FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

This month, we kick off our Black History Month celebrations and will be focusing on this year's theme of "Music, Movement & Moving Forward." Our celebrations will include weekly read-alouds, dancing, music events, and our annual speaker series featuring FHS & UHS graduates sharing their stories and careers! You can also check out small spotlights each week in the Communities in Schools section of this newsletter - our first spotlight focuses on the "movement" aspect of our theme, with a highlight on Olympian Freddie Richardson!

This week, please remember that we have NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, February 5th due to a teacher professional development day, followed by our recognition of the Global Day of Play on Thursday, February 6th. Ferndale will join over 280,000 students across the world for “Global Day of Play”. It is a day set aside to provide students an opportunity for unstructured and unplugged play with their peers. Students will communicate, share, take turns and explore using their imaginations.

It's also Talent Show time! We hope to see you on Friday, February 7th at 7 pm at the Loving Touch for our biggest camp fundraiser of the school year - come see all of our amazing parent talent on display! Check out this flyer for more details.

A new reminder: as noted in this past week's district e-blast, our district has a new bond proposal for the May 6th election - with a focus on our FMS/FHS campuses! For more information throughout the process of our 2025 Capital Facilities Proposal, please visit our website at

https://www.ferndaleschools.org/page/vote.

Finally, I want to give a huge shout out to our 5th grade Orchestra students who were AMAZING at their All-City Concert this past Saturday - it was so fun to see how much you have grown in five short months! Next up - our All-City Choir kids this Saturday at 2 pm!

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 continue with Module 4: Executive Functioning. Our focus this week:

Planning & Prioritizing

This is a great occupational therapy resource for working with kids on planning, prioritizing, and time management: Executive Functioning Skills - Teach Planning & Prioritization

• Wed. 2/5 - NO SCHOOL - DPPD Day
• Thurs. 2/6 - Global Day of Play; Report Cards Sent Home; Montessori Open House, 6 pm
• Fri. 2/7 - Just4Kicks Talent Show, 7 pm @ The Loving Touch
• Sat. 2/8 - All-City Choir Concert, 3 pm @ FHS

Save the Date - Upcoming Important Days January/February; Dream Big Cities of the Future Event

Communities in Schools Supports

At FUEL, we believe in the power of community and support—especially during times of uncertainty. Communities In Schools of Michigan is here for ALL families, providing resources, encouragement, and a strong support system to ensure every student thrives. We are more than just a school; we are a family, standing together to uplift and empower one another. If you need support, we are here for you!

Black History Month at FUEL: Movement, Music & Moving Forward

This February, we are celebrating Black History Month with our theme: Movement, Music & Moving Forward. Throughout the month, students will engage in activities that highlight the rich contributions of African Americans in sports, music, and social progress.

Our featured African American this year is Frederick "Flip" Richardson—a remarkable athlete and University of Michigan student who has represented the U.S. on the world’s biggest stage: the Olympics! His dedication, perseverance, and excellence in athletics embody the spirit of resilience and progress that we celebrate during Black History Month.

Stay tuned for engaging lessons, activities, and discussions as we honor Black history and inspire our students to keep moving forward!

Denazia Pettway | (she/her)

Student Support Coordinator
Ferndale Upper Elementary

denazia@cismichigan.org , 248-5470-0880 ext 1653

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/stor

FE PTA Monthly Meeting

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

Join us for the February FE PTA meeting! Updates from teachers and the principals, as well as the Assemblies, June Fair and Advocacy Committees, and upcoming family events. Everyone is welcome to attend. Onsite, free babysitting is available.

Winter Resource Fair

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

FE PTA invites all our families to join us for the third annual Winter 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!

For more information: facebook.com/events/946696457569089

Share the flyer: tinyurl.com/37psrj37

To volunteer (teen volunteers welcome!): https://tinyurl.com/winterresourcefairvolunteers

June Fair Planning Committee:

An annual tradition to celebrate the end of the school year, the FE PTA June Fair is a fun evening of midway games, inflatables, food, raffle baskets, dunk tank and more! The event takes place on May 30, 2025, 5-8PM. We need help to make this event possible. Interested in being on the planning committee? Learn more here: tinyurl.com/2csrfk72 or sign up to help: tinyurl.com/253aksx9

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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.'

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

Camp Updates

"Camp" Season is coming up and the Elementary Connections Group is looking for people to join us in planning our grade level camps this spring!

If you're interested in being part of the planning committee for each grade level, please fill out the Camp Coordinator Sign Up google form and expect to be contacted during the first week of February. Information about center designers and day-of volunteer roles will be coming out in the next few weeks.

Grade level camp planning includes organizing meetings, keeping track of deadlines, and coordinating volunteers. We need 2-3 Camp Coordinators from our First Fives, Kindergarten and 1st grade families as well as 2-3 coordinators for 2nd/3rd grade camp. There is A LOT of support available from past coordinators!

Camp is a vital part of the Ferndale Public Schools curriculum. Camp is designed to create a strong partnership between parents, teachers and administrators to provide an outdoor community learning experience for our students. The success of Camp relies on parents/guardians to create and plan this incredible outdoor experience for all of our kids.

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