FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

We have two full weeks before Spring Break - the final break of the year! - and only 11 weeks left in our 25-26 school year! We are continuing to talk daily about our SOAR expectations, how we must continue to STRIVE to work hard each and every day at school, and to focus on maximizing our learning time. Please continue to reinforce these expectations at home as well.

We do get to have some fun this week as well, as we head for our next all-school field trip to Ferndale High School on Thursday to see all of our former FUEL students performing in this years musical, The Wizard of Oz! We also continue all of our Reading Month activities this week (our Ivan books are still coming - USPS lost them!!!), including Guest Reader visits by current Ferndale High School students!

I also hope you will join us in our K-5 Literacy Night & Indie Book Fair at FLower from 5:30-7 pm on Monday, March 16th. Check out the PTA box below for details - and a special shout out to our FUEL Student Council who have organized a Book Swap for that evening as well!

4th & 5th grade families - please also take time to carefully read the ECG box below for important information and links for our overnight camps in May. And, please remember that Sex Education lessons for 4th and 5th grade students will begin the week of March 23rd. Please read this letter carefully - it went home in backpacks last week.

Finally, please see the district Summer School Flyer for information regarding the summer school program this year (rising K-5 will be held at Ferndale Lower and rising 6th graders will be at Ferndale Middle School!). Spots will be filled first based on individual academic need, but anyone can complete the registration form if you are interested in attending.

With gratitude,

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 5: Mindfulness. Our focus this week:

Kindness & Character

No resources this week - this one is all about modeling, modeling, modeling. Our children reflect our own actions and behavior at home - how do you, as the parent, model kindness and character? How do you treat others? How do you model handling upset or conflict? Remember - they are always watching us and looking for our guidance!

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

**Reading Month Calendar & Coach Mitchell's March Madness Fitness Calendar

• Mon. 3/16 - YMCA Sportport, 3:45-5:15 pm; K-5 Family Literacy Night, 5:30-7 pm @ Lower

• Tues. 3/17 - FHS Guest Reader Day; Battle of the Books, 1:30 pm in GYM

• Wed. 3/18 - FHS Guest Reader Day; Statewide Tornado Drill, 1 pm

• Thurs. 3/19 - All-School Field Trip, FHS Musical - 8:45-11 am

• Fri. 3/20 - Student Council Guest Reader visits

Save the Date:

• FHS Musical - Wizard of Oz Flyer & Information - weekends in March!

• Elks Lodge Soccer Shoot - 3/28

• Sat. 4/11/26 - District Wellness Fair, 11-2 pm @ FHS

• Summer School Flyer - summer 2026

The MSTEP assessment window opens in April and continues through mid-may for make-up testing. This year, we will be testing as an entire building for the English Language Arts assessments, on Tuesday, April 14th and Wednesday, April 15th.

It is vitally important that we attempt to limit all late arrivals and appointments on the scheduled testing days to avoid disruptions during testing. Thank you in advance for your support.

5th Grade

• Thurs. 4/9 - Science
• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Tues. 4/28 & Wed. 4/29 - Mathematics
• Tues. 5/5 - Social Studies

4th Grade

• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Tues. 4/23 - Mathematics

3rd Grade

• Tues. 4/14 & Wed. 4/15 - English Language Arts
• Thurs. 4/30 - Mathematics

3rd Grade Montessori

• Mon. 4/28 & Tues. 4/29 - English Language Arts
• Thurs. 4/30 - Mathematics

You can also read the state update from our State Superintendent here:

MDE State Superintendent Letter - Spring Assessments

Please consider supporting our former FUEL students - check out the Giggle Pickles fundraisers and information below in their quest to Nationals!

Upcoming Fundraisers:

• Now – March 31: Round-Up Donation Campaign at Scheer's Ace Hardware

• All March: Tips from B. Nektar will support the team

• March 24: Chipotle Mexican Grill fundraiser — use code VVV3P9C and a portion of sales will go to the team

• March 28 (3–5 PM): Family-Friendly Comedy Show at Go Comedy! Improv Theater

• April 4 (10 AM – 3 PM): Spring Maker’s Mart at Pleasant Ridge Community Center

• April 11: Fundraiser at Tall Trees Cafe (details to follow)

You can also support the team directly through their GoFundMe: gofund.me/8ece02212
Learn more about the team at: gigglepicklesrobotics.org

The flyers can be found here!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NEAY0GY5ov80VitNf-t22iWY5WNZVGtg/view?usp=drivesdk

From an early March newsletter:

I want to take a "soapbox" moment to talk about technology use at home. Since the holidays, we have seen an increase in student texting, group chats, and social media use at home that is impacting instructional time at school, which is unacceptable. As a district, we are working to reduce technology time at school - but this is an effort that MUST extend beyond school hours.

Finding a healthy balance with technology is a team effort for the whole family - I know it can be tough, but it is essential to our students' healthy development. As our students grow, it is important to monitor device use at home to ensure that digital time remains high-quality and safe. Setting consistent limits on screen time—especially during meals and at least one hour before bed—helps protect essential time for sleep, play, and face-to-face connection. We encourage you to explore the resources below for practical tips on creating a family media plan that works for your household. Please consider taking time this week to check out these resources for limiting screen time at home and how to better monitor:

• Common Sense Media: Parent Tips and Reviews – Age-based ratings for movies, games, and apps, plus advice for managing digital life.

• AAP Family Media Plan Tool – This is a customizable tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help you set healthy tech boundaries.

And, better yet, if you want to take a pledge to limit technology and social media at home, check out "Wait Until 8th" which is a national campaign to help kids "be kids longer."

If additional support is needed outside of school hours, families may also dial 211, a free and confidential resource that connects callers to community services in our area.

We are here to help—your school and CIS team are committed to supporting you and your family every step of the way.

Did you know the Ferndale Elementary PTA organizes family and community events, school assemblies, volunteer opportunities, book fairs, and supports our teachers and schools through grants, partnerships and appreciation events? Our events and meetings are open to all our school families!

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

FE PTA Meetings

If you missed the March meeting, here are the slides: https://tinyurl.com/FEPTAMarchMeeting2026

In the slides, learn more about the PTA Reflections program, which we hope to bring to our schools next year, information about proposed changes to our Bylaws and Board, spring Skate night, Book Fairs and more

The next PTA meeting is April 14, 2026 6:30PM FLower

Family Literacy Night: An Evening of Books, Creativity, and Connection

March 16, 2025 5:30-7:00PM Location: FLower

Bring the whole family for a joyful night centered around stories, imagination, and hands-on fun.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2824621707877190

Part 1: The Indie Book Fair
Step into a one-of-a-kind traveling book fair powered entirely by Michigan’s local, independently published children’s authors. Kids will browse unique books you won’t find at big box stores, meet the real authors behind the stories, and even get their books signed. It’s a chance for young readers to see that stories come from real people in their own community.

Part 2: Interactive Literacy Workshops
Then, roll up your sleeves and jump into engaging workshops designed for families to create together. From crafts, to storytelling activities to creative literacy games, kids won’t just read stories, they’ll become storytellers themselves.

Meet real authors
Discover fresh new books
Create together as a family
Spark a love of reading that lasts beyond the night

This free event is designed especially for elementary school families and is all about making reading feel exciting, accessible, and fun.

We can’t wait to welcome you for an evening where books come to life.

A big thank you to our own local book store Love and Other Books, for their support again this year putting this event on.

4th and 5th Grade Parents & Guardians!

Here is everything you need for 4th and 5th grade camp!!

1. Camp Presentations
1. 4th Grade- Tamarack
2. 5th Grade- Copneconic
2. Paperwork Due Dates- All paperwork must be turned in on time. NO late paperwork will be accepted. If you need a new copy of the paperwork please reach out to the ECG board (ferndale.elementaryconnections@gmail.com)
3. Payment questions? Email the ECG Board and Lauren Donnelly will get back to you.
4. Mandatory Volunteer Meeting- Tuesday, May 12 (6 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria). Please be sure to attend to review chaperone expectations for camp.
5. Volunteer Registration Form- If you are volunteering, be sure to have your form on file!
6. Sign up to Volunteer- You can find the SignUp Geniuses here.
1. 4th Grade Sign Up Genius Link
2. 5th Grade Sign Up Genius Link
7. Dietary Forms- Only fill out if you DO have dietary restrictions
1. 4th Grade- Tamarack Dietary Form
2. 5th Grade- Copneconic Dietary Form
8. Other questions? Reach out to Katie Jeffrey and/or Sylvia Oatley sylvia.oatley@gmail.com

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