FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

It was so wonderful seeing so many of you (over 300 families!) on Curriculum Night last week - if you missed it, here are the presentation slides from that evening - please take a moment to review the FUEL specific slides for drop-off, bell times, snack rules, etc.

We had a great second week of school and students did a wonderful job of persevering through our fall benchmark assessments and are excited to get into their grade level content this week. We also had our kickoff all-school morning meeting on Friday, where we celebrated the first two weeks of school and ended our morning with a Cupid Shuffle dance party! In the coming weeks, we will continue to focus on our SOAR behaviors expectations, particularly as the work dials up in the classroom and students face more challenging work. Please reinforce at home that working hard and productive struggle and vitally important to growing our brains!

We hope to see many of our 4th grade families at our zoo field trip on Friday - please make sure you have a volunteer form on file in order to chaperone. All of the important links for the year that you may need (food service, volunteer forms, medical forms) can always be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Onward to week 3!

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:

Problem-Solving/Conflict Resolution & Positive Mindset

This week, we roll out our Time Machine mat which teaches students to both explain what they need in a conflict and also how to repair relationships when they have made a mistake. This is a particularly important tool for 3rd graders!

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

• Mon. 9/14 - 5th Grade Band/Orchestra Forms due
• Tues. 9/15 - PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Lower; PTA Spirit Wear Orders due
• Wed. 9/16 - Early Release Wednesday, 2:38 pm dismissal
• Thurs. 9/17 - Constitution Day
• Fri. 9/18 - 4th Grade Zoo Field Trip

Save the Date:

• Tues. 9/22 - Fall Picture Day
• Wed. 9/30 - Last Day to submit volunteer forms to work at the K-5 Walk-A-Thon event
• Wed. 10/7 - K-5 Walk-A-Thon & Field Day

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

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

September 15, 2026 6:30-8:00PM Location: FLower

Join Ferndale Elementary PTA for our first meeting of the year!

We invite you to meet the FE PTA Board, learn what a PTA is and hear our plans for the school year, discover the benefits of membership and volunteering, provide input on how FE PTA can build stronger family, school and community relationships, take part in a Q&A about the school year with school staff and the PTA Board

Everyone is welcome to attend. Free babysitting will be provided on site.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1442594611023989

Spirit Wear

Orders due September 15

Let's show our Ferndale Eagles pride! Order forms went home in the Popsicles with Principals folder or can be found here. You can also order online: https://ferndaleelementarypta.givebacks.com/shop. All proceeds support FEPTA activities and events.

Field Day and Walk-A-Thon

October 7, 2026

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-thon2026. 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/FEPTAFieldDayVolunteers2026 Volunteer forms must be on file: https://www.ferndaleschools.org/forms/8271

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