Mr. Vaughn's 5th grade classroom toured the DIA from their desks and learned about collage techniques. The curators discussed material challenges and opportunities, as well as communication strategies and ways that artists have used the medium to express ideas, emotions, and perspectives. Students then spent 30 minutes creating collages using paper, fabric, magazine and newspaper clippings and found items. Students were invited to reflect on their process and their finished works during a discussion period.

This presentation and project framework was supported by the Detroit Institute of Art and their Meaning Through Art Making program. The DIA features many online resources for art appreciation and arts education–including Art at Home and Virtual Field Trips–available at DIA.org.

Curbside Food Service times will be changed to 8:30-9:30 am, beginning Monday, January 17, 2022. 5 days of meals will still be provided for students currently enrolled in Ferndale Schools virtual learning.

Please see the cubside meal pick-up flyer for details.

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 Fine Arts Instruction 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 December 2021 - Fine Arts Education and Our Students »

The students in Mrs. Harris's class worked cooperatively with the principles of Computational Thinking using their Dash Robots. Students worked together to code their robots to get through a series of challenges. Students were able to code in a 3-D world full of movement, lights, and sound.

Please join us in welcoming Tiwanya Robinson to our Ferndale Family. Tiwanya joins the district as a Curriculum Coordinator & SACC Coordinator. She brings over 20 years of experience in education to her new role with Ferndale Schools. She has served in a variety of capacities in education, including Instructional Coach, District-wide School Improvement Coach, and Climate & Culture Supervisor. Even with these amazing experiences, she is most proud of the years she spent teaching and earning a National Board certification for teaching. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Child Development/Education from Michigan State University and a Master’s of Education from Wayne State University in Reading.

Please login to Remind and set your notification preferences to make sure you receive updates on weather closures and other important notifications.

1. Click here or navigate to Remind.com
2. Click the down arrow to the right of your name
   
3. Select Account Settings from the dropdown menu
   
4. Select Notification preferences from the new Side Navigation, and set your notifications.
   
5. Phone numbers and emails should automatically be added for you through MISTAR. To add or update phone or email, visit the MISTAR Parent Connect Portal.

Parents & Caregivers of Ferndale students can now use MISTAR ParentConnect to provide consent for COVID-19 Antigen Testing.

COVID-19 Antigen Testing Authorization MISTAR Instructions

Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for youth aged 5-11 has now been approved. The Oakland County Health Division in partnership with Oakland Schools has multiple school sites that will host pediatric vaccine clinics across Oakland County starting November 8, 2021.

Ferndale Schools Diversity Committee is seeking volunteers for the following roles:

• Coordinating Agendas and Meetings
• Leading Projects
• Planning Information Sessions
• Planning Community Activities
• Making District Recommendations

To learn more, contact ferndaleschoolsdiversity@gmail.com

Have you been into our renovated buildings recently? Over the summer of 2021, bond funds allowed us to make some major improvements. The hard to spot features include a brand new roof and high-efficiency temperature control units in all classrooms. Other features are much more obvious.

Classrooms have new lighting, ceiling tiles, and flooring. Hallways and lockers have been improved as well, and water bottle filling stations were installed.

Every Tuesday is Teamwork Tuesday in Mrs. Lusk’s fourth grade classroom. This week, the students teamed up to create three and four sided polygons (shapes) with toothpicks. Then, we “Scooted” to review how to find the perimeter of triangles and quadrilaterals (four-sided shapes). Scoot is a cooperative learning strategy that allows students to move from station to station while reviewing content. They briefly collaborate and discuss how to solve the problem then on a signal move to the next station.

1st-3rd grade Montessori students went on their first field trip of the year and the first field trip since 2018. On Thursday, October 14th, students went to Cranbrook Science Institute to visit the exhibit on space travel and the planetarium to continue their studies of the solar system and outer space. Students were also able to tour the rest of the museum and learn about dinosaurs.

Mrs. Pommereau said "It got us excited to learn about life on earth. The children were so curious and engaged. They asked lots of great questions! When they came back to school, they were ready to continue their research!"