The Spencer Scoop

Hello Spencer families!

I am super excited to get started on this year! We are kicking off this fall with a Scholastic book fair! The book fair will be Wednesday September 23 from 5:00-7:00pm (during the PTO Family Picnic here at Spencer), and Thursday September 24 4:00-5:00 (right after school!). Though the book fair will be available for viewing during the school day, shopping is only available during those Wednesday and Thursday times.

Click here to sign up to volunteer at the book fair (or to help with set up and takedown)

Click here to see a sneak peek of our book fair!

We hope to see you there!

-Mrs. Hughes

It has been a fantastic start connecting with returning artists and welcoming all of our new ones. Your student(s) enjoyed making connections together and reviewing procedures. We are just about to begin our annual Art to Remember Fundraiser, so please be on the lookout for information to start coming soon.

Ask your students about our huge slice of tree! If I missed you at curriculum night and you have any questions, please let me know.

Enjoy your weekend and keep creating!

The State of Michigan requires that all Michigan kindergarteners have a dental screening. Smiles on Wheels, on behalf of the Livingston County Health Department, will be providing the screenings on October 1, 2026.

The screening is just a quick look with a mirror. No other services are performed. A copy of the screening result for your child will be sent home in a toothbrush kit. The screening is no cost if done at the school through the health department. If you do not want the screening done at the school, you must provide a written note to opt out. Proof of dental screening must then be obtained at a dental office.

For more information about the dental screening requirement, please visit

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/childrenfamilies/familyhealth/oralhealth/koha or contact our local health department.

If your child has a dental exam on file dated AFTER March 8th, 2026: Your child has met the state requirement and will not be screened at school. If you do not want your child screened at school, please opt out by emailing the school nurse at virzim@brightonk12.com or sending a written note to school before October 1st.

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.

2026/2027 PTO Board

Amanda Dennis- Co-President

Kendra Cupp- Co- President

Lindsey Kovacs- Vice President

Kasey Thompson- Secretary

Michele Lewis- Co-Treasurer

Brandy Solanick- Co-Treasurer

We know the start of the year has so much information flying around! Here’s an organized list of PTO events and sign ups coming up!

UPCOMING EVENTS

1) Family Picnic is next week, Wednesday September 23rd from 6-8pm. Volunteers are needed! Please sign up to help make this a fun night and meet fellow parents!

2) Pink Week is next week! So many amazing events happening! A flyer will be going home today! Coin wars, scavenger hunt, sucker sales, bake sale, and PINK OUT!! Volunteers are needed! Please sign up and help make this week successful!

Volunteers link here.

Bake sale link here

3) Book Fair will be happening next week, Wednesday 5-7 and Thursday 4-5 as well! Volunteers opportunities here as well!

WYLIE WALKERS

This year, we would love to give Wylie some extra attention and help him get out for walks during the school day! We’ve created a sign up for anyone who would like to take Wylie for a walk. It’s a great opportunity to spend some time with our favorite four-legged friend while helping him get some fresh air and exercise! Thank you for helping give Wylie a little extra love this year!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We. Love. Volunteers! Our amazing events wouldn't be so successful without the help of our incredible parents. We would appreciate help this year with all these great events planned. Please take a moment to fill out our Volunteer Interest Form . If you have any questions on the committees, please reach out to spencerroadpto@gmail.com and we would be more than happy to go over any questions you may have.

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

For the most up-to-date happenings with Spencer Elementary PTO, follow us on Facebook, visit our Linktree for sign ups and forms, and view our Weebly.

Amanda Dennis & Kendra Cupp

PTO Co-Presidents | Spencer Elementary PTO

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

We are continuing our efforts 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, and will again use the QR code system for parents/guardians 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 you 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, it will direct you to either the Student Sign In or Sign Out Google Form. The safety officer and/or office 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 to send in a note with your student in the morning to give to the teacher if you will be picking up your student early.

Here are the QR Links. You can always save these to your phone for quick reference.

GOOGLE FORM FOR STUDENT SIGN IN

GOOGLE FORM FOR STUDENT SIGN OUT

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.

You can access the form by clicking HERE.

Considering the tough economic times facing our area, we are attempting to help Brighton School families by making sure all our children have enough food. “Fueling Kids’ Futures One Meal at a Time” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program is a community-based program sponsored by Fueling Kids’ Futures, Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, Our Food Partner, and the Brighton Community.

If you agree to take part in this program, during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with purchased food for the weekend. Bags will be dispensed in a discreet and caring manner. The simple meals may include food like mac and cheese, canned chicken, canned tuna, granola bars, peanut butter, soups, cereal, fruit cups, and other items. For you, there is no cost associated with this program.

To ensure, as to the best of our ability, to provide for a safe packing environment all volunteers will follow the guidelines established by the Brighton School District. All food will be sent home in disposable plastic bags.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out this form. If you have more than one child attending the school, list the names of all children in this school.

Please be sure to indicate on the form if your child has any food allergies. If your child has a food

allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home.

Brighton Area Schools as well as Fueling Kids’ Futures, Community Foundation of Greater

Rochester, and the Food Partner will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen

exposure.

Supporting Students through the McKinney-Vento Act

Brighton Area Schools is part of a county-wide consortium dedicated to supporting students who

are experiencing temporary living situations. Through this program, students can receive:

 Assistance with educational expenses

 Housing referrals

 Access to clothing and other essentials

 General support and technical assistance

To comply with federal law, staff and families are encouraged to help identify students who may

be living in:

 Emergency shelters or transitional housing

 Motels or hotels

 Cars, parks, or public spaces

 Shared housing due to loss of housing or financial hardship

 Temporary arrangements with someone other than a parent or guardian

Our district’s homeless liaison is Starr Acromite, and each building has trained staff available to

provide support. Brighton also partners with Candice Olrich at the Livingston Educational

Service Agency.

�� For more information or assistance, please contact your building principal or Starr Acromite

at 810-299-4040.

You will find the Drop Off Cabinet (pictured below) outside 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, affix it to the item, and a staff member will deliver it to your student.

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.

Spencer has a Food Pantry that was gifted to us by our Spencer Class of 2024 students and PTO. It is located outside in the front of the school behind the Teacher's Retreat near Door #3. Feel free to visit if you need some assistance with food. We are also accepting donations to stock up the Food Pantry. If you are so inclined to help with that, it would be greatly appreciated.

Lost & Found is also located next to the Food Pantry in the front of the school near Door #3.

September

21-25 - Pink Week

23 - Family Picnic from 6-8 PM

25 - Pink Out!

October

9 - Annual Roadrunner Run

12 - No School

13 - PTO Meeting in the Media Center at 4:10PM

13-16 - Homecoming Spirit Week

28 - Picture Retake Day

29 - Trunk or Treat

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.

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

Parents, do you have a 4th-8th grader who might be interested in participating in Brighton a Cappella Camp? The camp meets Tuesday, September 29th and 30th, from 4:30pm - 6:00pm at Brighton High School. There will be a culminating performance at the beginning of Scranton Idol at the BCPA on Thursday, October 1st at 7:00pm. Please see the linked form for more information, and feel free to reach out to Sarah Hamilton at hamiltons@brightonk12.com or Phil Johnson at johnsop@brightonk12.com if you have any questions!

BHS a Cappella Camp 2026

ARTragous (an art/music extravaganza for all ages)

Sunday, October 11 at 4:00 PM

BAS BOGO deal (buy 1, get 1 of equal or lesser value, limit 1).

Coupon code: bogoART

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