The Spencer Scoop
Spencer Elementary - January 27, 2023
Dear Spencer Families,
If you have visited Spencer during drop off or pick times, you know that school traffic is often challenging. While we look forward to the parking lot expansion, set to take place this summer, we continue to monitor our processes and make adjustments to the procedures in order to best increase efficiency and safety. We appreciate and thank you for your patience as we work to make our parking lot efficient and safe.
In an effort to improve traffic congestion, efficiency and overall safety during morning drop off, we will be implementing a new morning procedure, effective Tuesday, January 31st. Students will no longer enter the building through their classroom doors. Instead, students will enter one of the main doors of the building. Students will also begin entering the building at 8:55 AM, instead of 9:01 AM. Once students enter, they will go directly to their hallway and wait in their designated area until the bell rings.
Mrs. Rucinski’s Junior Kindergartens will enter the same door, #29.
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students will enter door #34, in front of the Media Center.
3rd and 4th grade students will enter door #1 or #2, in front of the main office.
These new procedures were reviewed and practiced with students this week. Bus supervisors, safeties and staff members will all be present to ensure this change goes smoothly.
Please review the Drop Off Procedures below.
Drop off begins at 8:55 AM. Do not drop students off before this time, as there is no supervision. Students who arrive before this time will need to line up in front of their designated door.
We encourage everyone to utilize the kiss-n-go lane. If you choose to park and walk your child to the building, please stop and say goodbye to your child at the crosswalk area and send them independently to their door. This will significantly alleviate congestion both on the sidewalks and also in the parking lot, as parents will be able to quickly return to their vehicles and depart, which will open up more parking spots.
When entering the kiss-n-go area, have your child and their belongings ready to exit the car. Remain in your vehicle and have your child exit from the passenger side. Children and adults should never get out of the driver’s side while in the kiss-n-go lanes.
Please pull all the way forward and then stop to let your child out. We should be unloading 6-8 cars at a time. Your friendly supervisor (Mrs. McBride, Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Kahl, Mrs. Schmidt and Officer Ken) will wave you forward and let you know when to unload.
After dropping off your child, wait for the cars in front of you to exit. Do not try to pass, as it puts students in danger.
After 9:05 a.m. the kiss-n-go lane will be closed and you must park and walk your child to the main office to sign-in.
Reminder
There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 30th due to staff professional development. We will see you back here on Tuesday, January 31st. Enjoy the extended weekend!
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
January
30 - No School - Professional Development
February
1 & 3 - Vision Screening for 1st & 3rd Graders
9 - PTO Meeting in the Media Center
14 - Kindergarten Round Up
15 - STEAM Night
22 - 2nd Grade Music Night - more info to come next week...
27 - Buffalo Wild Wings Dine Out Night
Lunch Information
Vision Screening by LCHD
Livingston County Health Department will be at Spencer for Vision Screening on February 1st & 3rd for our 1st and 3rd grade students, along with any other students that a parent or teacher may request to have screened. Please call or email the office if you do not want your child to be screened or if you have a concern regarding your child's vision and your child is not in 1st or 3rd grade. If you have any questions regarding Vision Screening, you can call the Health Department at 517-546-9850.
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.
Extra Change of Clothes
Parents - THANK YOU for packing a change of clothes in your child's backpack every day. Now that the weather is changing, please make sure that the clothes you pack are weather appropriate. 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. We have already had to contact quite a few families to come up with a change of clothing. 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.
Request from the Office
We are seeing an increase in phone calls at the end of the day with a change in your student's transportation plan. Every call we have to make into your child's classroom is an interruption for the entire class. This disrupts their learning time and their teacher’s valuable instruction time. Please send a note in with your student if there is a change in their after school transportation or contact the office earlier in the day (preferably before lunch) so we can pass a note to your child's teacher on their way to lunch. This will eliminate the calls into the classroom and the disruption of class instruction. Thank you for your cooperation.
Library News
Attention First Grade Roadrunner Families:
I am excited to share that our school is partnering with the Brighton District Library for their First Grade/First Card initiative. This is a program that the library offers to district first grade students where children receive their very own library card. If you are interested in having your child participate, please fill out the form that will be sent home, and return it to school by Friday, February 16th. Students will be able to pick up their card from the Brighton District Library on Wednesday, March 22nd from 6-7 pm. I will be there to share stories and celebrate this fun opportunity with your family.
Happy Reading!
Mrs. McBride
News from the Music Room
Save the Date! Grade Level Music Nights for 2023 are:
1st Grade: March 22nd
2nd Grade: February 22nd
3rd Grade: May 10th
4th Grade: April 19th
More information will be posted as those dates get closer. Stay tuned...
News from Physical Education
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
RED WINGS TICKET ORDERS are due Friday, February 3!
Red Wings School of the Game
If you would like to join us for the Spencer School of the Game on March 12, tickets are still available. This is a fun, family event. Every Spencer student will receive a free Red Wings shirt! It is also KIDS DAY that day! Get your tickets ordered now! Once I receive an order form and payment, I will send you a confirmation email. *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.
STEAM Night
Does your student love science and want to create a project or experiment to share with other students? Our annual STEAM Night is coming up February 15th and we are inviting students to come up with a project to display that evening. Please fill out the attached form and send it back with your student so we can plan space accordingly. We will need a lot of volunteers to make this night a success! If we do not have volunteers covering each activity, AAHOM will not set them up. If you have older kids who need volunteer hours, or just want to help out, now is the time! Please see the sign-up genius here!
We are working on a make-up date for the Talent Show. Stay tuned!
Upcoming Events:
2/3 - Red Wings Ticket order deadline
2/9 - PTO Meeting
2/15 - STEAM Night
2/27 - Buffalo Wild Wings Dine Out (benefitting the Spencer STEAM Center)
We have created a new linktree account to help you find all our information in one place! Check out https://linktr.ee/spencerroadpto for quick access to our Facebook page, website and more!
BAS Wellness & Mental Health
Kindergarten Round Up
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.
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
COVID-19 School Guidance
Keep students home when they are sick.
- If your student does test positive for COVID-19, report the student’s illness to the school.
- Also report the student’s illness to LCHD using the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form for Students and School Staff
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