FUEL School Newsletter

Dear FUEL Families,

Welcome back! We hope everyone had some rest and family time this break - we are back at it and ready for some uninterrupted instructional time. We will continue to work on our one-word focus - IMAGINE - as we head into the second-half of our school year - focusing on our big dreams, our short- and long-term goals, and believing in our ability to push ourselves to improve a little bit more each and every day.

In January, we will spend part of our month completing our mid-year assessments in preparation for Semester 1 report cards at the end of the month. This will include iREADY mid-year testing, curriculum assessments, and Acadience winter benchmark testing. Mid-year assessments are important for us to gauge student growth in the first half of the year and to make individualized adjustments for kids based on that data. Save the date - elementary report cards will go home in backpacks on Friday, February 7th following the end of our assessment windows.

Please also remember this week to send appropriate clothes for outdoor recess - we are outside playing if it is 17 degrees (with wind chill) or above. Hats, gloves, coats, boots, snowpants, etc. - send them all and please be sure they are LABELED with your student's name. If you are need of warm items, please let me or Ms. Pettway (see box below) know immediately.

We've missed our students over the break and are excited to have them back this week. Please remember that transition weeks are tough for students, teachers, AND families - stay patient, get as much sleep as you can manage this week, and we will be back in a routine in no time!

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 3: Growth Mindset. Our focus this week:

Honesty & Intrinsic Motivation

One of the tried-and-true lessons for our students is the importance of honesty and integrity. Here’s a short one with tips on teaching and modeling honesty! “Teaching Your Kids To Be Honest”

Acadience Testing & Winter Benchmark Testing throughout January

• Mon. 1/6 - School Resumes

• Thurs. 1/9 - Vision Screening Begins (3rd, 5th, SE) through Tues. 1/14

📅 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

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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.

Do you have a special or unique talent? We need you! Just 4 Kicks is an adults only talent show on Friday, February 7th, at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, MI. This event raises money for our Elementary Connections Group camp fund. All proceeds from the event makes sure every student has the opportunity to go to camp in the spring. Check out the flyer HERE. Please email Christina Mossine with questions or to sign up: cmossine@gmail.com. Talent signup ends Monday, December 16th.

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