Weekly Parent Communication # 8 – Week of Monday, October 5th, 2026
Week Ahead @ HF
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy October!
We are excited to share that
Last spring, 54 of our
Congratulations to our
In this week’s Parent
- Upcoming Picture Day at Henry Ford
- Our Early Dismissal Policy
- Photos from Friday’s WIDA Celebration
- PBIS Café Raffle Drawing Winners
- Fun lunchtime photos
- PJ Day at HF
- Short video clips of students “Learning in Action”
- Classroom activities and interactive lessons
- Lunch recess highlights
- Student and Teacher Spotlight photos
Our Student and Teacher
Attendance Matters
During September, we focused
Thank you to all of our
Moving forward, our
Attendance reports are
Our school-wide goal for the
By working together as a
Thank you.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Catch Up on Previous Weekly
You can also review our
Thank you for your continued support and partnership!
WE are looking forward to a ….
…positive school year at Henry Ford Elementary School.
As always, we have an open door policy and we welcome your feedback and questions.
Thank you for your continued support of our HF community. Have a wonderful Sunday!
Sincerely,
Principal Farhat
and
Assistant Principal Lawera
——————————————————————————————————–
Click here for the full post with pictures and other information:
https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/91194994
Catch Up on Previous Weekly
You can also review our
You have seen many communications on Parent Square and through your email
regarding our new attendance initiative.
This is a Friendly Reminder to please be patient with our
office staff, teachers and/or SRTs;
Mrs. Tubah (Parent Liaison) and Ms. Amal (SRT) when
they call you to check on your child.
Our goal is to make sure that all students are in
school as much as possible.
We are in the process of implementing our goal of decreasing
absenteeism at Henry Ford Elementary School.
This is a district initiative and a Henry Ford Building goal.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as
we implement this process– full force.
Please reach out to Mr. Lawera or Mrs. Farhat if
you have any questions,
concerns or anything positive to say about this process.
Thank you in advance.
As always, Principal Farhat and I appreciate your continued
support of our school
community.
We look forward to having a really
successful school year.
Parents are our partners for the
success of all our students.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Principal Farhat and Assistant Principal Lawera
https://www.parentsquare.com/studio/templates/291745/edit
Attendance Matters – September sprint
The beginning of the school year is a time of transition for students
and families. Did you know that research shows regular
attendance helps students feel better about school?
If a student misses even two days of school a month, their
absences can start to affect their achievement and their
sense of belonging.
What can parents do to help?
- Check your student’s attendance on ParentConnect
- Set a regular bedtime for your child and don’t allow
- electronics in their room overnight
- Create a morning routine that encourages your
- student to arrive on time
- Schedule medical appointments outside of school hours
- Schedule family trips during school vacations
- Contact your child’s teacher, principal, or counselor/
- school social worker if your child struggles coming to
- school or has a medical reason for missing school
We want your child to feel a part of their school
community every day!
Obviously, children who are ill need to stay
home. Follow our When to Keep your Child at Home guidelines.
For more tips on how to keep your healthy
child’s attendance on track, visit the Wayne RESA In Class Is Where It’s At campaign page.
Please reach out to Mr. Lawera or our Attendance
Task Force if you have any questions. Thank you
Weekly Parent Communication # 5 – Week of Monday,
September 14th, 2026…
https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/88096844
This week’s Parent Communication will focus on the following
topics: Behavior, Lunch, Lunch Recess and the district and
our building Attendance Goal: (click the link above for more info)
https://www.parentsquare.com/studio/templates/285342/edit
Click above:
Partnering for Success: 2026-2027 Attendance Goal- information…
Please reach out to Mr. Lawera or our Attendance Task Force if you have any questions. Thank you
Partnering for Success: 2026-2027 Attendance Goal:
Consistent attendance makes a huge difference
in your child’s education!
For the 2026-2027 school year, our school and
district share a major goal: to reduce
absenteeism and ensure every student is
here, learning, and thriving as much as possible.
Helpful Scheduling Tips
We know life gets busy, but small changes can
help keep your child in the classroom:
- Routine Appointments: Try to schedule
- doctor and dentist visits near the
- end of the school day or after school.
- Please note: If your child has an early
- morning appointment, please bring them
- back to school afterwards, instead of
- missing a full day of instruction and learning.
- This is very important. Thank you.
- Wellness Exams: Take advantage of school
- breaks and summer vacation for annual
- physicals and dental cleanings.
- Being on Time to School: Morning attendance is
- taken by teachers at 9:15 am and pm
- afternoon attendance is taken by teaches
- at 1:30pm. Students walk into school at 8:50 am.
- Instruction begins at 9:00 am. promptly!
Keeping the Lines of Communication Open
You may have already noticed more communication
from our teachers and staff this year.
We want to work together to overcome any
hurdles that might be keeping
your child out of school.
To make sure we are supporting your family,
here is what you can expect
if your child is absent:
- 2 Absences: Your child’s teacher will
- give you a quick phone
- call to check in.
- 3+ Absences: Our Attendance Team will
- reach out to document the reason
- for the absence and see how we can help.
- 10 Absences: You will receive an official attendance
- notification letter from the school.
- 15, 25, and 30 Absences: You will
- receive formal district truancy
- letters at each of these milestones.
Important Note: We absolutely want your
child to stay home and rest
if they are sick! Please prioritize your
child’s health and keep
them home when they are ill.
Thank you for your understanding
and for partnering with
us to make this a wonderful year
of learning for your child!
Thank you for your continued
support of our Henry
Ford Elementary school community.
Sincerely,
Principal; Mrs. Farhat
&
Assistant Principal;
Mr. Lawera
https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/88096844
https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/88096844
 |
| ————————————————————- |
| ———————————————————– |
 |
 |
| ————————————————————- |
 Welcome Back, Broncos!Dear Parents and Guardians,This week’s Parent Communication will focus on the following topics: Behavior, Lunch, Lunch Recess and the district and our building Attendance Goal:Behavior:Thank you for talking with your child about being safe, responsible and kind. Students are continuing to learn their teacher’s behavior expectations and the schoolwide behavior expectations, as we are in the middle of September. We would like all students on the same page in regards to following the rules and behavior expectations by the end of September, at the latest. Usually, it takes about 4-6 weeks for students to know the behavior expectations and routines. Most of our students are doing a fine job adjusting to the 26-27 school year. There are some students that are having a more difficult time adjusting and behaving properly. If this happens to your child and if you receive phone calls regarding your child’s behavior, please return the calls and reach out to your child’s teacher. We would like to communicate with you so that we can support your child. Our goal is to ensure that all students have a successful school year. The classroom teacher and/or the Special Area’s teacher (if they called you) are the first people that you should call, before calling an administrator. Communication between the classroom teacher and parent is essential for the success of the student/child. In addition, teachers are asked to communicate with student’s parents if there is an issue that occurred. This is common practice at all schools. |
 |
| Above is an example of how students should act Respectfully, Responsibility and Safely in a classroom.This is taken from the Henry Ford Behavior Expectation Matrix. We shared this with you a few weeks ago and it is taken from the full matrix shown below: |
 |
 |
| Lunch:All students receive a free breakfast and lunch at Henry Ford Elementary. Thanks to a grant that was received. We ask all students to go through the lunch line, even if they choose not to eat lunch, for example. We always encourage students to eat a healthy lunch. The salad area is where students may get/ask for additional fruits and veggies, free of charge. If a student would like another entrée, the cost is $2.00. We wanted to clarify this because there has been some confusion with some of our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students thus far. Additionally, eating just “bags of chips” for example is not a healthy lunch. Mr. Lawera has contacted parents when he notices that a child does not eat lunch and only snacks such as a “large bag of chips.” Please talk with your child about eating a healthy breakfast and lunch so that they can be ready to learn in school and be focused. Thank you in advance. |
 |
| Lunch Recess: (3rd, 4th and 5th grade lunch recesses):Observations and Suggestions:3rd grade lunch recess: The 3rd graders are doing an amazing job at lunch recess. They play soccer and also play well together. We are proud of the 3rd grade students.4th grade lunch recess: The 4th graders are enjoying their lunch recess. It is our hope that they will begin to play some sports during that time as well. 5th grade lunch recess: The 5th grade girls are really enjoying their time together outside. The 5th grade boys are happy to go outside for lunch recess, but need to begin playing organized games. We are seeing some students exhibiting poor choices and behaviors during this time. |
| Resolving conflicts: |
 |
 |
| Please encourage your child to take advantage to this time to play with friends in a safe, responsible and kind way. Additionally, please remind your child to be respectful to the Noon Hour Supervisors/Lunch Ladies through the whole lunch time and lunch recess experience. Mrs. Tubah and Mr. Lawera are also outside with the lunch ladies during all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade lunch recesses. We are looking for a Noon Hour Supervisor/Lunch Lady, as one of ours left HF to go to another building.If you are interested in working, please reach out to Ms. Hutaph in the main office.Thank you. |
| As always, thank you for taking the time to speak to your child. Much appreciated. |
| Moving forward, we will begin “Sport’s Zones” on the Annex Playground. Our CIS Coordinator received some donations to purchase some soccer nets for the students and Principal Farhat will order some sports’ balls for the students to use during lunch recess. Thank you Principal Farhat! This will begin as soon as the equipment arrives. Note: If you see your child bring home a school ball, please have them return it. Thank you in advance. Lastly, if you are interested in donating for sports’ equipment or balls, please reach out to Mr. Lawera. Thank you. |
| Attendance (District and Building Goal) |
| You have seen many communications on Parent Square and through your email regarding our new attendance initiative.This is a Friendly Reminder to please be patient with our office staff, teachers and/or SRTs; Mrs. Tubah (Parent Liaison) and Ms. Amal (SRT) when they call you to check on your child. Our goal is to make sure that all students are in school as much as possible. |
| We are in the process of implementing our goal of decreasing absenteeism at Henry Ford Elementary School. |
| This is a district initiative and a Henry Ford Building goal. |
| Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we implement this process– full force.Please reach out to Mr. Lawera or Mrs. Farhat if you have any questions, concerns or anything positive to say about this process. Thank you in advance. As always, Principal Farhat and I appreciate your continued support of our school community. We look forward to having a really successful school year. Parents are our partners for the success of all our students. Thank you.Sincerely,Principal Farhat and Assistant Principal Lawera |
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope you had a wonderful, restful, and enjoyable summer break. We are excited to welcome our students and families back for another great school year!
Please join us for our Open House on Friday, August 21, from 12:00–1:30 p.m.
We look forward to seeing our returning families and welcoming those who are new to our school community.
We are also excited to introduce our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Jamel Lawera.
Please see his introductory letter below to learn a little more about him.
We look forward to a wonderful 2026–2027 school year together!
My name is Jamel Lawera, and I am very excited to join the Henry Ford Elementary community as your Assistant Principal for the 2026–2027 school year.
I began my career with Dearborn Public Schools in 1999 and have had the opportunity to serve in several different roles throughout my career, including teacher, resource teacher, assistant principal, and principal.
For the past 20 years, I have served in school administration and have worked with students, staff, and families at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
I am grateful for the opportunity to bring these experiences with me to Henry Ford Elementary, and I am looking forward to becoming part of this wonderful school community.
Most importantly, I look forward to getting to know our students and families and working together to help make this a positive and successful school year for everyone.
I hope to meet many of you at our …
Open House this Friday, August 21, from 12:00–1:30 p.m.
I am looking forward to a great year at Henry Ford Elementary!
Thank you for your continued support of our wonderful Henry Ford Community.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Farhat
Principal
Henry Ford Elementary
Mr. Jamel Lawera
Assistant Principal
Henry Ford Elementary
Open House Picture from last school year….
