandard

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/michigan/ferndale/ferndale-elementary-school

Know Before You Vote: Nov. 3 School Ballot Proposal

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters who live within Ferndale Public Schools will decide an Operating Millage Replacement Proposal. The proposal does not increase the tax rate. It keeps the district’s existing 18-mill levy on non-homestead property (businesses, rentals and second homes) in place from 2027 through 2046. Primary residences are exempt.

Levying the full 18 mills is how our district receives its full per-pupil funding from the State. If approved, the proposal is estimated to provide $6.74 million in 2027 for general operations.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, and early voting runs Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. The last day to register online or by mail is Oct. 19. To find your polling place and precinct, visit mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index. For the full ballot language and answers to common questions, visit ferndaleschools.org/page/millage.

Additionally, for immediate assistance with food and other essential community resources, you can call the State of Michigan Helpline directly at 1-888-544-8773 or 211 . Let’s make it a great year!

Ms. Pettway

denazia.pettway@ferndaleschools.org

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

To become a FE PTA member: ferndaleelementarypta.givebacks.com/store

Upcoming FE PTA Events - Everyone is welcome!

FE PTA Meeting

Our next meeting is October 13 at FUEL. Join us at 6PM to learn more about the Reflections program and create some art together as a family! The business part of the meeting will start at 6:45PM. Free onsite babysitting will be available.

Field Day and Walk-A-Thon

Thank you to everyone who made this day a success! Volunteers, teachers, principals, and school staff - we are so grateful for your time and energy! You can provide us some feedback on the event here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDRZWWV

To everyone who donated funds to support purchasing school shirts for all staff and students and PTA programming - thank you! Donations were still coming in over the weekend - next week we'll report our final total.

Finally, thank you to all the grownups of our students! They inspire and amazing us with their kindness, perseverance, and upbeat attitudes! Photos of the day will be shared next week.

Skate Night

October 15, 5-8PM

Skate World of Troy

Free to attend (just pay for your skate rental)! Need transportation? Sign up for the bus: https://tinyurl.com/457dzjuk. Thank you to The Institution of Dance Arts for their donation to help keep this event free for families! See the flyer here.

Board of Education Candidate Forum

October 22, 7-8:30PM

FLower

The Candidate Forum is open to everyone - we invite teachers, school staff, student leaders, families, and community members at large to attend. We’ll have the opportunity to hear from the candidates and ask questions about their priorities and vision for Ferndale Schools.

Our goal is to build community and connection between the Board and all stakeholders – it’s important to know who is on the Board, and it’s important for the Board to know the community it serves. Free onsite babysitting, register here: bit.ly/3USLDmq

What is the Elementary Connections Group (ECG)

We are a parent-led elementary group devoted to enhancing our children’s education through outdoor learning opportunities. Our goal is to build connections, foster curiosity, and create enriching experiences that go beyond the classroom.

ECG is so excited to kick off our Braided Bread Fundraiser! This delicious Ferndale tradition helps your child earn money toward their camp adventure — and every loaf sold brings them closer to their goal! All profits go directly toward your child’s camp cost, so your family and friends can enjoy fresh, tasty bread while supporting your student’s big trip! Any profits over your child's camp cost will go into the general fund which provides full or partial scholarships.

Parents will have received an e-mail from My Fundraising Place with instructions specific to your child’s online store. No paper forms to worry about!

Fundraiser Letter & Fundraising Site

Camp - Bread Fundraiser!

Start Date: Monday, October 5th

End Date to submit orders: Monday, October 26th

Delivery Date: Thursday, November 12th in the afternoon (pick up at school)

As we move further into the school year, we want to remind families of a few important guidelines for keeping our students and staff healthy. Please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100°F or higher, vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours, a persistent cough or sore throat, signs of an eye infection, or a rash accompanied by itching or fever.

Students should be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and free from vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Thank you, FMS families, for helping us maintain a healthy learning environment for everyone!

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 2026-2027 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