The Spencer Scoop

Spencer Families,

We're excited to start our new school year and see all of our Roadrunners! Enjoy these last couple of weeks with your close ones and make memories. Although the weather has felt like fall, we can still embrace our last summer days.

This newsletter includes lots of information you may need for the start of the year, but feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions! We will not be using family passes this year and will have a sign in/out QR code that we will be utilizing for ease of pickup and drop off. Look below for more information and I will be sending a video and explanation as we get closer!

Looking forward to seeing all of you soon! Don't forget your dancing shoes for drop off, my new playlists are pretty sweet.

Mrs. Boyd

Student placement information will be available in Parent Connect TODAY after 4PM. You will then receive information from your child’s teacher with all of the class information. Please make sure to go into your parent portal as soon as possible and complete the Back to School Packet so that all information is correct and updated to start the year. **NOTE** View the Teacher Placement information on a desktop computer - not on your phone (the Advisior = the Teacher).

This Spencer Parent Resource Guide is filled with important information and answers to most (if not all) the questions you may have.

We will no longer be using the Family Pass system as we have in the past. We will be looking at photo identification for anyone picking up a student here at Spencer. Therefore you must update your student(s) emergency contacts through Parent Connect and add anyone who will be picking up your student. Anyone picking up a student at Spencer (parent, grandparent, family member, neighbor, friend, etc...)must be on the emergency contact list and show a photo ID in order to pick up the student.

This year in an effort to maximize security and minimize traffic in our lobby where students frequently pass through at any given time during the course of a school day, we are utilizing a QR code system for parents/guardians to use when either 1) signing in your student tardy or 2) picking up your student early. The QR codes will be affixed outside Door #1 (the main entrance door) and your will simply use the camera on your phone to scan the QR codes (NOTE: one code is for signing IN a student and one code is for signing OUT a student). After you scan the code, you will then be directed to either the Student Sign In or Sign Out Form. The office and/or the safety officer will then locate your student and send them out to you where you will show your ID. To expedite this process, it will be helpful to you if you send a note in with your student in the morning to give to the teacher if you will be picking up your student early.

You will find the Drop Off Cabinet (pictured below) outside Door #2 near the main entrance to the school. Here you will put those forgotten items that your student may need. Simply fill out the small slip of paper with the student's name and teacher, and a staff member will deliver the item to your student.

Student Drop Off: 8:55 AM

First Bell: 9:00 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

Attendance Line: 810-299-4354

*Please remember to call your child's absence in as early as possible.

There is so much wrapped up into the first day of school in kindergarten. A kindergarten first day is important to teachers, students, and parents! JK/K students will have an alternate schedule on the first day of school. Students will join their teachers outside at 9:30 AM and will be picked up outside at 3:30 PM. There will be no buses for JK/K on the first day of school. This includes bus transportation to before and after school care facilities (ie: Teddy Bear, LOL, etc...) Also note there will be no Friendship Center for the JK/K students on the first day of school.

Our Spencer curriculum night will be September 12th from 5:30-6:45PM. This is a chance for parents to meet with the teacher without their students, learn about our curriculum, and get the flow of the school day! We ask that you leave students at home so you can attend to the information the teachers have prepared for you! If you have multiple Roadrunners, then you decide which presentation to attend. The schedule will be as follows...

5:30-6:00 Presentation option #1 for classroom

6:00-6:30 Presentation option #2 for classroom

6:30-6:45 Informal meet the principal in the Media Center (optional) ~ Mrs. Boyd

*Specials Teachers will be in their rooms 5:30-6:30 so you can meet with them and explore the classroom spaces!

A copy of the Parent & Student Elementary Handbook can be found online by clicking HERE It is loaded with valuable information for families. Please read and go over the rules, policies, and procedures with your student(s). It is important that all students follow these rules to help create the best learning atmosphere for all.

Remember to call in your child'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. As a safety precaution, there will be an automated call for any parent who hasn’t called into the Attendance Line to report an absence. If your child was absent for an illness and you have note from the doctor, send it in to the office and I will medically excuse the absence. Medically excused absences do not count against your child's attendance when I send Attendance Notifications home to the families of students with excessive absences.

Please remember to send your child to school each day with a refillable water bottle with their name on it. Spencer has water refilling stations throughout the building and we encourage students to drink water throughout the day.

Parents - Please make sure you pack a change of clothes (that are weather appropriate) in your child's backpack EVERY DAY. This is for ALL students, grades JK-4th, you never know when your student may have a nosebleed, or loose a tooth, or spill food/milk on their shirt, or find a mud puddle outside, or have a bathroom accident. If your student keeps a change of clothing in their backpack, then we can take care of it here, otherwise we need you to bring up a change of clothes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Medication Drop Off is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27th from 9AM-2PM or on the morning of the first day of school when our Medical Assistant, Teresa Fee, will be in the clinic to check it in. If your child will be taking medication during the school day, either prescription or over the counter, the Medication Authorization Form must be on file in the office. The form can be accessed by clicking the button below. It MUST be filled out completely and signed by BOTH the physician and the parent 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.

Brighton Area Schools will participate in the Michigan School Meals Program for the 2024-25 school year. Michigan School Meals is a state-funded program that provides reimbursement for meals, so all students receive the meals at no cost. Please see attached flyer below for more information. Lunchroom accounts can be managed on Parent Connect, this allows you to put money into your child's account for the week, month, or year. The computer keeps track of each child's lunch transactions and notifies you when the account is short of funds. Lunch money for your child can also be brought to school in an envelope with his/her name, teacher's name and amount of money enclosed on the outside.

Families are encouraged to fill out an Education Benefits Application, formerly known as the Free/Reduced Meals Application. This can be done online through MiStar, by downloading a PDF from the BAS website under Student Nutrition, or by clicking the button link below.

Busing information can now be found in Parent Connect. Please call the Transportation Office at (810) 299-3890 if any information is incorrect. A representative from the Transportation Dept. will be available at the JK/K Meet & Greet for questions. Transportation postcards will be mailed out before the start of school with route information. If your child is to be picked up or dropped off anywhere but home, you will need to fill out an Alternate Destination Request form before school starts. You can access this form by clicking the button below. You can email the form to Paul Houle at paulhoule@livingstonesa.org, drop off or mail the form to the Transportation Dept. at 5800 Borderline, Brighton MI 48116 (located behind Busch's Shopping Center in Brighton). You can access the Transportation Website by clicking HERE.

**PLEASE NOTE**

Busses tend to run late during the first week of school as we ensure all our little ones are where they need to be and boarding the correct bus. Please do not call the office inquiring about when your child will be home as we will not have that information.

Please look over the following information. For the first week of school teachers will be greeting their students on the sidewalk at the front of the school. You may help your child find their teacher and return to your car. The second week of school students can be dropped off in the Student Drop-Off Zone. The Student Drop-Off Zone is the best option to keep traffic flowing and students arriving to school on time. Also, we won't have adults outside until 8:55. Please do not drop off your child before then.

Click here for the procedures

DROP OFF (8:55 AM)

1. Do not drop off your child before 8:55 AM. We do not have adults outside to supervise until 8:55 AM and the classrooms will not be opened before this time.

2. When entering the Student Drop-Off Zone, have your child ready with their belongings to exit the vehicle. 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 Student Drop-Off Zone.

3. Please pull all the way forward and then stop to let your child out.

4. 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.

5. After 9:05 AM the Student Drop-Off Zone will be closed and you must park and walk your child up to Door #1 at the main entrance to sign them in tardy from the QR Code on the door.

PICK UP (3:57 PM)

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.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Boyd, Principal

Click Here for Drop-off Directions

Fourth grade safeties will begin their posts Wednesday, September 4th. We will have a safety meeting on the first day of school in the afternoon to review safety posts, at this time safeties will receive their safety belts.

Thanks, Ms. Urso and Mr. Howe

Lifetouch Picture Day will be on Thursday, October 3rd. Picture Retake Day is scheduled for November14th. Look for more information to come in the Spencer Scoop as the date approaches.

If you are planning to volunteer in classrooms or on field trips this year, you must fill out a background check. This needs to be done each year and if you have students in other buildings around the district, you only have to fill out the form one time and indicate which buildings you would like to volunteer in. Here are the steps to get to the form...

Go to www.brightonk12.com

Click on District

Click on Donate & Volunteer

Click on Volunteers & Student Teachers

Click on ONLINE Volunteer/Student Teacher Form

2024/25 Board

Tiffanie Winnie - President
Amber Gaines - Co-Vice President
Colleen Gaiefsky - Co-Vice President
Amanda Dennis - Treasurer
Jacquelyn Turkovich - Co-Secretary
Mandy Oswalt - Co-Secretary
Nicole McGhee - Member-at-Large
Shannan Fisher - Member-at-Large
Lindsey Kovacs - Member-at-Large

Welcome Back Spencer Families! The PTO has been excitedly working on some fun events coming up for our students, staff and families. This year's theme is Roadrunners Connect. So, please keep an eye out for this theme to be incorporated into everything we do!

SAVE THE DATE

First up is our Family Picnic, which will be held from 6pm-8pm on Wednesday, September 25th. This is the perfect time to connect with other Spencer families while you enjoy hotdogs, games, crafts and more! It's a really fun night, and we hope you'll join us. (Are you free to help with setup? Please Click here to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C48A4A729A6FB6-44321838-family#/ ) Also, please save the date for our 12th Annual Roadrunner Run, which will be held in the afternoon on Friday, October 4th. It's one of our biggest school fundraisers of the year, and it is a lot of fun for the kids! (Volunteer opportunities for set up and for cheer stations will be made available soon! Fundraising paperwork will be sent home with students first week of school)

SPONSORS NEEDED

The Roadrunner Run is such a huge success not only because of our students' fundraising efforts, but also because of the tremendous support Spencer receives from community business sponsors too! If you or someone you know is a business owner and would like to become a sponsor, please reach out to me at spencerroadpto@gmail.com. For just a $250 donation, your company's logo will go on the backs of nearly 700 t-shirts that Spencer students, teachers and staff will wear on special days throughout the year, including the Roadrunner Run! Please see the attached letter below for more information and for additional sponsor benefits! Thank you for your support!

STUDENT T-SHIRT ORDERS

Each year the PTO creates a special shirt to be worn on certain days throughout the year (Roadrunner Run, field trips, field day and more!). Each grade level is represented by a different color, and all students will receive a shirt regardless of ability to pay. So, please submit sizes for all students. This year we are asking for an $8 donation per shirt to help offset costs. Also, since our run is earlier this year, we ask that all sizes are submitted NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th. We appreciate your help with this! More information is in the flyer below. But If you are ready to order your student's shirt now, you may do so here: https://forms.gle/qc62fbfdQ834hfxs6

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

For the most up-to-date happenings with Spencer Elementary PTO, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/402232026502881 or visit our page online at https://spencerroadpto.weebly.com/

It's going to be an amazing year, Roadrunners!

Our Mission:

Fueling Kids' Futures (formerly known as 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, Fueling Kids' Futures 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 let the office know. Click on the button below, fill out the form and turn it in to the office. All of the information will be kept confidential.

September

3 - 1st Day of School

12 - Curriculum Night from 5:30-6:45 PM

16-20 - Pink Week (more information to come...)

25 - Family Picnic (more information to come...)

October

3 - Picture Day (more information to come...)

4 - Annual Roadrunner Run (more information to come...)

14 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development for teachers

Parents, do you have a 4th grader who might be interested in participating in Brighton a Cappella Camp? The camp meets Tuesday, October 1st and Wednesday October 2nd, between 4:30pm and 6:00pm at Brighton High School. There will be a culminating performance at the beginning of Scranton Idol at the BCPA on Thursday, October 3rd at 7:00pm. Please see the form for more information, and let me know if you have any questions!

Brighton a Cappella Camp 2024

Email: boydc@brightonk12.com
Website: https://www.brightonk12.com/Domain/238
Location: 10639 Spencer Road, Brighton, MI, United States
Phone: 810-299-4350
Twitter: @SpencerElem