The Spencer Scoop
Spencer Elementary - February 24, 2023
Dear Spencer Families,
I hope that everyone stayed safe and found some time to relax while we hunkered down during this week's ice storm. Our 2nd Grade Music Performance will be rescheduled to March 9.
As you will see below, there has been an increase in Strep Throat and Norovirus at Spencer. On Monday, our custodial staff completed a thorough deep cleaning. My hope is that the long weekend, coupled with the past two inclement weather days, has given some time for the germs to dissipate and everyone to get healthy!
Have a great weekend; we are looking forward to a five-day week next week!
Danielle Schmidt
Increase in Strep Throat & Norovirus Cases at Spencer
Each week I send a report to the Livingston County Health Department with the various illnesses going around Spencer. I only report the illness and the number of cases, not the names of the students who are ill. It would help me to report accurately if you could please indicate the type of illness your student has when calling into the attendance line or when using the Parent Reported Absence feature in Parent Connect, so I can monitor if the flu, strep or other contagious illnesses are present in the school. I receive many calls that the student is "not feeling well" or "sick", so if I am given more specific details of the illness, I can report accurately to the health department and also let our custodians know to give a deeper clean to a specific classroom.
**UPDATE** Our custodians have been hard at work deep cleaning each classroom, so hopefully we will see a decrease in the illnesses next week.
Parent Reported Absence
**NEW** Attendance Parent Connect Feature
A new feature in Parent Connect allows you to enter your student’s absence. Simply log into parent connect and click on the link Report Absence. The Report Absence link will open a screen for you to complete. If you have more than one student check the name of the student for whom an absence is being submitted. Add the applicable dates. If you check the All Day flag attendance will be submitted for the am and pm periods. If you do not check the All Day flag times must be entered and attendance will be submitted for whichever periods meet during the time range (based on period schedule). If you use Parent Connect to report your child's absence you do not need to call the attendance line.
Note from the Attendance Secretary
The end of the 2nd trimester is in 2 weeks and I will be sending Attendance Notification letters to families of students who have 15% or more in absences since the beginning of the school year. With the increase in Strep Throat and Norovirus cases at Spencer, if you took your child to the doctor and have a note signed by the physician with the dates of the absence(s) documented, then I can medically excuse the absence and it will not count against your student's attendance. Feel free to send in those notes or you can email them to me at berryl@brightonk12.com.
Music Room News
2nd Grade Music Night **Rescheduled Date**
Attention 2nd Grade Families-
2nd Grade Family Music Night has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 9th. Times will remain the same with Ms. Cowgill's and Ms. Haden's classes starting at 6:00 p.m. and Ms. Gunn's and Ms. Garza's classes starting at 6:45 p.m. As before, if your family has a conflict and would prefer to come with the other 2nd grade classes, please let Ms. Muszynski know in advance.
Extra Change of Clothes
Parents - PLEASE pack a change of clothes in your child's backpack EVERY DAY. With the ever changing weather, please make sure that the clothes you pack are weather appropriate. We had MANY students find their way into the mud puddles this week, and quite a few of them did not have a spare change of clothes in their backpack. This is for ALL grades, you never know when your student may have a nosebleed, or lose a tooth, or spill food on their shirt, or find a mud puddle outside, or have an accident. If your student keeps a change of clothes in their backpack, then we can take care of it here, otherwise we will need you to bring up a change of clothing. Thank you for your cooperation.
Remember Your Family Pass
Please remember to bring your Family Pass with you EVERY day you come to pick up your student! The best way to get you in & out quickly is to show Officer Ken your Family Pass # rather than showing your ID to the secretaries. Officer Ken will be asking to see your Family Pass number every time you pick up your student before the end of the day. We also frequently have substitute teachers that will not recognize you and will send you to the office to get a temporary pass before releasing your child to you.
Daily Start Time
Student Drop Off: 8:55 AM
First Bell: 9:01 AM
Second Bell: 9:05 AM
Starting Time In Class: 9:05 AM
Dismissal Time: 3:57 PM
Students eating Breakfast may enter the cafeteria at 8:45 AM
Important Dates at a Glance
February
27 - Buffalo Wild Wings Dine Out Night
March
1 & 2 - Spring Book Fair - 4:00-6:00 PM
9 - PTO Meeting
9 - 2nd Grade Music Night **Rescheduled Date**
10 - End of the 2nd Trimester
13 - NO SCHOOL for students for Records Day
16 - Book Bingo
22 - 1st Grade Music Night - more info to come...
27 - Spring Break Begins!
April
3 - School Resumes
7 - NO SCHOOL for students or staff - Good Friday
10 - NO SCHOOL for students
17 - Yearbook Ordering Deadline
19 - 4th Grade Music Night - more info to come...
March Is Reading Month
Hello Families:
March is Reading Month, and we have some fun things planned here at Spencer! Our theme this year is Find Your Treasure in a Book. Your children will be bringing home a Reading Activities Calendar. Students who complete the month-long challenge, have their calendar signed by a parent/guardian, and return it to school the week after spring break will be included on the Reading Wall of Fame, and choose a prize from the treasure chest. Our school is very excited to celebrate the treasure that is a book!
Happy Reading!
~Mrs. McBride
Library News
Calling all book lovers: Spencer's Spring Book Fair will be in the Multipurpose Room on Wednesday, March 1st and Thursday, March 2nd from 4:00 - 6:00 P.M.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. McBride
Lunch Information
**Please Note** Menu items are subject to change based on food availability. Click HERE to view the menus on the Student Nutrition website.
Yearbook Ordering Information
Order Your Yearbook!
There is still time to order a yearbook for your student(s). See the form pictured below for the ordering information. The Order Deadline is: April 17, 2023.
**Note** if your student got a picture taken on Picture Retake Day, the retake photo is the one that will be used in the yearbook.
Click the button link below to be directed to the yearbook ordering page.
PTO News
Your 2022/23 PTO Board is:
President: Jen Lumsden
Vice President: Nicole McGhee
Treasurer: Anna Gibson
Co-Secretary: Jacquelyn Turkovich
Co-Secretary: Amber Gaines
Dine-Out Night
Our next dine-out night is on Monday, 2/27 at Buffalo Wild Wings. This dine out will benefit the STEAM Center and is available all day. Just bring a copy of the attached coupon (a hard copy has been given to your teachers, but may not have made it into folders in time, due to all the snow days!)
Scholastic Book Fair
The next Scholastic Book Fair will be held March 1st and 2nd from 4-6pm to kick off March is Reading Month. Mrs. McBride needs a few volunteers to help run the cash registers, to tidy up, and restock books. If you are interested, please sign up for a time here.
Join the PTO!
Have you ever thought about joining the PTO? Now is the time! Nominations are now open! If you would like to join us next year to help plan events, please let one of us know! Email any questions or your nomination to spencerroadpto@gmail.com. Voting will be held at the May PTO meeting.
Girls on the Run
Girls on the run sign up has begun for all girls in 3rd - 5th grade. Practices will be at Spencer after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:45 beginning March 14th. In May (Saturday or Sunday 20/21st TBD) there will be a 5k event for all participants and a big celebration! Included is a link for information about the program and then the link for sign up!
Financial assistance is available for anyone in need. No girl is turned away! Please contact Mary McCann with any questions at Mcinto85@gmail.com .
Red Wings School of the Game
If you have purchased Red Wings tickets, you should have now received an email to accept your tickets digitally from Ticketmaster. The email looks like it is from "Season Tickets". If you have not received an email, please let me know! We still have 39 tickets remaining (31 upper level, 8 lower). These will be available until sold. We have opened this up to other schools, so if you are interested, please send your orders ASAP. *If you would like to make a payment via PayPal, we are asking that you include extra to cover the fees. I have included a fee schedule below, as well as a direct payment link.
Upcoming Events:
2/27 - Buffalo Wild Wings Dine Out (benefitting the Spencer STEAM Center)
3/7 - Dairy Queen Dine Out (benefitting the Music Room)
3/9 - PTO Meeting
3/16 - Book Bingo
4/13 - PTO Meeting
4/13 - Tropical Smoothing Dine Out (benefitting the Media Center)
Check out https://linktr.ee/spencerroadpto for quick access to our Facebook page, website and more in one place!
Request from the Art Room
The Art Room is looking for little boxes for a 2nd grade project.
If you have tiny boxes to send in, we would love them.
Shoe boxes are too big, but anything that can fit in a lunch box is a fantastic size, thank you!
Spencer Resource Guide
This Spencer Parent Resource Guide is filled with important information and answers to most (if not all) the questions you may have.
BAS Volunteers
All parent volunteers must undergo a background check in order to work with Brighton Area Schools students and chaperone field trips. ONLINE Volunteer Form
Counselor's Corner
I am so excited to continue working with students this year to help facilitate and promote growth and learning! I am providing classroom lessons, small group activities, and individual support this school year.
As a reminder, your school counselor is here to support children in all areas of mental wellness that impacts their success in the classroom. We work with individuals as needs arise. If your child is struggling at school, we will work together with the classroom teacher to determine whether or not school-based services would be beneficial. We may also be able to offer resources or contacts if your family believes that outside support will best meet your child's or families needs.
The Elementary Counselor Team also has the BAS Elementary Counseling website for ideas and resources to be used at home! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have, and I will do my best to support your child.
Mrs. McKiddy
Spencer/Hornung
Website: https://sites.google.com/brightonk12.com/bas-elementary-counseling/home
Mrs. McKiddy Parent Referral Link: bit.ly/ParentReferral22-23
Job Opportunity
Brighton Area Schools is looking for Medical Assistant Substitutes. The job description is posted below for your consideration and you can access the link to apply online through AppliTrack by clicking HERE.
Events Around the District
Spencer Elementary
Danielle Schmidt - Principal
Email: schmidtd@brightonk12.com
Website: https://www.brightonk12.com/Domain/238
Location: 10639 Spencer Road, Brighton, MI, United States
Phone: 810-299-4350
Twitter: @SpencerElem