Digital Campus

Here we provide online resources to support the day-to-day school-related needs of UPAD: Elementary School families and staff.

Our School Provides

  • A learning community that welcomes your child entering grades K-5.
  • A small school with small classes that average 16 students in grades K-1 and 21 in grades 2-5.
  • A college-going culture with high expectations for all.
  • A modern facility at the former Doty Elementary School, with technology inside and space to play outside.
  • Hands-on project-based learning led by highly qualified, certified teachers.
  • A focus on developing creative students who love learning and who can read, write and do math at or above their grade level.
  • Design Thinking as a process that develops creativity and leads to innovation.
  • Caring adult role models in an environment that is nurturing, safe and secure.
  • An inclusive family atmosphere where parents are welcomed as partners.
  • Structured experiences in the community, such as field trips and service learning projects.
  • Access to a learning-focused latchkey program.
  • Automatic enrollment at the nearby Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies Middle School when students complete 5th grade.
  • And so much more.

History

Built on a History of Academic Success

Henry Ford Academy: Elementary School is developed and managed by Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) a non-profit organization that imagines, designs and delivers programs to help people become more creative and innovative in how they think and learn. HFLI was founded in 2003 by The Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund to equip K-12 students with the skills to imagine and innovate a brighter future and to make an effective transition from the classroom to college and beyond. During the 2016-2017 school year, HFLI and its partners are serving more than 1,900 students at four Henry Ford Academies. For further information, please visit www.hfli.org.

Henry Ford Academy: Elementary School is a part of the Public School Academies of Detroit system and authorized by Grand Valley State University.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0YOvKGWmSvk%3F

2019-2020 Academic Calendar

Food Service – We provide free breakfast and lunch for all students. As a part of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, our school participates in the Community Eligible Provision Program; each year our school eligibility for additional state funding and grant programs is dependent on the completion of Household Information Surveys collected from each family.

Principal’s Office

Mrs. Felicia Brimage

Felicia Brimage, Principal of Henry Ford Academy: Elementary School, is responsible for developing and sustaining a learning environment at UPAD: Elementary School that prepares students to read, write, and do math at, or above, grade level; engages all students through project-based learning and design thinking; provides a firm foundation in art and design; cultivates strong parental support; incorporates community partners to create real-world learning experiences; and, instills a love of learning. An educator with more than 12 years of experience, Mrs. Brimage has demonstrated a keen ability to inspire students and help them develop into well rounded, independent, responsible and successful individuals. After 8 years as a teacher at Woodmont Academy in Southfield, and 1 year prior to that in Southfield’s public schools, she joined our district in 2012 as a founding teacher and a part of a dynamic team that has developed an inclusive, joyful school culture of achievement at Henry Ford Academy: Elementary School. In addition to teaching third grade and acting as the lead teacher for the 2nd/3rd floor, Mrs. Brimage was the summer education program administrator and a part of the Design Thinking Expo team. She was most recently the middle school dean of students at Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies. Mrs. Brimage earned a M.Ed. in Reading and a B.A. in Elementary Education, both from Eastern Michigan University.

Teacher Pages

Learning Resources

Interested in extending your child’s learning at home?

UPAD: Elementary School teachers love www.kidfriendlysearch.com, which provides links to appropriate sites by subject.

In early 2015, we will also began offering Raz-Kids, a resource that not only helps kids K-5 select “just right” reading materials, but also provides online access to more than 4,000 books across 13 genres, as well as quizzes to ascertain comprehension. Contact your child’s teacher for a username and password.

Type to Learn helps students improve their keyboarding skills through review, demonstration, practice and assessment. Contact your child’s teacher for a username and password.

Third Grade Reading Law Prezi

CREW

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

UPAD: Elementary School offers an exciting lineup of after school activities for our scholars. Sign-up for after school programs occurs at Curriculum Night. Sign-up is done on a first-come-first-serve basis. Attendance at the parent meeting is crucial for reserving a spot in an after school program.

Some of the after school programs for the 2017-2018 school year include:

  • Tutoring Program Grades K-5 – Cotton, Lim, Dixon, Campell
  • Sustain Ed (Green Team) Grades 3-5 – University of Michigan partnership – Kirkland
  • Soccer Grades 1-4 – Think Detroit PAL partnership – Haggard, Odom, Smith, Lasterbey
  • Art & Design – CDC Partnership
  • Drumline – CDC Partnership
  • Dance – CDC Partnership
  • Chess Club Grades 4-5 – Nolan
  • Jewelry Art Workshop Grades K-2 – Dysard
  • Detroit Swims Grades K-5 – Boll YMCA Partnership
  • Academic Games – Farmer, Ash

CDC

CDC is a non-profit organization committed to empowering people and creating positive opportunities for the central Detroit community. Thanks to CDC’s generous support, our students have the opportunity to participate in quality after school programming right in our own building.

Policies

TARDINESS POLICY

ATTENDANCE POLICY

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

The UPAD: ES school calendar is located here.

SCHOOL DOCUMENTS

School Improvement Plans District, UPAD: Elementary School

ANNUAL EDUCATION REPORT

Parent Involvement Plan

For information on Parents as Partners visit the Parent and Community Engagement page here.

Parent Involvement Plan

APPLICATIONS/ORDER FORMS/INFO