FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

We had a productive week last week following Spring Break - it's always difficult transitioning back from a break into our academics, but by the middle of the week our students were right back in the swing of things and working hard at SOARing both academically and emotionally! Our school is such a special place and every day I am in awe of our kids' commitment to learning and growing - their curiosity, joy, and sense of wonder inspire me.

This week, we will begin our MSTEP assessments with 5th grade taking their science and social studies exams. Please see the MSTEP box below for information regarding testing days and please also try to ensure students are on-time to school, well-rested, and ready to try their best!

I hope to see you this week at our PTA meeting on Tuesday, 4/8 at 6:30 pm in the FUEL Media Center and again at one of my favorite events, our PTA-sponsored Skate Night on Thursday night. See you at the rink!

Finally, please see an important note regarding our upcoming K-5 Camps - one of the hallmarks of a Ferndale education!

It's Camps Season!

We are currently looking for a few people to be Center Leaders and pick (or design) the activities for our K/1 and 2/3 Camps Days.

We will have an in person meeting on Monday, April 7 at 6:30pm in the Administration Building (The old Lower Building). Come and review centers from prior years and get the creative juices flowing!

Can't make it or have questions? Reach out to a coordinator!

K/1- Rachael Carter rachaelkcarter9@gmail.com

2/3- Dena Pedley dpeds15@gmail.com

We are also looking for volunteers for ALL grade level camps!

All Elementary Camp Sign Ups are live and ready! Camp Payments can be made HERE.

Please reach out if you need anything - 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 will continue with Module 5: Mindfulness. Our focus this week:

Empathy & Composure

Here’s a short article on how to teach empathy to your children. This one is a little long, but is a great read: 5 Tips for Cultivating Empathy

• Mon. 4/7 - Back on Track Tutoring Session 2 Begins; Camp Centers Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Central Administration Building

• Tues. 4/8 - 5th Grade MSTEP Science Test; PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm @ FUEL

• Thurs. 4/10 - 5th Grade MSTEP Social Studies Test; Skate Night, 6:15 pm @ Skate World Troy

Save-The-Dates

• Mon. 4/14 - 4th Grade CAMP FORMS DUE
• Mon. 4/21 - 5th Grade CAMP FORMS DUE

We have a bond proposal on the May 6 ballot! The major renovations to the FMS/FHS building would impact all students who go through that building. The bond would:

• Modernize and expand learning environments throughout the building with collaborative learning spaces

• Provide a new academic configuration to distinguish Middle School and High School identities & spaces

• Add a Middle School office for improved safety and security and room for student services

• Add a music room to support our fine arts programs

Visit our bond page to find out more! 2025 Bond | Ferndale Public Schools

Wondering how to vote?

• Absentee ballots are available today!

• Early voting begins Saturday, April 26

• Election Day is May 6!

The MSTEP assessment window opens in April and continues through mid-may. Check out the Family MSTEP Calendar-at-a-Glance here, but see below for specific grade-level dates.

You can also read our State Superintendent's MSTEP Letter here.

5th Grade

• Tues. 4/8 - Science
• Thurs. 4/10 - Social Studies
• Tues, 4/22 & Wed. 4/23 - English Language Arts
• Tues. 5/6 & Wed. 5/7 - Mathematics

4th Grade

• Tues. 4/15 & Wed. 4/16 - English Language Arts
• Tues. 4/29 - Mathematics

3rd Grade

• Wed. 4/30 & Thurs. 5/1 - English Language Arts
• Thurs. 5/8 - Mathematics

3rd Grade Montessori

• Mon. 4/28 & Tues. 4/29 - English Language Arts
• Mon. 5/5 - Mathematics

Communities in Schools Supports

Denazia Pettway | (she/her)

Student Support Coordinator
Ferndale Upper Elementary

denazia@cismichigan.org , 248-5470-0880 ext 1653

Ferndale Elementary PTA's events and meetings are open to all our school families!

To learn more about FE PTA:

Facebook: fb.me/FerndaleElementaryPTA

Email: ferndale.elem.pta@gmail.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ferndale_elementary_pta

Website: ferndaleschools.org/page/parent-organizations

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

FE PTA Annual Meeting - Elections for Treasurer and VP-FUEL

April 8, 2025 6:30-8:00PM Location: FUEL

Join us for the February FE PTA meeting! Updates from teachers, principals, and FE PTA Committees. Current FE PTA members will be voting for the next Treasurer and Vice President-FUEL. We will also have information on the 2025 Ferndale Bond - ferndaleschools.org/page/vote - with District and Bond Committee staff available for questions. Everyone is welcome to attend. Onsite, free babysitting is available. See the agenda here.

Skate Night

April 10, 2025 6:15-8:15PM Location: Skate World of Troy

Free to attend (just pay for your skates ($4 for skates, $6 for inline) or bring your own). If you bring your own skates, you can skip the line! We will be collecting donations (cash, check or online) for teacher appreciation efforts, please give if you can! Flyers will be coming home this week.

Need transportation? Sign up for the bus: tinyurl.com/SkateNightTransportation

Save the Dates

FUEL BOGO Scholastic Book Fair - May 5-9

FLower BOGO Scholastic Book Fair - May 19-23

June Fair - May 30, 8-5PM at the Administration Building (Old Lower)

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Elementary Connections Group Updates

What is the Elementary Connections Group?

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

Camp Updates

We are currently looking for a few people to be Center Leaders and pick (or design) the activities for our K/1 and 2/3 Camps Days.

We will have an in person meeting on Monday, April 7 at 6:30pm in the Administration Building (The old Lower Building). Come and review centers from prior years and get the creative juices flowing!

Can't make it or have questions? Reach out to a coordinator!

K/1- Rachael Carter rachaelkcarter9@gmail.com

2/3- Dena Pedley dpeds15@gmail.com

We are also looking for volunteers for ALL grade level camps!

All Elementary Camp Sign Ups are live and ready! Camp Payments can be made HERE.

Camp is a vital part of the Ferndale Public Schools curriculum. Camp is designed to create a strong partnership between parents, teachers and administrators to provide an outdoor community learning experience for our students. The success of Camp relies on parents/guardians to create and plan this incredible outdoor experience for all of our kids.

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 2024-2025 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