FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

Our first full week is under our belts, and I have been so impressed with our students' transition out of summer and into this Year 10 at FUEL! They have been hard at work these past few weeks, and their joy and curiosity have made each day enjoyable - I love our FUEL fam!

Thank you to everyone who came to our first PTA meeting last week - that was one of the biggest crowds I have seen and there was so much great information on our PTA's work for the year, both for social events and our advocacy work. Be sure to mark our October meeting (see the PTA box below) - our Deputy Superintendent, Felicia Wright, will be there to present on our safety protocols along with Mrs. Keefe and myself.

We also passed out last year's MSTEP scores for current 4th and 5th graders on Friday, along with our Picture Day (Tues. 9/23) envelopes. Please contact your child's teacher directly if you did not receive them!

This week, we kickoff our Playlabs afterschool groups, Robotics teams are in full swings, and there is an information meeting for our Cub Scouts program on Thursday evening in the FUEL cafeteria. I will also be sending out registration information on Monday evening for our Girls on the Run and PACE running clubs - be on the lookout! And, if you'd like to be a volunteer coach for either program, please contact me directly.

I am also excited to announce an exciting first-time event through our Chartwells Food Service program - the FUEL Farmer's Market event! Check out this flyer and letter for details - more info coming soon, but mark your calendars for September 30th!

Finally, please take a moment to fill out the Mental Health Specialist consent form for the 2025-2026 school year. These forms are required for all students and help Mrs. Jenelle shape her SEL, academic, behavioral, and future goals to best support our FUEL students.

Let me know if you need anything!

- 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:

Responsibility & Friendship

This week in our SEL lessons, students will be learning about the importance of responsibility and building strong friendships. Here's a quick read on teaching responsibility at home.

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

• Mon. 9/15 - 5th Grade - Deadline to have an instrument for band/orchestra; Hispanic Heritage Month begins

• Thurs. 9/18 - Mobile Dentist; Scouts Kickoff Info Meeting, 6 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria

• Sun. 9/21 - PTA Playground Playdate @ FUEL - 12:30-2:00 PM

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.

The program begins in October for all students registered by this coming Monday. 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

Please check out these informational letters regarding our emotional support dog, Kiddo! Paper copies were sent home in backpacks last week.

FUEL Emotional Support Dog School Letter

FUEL Emotional Support Dog FAQ

CARE of Southeast Michigan is offering a free six-week AP School Age Parenting Class at the Sterling Heights Library beginning October 6 – November 17, 2025 (no class October 13). Classes will be held Mondays from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and will provide parents of elementary-age children with ideas, support, and strategies for understanding behavior, building self-esteem, encouraging cooperation, and teaching responsibility. Topics will include school success and alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Books are included at no cost.

Sterling Heights Library, 40255 Dodge Park Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Call CARE at 586-541-2273 to arrange book pick-up
Click here to register

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

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

Upcoming FE PTA Events - Everyone is welcome!

FE PTA Meetings

Thank you to everyone who attended our first PTA meeting of the year! If you missed the meeting or want to refer back to something covered, here's the slide deck: https://tinyurl.com/FEPTASeptemberMeeting2025

Our next meeting is October 14, 6:30PM at FUEL - we will be hosting district staff who will share updated school safety protocols and initiatives.

FE PTA Advocacy Committee Meetings

September 24, 2025 8PM via Google Meets

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

Playground Playdate

Upper: September 21, 2025 12:30-2:00PM

Let's meet on the playground for games, playground fun, and conversation with other school families! tinyurl.com/ysswp2b8

Field Day and Walk-A-Thon

October 8, 2025

A Ferndale tradition returns! This fun-filled morning brings our two elementary schools together for games, physical fitness challenges, and a picnic lunch.

This is also the FE PTA’s fall fundraiser. Students will participate in our Walk-A-Thon – how many laps can they complete? We have a goal of raising $10,000, which provides every student with a school t-shirt for field trips and spirit days and supports our programming throughout the year. Every student will participate and receive a t-shirt, regardless of the amount pledged.

Flyers and pledge forms will be in student folders this week. You can also donate online: https://app.givebacks.gives/feptawalk-a-thon2025. Please share the donation link with family, friends, and local businesses!

Volunteers needed! We need volunteers to make this day a success – from set up, overseeing stations, snack donations, and chaperones – there are so many ways to help! Sign up here to be a part of this fun event: https://tinyurl.com/FEPTAFieldDayVolunteers2025 Volunteer forms must be on file: https://www.ferndaleschools.org/forms/8271

Elementary Connections Group Updates

What is the Elementary Connections Group?

Please see the attached flyer for more information about the Elementary Connections Group.

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