FUEL School Newsletter

FUEL Families,

We had a fun week last week with our Spooky Spirit Week and it was fun to see students in their costumes with their personalities on full display! Our students are really leaning into our "CREATE" one-word this year - have you asked them recently about our Spark Tank? Their ingenuity and creativity are truly on display every week - it's fun to see and brings me joy every Friday in our weekly shout outs. As we close out the first quarter of the school year, it's important to take some time to reflect with your student on how they feel is school is going, what they are enjoying, where do they feel they are growing, and what they feel is next for them. These small reflections are an important part of the learning process, particularly for our upper elementary age group as we help them to grow their independence in learning and take ownership in the process.

There is also lots of important information this week! We host our Family-Teacher Conferences and we are hopeful that we will get to connect with each and every family to discuss student progress and support! Conferences will be held Monday, November 2nd from 4-6:30 pm and Thursday, November 5th between 12 pm and 6:30 pm. Please check with your child’s teacher for information on signing up. Don't forget to also stop into the Book Fair during conferences - please see the PTA box below for details and hours.

With all the goodies from Halloween, I wanted to take a quick moment to remind our families that we are a nut-restricted building. Nuts of all kinds are restricted at FUEL because of students with severe and life-threatening allergies. The restriction is in effect in the entire building and at all times. Please help us keep our students safe and check students' backpacks and lunches before sending them to school. You can also check out the Chartwells November Flyer for more information on food service this month.

New items this week: a shout out to our Student Council who continue to enrich our school and community! Check out their Food & Clothing Drive that will be held from 11/9-11/20 to support our families in need this holiday season in winter. We also are excited to invite families to upload their pictures from the school year (field trip, assemblies, camps, etc.) to our Yearbook - check out the Yearbook Candids Flyer for details.

The district also invites families who are interested in promoting health and wellness across our school community to join the District Health and Wellness Committee! If you would like to get involved and help support the well-being of our students, families, and staff, please complete this form to express your interest. The first meeting will be held virtually on November 12 at 4:00 p.m. We look forward to connecting with you and working together to build a healthier school community!

Finally, I ran out of time on Friday for our Quarter 1 Family Update video - stay tuned for it early this week!

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 2: Brain States Our focus this week:

Emotional State - Limbic System

An upset emotional state is triggered by the world not going our way - something children feel regularly in their daily life. Here’s a quick video on managing those feelings (remember - there are NO “bad” feelings!): How To Manage Your Emotions

Early Release Wednesday dismissal is 2:38 p.m. Remember, every Wednesday for the entire year!

• Mon. 11/2 - Family-Teacher Conferences, 4-6:30 pm
• Tues. 11/3 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher PD Day
• Thurs. 11/5 - HALF DAY, 11:53 a.m. dismissal; PM - Family-Teacher Conferences, 12-3 & 4-6:30
• Fri. 11/6 - Mobile Dentist

SAVE THE DATE:

• Mon. 11/16 - NEW Picture Retake Day & Yearbook Groups Pictures

What does a “thriving school” look like to your parents and families? FPS is teaming up with United Way to join the Community School District Alliance, a model designed to put families at the center of school success. From extra tutoring and STEM programs to better mental health support, they want to know what matters most to parents and families. To meet that end, United Way has asked its partners at RMC Research to help us listen to our families so we can get this right. Please include this document link in your next two family newsletters and encourage families to take 10 minutes to help the United Way plan to support us for the 2026/27 school year?

United Way Survey Intro

Celebrate the grand opening of your official Ferndale Elementary School store with 20% OFF custom tees, hoodies, joggers, hats & more. Hurry, this sale won’t last long.

Be sure to customize your gear to how you like by clicking on "other designs available" as we have the Ferndale Lower, Ferndale Upper, and Ferndale Elementary logo's available as well as our Feather Swoosh design.

*This is not a fundraiser as the school does not make any money. This is a site set up to buy Eagle Swag.#TheFutureIsFerndale #WeSetTheStandard

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/michigan/ferndale/ferndale-elementary-school

Know Before You Vote: Nov. 3 School Ballot Proposal

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters who live within Ferndale Public Schools will decide an Operating Millage Replacement Proposal. The proposal does not increase the tax rate. It keeps the district’s existing 18-mill levy on non-homestead property (businesses, rentals and second homes) in place from 2027 through 2046. Primary residences are exempt.

Levying the full 18 mills is how our district receives its full per-pupil funding from the State. If approved, the proposal is estimated to provide $6.74 million in 2027 for general operations.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, and early voting runs Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. The last day to register online or by mail is Oct. 19. To find your polling place and precinct, visit mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index. For the full ballot language and answers to common questions, visit ferndaleschools.org/page/millage.

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!

Scholastic Book Fair at FUEL

November 2-6

The FUEL Scholastic Book Fair is here! You can start your eWallet (the cashless way to shop), view the Book Fair Preview, see shopping dates and times, donate to help all students shop the Fair, request a scholarship for your child to shop the Fair, or sign up to volunteer here: https://linktr.ee/fepta

FLower's Book Fair is December 7-11, more information will be shared soon.

FE PTA Meeting

November 10 6:30PM FLower

Join us for FE PTA committee information and updates from teachers and the principals. Our meetings are a great way to meet other school families and stay in the know. Onsite, free babysitting available. We will also be hosting a conversation with school staff about the District's technology policy. Hope to see you there!

If you missed the October meeting, you can find the meeting minutes and slide deck on our website: www.fepta.org under the meetings tab.

Skate Night

We had over 800 people attend last week! We love seeing our community come together for this Ferndale tradition! A huge thank you to The Institution of Dance Arts for their financial support - their donation made it possible to add the third hour. Check out their dance classes, including jazz, ballet, acro, hip hop and more for preschoolers through adults: www.theida.org

Board of Education Candidate Forum

If you were unable to attend last week's event, you can find out more information about the BOE candidates here: https://www.fairferndale.org/events and at the Oakland County Times website. Thank you to the Advocacy Committee, Fair Ferndale and League of Women Voters for helping make this event possible.

What is the Elementary Connections Group (ECG)

We are a parent-led elementary group devoted to enhancing our children’s education through outdoor learning opportunities. Our goal is to build connections, foster curiosity, and create enriching experiences that go beyond the classroom.

ECG is so excited to kick off our Braided Bread Fundraiser! This delicious Ferndale tradition helps your child earn money toward their camp adventure — and every loaf sold brings them closer to their goal! All profits go directly toward your child’s camp cost, so your family and friends can enjoy fresh, tasty bread while supporting your student’s big trip! Any profits over your child's camp cost will go into the general fund which provides full or partial scholarships.

Parents will have received an e-mail from My Fundraising Place with instructions specific to your child’s online store. No paper forms to worry about!

Fundraiser Letter & Fundraising Site

Camp - Bread Fundraiser!

Start Date: Monday, October 5th

End Date to submit orders: Monday, October 26th

Delivery Date: Thursday, November 12th in the afternoon (pick up at school)

As we move further into the school year, we want to remind families of a few important guidelines for keeping our students and staff healthy. Please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100°F or higher, vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours, a persistent cough or sore throat, signs of an eye infection, or a rash accompanied by itching or fever.

Students should be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and free from vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Thank you, FMS families, for helping us maintain a healthy learning environment for everyone!

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 2026-2027 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