FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

Welcome back - I hope everyone enjoyed their mid-winter break and that the kids are ready for some uninterrupted weeks ahead! We are joyfully celebrating Black History Month with door decorating contests, music, dancing, and weekly read-alouds and videos celebrating our theme of "Music, Movement & Moving Forward." This week, we will welcome back some FHS & UHS alumni to engage in career talks with our current students! Beginning next week, we will also kick off our Reading Month celebrations - stay tuned for our Reading Month Calendars and our One Book, One Community reading celebration focused around The Wild Robot. More to come!

We are also excited for 5th grader Ediseima Odungide, who will represent FUEL at the Regional Spelling Bee at Oakland University this weekend at 1 pm! If you are in the mood for some intense competition, come cheer Ediseima on!

We also hope to see many of you this week - we have two celebrations, including our PTA-sponsored K-5 Winter Resource Fair at FUEL at 6 pm on Wednesday, 2/26, followed by the county-led African-American Read-In event in the FUEL Cafeteria on Thursday, 2/27 at 5 pm.

Finally - as noted in the district e-blast, our district has a new bond proposal for the May 6th election - with a focus on our FMS/FHS campuses! We also invite you to come to the State of the District Event on Tuesday, March 4th at Ferndale Lower to learn more as well! For more information throughout the process of our 2025 Capital Facilities Proposal, please visit our website at

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

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:

Working Memory

Memory games are a great way to help your student with working memory. Check out this resource: 8 Tips to Boost Working Memory

• Mon. 2/24 - School Resumes
• Tues. 2/25 - 5th Grade FMS Scheduling Meeting, 6 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria (same info from virtual meeting, 2/13); SE PAC Meeting, 6 pm (virtual)
• Wed. 2/26 - K-5 PTA Winter Resource Fair, 6-7:30 pm @ FUEL
• Thurs. 2/27 - 5th Grade FMS Scheduling Forms due; African-American Read-In Event, 5-7 pm @ FUEL Cafeteria (register here)
• Fri. 2/28 - CASA Dance Assemblies, 9:15 & 10:00
• Sat. 3/1 - Regional Spelling Bee, 1 pm @ Oakland University

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!

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/store

Did you know FEPTA sponsors assemblies for our students? Check out this video from ArtLabJ who recently provided an art, music and movement experience for our third grade students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC_ZE4GURus

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

FE PTA Monthly Meeting

March 11, 2025 6:30-8:00PM Location: FLower

Family Literacy Night - Pop of Indie Traveling Book Fair

March 19, 2025 6:00-7:30 Location: FUEL

We're celebrating National Reading Month with a fun night for all K-5 families! The event features local authors for story time, arts and crafts, and a writer's workshop. There's also an opportunity to purchase books from the featured authors. For more details: facebook.com/events/588503627438516

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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