Ferndale Schools eNews - Ferndale Public Schools

Do unto Others |
Pay it Forward |
Charitable Giving |
Make a Difference
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Ferndale Schools eNews
December 17, 2010 www.ferndaleschools.org
We’ll continue to run stories about your charitable
activities – if your activity was not published this
week, send info about it to shall@ferndaleschools.org,
including photos, if you have them, and watch for it in
an upcoming issue.
Giving at the Local Level - Ferndale Education Foundation – FEF
If you haven’t yet made your year-end donations, you may want to
consider the FEF. Special projects such as Camp Skyline, purchase
of classroom projects and equipment, including SmartBoards, are
made possible through FEF mini-grants to teachers every year.
They are only able to fund these important programs with the help
and generosity of district employees, school families, and area
businesses who make donations throughout the year.
Employees can make payroll deductions scheduled throughout the
year. Members of the school community have many opportunities,
including annual donations and participating in special events,
like the annual FEF dinner. To learn more, visit the FEF website at
http://www.ferndaleschools.org/fef/links/FEF%20Membership%20
request-payroll%20deductees.pdf. Employees may contact the
Payroll Department for more info on payroll deducations.
Generosity after the Holidays at Ferndale Middle School
After the New Year, students at FMS will be collecting warm winter
accessories through a student-initiated project. Jonah Poole,
8th grade, asked everyone in his school to join him in becoming
involved in helping his community and participating in a mitten
and hat drive for homeless children in the Detroit area. The
homeroom which brings in the most hats and mittens will win
a continental breakfast and free Homeroom period on Friday,
February 18th . The drive will take place from January 10 until Friday,
February 11. Send your items to FMS if you want to participate. On
February 14, the Detroit Rescue Mission, which sponsors a shelter
for homeless children and teens, will pick up the goods.
FHS: The Food Fight - It’s about the giving, and pizza
The competitive spirit at FHS brought in record numbers of cans.
The giving spirit of the students was increased by their motivation
to win the Pizza Party, which Charlotte Oliver’s 2nd Hour class
enjoyed today. Mr. Welborn is typically the winner every year and
he did a great job of challenging each staff member and their
class to be the champion. Charlotte Oliver says, “I’m so impressed
with Ferndale High School as a whole. They are always there to
recognize the needs of others are greater than their own. It’s
nice to see a community of people coming together to give of
themselves, especially at this time of year.”
The total number of items collected for needy families = 3,188 (and
some are still coming in!). Rankings: 1st – Oliver 385, average of 35
items per student; 2nd – Henderson 669, average of 30.41 items
per student; The largest number of cans collected goes to Mr.
Henderson’s class!; 3rd – Welborn 628, average of 25.12 items per
student; Honorable Mentions: Lesniak-Adams’ 2nd Hour class with
206 items collected and Schroeder with 187 items collected in her
second hour class.
Continued on Page 3
Today in the Ferndale
Schools: Coolidge/JFK Band
& Orchestra Concerts
The two snow days this week led to some very creative rescheduling to make sure everyone
had a chance to perform their concerts. Today, the joint Coolidge/Kennedy band and
orchestra concert took place at the FHS Auditorium and became an "Informance" according
to Band director, David
Coleman picutred below.
Classmates from both JFK
and Coolidge took the bus
to the high school to enjoy
their classmates' concert.
Orchestra director Tim Burke
is pictured above with a
small ensemble of students
at right.
What’s Happening in the
Ferndale Schools?
Dec 20-31.... All Schools, No School, Winter Break.
Dec 20-22 District Administration Offices Open
Dec 23-24 District Offices Closed
Dec 27-29 District Administration Offices Open
Dec 20-31 District Offices Closed
Dec 29 ....A Night of FABulous Entertainment, 6:30 pm FHS Commons & Auditorium
Jan 3 ......Classes Resume
Jan 5 ......Alternative Education Winter Registration Begins Taft Media Center through Feb 9

Snow Days . . . Cold Days . . .
How do we know? How do you know?
This week was an unusually cold week in the area.
With as much as 5-7 inches of snow and temperatures
as low as 7º, there were many problems around
town from untreated and unsafe snow-covered
roads, to icy roads that salt couldn’t melt at such cold
temperatures. If you were wondering late Sunday
or Monday night if school would be closed, and how
you would find out, here’s a little behind-the-scenes
peek into the process we follow.
Very early in the morning, the Superintendent makes
the final decision based on all the information that
he gathers from staff across the district, including the
Transportation and Maintenance departments to assess
the safety of the roads for our busses and in our
parking lots for cars and walking.
The decision is made as early in the morning as possible.
Our goal is to get the word out with a target
announcement time of 5:30-5:45 am. As always,
we contact WWJ, WJR, Fox 2, WDIV and WXYZ (this
is listed in the district calendar) to announce our
schools will be closed. Each media outlet has its own
password and system to call in and indicate that we
will be closed. We call twice, once for the Ferndale
Public Schools, the second time for Ferndale Adult
and Alternative Education. The stations then post the
closings on their channel announcements and their
websites.
We also use our district email fanout list to reach
all staff, elected officials, community members, the
media and school families who have signed up for it
at fpsfanout@ferndaleschools.org.
In the past year, we have also added a new system
called School Messenger to reach out to school
families via phone. The system allows us to record
messages and emails that are sent to every phone
number and email address in our Zangle student
information system (provided on emergency cards).
The system makes all the calls within one hour of
the scheduled start, and usually calls all 4,500 phone
numbers within 15 minutes. If your home phone,
cell phone, and office phone are all in Zangle – each
number will receive a call.
We also leave a message on the School Messenger
callback phone, 248/586-8651, so anyone who sees
a missed call from the Ferndale Schools and calls to
find out more will hear the same information from
the fanout.
So, kids: You can wear your pajamas inside out, stay
up all night posting how many districts in metro
Detroit are closing on your Facebook status, and plan
a day of making snow creatures in the yard, but the
decision will come in early morning, so you’d better
get a good night’s sleep to prepare for. . . school in
the morning! For now, enjoy the two-week Winter
Break!
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Athletics News
FHS Varsity Volleyball
The Daily Tribune selected players from the Ferndale High School Varsity
Volleyball team to play on the All-Area team for Southeast Oakland
County. The team will be comprised of 12 other Oakland County schools.
Congratulations to Molly Breen-Bondie and Alexis Smitowski who
were named to the 2 nd team. Kelsey Wilson was selected for the All-Area
1 st Team and is the Player of the Year for Southeast Oakland County. She
is the first player in school history to receive this honor.
FMS Coed Swim Team
Congratulations to the FMS Swim Team who defeated Detroit Country
Day in an 89-65 win! The Eagles were led by first-place finishes by Isobel
Edwards in the 50 freestyle, the 200 Freestyle Relay team of Tai Furnari,
Emily Kulick, Jack Traynor, and Lily Arnett, Maya Keener in the 100
backstroke, Furnari in the 100 backstroke. Furnari also added to her
state qualifying times in the 50 free, 200 free, and 100 breast, with a time
of 1:07.41 in the 100 IM. Nick Schoenknecht, 7 th Grader, also qualified
for the MISCA state meet in the 200 freestyle. Congratulations also
to Markell McCoy, Jack Traynor, Jayqwan King, Jacob Wilkins, and
Justin Forbes for outstanding time drops in the 50 freestyle. The Eagles
are now 1-1 on the season and take on Hazel Park next on January
10th. Awesome!

After studying about England for the past several weeks, the JFK travelers boarded
a “plane” and landed in the United Kingdom ready to keep learning. Their itinerary
included sewing stuffed Pooh puppets, creating crowns, having proper English tea
time, playing cricket, and singing with Mary Poppins (Mrs. Chelsea O'Brien). A jolly
good time was had by all, including the teachers, parent volunteers and, of course,
the students.
JFK Students Journey to England
Cheerio! The first and second graders in Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Nagaj and
Mrs. Holmes’ classes took a “day trip” to England at John F. Kennedy
School on Thursday, December 16.
The Open Classroom’s Rookies and Pros were a bit jet lagged after their
long round-trip journey to England. Passports and boarding passes in
hand, students boarded Air Kennedy’s flight 1216, skillfully piloted by
Captain Shepich. Upon arrival, students visited the Lake District and the
Hundred Acre Wood, Stonehenge, London and Liverpool-- the home of
the Beatles. Students feasted on fish and chips, met Mary Poppins for a
sing-a-long, enjoyed a traditional English High Tea, played a few matches
of cricket and “football” and shopped for souvenirs. Teacher Kara Edwards
says, “Our virtual trip was the culminating event in a month-long
study of England that looked at the nation’s history and culture. Thank
you to the more than 60 volunteers who made this wonderful Open
Classroom tradition possible.”
FMS Honor Roll – Breaking Records
There were 31 students with a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average, 76 students
with 3.5 – 3.9 Grade Point Average, and 60 students with 3.0 – 3.49 Grade
Point Average. Two sixth grade students from John F. Kennedy School made
the Honor Roll, too. They take advanced math classes at FMS. In total,
40% of the FMS student body made the Honor Roll, a big increase this year.
Good job, everyone!
Katherine Akers, David Anderson, Lily Arnett, John Aubrey, Fiona Ayers, Kira Bacher, Danielle Bammel, Kiara
Banks, Emily Bellaver, Kara Benner, Jacob Bilot, Abigail Black, Tori Blanks, Claire Bokram, Chiara Bowen, Sarah
Brazeau, Desire Brown, Kevonna Brown, Abbie Burghdoff, Megan Burke, Candice Burley, T’Kia Burton, Ashley
Cadilac, Jason Cardwell, Trenton Carson, Noah Chafin, Sarah Charles, Morgan Cheatom, Bailey Choate, Emily
Cole, Reilly Coleman, Daniel Collins, Creighton Crenshaw, Claire Crocker, Tiffany Cromartie, Autumn Cross, Ariel
Cruz, Graham Cwycyshyn, Edward Davis, Spencer Davis, Noah Davis-Bruster, Clare Dempsey, Sydney Donaldson,
K’myia Ealey, Destini Eaton, Isobel Edwards, Sean Farrah, Conor Faughnan, Jasmine Floyd, Tai Furnari, Carissa
Gadson, Mia Gale, Shannon Gardner, Araina Garland, MacKenzie Grobbel, Andra Habib, Caleb Hagemann, Kyle
Hagle, Dalton Hahn, Montreal Hall, Kerry Hambrick, Andrew Harper, Trinity Harris, Elizabeth Hemond, Kasandra
Hodges, Hana Holden, Brianne Holt, Gabrielle Hoults, Faith Huddleston, Desaree Jackson, La’Tyira Jackson,
Raven Jefferson-Brinkley, Ronald Jenkins, Grace Johnson, Isom Johnson, Tamyia Jones, Matthew Kay, Rheanna
Kays, Irene Kazmierczak, Maya Keener, Jacob Keller, Joshua Kelly, Isabella Kercorian, Namir Khalasawi, Sabrena
Khalasawi, Jayqwan King, Camden Kinnie, Brenda Kizy, Dominick Kizy, Jacob Knittel, Victoria Krajewski, Jacob
Kueber, Emily Kulick, Gavin Langley, Chanell Love, Edwin Luo, Ju’juan Mainor, Ebony Martin, Markell McCoy,
Madeline McGill, Trevin McKeithen, Drew McLenon, Nicholas Melton, Jack Michalak, Antoinette Miller, Molly
Minamyer, Angela Morales, Margaret Myers, Ravyn Neuman, Alexa Novak, Jake Pagador, Madeline Parks, Kaylin
Patton, Rebecca Phoenix, Madeline Pippel, Jonah Poole, Justice Porter, Rashana Powell, Rashemia Powell, Brittney
Prince, Jerry Prudden, Arieon Pruitt, Kieran Reeves, Shana Risby, Krystal Rivas, Milynn Robinson, Veronica
Rooney, Joseph Roquemore, Kerry Sanders, Nicholas Schoenknecht, Stephanie Schurg, Varcelus Seaton, Benjamin
Seranon, Nathan Sherman, Zachary Simpson, Shelby Slabiak, Ashya Smith, Gretchen Smith, Nora Smith, Hylee
Souder, Samantha Spindler, Leonardo Sweeney, Caroline Teets, Jalan Thomas, Molly Tomas, David Traines, Jack
Traynor, Tessa Triest, Kennedy Trombley, Asia Turner, Raegan VanderMeer, Deonte Vann, McKenna Voss, Chloe
Walimaa, Mia Walker, Ciera White, Latisa White, Kenneth Williams, Michael Williams, Aaron Willis, Connor Wilson,
Grace Wilson, Karly Wilson, Zaine Wilson, Rachel Wynn, Zane Zerbel, and Austin Zoppi.
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Charitable Giving |
continued from page 1
We have put together many bags of groceries that will go to a
few of our Ferndale Families, along with a spiral ham and baked
goods for each. So…… if you have any items still in your rooms
or would like to make a cash donation we would appreciate it.
Just put the donation envelope in my mailbox or send the food
items to my room.
Next year FHS hopes to double their collection. Congratulations
to the student who won the winter sports pace for two, Trevor
Landry. Someone even donated a pair of Pistons tickets for
Trevor and a few others who were significant in bringing in the
most items. It was a great feeling to see the students rewarded
for their hard work. The collection of items will be delivered to
Ferndale families, along with a Honey Baked Ham for them to
enjoy for the holiday. It’s all about giving and the feeling you get
from being able to do so.
FHS also hosted their Annual Senior Citizen Luncheon for
about 65 seniors from our community. Mr. Moy played holiday
music, and the bingo was a big success. The food, provided by
Chartwells, was fantastic and the students worked very hard.
They even cleared the snow off of all of the cars before all of the
guests departed for the day. They were thrilled and grateful, and
for many of both generations, it’s something they look forward
to every year. Natalie Melnick was the chairperson for the event
and she did an outstanding job.
Roosevelt
Roosevelt Primary School held a
school family celebration at which
all students received books and
art-related gifts from Operation
Kid Equip, a local community
organization giving back to our
schools and students.
UHS
The University High School
student body participated
this week in a Giving Tree and
Canned Food Drive to benefit
Toys for Tots (Royal Oak
Township Recreation Center
location) and Forgotten
Harvest. Led by the National
Honor Society and UHS
Leadership Committee, the
UHS student body donated
582 canned food items, 80
pairs of hats and gloves, 240
books, and 76 toys. This is
UHS’s largest donation yet –
and was completed in only
three days of school!
This fall, the UHS National
Honor Society participated in a Fall Service Project by raking
leaves and cleaning up yards in the neighborhood surrounding
UHS. In one day, students helped over 30 neighbors to prepare
for the winter months. This marked the third annual fall project
for the UHS NHS.
The UHS DECA Chapter adopted two teenagers through
Operation Good Cheer and donated Christmas gifts to them this
season.
Harding Administration Center
The staff at Harding decided again this year to find a way to
give back. Rather than give holiday gifts to each other, the
staff adopted a district family in need and became Santa’s little
elves providing clothing and gift items, plus gift cards for food,
necessities, and, of course, a little fun with a night out at the
movies.
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To see all weekly eNewsletters visit this link: www.ferndaleschools.org/districtnews

Walk-in-Wednesdays are held twice a month. Check out
www.ferndaleschools.org/fcc/calendar
to view the next available date.
FERNDALE CAREER CENTER
Walk-in-Wednesdays
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Q: What is a Walk-in-Wednesday?
A: It is a “Goal Review;” an opportunity for individuals to get a brief (10 minute) consultation with a case manager
about their goals. You must come in to the center to sign up for a time slot on the day of. Time slots are first come, first
served and are offered every other Wednesday from 9am – 12pm. You are encouraged to attend an Orientation prior
to coming to a Walk-in-Wednesday appointment, but it is not required. Dates are listed on our workshop calendar
at www.ferndaleschools.org/fcc/calendar.
Q: What if the time slots are taken when I come for a Walk-in-Wednesday?
A: You are encouraged to arrive as early as 8am the morning of a Walk-in-Wednesday to sign up for a time slot. If all
appointments are taken for that day, you are encouraged to come to another Walk-in-Wednesday.
Q: What do I need to bring?
A: Other than valid identification to enter the building, you are not required to bring anything specific, unless you are
interested in being assigned a case manager. As is mentioned during the FCC Orientation, it would be helpful if you
brought a Professional Resume and an idea of your career goals. If you have done any research into your career of
interest, you are encouraged to bring that as well.
Q: What if I don’t know what I want my next career to be?
A: If you’re not quite sure what you want to do, you are encouraged to first attend an FCC Orientation to get more
information about how our center services can help you determine your goals. Our center also offers a variety of
workshops and seminars that may be helpful in preparing you for your next career.
Q: What happens after a Walk-in-Wednesday appointment?
A: You may be referred to take an assessment, complete necessary workshops or do other tasks as designated by the
Goal Reviewer. After successful completion of your Goal Review, you will be assigned a case manager.
Q: What can I do in the mean time?
A: There are several workshops and seminars that our center offers and you are encouraged to take advantage of
these. You should complete the three required workshops offered every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The
Workshop Calendar and details can be found on our website or at our center. Case managers will expect you to have
these workshops completed prior to meeting. We also suggest you continue your job search and track your efforts.
Please note: a Ferndale Career Center (FCC) Orientation is required for anyone needing initial information about
Intensive Case Management Services.
Ferndale Career Center • 713 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, MI 48220
248-545-0222 • www.ferndaleschools.org/fcc

55+ Program
Are you 55 years or older?
If you can answer yes, you may be eligible to receive the following services from a
55+ Program Navigator:
Your Navigator will provide assistance with career exploration beginning with AARP
Foundation’s WorkSearch tool, and any other appropriate career exploration tools as
determined by you and your Navigator. Focusing on your skills, abilities and interests,
a career goal will be established.
If you and your Navigator determine that vocational training is needed, the Navigator
will help you explore training opportunities, connect you with appropriate funding
and support you throughout your training experience.
The Navigator will provide assistance with your job search, including resume and
cover letter writing, strengthening your interviewing skills, and using effective job
search techniques. The Navigator will also help you access workshops and seminars
to help you strengthen these skills in order to make your job search more effective.
Once you find employment, your Navigator will stay in touch with you for a year to
make sure you get your new career off on the right foot.
If you are interested in these services, please complete a 55+
application located at the Ferndale Career Center’s main front
desk or download one from www.ferndaleschools.org/fcc.
Once your application is received, you will be contacted for an
appointment.
The 55+ Program is one of ten Federally Funded Demonstration Grants in the nation designed to help workers who are 55
and older re‐enter the workforce. In Southeast Michigan dislocated workers who are 55 years and older can access intensive
career exploration and case management services through this grant. Navigators are available in all Michigan Works! Service
Centers in Southeast Michigan.
AWI Fact Sheet 7‐10
C:\Documents and Settings\shall.FERNDALESCHOOLS\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\55+ Fact Sheet‐for Ferndale Schools Newsletter.doc