FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

I hope everyone stayed warm this weekend with our winter weather on Friday! My kids enjoyed getting their ice skates out and playing a little pond hockey :-) My favorite part of last week was our kickoff activity for the second half of our year, with an all-school morning meeting! A special shout out to our School Improvement Team who designed the meeting, including an all-school cha-cha slide routine and a short video on our one word, IMAGINE. Check out the video here and consider having a conversation with your student on their (and your!) "Imagine if..."

We look forward to seeing many of you this week at either our PTA Meeting on Tuesday at 6:30 pm at the Lower Elementary and at a throwback event, our Winter Warm Up Dance from 6-7:30 pm on Thursday, also at Lower. See the PTA box below for details on the event. We are also using this dance as an early MLK Day service project, and will be collecting new or barely used mittens, gloves, and hats to donate to Warm Detroit!

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. 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.

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 complete Module 3: Growth Mindset. Our focus this week:

Be a Peacemaker, Negotiation & Compromise

I love to share this article each year during this week's focus - this is a resource from the Montessori philosophy on teaching peace both at school and at home: 5 Practices to Promote Peace

Acadience Testing & Winter Benchmark Testing throughout January

• Mon. 1/13 - Vision Screening continues (3rd, 5th, SE) through Thurs. 1/16

• Tues. 1/14 - PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Lower

• Thurs. 1/16 - Winter Warm Up Dance, 6-7:30 pm @ Lower

• Fri. 1/17 - 3rd Grade/MONT ArtLab Assemblies in STEAM Lab (thanks, PTA!)

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

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

FE PTA Meeting

January 14, 2024 6:30-8:00PM Location: FLower

Members of the food service department will be joining us to answer your questions and provide resources and information. Please complete this brief survey with your questions about food service - tinyurl.com/y7x4aynw - questions will be shared with staff and will help guide our meeting agenda.

Winter Warm Up Dance

January 16, 2024 6:00-7:30PM Location: FLower

All elementary school families are invited to this free event featuring a DJ and dancing, a photo booth, and more!

Have a song request for the dance? tinyurl.com/39t6z23m

We'll also have a craft station for creating thank you notes for our teachers and staff and a 50/50 raffle to support staff appreciation efforts (tickets are just $1)!

Pizza dinner will also be available, including vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options.

And as an early MLK Day service project, we’re collecting new or barely used mittens, gloves, and hats to donate to Warm Detroit!

Flyer will be sent home in student folders this week: tinyurl.com/2tprt9x4

To volunteer (teen volunteers are welcome!): tinyurl.com/36jfrp38

========================================================

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