The Spencer Scoop
Spencer Elementary - December 15, 2022
Dear Spencer Families,
As we conclude 2022, and prepare for winter break, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who help make Spencer Elementary an amazing place to be. We are a community with many gifts and talents, which we share daily with one another and most important, our students.
From your home to our classrooms, our collective efforts to raise the whole child are filled with passion, commitment and a willingness to make decisions that may be hard in the present, but will have a positive and lasting influence in the future for all. Parents, of course, are such a critical part of all we hope to accomplish on behalf of our students. I am grateful to you for masterfully doing what I know firsthand is the hardest, most rewarding and joyous job of all; being a parent. Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious gift. I am grateful to our wonderful, talented, creative, inquisitive, optimistic and resourceful students. Often, they make us laugh, sometimes they make us cry, but always they make us think. Most of all, they make us better.
In the spirit of this season, I want to extend my thanks to all of you for everything that you do for our school. As we enjoy the upcoming holidays, it is my fervent wish that each of you are able to spend some time doing whatever brings your family joy. To the parents and friends of the Spencer Elementary community, please enjoy a safe and healthy winter break.
Sincerely,
Danielle Schmidt
For Families With Preschool Age Children
The Brighton Area Schools will be adding an additional preschool classroom in January at the Miller Intergenerational Center. This will be a free preschool option that will be run by the Livingston ESA through the State's Great Start Readiness Program. You can sign your BAS-Bound 4 year old student up for this free preschool option at startfreepreschool.org. Please do not wait as planning is underway and space will be limited. Thank you for your consideration.
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
December
12/22 to 1/3 - Winter Break
12/28 - Dine out at Chuck E. Cheese Novi
January
4 - School Resumes
16 - No School - Martin Luther King Day
30 - No School - Professional Development
Lunch Information
Remember Your Family Pass
Please remember to bring your Family Pass with you EVERY day you come to pick up your student! Officer Ken will be asking to see your Family Pass number when 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.
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 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.
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
White Elephant Gift Exchange
I would like to thank everyone who has sent in gifts for the staff gift exchange so far! I would love to have all the gifts in by Friday, December 16th. If you are planning to drop off a gift, but can't make it by the 16th, please let me know! I will be shopping over the weekend to ensure we have enough gifts for each staff member. We are asking that you either wrap gifts ahead of time, or make sure it is in a bag/box that is not easily see-through and send it in with your student and clearly label "PTO" so we make sure we can get it to the right place! If you would like to donate a gift for this, sign up for a slot here! Thank you for helping to show our amazing Spencer staff how much we appreciate them!
Last week, you should have received a flyer for our School of the Game Detroit Red Wings tickets. The game will be Sunday, March 12th (no school Monday the 13th). This game is also kids day! In addition to all the perks we will receive for being the School of the Game, there will be other fun things happening for the kids. This program is run slightly differently than the last time we participated. We only have 250 tickets (200 Upper Level, 50 Lower Level)! Tickets will be issued first come, first serve. All tickets are digital and will be assigned to the email address provided on your form. If you are interested in participating in this event, please fill out the order form and send it in with your student as soon as possible! If we sell all tickets, we will create a sign-up to gauge interest in securing a second block of seats. As of Wednesday evening, we only have 20 Lower Level tickets remaining. If we are able to secure more, I will update here.
Chuck E. Cheese
Have a wonderful winter break! We hope to see you at Chuck E. Cheese on the 28th!
Upcoming Events:
12/21 - Staff White Elephant Gift Exchange
12/28 - Dine out at Chuck E. Cheese Novi
As always, check our website and Facebook page for the most up-to-date information!
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
BAS Wellness & Mental Health
As a district we are increasing our efforts to support the Mental Health and Wellness of our students, families and the community by focusing on Relationships, Student Wellness, and Increasing a Mindset for Learning and Growth. Each week we will share a Tip/Resource.
Additional resources and information can be found on BAS Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on our BAS Wellness & Mental Health website.
Parent University ME, WE, US Time
Brighton District Library
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.
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.
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
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