District News

TCEC honored the graduating class of 2021 in an outdoor ceremony at Ferndale High School on Thursday. Congratulations to all of this year's graduates, and good luck on your future endeavors.

FUEL sent off 5th Graders to FMS in style this week, with a clap-out drive through event. Congratulations on all of your hard work, Sixth Graders!

The Ferndale Education Association (FEA) has given three $500 scholarships this year to graduating seniors from each of the high school buildings.  The winners are as follows:

• UHS- Richard Savaya
• FHS- Micah McCreary Mills
• TCEC- Denisse Rivas-Torres

The FEA is a collective bargaining organization consisting of Teachers, Counselors, Specialists, Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Pathologists, and Interventionists working within Ferndale Schools.

Ferndale High School and University High School held ceremonies this week to celebrate our graduating seniors. Here are just a few of our favorite photos. Event recordings can be viewed on school homepages.

FHS Graduation Video UHS Graduation Video

Though this year has looked very different in the hallways at Ferndale's TCEC, our students and staff have been hard at work. Many of our students have remained virtual throughout this pandemic, even with Ferndale School re-opening to a hybrid learning environment, as many have siblings they have to help with school work at home, or have picked up jobs during these difficult times. The dedication to their school work and the flexibility of our program has allowed our students to continue to be successful.

Mrs. Lovins and Ms. Roy have continued to track and post our student accomplishments on our Tree of Knowledge in a modified format this year. Instead of individual leafs per student, giant leafs were used for each content area. All of our first semester grades were posted once we returned in March, then each consecutive month has been posted during the second semester.

As of June 3rd, TCEC students have completed over 2,690 classes and we have 117 graduates. With another week of school yet to go, we know that our students will be finishing up even more classes and a few more graduates fly away into the great wide world!

Awesome work!

Inspired by an activity Amy Pommereau does with her Montessori class, FUEL Learning Lab teacher Carolyn Ward decided to bring some end of the year joy to her learning lab students by teaching them to sew! Using brightly colored felt, embroidery thread, and needles with big eyes, the students have been creating all kinds of things from pockets to pillows to cat toys. Besides the pride that comes with completing  a project, the students completely connect with a traditional art and recognize the satisfaction it brings. In fact, ‘satisfying’ has become a very popular word among the students sitting around the sewing tables!

Students met to discuss the last book of the year in the FMS Book Club! We read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. We had a geat showing of 6th graders at this final book club of the year. FMS book will return next fall! Keep reading!

Upland Hills Farm came to Ferndale Lower, animals and all! The truckload included goats, sheep and a cow. Students (and teachers) enjoyed learning about the animals and petting them. They even listened to them “talking”. Thanks, Elementary PTA, for sponsoring this experience both for Roomies and Zoomies.

FHS students planned, prepared, and stocked a new Community Pantry outside of FHS. English Teacher Kandis Pagonas led the project with students from her class.

"After a year of struggling to make and maintain connections, my students and I really wanted to do something that would bring us together and help the community at the same time," Kandis said. "After tossing around some ideas, we chose to create a community pantry. We know that the last year has been extraordinarily hard on many families, and this was a small chance for us to give to the community. After a year of virtual learning, it really felt good to do such a hands on project.  We hope to continue adding to the pantry and already have some other ideas for ways we can give back to the community."

All community members are welcome to take from the pantry and to make donations of non-perishable food items. (Nothing that will rot or needs refrigeration, please.) Thank you, Kandis and students for this wonderful opportunity to share with our neighbors.

UHS held its second annual Drive-Thru Celebration for its seniors on 5/26. Students and families showed up to enjoy music, ice cream, and shout-outs from their teachers, support staff, and MC/Principal Mr. Gardner. Congratulations UHS class of 2021! "U" made it!

Ferndale High School seniors were highlighted on Friday, May 21 at the Drive-Thru Celebration. Cars filled with the graduates, family and friends began their parade by picking up their personalized lawn signs provided by FHS. Next they were cheered forward to the entrance of the football field where Mr. Welborn announced the name of our senior. All cars and community members tuned into 89.7FM to hear the announcements.

The FUEL 5th graders worked extremely hard to write their own nonfiction, how-to books. What they once thought an impossible feat became a truly remarkable accomplishment! They each wrote 5 chapters which consisted of 14 paragraphs with headings and subheadings. In addition, they included a text structure, a table of contents, and a glossary.  At the end of the unit Mrs. Lepp's and Mr. Williamson's classes were able to share their hard work with teachers, staff and the 4th graders in book viewings  We are so proud of our talented authors!

We are hiring Summer Camp staff. View the job posting for more info!

Summer Camp Job Posting

We are pleased to present the 2020-21 Teachers and Support Staff of the Year. Join us in honoring these exceptional individuals for their service and dedication over the last year.

FECC
Teacher: Emily Friedman 
Support Staff: Erin Journey

Lower
Teacher: Meagan Grammatico
Support:  Deborah Holt-Foster 

Upper
Teacher: Greg Williamson
Support Staff: Marcie Dupuis

FMS
Teacher: Samantha Coram
Support Staff: Deb Lofton

FHS
Teacher: Stephanie Gizicki
Support Staff: Kim Eby & Shannon Heron

TCEC
Teacher: Cody Lown
Support Staff: Madeline Michalik

UHS
Teacher: Brooke Brimacombe
Support Staff: Noel Hildreth

Special Ed
Teacher: Amanda Marentis
Support Staff: Kim Eby

Central Office
Staff Member of the Year: Aubrie Agnello

Transportation
All of Transportation

Click for More Photos!

The latest FPS Curriculum Quarterly is now available. Our Curriculum & Instruction Department will be releasing a new issue 4 times a year that will briefly highlight areas of teaching and learning in Ferndale Public Schools. We look forward to sharing our programming overviews with you.  If you have questions, please contact Johanna Mracna at johanna.mracna@ferndaleschools.org.

This issue focuses on our science learning goals and methods, presented by grade ranges. Please take a look, and stay tuned for future issues introducing our other pillars of education.

Read the Curriculum Quarterly for May 2021 - Science & Our Students »

Thanks to a generous donation from Home Depot - #2731 in Madison Heights, FUEL was able to purchase two trees, a flowering Crabapple and a Cleveland Pear, which were planted on the grounds for future generations of students and families to enjoy. Planting the trees also helped FUEL to earn the Evergreen award (the highest award possible) through Michigan Green School.

Thank you to 4th Grade teacher Mr. Ian Grzesik for leading the Green Schools program and planting the new trees at FUEL.

Incoming Kindergartners visited Ferndale Lower Elementary on Wednesday evening, May 12th for Kindergarten Round-Up . The excited new students stepped inside a school bus and took a tour of their new school, led by an audio tour guide. This is one of our favorite of events of the year, and we are so thrilled to have hosted our new and returning families safely.

Every year, we present the annual state of the district. To celebrate some of the innovations and adaptations we have developed during building closures, we are presenting the State of the District as a series of short videos, available for asynchronous viewing.

Each weeknight at 6:00 pm, we will reveal a new mixtape, which can be viewed altogether or clicked through in any order.

• Monday, May 10th: Preschool at FECC
• Tuesday, May 11th: Elementary (Lower & Upper)
• Wednesday, May 12th: Middle School at FMS
• Thursday, May 13th: High School at FHS, TCEC, & UHS
• Friday, May 14th: Your District, Today & Tomorrow

The links will go live at FerndaleSchools.org/2021 all week long.

This week, Major Zachary Shea presented Ms. Mikolajewski with a flag from the US Army. This flag honored Ms. M’s work teaching Major Shea’s daughter, Cora, and supporting their family while he was deployed for the last 11 months. 

Thank you Ms. Mikolajewski for supporting all of our Ferndale Families, and thank you, Major Shea, for your service to our country and for helping us to honor the other ways people are serving in our community!

Wednesday, May 5th was Bike to School Day, and Lower Elementary celebrated with a bike parade!

Bike to School Day (B2SD) is a national event that builds awareness for communities to be more walkable and bikeable by planning bike themed events at community schools. We want to encourage all students, parents, and teachers to get out and get moving whether it is walking, biking, running, skipping, or rolling to school.

You may see a smiling face you recognize on a digital billboard this month. To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Lamar Advertising recognizes outstanding teachers annually through the Lamar Loves Teachers program. This year, Ferndale Upper Elementary Behavior Interventionist Fred George was recognized for his outstanding work with students. Congratulations, Mr. George, on a well deserved acknowledgement.

Runner's World featured UHS Grad Joe Robinson (class or 2009) in an inspiring follow-up article recently. Robinson co-founded the Detroit running group , We Run 313, which now includes more than 250 runners. Read the article to discover how Joe is supporting healthy lifestyles, engaging social change, and supporting neighbors in need through running and community building.

Read the Runner's World Article

In collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education, REL Midwest has created a series of guides designed to help families support their children and students with the building blocks of reading and math. The resources include two sets of instructional guides, with one set focused on early reading instruction and the other on early mathematics instruction.

The documents are linked below, and can always be found in our Elementary Academics webpage: ferndaleschools.org/academics/elementary/

Reading Resources

• Blending Letters, Recognizing, and Reading Words 
• Developing Language 
• Linking Sounds and Letters 
• Reading for Understanding 

Math Resources

• Integrate Math Throughout the Day 
• Numbers & Operations 
• Support Geometry 
• View and Describe the World Mathematically 

Ferndale High School's theatre program honored nine students at the Thespian induction ceremony Monday, April 26. These students have met requirements of the International Thespian Society through their participation in FHS fall plays and spring musicals, both on and off stage. Pictured are inductees, from left, Wyatt Thompson, James Brisson, Quinn McKee, Milo Meade, Logan Stoll, Jenna Decker, Lucy Reinke, Cameron Meesseman and Samson Perrone.

The following District Calendars are pending approval from the Ferndale Schools Board of Education and the Ferndale Education Association.

Ferndale Schools 2021-2022 District Calendar  

Ferndale Schools 2022-2023 District Calendar  

Ferndale Schools 2023-2024 District Calendar

Mrs. Majeske's First Fives had an Earth Day pop up event! They planted seeds and got observation journals to watch their grass grow at home. Students were instructed on how to care for it at home. They also got to say goodbye to their student teacher from Wayne State, Ms. Siebenrock.

Congratulations to FHS basketball players, Jack Kennedy, Trey Lewis, and Jason “Deuce” Drake who were named All Oakland County! Statechampsnetwork.com had this to say about the student athletes:

• Jack Kennedy (Ferndale 6-9 Sr. F/C) — After not playing last year, “Da Prez” patrolled the post with purpose, efficiency and a pit-bull type spirit in becoming the X-Factor for the first Ferndale final four team in three and a half decades.
• Trey Lewis (Ferndale 6-5 Jr. G/F) — Smooth as silk, tough as nails swingman with ice in his veins and a killer instinct to score the rock.
• Jason “Deuce” Drake (Ferndale 6-1 Jr. G) — The definition of a gunner and clutch performer.

Read about the complete OC dream team

Ferndale Area District Library staff were on hand this week to host 2021's 5th grade Battle of the Books!  The Fuzzy Pandas (Ekitu Burde, Samantha De La Mora, Lauren McMiller, and Kazu Tran) came out on top after a tie breaker in a very competitive trivia-style competition.  Each year, FUEL 5th graders are challenged to read and study 5-6 novels and become "Battle Book Experts!".  This year's selections included a diverse cast of characters, cultures, and formats, including the super popular graphic novel Roller Girl.  Participants were able to keep their copies of the books at the end of Battle.  Many thanks to our Ferndale librarians for their incredible creativity in putting this together this year, as well as to our 5th grade students and teachers for all of their reading and hard work leading up to the Battle!

On Tuesday (April 13th) the Ferndale girls tennis team beat Southfield 8-0 for the first time since the two Southfield high schools merged! WINNERS include:

• 1 Singles – Emily Foster
• 2 Singles – Ella Shock
• 3 Singles – Abigail Dolunt
• 4 Singles – Kate Stokes
• 1 Double – Charlotte Keller & Ava Verkeyn
• 2 Doubles – Maddie Krycian & Claire Christin
• 3 Doubles – Audrey Binion & Lillian Kahsin
• 4 Doubles – Alexis Callicoatte & Johany Mendez

COVID-19 Vaccines are now available to ALL MICHIGAN RESIDENTS AGES 16 AND UP. The resources below will allow you to register conveniently, or visit FerndaleSchools.org/District/Health/Vaccine for our vaccination page.

• Ford Field Vaccination Site

• Meijer Clinics Vaccinations

• Rite Aid Vaccinations

  • Rite Aid also offers Free COVID-19 testing for Ages 4+

• Kroger Vaccinations

• Walmart Vaccinations

County Vaccine Distribution

• Oakland County Vaccinations

• Macomb County Vaccinations

• Wayne County Vaccination Page

Learn more about the COVID Vaccine from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Last Thursday 5 learning lab garden club members helped clean up some of the garden beds behind FUEL. At that time, the tulips were hardly showing their stems, but we learned they'd soon bloom. Everyone got to take one home today. The weekend warmth really brought them on. Beautiful!

The Ferndale Equity Development Team will hold a quarterly community meeting on

Wednesday, April 14th
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

If you are interested in joining, please email Robyn Camblin for Zoom information Robyn.Camblin@ferndaleschools.org.

Chartwells is excited to announce a new program: the monthly nutritional enrichment calendar. The calender is a PDF with clickable links available at FerndaleSchools.org/return/meals/#enrichment. Every day features two links:

• Elementary student activity in green
• Secondary student activity in orange

These activities are a part of the after school meals program. QR codes with these same links are being placed in the actual meal bags for parents and students to easily access daily enrichment activities. Click the link or the image to view or download the calendar.

April Nutritional Enrichment Activities Calendar

Ferndale Upper Elementary (FUEL) hosted a reading pop-up before Spring Break, including free books for kids and a fun bookmark dyeing craft. All of these books were donated by parents to share the joy of reading with more families in our community. Thanks to everyone who came out, and a special thanks to parent Carrie Muxlow for putting the pop-up together!

Ferndale Schools will be receiving the Future Proud Michigan Educator Grant from the Michigan Department of Education. This $10,000 grant will fund support engagement efforts for current students considering the Future Teacher Pathway (dual-enrollment) with Wayne State University. Our hope is that, with this grant, we will be able to help guide and mentor our next generation of teachers.

FHS National Honor Society inducted 27 sophomores, 2 juniors, and 2 seniors this spring.

Ferndale High School is extremely proud of the newest National Honor Society Inductees as well as all of the FHS NHS members both past and present as they continue to set the standards for character, service, leadership and academics for all of our students.

Read the full list on names in the full article.

Congratulations to Reina Shields, a 2021 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) award recipient! Reina was selected from over 4,200 applicants from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. overseas military bases, and Canada.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors 9 th -12 th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

If you would like to see just one example of Reina's coding, try this scaled down version of the classic snake game. Play Snake!

Great Job, Reina!

This week was Senior Night for UHS Basketball and Cheer. UHS Senior Night honors outgoing Seniors during their last  home game. Congratulations on all of your athletic achievements over the years, eagles!

View more photos in the full article.

5th graders in Mrs. Carp's and Mr. Vaughn's 5th grade classrooms took a virtual field trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Classes were able to view artwork and museum spaces, analyze art from the museum, and create their own collage!

Thank you to the amazing DIA teachers—Byron, Kathy, Stephanie, & Zak—for providing such a lovely experience. 

Check out the photos from this week (and last week for Mr. Davis' class) below!

This week, Ferndale Early Childhood Center partnered with Oakland County Parks and hosted a pop-up event for their families!  The weather did not cooperate for the initial plan of a Winter Fun event, but the carnival style games were a big hit! Families were able to enjoy a beautiful afternoon safely socializing with other school families.

This past Monday K-5 students had the opportunity to create their very own clay pinch pot. Students met at lower elementary where they were then given a ball of clay and shown how to create a pinch pot. Once the students were done with the pinch pot they then had the opportunity to draw on the sidewalk using chalk. Everybody seemed to enjoy creating their pinch pot as well as the warm weather.

The Ferndale Swimming Eagles have wrapped up their season. Congratulations on an impressive showing, athletes!

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) provides supplemental food assistance benefits to students who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the program is to make sure no student goes hungry by missing out on school meals.

To determine eligibility  and for more details, review the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Parent/Guardian Frequently Asked Questions.

With further questions, please email MDHHS-PEBT@michigan.gov or visit the Michigan.gov P-EBT Page for the latest information on P-EBT. The Ferndale Schools Food Services Department does not distribute or administrate this program.

Senora LoPiccolo and Ms. Oliver want to congratulate this year’s DECA competitors. We are very proud of the hard work and time all of our Ferndale students devoted to demonstrate their business and marketing knowledge. This year six students competed at the District 8 competition in December. All students were required to take a 100 question test and perform a role-play in a business situation. Five students were district finalists and competed again at the Michigan State Career Development Conference in March. Three students won and became state finalists. One of the three was a DECA state champion and will move on to the International Career Development Conference in April.  Senora LoPiccolo and Ms. Oliver can’t speak highly enough of our students’ achievements this year!

• Kalezhanaeé Bell — District Competitor — Apparel and Accessories Marketing
• Camille Nagy — District Finalist — Principals of Marketing
• Kirsten Zvibleman — District Finalist — Automotive Services Marketing
• Taliya Maddox — State Finalist — Marketing Communications
• Micah Mills-McCrary — State Finalist — Retail Merchandising
• Bebe Butters — State Champion — Restaurant and Food Service Management

The Bowling Eagles are off to the lanes, and they are in great form.

Ferndale Middle School welcomed many students back into classrooms this week for Monday and Thursday in-person instruction. Kids were excited to reconnect with friends and teachers in familiar spaces.

Mr. Petty and Mrs. Perri welcomed and supported students on Day One with great enthusiasm.

Students with instruments and backpacks were a welcome sight at FMS this week.

Coach Gordon and staff supported students in well-spaced rooms and explained new lunch procedures.

Teachers awaited the start of in-person learning at their doorways, ready to welcome students.

5th grade teacher Vaugh Davis brought in two very special guest readers for Reading month: his sister and cousin! Vaughn's sister Brooke is a Social Worker and the new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Mental Health Services for Kenowa Hills Public Schools in Grand Rapids. She read, "I Am Enough" by Grace Byers and asked the class to write down "1 thing you are good at and 1 thing you are not so good at."  She then asked students how they would try to improve.  Mr. Davis's cousin, Kenyatta Wilcox, works for New Haven Schools in New Haven, MI. She read Nelson Mandela by Kadir Mandela and shared her vivid memory of hearing him speak at Tiger's Stadium in the early 1990s as a high school student. Such a great day for March Reading Month! "We all loved it!" said Mr. Davis.

The latest FPS Curriculum Quarterly is now available. Our Curriculum & Instruction Department will be releasing a new issue 4 times a year that will briefly highlight areas of teaching and learning in Ferndale Public Schools. We look forward to sharing our programming overviews with you.  If you have questions, please contact Johanna Mracna at johanna.mracna@ferndaleschools.org.

This issue focuses on our social studies learning goals and methods, presented by grade ranges. Please take a look, and stay tuned for future issues introducing our other pillars of education.

Read the Curriculum Quarterly for March 2021 - Social Studies & Our Students »

We hosted a presentation from Bonnie Green—Registered Dietitian, Ferndale Schools Head Start Program Nutritionist, and yoga teacher—as she discussed diet culture and how it is harmful to our health, including the potential to cause an eating disorder. Bonnie also discussed the different types of eating disorders, prevalence, populations at risk, health consequences, and what families can do to help. Check out the video on our Facebook Live page.

Congratulations to the eight Ferndale students who were recognized for their artwork in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2021! Students were invited to celebrate with a virtual Ceremony & Exhibit on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

• Angel Carpenter
  • Three Silver Keys in Digital Art
  • Two Honorable Mentions in Digital Art
• Keith Harvey
  • Two Silver Keys in Photography
  • One Honorable Mention Portfolio
  • Four Honorable Mentions in Photography
• Emma Herzig
  • ​​​​​​​One Honorable Mention in Digital Art
• Mia Maccomochie
  • ​​​​​​​One Honorable Mention in Photography
• Alexandria McDonald
  • ​​​​​​​One Silver Key in Photography
  • One Honorable Mention in Photography
• Ava Montgomery
  • ​​​​​​​Two Gold Keys in Photography
  • Two Silver Keys in Photography
  • One Honorable Mention in Photography
  • One Honorable Mention Portfolio
• Elliot Reid
  • ​​​​​​​One Gold Key in Sculpture
  • Two Silver Keys in Architecture & Industrial Design
  • One Silver Key in Digital Art
  • One Honorable Mention in Drawing & Illustration
  • One Honorable Mention in Digital Art
• Skyler Speedwell
  • ​​​​​​​Three Honorable Mentions in Photography

Love is a Strange Sight to See, Emma Herzig, Digital Collage

Terabithia, Alexandria McDonald, Photography

Presented by the Traditions And Holiday Observances(TAHO) Initiative. Learn more about the TAHO Initiative.

Nirvana Day or Parinirvana Day is an annual Buddhist festival that remembers the death of the Buddha when he reached Nirvana at the age of 80. Nirvana is believed to be the end of the cycle of death and rebirth. Buddhism teaches that Nirvana is reached when all want and suffering is gone. Nirvana is often described as a state of bliss or peace, which may be experienced in life, or it may be entered into at death.

Nirvana Day is considered a traditional day for pilgrimage, especially to the city named Kushinagar, located in the modern-day state of Uttar Pradesh in India where Buddha took his last breath. Nirvana Day observances tend to be solemn. This is a day for meditation or reading the Parinibanna Sutta and a time to reflect on death and impermanence. Buddhists around the world celebrate Nirvana Day by meditating or by going to Buddhist temples or monasteries.

On this day, some monasteries and temples hold meditation retreats. Others open their doors to the community at large, who bring gifts of money and household goods to support monks and nuns. Buddhists believe meditation is very important for well-being. It is a way to clear the mind and encourage positive thinking. To meditate you need to find a quiet area where you can concentrate and focus on breathing deeply.

As Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman spoke recently to our nation:
"...there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it."

We are going to shine our lights in the community and spread messages of hope, dreams, peace, love and kindness for all to see. In the materials that students picked up last week, there was a bag for each student to decorate and a battery light. We are asking ALL students to create a bag with their special message and let it shine at your home on the evening of Friday, February 5th. Then, I encourage families to walk or drive around our school communities and see the unity that we share together as a School Family!  This project is being completed by students at Ferndale Early Childhood, Lower and Upper!

Additional bags are available at the Ferndale Lower Elementary Office M-Thr from 8:00 am – Noon while supplies last for others in our community to participate. Masks and social distancing are required at all Ferndale Schools locations at all times.