Tuesday, May 14, 2013
School Improvement Mondays will continue during the 2013-14 school year.
Parents of Ferndale students are asked to mark their calendars for Monday, May 20 as it is the last "Early Release Monday" of the school year. Early Release Mondays - or 'School Improvement Mondays' - were initiated in September at all of the district's schools. Students have been dismissed 55 minutes early on Mondays so that teachers and data teams could meet to work on improving student achievement. May 27 is Memorial Day and the two remaining Mondays of the school year - June 3 and June 10 - will be regular school days, according to the district's most recent newsletter. School Improvement Mondays will continue during the 2013-14 school year, the newsletter states. The initiative aimed to give teachers "structured time to collaborate in…
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Event on May 13 will honor Mario Campbell, a Ferndale High School junior who died during track practice in March.
A blood drive will be held in May dedicated to the memory of late Ferndale High School student Mario Campbell. The high school is hosting the special Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Monday, May 13 in the school's media center, according to the school district's most recent newsletter. Campbell, 16, died March 14 after collapsing at school following a training practice with the track team. The junior was remembered as a "wonderful student, enthusiastic learner, team player and dedicated friend," FHS Principal Lisa Williams said in March. "He always had a smile on his face and a good word to share." Blood drive donors will be entered to win a Detroit Tigers family four-pack of tickets and/or a $200 gift card. For more …
Monday, April 29, 2013
The group will perform “8 Mile Rhythm” by Metro Detroit native Ira Hearshen at 7 p.m. May 18 in the FHS auditorium.
Hollywood musician Ira Hearshen, who grew up in the Detroit area and graduated from Wayne State University, has written a composition specifically for the Ferndale High School Wind Ensemble. The piece titled, “8 Mile Rhythm” uses three Motown songs as inspiration: “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” written by Norman Whitfield and originally performed by The Temptations, “Living For the City” written by Stevie Wonder and “What’s Going On?” written by Marvin Gaye. Hearshen’s piece uses gestures, fragments, grooves, and harmonic structures in common with the Motown tunes, but is its own piece. The premiere of “8 Mile Rhythm” will be May 18 at 7 p.m. in the FHS Auditorium. Elon Jamison, Director of the Wind Ensemble, explains the importance of the …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Principal Lisa Williams says the accreditation means colleges will know FHS graduates have been 'well-prepared for college success.'
Ferndale High School recently earned North Central Accreditation, a distinction that principal Lisa Williams says is "external validation that we are a high quality high school." The accreditation was granted following a review, evaluation and endorsement process that ended last week after an external review team visited the school, according to a post in the school district's most recent newsletter. "Colleges will look at our students' transcripts and know our graduates have been well prepared for college success," Williams said in the newsletter.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch in effect for all of southeast Michigan through 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Ferndale Public Schools district canceled all evening activities Thursday, April 18, due to a tornado watch. The National Weather Service issued the tornado watch in effect for all of southeast Michigan through 6 p.m. Thursday. The following is text of an alert the district sent Thursday about the cancelations. Due to the ongoing Tornado Watch, the Ferndale Schools has cancelled all, evening activities and events for tonight, April 18. Afterschool Child Care/Latchkey: Parents, if your children participate in Latchkey, please pick them up as soon as you can after the school day ends. The child care staff will remain with students until they are all picked up. Focus Group for FAAPN at FHS: The Focus Group for Ferndale African American …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Focus group meetings continue Wednesday and Thursday evening as part of the district's ongoing strategic planning process.
Ferndale Public Schools is in the process of formulating a five-year strategic plan for the district and is inviting parents to get involved as focus group meetings continue. A series of focus groups have been held over the past several weeks as part of the strategic planning process, which is being led by consulting firm Project Innovations. "Participating in a focus group may be one of the most important contributions parents make to their children’s education and the future of the Ferndale Schools," the district's web site states. The next focus group meetings are as follows: Ferndale Middle School and Ferndale High School parents Ferndale Schools Support Staff Special Education Parents African-American Parent Network
Friday, March 29, 2013
Dan Dirkse challenged the John F. Kennedy School community to raise money for the
American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event on June 8.
The first graders at John F. Kennedy Elementary School recently got to shave school custodian Dan Dirkse's head after a fundraising effort for Ferndale Relay of Life. Dirkse, JFK’s head custodian, challenged the Kennedy community to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event on June 8. The winning class got to shave his head. "Mr. Dan inspired the Kennedy community to raise more than $600 for Team Kennedy," a story in the school district's most recent newsletter reads. "Team Kennedy thanks Mr. Dan for helping our youngest citizens create 'a world with more birthdays.'" Information and photos courtesy of Ferndale Public Schools.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
There are several opportunities to participate in a focus group for the district's strategic plan.
Dr. Gregory Sumner will speak on the life and writings of Kurt Vonnegut at 7 p.m.
Dr. Gregory Sumner, author and professor of history at the University of Detroit Mercy, will speak on the life and writings of Kurt Vonnegut tonight at the Ferndale Public Library. The event - part of the 2013 Ferndale Reads program - will begin at 7 p.m. in the library's community room. Sumner, an avid Kurt Vonnegut fan, will discuss Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five, as well as his own book - Unstuck in Time: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut's Life and Novels. Unstuck in Time will be available for purchase and Sumner will sign copies of his book. For more information, call the library at 248-546-2504 or visit the Facebook event page here. More about Ferndale Reads on Patch: Ferndale Library Hosts Local Vonnegut Biographer's Literary …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
District receives the national distinction for the third year in a row.
The following information was provided by Ferndale Public Schools. Ferndale Schools were named one of the 2013 Best Communities in the Nation for Music Education for the third year in a row by the NAMM Foundation. Ferndale is one of 11 communities in Michigan to receive this designation. “It’s gratifying that we received national recognition for something we already knew,” said Elon Jamison, K-12 Performing Arts Instructional Lead Teacher and Director of Bands at FHS about Ferndale’s outstanding music program in a small community. Jamison added that it’s nice to consistently achieve this recognition for three years now. The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to …
