
FUEL School Newsletter
Week of January 27, 2025
Message from the Principal
Dear FUEL Families,
This week, we are excited to kick off the Great Kindness Challenge with enthusiasm and heart! All of our students will use their school and family kindness checklists to complete as many thoughtful acts as possible, spreading positivity in their classrooms, hallways, and homes. Throughout the week, the school will host kindness-focused activities, such as selling kindness grams, reading books focused on kindness and empathy, and writing notes of appreciation to staff and peers. With every act of kindness, the students are building a stronger, more caring community, proving that even small gestures can make a big difference. Our student's Kindness Checklist is here and the Spirit Wear Calendar is here. Please consider joining us using the Family Checklist as well!
We are also excited to share our Quarter 3 newsletters from our essentials teachers. Check them out below.
Art Newsletter --- Gym Newsletter --- Media Newsletter --- Music Newsletter --- Spanish Newsletter
This week, we also nominate our teacher & support staff of the year! If you're interested in nominating a staff member, please click on this link.
Finally, some reminders from our Elementary Connections Group regarding Camp:
"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.
And don't forget - we have a HALF DAY on Wednesday, January 29th with an 11:53 a.m. dismissal time for Records Day. Thank you!
See you soon,
- Mrs. Jeffrey
This Week's Social Emotional Learning Focus
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:
Self-Monitoring & Self-Regulation
Here are 30 games for teaching self-regulation (don’t worry - they are easy!):
Important Upcoming Dates - January
Acadience Testing & Winter Benchmark Testing throughout January
Mon. 1/27 - YMCA Sportport, 3:45-5:15 pm
Wed. 1/29 - HALF DAY, 11:53 a.m. dismissal; PM - Records Day
Sat. 2/1 - All-City Orchestra Concert, 3:30 pm @ FHS
Save the Date - Upcoming Important Days January/February
Attendance Reminders
📅 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.
Communities in Schools Resources & Supports
Communities in Schools Resources & Supports
Stay connected, and let us know how we can support you this season.
Please check out this month's Monday Mail - lots of great opportunities and time sensitive information. Included in this edition is an amazing opportunity for the MCA plumbing apprenticeship and Michigan work virtual workshops.
Denazia Pettway | (she/her)
Student Support Coordinator
Ferndale Upper Elementary
denazia@cismichigan.org , 248-5470-0880 ext 1653
PTA & Elementary Connections Group Updates
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.'
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!
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.
Student Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
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.
Attendance Reminders
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.
Safe Snack Reminders
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.
Important Forms Reminders
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.
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.