FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

So the Lions broke my heart this weekend, but despite that loss and the intense cold last week, we still had some amazing experiences, including ArtLab assemblies for our 3rd graders & Montessori students, and the incredibly successful Winter Warm Up Dance sponsored by our PTA! Thank you so much to all of our families who attended, donated, and danced the night away!

This week, we begin our next SEL module focused on executive functioning. As research suggests, “Executive function (EF) and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” EF skills are vitally important for school success and learning the lasts. The great part about EF, though, is that is CAN be something that you continually improve in and that can be taught both at school and at home.

Remember that we do not have school on Monday, January 20th to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I remind students all week that this should not be considered a "day off", but instead is a "day of service. Please consider attending a local event on Monday to honor the work of Dr. King, including the Royal Oak Township event detailed below. There are many other local opportunities that can be found here. One of my favorite message from Dr. King is his eternal focus on love as an empowering force in our world. As he once said, "Love is the most durable power in the world." I share it every year - is there anything more important than this? Our classrooms also will continue learning about and celebrating Dr. King's work this week and next week at school.

Community Event:

Ferndale Public Schools is honored to invite you to the 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, proudly sponsored by The Southeast Oakland Coalition. This year’s theme, "Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Non-Violence," calls us to reflect on Dr. King's enduring legacy and its relevance in today’s world.

Details:

Date: Monday, January 20, 2025
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Tri-County Education Center (TCEC) / Formerly Grant Elementary School: 21131 Garden Lane, Ferndale, MI 48220

Finally, please save the date for our biggest Camp Fundraiser, the Just4Kicks Talent Show at the Loving Touch on February 7th! Check out the PTA/ECG box below for details.

Please reach out if you need anything.

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 will begin Module 4: Executive Functioning. Our focus this week:

Organization & Task Initiation

Please consider reading this short article on why kids who struggle with executive function often struggle with task initiation:

Kids Who Struggle with Executive Function

Acadience Testing & Winter Benchmark Testing throughout January

• Mon. 1/20 - NO SCHOOL - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Tues. 1/21 - School Resumes

Save the Date - Upcoming Important Days January/February

📅 Good Attendance = Success!

Did you know that being absent fewer than five days per semester is considered good

attendance? Showing up consistently sets the stage for academic achievement and future

opportunities. #InClassIsWhereItsAt

👉 Visit www.learninclass.com for more info.

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

Winter Warm Up Dance

We hope you had a fun time at the dance! Thank you to everyone who volunteered, helped plan, or donated! We'll have an update next week about the winter gear donations. We also want to thank Hungry Howie's, Ferndale Foods, and Western Market for food donations! We'd love to hear about your family's experience at the dance, here's a quick survey for feedback: tinyurl.com/yaz6usww

Save the Date

More information coming soon!

FE PTA Advocacy Meeting

January 29, 2025 8:00-9:00PM

This meeting will be held virtually: Link and agenda in next week's newsletter

FE PTA Monthly Meeting

February 11, 2025 6:30-8:00PM Location: FUEL

Community Resource Fair

February 26, 2025 6-7:30PM Location: FUEL

FE PTA invites all our families to join us for the third annual Community Resource Fair! We've invited organizations that serve families in our district to come and share more about their programs. We'll have crafts, games, snacks, prizes, and more! Free to attend!

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Elementary Connections Group Updates

What is the Elementary Connections Group?

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

Ferndale Elementary Schools Adults! The Elementary Connections Group is starting to gather its volunteer base for our Spring Camps. At this time we are looking for the "behind the scenes" people who are willing to help with logistics. We are specifically looking for folks willing to help coordinate grade level camps! For more information please check out What is "CAMP" . Mark your calendars using the Save the Date. And sign up to help on the Volunteer Sign Up Form. Additional sign up opportunities will be shared for each grade level as we approach camps.

Get your babysitter ready for a FABULOUS night out for a great cause (your kids!)!!!! We have local bands Killsound, The Band Mint and The Heavy Dose! We have local comedians Meghan Nyeste and Steve Widzinski who have both book d shows at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle! We have the Ladies of Breckenridge Ave. We have professional dancers and several other wonderful musical acts! Meet fellow Ferndale Elementary supporters and have a well deserved night on the town!

Just 4 Kicks Flyer

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