The Spencer Scoop
Spencer Elementary - March 10, 2023
Dear Spencer Families,
This week we launched March is Reading Month: Find Your Treasure in a Book. It was an exciting time as classes decorated their doors, visited the Book Fair and went on a treasure hunt to find hidden gems/books around the school. While we always aim to develop and encourage a love of reading, this month sparks a special interest in finding our own treasures in the books we read. Thank you for partnering with us and encouraging a love of reading at home!
Please be sure to contact the office if your child will have an unplanned change in dismissal or will be picked up early. Teachers always strive to communicate with families in a timely manner; however, during the school day, they do have limited access to modes of communication, such as email and Remind. The office will pass along any time sensitive information to teachers, as necessary. Thank you for helping us to preserve instructional time and ensure time sensitive information gets to teachers and students.
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!
Danielle Schmidt
Reminder
There is NO SCHOOL this Monday, March 13th as it is Records Day for the JK-6th grade. We will see you back here at Spencer on Tuesday, March 14th.
Note from Dr. Outlaw
We would like get feedback from BAS parents as we work to be the best that we can be as a district. If you have a moment, we would appreciate your feedback on the following survey.
Health Information
We are still seeing an increase in norovirus and strep cases this week at Spencer. The LCHD Public Facts Sheets are pictured below as well as an Infographic on Handwashing. Please continue to given me a few symptoms that your child is experiencing when call into the Attendance Line or when reporting through Parent Connect. It helps me to provide an accurate count each week when I do my reporting to the Livingston County Health Department.
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 today 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. Those letters will go out in the mail next week. If you have any medical notes, 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.
Attendance Counts
Every absence (excused or not), can impact a child’s academic achievement and they can add up quickly. If a student misses 10 percent of the school year, roughly 2 days per month or 18 days, they can suffer academically. Children can make up the work, but they can never get back what’s most important: class discussions, questions, thinking and teacher explanations that make learning come alive. Schools are responsible for teaching every child, but teachers can’t do their job if your child is absent. Currently, 17% of Spencer’s student population has already accumulated 10 perfect or more in absences since the beginning of the school year.
Being late for school hurts a child’s learning, too. Students who are tardy miss the opportunity to get mentally prepared for the day. They start the day feeling behind. In addition, teachers are forced to stop instruction to welcome the late child, taking away from the instruction of the other children.
Attendance matters as early as kindergarten. Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read at grade level by third grade.
Click on the Button link below for an article on School Attendance, Truancy & Chronic Absenteeism from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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
March
6 thru 17 - Food Drive for Bountiful Harvest
13 - NO SCHOOL for students for Records Day
16 - Book Bingo from 6:00-8:00 PM
22 - 1st Grade Music Night
27 - Spring Break Begins!
April
3 - School Resumes
7 - NO SCHOOL for students or staff - Good Friday
10 - NO SCHOOL for students
13 - PTO Meeting
13 - Dine Out Night at Tropical Smoothie
17 - Yearbook Ordering Deadline
19 - 4th Grade Music Night - more info to come...
Music Notes
1st Grade Family Music Night
Attention 1st Grade Families! You are invited to attend 1st Grade Family Music Night!
Here is what to expect: Family Music Nights are not a formal performance
where students perform a selection of songs for an audience. There is no need to dress up or arrive early to snag a front row seat. Come prepared to sing, dance and have fun playing music games on the floor with your 1st grader. Siblings are welcome to join in on the fun, too!
When/Where: Wednesday, March 22nd in the Spencer gym.
Mrs. Price's and Mrs. Rowe's classes: 5:30 PM
Ms. Anderson's and Mrs. Phillips's classes: 6:15 PM
***If your family has a time conflict and would like to attend with the other classes, just let me know in advance.***
Save the Date! Grade Level Music Nights for 2023 are:
3rd Grade: May 10th
4th Grade: April 19th
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
Roadrunner Families,
Thank you for one of our most successful book fairs in Spencer history. Your support makes it possible for us to purchase even more books for our school. However, the greatest reward of our book fairs is witnessing the passion and excitement our students have for reading!
With Gratitude,
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.
Request from the Student Nutrition Manager
Kindergarteners can only get seconds on hot lunch if a note is provided from home that it is approved by the parent. You can email her at luxtonl@brightonk12.com
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
Food Drive
Our Annual Food Drive for Bountiful Harvest kicked-off on Monday and will run through Friday, March 17th. We will have bins outside each grade level pod for students to drop donations off throughout the 2 week period. We have already delivered over 200 pounds of food to Bountiful Harvest! Thank you to everyone for your donations to date. You will be helping many families in need! Our current grade leader is 4th grade, followed by Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten.
Book Bingo
Book Bingo is March 16th from 6-8pm! This is such a fun family night! Come by for the classic game of BINGO and win books! We have roughly 500 books to give away this year. Students will receive two tickets for books when they come in - with each Bingo, they will be allowed to trade a ticket for a book. If attendance is low, we will be able to let students get more, but we want to ensure that each kid receives roughly the same amount before opening up the gates! Popcorn, water, and fruit snacks will be provided. We also have some of our Spencer Girl Scout Troops setting up a cookie booth, if you would like to purchase some sweet treats while you play! We need volunteers to help run this event! Our teachers like to help out with this one, but we especially need set-up, clean-up, and popcorn making helpers. Check out the sign-up genius 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.
Red Wings
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 roughly 20 upper level tickets remaining. I can transfer these until game time on Sunday. If you would like to join us, please email me at hietikko.j@gmail.com.
Upcoming Events:
3/6-3/17 - Food Drive for Bountiful Harvest
3/16 - Book Bingo
4/12 - Game Night
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
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