Salk Seahawk Scoop
Week of 8/25/2024
A note from the Principal...
Dear Salk Families,
I hope this letter finds you relaxed and rested for the new school year! On behalf of our entire staff I’d like to welcome our new and returning students to SalkElementary for the 2024-2025 school year. Our staff has worked diligently over the summer to plan lessons, prepare classrooms, and ensure we are ready for the start of the new school year. The building looks wonderful and welcoming and we are eager for all of our Seahawks to return to THE NEST! We hope the information below may address any questions you may have at this time.
Staff has given careful consideration to each child’s placement for the 24-25 school year. By doing so we have created classrooms that are balanced both academically and socially to help ensure each child’s success.
The first day of school will be on Monday, August 26th. This day is a half day and we begin at 11:30. We will not serve lunch or snacks on this day. I’ve attached door assignments below so your child will know where to line up daily. Please know staff will also be out front and visible to direct students as necessary this week. YMCA School-Aged Child Care (SACC) WILL be available on this day.
To keep families abreast of Salk happenings, The Seahawk Scoop will continue to be published weekly and emailed home on Sundays. A list of important August/September dates may be found below in the meantime.
In closing, please know the staff and I are here and look forward to partnering with you this year to ensure your child’s success! It is an honor and privilege to serve as your principal and I eagerly look forward to meeting each of you this year. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at any time!
Warm Regards,
Anthony Birkmeier
Principal
Salk Elementary
2024-2025 Classroom Supply List
Please CLICK HERE to see our Suggested Supply list for this school year if you want to plan ahead.
Report Cards
If your child did not receive their report card at the end of last year, please contact the main office as soon as possible. It is possible your address needs updating in our system.
Does your child have medical needs?
If your child has specific medical needs, please reach out to the main office prior to the start of school. In order to administer medication, consent forms must be completed. Consent forms for prescription medications must include dosage and frequency information signed by a physician. Medication, including inhalers, must be stored in the main office and not in backpacks or pockets. In addition, if your child has a medical plan, it will need to be updated for the 24-25 school year.
Please find medication forms linked below for your convenience.
First Day of School Signs
Celebrate the first day of school with your student! We have printable first day signs for every grade. Click on this LINK to access them.
Be sure to use #FraserFamily when you post on social media so we can share the smiles!
Find Your Child's Bus Stop Online
A Note from the Transportation Department:
Bus routes for this year are posted on our website. Please make sure to check this as we have consolidated some routes for this year due to ongoing driver shortages and your stop may have changed from last year.
Also, with several construction projects in the area, our buses may be slightly off our scheduled times. Please continue to have your students at the bus stop 10 minutes before their scheduled time.
We are looking for Noon Aides
Salk elementary is looking for individuals who would be interested in helping on the playground and lunch room as a noon aide. Please share this with people who might be interested. To apply visit the district website at: https://hr.applicantcentral.com/fps/Job_List.aspx.
Salk PTO
The next PTO meeting is September 11, 2024 at 6PM in the Salk Media Center.
Salk PTO Information
The 2024-25 Executive PTO Board:
Jackie Lempinen - President
Amy Wiederhold- Vice President
Natalie Meyer- Secretary
Christina Burrows- Executive Assistant
Christine Ireland - Treasurer
To contact the PTO - ptosalk@gmail.com
Salk Color Run
This year the Salk PTO will be hosting a Color Run for it's annual fundraiser. The run will be held on September 20th during school. More information on collecting pledges and donations will follow once school starts.
Parking Lot Reminders!
A FEW REMINDERS:
* Please remember that the drop-off lane is not for parked cars.
* The bus loop is for buses only!
* If you want to walk your child to their door, please park in a parking spot and walk up together.
* The church graciously allows us to use their parking lot. Please do not park in reserved spaces.
Thank you for helping to create a safe parking lot for all our students!
New Visitor Procedures
Are you visiting Salk to volunteer or have a meeting? Or do you need to pick your student up early? You will notice a new process this year. When you enter the vestibule, there will be a iPad for you to check-in on. This will send a notification to the office staff. Please be patient as they get your student(s) for you. As a reminder, id may be required when you are picking up student(s) from Salk. Keeping visitors in the vestibule will help keep the building more safe and secure throughout the day. Visitors and volunteers will be buzzed into the office once their reason for the visit has been verified.
THE SECOND STEP SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM K-8
Now more than ever, we need to address the whole child. Best practice shows that students who feel safe and secure are better prepared to engage in their learning. Therefore, we are excited to continue to use Second Step in our K-8 classes beginning next week to further strengthen our commitment to social and emotional learning. (For more information about the benefits of SEL, please check out the quick video below.)
Second Step offers weekly, age-appropriate virtual lessons for students to help them with various social and emotional skills. These weekly lessons will build on and support all of the great work we're doing at Salk to support our students. Combined with our schoolwide restorative practices and consistent PBIS expectations, we are creating a firm Tier 1 foundation for supporting all of our students' social, emotional, and behavioral development.
Please view the flyers below to learn more about the program topics, and look for additional updates from classroom teachers and ALL district newsletters.
School-Age Child Care
School-Age Child Care Registration
SACC is available at all six of our elementary buildings. Spaces are limited and schedules must be submitted at time of registration. Drop-in childcare is not available.
- All registration is done through the YMCA of Metro Detroit.
- CLICK HERE FOR YMCA SACC REGISTRATION .
- Search for your child(ren)’s school on the list of sites.
- Please note, half days/early releases are a separate selection than am/pm care. You can add multiple selections to your cart before you check out.
- No money is due at the time of registration.
- When you choose your schedule, the total amount for the school year will be shown. This will zero out when you check out.
- Bills are due weekly.
- Schedule changes can be made by contacting the Y at least 14 days in advance.
Schedule
- Morning Session: 7:00 – 8:30 a.m.
- Afternoon Session: 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
- Half Days: 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
- Early Release Days: 1:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Fee Structure
- Morning Session: $7.25 flat rate per child*
- Afternoon Session: $10.45 flat rate per child*
- Same Day Morning & Afternoon Session: $16.20 flat rate per child*
- Half-Day Session: $24.00 per child* for the afternoon session
- Early Release Days: $21.50 flat rate per child* for the afternoon session
*The Y offers a 10% sibling discount for every child enrolled after the first child. This is auto-applied when you register. There is also an opportunity for an additional discount based on financial need.
Canvas- Parent Access
All Fraser classroom teachers provide instruction, resources, activities, and assessments to students utilizing the Canvas LMS. As a result, students have continuous access to the course materials and information regarding their achievement.
Parents/Guardians can also have continuous access to their student’s course materials and grades in Canvas by creating a parent/observer account. In addition, parents of multiple students can easily switch between their students to view grades and assignments within the same parent account.
All sign up information and resources are provided on the Fraser website.
Important reminders when using Canvas:
- Canvas works best in Chrome
- Please do not install the Canvas app (for parents or students). We are not supporting it as our staff and students are utilizing the web-based version of Canvas and it looks and works differently.
- If you signed up and paired with your students last year, you still have access to those students and their new courses this year.
- If you need to add more students to your account this year, please follow the directions provided below.
- If you have forgotten your password, you can use the Forgot Password? link on the parent sign in page. Then, enter the email address you used to set up the account to receive a password reset email.
- If you have forgotten the email you used, please reach out to Kim Keith, Kimberly.keith@fraserk12.org, for additional assistance.
Fall Pictures
Fall Picture day is Friday, September 13th. More information and picture packets will be coming.
Charlie the Therapy Dog
Salk has been approved to have a therapy dog visit. Charlie, the English Creme Golden Retriever, started visiting Salk in 2023. Not only is Charlie a certified therapy dog, but he is one of my family dogs and I was excited he joined the Salk family. Studies have shown that therapy dogs have the ability to increase positive emotions, promote engagement in learning activities and positive attitudes toward learning, reduce negative behaviors, as well as encourage prosocial behaviors including acting as a social catalyst to facilitate social interactions with others.
Charlie is a certified therapy dog after completing his training and testing by The Alliance of Therapy Dogs. He has also earned the title of AKC Canine Good Citizen. I am also a certified therapy dog handler after completing my testing and observations by The Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Charlie's purpose is to ease student's anxieties and increase positive emotions. We do not want his presence to cause fear or anxiety. Charlie will be introduced in a positive manner and students will be instructed on how to interact with him. Parents have the ability to opt out of having their student interact with Charlie. If you DO NOT want your student to be around Charlie, then please fill out the opt out form linked here.
For the safety of students with allergies and Charlie, he will not be in the lunch room. Charlie will also remain out of classrooms in which parents have a student who opt out. Charlie will be under my supervision and kept on a leash at all times.
Charlie is looking forward to visiting. He would like to thank the Salk PTO for donating some supplies for him be a part of Salk. More information about Charlie and our therapy dog program will be presented in future scoops. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Free Meals for All
Although not required, we do ask that families complete the Education Benefit Form located HERE. By doing so you help ensure the school receives additional funding.
Save the Date
- 8/26 - First Day for Students 11:30-3:30
- 8/27 - First Full Day of School 8:30 -3:30
- 8/30 - No School - Labor Day
- 9/2 - No School - Labor Day
- 9/11 - Early Release Day (1:30 Dismissal)
- 9/11 - PTO Meeting (6 PM in the Salk Media Center)
- 9/13 - Fall Picture Day
- 9/20 - Salk Color Run
- 9/20 - Fraser Tailgate
- 9/27 - Homecoming Parade & Football Game
- 10/2 - Count Day
Access the full District Calendar HERE at any time!
Contact Us
Main Office: (586) 439-6800
Absentee Phone Line: (586) 439-6890
- 24 hour recorded line, please leave your child's reason for absence and length of time out. Absences reported to this line ensure most timely and accurate record.
Principal: Mr. Anthony Birkmeier, anthony.birkmeier@fraserk12.org
School Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Marcy Krebs, Marcy.Krebs@Fraserk12.org
Building Hours - 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
School Hours: 8:35 am – 3:30 pm
First Bell: 8:30 am
Instructional Bell: 8:35 am
Students must be in class by 8:35 am or they are marked tardy