Parent Information

DISCLOSURE OF IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

Immunizations are an important part of keeping our children healthy. Schools and State and Local health departments must monitor immunization levels to ensure that all communities are protected from potentially life-threatening diseases and, if necessary, respond promptly to an emerging public health threat. It is important that disease threats be minimized through the monitoring of students being immunized.

Sharing immunization and personally identifiable information including the students name, Date of Birth, gender, and address with local and state health departments will help to keep your child safe from vaccine preventable diseases. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, requires written parental consent before personally identifiable information from your child’s education records is disclosed to the health department. If your child is 18 or over, he or she is an “eligible student” and must provide consent for disclosures of information from his or her education records. You may withdraw your consent to share this information in writing at any time.

Parents and guardians: Please remind children and young adults of the need to be cautious and attentive when on the streets of our communities, whether they are walking to and from school, or playing. First and foremost, if anyone observes a suspicious person, vehicle or circumstance, either around school or in the area, call the police immediately (911). It is also important that discussions take place between parents and children about how to handle suspicious incidents. Please remind your child of the following safety measures they can take:

1. If someone is following a child in a car or is walking very close, teach your child to stay away from them, and run to the nearest house (preferably where someone they know is home) to ask for help. 
2. Do not talk to strangers or go near their car - even if they seem nice and say they have candy or a toy in the car.
3. If someone tries to get a child to go with them, a good defense is to yell, "This is not my father/mother!" and run away. 
4. Do not help strangers find their dog or cat or anything. Adults do not need children's help.
5. Always tell a parent or whoever is in charge at home where they are going and do not leave that location without getting an OK from parents or teachers at school.
6. If someone tells your child "Don't tell," assure the child she or he should definitely report the incident to a trusted adult.

Important Notifications
 

• Annual Asbestos Notification 
• Annual Integrated Pest Management Notification

Health Tips
 

• Oakland County Flu Shots 

Fact Sheets From Oakland County Health Division

 

• |MRSA Staph Infections
• Norovirus Fact Sheet
• Handwashing Fact Sheet
• Head Lice Sheet
• Immunization Schedule Ages 0-18 years

All official emergency school closings will be announced first on www.ferndaleschools.org and our District Facebook page.  You can also stay tuned to local television channels Fox 2, WDIV-4, and WXYZ-7, and radio stations WJR-760 am, and WWJ-950 am, for the latest news on school closings. The district will also send out a notification to all households via our School Messenger system - you will receive a phone call and email if school is cancelled.

• Emergency closures may result from inclement weather, equipment failures, power outages, or other unforeseen circumstances. Updates will run on the local cable access educational channels, and here on this website. The district will make every effort to avoid canceling school during the school day.
• Tornado Watch/Warning Procedures
• The district will remain in session during a tornado watch or warning. Whenever a tornado watch or warning is issued, all students and staff will remain in the buildings.
• If a warning occurs, everyone in the building at the time will take shelter in designated areas. Parents who are at the school when a warning is issued are urged to use caution and stay in the shelter area with their children.
• The National Weather Service recommends that people in the path of a tornado should go to a basement or central interior room on the lowest floor possible; stay away from windows; abandon cars and mobile homes for a reinforced building, ditch or culvert.  In the case of a severe thunderstorm, stay in a reinforced shelter away from windows.

All after-school activities will be cancelled if a tornado watch or warning is in effect at the end of the normal school day.

You can login with your student to their Ferndale G Suite for Education account when they use their username and password to login to their Google Drive to access the other Google Apps. 

Google Apps for Education at Ferndale Schools

In the fall of 2014, Ferndale Public Schools partnered with Oakland Schools Technology Field Services and introduced Google Apps for Education to all staff. In the fall of 2015, all students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade received access to student Google Apps for Education accounts. The introduction of Google Apps for Education accounts ties in with our strategic plan goal to offer high-quality opportunities for learning that will best equip our students with the skills they need to be successful, especially in an increasingly digital world.

What is Google Apps for Education?

Google Apps for Education (or GAFE) is a collection of applications designed for schools. From calendars, email, web pages, Docs and Forms, all the apps synchronize and flow seamlessly together to provide for integration and collaboration for users within the district. Google Apps for Education are accessible through any web browser so files and work can be accessed 24/7 whether at home, school or on a smartphone. Students no longer need to carry a USB memory stick or e-mail things back and forth to themselves because they have the ability to save files to their Google Drive and access them wherever they might be working.

Tools Include: 

• Google Drive: Cloud-based file storage and organization
• Google Docs: a word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing program that allows multi-user access and editing
• Google Calendar: a customizable calendar and to-do list
• Google Classroom: a learning platform that allows for creating, distributing and grading assignments in a paperless way
• Google Mail: full-functioning e-mail program. Grades K-8 can send and receive e-mail only within Ferndale Schools accounts. Grades 9-12 have global access.
• YouTube: creating, consuming and curating educational video content.

What will my child be using Google Apps for Education for? 

 Kindergarten through twelfth-grade students will have access to Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, YouTube and Google Calendar. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students will have access to all of the Google Apps plus have the ability to both send and receive e-mail internally to e-mail addresses that belong to the Ferndale Schools domain (ferndaleschools.org). Ninth through twelfth-grade students will have access to all the Google Apps plus the ability to send and receive e-mail with their Ferndale Schools Google account globally. Students will utilize the GAFE suite to do many things that benefit their learning including:

• communicate and collaborate with teachers and peers both synchronously and asynchronously
• submit assignments to teachers
• create work or complete assignments
• become responsible digital citizens
• access school-related learning materials any time and anywhere

Can I see what my child is doing in Google Apps?

There is no separate parent view for Google Apps currently available. However, you are encouraged to explore Google Apps with your child at home by logging in together. Your child can log in to their account at home and show you what they are currently working on in class.

What governmental laws are Ferndale Schools and Google Apps for Education required to follow in regards to protecting students online?

The Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires that schools have technology measures and policies in place that protect students from harmful materials including those that are obscene. The student internet access is filtered and harmful content is blocked.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) applies to commercial companies and limits their ability to collect personal information from children under 13. Google advertising is turned off for GAFE accounts. No personal student information is collected for commercial purposes.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students' educational and personal records. Parents have the right to investigate the content of their child's GAFE account at any time.

Please look for further announcements regarding parent/guardian/family offerings that will discuss how to best support your student as a responsible digital citizen and in utilizing Google Apps for Education. Also, please refer to our Acceptable Use Plan for technology for more details regarding appropriate use of district technology.

Instructional Questions?

Question on instructional goals and methods of Google Apps for Education student accounts should be directed to Johanna.Mracna@FerndaleSchools.org, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction.

Technical Support

Ferndale Schools is provided Tech Support services through Oakland Schools, or Intermediate School District. There are multiple ways to contact them.

Email

servicedesk@oakland.k12.mi.us

Live Chat & Service Ticket Tracking

Create an account in the ticketing system with just your e-mail address so you can enter, update and track your technology requests, and receive Live Chat help.

Service Desk Sign-Up

• OS Account Creation Guide - PDF Document 

Phone

During this time of the year, Oakland Schools is experiencing extremely high call volumes and encourages you to enter tickets through the customer portal or email to avoid long wait times on hold,

• (248)209-2060

Below are some great resources for discussing and learning about responsible digital citizenship for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. These resources were discussed at the Plugged In: Technology & Learning Series on Digital Citizenship and Online Safety for K-5 and 6-12 Students and Parents. Please explore for helpful tips about discussing digital citizenship and digital expectations with your child.

K-5 Resources 
 

• Preview resources using the Table of Contents for the Dig Cit K-5 Folder
• Or Access and download the Materials in the Digital Citizenship Resources Folder for K-5 

6-12 Resources
 

• Preview resources using the Table of Contents for the Dig Cit 6-12 Folder
• Or Access and download the Materials in the Digital Citizenship Resources Folder for 6-12

The Ferndale Schools offers before and after school latchkey care to preschool and elementary school students. It's fun to stay after school in the Ferndale Schools!

Register before September 4 and pay a reduced registration fee!
REGISTRATION INFO - CLICK HERE »

Elementary Daily Latchkey

Students at Ferndale Lower Elementary and Ferndale Upper Elementary have an opportunity to attend both before and after school latchkey. For rates, times and more information, visit the Before & After School link below. Registration forms are also included below for your convenience.

Early Release Wednesdays

Teachers will be collaborating on important school improvement matters for one hour on almost every Wednesday throughout the school year. This means school will be dismissed one hour early on Wednesdays (when school is in session). The district calendar will identify these Wednesdays and parents will receive reminders in advance. Latchkey will be provided on School Improvement Wednesdays for children to remain at school until the regular dismissal time. For students using Latchkey for the one hour only on School Improvement Wednesdays, and not enrolled in daily Latchkey, there is no registration fee and the rates are as follows:

• Fee for full year: $100 (paid in advance for all 12 Wednesdays)
• Fee per semester: $45 (Paid in advance)
• Fee per month: Varies depending on the number of Wednesdays, at $10/Wednesday (Paid 1 week in advance)

Enrichment Camps

Ferndale Schools also offers fun enrichment camps when school is not in session (during the school year), including half and full day camps, and a wonderful Spring Break camp option for our families. More information on how to sign up for camps is posted here prior to each camp experience.

• December Break — December 28 - 30
• Mid Winter Break — February 2 - 27
• Spring Break — April 3 - 7

Registration Fee:

$40 per family ($30 per family before September 4, 2016) 

REGISTRATION INFO - CLICK HERE »