Ada Family Connection
August 22, 2025
Dear Ada Families,
We had another wonderful week at Ada Elementary! The school is buzzing with excitement, and we are so proud of the calm, positive, and joyful start our students have made to the school year.
We officially kicked off PBIS with our school-wide assembly, followed by fun PBIS rotations on the playground and in the cafeteria. These events help us start the year off strong. We introduce and review behavior expectations throughout the building so that all students hear the same, consistent message. We also held our very first Friday PRIDE Ticket Raffle! Students are already SO excited about earning their PRIDE tickets and showing what it means to be Persistent, Respectful, Inclusive, and Dependable Every day. It has been wonderful to see how proud they are of their positive choices!
We also officially launched CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts), our new ELA curriculum this week. Learning something new can be exciting, but it can also take some time to get comfortable with new routines, stories, and ways of learning. Our students and staff are doing an incredible job embracing the challenge, persevering, and figuring things out along the way. And the best part? They are already talking about what they are learning! I had multiple students retelling CKLA stories to me during recess and in the hallways this week. This is only after a few days, which is pretty amazing!
We are incredibly proud of our students and our staff for leaning into this new school year with such enthusiasm and a willingness to learn together. We can't wait to see all that this year will bring!
Have a wonderful and relaxing long weekend!
The proudest principal in the world,
Gabbi Kokenakes
September 7: No School Labor Day
September 15: Picture Day!
September 21: Two Hour Release- Students dismissed at 1:45 PM
September 25: Ranger Rock Out
October 9: FHC Homecoming
October 12th & 14th: Fall Conferences
March 8th & 10th: Spring Conferences
New Information...Please read!
If you are picking up from school, please use the sign provided with your family "number" on it. Please display it on your windshield in the upper left corner on the passenger side or passenger side sun visor (flipped down). This helps us easily identify your car for your child.
We are continuing to make small tweaks to this process to help carline run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. One important reminder: even if you see your child, please continue pulling your car all the way forward until you are directed to stop. This allows us to have as many cars in the loop as possible at one time and helps keep the line moving efficiently.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping all of our students safe while also helping us keep the carline moving!
Ranger Rock Out yard signs are an Ada Elementary tradition!
Celebrate your student and show your school pride by purchasing a Ranger Rock Out yard sign!
Kids love spotting their sign during the big event and “Rocking Out” with friends along the walk (see the photo above of the "walking course" we set up for them as a station to do as a class).
After the fundraiser, take your sign home and proudly display it in your yard — a fun way to show your Ranger spirit all year long!
Signs start at $20/sign with a discount after 2 signs but, as always, there is financial assistance for any amount encouraged. See payment options below.
Bonus: A portion of each sign sale supports our school and counts as participation when we measure whether each class reached their 100% participation goal.
To order a sign, please fill out the Ranger Rock Out 2026 Yard Sign Order Form .
Let’s fill all of our neighborhoods with Ada Pride!
Contact the Ada Elementary PTO at ptoadaelementary@gmail.com with questions/concerns.
Interested in volunteering at Ranger Rock Out?
Ranger Rock Out is a fun-filled day of activities all over the school grounds to celebrate our largest fundraiser of the year at Ada Elementary. Making this big event happen would not be possible without our volunteers! There are two ways to join the fun!
- Thursday, September 24 - Help set-up the night before the event. There's a ton to do and we really could use your help!
- Another way to help is to drop off a canopy shade tent to help keep our volunteers cool during the event! We'll take great care of it and return it the end of the day Friday!
- Friday, September 25 - Sign up to work the day of the event. You will work with other parents to help run a station for a half-day "shift".
- Note the stations have an AM and PM timeslot:
- AM: Morning ECSE, Jr Kindergarten, Kindergarten & 1st Grade
- PM: Afternoon ECSE, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade.
Please click here to sign up: Ranger Rock Out Volunteer Form
We are looking for donations of individually packaged, healthy snacks to keep in the office for students who may need a little something to eat during the school day. Items such as granola bars, crackers, pouches, pretzels, and other nutritious, shelf-stable snacks are greatly appreciated.
Please read the attached letter from our Instruction Office Team: CKLA Amplify Family Letter.
Drop-off begins at 8:35 a.m. Please wait for an Ada staff member to be outside before letting your child out of the car.
For both drop-off and pick-up, please use the car line. The other area is reserved for buses. Below, you’ll find a map showing Ada’s traffic flow. When we all follow the same procedures, our car line runs smoothly!
Thank you for practicing patience and kindness while in line.
- Please remain in your car during drop-off and pick-up.
- Students should exit the vehicle from the passenger side, curbside for their safety.
- Please make sure your child(ren) remain safely seated in the car until it is time to exit.
- In the morning, pull all the way forward when dropping off. This helps keep the line moving continuously.
- Please be patient and never jump ahead of another vehicle in line.
- The only exceptions to these arrival and dismissal procedures are those approved by Gabbi Kokenakes for specific needs, such as health concerns or students with casts.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our students and staff safe and to help make arrival and dismissal run smoothly!
In a continuing effort to keep our students safe, Forest Hills Public Schools (Board Policies #3105 & 4205) requires that parents/guardians and community members submit to a criminal background check prior to participating in any volunteer activities (including field trips) involving our students. The Board of Education recognizes and appreciates the generosity and support it receives from volunteers.
If you have more than one child in the district, you only need to complete the form one (1) time.
We will need a copy of the front of your ID to complete this form. If you would like to scan your photo identification using a mobile device, please see this document with directions on how you can accomplish this task: https://bit.ly/docscan20
The Volunteer Consent Form is kept completely confidential at the District Office.
If your student is going to be absent, please call the Ada Attendance Line at 616-493-8943 by 9:00 a.m. This is a 24-hour voicemail system, so you may leave a message anytime, day or night. Voicemails are checked for messages by 9:00 a.m.
The Ada Elementary office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Ada Elementary Main office number (available from 8:00 to 4:30): 616-493-8940
Gabbi Kokenakes
Email: gkokenakes@fhps.net
Website: https://www.fhps.net/elementary-schools/ada/
Location: 731 Ada Drive Southeast, Ada, MI, USA
Phone: 616-493-8940