FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

We so enjoyed reconnecting with our students this past week following Spring Break - and I was so impressed with their flexibility and calm when our Reading Month celebration field trip to FHS experienced some technical difficulties! These kiddos are amazing 😀

It is now week 30 (!) of the school year and we are getting into the full swing of our spring assessment season. It is vitally important that you review the MSTEP box below for all of testing dates (4th grade families - take a look, the mathematics date changed to May!). This week, we will be testing as a FULL SCHOOL Tuesday and Wednesday, with some potential for finishing up on Thursday. Please be sure students come to school well-rested and ready to try their best on assessment days, but remember not to add too much additional pressure - at school, we encourage them that this is an opportunity to show us what they know and to just give their best effort during each testing period.

I also wanted to share some fun student group news! At FUEL, our Green Team is committed to continued environmental education and preservation. FUEL is pleased to announce that we have earned Michigan Green Schools Status by completing 10+ approved environmental activities throughout the school year. Some of the activities include bettering our recycling efforts, researching and starting a composting program, and learning about the Great Lakes watershed through outdoor education. We welcome back this status as progress not only for our school, but for a greener tomorrow for all!

Finally, please check out our ECG Camp box below - lots of important deadlines are coming up and we still need volunteers for all grade levels of camp. 4th Grade Families - camp paperwork and money are due Monday, April 13th - remember, NO EXCEPTIONS for late paperwork.

See you soon!

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 5: Mindfulness. Our focus this week:

Self-Regulation & Self-Reflection

Self-regulation is all about teaching your child to understand their brain states and what to do when in those states. Strategies for Teaching Self-Regulation

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

• Mon. 4/13 - 4th Grade Camp Forms & Payments due (no late submissions); 4th Grade DTE Assemblies; Mobile Dentist Visit; FPS Percussion Concert, 7 pm
• Tues. 4/14 - ALL GRADES MSTEP ELA Testing; PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm @ LOWER
• Wed. 4/15 - ALL GRADES MSTEP ELA Testing
• Thurs. 4/16 - Finish up MSTEP ELA Testing; Safety Patrol Tigers Game Field Trip, 1 pm
• Fri. 4/17 - Mobile Dentist Visit

Save the Date:

• Mon. 4/20 - 5th Grade Camp Forms & Payments due (no late submissions)

• Tues. 4/21 - 4th Grade Music Concerts @ FHS, 6 pm & 7 pm

• 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.

5th Grade

• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Tues. 4/28 & Wed. 4/29 - Mathematics
• Tues. 5/5 - Social Studies

4th Grade

• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Thurs. 5/7 - Mathematics (NEW DATE)

3rd Grade

• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Thurs. 4/30 - Mathematics

3rd Grade Montessori

• Mon. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• 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 March meeting, here are the slides: https://tinyurl.com/FEPTAMarchMeeting2026. The next PTA meeting is April 14, 2026, 6:30PM at FLower. We'll be voting on changes to our Bylaws and have information about Board elections. All our welcome - free babysitting is available!

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! Flyers went home last week for a flower fundraiser - give if you can. https://tinyurl.com/y2u27b38. We'll have some more ways for families to participate 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.

Flyers will be going home in student folders this week.

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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