Tri-County Educational Center News
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 literacy 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 October 2020 - Literacy and Our Students »
Join us in learning from an Oakland County School Nurse, FPS parent Kelly Berryman, about health and safety for families during this time.
Wednesday, October 28th
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Zoom Virtual Meeting
Meeting information will be sent out via Remind to all school families before the event.
From our nurse: "A student’s health is directly related to his her ability to learn. Children right now are struggling with stress of the pandemic, and I as school nurse am here to help support the student and school during this time. I will go over an ounce of prevention and why face masks and hand washing can help.”
Ferndale Schools continues to provide contactless meal pick-up for children throughout building closures. Pick-up is available at the FMS North Entrance at 725 Pinecrest Dr. (glass awning pictured below):
- Monday
- 9:00 am – noon
- Breakfast and Lunch for Mon, Tues, Wed
- Thursday
- 9:00 am – noon
- Breakfast and Lunch for Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun
Meals include breakfast, lunch, supper & snack including milk. Vegetarian options are available upon request at curbside.
Special dietary needs and allergies will be accommodated, after a special form is filed with the Chartwells Food Service Office.
Learning Support Lab attendees are now receiving supper and snack at Ferndale Upper and Lower Elementary, in addition to breakfast and lunch. Children now go home with nutritious meals to be enjoyed daily!
This program receives support from the Children and Adult Care Food program to serve healthy meals to your children. For more information about the USDA nutritional standards used to guide meal preparation, please see the attached flyer.
Beginning on Thursday, November 5th, Ferndale Schools students enrolled in Oakland Schools Technical Campus will be asked to attend on-site lessons on Thursday and Friday. The Monday–Wednesday will be asynchronous instruction.
- Enrollment will be kept to half capacity.
- Efforts will be made to maximize student and staff safety (smaller “bubble”)
Live ZOOM sessions/online instruction will no longer occur as of 11/5/2020 in each program (although pre-recorded content may be available.) Only asynchronous curriculum will be offered on off-site days.
Read the Letter from OSTC For more details, visit the OSTC section of our Building Info page in the Returning to Learning Hub.
Oakland Together has announced a new call-in tool offering guidance for parents and students. This telephone screening resource is available to assist parents in pre-screening and identifying potential illness in children prior to entering school buildings.
The hotline is supported by Beaumont, and all screenings are conducted by healthcare professionals. Hotline staff can help answer questions about COVID-19 symptoms, the need for testing, and what is considered high-risk.
COST: No cost for parents/guardians of Oakland County school-aged children
WHEN: 5:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Monday through Friday
October 12 - December 30, 2020
Call 248-551-4242 to reach the hotline.
Mrs. Jeffrey has started a Parent University series where parents teach other parents about different subjects. With students learning virtually right now, the first presentation was on personal internet security. You can view the video on YouTube by clicking on the image below.
We have put together some assistance for tracking student assignments in two virtual learning tools being used across the district: Google Classrooms and Canvas. You can find the guidance in the Returning to Learning Hub on the Distance Learning » Technology page.
You can also view the guidance on the webpage on the webpage linked below:
Assignment Tracking Guidance: Canvas & Google Classrooms
We have set up a complete guide to returning to learning for this fall on our website. You will find helpful information, upcoming dates & times, and all the documents you need start distance learning on August 31st.
Visit FerndaleSchools.org/Return today!
Ferndale Family,
It is with great excitement that I announce the hiring of Radhika Issac as the new principal of Ferndale High School and the promotion of David Gardner as the new principal of University High School.
With 20 years as an educator, Radhika brings experiences as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, and administrator to Ferndale Public Schools. Leading with empathy to build meaningful relationships is what defines both her professional and personal focus. Radhika actively facilitates opportunities to grow equitable access to curriculum and instruction for all students, families, and staff. She has been a learner, leader, and advocate for social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in both at the district and county level.
"I am eager to join the Ferndale Public Schools family. I look forward to connecting with each student, family, and staff member at Ferndale High School as we continue to build a community that honors our history and culture. I will strive to support students and staff as we develop our purpose, create a plan, and find our passions," Radhika Issac, Principal, Ferndale High School.
David Gardner graduated from Ferndale High School and has been a leader at University High School for more than a decade, first as a teacher, then counselor, assistant principal, and now principal. David inspires everyone around him to be a better educator, colleague, mentor, and person. The meaningful and authentic relationships he establishes with students and staff have lead to significant increases in student academic achievement and growth at UHS.
"I am excited and prepared to continue working on behalf of the students, families, and staff of UHS and Ferndale Public Schools. I recognize the strong work ethic and innovative practices of the UHS team and pledge to support them as we continue our journey of equity through inclusive and relevant curriculum and instruction and meaningful socio-emotional practices. UHS is a special place and I consider myself fortunate to be given the opportunity to continue the growth of its student-centered culture," David Gardner, Principal, University High School.
Our Ferndale Family is incredibly lucky to welcome these outstanding educational leaders to their new roles.
Dania H. Bazzi, PhD
Superintendent, Ferndale Schools
Starting on July 1st, Ferndale Schools will be transitioning to a new communication platform, replacing Q Communication with Remind. While we understand how frustrating it is to learn a new system, this decision was made after careful deliberation and consultation with many staff and community members.
What is Remind?
If you're not already familiar with Remind, it's a classroom communication tool that makes it easy to stay involved with your child's learning. Remind is free to use, and you'll be able to get and send messages on any device—even a simple text message from your phone! Remind uses email, text, and telephone calls to help you communicate with individuals or groups quickly and safely. Many staff, parents, coaches, and students may already be experienced in using Remind.
How does this impact me?
Families are automatically signed up to receive communication from their child's school, teachers, and Ferndale Schools. In order to receive emails, telephone calls, and even text messages, all you have to do is maintain your contact information and manage your personal preferences within our student information system, MiStar. Click here to update your contact information in MiStar. If you do not remember your login information, please email mistarhelp@ferndaleschools.org.
As part of this rollout, official accounts will be created for all the educators, parents, and students in Ferndale Schools. Around the 1st of July, you'll receive an email or text message from Remind. All you need to do is follow the steps in the message to finish setting up your account. Watch a video demo here to see how Remind works »
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we roll out this new system. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask.
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