Salk Seahawk Scoop

This past week, Salk students completed our annual Behavior Training Circuit as part of our PBIS program. With support from staff, Seahawks rotated through key areas of the building—hallways, restrooms, cafeteria, playground, media center, arrival/dismissal, bus, and assemblies—where we modeled and practiced what it means to Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful in each space.

Every student received a PBIS Passport and were able to check off the locations as they visited. Please take a few minutes to review the passport with your child at home. When you sign and return the passport, your child will receive a small in-class treat!

Thank you for partnering with us to “Respect the Nest.” We will continue to reinforce expectations throughout the year so every Seahawk can learn and thrive in a safe, caring environment.

You may have noticed some new additions to our lower elementary playground! New gates have been installed to help increase safety and security for our students throughout the school day.

The gates help enclose the playground area, providing an additional layer of security by helping keep our students safely inside the playground while limiting public access during school hours.

Because the lower elementary playground is also an important part of our arrival and dismissal routines, the gates will operate on the following schedule:

• Morning Arrival: Gates will remain open until 9:30 AM.
• During the School Day: Gates will be closed from 9:30 AM–3:00 PM.
• Afternoon Dismissal: Gates will reopen at 3:00 PM for families arriving for pickup.

These new gates are another way we are working to maintain a safe and secure environment while still making arrival and dismissal convenient for our Salk families. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep The Nest safe!

Student verification forms were due September 4, 2026. If you have not returned the form, please send it in with your student as soon as possible so we can be sure that we have accurate emergency contact information along with correct addresses and emails.

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!

When the orange flag is hanging outside, this means indoor line-up. This usually occurs during inclement weather or when temperatures drop below 10 degrees. During these times students may enter the building thru the main entrance (Door #1), as well as their normal entrances starting at 8:20 AM.

Thank you to the families who attended our Title I Parent Information Meeting. We appreciated the opportunity to share how Title I funding supports student learning at Salk Elementary. Families learned about academic interventions, progress monitoring, parent communication, family engagement, and ways to support learning at home. Your partnership plays an important role in helping every Seahawk succeed. If you did attend, please remember to fill out the survey at the end of the presentation. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the information, the presentation is attached below.

If your student is NEW to Salk you must fill out an Acceptable Use Policy form online before they can receive technology.

If returning parents want to change their decision on allowing/not allowing their child to bring tech home, they need to fill out a new form.

Student iPads will be distributed during 21C classes starting on Tuesday.

The form can be found at the link below.

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 this week to further strengthen our commitment to social and emotional learning.

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.

Unit 1 Home Links for grades K-5 can be found linked below.

Please CLICK HERE to visit the Salk homepage. You can see our Suggested Supply list by clicking on the Back to School headline under the latest news.

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 26-27 school year.

Please find medication forms linked below for your convenience.

SACC is available at all six Fraser elementary schools. While enrollment is limited, the YMCA of Metro Detroit works to accommodate all requests. If a program is full, children are placed on a waitlist, and families are offered a spot as soon as space becomes available. Please see the attached document for additional information.

Bus stop information will be available online for the 2026–2027 school year starting August 24th. You can access your child’s bus stop information by visiting the Fraser Transportation Website or by clicking on this link directly. You will need to enter your address to retrieve your child’s bus stop information.

It is very important to check your child’s bus stop, as routes have been modified for the 2026–2027 school year.

Students will be assigned a route number in lieu of a bus number. The route number is located on the left side of the entry door. To ensure transportation, all students must be at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time.

Please review with your child the bus rules found on the Transportation Department’s website.

As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we want to share the student cell phone and personal device expectations in Fraser Public Schools.

In accordance with state law and Fraser Public Schools policy, students may not use personal wireless communication devices during the school day while on school grounds. This is consistent with our past practices at the elementary buildings.

What does this mean for elementary students?

Students may bring a device to school, but it must remain turned off, stored away, and out of sight during the school day. This includes cell phones, smartwatches and smart glasses, earbuds and headphones, personal tablets and any device that can text, call, access the internet, take photos or videos, send email, or provide entertainment.

Are there exceptions?

Yes. Exceptions may be made for medically necessary devices, school-issued devices, approved instructional use and IEP or 504 accommodations.

What happens if a student has a device out?

If a student has a device out during instructional time, they will be asked to put it away. If needed, staff may secure the device in a designated, secure location until the end of the school day.

Discipline will not be issued simply because a student has a device out. Consequences may be assigned if a student refuses to follow the expectation or repeatedly fails to comply with the policy. Our goal is to respond in a safe, reasonable, and consistent manner while helping students develop responsible technology habits.

How can families help?

We ask for your partnership as we make this transition. Before the school year begins, please talk with your student about keeping personal devices put away during the school day and the importance of following staff directions.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to provide a focused, safe, and positive learning environment for every Fraser student.

Calling in your child sick, an appointment or vacation? Please call the attendance line at any time of day at 586-439-6890. Utilizing the attendance line will assist our office staff with making sure attendance records are accurate.

Are you visiting Salk to volunteer or have a meeting? Or do you need to pick your student up early? 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 safe and secure throughout the day. Visitors and volunteers will be buzzed into the office for meetings once their reason for the visit has been verified.

As a reminder, the end of the day becomes very busy. Early pick-ups after 3:10 may not be possible due to logistics.

Have something your student forgot? All student drop-offs will be left in the main vestibule for school safety. Sticky notes will be in the vestibule next to the iPad. Please leave a sticky note labeling the item with your students full name (first and last) and leave it on the bottom shelf or next to it. Staff will deliver the item as soon as possible. This helps limit access to the building and helps keep students safe. Thank you for your cooperation.

As a reminder, please do not plan to drop off "hot lunches" for your child at lunch time. This includes parents/family members dropping off fast food and/or Door Dashing etc. food for their children. It is logistically challenging to ensure that your child receives the food delivery on time and often results in students spending much of their lunch period awaiting a delivery.

For more information check out their website or reach out to Mr. Birkmeier. Odyssey of the Mind is open to students in all grades.

In Michigan, schools are required to collect certain student information, such as enrollment, demographics, and program participation, and share it with the Michigan Department of Education. This process is required by state and federal law and helps monitor publicly funded education programs.

A new rule in the State School Aid Act now requires schools to also collect information about students’ tribal affiliations. This change was developed with input from Tribal Nations in Michigan.

Starting this school year, families have the option to share tribal affiliation information. Sharing this information is completely voluntary.

The data will help strengthen communication with Tribal Nations and may allow schools to qualify for additional funding to better support Indigenous students.

If a family chooses to share this information, it will be protected under privacy laws such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which also prohibits discrimination.

If you would like to report your tribal affiliation, please complete this form by October 7. (Link: https://fraserk12.jotform.com/252335442152853)

The next PTO meeting is October 14, 2026 at 6PM in the Salk Media Center.

The 2026-27 Executive PTO Board:

President: Nicole Demura
Treasurer: Christina Burrows
Secretary: Akisha McCray

The Vice President position is currently open.

To contact the PTO - ptosalk@gmail.com

This year the Salk PTO will be hosting a Color Run for it's annual fundraiser. The run will be held on September 18th during school. More information on collecting pledges and donations will follow once school starts. This year's will be even better!

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.

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.

Fraser Public Schools is excited to share that the State of Michigan has approved the continuation of Michigan School Meals and will be offering each student a free breakfast and free lunch on a daily basis! A required component of a complete breakfast and lunch is ½ cup of fruit or vegetable, which must be taken with the meal for it to be free of charge.

We are also encouraging families to complete the Education Benefits Form located HERE. By doing so you help ensure the school receives additional funding.

Your Child's Lifelong Attendance Habits Start Now

Chronic absenteeism is considered a hidden educational crisis in the U.S.

Throughout this first month of school, strive for your child to have perfect attendance (unless, of course, your child falls ill).

Although some children experience anxiety around coming to school, especially in the early weeks of the school year, it is important to keep bringing them, each and every day -- because it WILL become easier for them! Succumbing to that anxiety lays the groundwork for your child to become chronically absent. If your child is nervous about coming to school and is giving you a "run for your money" in the mornings this month, don't hesitate to give us a call and we can try to help.

Children with good attendance (9 or fewer days absent per year) typically:

*Maintain quality friendships

*Are less anxious about school

*Are more confident

*Are higher achieving

*GRADUATE!

*Experience success in the work force and in LIFE!

Remember, all absences count toward chronic absenteeism, even if you call the attendance line or provide documentation.

In Fraser, we continue to work hard to decrease chronic absenteeism -- which in turn benefits ALL students!

Auditions for the Fraser Youth Choir, our 5th and 6th grade all-district choir, will be taking place on Monday, September 14th at 6:00 PM. This group meets every Monday at 6:00 PM in the FHS Choir Room and puts together two concerts a year. All are welcome to sing and have fun with friends! You can email all questions to daniel.reeves@fraserk12.org.

• 9/7 - No School - Labor Day
• 9/8 - School Resumes
• 9/11 - Spirit Day - Wear your Lions Gear
• 9/11 - Fraser Family Tailgate
• 9/15 - Early Release Day (1:30 Dismissal)
• 9/15 - PTO Skate Night (Great Skate)
• 9/16 - Odyssey of the Mind Information Meeting (5:30 PM Salk Media Center)
• 9/18 - Salk Color Run
• 9/23 - PTO Restaurant Night (Jet's Pizza)
• 9/30 - Picture Day
• 10/6 - 6th Grade Camp
• 10/7 - Count Day
• 10/21 - PTO Trunk-or-Treat

Access the full District Calendar HERE at any time!

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. Amanda Lyons, amanda.lyons@fraserk12.org

Building Hours - 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

School Hours: 8:35 am – 3:30 pm

SSLI Hours: 8:10 am - 3:10 pm

CCRR Hours: 8:15 am - 3:15 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