FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

Can you believe we are already in the final week of September? Time flies when we get to spend time with your beautiful, inquisitive, imaginative, and super-fun children! I'm really enjoying getting to be in classrooms and observe all of our different content area instruction. In the coming week, our SEL focus is on setting goals and self-reflection and routines - key components to any true/deep learning. This is a great week to check out the SEL box below for some resources for home on these topics!

This week we also continue with some of our after-school groups including the FUEL Robotics teams and Playlabs. We will also be beginning Girls on the Run soon, along with the boys' running club PACE, also through the YMCA. See the flyer in the Student Groups box below for signing up and for additional details. We also could still use 1-2 volunteer coaches for the PACE club.

A few district and building level reminders:

• Are you having trouble with Rooms or Mistar or other instructional technologies for your K-12 students? Check out the district's short service survey to have someone reach out to you!

• Attendance Reminders: please remember that if your student misses 10 or more days of school, in an academic year, their academic progress will be significantly impacted! Please use our Attendance Tracker that was passed out at the Popsicles event to track your student's absence from school!

• Field trips are coming! Field trips are coming! Please be sure to sign and turn-in permission slips ASAP when they come home in communication folders. We cannot do last minute field trip adds for most trips. You can always check the dates box below for upcoming trips.
• Pickup line has been going great this year and our tardies are way down! Great job families! Please be sure to review our expectations with anyone who might drop-off or pick up your students (e.g. grandparents, neighbors, etc.). Please remember to NOT park in the handicapped spots without a sticker.

We are looking forward to seeing as many of our families as possible at the Ferndale Public Schools Homecoming Parade, Tailgate & Varsity Football Game this Friday, September 27th! The festivities begin with the parade at 4:30 pm - the meeting spot is Planavon & 9 Mile as in previous years! Bring your candy-throwing arms and join us to celebrate our district. The parade will be followed by the Homecoming Tailgate from 5-7 pm and then the football game at 7 pm on the football field.

Finally, please remember to contact me via Rooms, email, or phone if you need anything. We are here for you!

See you soon!

- 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:

Setting Goals/Self Reflection & Rituals

Check out this short article from PBS on creating rituals and routines at home - these are particularly important for these busy, busy months of September and October.

**Panorama Student Competencies Survey this week

**5th Grade Band/Orchestra Schedule beginning 9/23

• Mon. 9/23 - Playlabs begins this week
• Tues. 9/24 - Special Education PAC Meeting, 6-7:30 pm @ FHS Nest - PAC Flyer
• Wed. 9/25 - Early Release Wednesday, 2:38 pm dismissal
• Fri. 9/27 - FPS Homecoming, 4:30 pm Parade, 5-7 pm Tailgate @ FHS, 7 pm Game

The following student groups have started (or will be starting) in the coming weeks:

• FUEL Robotics - contact Mr. Fennig for information - maisson.fennig@ferndaleschools.org
• Playlabs - begins 9/23; contact - Michigan Stage
• Girls on the Run - begins 10/1 - contact: Coach Sophie, sophie.martin@ferndaleschools.org
• PACE Boys' Running Club - information coming soon!

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

This week we welcome our new Student Support Coordinator, Denazia Pettway, from our Communities in Schools partnership. More info coming soon!

Ferndale Elementary PTA's events and meetings are open to all our school families!

To learn more about FE PTA:

Facebook: fb.me/FerndaleElementaryPTA

Email: ferndale.elem.pta@gmail.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ferndale_elementary_pta

Website: ferndaleschools.org/page/parent-organizations

To become a FE PTA member: ferndaleelementarypta.givebacks.com/store

Upcoming FE PTA Events - Everyone is welcome!

Board of Education Candidate Forum

September 30, 2024 7PM Location: FLower

This year there are three open seats for the Ferndale Board of Education. The FE PTA Advocacy Committee invites everyone to attend our Candidate Forum to meet the candidates, ask questions, hear their proposals, and prepare to VOTE! Everyone is welcome! Voter registration and childcare will be available. This is event is open to the public - please share the flyer: https://tinyurl.com/3u5x8u9p

Please RSVP and /or sign up for childcare at actionnetwork.org/events/ferndale candidate-forum/

FE PTA Meeting

October 8, 2024 6:30-8:00PM Location: FUEL

Come and learn about other groups in the District serving families and students. Onsite, free babysitting available.

Walk-A-Thon and Field Day

October 9, 2024 8:30AM-12:30PM Location: FUEL

This fun-filled event 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.

Pledge forms will be in student folders this week. You can also donate online: app.givebacks.gives/feptafieldday2024. 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/yzhebsrc. Volunteer forms must be on file: https://www.ferndaleschools.org/forms/8271

Elementary Connections Group Updates

What is the Elementary Connections Group?

Please see the attached flyer for more information about the Elementary Connections Group.

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 2024-2025 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