Dear Scott School Families,

The past two weeks have been filled with two exciting student experiences including the international Walk to School Day and our annual Fun Run fundraiser event.  It's so rewarding to observe students enjoying school in and out of the classroom and applying the social, emotional, and academic skills they've learned during activities such as these.  We are really looking forward to the upcoming school-wide field trip to NCG Cinema to view The Wild Robot movie and compare and contrast it to the book that students are listening to during read aloud in their classroom.  Thank you to families and all individuals who donated to our Fun Run fundraiser so enrichment experiences are possible for our students.

With gratitude,

Linda Reha

Scott School Principal

Our annual Fun Run was a hit once again this year.  Thank you to all donors and volunteers who contributed in various ways.  The proceeds from this event will fund all field trips and transportation to and from venues throuhgout the school year.  These enrichment experiences extend learning from in the classroom to our community both locally and statewide.  Michigan has a lot of valuable learning resources that our students benefit from.  We will continue to accept online (school’s fundraising page) or cash donations the week following this event that was held on October 18.  Remember, dontations are tax deductible.

Walk to School is an international day established in the United States in 1997 as an effort for students to celebrate the fun of walking (or biking) to school and enjoy getting some morning exercise right in our community.  Thank you to Ms. Brya, PE Teacher at Scott School, our DPS bus drivers, our City of DeWitt Police Department, our Walking School Bus Coordinators, Carrie Kendall and Holli Schoonover, and parent volunteers for making this event safe and fun for our students.

To promote a safe and secure indoor school environment, create an inclusive atmosphere for all students, and to reduce distractions for the duration of the school day, the following school celebration guidelines will be followed:

• Classroom celebrations will be kept to one hour.

• Healthy snacks and alternatives to food to support allergies and our wellness policy are encouraged.  Some classrooms may have a “no food” policy due to allergies.

• Only volunteers and party classroom coordinators may be allowed in the classroom to help support classroom celebration activities per individual teacher request/classroom needs.

• Volunteers and party classroom coordinators may not bring any additional guests including siblings (of any age), relatives, etc.  

• Volunteers and classroom coordinators must complete the I-Chat Form and be cleared if they at any time are going to work with students independent of where the classroom teacher is.

• Halloween/Fall Celebration Specific: 

  • All Scott families may attend an outdoor Halloween parade of students around the building - weather permitting. More information about the parade time and location will be shared with families when the date gets closer.

  • Costume Guidelines: 

    • Simple costumes will be allowed at school.  

    • Scott School students are allowed to wear simple costumes to school.  Be mindful of student’s ability to participate in classroom learning and also PE and recess activities.

    • Costumes should be tasteful, modest and appropriate for a school environment.  

    • Costumes shall have no representation of violence, horror characters or be scary; no blood or weapons.  

    • Wearing costumes is an opportunity but not an obligation.  Families may choose whether or not their child participates.

    • If your child or you are questioning if a costume is school appropriate, it is recommended to err on the side of caution and choose something else.

In just over a month, we will be hosting Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Once we get closer, a SignUp Genius will be shared with families to choose a date/format and time that works best with your schedule.

• In Person Conferences:  Nov. 6 from 4-7:30 p.m.

• Virtual Conferences:  Nov. 7 from 4-7:30 p.m.

Please follow these guidelines to help make high school football games safe and enjoyable for all who attend.

1. DeWitt students must remain on our side of the stadium.

2.  Students must leave all footballs, balls, flying objects (ie. frisbees, etc.) at home.  Playing catch, games, etc. is not acceptable with so many spectators in the stadium and causes safety risks and distractions to those who paid to watch the event.

3. It is an expectation that elementary students are chaperoned. The concourse (common area between the stands and concessions) is not a play space.  Elementary aged students must be accompanied by their adult and not be left unsupervised to play or congregate inside or outside of the stadium.  

Below is a message from our DeWitt PTA.

Monster Mash
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Monster Mash on October 11! The event was a blast, and it was wonderful to see so many families come out to celebrate together. .

Conference Cuisine Update
We’re still collecting food and monetary donations to support meals for teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences through November. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already provided meals for Young 5s and Kindergarten teachers. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue showing our appreciation for our incredible staff!
https://tinyurl.com/fallcc2024

Denim and Diamonds
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 9th! Denim and Diamonds, our biggest fundraiser, helps fund our family-friendly events and teacher and building grants. This year, we’re adding online bidding for the silent auction starting November 3rd, leading up to the in-person event. Check out our PTA Facebook page or visit our website for more details:
https://www.ptadewitt.org/denim-and-diamonds.html 

Classroom Baskets
You may have heard about Classroom Baskets! Each class is gathering items to create themed baskets that will be featured in the silent auction. It’s a fun way for families to get involved, and every little bit helps! Please reach out to your classroom coordinator if you have any questions.   

Have you considered working in a school before?  Do you enjoy working on a team?  Does working with children interest you?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, please consider applying for our open non-instructional assistant postion, or pass this information along to others who may be interested.  We are looking to fill a 1.5 hour/day lunch assistant position and would love to have you join our amazing Scott School team!  Please contact our main office at 517-668-3400 during school hours to learn more about this position and how to apply.

Below are the dates for Collaborative Learning Time (CLT) and professional development this year.  Thank you in advance for supporting these days which allow our teachers to participate in training and be continuous lifelong learners to support student success.

• August 20 & 21 - Full Days for Professional Development (before school starts)

• August 26 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• September 27 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• October 16 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• November 5 - Full Day Professional Development (no school)

• February 14 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• March 19 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

• May 14 - Early Release for CLT (dismissal at 11:42 a.m.)

Student safety is a priority.  Please bring proper identification each time your child is picked up from school.  Here are some ways adults picking up students can be identified:

• Physical ID (ie. driver's license)

• Personal ID by office staff

• Other identification proof such as utility bills or other statements, credit card, etc., AND answer personal information that we have in Infinite Campus (ie. phone number, child's birthdate, etc.)

There are some Scott students who have health-threatening nut allergies in our building.  Scott School is a 'No Nut' building.  Pack items that do not contain nuts for your child's lunch and snack.  It is critically important that we provide a safe learning environment for all students, and your help with this is needed and appreciated.  Please always contact your child's teacher if you have a concern about an allergy or other health condition related to your child that they should be aware of.  Also, if your child has a medical need, including food or other allergies, don't forget to update your child's Medical Management Plan by completing and submitting the district forms to the office before school starts so we can follow protocols to keep your child safe.

School breakfast and lunch are available and free to all students.  Additional information will be provided to families soon about how to sign up for this opportunity with additional information about our food service program.  Menus can be found here and will be updated soon.

In order for Scott School personnel to administer medication to your child when we return to in person instruction, you must:

• Submit a completed district medication form to our office. 

• Be sure all medications are brought to and stored in our office. 

• Be sure prescription medication is in its original container accompanied with a physician’s signature. 

• Be sure non-prescription medication is in its original container accompanied by a parent’s signature. 

• Please communicate with your child's teacher if he/she takes medication daily at school. 

• If your child has a medical condition, please be sure to complete a Medical Management Plan for your child and turn it in at the office.

Medication and other medical forms can be found on our DeWitt Public Schools website.

Our school social worker, Mrs. Schwarz, is always willing to assist students and families in any way possible.  In addition to working closely with your child's teacher, consider reaching out to her if you have questions or need support.  She is truly amazing at what she does!  She can be reached at 517-668-3446 or schwarzdea@dewittschools.net.