The Spencer Scoop
Spencer Elementary September 9, 2022
Dear Spencer Families,
What an amazing first week of school! This is often a week that feels like an emotional rollercoaster. There are moments when we find kids are crying from missing their families and adjusting to a new schedule, parents are crying as they send their little ones off to school, and sometimes after school, we may even find teachers crying, if they aren't falling asleep from pure depletion of energy! The first week of school is exhausting for everyone, but it is also an exhilarating time that is filled with hope and promise for a new year. Thank you for sharing your children with us; we could not be more pleased with how well our first week of school went with them and are looking forward to a fantastic year!
Sincerely,
Danielle Schmidt
Note from the Attendance Secretary
Please call in your student's absence to the Attendance Line at 810-299-4354 as early as possible in the morning. Leave a brief reason for their absence so I can excuse it. If no call is made in to the Attendance Line, the absence is considered unexcused and you will receive a "robocall" from the district at the end of the day. If your student was absent for an illness and you have note from the doctor, send it in to the office and I can medically excuse the absence. Medically excused absences do not count against your student's attendance when I send Attendance Notifications home to the families of students with excessive absences.
Medication At School
If your child needs to take medication during the school day, the Medication Authorization Form can be accessed by clicking the button below. This form MUST be filled out and signed by the physician and brought in along with the medication. For safety reasons, students are never allowed to carry medications. They must be brought to school by a parent/guardian in its original container.
Extra Change of Clothes
Parents - PLEASE pack a change of clothes in your child's backpack EVERY DAY. This is for ALL grades, you never know when your student may have a nosebleed, or loose 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.
Lunch Information
Lunch Volunteer Opportunities for September
If you are interested and available to volunteer at Spencer any weekday from 11:35 AM until 2:25 PM please visit our September Sign Up Genius. This helps us get things rolling in the cafeteria during the first month of school. We appreciate your help! You will find the link by clicking HERE. Please note that ANY VOLUNTEER MUST HAVE A COMPLETED BACKGROUND CHECK, which can be found on the district webpage. This process does take several days, so please submit as soon as possible if you wish to volunteer during the month of September.
Family Passes
All students will be issued a number ID card (known as the Family Pass) that must be attached to their backpacks. Teachers will take care of attaching the number to your child's backpack the first day of school.
The Family Passes for parents/guardians will be sent home with the oldest sibling on the first day as well. You will keep your Family Pass throughout your time at Spencer and your number will stay the same from year to year.
All students who are being picked up at dismissal will wait inside the classroom. You will go to your child's classroom door. Click here for Classroom Door Numbers. At 3:57 PM, your child will be dismissed to you. You MUST show your Family Pass any time you are picking up your student. If a grandparent or other another adult will be picking up your child, please be sure to give them your Family Pass. If forgotten, they will be directed to go to the office to obtain a temporary family pass.
Student Drop Off & Pick Up Information
As Brighton Area Schools and Spencer Elementary continue to strengthen our safety and security procedures. This process still ensures that students are being picked up by authorized individuals. Reminders:
Students will wait outside their classroom doors until the first bell rings at 9:00 a.m.
When dropping off your child in the drop off lane, please do not exit your vehicle to.
DROP OFF (8:55 AM)
Do not drop off your child before 8:55 a.m. Supervisors will not be outside until this time.
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.
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.
PICK UP (3:57 PM)
To ensure that your child is in the correct location, please make sure your child’s teacher knows your child is a pick-up. In the case of a change of plans, please contact the office to inform us and we will contact the teacher. The teachers are teaching and aren’t able to check their emails at all times of the day.
All students who are being picked up at dismissal will wait inside the classroom. You will go to your child’s designated door and at 3:57 your child will be dismissed.
When picking up your child, make sure you have a family pick-up pass. If a grandparent or other person will be picking up your child, please be sure to give them a family pick-up pass. If forgotten, you will be directed to the office to obtain a daily pass.
Important Reminders and Updates:
Please access the crosswalk at the main entrance only
Do not park in the crosswalk areas.
Do not pull in handicap spaces to drop off/pick up. These spaces are for our students who need wheelchair access or for adults who are handicapped and need to walk in.
Students of any age are not allowed to walk in the parking lot without an adult.
The bus lot is not available for student drop off/pick up.
We will monitor this process and will make adjustments to the procedures to increase efficiency and safety. School traffic is challenging, and we appreciate and thank you for your patience as we work to make our parking lot safe and efficient. We anticipate long lines during the first week of school. Please do not pass cars to bypass these lines to access the parking lot. Again, I know that these changes may cause a slight inconvenience, however, they will allow us to better ensure the safety of our students.
News From Physical Education
Media Center News
We Are Having A Book Fair!
Spencer’s fall Book Fair will take place on Sept. 14th from 4:30 - 5:30 pm, and Sept. 15th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm during Curriculum Night.
Families can shop virtually from Sept. 12th - 16th by using this link: Virtual Book Fair Sept. 12th-16th.
We cannot run the Book Fair without your help! If you are interested in volunteering your time, please use this link: Book Fair Volunteers
Thank you for your help, and happy reading!
~Mrs. McBride
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
Welcome to the new school year! I would like to take a quick minute to thank all the parent volunteers who helped out both at morning drop off and in the lunchroom already this week! We could not do any of this without you!
Each year, the PTO chooses a theme to carry throughout the year. This year's theme is "Roadrunners Care". We have big plans for getting the kids involved in community outreach for different organizations throughout the year. Our very first endeavor is to show our very own Spencer Staff how much we care by fulfilling Wish List items for them! Please take a look at the sign-up genius here for the 2022 Staff Wish Lists! (Please note: this is an ongoing wish list - we are still collecting information from staff! If you do not see your teacher or favorite staff member listed, please check back in a few days!)
The PTO does two major fundraisers during the school year. The first is our Annual Roadrunner Run which will be held on October 14th. We are currently looking for companies to sponsor our shirts! If your company is interested in having their logo printed on the backs of hundreds of Spencer students and families, please see the attached letter with detailed information on how to make it happen! We are extending the deadline for sponsorships to September 16th!
T-Shirt order forms should be coming home today! We have included an online ordering option this year as well! Just scan the QR code on the order form and it should take you to the link. We are asking for a $7.00 donation per shirt this year to cover costs. Please note: all students will receive a shirt, regardless of their ability to pay, but we do ask that you still send in the order form so we can get them the appropriate size! All shirt orders must be received no later than September 21st!
We do several passive fundraising things throughout the year, but one of the easiest is Box Tops for Education. No longer worry about clipping tiny squares, simply download the app, and anytime you shop, scan your receipt. If you have eligible products, you will earn money for your school! Sign up using this link and we will both receive bonus money for Spencer when you scan your first receipt!
Upcoming Events:
9/12 - PTO Meeting 4:00 in Media Center - Childcare will be provided!
9/21 - Popsicles on the Playground 5:30-7:00
9/26-10/1 - Pink Week!
Each week, you will find a little bit of information on upcoming events from the PTO here, in the Spencer Scoop. However, you can also check out our website and our Facebook page for the most up-to-date information!
Water Bottles
Please remember to send your child to school each day with a refillable water bottle. Spencer has water refilling stations throughout the building and we encourage students to drink water throughout the day.
Blessings In A Backpack
Our Mission:
Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
Our Vision:
Every school-aged child in America has the nourishment needed to learn and grow. As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack strives to ensure children do not go hungry on the weekends by empowering individuals and communities to take action.
Why Do We Do It:
Did you know that 13 MILLION CHILDREN are experiencing food insecurity? That’s one in six American children who may be struggling with access to food.
The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs. We want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too.
Brighton has a local chapter and we would love to help. If you are in need or interested in your family receiving food for the weekend, please click the PDF attachment below, fill out the form and send it in to the office. All of the information will be kept confidential.
Events Around the District
Important Dates at a Glance
September
10 - BAS Pack of Dogs Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
15 - PTO Meeting at 4:15PM
15 - Curriculum Night from 6-8PM
- 6:00 - 6:30 - 1st and 2nd grade families A-L
- 6:30 - 7:00 - 1st and 2nd grade families M-Z
- 6:30 - 7:30 - Specials Teachers, Media, Counselor and Principal will be available in the Media Center.
- 7:00 - 7:30 - 3rd and 4th grade families A-L
- 7:30 - 8:00 - 3rd and 4th grade families M-Z
21 - Popsicles on the Playground from 5:30-7PM
October
6 - Picture Day (more information to come...)
**NEW** 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
Spencer Elementary
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