25 - 26 FHS Weekly Update #16

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan J. Reece, for being elected as the newest member of the Fenton Area Public School Board. Dr. Reece will be replacing Trustee, Ashley Prew. Thank you for your service to the FAPS Board and your willingness to give your time and talent to our district and community.

As many of the community members know, VG's has been undergoing a store remodeling project. On Friday, October 24th, employees from Spartan Nash (the parent company) of VG's along with all of the VG's Department Heads, came together to celebrate.

As part of their celebration, VG's presented Fenton High School with a $5,000 check to help support educational initiatives at the school. Shown below is Superintendent, Dr. Douglas Busch and FHS Assistant Principal, Laura Lemke, accepting the check on behalf of the school and district.

A great BIG thank you to VG's for your on-going support for Fenton students!

Football Playoffs - Round #1 - Friday, October 31st at 7:00 p.m.

Based on the Sunday draw, Fenton will host Holly Broncos in the first round of the playoffs this Friday, October 31st at 7:00 p.m. Because Fenton's overall record was better, we will have home field advantage. Tickets are only available through GoFan.

November

1 - Early Admission Deadline for Colleges in State of Michigan

1 - MCBA Finals for Band

3 - No School/Professional Development Day

3 - FEF Grant Application Deadline

5 - FHS Staff Meeting/No After School Tutoring

6 - Three District - Career Fair

6 - Winter Coaches Meeting - FHS Media Center - 6:30 to 8:30 pm

11 & 13 - Club Photos for Yearbook

12 - Senior Class Parent Project - 7pm @AGS

14 - Blood Drive #2

15 - Ambassadors' Concert

19 - School Improvement/Building Leadership Mtg.

21- Curriculum Guide Revisions Due for 26-27

24 - Winter Meet the Team Night - 6:30 - 9 pm

26 - Start of Thanksgiving Break - No School (11/26, 11/27, & 11/28)

Remember, 1st marking period grades are worth 40% of the semester grade. Semester grades are determined as follows: 1st mp (40%) + 2nd mp (40%) + Semester Exams (20%) = Overall semester grade. Example grade calculation using 75% 1st marking period and 80% second marking period and a 70% on semester exam grade ; (.75)(.40) + (.80)(.40) + (.70)(.20) = .30 + .32 + .14 = .76 = 76% or C for the overall semester grade.

1st marking period (8/19 - 10/17/25) = 40% of 1st semester grade

2nd marking period (10/20 - 12/16/25) = 40% of 1st semester grade

Semester Exams (December 17, 18, & 19, 2025) = 20% of 1st semester grade (This is a change from previous years for semester exams)!

Overall semester grades are what gets put on the official transcript in January, after grades are due 1/7/26.

Next Thursday, November 6, FHS will be co-hosting the first annual Future Ready: Three-District Career & College Fair with Linden and Lake Fenton High Schools. This event gives our JUNIOR STUDENTS the chance to connect directly with college representatives, industry professionals, and training programs as they explore future career pathways.

To help manage attendance and flow, the junior students will attend the fair in two sessions based on last name:

• Morning Session: Students with last names A–M will be released at 9:40 am from SRT and end at 11:15 am with students returning to class at the end of 3rd hour.
  

• Afternoon Session: Students with last names N–Z will be released at 1:20 pm during 5th hour and will be dismissed at the end of the day
  

Monday (11/3/25) - No School/Professional Development Day

Tuesday (11/4/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Wednesday (11/5/25)

• FHS Staff Meeting - 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. - No After School Tutoring

Thursday (11/6/25)

• Three District Career Fair - 7:00 am - 3:00 p.m.
• After School Tutoring - 2:45 - 3:20 p.m. If riding a bus, or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus
• Winter Coaches Meeting 6:30 - 8:30 pm in FHS Media Center

Friday (11/7/25)

Monday (11/10/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus
• Competitive Cheer Tryouts - 3:00 - 5:30 pm - FHS Aux Gym

Tuesday (11/11/25) - Veterans' Day

• Club Pictures in SRT
• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus
• Competitive Cheer Tryouts - 3:00 - 5:30 pm - FHS Aux Gym

Wednesday (11/12/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus
• Competitive Cheer Tryouts - 3:00 - 5:30 pm - FHS Aux Gym

Thursday (11/13/25)

• Club Pictures in SRT
• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Friday (11/14/25)

• NHS Blood Drive #2

Saturday (11/15/25)

• Ambassadors - 7:00 p.m. in FHS Auditorium

Monday (11/17/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Tuesday (11/18/25)

• GCI Roadshow during SRT - for all 10th Grade Students
• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Wednesday (11/19/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Thursday (11/20/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Friday (11/21/25)

Monday (11/24/25)

• After School Tutoring - 2:45 to 3:20 p.m. (if riding a bus), or 3:40 p.m. if not riding the bus

Tuesday (11/25/25)

• No After School Tutoring - Start of the Thanksgiving Break

Wednesday (11/26/25) - No School - Thanksgiving Break

Thursday (11/20/25) - No School - Thanksgiving Break

Friday (11/21/25) - No School - Thanksgiving Break

Rotary Club of Fenton is organizing their annual Angel Tree event for 2025. If you have a child attending Fenton schools and need help with Christmas gifts for them, please complete THIS APPLICATION ASAP to be considered for our program. The deadline for applications is NOVEMBER 27, 2025. Date for delivery of packages will be December 20, 2025.

This form is only for families with children attending Fenton Area Schools. If you know someone who could be eligible, please refer them to the school counselor at their school.

This school year, Fenton High School has begun using a tool available through Synergy to provide attendance notification letters to families quickly and more cost-effectively. Moving forward, attendance letters will now be delivered weekly to parents' emails, and a copy of the letter will be posted in Parentvue/Studentvue. Each time you log into Parentvue/Studentvue, if there is a new attendance letter posted to your account, you will need to acknowledge receipt of that letter.

One of the unintended consequences of this new system is that Synergy has regenerated every letter that has been created for your student since they started at FHS. Therefore, if your student is a senior, you may be receiving letters from the past 3+ years of school. You may disregard letters that were from previous years.

Moving forward, you should only receive letters that pertain to this semester. We appreciate your patience during this time of transition from letters being mailed via US Mail to email.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bakker at dbakker@fentonschools.org

Sincerely,

Michael Bakker

FHS Principal

Project Graduation Planning Meeting

Wednesday, November 12th

7pm at AGS - please use the back entrance by the gym.

Questions? jwright@fentonschools.org

Parchment allows families/students to request, send, and, store transcripts. It also includes powerful tools to research colleges and admissions. We advise NOT to use school email addresses during the registration process, as there may be a need to access this resource beyond high school years.

To access Parchment, please follow these steps:

1. Login/ Register - Sign in at www.parchment.com and click Sign Up to log in or register.

2. Add School - Click Get Started, and add high school(s).

3. Select Destinations- Select destinations such as colleges, NCAA, Common Application, or yourself, and review your selection.

4. Provide Consent- Complete waiver form and e-sign the transcript authorization form.

5. Payment - Provide debit/credit card payment if fees are required.

6. Track Order - Order Status will be emailed and updated in Parchment account.

Kiwanis Club of Flint Michigan October Athlete(s) of the month winners!

The Fenton Boys' Varsity Cross Country Team were Regional Champions last weekend at Linden and qualified to compete as a team at the Michigan International Speedway this Saturday.

Lucy Bott, will also be heading to MIS as she took 8th place last weekend and qualified as an individual.

Students who have paid their participation fees or purchased the student pass this year, your passes are digital and MUST be used with Go Fan (app). Check your school gmail for an email from Mrs. Dailey in Athletics to access your pass.

If you plan on attending any home contests, you have to have the pass loaded on your mobile device.

Steps:

1. Pay your participation fees

2. Within 48 hours you will receive an email from Renee Dailey with directions

3. Follow the directions described in the email. Click the "sports pass" image above for a pdf version of the directions!

The Fenton Marching Tigers are headed to Ford Field at 4:45 am on Saturday, November 1st to compete at the MCBA State Championship! They qualified this past weekend after placing 10th in the regular season.

Congratulations to Mr. Conaton & Mr. Jeffrey, and all of our 107 Fenton Marching Tiger Team members!

Fenton High School NHS recognized that not all students have the same access to adequate hygiene products, and they have set out a goal to help.

Consequently, they are sponsoring a "Hygiene Drive" competition (by SRT) with the SRT class with the most donations being rewarded with a pizza party.

Please consider helping out this worthy cause!.

FHS Ambassadors will be holding their 37th annual Holiday Greenery & Wreath Sale with delivery taking place the week of November 24th (just in time for decorating or gifting).

See the order form below.

Calling FHS Artists. Fenton High School is looking for a "Tiger" drawing for our next Curriculum Guide for the 2026-27 school year. Take a look at some of the previous drawings for inspiration and see what you can come up with.

Deadline for submitting your drawing to Mrs. Stapp is Tuesday, December 2nd.

The most famous of all the units fighting in Cuba, the "Rough Riders" was the name given to the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt resigned his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in May 1898 to join the volunteer cavalry. The original plan for this unit called for filling it with men from the Indian Territory, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma. However, once Roosevelt joined the group, it quickly became the place for a mix of troops ranging from Ivy League athletes to glee-club singers to Texas Rangers and Indians.

Roosevelt and the commander of the unit Colonel Leonard Wood trained and supplied the men so well at their camp in San Antonio, Texas, that the Rough Riders were allowed into the action, unlike many other volunteer companies. They went to Tampa at the end of May and sailed for Santiago de Cuba on June 13. There they joined the Fifth Corps, another highly trained, well supplied, and enthusiastic group consisting of excellent soldiers from the regular army and volunteers.

The Rough Riders saw battle at Las Guásimas when General Samuel B. M. Young was ordered to attack at this village, three miles north of Siboney on the way to Santiago. Although it was not important to the outcome of the war, news of the action quickly made the papers. They also made headlines for their role in the Battle of San Juan Hill, which became the stuff of legend thanks to Roosevelt's writing ability and reenactments filmed long after.

Students in Mrs. Gray's U.S. History classes "took to the halls" earlier this week to help bring to life this piece of U.S. History.

Mr. Smith and his Video Productions crew have been hard at work creating the next episode of the FHS News. Check out the September 19th episode here.

1st Episode (9/5/25) Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lLbDMh5Oryf-9OReANBS6xUq2MQVnoXK/view?usp=sharing

2nd Episode (9/19/25): https://drive.google.com/file/d/17eVDWu5b4m9DUo32C2efoqcWcnGLeNBb/view

3rd Episode (10/3/25)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BgMK7UKtQKlzEGExl1ysmXplIALNPKNj/view?usp=sharing

4th Episode (10/17/25)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Dp-5Q81Pz-LcMoE7bhkfgvvitqSxvwV/view?usp=sharing

5th Episode (10/31/25) - Halloween Episode

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13b-0Pej0q6uW6gS_9aPTcA6oITBXQmyQ/view

This is a reminder that we have a "Community Bulletin Board" on our district website where we post digital flyers related to community events, local clubs or activities, community sports programs, etc... Please visit the link to see what's happening throughout our community! #WeAreFenton

https://www.fentonschools.org/page/community-bulletin-board

Here are the links for Summer Work Permits:

Under 16 years: https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/ber/wage-and-hour/work-permits

Age 16–17 yrs: https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/ber/wage-and-hour/work-permits

• Beginning April 2, 2025, HB 5594 changed work-hour restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds to align with federal law, limiting them to 3 hours per school day, 18 hours per school week, and 40 hours per non-school week, with work allowed only between 7 AM and 7 PM (or 9 PM from May 31 until Labor Day)
• Work Permits Shifting to LEO - PA 196 of 2024 moves the responsibility for issuing work permits from schools to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity starting no later than October 1, 2026. Schools will still retain the authority to revoke permits for attendance or academic concerns, maintaining a key leverage point for student engagement.
• There will be some additional, minimal process for employers and minors (or their parents), as well as a new database of authorized youth employers available online, but that process will be handled entirely by LEO once they take over the work permit system.

Every Friday during the school year, FHS will push out a Weekly Update to students/parents. These updates are also posted on the Fenton Area Public Schools website and are housed there for families to be able to refer back to them.

1. Go to www.fentonschools.org

2. Click on Schools & select Fenton High School

3. Go to heading "Our School"

4. Look for subheading called "Weekly Updates"

To help reduce the length of the Weekly Update while still providing parents with easy access to multiple resources, we have created the 25-26 FHS Parent Cheat Sheet. It will be housed on our website and included in the FHS Weekly Updates.

1. Application for Free & Reduced Breakfast/Lunch - which also includes discounts on Pay to Play, AP & IB Testing Fees, Chromebook fees, Summer School, etc. https://fenton.familyportal.cloud/

2. Bus Routes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17POEDFrmeNl4MVdreNxXpca-oV7WwuU6/view?usp=sharing

3. FHS Calendar: a) Click HERE for the FHS calendar. b) Once on the calendar, click on the graphic in the bottom right corner to add it to your calendar. The graphic has a plus symbol and the words Google Calendar.

3. Chromebook Agreement & Google Form

Agreement Form: https://www.fentonschools.org/o/fps/page/11-chromebook-initiative

Google Form: https://fentonschools.incidentiq.com/policy/866691ce-5be0-44b3-8231-0a001291884b/lookup

3. Lunch Menu: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2673/FPS/5992098/September-_FHS.pdf

4. Medication Form:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O58bESswPRVDumznMmrkDoiiV7C9WqAC_MLmOaYCn5w/edit?tab=t.0

5. Outside Food deliveries - Outside food deliveries compete with what is sold in the cafeteria as part of the federal school lunch programs, creates confusion, incorrectly implies students can order food for delivery to the cafeteria, and results in strangers (delivery people) trying to enter the campus creating a safety issue, therefore are not permitted.

6.Parking Registration Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwhFp8jh0YSRNzfzYw5Zg5jrQ0A_zAS6tgZGTUZQ4X2o0s5g/viewform

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has posted the following message on the MDHHS website: “Per the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, due to the federal government shutdown, there may be a delay in issuing November 2025 Food Assistance Program benefits.”

Families that may need assistance with food, check out the following resources:

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) interactive map, Where can I get TEFAP?
• Find Help - Michigan 2-1-1 for other local resources available.

With the colder weather season upon us, it's that time of year when we start preparing for possible inclement weather and the possibility of school cancellation. Please take time to plan for what you and your family will do in the event we have to cancel school.

The process used to consider weather cancellations is below:

• The district, in conjunction with the transportation department, operations department, law enforcement and local road commissions monitor the weather.
• Fenton collaborates with other area superintendents to make decisions based on the road conditions for our area currently and/or in the near future.
• The district will notify designated individuals in the event of a school closure to then disseminate information as quickly as possible.
• Families can check: the district website, messaging through our FAPS app to phones in the form of voice, text message, email message, district Facebook, and news stations (ABC 12, WNEM 5, NBC 25, Detroit Fox2).

When the weather breaks and road conditions are in question, remember to leave early and drive slowly. Ensure your contact information is updated with your school so the district can provide the most efficient communication, and download our FAPS App.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

ABOUT THE LIFELINE

https://988lifeline.org/

Kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by family members, close family friends or other important adults in the child’s life. This could include grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, family friends or members of their tribes or clans.

Contact: 800-535-1218 (Monday - Friday, 9-4 PM).

WEBSITE: kinship.msu.edu EMAIL: kinship@msu.edu

If you need assistance, and are in the Fenton, Lake Fenton, or Linden school districts, Fenton Area Resources & Referral Network (aka FARR) can help with emergency assistance and resources. See contact info below.

​

FARR

P.O. Box 529

Fenton, MI 48430

​Phone - (810) 750-6244

Fax - (810) 885-0286

​Email - FARRNetworkHelp@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fentonhs48430

Instagram: @fenton_hs

Twitter: @Fenton_HS

Website: www.fentonschools.org

Office Hours: Monday through Friday - 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Website: www.fentonschools.org
Location: 3200 West Shiawassee Avenue, Fenton, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 591-2600

FHS Administration:

Michael Bakker, Principal

mbakker@fentonschools.org

Laura Lemke, Assistant Principal (Grade 10 & 12):

llemke@fentonschools.org

Edward Uhrik, Athletic Director/Assistant Principal:

euhrik@fentonschools.org

Jennifer Yonkof, Assistant Principal (Grades 9 & 11)

jyonkof@fentonschools.org

Counselors:

Brian Halas - Last Names A - F

bhalas@fentonschools.org

Michelle Pietraszkiewicz - Last Names G - N:

mpietraszkiewicz@fentonschools.org

Craig Golembiewski - Last Names O - Z:

cgolembiewski@fentonschools.org

Career & College Readiness Coordinator:

Lindsay Grady:

lgrady@fentonschools.org

IB Diploma Coordinator:

Mark Suchowski

msuchowski@fentonschools.org

Phone (810) 591-2610

Early Middle College/Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Samantha Burns

sburns@fentonschools.org